What do you think?
Rate this book
Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch #4
The Texan's Unexpected Holiday
Temporary shelter...or new forever home?
Driven to get her sister and baby niece out of a dangerous situation, Lexy Zapata brings them with her to her new job near Damian De La Rosa's family's ranch. Now they can stay hidden through the holidays while Lexy plans their next move. But when she starts to fall for Damian, can his ranch become her family's safe haven for good?
Driven to get her sister and baby niece out of a dangerous situation, Lexy Zapata brings them with her to her new job near Damian De La Rosa's family's ranch. Now they can stay hidden through the holidays while Lexy plans their next move. But when she starts to fall for Damian, can his ranch become her family's safe haven for good?
- GenresRomanceLove Inspired
Mass Market Paperback
Published November 1, 2020
26 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Navarro
75 books99 followersLiving 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 21, 2020
Lexy Zapata and her sister Naomi Hernandez and Baby Jessie hope to hide away at the De La Rosa Diamond Back Ranch in Texas. Lexy wants to keep Naomi and Jessie safe from her abusive boyfriend, Frank. The sisters run out of gas and get lost while trying to find the ranch. They seek refuge in a barn where they hope to spend the night. When a armed man with two huge dogs discovers them in his barn, the girls aren't sure they are welcome to stay there over night.
All Damian De La Rosa wants is to be left alone. He is a war hero who became a double amputee and has had to adapt to living with missing limbs. Growing up he had an abusive father and he's suffered deeply from those scars. He supports himself as a horse trainer but mostly he avoids being anywhere near people. He just wants to be left alone,but what can he do about the two women and a baby girl hiding out in his barn? Can he turn them out into the night to fend for themselves?
I enjoyed how this story unfolded as I got to know the characters. I would say that Lexy was the strongest one in the book. Most of the characters had something in their past that they were dealing with. The upcoming holiday season was blended into the story and bought the families together. A dash of romance added to the book. Naomi had to face up to her fears when her past caught her unprepared. I thought the book held my interest and kept me turning pages. I would read more by this author.
I would recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance and Love Inspired books. Fans of the author won't want to miss it.
I won a print copy in a giveaway given by the author. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own..
All Damian De La Rosa wants is to be left alone. He is a war hero who became a double amputee and has had to adapt to living with missing limbs. Growing up he had an abusive father and he's suffered deeply from those scars. He supports himself as a horse trainer but mostly he avoids being anywhere near people. He just wants to be left alone,but what can he do about the two women and a baby girl hiding out in his barn? Can he turn them out into the night to fend for themselves?
I enjoyed how this story unfolded as I got to know the characters. I would say that Lexy was the strongest one in the book. Most of the characters had something in their past that they were dealing with. The upcoming holiday season was blended into the story and bought the families together. A dash of romance added to the book. Naomi had to face up to her fears when her past caught her unprepared. I thought the book held my interest and kept me turning pages. I would read more by this author.
I would recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance and Love Inspired books. Fans of the author won't want to miss it.
I won a print copy in a giveaway given by the author. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own..
December 5, 2020
I love Christmas stories! They always just make me happy! The Texan’s Unexpected Holiday was no exception. I loved reading Lexi and Damian’s story. It was a fun book with some danger mixed in. My type of story! If you are feeling down this holiday season then I recommend you get this book and start reading. You won’t want to put it down. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry and I know you will be falling in love with Lexi and Damian and the cutest baby EVER! I just want to give a shoutout to Harlequin for knocking it out of the park for this cover. I just want to pick up the baby and wiggle those cheeks. Best baby cover I’ve ever seen. I was given a copy of the book, but the opinions are all my own! Enjoy!
November 25, 2020
Cute, cute, cute! This year it's been hard to get into the holiday spirit, but this book completely did it for me! I usually only cry on the last couple of pages, but the last few in this book just had me dripping buckets. Such a sweet tale. So glad Damian got his story told and realized his worth. My compliments to Jolene Navarro for a job well done. I'm especially in admiration of how her words can draw the reader into the scenes, helping us picture the warmth of the barn, the cabins, and the interactions of the people. As usual, Jolene's book brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart.
