I try to read one of Lori Wilde's latest Christmas-themed Twilight, Texas romance books each year, and this one was available at one of my libraries.  I started reading these books in 2014, when Wilde visited my town of Granbury, Texas (the inspiration for Twilight), in the holiday season as part of a promotion, and my (then) book club was the (nominal) host for a meet-and-greet.

The Cowboy Cookie Challenge revisits some of the characters in The First Love Cookie Club, the first book I read in this series.  That book was published in 2010, and one of the characters was a little girl (about age 8) named Jazzy (Jasmine) Walker.  Well, she is one of the main characters in this story, and is now age 23 and a pediatric nurse at the local hospital.  (Her stepmom, Sarah, the heroine in First Love, is also a character.)

Jazzy meets handsome, widowed Roan Sullivan while caring for his daughter Trinity during a tonsillectomy - she catches him when he almost faints.  She's attracted, despite a nine-year age difference, even though she's waiting to hear about a job with traveling nurses.  Jazzy is eager to get out of town and escape her former boyfriend, Danny - and his fiance, Jazzy's former best friend (and current co-worker), Andi.

But before she goes, Jazzy feels compelled to beat Andi at SOMEthing, so she enters the cooking baking contest that Andi wins every year.  This time, though, the cookies must be baked cowboy-style - over a campfire - and it just so happens Roan (and his deceased wife Claire) used to give instruction in and win cowboy cooking challenges all the time.  Jazzy convinces Roan to prepare her for the contest - and you can imagine what happens from there.

The snow-covered scene of the front cover isn't typical for our holiday season, but it's a Christmas story, so there's gotta be snow, at least on the front cover.  (There is a weekend ice storm, but as the author writes on page 279, that - and the balmy weather that immediately follows, is "typical of December in North Texas.")
There's some sex (that the ice storm facilitates) and the romance is predictable (although this one only has a few tropes I can identify: widower cowboy/rancher and child care/first responder aka pediatric nurse have an age gap fling in a small town during the holidays).  Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing old characters from former books reappearing, and matching up places like "Ye Old Book Nook in the town square" (page 56) with reality.

This is the 13th novel in the Twilight, Texas series (there are also two novellas, and a collection of four short stories).  They do not have to be read in order, although the later novels are more enjoyable (because of the character connections) if they are.  This was an easy, light read, perfect for the holiday season. ( )

Fun return to Twilight, Texas. Here we have pediatric nurse extraordinaire Jazzy Walker. The twenty-three-year-old nurse is well known for her cheery personality and positive attitude. The cheeriness has taken a little bit of a hit lately, as her boyfriend was stolen by her nemesis, Andi Browning. Jazzy would like nothing more than to finally beat Andi at something, so she enters this year's cookie bake-off. The problem? Jazzy can't bake to save her life, and this year's competition also involves baking over a campfire. Her only hope is talking the father of one of her patients into helping her.

Roan is the single father of a four-year-old little girl. He lost his wife two years earlier and gave up the competitive cooking that they did together. Instead, he devotes himself to his daughter, Trinity, and his ranch. His first reaction to Jazzy's request is a resounding "NO!" but it isn't long before he gives in to her pleas. Roan doesn't understand why he is so drawn to Jazzy. She's too young, nice, and optimistic for a grouchy old guy like him (he's thirty-three). But there is something about her that makes him wonder about the possibilities.

I liked watching the relationship develop between Roan and Jazzy. Roan is hesitant because of the age difference and his reluctance to risk his heart again. Jazzy makes no secret of her attraction to Roan and willingness for a rebound relationship. Jazzy is on a three-week vacation from work, so she has plenty of time for campfire cooking lessons from Roan. I loved Roan's patience as he helped Jazzy overcome her confidence issues when competing with Andi. The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Roan to resist Jazzy. However, his fears have him waffling about how he treats her - first kissing her silly, then pulling away.

Though Jazzy initially proposes the rebound relationship, it isn't long before she realizes she wants more. She tries to bury her feelings, believing Roan is still in love with his late wife. This is harder to do as she and Roan give in to their attraction, and she starts dreaming of a future together. One of the things I liked about seeing Jazzy and Roan together was how she brought some light back into his life. But when the competition is over, Roan lets his fears come between them. I ached for Jazzy and wanted to shake some sense into Roan. I was happy when he saw the light, but Jazzy should have made him work harder to get back into her life.

The cookie competition and rivalry between Jazzy and Andi were critical to the story. Andi was very unlikeable, and the more I learned about their history, the less I liked her. Andi's constant bullying of Jazzy was one of the motivations for Roan's decision to help Jazzy. I liked Jazzy's growing confidence and how Roan's support helped Jazzy let go of her hard feelings. I had fun watching Jazzy improve her skills while still being her somewhat klutzy self. I laughed at the happy accident that gave her the recipe she needed for the contest. The contest itself was a nail-biter. Several twists affected the outcome. Andi's actions didn't surprise me at all.

I enjoyed the secondary characters of Trinity and Charlie. Roan's daughter was adorable, and I understood his protectiveness after what he'd been through. Her love for her daddy was evident, and I liked how she made Jazzy part of their circle. Jazzy's best friend, Charlie, was great. He knows Jazzy very well and does his best to rein her in when she needs it. He is there when Jazzy needs him, whether it's dealing with Andi or heart-related issues. I also liked seeing characters from earlier books, including Jazzy's dad and stepmom.

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