Cowboy Boots for Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Book 1 in the Burnt Boot, Texas Series'Tis the season for...FeastingFrolickingAnd...Feuding?All he wants for Christmas is peace and quiet...After two tours in Afghanistan, retired Army sniper Finn O'Donnell believes his new ranch outside the sleepy little town of Burnt Boot, Texas, is the perfect place for an undisturbed holiday season. But before he can settle in, an old friend shows up looking for protection and a place where nobody knows her name.
But that's going to take a miracle...Callie Brewster must relocate to protect her young nephew, Martin, and the only person she trusts is her old Army friend, Finn. Burnt Boot seems like the perfect place to be anonymous, but it turns out a small town with big drama is no place to hide...

I don't usually review older books, just ARC's and very new books...well that and books I'm really impressed with.  However, I just couldn't keep  my opinion of this one to myself!

I usually love or at least like very much Carolyn's books, but this one? Ugh. They are generally sweet and funny and with a good story.

I tried; I really, really tried and I just could NOT finish this book. I hate having to give up before I even get half-way through, but this book just took the cake.

For starters Callie and her nephew Martin are in the Witness Protection program -yet when she  and the 'hero' Finn go into town they announce  her *real* name to a store owner. And just about everyone else to boot. Reality check please.  Uhmmm no, just no.

Finn the hero is salivating, drooling, slobbering over Callie and it gets a bit on the icky side.  However Callie is doing the same thing will Finn, double ick.

Martin, Callies nephew who has seen a murder and who is eleven (I think) is just the epitome of a Stepford/perfect child that I just wanted to scrub my brain.  I don't believe this one little bit -it's possible for a child to be perfect, sure, but it sure doesn't make for enthralling reading.  (of course Ms Brown has a habit of making the kids in her books uber cutsie)

And let us not even talk about all the animals that seem to show up in the first 24/48 hours. 

  There is so much going on yet no time passes at all.

 I can't suspend my disbelief this much and keep my sanity intact. Therefore I am saving my sanity and not even going to attempt to finish this.  I should have spent my money on something else, anything else.