A Christmas Affair

Ransom Canyon #6.5

by Jodi Thomas

A shy soul and an adventurous heart. As the holidays approach, can they find happiness together?

Maria Anne Davis was on her way to an exciting career as a chef in Dallas, until a terrible car accident left her blind. Ever resilient, Maria has reinvented her life on her own terms, starting a business out of her home kitchen, selling her jams and jellies to the local grocery.

Maria loves romance novels, and despite her bold spirit, she fears she’ll never have a big love affair like ones her heroines experience. That is, until she realizes how much she cares about the quiet Wes Whitman, the owner of the grocery.

Wes can’t keep Maria’s wildly popular jam on his shelves—just like he can’t keep the fierce, beautiful Maria out of his thoughts. But how could a firecracker like Maria come to love a shy, nervous man like him? Maybe all they need is a grand affair. Wes needs to convince Maria that some affairs last forever, though—just in time for Christmas.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Westerns

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

I'm a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author, wife, mother, in-law, grandmother, sister, friend, and owner of one fat cat.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed A CHRISTMAS AFFAIR, a novella in the Ransom Canyon series. This book had several different storylines going on. Maria is blind after an accident and works in a grocery store. She has a steamy romance with West. There is also a storyline with fifteen-year-old Travis, who comes to stay with his three great uncles after his parents, who have substance abuse issues, are no longer able to care for him. I enjoyed the way the town rallied around Travis. 4/5 stars.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just finished reading the novella - A Christmas Affair, and I loved getting back into Ransom Canyon and watching Wes and Dakota have their time in the sun, or that would be snow and Christmas lights really. Maria is a romantic and as it turns out Wes is not only romantic but wants to be a keeper as well.

When I read the first paragraph I relaxed into the story so easily. There is something about Jodi's writing that says " I'm a master writer".

As well as Maria and Wes, we get an update on how her sister Dakota and her beau Blade are doing. Very satisfying.

Making an appearance for the first time is fifteen year old Travis who comes into town, to be cared for by his three uncles. Although before long it looks like he is caring for them. I loved him and chuckled at his comments.

It is so wonderful to know there are other characters knocking on the door wanting their story told in Ransom Canyon. Jodi Thomas does small town stories like no other, I find none more readable or satisfying than hers. Already watching out for Mornings on Main.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the perfect time of year when Fall is arriving, days are getting shorter, and Football fever has arrived. Nothing seems more perfect, except maybe traveling back to Crossroads, Texas with Jodi Thomas in her new Ransom Canyon book, A Christmas Affair.
Jodi certainly entertains us with one of the sweetest romantic Christmas books this year.
Travis is on his way to Crossroads to live with his three aging great-uncles, he's thinking he might stay for awhile, earn some money then hit the road for greener pastures. Saddled up with 3 great-uncles he figures there are close to 200 years between them. He's never had anyone care or love him, so he's not expecting much now. But what he discovers will feed his soul for a lifetime.
Wes watches her as she displays her jellies and jams. He's smitten, but sees no future. Just a Fantasy he can day dream on, forever.
Maria dreams and sees everything, but not through eyesight, it's her heightened senses, tender touching, and her loving heart.
She only wants one Dream to come true, an affair by Christmas to cling to, forever.
"Forever just might be the perfect length of time for a wild affair."
Jodi Thomas delivers a heart-felt beautiful Christmas story. So let the Christmas spirit and forever dreams sweep you away, one Christmas Affair, at a time.

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A Christmas Affair
Author: Jodi Thomas
Publisher: HQN Books
Series: Ransom Canyon #6.5)
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"A Christmas Affair" by Jodi Thomas

My Thoughts....

I loved this heartwarming 'Ransom Canyon #6.5 series'... Christmas novella that will keep you turning the pages till the end. We find that Maria Davis who is blind from a accident would like something special this Christmas...an affair with a certain storekeeper Wes Whitman where she sells her jams and jellies in the local grocery. Now what will come of this especially with both Maria and Wes being so shy? Also in this story will be about a 15 year old teenager [Travis] who arrives to stay with his great uncles. What will come of this situation? Be ready for a sweet romance that will definitely leave you with a heartwarming lighthearted story as this author does her magic at wrapping ones heart around her interesting characters and yes we get a happy ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[No Apology Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rushed but well-meaning

This was cute, if you don’t mind some cheese and purple prose. It’s so strange; I don’t remember associating Thomas with such fanciful dialogue before this year. Maybe my taste or perception has changed recently. I just couldn’t imagine real people saying some of those lines, and that sense of absurdity distances me from the story. Which might sound like an ironic paradox considering it’s fiction, but anyway.

It was nice to visit Crossroads again and get something of an epilogue for Dakota and Blade, but everything happened too fast for me. It felt like I was watching a movie on fast forward. I think Wes and Maria were two cases of still waters run deep, and they as characters had potential for great emotional depth that just wasn’t utilized. If the Travis Fuller plot hadn’t been included, perhaps Wes and Maria would have had enough time to feel like more than passing acquaintances to me. And I liked Travis, for all that he was wedged in there like a doorstop.

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[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a car accident left her blind, Maria rebuilt her life and now sells homemade jams to a local grocery store. Wes is the grocery store owner who's been secretly pining for Maria since the day she walked into his life.

I just LOOOOVE a hero who pines 🥺 THE FEELS!!!! And most of the chapters are actually told from his POV, which accentuates the pining even more 😩 Maria shocks the hell out of Wes when she tells him she wants to have an affair. But Wes doesn't want an affair...he wants forever with Maria 🥺

There's also a cute subplot about a teenager named Travis who moves in with his 3 great-uncles. This secondary plotline doesn't take over the story. The pacing of the novella is actually so well-executed, dividing and converging the two storylines at the perfect time.

My only complaint is that I needed more chapters from Maria's POV. I wanted to really understand why she felt she only needed an affair and why she was scared of admitting her feelings for Wes. That's really the only thing missing from this heartwarming, cozy, and sweet romance.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

One new character and several from previous books get their own story all wrapped up in Christmas. Maria has decided that she wants a Christmas affair and choose the storekeeper where she sells her jam. It was fun to watch how she goes about getting what she wants or does she. At the same time a a new teenager arrives to stay with his great uncles. He is primed to run but does he. Read to find out. This was very lighthearted and fun. A nice addition to the Ransom Canyon story.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute! The ending had me raising my eyebrows but also made me smile. I love when the mmc is super unconfident and unsure. Some of Wes’s inner monologue had me laughing at how insecure he was. He never made his insecurity anyone else’s problem though, which is such an important balance when writing a character like this. I was a little thrown off by Travis’s chapters at first, but his inclusion really did end up adding to the story. This was a short and sweet little Christmas novella!

[Janga · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things that keeps me coming back for more of Thomas’s work is that in her fictional world, everyone deserves—and gets—love and the promise of happiness. You would be hard pushed to find a hero more antithetical to the ever-popular alpha hero than a “passable,” headed-toward-homely merchant who is the shyest person in town. And even Dakota, who loves her sister devotedly, never imagines that shy, pretty, blind Maria dreams of romance and a lover who will erase painful memories. Thomas reveals the romantic hearts Wes and Maria hide. By the time Wes admits to Maria, “I was about to give up on finding you. . . If whatever this is lasts a day or a lifetime, it’ll still be the peak in my life,” he has won the reader’s heart as surely as he wins Maria’s. And Maria is no less successful in tugging at heart strings when she tells him, “I’d like a Christmas Eve memory that would erase the night of the wreck. I’d like to dance with the smell of Evergreens around me and know that for just one moment I’m cherished.” Sigh!

Thomas weaves Travis’s story into the larger story. His edges may be rougher, but he is no less deserving of a family who cares for him and a place to belong than Wes and Maria are of romantic love. And the happy resolution to his story is no less satisfying. Thomas has a gift for creating lost, searching teens. Travis is the second one in this series. I’d like to think readers will see more of him, but this may be the conclusion to the Ransom Canyon series. Thomas’s spring book, Home by Twilight, sounds like women’s fiction and appears to be a standalone.

If you read Indigo Lake and wished for Maria and Wes’s story, A Christmas Affair is perfect wish fulfillment. If you like Christmas romances but want something a bit different from the usual, A Christmas Affair may be just what you ordered. If you are a bit weary of stories about beautiful people and the love affairs of billionaires, you may fall in love with these blessedly ordinary, richly human characters. Jodi Thomas’s Christmas gift to her readers is a small gem. I highly recommend it.

See full review at The Romance Dish:
http://www.theromancedish.com/2017/11...

[Mark taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas Goodreads review

A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas is a short novela in the authors Ransom Canyon series classed as 6.5 as it is set at the same time as the 6th book in the series Indigo Lake, which focuses on the romance between Blade and Dakota.

However in Christmas Affair the story is about Dakota’s sister Maria Anne Davis, who became blind after a car accident and Wes the owner of the local store.

At 90 pages, A Christmas Affair is a quick read that fills the gaps about Maria Anne Davis's story which you get when reading Indigo Lake. There is a world where I can see these two books put together in one edition.

This would make the book around 500 pages, which may be a little too much for this genre.

Having said that it was nice to have this short novella add to the Ransom canyon series, as we got to know more about Maria Anne Davis, who just seemed so sweet in the previous books

Maria Anne Davies's arc was a real pleasure to follow while the character being blind was part of her character; it never seemed to be all about that, while it is impossible to comment on this representation. It seemed to be well done.

The one thing that was part of her character was her taste of spicy romance and how it related to her relationship with Wes. Being unsure if this is just a simple plot line or a commentary on this type of romance novel affecting real life relationships.

As for Wes, his story of a normal guy getting the girl as a male reader, it was nice to see.

Maybe because of the fact that the female character was blind it took the looks aspect out of the romance, and made Jodi Thomas concentrate on the personality aspect.

This was probably why the additional story was the child that came to live in the town, as it showed Wes interacting with someone else, to show it was not just for show, with Maria Anne Davis.

All this makes A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas well worth reading as a part of the series or even as a standalone.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magical and marvelous Christmas novella about making your dreams come true, finding your home, braving to open your heart for the love and opportunities already in front of you.
With the author's beautiful, nearly poetic style of writing, the wintery scenes of our beloved Ransom Canyon open up and the magic of the season is palpable in the air.
Maria Anne Davis is a character from the previous book in the series and deserving all the happiness in the world. She has spunk, courage, and determination beyond measure. The tragic accident the blinded her is not going to rule her life. She has a quirky sense of humor, she loves to read romance novels, and dreams about the kind of wild love affair she has read about.
Wes Whitman is a kind soul, with a generous heart. He never dared to hope to find a soul mate or to have a love affair, yet he has been content with his life as it is until Maria walks into his office and kisses him.
Oh, how I loved these two shy, bashful people finding the courage to ask what they want in life and go for it without reservations. They share their dreams and deepest wishes with each other, holding on to each moment together like it is the last one. Yet sometimes life is superior to daydreams and wishes, sometimes the wildest hopes and deepest desires do come true.
A beautiful and alluring story that had me smiling and sighing throughout with sheer joy and bliss for the characters. A delightful Christmas novella surely to entertain and make you feel all warm inside.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by JoAnne
Book provided by NetGalley

A Christmas Affair is a Christmas novella in the Ransom Canyon series and was a quick read at only ninety pages.  Although fast paced this book continues the series nicely and there is a depth to the story since characters we've met before are back.  Maria, Dakota and their grandmother are just a few of them but it gave reality to the story. There was good plot development and we learned more about the characters a little at a time as their layers were peeled back.  The addition of Travis, and his low self-esteem, as well as his uncles provide fodder for future stories.  There were a few stories going on at once but they intertwined seamlessly.

There are family and friends, loneliness, despair, anger, hurt, hope, romance and love.  Watching Wes and Maria get to know each other was unexpected and heartwarming  as was Travis putting himself out there for someone other than himself and his own agenda.  Seeing how kind words from others gave Travis the boost he needed was both satisfying and gratifying.  There was closure and a happily-ever-after  but I was left with wanting more.  I for one hope the series will continue with more full length novels.

Thomas is always a writer whose books I enjoy whether in this series, the Harmony series or her stand alone books.  But looking at her list of books that I haven't read yet was eyeopening.  I have added many to my always growing TBR pile and can't wait to dive into them.

[Perdani Budiarti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novella tentang Maria dan Wes, dan satu tokoh baru di Cross Roads: Travis, remaja yg yatim piatu dan harus tinggal bersama ketiga pamannya, Cap, Dice, & Horace.

Maria menginginkan affair liar seperti kisah2 romantis yg biasa didengarkannya melalui audio books. Sementara Wes menginginkan hubungan permanen dengan wanita tuna netra yang telah membuatnya jatuh cinta krn kegigihannya untuk tetap berusaha menghidupi dirinya sendiri pasca kecelakaan di masa mudanya.

Berkali2 affair liar yg diimpikan Maria terganggu oleh kehadiran Dakota, nenek Davis, dan orang2 d sekitar Wes. Namun upaya Wes untuk membuat Maria menginginkan lebih dari sekadar affair tentu saja membuahkan hasil di malam natal, bersamaan dengan keputusan Blade untuk melanggengkan hubungannya dengan Dakota.

Over all 2.5*/5 dari ketidakjelasan mulai sejak kapan Maria menyimpan niat untuk melakukan affair dengan Wes dan betapa mudahnya masalah mereka terselesaikan. Yg menarik malah kisah Travis untuk menemukan tujuan hidupnya di Cross Roads dalam waktu singkat.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are reading this series, then don't miss this novella since this is the romance of two characters who have been mentioned earlier in the series.
The story turned out well, but I didn't love the romance story line in particular because it seemed to be full of contradictions.
There was a secondary story about a teenager who has become the ward of three of the older gentleman from the series. That was a wonderful story that definitely redeemed the book overall.

This marks my 28th book read by Jodi Thomas and I have really enjoyed them for the most part.
I think what I like most about her books are the way she incorporates a bit of action and suspense into her stories. She also usually includes many very likeable characters in her books. The parts I don't always enjoy are some of the dialog between the couples who are in new romantic relationships. Some of the things they say do not seem like things that people would actually say in real life.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella picks up a short time after book 6, Indigo Lake, ends. In that book we met Maria Davis who had come out of a tragic car crash being completely blind. Before the crash she had a promising career as a chef in her future. Now she lives at home with her sister and grandmother in Crossroads, Texas. She makes jams and jellies and sells them at the local market which is owned by Wes. He fell for her the first time they met but was too shy or scared to act on his feelings. Only when Maria decides she wants more than a working relationship with him does anything happen. Wes can’t believe his life has changed in such a wonderful way. He keeps waiting to wake up from his dream. It was hard not to chuckle as these two figured things out. Another storyline is about Travis, a 15 year-old boy who comes to live with his three bachelor great-uncles when his home situation is deemed unsuitable. Once again, Crossroads is a place that welcomes all and saves most. I hope Travis’s story will continue in a future book. Jodi Thomas inserted her usual charm and humor in all of her characters and settings. Grab a cozy blanket and settle into your favorite comfy chair to spend an hour or two with the folks of Crossroads. Recommended to fans of Jodi Thomas, the Ransom Canyon series, and novellas with a Christmas theme. *E-galley provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Debra K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novella in the Ransom Canyon series. Although I think most of the novels in this series can be read independently I would recommend that this one is read after reading Indigo Lake as this one follows the sister of Dakota who is a main character in the Indigo Lake. We also see a bit of backstory of Maria in that story that will give a lot more depth to reading this novella.

What I loved and what I always enjoy with Jodi Thomas novels is the romance. It is obvious with this story that feelings have been growing for some time before we start this story, so when we join Maria the romance that follows feels natural.

A lovely romantic story that I would recommend picking up after Indigo Lake.



For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe

Debs :-)

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Davis & Wes Whitman
a very cute and romantic novella set in Ransom Canyon. She is the blind woman who makes jams and jellies for the store. He's the shy store owner and in love with her. She boldly kisses him and they secretly start an affair. I love that he complies so easily just to keep her close.
Travis Fuller comes to town to live with his 3 great-uncles and being almost 16 makes him the smartest and oldest of the group. What a wonderful side story.
Light and easy to read in a short period of time. Perfect for an evening read.

[Kathleen Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet read. After accident left her blind, Maria seems to think that she can only have short affair but, Wes has been in love with her for a while but too shy to talk to her.
She ask him to have affair and he agrees but soon they both realize that they are in love and he surprises her on Christmas Eve with Gazebo painted and decorated like she remembers from her childhood and she agrees to marry him if he will agree to a love affair for the rest of their lives.

Hope to read more about Travis he has great potential.

[Janet Friesner · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have been reading Jodi Thomas' Ransom Canyon series, you will enjoy this little novela. Its a lovely Christmas story about the sister of the girl in the last book. A blind girl who seeks a Christmas affair but the love is too much for just an affair. Its a nice feel good story about her and also a lost young teenager who finds a home where he feels worth while about his life for the first time. Nice reading. Wish it could have been longer.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wes runs the local general store and has secretly admired Maria for a long time. She's blind but an excellent cook and stocks Wes's shelves with jams and jellys. She lives with her sister who is in love with a neighbor but is worried about an old family curse. As Maria decides she wants an affair with shy handsome Wes he is eager to fulfill her her wishes but he wants more. A nice Christmas tale with an unusual twist.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re back in Crossroads where the new Deputy Cline has brought Travis to town to bunk with his Great Uncles Dice, Cap and Horace Fuller. Blade and Dakota are inching toward marriage and Maria takes the initiative with Wes the store owner who stocks her jams and jellies. Travis, who knew he was being dumped in town has been adopted all round and for once in his sixteen-year-old life feels wanted and feels a sense of being needed and belonging.

A novella with a happy ending.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely Novella

Returning to Ransom Canyon for a Christmas love story. A novella featuring Wes & Maria, though Blade & Dakota get an epilogue. It was a rushed story, I'd thought it would be a little longer. Young Travis enters the picture and adds some humor to the story. Maybe in the next book everything will be addressed more.

[Judy Zimbelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet short story of 3 different lives all contained in a Christmas love. Travis had been bounced around until he found a place he was needed with his 3 uncles. Wes was the local store owner, single and homely, but he had fallen for a blind cook. And Dakota found away to marry a Hamilton and not suffer from the 100 year curse.

[Antonietta tesfaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really would have liked for this book to be a full novel instead of a short story. I think she could have explored the character development especially that the main protagonist has a disability of blindness. There’s so much she could’ve done to express how the blind Community is capable of anything.

[RiriRomantiques · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and gentle novella with a beta hero turning a little alpha on the side..
I liked both character though I was slightly surprised and not sure that they would be the main couple till the first third of the book..
I also liked Travis’ story.
The novella is a little too short for me.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com

A Christmas Affair was a short story that proved the Christmas spirit was still alive and well in Ransom Canyon, Texas, as an unsettled teen found his way in life, and a couple of tender souls fell head over heels in love.

Jodi Thomas’s emotional writing always gets to me and she has a way of creating characters who seem so real and flawed that you can’t help but like them. And it doesn’t matter if it’s historical or, like in this case, contemporary. Either way she knows just how to play the characters off of each other and create just the right amount of tension. And here we had lots of delicious attraction between Maria and Wes. I kind of liked that he was the shy one and that she ended up being the aggressor in the relationship, letting it be known that she wanted him, even if it was only for a steamy fling. Read More

[Virginia Boylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this novella about a shy shopkeeper, a blind woman, and a rebellious teenager. The relationship between Maria and Wes unfolded beautifully, and the Christmas celebration was priceless. I hope to see more about young Travis.

[Teri Pre · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole time I was reading this book I kept checking to make sure that Jodi Thomas actually wrote it. I LOVE Ms. Thomas' writing but this wasn't it. It was forced and rushed and unsatisfying. I'm hoping for better from the next one.

[Jennifer Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story

This was an ok book. It was a very clean and sweet love story, though slightly confusing. Most people don't really get married within a few weeks of their first kiss. I was more interested in Travis's story with his uncles than the romantic couple.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Winner of the worst book I have read all year. The dialogue is so cringy, the storylines are erratic, the characters are underdeveloped and their experiences don’t make sense. The only silver lining is it was short.