Series:
Fortunes of Texas: Fortune's Secret Children (Book 5)
He'd lost the holiday spirit…
Until she brought light back into his life.
Rancher Arlo Fortune is devastated when he loses his best
friend in a tragic accident. The only thing that heals him is opening his heart
to his friend's adorable daughter, Aviva…and his friend's grieving
sister-in-law, the brand-new guardian to the orphaned child. Carrie Kaplan has
one mission: to lavish her niece with love in a Jewish home like her sister
always wanted. Her stop in Chatelaine is only temporary. Right? But as she
teaches Aviva about the miracle of Hanukkah, holiday magic might just beckon from
Arlo's ranch around the bend…
Terrific book. I loved the multicultural aspect of the
story with the inclusion of Carrie' Jewish heritage and customs. I know very
little about Jewish traditions, and this was enlightening and enjoyable.
After the unexpected deaths of her sister and brother-in-law,
Carrie became the guardian of her niece, Aviva. Coping with her grief at the
same time, she tries to give Aviva as normal a holiday as possible, which is
not easy. She longs to return to her life in Albuquerque but doesn't want to
upend Aviva's life any more than necessary.
Arlo is grieving the loss of his best friend, Isaac. He
wants to continue being part of Aviva's life and makes a point of spending time
with her. He is also dealing with unresolved issues about his father, adding a
bit of mystery to the story.
I enjoyed the development of Carrie and Arlo's
relationship. They come together because of their grief and love for Aviva. Arlo
insists on helping Carrie fix up the house while she deals with settling the
family's affairs. Their romance
developed as they got to know each other. I loved seeing Arlo's interest in
Carrie's traditions and enthusiastic participation as Carried prepared for the holiday.
Carrie's support of Arlo as he deals with a mystery surrounding his father goes
a long way toward restoring Arlo's holiday spirit. The question is whether
Carrie's growing feelings for Arlo will be enough to keep her from returning to
Albuquerque.
I liked seeing Carrie's introduction to small-town life.
She's used to the anonymity of city life, and it takes her some time to adjust
to the closeness of the people of Chatelaine. I loved how welcoming and
inclusive they were, with a terrific scene at the town's holiday festival. I
also loved the ending and seeing both families' celebrations.
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