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Starlight Bend #1
Snowbound in Starlight Bend
Haley McKee is furious to find herself stuck in the tiny town of Starlight Bend so near Christmas. The only one who can help her is the handsome Maddox Campbell, a cowboy who’s not impressed with her fancy job title and money. In fact, no one has given Haley this much grief her entire life.
But there’s a lot more to Maddox than at first seems—he’s a hard-working man who gives much of his time and patience to help those who have little.
When a Starlight Bend tradition promises to bring Haley all she wants, will she make her Christmas wish with her head or her heart?
This novella was originally released in Holiday Heat: The Men of Starlight Bend. New in this edition: Expanded epilogue.
But there’s a lot more to Maddox than at first seems—he’s a hard-working man who gives much of his time and patience to help those who have little.
When a Starlight Bend tradition promises to bring Haley all she wants, will she make her Christmas wish with her head or her heart?
This novella was originally released in Holiday Heat: The Men of Starlight Bend. New in this edition: Expanded epilogue.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2016
138 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ashley
215 books7,335 followersNY Times Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley writes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance, historical mysteries, and urban fantasy as Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner.
Jennifer's novels have been translated into many different languages, and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. More about her books at http://www.jenniferashley.com and http://gardnermysteries.com.
Jennifer's novels have been translated into many different languages, and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. More about her books at http://www.jenniferashley.com and http://gardnermysteries.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 1, 2020
4 stars
November 11, 2017
Not a fan of insta-love, especially in a contemporary. It wasn't awful, but I'd have to say it wasn't great either.
December 9, 2025
Kobo+ December Reads. Christmas 2025. Novella. Tropes: Christmas Romance, Forced Proximity (Snowed In), Cowboy Romance.
MC's h Haley McKee, works with her Dad in their company McKee Lumber a multi million dollar business. She is an only child. Her mother took off and left both she and her dad. They haven't seen her since.
H. Maddox Campbell, cowboy, raises horses and trains them for stunt horses for movies with his cousins in Texas. Maddox lives on Starlight Ranch with his Aunt Jane. She moved in when he was 10 after his parents were killed in a car accident.
This is a short and sweet Christmas/Cowboy Romance with a business executive driving home to Seattle for Christmas with her father. Maddox Campbell, is out riding his horse Sammy and sees a car stuck in the snow on the side of the road. He looks in and sees a young pretty woman and helps her out and takes her back to his ranch house. His Aunt Jane fusses over her making sure she's warm and fed. Cell service and landlines are down. All the roads are closed. She becomes a guest and gets to know, Maddox the tall, muscular, sexy cowboy, his Aunt Jane plain speaking but kind and welcoming and Lane the black lab who likes licking you and getting attention.
The next day Maddox takes Haley into town letting Haley ride a gentle horse while he rides his horse Sammy. They leave her phone with a Mr. Fix It expert and they tour the town. Back home all the neighbors pile into their house bringing food and drinks. They have a country party. Everyone in very welcoming. The town has a giving tree for children that don't have much. Maddox and Haley pick gifts. Maddox wants to get to know Haley, so they play poker. Whoever wins the hand can ask the other a personal question or strip. They end up stripping and one thing leads to another and they sleep together. It is very special to both of them. There is definitely chemistry.
Finally the phones work again and Haley's dad and she talk. He tells her she should stay there for Christmas as she hasn't had a vacation in years. In the morning Maddox and some of the neighbor's help pull out Haley's car but it doesn't start. Maddox offers to take her home in his truck. His Aunt Jane says that he really wants her to stay but won't ask. On the way to Seattle, Haley tells Maddox to stop. He pulls over and she says she wants to go back to Starlight and spend Christmas with him. He asks her to marry him.
A year later her dad comes to Starlight for Christmas and he and Aunt Jane seem to like each other. Haley announces they will have a little one next Christmas.
I gave this 3 stars. It is a quickie romance. Over 3 days they fall in love and decide to marry? It can happen I guess but it seemed a bit too fast.
MC's h Haley McKee, works with her Dad in their company McKee Lumber a multi million dollar business. She is an only child. Her mother took off and left both she and her dad. They haven't seen her since.
H. Maddox Campbell, cowboy, raises horses and trains them for stunt horses for movies with his cousins in Texas. Maddox lives on Starlight Ranch with his Aunt Jane. She moved in when he was 10 after his parents were killed in a car accident.
This is a short and sweet Christmas/Cowboy Romance with a business executive driving home to Seattle for Christmas with her father. Maddox Campbell, is out riding his horse Sammy and sees a car stuck in the snow on the side of the road. He looks in and sees a young pretty woman and helps her out and takes her back to his ranch house. His Aunt Jane fusses over her making sure she's warm and fed. Cell service and landlines are down. All the roads are closed. She becomes a guest and gets to know, Maddox the tall, muscular, sexy cowboy, his Aunt Jane plain speaking but kind and welcoming and Lane the black lab who likes licking you and getting attention.