November 27, 2020
Everything I love in a contemporary romance times ten. Rich characterization, strong plot, even stronger connection between hero and heroine (it zings!) and all kinds of humour, from oh-so-subtle to hearty-laugh-out-loud. And a cute baby! (Best cover photo op ever!!!!) And a touch of danger just to spice things up. Oh -- and there are animals. A Belgian Malinois pair aptly named Hansel and Gretel. And a cantankerous horse who matches Damian in the strong, brooding silent type category. And I love that Lexy handles them both the same way! I'm still grinning and swooning. Outstanding!
Read
November 13, 2020Categories
Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch (Book #4)
Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch (Book #4)
March 19, 2022
Well, here we are at the fourth book, and... I have given ample leeway for the author to progress in her writing, but to no avail.
There is NO description. Not of the ranch or the barn they see (other than - 'Look, light!'), not of his truck, not of his FACE (I only know it's scarred because of a passing mention in #2), not of HER face, or even her HAIR color - she speaks Spanish but then uses an Irish accent. You tell me. Navarro doesn't creative write. She barely *writes*, for that matter.
And she keeps praising an editor in her forewords who should be absolutely FLOGGED for the book. The first [half] page alone, there's a comma missing, a period missing, and it flip-flops from present to past tense. That is NOT GOOD editing, hello...!!! And that's just the first page!
So Damien. We're told his arm and leg are amputated, but really just his hand is - he has his upper arm and half of his forearm. As for his leg, I made it almost halfway thru the book, and STILL didn't know what kind of an amputation we were looking at, and that was AFTER he took his riding prosthetic off and cleaned the limb and everything. NO. DESCRIPTION. EVER.
We're told over and over that Damian's stand-offish, that he doesn't like people and wants to be left alone. But at NO TIME in this book does he ever walk away, or keep distance, or avoid people. He's at breakfast the morning after finding the newcomers camped out in his barn, he's on his porch watching them clean THE CABIN RIGHT NEXT TO HIS without a dispute of their being placed beside him (at a ranch full of cabins with no other guests EVER mentioned). He's got Lexy working his horses with him from moment one. That's NOT stand-offish. It was an affront to me that the character we're *told* he is and the actions of that character do not at any time align. AT ALL.
First thing off, the girls trespass onto property they have no idea who owns, break into a barn to spend the night, help themselves to the barn shower... and when Damian (the owner) arrives, they beat him in the head with a shovel and threaten to call the police. SAY WHU!?!?! Are there *any* brain cells firing in these characters' heads?! And then the one who clocked him with the shovel says, "I'm not a violent person." Yeah... we got that... *not!* What the heck?!
So he turns on the barn light, and... well read this: "His focus zeroed in on her. His features were hard and unforgiving. They were an unusual greenish-gray color, framed by coal-black lashes and dark skin." And no, I didn't skip anything - THE AUTHOR did. And her editor and publisher. GAH, Navarro books blow... I can barely read this, I swear.
One page later: " 'You said this was your property? Are you a De La Rosa?' 'Damian.' " ← HOW does that answer the question? He could be Damian Lewis, Damian Marley, Damian Lillard... c'mon...!!! BAD writing. Yes or no would've been shorter AND more to the point, hello.
We're told Gretel is a deaf dog, but on Pg 16 Gretel's back is turned on Damian, and she still obeys is command. Read it: "...[he] snapped his fingers and pointed to his foot. 'Gretel, vienes,' Head down, she TURNED TOWARDS HIM. But instead of walking over, she sat..." She wasn't even facing him to SEE his movements, she was focused on a baby on the floor in front of her. NO. Just no.
