When her aunt's need to move into assisted living and the loss of her high-powered job in New York coincide, Charlotte Morgan packs up her city life and heads home to Mustang Creek, the tiny Wyoming town she once thought she'd left behind for good. The last person she wants to run into—and end up sharing a hotel room with during a snowstorm—is veterinarian Jaxon Locke, the partner in her whirlwind New York City romance that fell apart when he left for Idaho to help his dad. But Jax isn't about to let Charlie go. When a job offer in Mustang Creek comes his way, he jumps at the chance; now he just has to make Charlie see things his way. VERDICT Appealing protagonists, an abundance of Western holiday flavor, and the delightful meddling of the mysterious Millicent Klozz give a classic reunion plot a lighthearted, whimsical twist. Miller (The Marriage Season) lives in Spokane.

Miller (The Marriage Season) liberally sprinkles Christmas magic throughout this companion book to her Brides of Bliss County contemporary series. Charlotte Morgan was born and raised in Mustang Creek, Wyo. She couldn't wait to leave for the big city. Unfortunately, the big city sent her back, jobless and needing to care for her aunt. The last thing Charlotte expects from her first night home is to be caught in a blizzard and stuck sharing a hotel room with veterinarian Jaxon Locke, her ex. Jax was heading to Mustang Creek with the express hope of running into Charlotte again. With help from mutual friends and the gentle, pointed influence of the mysterious Mrs. Klozz, his gamble may just ensure the sweetest Christmas ever. Humorous happenstance defines this quintessentially warm and cozy slice of small-town life. Agent: Irene Goodman, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Oct.)