RICH RANCHER FOR CHRISTMAS – Sarah M. Anderson
The Beaumont Heirs , Book 7
Harlequin Desire #2489
ISBN: 978-0-373-73502-0
December 2016
Contemporary Series Romance

Firestone, Colorado – Present Day

Television personality Natalie Baker has built her reputation around exposing the sins and secrets of the Beaumont family, one of Colorado's richest and most scandal-filled families. Her latest expos é revolves around finding another Beaumont illegitimate heir who lives somewhere in Firestone. After asking around town and not getting the answers Natalie wants, someone finally gives her a possible lead and she heads to the ranch belonging to CJ Wesley. But she's barely arrived when a powerful blizzard rolls in, trapping her with the wealthy rancher. It may be days before she can leave, but will it be enough time for her to get the story she came for?

CJ is indeed the “missing” Beaumont heir, but he doesn't want to be found. Natalie was stupid to come to Firestone unprepared for the forecasted storm, but he's not going to let her drive off into it, so he offers to let her stay. To help protect himself, CJ takes her cell phone because he's afraid she'll dig too deep to discover the truth and expose him to the vulgarities of the paparazzi. Even as CJ tries to hide the truth from Natalie, he's learning there's a lot more to her than a pretty face. Natalie is a vulnerable woman who uses her job to hide the pain of rejection. And CJ is falling for her . . . .

The reviled patriarch of the Beaumont family has been dead ten years, yet his legacy—and numerous illegitimate children—lives on. Natalie has been following the family for years, and it made her—and her show—popular, but the ratings have dropped and her producer orders her to come up with another juicy bit about the Beaumonts. One of the sons recently let slip there was another unidentified half-brother, and Natalie's intense search has led her to Firestone. She initially ran into CJ in a store there, but he denied any knowledge of “Carlos Julian Santino.” But her tenacity in getting the dirt leads her to CJ's ranch . . . and the blizzard starts a chain of events neither expects.

CJ is aware of his past, but considers his adopted father his real father, and to the world that is the way it is. Natalie is endangering CJ's safety net of living on the ranch, and he will do anything to prevent her from broadcasting the truth about him. Despite their animosity towards each other at first, things begin to heat up and the passion turns to reality. But once the snow stops and the roads are cleared, Natalie will be gone. Will she leave her heart behind after she goes?

Part of the Beaumont Heirs series, RICH RANCHER FOR CHRISTMAS can easily be read as a standalone. There are seven siblings so far, with at least one more tale on the way. The Beaumonts have plenty of scandals, but many have already found love.

CJ slowly peels away the veneer that is Natalie's personality. Deep down is a woman who was blamed by her father for something that shouldn't have been laid on a six-year old. CJ lives in fear of being sucked into the Beaumont family. Both will finally open up and realize that as long as you have love, you can achieve happiness. Grab a copy of RICH RANCHER FOR CHRISTMAS and be swept into the sizzling romance of CJ and Natalie.

Patti Fischer