Pg 22 - Lexy asks Damian why not turn the horse loose in the pastures, and he says the horse is too valuable . Same people/horse/place/event three pages later? " 'Are you turning him out to pasture?' 'This pasture should be save enough for now. ...Turning him out reinforces good behavior." (((banging head against keyboard...)))
Pg 44 - " ' I think the cabin is furnished with basics, but it's been a while since I checked it . I have an extra crib... not sure of the condition it's in. We'll take a tub of cleaning supplies and groceries.'
'I have money for food. I just need directions to town. Don't worry about the condition. I can clean it." ALL OF THIS is disjointed and unconnected and... just BADLY written. BADLY.
Pg 53 - "Somehow, in just one day, she'd made him aware that he wasn't as content with his life as he liked to pretend." In *ONE DAY*, the sullen, anti-social, gruff, isolated guy is already done with his deal? I mean... there's not even an inner struggle? If he's as tough as they say, he would be rejecting them outright in order to protect himself. Even the HORSE fought more than he did, for the love of Mike!
Pg 57 - "Enough talk about Tio Damian." FIVE paragraphs later... Damian, Damian, Damian, Damian. **sigh.** Do ANY of these people Navarro writes live what they say? Ever???
I looked up the breed of dog (Belgian Melanois) that Damian has. It says it's NOT a good breed for having around children, as they tend to nip. But it's okay to let the dog all down in an 8-month old baby's space?
Pg 73 - Lexy doesn't cook, because it involves "too much exact measurement" for her. But she's a professional underwater photographer who works with F-stops (aperture measurements) and ISO (light settings) that are exact measurements. Really?!?!? Does Navarro not realize that there's more to photography than pointing a cellphone camera and clicking? Asking for a friend...
Pg 74 - " 'I hope it's okay that I moved the table out here. The porch has more space than the cabin...' 'I appreciate it. The leg doesn't always work in small spaces.' " As in... he can't bend his leg in a kitchen?!?!? WHAT the what?!
Pg 75 - "Without knowing us, you let us stay in your barn. You allowed us to move in next door. I don't think I have ever felt safer or more peaceful than here." ← In the 25 hours we've been here, I feel more peaceful than I did with my mother and sister in the home I grew up in as a girl. ?!?!?!
Pg 81 - Naomi: "So you save horses, my sister saves marine life. Y'all have a lot in common."
Damian: "What are you doing on the ranch? Other than babysitting me?"
?!??!??! WHO IS HE TALKING TO? Naomi? Lexy? And they've been in the cabin all of 15 hours, and they're 'babysitting' him?
That's not all Lexy does, apparently, either. In true Navarro fashion, she's got like six different careers. She's data gathering and input at a lab, she's an underwater photographer, she's an educational/outreach blogger, she puts together information for grants, plus she's a freelance writer.
I'm done. I'm OUT. DNF @ pg 83. And I'm not finishing the series, either. There are good Love, Inspired writers out there. This is NOT one of them.
There is NO description. Not of the ranch or the barn they see (other than - 'Look, light!'), not of his truck, not of his FACE (I only know it's scarred because of a passing mention in #2), not of HER face, or even her HAIR color - she speaks Spanish but then uses an Irish accent. You tell me. Navarro doesn't creative write. She barely *writes*, for that matter.
And she keeps praising an editor in her forewords who should be absolutely FLOGGED for the book. The first [half] page alone, there's a comma missing, a period missing, and it flip-flops from present to past tense. That is NOT GOOD editing, hello...!!! And that's just the first page!
So Damien. We're told his arm and leg are amputated, but really just his hand is - he has his upper arm and half of his forearm. As for his leg, I made it almost halfway thru the book, and STILL didn't know what kind of an amputation we were looking at, and that was AFTER he took his riding prosthetic off and cleaned the limb and everything. NO. DESCRIPTION. EVER.
