Awesome read! Can't believe I let this one get lost on my kindle. I love all these Cold Creek books and I've wanted Ridge's story for a long time. Luckily the wait was worth it. This is a great story and gives a message of love and hope especially around the holiday season. I definitely recommend it. ( )

Beautiful story dealing with family, secrets and forgiveness. I really liked both Sarah and Ridge. Ridge is the oldest of the Bowman family and the one who runs the family ranch. He is the single father of eleven year old Destry. His marriage was short-lived when his wife couldn't handle the ranch life and left them both, and now he doesn't plan to look for love any time soon. The day after his sister's wedding he mistakes Sarah for the cleaning lady who is supposed to clean up after the wedding. When she falls and breaks her arm at his house he's compelled by responsibility and an unexpected attraction to ask her to stay at the house through the holidays. Sarah doesn't know why she didn't tell Ridge the whole story behind her visit right away. Now she's spending time on the ranch and getting to know both Ridge and Destry. The more she gets to know them the harder she falls for both, and the guiltier she feels about the secret she's keeping.

I really enjoyed the whole story. Sarah came across a whole bunch of artwork belonging to Ridge's family after her father died. Once she learned the story behind the artwork's loss she feared the involvement of her father and brother in the Bowman's tragedy. She's determined to return it all to the family. She doesn't expect the immediate connection she feels to Ridge and it causes her to hang on to her secret longer than she should have. His family is so different than hers and she can't help enjoying being part of it during her stay. When she realizes how hard she's fallen for Ridge she knows she has to tell him the truth and chance losing him.

Ridge's immediate connection to Sarah surprises him. I really liked the way that he brought her into the family. His delight in the way that she takes to Destry and seems to like the ranch just makes his feelings for her grow that much stronger. I really liked seeing him let go of the unhappiness that had been a part of his life for so long. He really wants to make Sarah a permanent part of his life, but he senses that something is bothering her. When he finds out what it is, he goes a bit crazy with his accusations and really messes things up. I loved the scene in the barn with his two brothers as he tells them the story and they tell him what an idiot he is. I loved how the ending turned out, with their relationship following a logical progression after they got their issues sorted out.

It's wonderful that the mystery behind the Bowman's parents' deaths is finally solved and they are all able to move on. The characters throughout this book and the others feel real, without being too perfect or too bad to relate to. The emotions were very intense, especially at the end. ( )

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

“A Cold Creek Christmas Surprise” is the 12th book in the series, but not only is the story independent, the author also gives us some information about the characters that appear on this book and that already had their stories told in their own books.

Ridge Bowman is a loner that lives only for his job and for his daughter, Destry. On the morning after his sister's wedding, when he opens the door to Sarah Whitmore, he understandably assumes she was sent by the company hired to clean up after the party. But Sarah is not really a cleaning lady, and the reason that brought her to the Bowman family ranch is a terrible and devastating secret. So, when her identity is mistaken, Sarah looses her nerve and starts cleaning the house to buy time, mas ends up falling down the stairs and breaking her arm. At the clinic, Ridge is told Sarah shouldn't spend the night alone because she may have a concussion and, feeling responsible for what happened, he takes her home to keep an eye on her.

When he finds out that Sarah wasn't at his house to clean, and after she tells him why she went to the ranch, Ridge ends up inviting her to spend Christmas with him and his daughter. However, Sarah didn't tell him the whole truth about why she is there and the longest she stays at the ranch, the more attached she gets to Ridge and Destry and the harder it gets to tell the truth because she knows it will mean Ridge will hate her forever...

I liked this romance, perfect for the Christmas season and, although it takes place in only a few days, I found it convincing and thought the author did a great job in the characterization of the protagonists, giving them depth and credibility. Considering there are more books of the series that also take place during Christmas, I'll try to get my hands on another one to read next Christmas. ( )