Cowboy boots for Christmas (cowboy not included)

Brown starts the Burnt Boot series with a sketched-out story populated by too many characters. Finn O'Donnell, the new owner of Salt Draw Ranch, thinks he wants peace and quiet. But his intentions are turned upside down by the arrival of Callie Brewster, a former soldier he knows from his days as an Army sniper. Callie brings along her nephew, Martin, to hide out with Finn instead of entering him into a witness protection program. The details of Martin's need for protection are thin and the resolution to that plot point is barely tacked on at the end. A local family feud waxes and wanes, and numerous characters appear and disappear without much effect on the story. Even the development of intimacy between the principles is skipped over quickly. Brown has shown herself capable of better, but this novel is hollow through and through. Agent: Erin Numata, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

All retired army sniper Finn O'Donnell wants is to be left in peace to settle in to his new Texas ranch. He doesn't crave company, but when his former spotter and best friend Callie Brewster shows up at his door just before the holidays, with her young nephew in tow and needing a safe place to stay, he can't say no to the woman who saved his life more times than he can count. But Finn has no idea what he's signed on for-or the changes one caring, generous woman can make in his life and in his heart. VERDICT Filled with laughter, wit, and characters you'll adore, this heartwarming romp is rich with relatives, friends, feuds, and Christmas cheer and beautifully launches Brown's joyful new community series. Brown (Long, Hot Texas Summer) lives in Davis, OK. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.