We're told over and over that Damian's stand-offish, that he doesn't like people and wants to be left alone. But at NO TIME in this book does he ever walk away, or keep distance, or avoid people. He's at breakfast the morning after finding the newcomers camped out in his barn, he's on his porch watching them clean THE CABIN RIGHT NEXT TO HIS without a dispute of their being placed beside him (at a ranch full of cabins with no other guests EVER mentioned). He's got Lexy working his horses with him from moment one. That's NOT stand-offish. It was an affront to me that the character we're *told* he is and the actions of that character do not at any time align. AT ALL.
First thing off, the girls trespass onto property they have no idea who owns, break into a barn to spend the night, help themselves to the barn shower... and when Damian (the owner) arrives, they beat him in the head with a shovel and threaten to call the police. SAY WHU!?!?! Are there *any* brain cells firing in these characters' heads?! And then the one who clocked him with the shovel says, "I'm not a violent person." Yeah... we got that... *not!* What the heck?!
So he turns on the barn light, and... well read this: "His focus zeroed in on her. His features were hard and unforgiving. They were an unusual greenish-gray color, framed by coal-black lashes and dark skin." And no, I didn't skip anything - THE AUTHOR did. And her editor and publisher. GAH, Navarro books blow... I can barely read this, I swear.
One page later: " 'You said this was your property? Are you a De La Rosa?' 'Damian.' " ← HOW does that answer the question? He could be Damian Lewis, Damian Marley, Damian Lillard... c'mon...!!! BAD writing. Yes or no would've been shorter AND more to the point, hello.
We're told Gretel is a deaf dog, but on Pg 16 Gretel's back is turned on Damian, and she still obeys is command. Read it: "...[he] snapped his fingers and pointed to his foot. 'Gretel, vienes,' Head down, she TURNED TOWARDS HIM. But instead of walking over, she sat..." She wasn't even facing him to SEE his movements, she was focused on a baby on the floor in front of her. NO. Just no.
Pg 22 - Lexy asks Damian why not turn the horse loose in the pastures, and he says the horse is too valuable . Same people/horse/place/event three pages later? " 'Are you turning him out to pasture?' 'This pasture should be save enough for now. ...Turning him out reinforces good behavior." (((banging head against keyboard...)))
Pg 44 - " ' I think the cabin is furnished with basics, but it's been a while since I checked it . I have an extra crib... not sure of the condition it's in. We'll take a tub of cleaning supplies and groceries.'
'I have money for food. I just need directions to town. Don't worry about the condition. I can clean it." ALL OF THIS is disjointed and unconnected and... just BADLY written. BADLY.
Pg 53 - "Somehow, in just one day, she'd made him aware that he wasn't as content with his life as he liked to pretend." In *ONE DAY*, the sullen, anti-social, gruff, isolated guy is already done with his deal? I mean... there's not even an inner struggle? If he's as tough as they say, he would be rejecting them outright in order to protect himself. Even the HORSE fought more than he did, for the love of Mike!
Pg 57 - "Enough talk about Tio Damian." FIVE paragraphs later... Damian, Damian, Damian, Damian. **sigh.** Do ANY of these people Navarro writes live what they say? Ever???
I looked up the breed of dog (Belgian Melanois) that Damian has. It says it's NOT a good breed for having around children, as they tend to nip. But it's okay to let the dog all down in an 8-month old baby's space?
Pg 73 - Lexy doesn't cook, because it involves "too much exact measurement" for her. But she's a professional underwater photographer who works with F-stops (aperture measurements) and ISO (light settings) that are exact measurements. Really?!?!? Does Navarro not realize that there's more to photography than pointing a cellphone camera and clicking? Asking for a friend...
Pg 74 - " 'I hope it's okay that I moved the table out here. The porch has more space than the cabin...' 'I appreciate it. The leg doesn't always work in small spaces.' " As in... he can't bend his leg in a kitchen?!?!? WHAT the what?!
