Christmas in Briarwood

Book 8: Montana Gallagher Series

by MK McClintock

Genres: Holiday books; Westerns; Western Romance; American West; historical western romance; holiday novella

Synopsis

During a season of hope and healing, two souls find an unexpected gift in love.

 

Set against the backdrop of the Hawk's Peak Ranch and the town of Briarwood, the Gallagher family's generosity and love have permeated the lives of all those around them. This Christmas, Rachel Watson and Julian Frank discover that with the help of new friends and a special holiday wish, they can let go of their pasts and risk their wounded hearts.

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A beautiful, frontier holiday romance, Christmas in Briarwood is the eighth heartwarming installment in the award-winning series that has delighted readers with tales of adventure, family, love, and hope.

 

Release date: November 30, 2021

Publisher: Trappers Peak Publishing

Content advisory: None

Sample

Frost nipped her reddening nose, and a crisp breeze brushed her cheeks as the winter sun shined through two puffy white clouds.

Life, she reasoned, was not about achieving happiness for the whole of one’s existence, but to enjoy the moment—for it might be the last. Rachel Watson once believed in hope for the future, and never more than now did she long to believe in it again.

Snow dust glistened through the air to land on and around her as she passed beneath the long branches of a tall pine. With the snow came a scent she had yet been able to describe since winter came to Briarwood. The fragrance of earth and air, light and dark—no matter what time of day or night she strolled the dirt roads, the sweet and refreshing smell grounded her.

In those moments when she thought herself unable to stay and face the events since her arrival, the wide valley and thick, green forests, with soaring mountains beyond, steadied her spirit.

More than the landscape kept her sane, she admitted. The people waved hello, smiled whenever she passed, and invited her into their homes. Although she avoided accepting many of the invitations—save for those at Hawk’s Peak or with Doctor Brody and his wife—they continued to make the offers. It’s what friends do, she imagined. Her job as a governess in San Francisco had left little time for friendships beyond the staff and her sister, Mary. She thought of all the years spent caring for another couple’s children, and wondered, somewhat guiltily, if they hadn’t been wasted.

Pine boughs and red ribbon adorned many of the storefronts, and the spicy fragrance of Tilly’s apple cider wafted from the café. The faint melody of song carried from the church choir, which practiced the carols it would sing around the town tree. With less than three weeks until Christmas and the opening of the inn, Rachel pictured the grand tree—described in detail by the storekeeper and his wife—covered with homemade ornaments.

Rachel navigated her way up the stone path to the wide front porch of The Briarwood Inn and stopped. A pile of lumber and snow blocked the doorway, so she walked instead to the back door, all the while smiling.