The next day Maddox takes Haley into town letting Haley ride a gentle horse while he rides his horse Sammy. They leave her phone with a Mr. Fix It expert and they tour the town. Back home all the neighbors pile into their house bringing food and drinks. They have a country party. Everyone in very welcoming. The town has a giving tree for children that don't have much. Maddox and Haley pick gifts. Maddox wants to get to know Haley, so they play poker. Whoever wins the hand can ask the other a personal question or strip. They end up stripping and one thing leads to another and they sleep together. It is very special to both of them. There is definitely chemistry.
Finally the phones work again and Haley's dad and she talk. He tells her she should stay there for Christmas as she hasn't had a vacation in years. In the morning Maddox and some of the neighbor's help pull out Haley's car but it doesn't start. Maddox offers to take her home in his truck. His Aunt Jane says that he really wants her to stay but won't ask. On the way to Seattle, Haley tells Maddox to stop. He pulls over and she says she wants to go back to Starlight and spend Christmas with him. He asks her to marry him.
A year later her dad comes to Starlight for Christmas and he and Aunt Jane seem to like each other. Haley announces they will have a little one next Christmas.
I gave this 3 stars. It is a quickie romance. Over 3 days they fall in love and decide to marry? It can happen I guess but it seemed a bit too fast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2017
3.75 stars
December 13, 2018
I read this originally in Holiday Heat: The Men of Starlight Bend.
Haley has gotten herself caught in a snowstorm that cancelled her flight. So in a move typical for her, she buys a car and starts driving, determined to make it home for Christmas.
Unfortunately when she decides to take a detour through a small town she ends up in a snowbank and rescued by an honest to God cowboy.
Maddox is her rescuer along with his dog Lance. But his method of transportation surprises Haley, Sammy is a horse.
She perseveres but not without a bit of protest.For some reason these two just like to bicker, fortunately his Aunt Jane was warm and welcoming. Unable to reach her father, she is able to text her best friend, who would notify her Dad. Otherwise her phone wouldn't work at all.
A surprise winter storm party with many good neighbors that make her feel welcome add to Haley's adventure.
The Sporting Goods store gift tree, a Santa Claus with unusual gifts in his bag and a strange geeky nerd named Andy all add to the charm and laughter of this book.
Interesting developments as Haley takes a star from the tree and Maddox finds he is more than a little interested in this city girl.
Fun, laughter and intrigue as they find the gifts requested for the children on the selected stars and the two of them become an item in spite of themselves.
Haley has gotten herself caught in a snowstorm that cancelled her flight. So in a move typical for her, she buys a car and starts driving, determined to make it home for Christmas.
Unfortunately when she decides to take a detour through a small town she ends up in a snowbank and rescued by an honest to God cowboy.
Maddox is her rescuer along with his dog Lance. But his method of transportation surprises Haley, Sammy is a horse.
She perseveres but not without a bit of protest.For some reason these two just like to bicker, fortunately his Aunt Jane was warm and welcoming. Unable to reach her father, she is able to text her best friend, who would notify her Dad. Otherwise her phone wouldn't work at all.
A surprise winter storm party with many good neighbors that make her feel welcome add to Haley's adventure.
The Sporting Goods store gift tree, a Santa Claus with unusual gifts in his bag and a strange geeky nerd named Andy all add to the charm and laughter of this book.
Interesting developments as Haley takes a star from the tree and Maddox finds he is more than a little interested in this city girl.
Fun, laughter and intrigue as they find the gifts requested for the children on the selected stars and the two of them become an item in spite of themselves.
December 4, 2023
I mean... I really didn't like it. By the end, when the author decided to actually write the romance this book is sold on, it was okay. You just have to get through an obnoxious and irrelevant first 70% to get to it.
The excessive references to technology in this one were super confusing and really took me out of the story. Like, it starts describing late 90's mobile phone technology, then all of a sudden, I think they have iphones. You can text one recipient but not another? There's no signal, but a tech breaking your phone into 50 pieces and reassembling magically restores cell service?
The character development and relationship building in this one is super choppy. It makes for insincere feeling bonds. I loved the HEA, I just wish I got to read the story that led to it, not whatever the rest of this book was.
The excessive references to technology in this one were super confusing and really took me out of the story. Like, it starts describing late 90's mobile phone technology, then all of a sudden, I think they have iphones. You can text one recipient but not another? There's no signal, but a tech breaking your phone into 50 pieces and reassembling magically restores cell service?
The character development and relationship building in this one is super choppy. It makes for insincere feeling bonds. I loved the HEA, I just wish I got to read the story that led to it, not whatever the rest of this book was.
October 5, 2018
A lovely quick addition to the series, we take a step away from the Campbell brothers and visit a cousin of theirs, Maddox who actually trains horses for them and he has all the country charm and sex appeal that you would come to expect from a Campbell.
Lovely character development for a novella length story, which is what I come to expect from this amazing author. Really great secondary characters like Aunt Jane and Hayley's dad.
Really nice to see a strong confident and wealthy woman hold her own, even if she did need rescuing in the snow.
I liked Haley and Maddox together, they had great chemistry, in and out of the bedroom,, loved their banter.
Overall a great short addition to the series and I look forward to more.
Lovely character development for a novella length story, which is what I come to expect from this amazing author. Really great secondary characters like Aunt Jane and Hayley's dad.
Really nice to see a strong confident and wealthy woman hold her own, even if she did need rescuing in the snow.
I liked Haley and Maddox together, they had great chemistry, in and out of the bedroom,, loved their banter.
Overall a great short addition to the series and I look forward to more.
December 21, 2017
What an outstanding addition to the Riding Hard series. Haley is about to find out what is really important in life when her brand new sports car get stuck in the snow. She is rescued by Maddox, a cowboy who lives with his aunt in the middle of nowhere, near Starlight Bend. Haley ends up staying with them....no phones and no way out. She is finding she likes this cowboy and he feels the same. Haley is a city girl and Maddox is all country. But Christmas is a time for those special things to happen. This book was more than about Haley and Maddox, it is about family, friends, and discovering what is important.
December 22, 2020
High 3 stars. This was cute and readable. I liked the homey, snowbound feeling. The romance moved quickly, but Jennifer Ashley is pretty adept at her craft. It only felt overly fast the last 20% with different narration mixed in and continuing story endings, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and ended up feeling a bit clunky...dropping it from 3.5 to 3 stars. More romance-y in winter than a focus on Christmas, which played a part but seemed to be extra especially at the end with the abrupt changes. I liked a lot of the details, like horses having long fur in winter and using horses as a means of transportation. The hero being in the business of stunt horses also sounded cool.
October 19, 2017
Even better the second time around. The only problem is now I this it was snowing. Maddox is just as rough as a rancher as his cousins. He loves the life. He loves the quiet. He loves the pace of being on the ranch in Montana.
It was a simple life until Haley ran into a snowdrift in her fancy Mercedes with paper plates. Haley is out of place in the small town. But tell that to her heart. Anything can happen at Christmas. Wishes that you didn't even know you wanted can come true.
It was a simple life until Haley ran into a snowdrift in her fancy Mercedes with paper plates. Haley is out of place in the small town. But tell that to her heart. Anything can happen at Christmas. Wishes that you didn't even know you wanted can come true.
March 13, 2019
This one was of those books I picked up when it was suggested "if you read this, you'll like this", and it was short and low-priced, and I have loved everything I have read by the authour, so I went ahead and got it.
I'm glad I did because these two had a wonderful story, with a touch of Christmas miracle, thrown in. The business woman and the rancher, snowed in, quaint town, elderly aunt, and a faithful dog and horse, there was nothing not to love!
I'm glad I did because these two had a wonderful story, with a touch of Christmas miracle, thrown in. The business woman and the rancher, snowed in, quaint town, elderly aunt, and a faithful dog and horse, there was nothing not to love!
January 15, 2023
So hadn't realized I didn't read this book. It was marked as read on my spreadsheet. Cute holiday read with all the small town feels and smells LOL. Got to meet a different Campbell from the ones I read about in A Riverbend Christmas. Yeah some will say they new each other like for 4 days and he asked her to Merry him but hey that's what books are for. Fantasy and entertainment. I really did enjoy this book. Haley and Maddox did not disappoint. Oh and I totally loved Aunt Jane.
November 3, 2023
Snowbound in Starlight Bend (Riding Hard)
A beautiful story with wonderful characters. I'll take Maddox any day. A quiet town with lots of interesting folks.
Winter storms with ice and being snowed in. What a way to go as Christmas nears and doesn't that sound romantic, not. It all starts with our heroin being trapped and buried in snow above her sun roof. Suddenly there's A man in her window.........
A beautiful story with wonderful characters. I'll take Maddox any day. A quiet town with lots of interesting folks.
Winter storms with ice and being snowed in. What a way to go as Christmas nears and doesn't that sound romantic, not. It all starts with our heroin being trapped and buried in snow above her sun roof. Suddenly there's A man in her window.........
March 10, 2017
This starts off the Holiday Heat bundle perfectly. This is a funny hot story about a young woman who is brainy and beautiful and thinks everything can be taken care of with her money. And a guy who is going to teach her that that is not true while he learns that she is not what he assumed. Enjoy I did.