Pg 75 - "Without knowing us, you let us stay in your barn. You allowed us to move in next door. I don't think I have ever felt safer or more peaceful than here." ← In the 25 hours we've been here, I feel more peaceful than I did with my mother and sister in the home I grew up in as a girl. ?!?!?!
Pg 81 - Naomi: "So you save horses, my sister saves marine life. Y'all have a lot in common."
Damian: "What are you doing on the ranch? Other than babysitting me?"
?!??!??! WHO IS HE TALKING TO? Naomi? Lexy? And they've been in the cabin all of 15 hours, and they're 'babysitting' him?
That's not all Lexy does, apparently, either. In true Navarro fashion, she's got like six different careers. She's data gathering and input at a lab, she's an underwater photographer, she's an educational/outreach blogger, she puts together information for grants, plus she's a freelance writer.
I'm done. I'm OUT. DNF @ pg 83. And I'm not finishing the series, either. There are good Love, Inspired writers out there. This is NOT one of them.
January 6, 2021
Trying to avoid Naomi's dangerous boyfriend, Lexy, Naomi, and baby Jess end up in someone's barn for the night. Tired and hungry, they just want to sleep until they can arrive at Diamondback Ranch where Lexy is to start a new job.
Damian just wants to be left alone to live his life and train horses. Imagine his confusion when his dogs alert him to strangers on the property.
What could possibly go wrong, or right, when Lexy's, Naomi's, baby Jess', and Damian's worlds collide? LOTS!!
I highly recommend this story for anyone and everyone!!
Damian just wants to be left alone to live his life and train horses. Imagine his confusion when his dogs alert him to strangers on the property.
What could possibly go wrong, or right, when Lexy's, Naomi's, baby Jess', and Damian's worlds collide? LOTS!!
I highly recommend this story for anyone and everyone!!
November 27, 2020
Such an inspirational story of love and overcoming the challenges from our past. I really enjoyed getting to know Damion and Lexi. It took me awhile to like Damion’s character. He was so closed off that I was beginning to wonder if he would ever let anyone close to him. But I was always pulling for the two of them to find each other. A sweet heart-warming read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2020
I love Christmas stories and this one didn't let me down. There is so much emotion wrapped up in the characters. Jolene Navarro does a great job of painting such vivid pictures of all the scenes in the story. I loved all the animals and their personalities too. You will not be disappointed!
Read
November 13, 2020Categories
Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch (Book #4)
Inspirational Romance, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Wholesome Romance
Miniseries
Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch (Book #4)
March 16, 2024
Fun inspirational Christmas love story. I always enjoy the story of redemption and love that the Love Inspired books bring.
November 30, 2020
I've been waiting for Damian's story since the beginning. This gruff, veteran, double amputee stole my heart.
He isolates himself on his family's farm and when Lexy comes into his life the connection is instant but he's so stubborn and resists.
Healing horses physically is his specialty but can Lexy help him heal emotionally,?
This story has so much chemistry and genuine connection it hooks you and doesn't let go. I can tell you I had tears of joy in my eyes as I finished the book
He isolates himself on his family's farm and when Lexy comes into his life the connection is instant but he's so stubborn and resists.
Healing horses physically is his specialty but can Lexy help him heal emotionally,?
This story has so much chemistry and genuine connection it hooks you and doesn't let go. I can tell you I had tears of joy in my eyes as I finished the book
January 16, 2021
I am quite surprised to be giving a Love Inspired Inspirational Romance this highest rating.
It is not a perfect book .. but SO right and satisfying that it earned the 5 star rating.
Yes I DO want to read some more books by this author !
It is not a perfect book .. but SO right and satisfying that it earned the 5 star rating.
Yes I DO want to read some more books by this author !
January 26, 2021
I absolutely love Jolene's books! This story was different than most that I read and it was incredibly refreshing. I am also a huge fan of the Diamondback Ranch series and I hope she can find a way to incorporate it into future books OR create another focal point for readers to fall in love with!
February 28, 2021
Little bit of suspense and mystery with a happy ending for all!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews