Rich Rancher for Christmas

The Beaumont Heirs #7

by Sarah M. Anderson

A wealthy cowboy in her stocking

CJ Wesley values his privacy more than anything. If TV news star Natalie Baker reveals he's really a Beaumont heir, the media will go wild. That's when a surprise snowstorm strands the beautiful reporter in his houseand in his bed. Soon he'll learn how much she's discoveredand how much he wants her.

CJ defies Natalie's expectations. The gruff, sexy cowboy knows how to heat up a snowbound cabin and make Christmas magical. Exposing the elusive Beaumont brother will save her jobbut only at the price of their passionate connection. It's a holiday dilemmabut will the right choice lead to forever?"

Genres: Contemporary Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

With over 1.2 million copies published in over twenty-one countries, Sarah M. Anderson has published over 45 books. Sarah's book A Man of Privilege won a RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. The Nanny Plan was a 2016 RITA® winner for Best Contemporary: Short. Additionally, Sarah has given workshops at national and regional conferences, taught craft classes online, spoken at libraries and book clubs, and published articles in the Romance Writers Report.

When she’s not walking her rescue dogs, reading or crafting, Sarah spends her days having conversations with imaginary people, all of which is surprisingly well-tolerated by her wonderful family. Find out more about Sarah’s books at www.sarahmanderson.com and sign up for the new-release newsletter at http://bit.ly/sarahalerts.

Reviews

[Paula Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie Baker is a TV gossip show host who travels to Firestone, Colorado, to track down the last remaining "bastard" heir of the Beaumont dynasty. The man is Patrick Wesley, who wants nothing to do with the family, loving his mother and stepfather, who he considers his true father. She tracks him to his ranch, right when a surprise snowstorm hits, stranding the two of them together.

This gave me a warm fuzzy feeling by the end, and also heavily incorporated Christmas into its storyline (a surprising number of Christmas category romances only pay lip service to it), so I upped my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars. A lot of Natalie's decisions were boneheaded and frustrating, but they did make sense in terms of her history and personality, and that's all I usually ask for in my romances! There's nothing worse than a romance where character actions are simply there to create conflict and make no sense in context.

CJ Wesley was a little bit too good to be true, but isn't that why we read romances? I certainly wouldn't mind the spunk on the cover to be delivered to my door Christmas morning, but I don't know what my other half might have to say about that! However, Anderson does a good job of making him seem human. He was a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of guy - who just happens to be rich and drop dead gorgeous!

The black moment involves a typically boneheaded move by Natalie, but because her character is well-developed and we understand her insecurities and what motivates her, her actions are credible, even if they make you want to slap your head in frustration. CJ's reaction to it is understandable, but I actually thought it was quite lovely how it made him come to a few realisations about himself. Natalie's actions to redeem herself were appropriate as well.

With two well-defined main characters and some lovely festive moments sprinkled throughout, this is a good bet for those who like their Christmas romances!

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beaumont family might be expanding but that doesn’t mean that everyone is happy about the news, especially CJ Wesley. As one of Hardwick Beaumont’s illegitimate children, he’s stayed completely out of the limelight but knows that soon someone might come looking for him. Well, that someone does turn up, in the form of one Natalie Baker, media personality and morning show host whose tenacious digging into a story for her show has her showing up on his doorstep. It’s just his luck that a blizzard arrives on her heels, leaving her stranded out on his ranch and right before Christmas too. Being the gentleman he is, CJ isn’t going to turn Natalie out into the cold, but it doesn’t mean he has to trust her either. But the Natalie he sees isn’t the one from television – she’s got flaws and vulnerabilities that aren’t hidden now by any camera. And it’s this woman that he finds himself suddenly very attracted to.

Natalie is desperate to keep her morning show and the only way to do so is to deliver on a promise to her boss – she’ll find the missing Beaumont heir and it’ll be a sensational story for her show, just what she needs to further her career. When she tracks CJ down to his country ranch and gets stuck there in a snowstorm, she soon realizes how much her story will interfere with his quiet life. As they grow closer and share things with each other, Natalie realizes that she’s going to have to make a choice – her career, or a man who could be her chance at a happy ever after. What will she choose?

I’m really enjoying this series of stories about the Beaumonts and the heirs to Hardwick’s fortune. This one is interesting because it focuses on one of the heirs who really has no interest in being a Beaumont or any of his inheritance. CJ grew up thinking he was the son of Patrick Wesley and only found out the truth when he was a teenager, that his mother had been involved in an affair with Hardwick Beaumont and that she’d married the man he knows as his father when he’d been a baby – a marriage of convenience that turned into one of deep abiding love. As far as he’s concerned the parents he grew up with are the only ones of consequence. He’s especially turned off at the idea of bringing attention and scandal to his quiet life. His feelings for Natalie are therefore pretty confusing. On the one hand he can’t help that he’s attracted to her as she’s a beautiful intelligent woman. But she also represents a danger to his current lifestyle.

Natalie evokes a lot of empathy for her emotionally troubled childhood, including abandonment by her mother at the age of 6 for what she was told was her fault. Since then, she’s had a fractious relationship with her father who still blames her for the breakup of his marriage and she’s resorted to looking for outside attention to get the validation she never got as a child, no matter if it's good or bad. She’s torn about what to do with CJ because she genuinely likes him as a person (and is equally attracted to him) and knows her story on him being one of the Beaumont heirs will change his life, and likely not for the better. While they are in their own little bubble, trapped by a blizzard, they can forget about the outside world and the consequences of Natalie’s story, but the real world intrudes soon enough. Natalie doesn’t always make the best choices, but luckily, CJ is a very understanding and compassionate man. There are some sexy scenes between this couple, and some delightful Christmas ones as well, both at the ranch and in the town that CJ calls home. In the end these two get a lovely happy ending and I look forward to reading about the next Beaumont heir.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.

This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-ric...

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

Well, Sarah M Anderson has done it again. She has a gift for writing damaged characters. I hated Natalie at first. She's all about me, me, me, seeking attention for all the wrong reasons and basking in being in the spotlight, even if all of the focus sent her way is negative and demeaning. Her morning show is on the skids, and if she doesn't deliver a big story fast, she's going to be fired. She's got her sights set on CJ Wesley, who she suspects is one of the Beaumont bastards. She is determined to get her big news story, even if she has to stalk, spy on, and gossip with all of the local townspeople to get the lowdown on CJ.

CJ is a boring guy. He's a rancher, and he likes his quiet life. All his life he has been afraid of the Beaumonts discovering him, a fear drilled ceaselessly into him by his mother. When Natalie shows up in town, he does everything he can to avoid her. Then she shows up on his property, right before a big blizzard is forecast to bury the area in snow. Instead of leaving her to fix her own lack of judgement, he allows her into his house, and ultimately, into his life.

If I was CJ, I would have sent Natalie packing, snow storm or no. She is not a nice character at first, and it took most of the book for me to warm up to her. She has serious issues that in real life would require counseling to overcome. CJ is such a great guy, though, that he shows her the importance of trust, family, and being honest with oneself. While Natalie's faults are on full display from page one, CJ isn't perfect, either, and with Natalie in his life, he sees where his life is lacking, and he learns to grow and become an even better man.

This is a great holiday read, and I highly recommend giving it a spin. Daniel's story is next, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on it.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've previously read a couple of Anderson's books and enjoyed them. I also have a few on my always growing TBR pile.

Rich Rancher For Christmas is the seventh book in The Beaumont Heirs and although I haven't read any of the others - yet - I was not lost at all. The story flowed nicely and the characters had a lot of layers to them that we got to know a little at a time. Although there were a lot of secrets - both on CJ's side as well as Natalie's what they had seemed real until it wasn't. There were nice descriptions of the ranch, the town, CJ's home and all that went with it. There was closure and a happily-ever-after in the offing but enough loose ends that left me wanting more.

I'm glad to see there will be more books in the series. I look forward to reading them as well as the first six that I've missed.

[Raquel · Rating 1 out of 5]

MAN, THIS BOOK WAS TRASH. also kinda racist. here's a tip if you're writing a latin character: DONT YOU EVER IN YOUR GODDAMN LIFE MENTION PIÑATAS OR SOMBREROS BECAUSE 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 YOU DONT EVEN KNOW IT BUT YOURE BEING RACIST AF. this is a fact.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read with the Christmas flare and romance. A great Harlequin read.

[Ellen Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snowbound in Colorado.
Television morning show host, Natalie Baker needs another scoop to keep her job. Tracking down and interviewing the third illegitimate Beaumont will do the trick.
CJ Wesley considers himself a son of a respected rancher outside Firestone, CO. For over thirty years, he’s ignored the fact that his biological father is a Beaumont. And that’s just fine with him, he doesn’t need to be the target of gossip and social media stalkers.
Waiting for CJ to return to the ranch, Natalie doesn’t see the approaching storm in time. Half-frozen, CJ carries her into the house and lays down the ground rules: no snooping by either of them. Except rules get broken. The past, snowflake by snowflake, melts away to reveal the true character below.
Ms. Anderson has written a modern twist snowbound story that will warm your heart any month of the year.

[Bonnie Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there’s the fact Natalie the TV show celebritie wants to expose CJ for who he really is, well it’s that or lose her job, but the really good part is when they get snowed in together and CJ saves her and basically cares for her and treats her with kindness. And oh how the sparks fly between them, even the simple act of CJ going to dry her clothes and what he goes through just trying to pick up her bra and pantys is pretty tantalizing being in on his thoughts.
Great read I thank you Sarah M Anderson, I’m so glad I won your giveaway, I so love to win a book and you threw in one for my friend and some goodies.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah M. Anderson's Harlequin Desire book, Rich Rancher for Christmas, is part of the Beaumont Heirs series of books. This book pits CJ Wesley against Natalie Baker. These stangers end up stranded in CJ's house because of a snowstorm. As they get to know each other, Natalie tries to decide if saving her TV show is worth destroying his privacy. I enjoyed this sweet story. It's a fun holiday read.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this through my local library leaning program. fun times. i love the book cover. i always try when i see an author i enjoy if they have more books on that platform ... but a lot of the times they don't have but one of the books and it is never the first book in the series ...i really don't get that??! i wonder??! any who ... i will read more from Sarah very very soon. read on. it is rainy and a great day for reading. bye.

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like it. The hero was decent and likeable however I couldn't stand the heroine at all.

She had bad childhood/parents and then grew up to not be a great person, she made good decisions at the end (deleting her social media and quiting job), but I still didn't like her. Np.





*** I think CJ and Jo (from Tempted by a Cowboy) would have been a better match, I didn't like Natalie from this book or Phillip from the other book

[Chuck]

Descent read. Believable relationship build. Ended very abruptly though.

[Yenn Muñozz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un buen libro navideño, nada complejo súper cliché pero a quien no le gusta una historia predecible. Esta bien para lo que es…

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Natalie Baker needs a hot story to keep her show. CJ Wesley is equally resolute about keeping his name out of the headlines and off the air. So we have two characters who have diametrically opposed interests. They both get locked in a cabin together during a fierce blizzard. The stage is set for lit fireplaces and equally hot romance.

But CJ is extremely wary of Natalie and with good reason. She’s told him time and again that she ruins things and he doesn’t want her to get close. But she’s a very lovely woman and they are snowed in together. So what else can happen?

I was pleased to see that they didn’t automatically jump into the sack; it allowed me to witness their evolution as characters rather than automatic bed partners. Okay, it was annoying to see this consummate television personality portrayed as a hot mess with daddy issues who didn’t really like her job. But CJ has his problems too.

His mother was terrified that Hardwick Beaumont (a womanizing jerk encountered in other books written by this author) would come along and take her child away from her. Hardwick was known for marrying and divorcing his various women and keeping their children as some sort of twisted revenge. But CJ is one of Hardwick’s illegitimate children so Hardwick never had any legal right to him, a detail his mother clearly overlooked in her panic.

So CJ has led a happy but sheltered and lonely life, living in the shadow of his mother’s fear of a phantom ogre that might swoop down and take him away from her. Natalie’s rude entrance into his world is the catalyst that changes all that.

Contrary to lots of romances about different folks who have nothing going for them other than mutual sexual attraction, CJ and Natalie not only have a lot in common but have much to offer each other. CJ realizes that safety at the expense of living is overrated and Natalie learns that “likes” and “tweets” can’t take the place of real human interaction.

Yes, we have small-town life and folks presented as so charming you want to roll your eyes (with no accompanying picture of big-city existence to leaven it, mind you). But does Natalie give up her job to live with CJ on his ranch? Well, this novel does hold a surprise or two there and I’m not going to spoil it for you.

So this is heartwarming Christmas sentiment without being too heavily dipped in treacle. As warming as a mug of hot chocolate laced with peppermint schnapps, Rich Rancher for Christmas may settle for Christmas cheer but there’s a surprise at the bottom of the cup.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story really tugs at your heartstrings. While Natalie Baker is a high-powered morning news show host who is after the next big scoop, she's never had a decent Christmas. The only thing she's got in her life is her show and the approval of her fans. If she can find the next illegitimate Beaumont heir, she's sure her ratings will go up. She's tracked down a rancher in the Firestone, Colorado, area, and she's determined to find the truth, even if it means driving out to the middle of nowhere with a blizzard on the way.

CJ Wesley has known this day would come, but that doesn't mean he's ready for his identity as one of Hardwick Beaumont's children to be made public. He doesn't want his mother and adoptive father to suffer any more embarrassment, and he just wants to be left alone to run his ranch. When Natalie shows up and starts asking questions, he hopes that a lack of information from the townsfolk will discourage her and send her home. But then she shows up at his ranch in stiletto heels and a short skirt just moments before a blizzard hits. He can't just leave her out in the storm to freeze, so he brings her in to his cozy ranch house.

The two form an uneasy truce for the holidays. They'll decorate the tree and sip some hot cocoa and have no contact with the outside world. Maybe somehow they can come up with a solution to their dilemma, because the more they get to know each other, the less they want the outside world to intrude on their Christmas magic.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

CJ was an extremely quiet person that kept to himself on the ranch..Natalie is a reporter trying to track down another Beaumont bastard..Has she found the last one? While staking out CJ's ranch she gets stranded there in a snow storm....It was not her intent to let that happen but it did...He takes her phone from her...He tries to keep his distance from her but the more they are around each other the closer they become...But than she secretly takes a picture of him as Santa Claus, she meant it for herself but her father upsets her and she posts it to get hits for her tv show...Does she have second thoughts? A very good story. Worth the read..Every page keeps you turning to the next to see what will happen between CJ and Natalie..And will this bring CJ into the Beaumont fold?

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 stars @ harlequin.com (as of 12/10/16). To view reviews, go HERE>http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.ht...

Miniseries: The Beaumont Heirs

[Terri Hebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book. It was such a sweet heart wrenching story with a wonderful ending. Sarah Anderson did an great job with this story. Would highly recommend it!!!!

[Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like the heroine at all. Took away from the story for me.