Lone Star Christmas

Christmas is a time for reluctant homecomings and family secrets in this tender contemporary romance series launch from Fossen (The Last Rodeo), set in the small town of Coldwater, Tex. When Callen was 14, he and his brothers were placed in the home of his foster father, Buck. Four years later, he fled to make a new life. Now a successful cattle broker in Dallas, he’s pulled home by a wedding invitation—and by Buck’s biological daughter, Shelby. She helps Buck with his foster kids alongside his fiancée, a firecracker taxidermist named Rosy. Worried there’s something seriously wrong with Buck’s health, Shelby enlists Callen’s aid under the guise of bringing him back to the fold. They’re both shocked by the stirring heat between them. Resplendent with quirky characters, buried secrets, and Christmas joy, the plot delivers just the right amount of emotional punch and happily ever after. (Oct.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated that the book had two co-authors.