Since the accident that killed his foster brother Brock Lambert, Jackson Stone has kept his distance from Coffee Creek Ranch—and from the family who might never forgive him. Especially the foster mother, who still blames him for that tragic night.

Jackson blames himself too.

When Brock’s former fiancée, Winnie Hays, returns to town with her young son, the resemblance to Brock is a constant reminder of everything Jackson lost. And everything he never allowed himself to want. Because from the moment Brock brought Winnie home, Jackson has fought a forbidden attraction he had no right to feel.

Winnie needs help settling back into life in Coffee Creek, and Jackson can’t turn her away. As their friendship deepens into something neither expected, loyalty and guilt threaten to tear them apart. Falling for his brother’s widow feels like a betrayal… yet walking away feels worse.

With Christmas approaching and the Lambert family gathered once more, forgiveness may be the only gift that makes room for love.

Titles in the Coffee Creek, Montana series include:  Remember Me Always, Cowboy ~ Her Cowboy Dilemma ~ Promise from a Cowboy ~ Big Sky Christmas ~

This series was previously published in Harlequin American Romance.

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Big Sky Christmas
Series:  Coffee Creek, Montana #4
Author:  CJ Carmichael
Published:  November 9, 2026
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Big Sky Christmas is the fourth title in the Coffee Creek, Montana series, and finally we get Jackson’s story… which is, in many ways, still heartbreaking, but it eventually becomes a hopeful promise for the future.  Do you know how huge a moose actually is?  It’s not a random question, because the accident that killed Brock was unavoidable, and Jackson has dealt with the loss and the guilt over it as a daily reminder for him of his inability to save his best friend/his foster brother.  It doesn’t help that his foster mother (Olive) has been extremely vocal about placing blame as well.  Olive isn’t a nice person by any stretch of the imagination; she might have reasons buried in her past… but I’ve never been able to view her in a positive light throughout this series.  She’s… something.

It’s been a year since the accident that changed lives forever.  Winnie and her baby boy have resettled in Coffee Creek, rebuilding their lives bit by bit.  A chance encounter at a wedding will change their lives.  But not before each has to deal with their shared past, their grief over the loss of a man who was such a vital part of both of their lives.  I don’t like to use the word “forgiveness” because Jackson did nothing wrong except drive… in a situation that would have had the same result no matter what anyone thought.  Yet, Jackson does need to let the guilt go, to put his grief in perspective and move on with his life now, with a woman he has loved for so long, even though he kept that fact hidden.

Big Sky Christmas isn’t an easy story to read; it has real heartbreak, unnecessary guilt, and a future to figure out amid others’ constant verdict of guilt.  It’s well-written, emotional, and realistic in so many ways.  I loved this story years ago, and rereading it now hasn’t changed that opinion one bit.  It’s the perfect way to end the Coffee Creek, Montana series.  If that sounds like your kind of Modern Western Romance, then you’d love Winnie and Jackson’s story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. I chose to leave a review sharing my personal opinion of this book.*

Do you love anything (any story) that’s even slightly connected to Marietta, Montana, or simply Montana?  (I include neighboring towns set in Montana in this collection) Yeah, me too.  Be sure to visit our Marietta, Montana pages (this link to where this series is located; there are several pages :)) to catch up on any you might have missed over time.  It’s an amazing, diverse community, with happily-ever-after endings guaranteed.

This title is available on Amazon — publication date: Nov. 9, 2026