Discover the power of family in this uplifting quartet by New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates, USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden. June Gable left each of her four granddaughters a handwritten bequest–to spend a season at her beloved farmhouse in Jasper Creek, Oregon, before they sell it. These cousins were once as close as sisters, but time … but time and family betrayals have pushed them apart.
In spring, polished city girl Keira must find her country roots–and reconnect with an old flame. In the summer, tough tomboy JJ needs to tap into her softer side while helping a single dad and his daughters. Cheerful dreamer Lila has to help coordinate the town craft fair in autumn, under the stern eye of the handsome cowboy she loved as a girl. And as winter falls, headstrong, independent Bella must learn to ask for help from the one man she believes she can never have.
The four cousins will have to confront secrets from the past, deal with old wounds they’d rather hide, and tangle with their hardheaded cowboys before they can find love, healing and the true meaning of family…
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Cue all the swoons! I loved every part of this book!
One small town, one beloved grandma, four cousins coming home, four hot cowboys worth coming home to, and one life-changing year for this extended family. When Grandma June passed away, she left behind her ramshackle farmhouse filled with love and memories along with four letters – one for each of her granddaughters – arranging for each of them to spend one season in her home, with each assigned a separate task that turns out to be an insightful matchmaking plan in disguise.
I loved how all four of these stories – each with their own HEA – work together so beautifully. The healing that these women need is not just with their hearts, and the focus on their family dynamics was exquisitely done, especially because it was done by four different authors throughout each of their stories.
The first story is a true second-chance romance, with Keira having returned years after breaking Remy’s heart only to find that she now has to work alongside him. Their romance is about so much more than just how they feel about each other, and I was simply enthralled as they each had to come to terms with all the family issues that were lying just beneath the surface.
Next up is JJ, who finds herself helping out the now very grown-up Cade with his motherless daughters. I loved how this story drew both JJ and Cade out of their shells, forcing them to confront long-buried feelings as they make a new life together.
Fall brings the delightfully optimistic Lila, who finds that she has a second chance with the guy she humiliated herself for seven years before. Everett is one tough nut to crack, however, as he’s crafted a protective outer shell that keeps him from risking it all. Her sunny disposition hides the still-devastating effects of a troubled childhood, one that she is able to find healing for through reconnecting with her sister, JJ.
The last story brings the broken Bella to town, desperate to find her own way, and just as desperate to stay away from her ex-stepbrother, Noah, who just happens to be the one person Grandma June put in her path. This romance nearly broke my heart, with both Bella and Noah hurting so deep before they find their healing path to love.
All of these stories have a solid “one true love” theme as each of our main female characters has never had eyes for, or experience with, any other men. That Grandma June knew this and orchestrated her matchmaking plans accordingly is the thread that ties all the stories together. The girls also find healing in their relationships with each other, just as planned.
It’s a beautiful story from start to finish, a rare opportunity to read four different love stories that together make up one unforgettable, life- and love-affirming family saga. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Emotional and satisfying! A COWBOY FOR ALL SEASONS is a story separated into four parts by Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, Maisey Yates and Jackie Ashenden. It tells the story of four cousins who used to be as close as sisters in their childhood summers spent with Grandma June in Jasper Creek, Oregon before life sent them in different directions. June Gable is gone now and has left each granddaughter a personal letter asking them to each spend a season in the house she treasured and take care of a task or two for her.
Along the way each cousin reconnects with the past and envisions the future they were meant to have as happily ever after comes knocking at the door. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family intense plot filled with romance along the way. I enjoyed them all!
This was a terrific collection of stories about second chances, self-discovery, and family. I loved seeing these four women overcome past hurts and find their ways back to the love and friendship they used to share.
Spring – Caitlin Crews
Keira and Remy
Keira is the first of June’s granddaughters to arrive at the old homestead. Her task is to help with the cattle, which after five years of living in the city, will take some getting used to. Her partner in this endeavor is Remy, the former love of her life. Their relationship fell apart when he couldn’t understand her need to move away for a while. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him or want to marry him, but that she had to get away from her parents and find out who she was without their influence. Remy was very cold to her at first, but it wasn’t long before the old attraction rekindled. However, they are now older and better able to discuss the differences between them and see where things went wrong before. There were two scenes I especially liked: Remy being there to support Keira during her confrontations with her parents, and Keira facing off with Remy’s mother about the way his family has treated him. I liked how they finally worked through their differences and were able to move forward together.
Summer – Nicole Helm
JJ and Cade
Grandma June’s request of JJ was that she watches two little girls for the summer while their single dad does his work. JJ’s parents divorced when she was young, leaving her with her father and her mother taking her little sister Lila. JJ’s father was very anti-emotion and taught JJ to be the same way. She has spent years hiding and burying her emotions while trying to win her father’s approval. Fulfilling her grandmother’s request is the first time she’s gone against him. JJ feels very much out of her depth at first with the two girls. I liked watching her relax with them, and begin to see similarities between Ellie and Lora and herself and Lila. There were sparks between Cade and JJ, but they tried to ignore them, as JJ wasn’t planning to stay. They developed a very sweet friendship before the sparks started to burn out of control. I loved watching JJ learn to embrace her emotions and show them to those she cares about. It was sweet to see how Cade helped her express those emotions by not judging her when she did. The ending was terrific.
Fall – Maisey Yates
Lila and Everett
Fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants Lila was tagged to organize and run the yearly Red Sled Festival, something she feels is way beyond her capability. But that’s okay because Grandma June has also asked neighbor Everett to help Lila. This forces Lila to face the man she had a crush on as a teenager, and who she made of fool of herself in front of at his engagement party. But Bella is an eternal optimist who does her best to see the bright side of everything, so she sucks it up and deals, only to discover that the feelings she had for Everett never died. Everett is a very pragmatic man who views everything with a jaundiced eye. The opposites attract development of their relationship was an interesting one to watch. I especially enjoyed the discussions of their different ways of looking at life and the effect on their dreams of the future. It takes Everett a little longer to recognize his feelings for Lila. I loved his big moment at the end. There was also a terrific scene between Lila and JJ as they mended the rift caused by their parents’ actions.
Winter – Jackie Ashenden
Bella and Noah
Bella was the missing cousin, the one who didn’t come to the funeral because no one knew where she was. The lawyers finally tracked her down, just in time for her to have her season in Grandma June’s house. The timing was fortuitous for Bella, as she recently had her bank account cleaned out, leaving her with nothing. She showed up at the house with little more than the clothes on her back. Bella is very independent. Having grown up with a mother who used men for whatever she wanted, then leaving them when something better came along, Bella works hard at never asking for help. Her letter from June tells her to fix up the house and sell it if she wants to, and not to be afraid to ask for help. When Bella arrives at the house, she immediately runs into the last person she wanted to see – her ex-stepbrother, Noah. Her mom was married to Noah’s dad the year Bella was thirteen. Bella had a massive crush on nineteen-year-old Noah, who never seemed to notice her. Lila asked Noah to check on Bella. He wasn’t happy about it, as he had cut himself off from everyone. Years of taking care of his drunk father had drained him, and he doesn’t want anyone to need him. But something about Bella draws him like a magnet. The development of the relationship between them was a rocky one. There was intense chemistry, but both of them feared getting too close. Noah fought it, but couldn’t stop himself from wanting to help her. There were some sweet scenes of the things he did for her, things that showed he understood her. Bella was a bit lost at first, having a hard time accepting his help. Though both fought against their growing feelings, they also found it easy to talk to each other about stuff they’d never told anyone else. I ached for Noah, who was afraid of becoming addicted to Bella the way his dad was addicted to booze, and caused him to push her away. I cried for Bella, who had finally let someone in, just to be rejected. I loved the ending and the unexpected visitors who arrived at just the right time to give Bella the support and kick in the pants that she needed. Her and Noah’s big moment at the end was deeply emotional and perfect for both of them.
Wow, just wow. Separately Maisey Yates, Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden and Caitlin Crews are powerhouses behind the keyboard. Together, they are unbelievably amazing. Each woman puts their spin on a season with one woman and their very special cowboy.
Each summer 4 cousins would travel to the farmhouse and to Grandma June, who was one of a kind. She loved each of her granddaughters and their strengths and weaknesses unconditionally. When she passes, 3 cousins return home for her funeral, only Bella stays away. Keira, JJ and Lila each get a letter soon after with specific instructions for each of them from Grandma June. Each girl must follow their instructions to receive their ultimate gift from Grandma June.
First up is Spring, written by Caitlin Crews. Keira is the oldest cousin and takes that job, and Grandma June very seriously. She returns to Grandma June’s house not long after she passes. She has received her letter from Grandma June with instructions on what to do while she spends the season at the ranch. She hasn’t been back to Jasper Creek much since she ran out of town for college, and from the man she loved. She does her best to avoid that one true love, Remy each time she returned also. Sure looks like Grandma has other plans in mind for her and Remy now though. Will they revisit the past to face the future or stubbornly continue to avoid one it and one another?
Making our way into Summer, written by Nicole Helm, finds us meeting JJ. JJ loves to be alone and quickly finding out that Grandma took care of Cade’s 2 young daughters during the summer, throws a wrench in her alone time. She quickly finds she has more in common with the young girls than she knew. Getting closer to the girls means getting closer to their Dad as well, not that it’s a stretch at all. Cade is a tall dark hunk of cowboy, who inserts himself squarely in her life. Knowing her sister is next to visit stirs up all kids of feelings for JJ, will they reconnect over Grandma June? Knowing what she needs to do is hard when she is so set in her ways. Will she let down her guard in search of happiness or keep her self imposed walls raised?
Fall, written by Maisey Yates, introduces us to Lila. Lila is JJ’s little sister, though their lives haven’t included each other for quite some time. Everett is her long time crush who she once made a complete fool of herself over. An older man that proved well out of her reach, but that didn’t stop her from trying. Being back at Grandma June’s and thrown together with Everett to plan a party has those old feeling trying to resurface. Proving to herself that she is over her crush is a task she quickly finds is harder to do that she’d thought. Will their differences in approaching how they approach life, pessimist vs optimist, be a push to finally get them together, or a huge division in their relationship?
Winter, written by Jackie Ashenden, brings us Bella. The youngest of the cousins and the one who has traveled the bumpiest road, she ran with her mother out of town and never looked back. She initially avoids anything related to Jasper Creek and Grandma June, but a recent setback has her seeing this as a new way out for her. She has to find a way to ask for help though, one thing she doesn’t like to admit she needs. Enter her ex stepbrother Noah, a man she had a crush on when her mother married his father. He was older and paid no attention to her, though she would have given her right arm for him to do so. Asking him for help is the last thing she wants to do, but it seems to be her only choice right out of the gate. Does asking him for help leave her vulnerable, or show her strength as a woman perfect for him?
Each season we meet these 4 incredible women, each with their own story to tell and tied all together through Grandma June. There is such diversity in their backgrounds and current lives, but the way they are woven together fits a seamless flow from one woman to the next. I did have favorites and ranked them but the differences are so minimal it isn’t worth mentioning at all. The illustrations on the ebook version of Grandma June’s tree were wonderful. The tree expressed so much with so little, it placed you right front and center to experience the season. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy without expectations. All opinions expressed are my own. I can’t wait to return to Jasper Creek and continue on with this lovely tradition.
A Cowboy for All Seasons by Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, and Nicole Helm is a wonderful, connected compilation of romance stories reminding the characters of the strength and love of family. How years melt away, and childhood memories can see us through the most challenging of times. This anthology revolves around a small town, a beloved grandma, four cousins coming home, four hot cowboys worth coming home to, and one life-changing year for this extended family. When Grandma June passed away, she left behind her ramshackle farmhouse filled with love and memories along with letters for each of her four granddaughters, arranging that each one is to spend one season in her home, with each being assigned a separate task that turns out to be a perceptive matchmaking plan in disguise.
I loved how all four of these stories work together so beautifully. The healing that these women need is not just within their hearts. Focusing on their family dynamics was exquisitely done, knowing that the four different authors worked together to ensure the flow from one story to another. Each story has a genuine “one true love” theme since our four female characters has never had eyes for, or experience with, any other men. That Grandma June knew this and orchestrated her matchmaking plans accordingly is the thread that ties all the stories together. The girls also find healing in their relationships with each other, just as planned. It’s a beautiful anthology, from start to finish, providing a chance to read four different love stories that are connected and together make up one unforgettable, life and love family story.
Ms. Ashenden, Ms. Yates, Ms. Crews, and Ms Helm wrote wonderful and moving romance anthology that is not to be missed. Each story gives you warm tingles, emotion, and charming characters and the magic of family, that, by the end, you feel as if you know the minds and hearts of each of its characters, understand their loneliness, their pain, their hopes and their dreams. I highly recommend A Cowboy for All Seasons to other readers.
What a phenomenal author collaboration this was !! This is an emotionally powerful story about Gramma June who’s recently passed away & leaves four separate letters form her granddaughters that request each one to spend a season in her farmhouse. Ultimately each one will discover more about themselves & find love while Also fixing a few things before they sell the house . Not gonna lie that you cannot read this four story anthology without reminiscing about your own nana & memories or traditions you may have enjoyed . Naturally because of this , you may need a tissue or two because this collective story is absolutely beautiful & leave you wanting MORE from these authors & this quaint little rural town of Jasper creek Oregon!
Grandma June’s farmhouse is someplace we all wish we’d experienced as a kid. These four authors bring it to life in this interconnected anthology. Each story has its own voice, but together the story is all the richer.
Let me start by stating that I am a fan of all four of the authors responsible for this anthology, because they seldom, if ever, disappoint, which once again proved true in A Cowboy for All Seasons. I first encountered three of these authors, Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates, and Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews, in The Deacons of Bourbon Street series, which I loved, and I have been following each them ever since, and for good reason–they are all amazingly gifted writers, as is Nicole Helm, whose work I discovered more recently, and in this anthology they more than earned the 5 stars I’m giving them for this utterly wonderful, heartfelt book.
The premise for this anthology was both simple and brilliant. Set in a small western town, Grandma June gave birth to four daughters, and now, in her eighties, widowed, and facing her own mortality, felt that she’d failed to raise her daughters right somehow, and she decided that she wanted to make amends, not with her four daughters, but with the four granddaughters to whom they had given birth, and who spent their childhood summers as friends as well as cousins, making memories, and being loved by their very special, very loving, and very wise grandmother.
After three of the cousins attend Aunt June’s funeral, they barely say a word to each other, but several weeks later, each of her granddaughters received a letter from Grandmas June, each letter containing all the love Grandma June had felt for them during the many summers they spent together at her ramshackle farmhouse, and making a request of each one of her granddaughters. The requests were simple, but somehow cryptic–she wanted each granddaughter to spend one season at her farmhouse, tasked each one of them with a special request, and asked them to trust her, and let her spirit and the farmhouse guide them along the path to a better future. Three of cousins, Keira, JJ, and Lila, who’d only sporadically kept in touch over the years, each decided on a season, and arrived at the farmhouse alone. The fourth cousin, and the youngest, Bella, couldn’t be found, although the search for her was ongoing. What Grandma June knew, was that each of her granddaughters, though successful, was missing something in her life, and Grandma June, unbeknownst to them, led them back to her farmhouse and back to the loves of their lives, albeit with more than a few stumbling blocks in their paths to those special men.
While I won’t go into detail about each granddaughter’s season, believing you should discover them on your own, how these four incredibly talented and different authors, already friends, and each with her own distinct writing style, wove their separate stories so seamlessly into one cohesive, heartfelt, sweet, sexy, funny, sad, and charming second chance at love romance, seemed as magical a feat to me as a reader as what I can only refer to as Grandma June’s guiding spirit, whose farmhouse retained all the memories, love and wisdom she possessed.
If you love it when you read a romance that gives you the warm fuzzies, and contains so much depth, emotion, and character development that, by the end, you feel you’ve come to know the minds and hearts of each of its characters, understand their loneliness, their pain, their hopes and their dreams, then you need to grab a copy of what I consider to be the best romance anthology I’ve ever read, and immerse yourself in the charm and wisdom about life, choices, love, forgiveness, and family contained within its pages.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this anthology. The opinions expressed are my own.
We get a little bit of everything here, a second chance romance, a single-dad romance, a first love romance, and a former step-siblings romance. All are packed with emotions, all have a rocky ride to the HEA, and all have our women ending up with their cowboy <3
Spring – Caitlin Crews
Watching Remy and Keira now as mature adults, and hearing how they were when they were younger, made this second-chance all the sweeter. Having them realize they were always still in love with each other, and making sure they listened to, and talked to, each other this time around, yeah, I shed some tears for them. Their story was poignant, sexy, and sweet, in other words, a most wonderful romance!
Summer – Nicole Helm
Oh sweet JJ, you may have had problems expressing your emotions, but you had me expressing mine, repeatedly, as your story unfolded. Throw in those two motherless little girls, and I was lost in your heart, even before you fell for their cowboy dad. And when you finally figured it all out, I was so happy for you, so happy you finally found your way and let yourself feel!
Autumn – Maisey Yates
Lila and Everett, both had such buried pain, but didn’t acknowledge it was there. Shaped by their parents, but doing the opposite, to find that happiness it seemed they never got from those who should have loved them the most. But burying that pain only meant it bubbled up when their emotions overcame them. Once they acknowledged and dealt with it, they could move forward with the lives they were meant to live, together, and in love!
Winter – Jackie Ashenden
Bella and Noah’s history holds no cherished memories for either of them. Bella has been isolated from everyone who cared about her because she followed her mother’s lead. Noah has also isolated himself, by choice, because of who and how his father was. But they both seem to have no problem opening up to each other, even though they really don’t want to. Letting go of old hurts and habits when you are as stubborn as these two isn’t easy, but the peace it brings them when they do, was wonderful!