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Big Sky Centennial #6
Her Montana Christmas
A Yuletide Bride
It's time for mistletoe and merriment—for everyone except Robin Frazier. As Jasper Gulch's centennial celebrations reach their festive conclusion, her guilt is only mounting. The shy historian is hiding something—something that will affect everyone in town. And the more time she spends with pastor Ethan Johnson, creating an old-fashioned Christmas for his church, the more she realizes what this secret is costing her. He's just the kind of man her heart longs for, and his kind brown eyes seem to say he might feel the same. Can she take a chance this Christmas and reveal who she really is—and what her heart is longing to say?
Big Sky Centennial: A small town rich in history…and love
It's time for mistletoe and merriment—for everyone except Robin Frazier. As Jasper Gulch's centennial celebrations reach their festive conclusion, her guilt is only mounting. The shy historian is hiding something—something that will affect everyone in town. And the more time she spends with pastor Ethan Johnson, creating an old-fashioned Christmas for his church, the more she realizes what this secret is costing her. He's just the kind of man her heart longs for, and his kind brown eyes seem to say he might feel the same. Can she take a chance this Christmas and reveal who she really is—and what her heart is longing to say?
Big Sky Centennial: A small town rich in history…and love
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 18, 2014
30 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Arlene James
214 books88 followersArlene James has written romance for four decades, and has published 100+ novels. A mother of sons and now a happy grandmother to the brightest, most talented, and lovely of all granddaughters, she is finding her sixth decade to be great fun.
She and her very supportive husband of 45 years (whom she agreed to marry on their first date!) enjoy a busy social life and have visited much of the world. After calling Texas home for three decades, they now live in beautiful NW Arkansas.
Arlene grew up on a ranch in south central Oklahoma and still maintains strong ties in that area. She firmly believes that writing has afforded her the best of all possible means of earning a living, and credits a junior high school English teacher with proving to her that her dream of being an author was entirely achievable.
After 4 decades of deadlines and multiple-book contracts (for which she is deeply grateful), she is enjoying the ability to write exactly what she feels led to write on her own schedule.
She and her very supportive husband of 45 years (whom she agreed to marry on their first date!) enjoy a busy social life and have visited much of the world. After calling Texas home for three decades, they now live in beautiful NW Arkansas.
Arlene grew up on a ranch in south central Oklahoma and still maintains strong ties in that area. She firmly believes that writing has afforded her the best of all possible means of earning a living, and credits a junior high school English teacher with proving to her that her dream of being an author was entirely achievable.
After 4 decades of deadlines and multiple-book contracts (for which she is deeply grateful), she is enjoying the ability to write exactly what she feels led to write on her own schedule.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 13, 2022
Decent little story - kind of cute and not too terribly predictable. I enjoyed it as a quick Christmas time read.
November 12, 2014
HER MONTANA CHRISTMAS by Arlene James: Wow! what a beautiful heart warming love story! This is the last book #6 in the Big Sky Centennial series, but like the others, can definitely be a stand alone book as well. This series has been so enjoyable to read. Filled with lots of love, laughter, mystery, lies, confessions, and most of all, is so inspiring! One of the best series I have ever read. The authors, Valerie Hansen, Ruth Logan Herne, Carolyne Aarsen, Brenda Minton, Jenna Mindel and Arlene James, are among the greatest of all writers, all are devout Christian ladies and prayer warriors, who love to write for the Glory of God. This book, as well as the series, gets my vote of 5 stars and I highly recommend it to all loving a great love story. God's love light and blessings to all you lovely ladies and I sure look forward to more to come from all of you.
December 1, 2014
Fantastic conclusion to this wonderful continuity series. You don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one though you are introduced to quite a few characters at the beginning. Just go with the flow and you'll soon sort everyone out as well as a few key past events.
Yay -- I was right about Robin! The other authors have been teasing me with her back story -- or lack of -- while laying subtle little hints of what that might just be. Loved getting to know Robin and gleeful that Ethan finally finds his match. Their romance is tentative at first, but Ethan soon becomes a man with a mission in true swoonworthy fashion. Robin is tempted and torn and an emotional basket case before she finally lets go of her secrets. And Ethan struggles with his own demons from the past. A tumultuous romance with depth and spirit and a beautiful conclusion to this much loved series.
Yay -- I was right about Robin! The other authors have been teasing me with her back story -- or lack of -- while laying subtle little hints of what that might just be. Loved getting to know Robin and gleeful that Ethan finally finds his match. Their romance is tentative at first, but Ethan soon becomes a man with a mission in true swoonworthy fashion. Robin is tempted and torn and an emotional basket case before she finally lets go of her secrets. And Ethan struggles with his own demons from the past. A tumultuous romance with depth and spirit and a beautiful conclusion to this much loved series.
January 8, 2015
What a delightful story! A true example of forgiveness and confession, even with a hint of possible rejection.
What I loved: I loved this book because of the characters. They were so believable….almost like someone in your family. They possessed loyalty, fear, doubt, care for others, and most of all faith ... faith to believe that God would lead in all areas of their lives. How refreshing.
What I didn’t like: The ending of the mystery came so fast, and the book ended so quickly. Even though this was a complaint, it did not reflect negatively on the book as a whole. Even though the ending was rushed, my eyes still filled with tears several times at the end.
Over all, I give this book five stars. Good job, Ms. James. I can’t wait to read your next book.
What I loved: I loved this book because of the characters. They were so believable….almost like someone in your family. They possessed loyalty, fear, doubt, care for others, and most of all faith ... faith to believe that God would lead in all areas of their lives. How refreshing.
What I didn’t like: The ending of the mystery came so fast, and the book ended so quickly. Even though this was a complaint, it did not reflect negatively on the book as a whole. Even though the ending was rushed, my eyes still filled with tears several times at the end.
Over all, I give this book five stars. Good job, Ms. James. I can’t wait to read your next book.
February 25, 2020
The characters were likable and the story started out that way but for some strange reason. The author added a scene in the middle that was totally unnecessarily graphic and violent. It spoiled the book for me. I wont read it again and I dont recommend it and I am reminded why I almost never pay full price for a book.
January 30, 2019
Inspirational novel about a minister and a woman who has come to his small town to investigate her family's great grandmother. I found it slightly slow reading, but it is interesting to think about the problems of a single minister.
July 15, 2020
Frustrating reading everyone keeping secrets but it came together nicely in the end. Loved all the Christmas surprises and the ending wedding venue.
December 4, 2022
Robin goes to Jasper Gultch to find the family she's never know. Ethan in the pastor at Jasper Gultch. They learn to trust each other and finally share their secrets.
June 16, 2016
Of the centennial books, this was the most interesting. The rest were all pretty much straight romance, which is fine, but in this one the romance felt like the subplot while the mystery was the main plot. It was fun. We finally get to learn the secrets about Robin, the founders of Jasper's Gulch, Lucy, and the time capsule, not to mention get to know Pastor Ethan better. I really liked Ethan, and I liked how his and Robin's relationship felt slow and gradual and natural, unlike most of the other relationships in the series. I didn't like Robin, though; she felt too whiny. I just didn't really get what the problem was. So she didn't tell everyone the full truth of why she was in Jasper's Gulch; why was it supposed to be so earth-shattering and life-ruining when she announced the truth? I mean, sure there would be people who's feelings might be a little hurt that she wasn't upfront, but her fears of getting run out of town just felt super paranoid and ridiculous to me. And the other thing that drove me crazy--her fear that they wouldn't believe her about who she was. Why couldn't she just say, "You don't believe me? Here's a DNA sample." It's not like this took place in the 1800s; a DNA test can be done by mail these days, and that that route was never brought up, not even once, drove me kind of crazy.
December 25, 2014
I loved this story of the power of forgiveness and also a story of Hope and Faith. This is the last of a continuing series. It is well written and solves the mysteries that were begun in the earlier books. Even though it is part of a series, it can be read by itself. I am so pleased with this whole series. It is amazing to me that this series could be written by six different authors and yet it all runs smoothly together into one series as if it is written by the same author.
February 6, 2015
I've read many of Arlene James's books, including the Eden, OK series and Chatam House series which is a favorite. Her Montana Christmas is part of Big Sky Centennial series by a variety of authors. I've only read this book which is the final book in the series. Reading the other titles would have made the other characters more familiar.
December 3, 2014
Her Montana Christmas by Arlene James is the sixth and last book in the Big Sky Centennial series. ALL six books were excellent. A lot going on in each book of the series. Of course a cliff hanger for the last book. A must read series. I would recommend it.
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January 12, 2016received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Big Sky Centennial
Miniseries: Big Sky Centennial
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January 12, 2016received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Big Sky Centennial
Miniseries: Big Sky Centennial
Read
July 21, 2017Sweet story that perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas. Ethan & Robin are a beautiful picture of Christ & the church.
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October 28, 2018On Dec. 1st. Pastor Ethan Johnson was closing up the church in Jasper Gulch, Montana, where he was celebrating his first Christmas. The town was celebrating it's centennial and a time capsule had been dug up. The contents had been stolen and some of them returned. Few knew of there were contents missing and those contents were.
Robin Frazier was in town and helping out at the library as a historian. Ethan went to her to enlist her help in recreating an old-fashioned Christmas celebration. He found that there were real bells in the church and ordered ropes to use for pulls. He wanted to call the members to church with the real bells on Christmas rather than use the recordings that had been used for years. She helped him with research on what the town's Christmas decorations looked like back 100 years ago. They worked together to created a Christmas program for the town with many people and their animals involved.
Robin had come to town after the death of her great-grandmother who had confessed to being Lily Shaw and a relative of the Shaw's who were a large part of the town of Jasper Gulch. Robin wanted to come meet her relatives but before she did that, she needed proof that the story she heard from her great-grandmother was actually true.
Her great-grandmother had made it look like she had died driving off a bridge while she ran off with the man she loved who later became her husband. She had used a name that wasn't really her own for the rest of her life. There was only one man in town, Rusty, who had seen them run off. Lily's father had been trying to marry Lily to an older man who would give him money to keep the back in town from going under. She didn't want to marry the man so she planned to escape with Cliff. They started a new life somewhere else. A member of the other main family in town, the Massey's, had been a partner in the town's bank and had taken a large amount of money from the bank and left town, leaving the Shaw's to deal with the consequences. Rusty told Robin that he suspected that the town's mayor had taken gold out of the time capsule that had been dug up. He was a Shaw who didn't want to share the gold in the capsule with the Massey family who had stolen the money from the bank all those years ago.
Robin found out that the story was true and went and confronted the family. They didn't take it well at first but spoke to Robin after the Christmas program and admitted that she was right. They apologized for their behavior and accepted her as one of them. The mayor also returned the money and resigned his position as the mayor.
Ethan had come from California where he had lived as a child. He had a girlfriend who was 16 and she was the brother of a rival gang in town. Ethan wasn't involved in the gang but the gang was after him and they shot his girlfriend while trying to kill him.
His mother had died when he and his sister were young and his father had begun drinking too much. His sister had married and had a young daughter. Her father threw a party. There was fighting and his sister's husband had tried to stop it. Their father was drunk and hit her husband over the head and killed him. He was in prison for manslaughter. His father had told Ethan that he had found Christ in prison but his sister and he had taken different paths. They hadn't talked in years and he didn't see his niece anymore.
Ethan was afraid to tell his congreation about his history and that of his family. It took him a while to confide in Robin and it took her even longer to confess her history to him. Ethan had fallen in love with Robin and she with him. She was afraid that her connections to the mayor's family would cost him his job.
The Christmas pageant turned out okay and and they rang the bells together. Robin accepted his marriage proposal after Ethan spoke to her parents on the phone. Robin had also contacted Ethan's sister and they were speaking again.
Ethan was the officiant for the wedding of a Shaw and Massey wedding on Christmas Day.
They were married on the newly reopened Beaver Creek Bridge on New Year's Day where the accident that supposedly killed Lily Shaw took place.
Robin Frazier was in town and helping out at the library as a historian. Ethan went to her to enlist her help in recreating an old-fashioned Christmas celebration. He found that there were real bells in the church and ordered ropes to use for pulls. He wanted to call the members to church with the real bells on Christmas rather than use the recordings that had been used for years. She helped him with research on what the town's Christmas decorations looked like back 100 years ago. They worked together to created a Christmas program for the town with many people and their animals involved.
Robin had come to town after the death of her great-grandmother who had confessed to being Lily Shaw and a relative of the Shaw's who were a large part of the town of Jasper Gulch. Robin wanted to come meet her relatives but before she did that, she needed proof that the story she heard from her great-grandmother was actually true.
Her great-grandmother had made it look like she had died driving off a bridge while she ran off with the man she loved who later became her husband. She had used a name that wasn't really her own for the rest of her life. There was only one man in town, Rusty, who had seen them run off. Lily's father had been trying to marry Lily to an older man who would give him money to keep the back in town from going under. She didn't want to marry the man so she planned to escape with Cliff. They started a new life somewhere else. A member of the other main family in town, the Massey's, had been a partner in the town's bank and had taken a large amount of money from the bank and left town, leaving the Shaw's to deal with the consequences. Rusty told Robin that he suspected that the town's mayor had taken gold out of the time capsule that had been dug up. He was a Shaw who didn't want to share the gold in the capsule with the Massey family who had stolen the money from the bank all those years ago.
Robin found out that the story was true and went and confronted the family. They didn't take it well at first but spoke to Robin after the Christmas program and admitted that she was right. They apologized for their behavior and accepted her as one of them. The mayor also returned the money and resigned his position as the mayor.
Ethan had come from California where he had lived as a child. He had a girlfriend who was 16 and she was the brother of a rival gang in town. Ethan wasn't involved in the gang but the gang was after him and they shot his girlfriend while trying to kill him.
His mother had died when he and his sister were young and his father had begun drinking too much. His sister had married and had a young daughter. Her father threw a party. There was fighting and his sister's husband had tried to stop it. Their father was drunk and hit her husband over the head and killed him. He was in prison for manslaughter. His father had told Ethan that he had found Christ in prison but his sister and he had taken different paths. They hadn't talked in years and he didn't see his niece anymore.
Ethan was afraid to tell his congreation about his history and that of his family. It took him a while to confide in Robin and it took her even longer to confess her history to him. Ethan had fallen in love with Robin and she with him. She was afraid that her connections to the mayor's family would cost him his job.
The Christmas pageant turned out okay and and they rang the bells together. Robin accepted his marriage proposal after Ethan spoke to her parents on the phone. Robin had also contacted Ethan's sister and they were speaking again.
Ethan was the officiant for the wedding of a Shaw and Massey wedding on Christmas Day.
They were married on the newly reopened Beaver Creek Bridge on New Year's Day where the accident that supposedly killed Lily Shaw took place.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews