The Rancher's Christmas Gift

by Jolene Navarro

Love comes in an unexpected package
for this cowboy and his K-9s.

Content with his quiet life training service dogs, the last thing army veteran Joaquin DeLeon wants is a runaway bride disrupting his peace. Looking for shelter after running out on an arranged marriage, environmental engineering professor Xitlali Kan is determined to carve out her own happiness—for herself and her neurodivergent son. Despite their personal reservations, the single mom and silent cowboy find themselves getting closer as young Oscar bonds with Joaquin’s latest training dog, Luna. But when the past catches up with Lali, will they lose out on their chance to build the family they all deserve?

From Love Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

K-9 Companions

Book 1: Their Unbreakable Bond by Deb Kastner
Book 2: Finding Her Way Back by Lisa Carter
Book 3: The Veteran's Vow by Jill Lynn
Book 4: Her Easter Prayer by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 5: Earning Her Trust by Brenda Minton
Book 6: Guarding His Secret by Jill Kemerer
Book 7: An Unlikely Alliance by Toni Shiloh
Book 9: A Reason to Stay by Deb Kastner
Book 10: The Veteran's Holiday Home by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 11: An Alaskan Christmas Promise by Belle Calhoune
Book 12: A Steadfast Companion by Myra Johnson
Book 14: A Friend to Trust by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 15: Her Alaskan Companion by Heidi McCahan
Book 16: A Companion for Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 17: Her Christmas Healing by Mindy Obenhaus
Book 18: Finding Their Way Back by Jenna Mindel
Book 19: Their Inseparable Bond by Jill Weatherholt
Book 20: Bonding with the Babies by Deb Kastner
Book 21: Her Son's Faithful Companion by Jill Weatherholt
Book 22: Training the K-9 Companion by Jill Kemerer
Book 23: A Companion for His Son by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 24: Her Loyal Companion by Heidi Main
Book 25: A K-9 Christmas Reunion by Lisa Carter
Book 26: His Christmas Salvation by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 27: Guarding Her Christmas Secret by Jill Weatherholt
Book 28: A Faithful Guardian by Louise M. Gouge
Book 29: The Veteran's Valentine Helper by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 30: Rescue on the Farm by Allie Pleiter
Book 31: An Unexpected Companion by Mindy Obenhaus
Book 32: Earning the Veteran's Trust by Lisa Jordan
Book 33: Holding Onto Secrets by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 34: His New Companion by Jill Kemerer
Book 35: The Soldier's K-9 Companion by Belle Calhoune
Book 36: Her Surprise Neighbor by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 37: Healing the Veteran by Ciara Knight
Book 38: An Unexpected Christmas Helper by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 39: The Rancher's Christmas Gift by Jolene Navarro
Book 40: An Unexpected Texas Reunion by Heidi Main
Book 41: Training Her Alaskan K-9 by Teri Wilson

205 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2025

About the author

Living in the Texas Hill Country, with her four children, Jolene’s life, much like the stories she writes, is filled with faith, family, football, art, laughter, dirty dishes and all of life's wonderful messiness.

Jolene knows that, as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Good and evil. Vow-keepers and heart-breakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who showed her that long kisses and dancing in the rain never gets old.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok, mostly same characters as previous books

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I read in 2025 and a great Christmas story. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. This story involves two service K-9s, one that helps a military veteran and one that helps Oscar, a young boy. It is part of the K-9 Companions series of books but is also book two of The Ranchers of Rio Bella series and is a standalone. I love stories that play through my mind clearly as if they are movies and this book did that. I cried reading about family loss, pain the characters were suffering, problems they were experiencing, but I also felt full of warmth and hope as they celebrated Christmas and cried at the end from happiness. Lali wants to do what is best for her son Oscar and Joaquin wants to do what is best for his family, others, and the K-9s he trains. Both Lali and Joaquin struggle in different ways and for different reasons, but both are trying to trust in their faith and follow paths they feel they are meant to follow. Do not miss this one. I voluntarily read an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Brenda Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good I’m going to read the first 3 bookshave