October 27, 2017
Awesome love story
Everything you wish could happen to you if you are stuck in the snow. Haley, a rich CEO needs to see how the other half lives, Maddox was just the cowboy to do it. He is falling hard for her, but will it be enough to get her away from her city life? Loved this book, makes you rethink what is important in life.
Everything you wish could happen to you if you are stuck in the snow. Haley, a rich CEO needs to see how the other half lives, Maddox was just the cowboy to do it. He is falling hard for her, but will it be enough to get her away from her city life? Loved this book, makes you rethink what is important in life.
July 2, 2021
Loved the snowy, wintery setting.
Liked the characters overall but rolled my eyes at the insta love part.
These two strangers, from totally different ways of life, get married in less than a month from meeting.
Read through Kindle Unlimited as part of the Riding Hard series but it really doesn’t intermix with those characters.
Liked the characters overall but rolled my eyes at the insta love part.
These two strangers, from totally different ways of life, get married in less than a month from meeting.
Read through Kindle Unlimited as part of the Riding Hard series but it really doesn’t intermix with those characters.
December 16, 2021
Very good story. Well written characters. Somewhat predictable being the kind of story it is. A city girl gets stranded in the country in Montana during the winter leading up to Christmas. She's saved/rescued by a cowboy. Misunderstandings and tempers, followed by insights and love. The difference is in the author's ability to tell the story. She kept it interesting and believable.
October 19, 2017
Loved it
Maddox and Haley's story was nothing short of magical. Haley gets her car stuck in a huge snowdrift while driving to Seattle to spend Christmas with her Dad. Maddox comes to her rescue. Nothing short of pure Christmas magic after that. Absolutely loved it!
Maddox and Haley's story was nothing short of magical. Haley gets her car stuck in a huge snowdrift while driving to Seattle to spend Christmas with her Dad. Maddox comes to her rescue. Nothing short of pure Christmas magic after that. Absolutely loved it!
November 9, 2017
CUTESY
Christmas stories are always nice to read! A common theme is of love blossoming between two strangers when one of them, usually the woman, is saved by a handsome stranger. For me, this never gets old and I loved this short but satisfying read!
Christmas stories are always nice to read! A common theme is of love blossoming between two strangers when one of them, usually the woman, is saved by a handsome stranger. For me, this never gets old and I loved this short but satisfying read!
September 4, 2018
Good but short
Well, of course, it's a novella. Maddox trains horses and lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Haley is on her way back home in a snowstorm. He rescues her and takes her home. And the sparks fly! Highly recommend.
Well, of course, it's a novella. Maddox trains horses and lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Haley is on her way back home in a snowstorm. He rescues her and takes her home. And the sparks fly! Highly recommend.
December 11, 2018
Loved it.
I have always enjoyed her paranormal and her historical series but this is the first contemporary of hers I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see I will have to look out for more. So very well worth the read.
I have always enjoyed her paranormal and her historical series but this is the first contemporary of hers I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see I will have to look out for more. So very well worth the read.
August 22, 2019
Just wonderful!
What's not to love about a snow romance .... With Christmas on the horizon Haley has a lot on her mind ... But one hot cowboy will soon sort all that out ! Read and enjoy !
What's not to love about a snow romance .... With Christmas on the horizon Haley has a lot on her mind ... But one hot cowboy will soon sort all that out ! Read and enjoy !
May 24, 2021
Sweet holiday story
I really enjoyed this Christmas spin off story of family, love, and changed lives. I enjoy the original series and wouldn't mind more stories from this branch of the family.
I really enjoyed this Christmas spin off story of family, love, and changed lives. I enjoy the original series and wouldn't mind more stories from this branch of the family.
December 3, 2023
good read
Do like this author and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Characters were all interesting as well as starlight bend. The couple were well suited with the odd bit of angst but overall a really good read.
Do like this author and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Characters were all interesting as well as starlight bend. The couple were well suited with the odd bit of angst but overall a really good read.
December 28, 2017
It was a cute short read but there wasnt enough to the story in my opinion.
May 18, 2017
Fun, little read :)
July 29, 2017
3.75 overall stars
Couple 3.5
Plot 3.75
Story 4.0
Sex 3.5
Series 3.75
Couple 3.5
Plot 3.75
Story 4.0
Sex 3.5
Series 3.75
November 17, 2017
Really fun feel good Christmas novella - really wanted it to be a lot longer, I was loving it!!! I really, really liked Haley and Maddox but Aunt Jane was the greatest character of them all!!!
December 15, 2017
Review
Enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Have always enjoyed this author books. Can't wait to read the next set of bookx
Enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Have always enjoyed this author books. Can't wait to read the next set of bookx
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews