Two people who don’t believe in Christmas or miracles…

Retired from special forces and back on his family’s Texas ranch, Chance Rafferty’s finally found some peace through creating a foundation to rescue and retrain military K-9s thought to be beyond redemption. He prefers to be left alone with his dogs and his work, but when a woman arrives shortly before Christmas looking for the dog that saved her husband’s life, Chance is astonished at the dog’s—and his own—response to her.

Though it’s been years, Ariel Larson still dreads the Christmas season because it marks the anniversary of her deployed husband’s death. When she learns her husband’s K-9 partner survived combat, Ariel feels she’s been given a lifeline to escape her grief. She suddenly has a sense of purpose she’s been desperately missing. But she never expected the man determined to rehabilitate the traumatized animal would have such a stunning impact on her own life.

Can these two wounded hearts come together to create their own Christmas miracle?

Titles in The Raffertys of Last Stand include — Nothing But Cowboy – A Texas Christmas Miracle – Once A Cowboy –

This series is part of the Last Stand, Texas group of connecting series.  (think Marietta, Montana– Tule Publishing’s other large set of series set in a fictional town).  For a look at the other series in the Last Stand connecting series please visit our Last Stand, Texas page.

Title:  A Texas Christmas Miracle
Series:  The Raffertys of Last Stand #2
Author:  Justine Davis
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  October 19, 2021
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

A Texas Christmas Miracle continues The Raffertys of Last Stand series with a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of two people who are dealing with their pasts in different ways and one amazing dog who will bring them together to find peace and love… finally.

When the phrase “wounded soldier” is spoken we first think of the men and women who have risked their lives for the good of their country.  Yet there is another soldier, the four-footed kind who also risk their lives to do the bidding of their handlers, their partners, their “pack” of one human who means the world to them.  Atlas or rather now Tri is one of those canine soldiers who risked everything and in Tri’s case lost not only his human but then was injured with another assigned handler and ended up an amputee who found his way to Chance’s rehabilitation/retraining program.

Chance returned from duty a changed man.  He focuses on the dogs he takes in, that’s his purpose in life now.  The happy-go-lucky man that his family and his community once knew no longer exists.  And Chance would love nothing more than being left totally alone with his dogs.  Yet another person with an equally strong purpose isn’t about to let that happen.

Ariel’s husband’s death still lives every moment of every day with her.  Christmas time is the worst.  But she’s learned of his canine partner’s injury and release from duty and is determined to adopt Tri at any cost.  Neither expected Tri’s immediate connection with Ariel… or the emotions that working with Tri would bring out in them.  Guilt is a powerful emotion, and beginning to have feelings for another man is bringing out all the guilt possible in Ariel.  While she’s fighting to learn how to help Tri she’s also learning how to deal with falling for Chance.

A Texas Christmas Miracle is emotional, so well written, and brings to life real issues and situations that melted my heart, brought out a few tears, and left me with a satisfying ending for two deserving of happiness humans and one very special dog.  If you love a good romance that wraps itself around your heart, then this story and this series would be perfect for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher. That does not change what I think of this story.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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