The characters are so well written and very good. The story line is great I’m so glad I read this one and will be reading more soon

[Elaine Applebury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jolene Navarro writes with heart. She gives her characters such warmth and depth that I felt like they were real.
Joaquin DeLeon suffered a severe loss as a teen, became a veteran with PTSD, and has emotionally tried to protect himself. He trains service dogs.
Xitlali (Lali) Kan is an environmental engineering professor and a rebelling daughter trying to get away from domineering parents. She is also a single mom to young Oscar, a child somewhere on the Spectrum. Joaquin’s brother had invited her to come to the family’s ranch to explore a cave recently discovered. She arrives on Joaquin’s doorstep late at night, unannounced, in a wedding dress! Let the adventure begin!

[Harlequin Books]

Holiday Romance, Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Western Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
K-9 Companions (Book #39)

[Kay Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Jolene Navarro is the fabulous, heart-tugging story of Joaquin Deleon, trainer of K-9 service companion dogs for wounded veterans, and Dr. Xitlali “Lali” Kan, Professor of Environmental Engineering Quantitative Paleobiology.

After leaving the army after 22 years of service and with PTSD, Joaquin’s perfect at training companion dogs to help fellow veterans, like Shadow, who helps him with panic attacks and blackouts. After a heart wrenching breakup, he’s happy to be training dogs, working with the ranchers in Mexico to establish their herds of longhorns and horses, and working to establish better soil and native plants on the family’s ranch. The last thing he expected was to find a woman in a wedding dress with her son on his doorsteps late one night!

Lali’s overbearing, strictly professional parents had insisted she marry a fellow researcher. Their work was all they had in common. Thankfully, the day of the wedding he called it off. Unwilling to deal with her parents, she took Owen, her neurodivergent son, and headed to Rio Bella, Texas where she’d been invited to explore and document a private cave that’s never been seen by outsiders. Caves are her true passion. Arriving late at night, still in her wedding dress, she arrives emotionally and physically exhausted at the right ranch, but wrong house, to find a giant of a man. Shockingly, she finds him not only accepting, but seeming to understand her son’s condition.

While Joaquin made it explicitly clear she alone would be allowed to work in the cave, can she convince him otherwise? Dare Joaquin get close to Lali and Owen after what happened last time? When Joaquin begins to put his guard down, will Lali get to see the true man? Will the dog Joaquin had thought a possible failure, prove himself otherwise? Will Lali be able to confront her parents and stand her grounds about what she wants in her life and who she wants in it?

THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT will grab you from the very beginning with a very unusual and surprising first meeting. You’ll find yourself curious about the characters backstories and excited to learn more about them as they peel off their emotional barriers. And the dogs – oh my, so sweet and so talented! Jolene Navarro gives us a story of heartbreak, healing, determination, willingness to open oneself up, family, romance, strength both in standing up for oneself and in giving yourself a second chance, and wraps it all in a wonderful thread of faith. THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT is a magnificent FIVE STAR book that I highly recommend to everyone!

While THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Jolene Navarro is the 39th book in the K-9 Companions series, it can most definitely be read as a standalone book – like all the books in this series.

I received a copy this book with no requirement or expectations of a review. All opinions are completely my own.
#TheRanchersChristmasGift #K9Companions #JoleneNavarro #LoveInspired #InspirationalRomance

[Lindsey Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does nobody proofread books anymore? One or two typos bother me bad enough, but this book was excessive. They couldn’t even keep the names of the characters straight.

Also, the main love interest was just annoying. They made a promise to never, ever do one specific thing. The first moment a difficult conversation is needed, what’s the first thing they do? Oh yea, the one specific thing they promised they’d never do. If this book hadn’t been so short, it would have been a DNF because I spent the whole time just annoyed.

[Harlequin Books]

Holiday Romance, Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Western Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
K-9 Companions (Book #39)

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the characters. I was moved by the story and how they related to each other. I couldn't quit reading.

[Mary E]

I thought it was tiring.