Big Sky Christmas by C.J. Carmichael

It's been a really long time since I read a romance novel with a baby on the cover. 15 years ago, they were a staple of my romance reading, but since having kids of my own it's just not as romantic as it was. Regardless, the title of this one and the Montana setting made me request a copy. (Apparently I outgrew babies but not cowboys.)

Big Sky Christmas is the fourth book in the Coffee Creek series and it really shows.  Winnie has come back home after 18 months away- 18 months after her fiance was killed on their wedding day, and 11 months after the birth of their son. One of the first people she encounters is Jackson Stone, foster brother to her late fiance, and the man who carries a secret torch for her. And that's... pretty much the entire plot.  This book is so incredibly light weight that I can't think of anything to even say about it.  It's pretty obviously the final book in a series, all the other characters are paired up into neat pairs, and the ranch setting is an obvious series element.

There is nothing  outright objectionable about this one, but there's nothing to really recommend it either- unless of course you've read the first three and have a need to wrap it up. (I have not read the first three.) The Christmas setting isn't overwhelming. The ranch tidbits are perfectly paced.  Winnie and Jackson are both perfectly nice perfect people.   The background story explaining how Jackson came to be part of the story is a nice touch.  Do I feel compelled to track down the first three books? Unfortunately, no, this one is pretty darn forgettable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read it- Big Sky Christmas will be out October 1st.