When Juliana Mitchell embarks on a teaching career at the Indian School rather than marry the groom of his choice, her wealthy and powerful older brother disinherits her. Now that the school has closed, she and her four young charges have nowhere to go and no money to live on, and it's almost Christmas in cold and bleak Stillwater Springs, Montana. Widowed rancher Lincoln Creed has again made the long trip to town to discover whether anyone replied to his numerous advertisements for a governess to instruct his beloved daughter, Gracie, and a housekeeper or a wife. Instead, he offers Juliana and the children a place to stay for the time being while they examine their options, and gradually they are drawn into the loving family circle. Miller continues her popular Montana Creeds series with a tender, joyful Christmas romance set in 1910 and featuring the respected ancestors of the alluring Creed brothers Logan (2009), Dylan (2009), and Tyler (2009).--Welch, Lynne Copyright 2009 Booklist

Miller delivers a holiday heartwarmer her fans are sure to adore. When Juliana Mitchell runs out of money, she loses the Indian school she runs in 1910 Montana, and the four children in her care are left with nowhere to go. Lucky for her (and them), she meets rancher Lincoln Creed, whose daughter is in desperate need of a governess. But things don't work out exactly as Creed envisioned, and it turns out Juliana could fulfill a much larger role in the Creed home. Things look like they're turning out well for everyone, but an Indian affairs agent might upset the happy if unconventional setup. Mitchell makes for a sympathetic heroine, and in Creed, Miller has moved beyond the usual quiet frontiersman to create a sensitive, loyal gentleman that readers will love. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Five days before Christmas, with no place to go and a snowstorm threatening, schoolmarm Juliana Mitchell accepts widowed rancher Lincoln Creed's impulsive invitation to bring the four Native American children in her care to his ranch for a few days-and ends up staying for a lifetime. VERDICT Likable protagonists, a wealth of memorable secondary characters, and a predictable, heart-touching plot make this warm, family-centered, information-rich 1910 prequel to Miller's "Montana Creeds" trilogy a good choice for series fans and new readers as well. Miller (At Home in Stone Creek) lives in Spokane. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.