In the third Mystery Christmas book, Whitney Barstow works at a popular guest ranch in the wilds of Montana. Though she loves animals, she does her best to avoid the horses and the barn at Dunrovin Ranch. A while back, she nearly died in a barn fire and the memories still color her life, her choices, and her everyday thoughts.
Colter Fitzgerald is a fireman but he’s spending a lot of time at his family’s ranch to help prepare for Yule Night, an annual party his parents always throw for the community. He’s attracted to Whitney, but she can’t stand him. She has secrets, and he’s determined to uncover them. Once they finally become friends and start opening up to each other, little accidents start happening around the ranch. Some of the clues point to Whitney, and given her mysterious past, Colter wonders if he’s fallen in love with an arsonist.
This is a really good book. Whitney has been through a lot in her life and it’s made her a strong, careful person. Colter is a ladies’ man, but he’s seriously interested in Whitney. Sparks sizzle every time they’re around one another, but her fear of trusting someone and falling in love kept pushing them apart. After all, her ex is looking for her, and she may have to start running again.
Whitney’s past wasn’t fully explained. She’s on the run from her ex-husband who tried to kill her, but I don’t understand why she married him in the first place since he was already stalking and scaring her when she was a teenager. I was just confused with her backstory.
Anyway, I liked Whitney and sympathized with what she’s gone through. Colter is great and very family oriented. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
4 Stars

Disclaimer – I volunteered to read and review this book. Thank you, Danica Winters for sending me a print copy. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
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Good addition to the series, as trouble continues to affect Dunrovin ranch and its residents. Whitney is the ranch's newest employee. She came to Montana to escape the memories of the fire that changed her life and the man who caused it. Those memories also cause her to avoid getting close to anyone and even stay away from the horses that used to be such a big part of her life.

Colter is the Fitzgerald son who has gone his own way. He loves his adopted family, but the ranch life isn't for him. He is a firefighter to the bone, which suits his protective nature. He is fun-loving and has a bit of a reputation as a ladies man. But for the last several months his focus has been on his growing feelings for Whitney.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Whitney and Colter. Because of her past and her fear of bringing trouble to them, Whitney has tried to deny her attraction to Colter. She does her best to discourage his interest in her, but Colter refuses to give up. I loved his persistence and how he finally breaks through her reserve. Whitney is still hesitant about getting involved with Colter, especially when strange things begin to happen around the ranch. She is afraid that her ex is behind them and doesn't want those she cares about to be put in danger because of her. I loved Colter's protectiveness toward her and his belief in her when others think she might be behind the latest ranch troubles. It was fun to see her try to deny her feelings for Colter at the same time she was so obviously jealous of the woman who was blatantly pursuing him. In the end, it was the depth of Colter's feelings that won her over.

The suspense of the story was very good. Just when the people of Dunrovin thought that life would get back to normal, more trouble reared its ugly head. From sabotaged barn flooring to Molotov cocktails, it's obvious that someone has it in for the ranch. Whitney is afraid that her ex has found her and is determined to finish what he started. But there is also the suspicion that it is someone who wants the ranch to fail, as the constant troubles have affected the ranch's bottom line. Colter, Whitney, and Wyatt work together to try to find the truth. A devastating fire at a local business jeopardized the ranch's community Yule celebration, putting the ranch's survival at risk. I loved the surprise that the Fitzgerald's received. But the excitement wasn't over, as the person behind the trouble made another attempt. The final confrontation was frightening, as Whitney relived the terror of her past. The culprit was a surprise twist in the story, which provides a hint of what is to come in the next book. ( )