Christmas in Cowboy Country

Lovely Annie Bennett, younger sister of previous Dailey heroes Zach and Sam, reluctantly returns to her parents’ Colorado ranch to recover after a skiing accident in Aspen. When Marshall Stone, an inevitably handsome and mysterious stranger, appears on the Bennetts’ land and claims to be surveying the backcountry, Annie and her father are deeply suspicious of his story and motives. Marshall can’t tell Annie he’s really in Velde to investigate a land swindle; this back plot is dreary and their disputes are tedious. Luckily, some severe winter weather and a few matchmakers who have known Annie since childhood throw this prickly pair together long enough for them to discover the spirit of Christmas. Fans will be glad that the late Dailey (1944–2013) managed to finish this book before her death. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates. (June)