From USA Today bestselling author Caitlin Crews comes A True Cowboy Christmas, the first in a sensational series debut about a cowboy, a farm girl, and the greatest gift of all. . . Gray Everett has a heart of gold but that doesn’t mean he believes in the magic of Christmas. He’s got plenty else to worry about this holiday season, what with keeping his cattle ranch in the family and out of the … in the family and out of the hands of hungry real-estate investors looking to make a down-and-dirty deal. That, plus being a parent to his young and motherless daughter, equals a man who will not rest until he achieves his mission. Now, all Gray needs is the help of his lifelong neighbor. . .who happens to have grown into a lovely, spirited woman.
For Abby Douglas, the chance to join forces with Gray is nothing less than a Christmas miracle. Much as the down-to-earth farmer’s daughter has tried to deny it, Abby’s been in love with stern, smoking-hot Gray her whole life. So when Gray proposes a marriage of convenience as a way to combine land–and work together toward a common cause–Abby can’t refuse. But how can she convince Gray that sometimes life offers a man a second chance for a reason. . .and that their growing trust and mutual passion may be leading to true and lasting love?
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There’s nothing better than a cowboy and his love of the land. But emotions are high and Gray creates a plan for his future…
Great writing and a sense of belonging held me captive to this book. The characters are flawed and their problems are real.
A fantastic read.
There is nothing better than a Christmas story and to me this is a classic cowboy story! Gray is burying his father (who was a mean old jerk). His (cheating) wife died in an accident and he has a 15 year old daughter. He decides she needs a stable woman in her life and he just wants some normalcy at home so he decides he’s going to ask Abby to marry him. Abby has been in love with him since she was a little girl (he doesn’t know this). Abby feels like the tall, plain ugly duckling (thanks to her evil mom). Can these 2 get past their pasts and the emotional baggage they have to find love? Caitlin has written such a great story. There is the hot chemistry for sure but it really has a story that pulls at your heart. A few times my heart felt like it was breaking. Caitlin gives me the HEA that I LOVE in the best way possible. I love when Abby wakes up on Christmas morning and the gifts they give each other on New Years! I cannot wait for more from Cold River Ranch. (I LOVE Abby’s grandma!!!) I read an ARC for an honest, voluntary review!
Oh these two made me cry – I cried for them, I cried with them, my heart hurt for the situations they ended up in, and I was rooting for them so hard, that when it finally all came together, I cried some more!
Gray and Abby haven’t had the easiest of lives. They both have buried some things deep down, and it has become a natural part of their psyche. They don’t even realize it is there, guiding them everyday in all they do. They are practical, and Gray is a master at tamping down his emotions, but Abby finds it increasingly harder and starts to let hers loose. There aren’t fireworks with these two, but slow burns, and some flashes of lightning. They are perfect together, and while they know it, it takes a while for them to figure out why. The journey wasn’t smooth, but then again, that is how their lives have always been, so they aren’t shocked. What does shock them is the depth and ease that they rely on, and fit with, each other
A wonderful read that brings you there with the characters and makes you want to stay!
A tough and brooding and grumpy cowboy and the practical and younger neighbor who has been in love with him forever. Add in a teenage girl who just wants everything to be perfect and what do you get? A pretty uncomplicated book but a good one. I thought Gray was going to choke on his grumpiness at times but once he figures out he doesn’t want to turn into his dead father he redeems himself. The ending was perfect. I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This is the first book of the series. Gray Everett is the older brother of the three boys. He is also a father to a fifteen year old girl. His first wife died on her way to meet her lover many years ago. He is the only son to stay on the ranch and work it. His father is vitriol and wants to only make people miserable. Upon the death of the Everett patriarch, a sigh of relief could be heard around the valley. Gray decides that he doesn’t want to end up like his father. He needs a wife to help guide his daughter. He chooses his nearest neighbor, Abby Douglas, as she is a good woman, a salt of the community. Abby is thirty and has loved Gray since she was a young girl. Even though it is a dream come true for Gray to propose marriage, it is his reasons that throw her for a loop.
The road to a HEA for these two is really a long tough, rocky one. Gray is a very complex character to understand. Having the book written in a dual POV really helped to understand a little bit of Gray’s battle. Getting a glimpse into his thoughts was a conflicted one. First I really felt for him, then I despised him a little. But the things that have shaped him are dark. He has a hard battle to overcome. Abby is the perfect warm, loving female protagonist. She has a heart of gold but the back-bone of steel.
This is a sexy read. There are a few bedroom scenes but they take place after the marriage and are not highly descriptive in nature. I would recommend this only to some one over the age of 18 and the person really needs to be open to Gray not being the perfect male protagonist. In my opinion, that made him oh so much more human.
I knew from the first chapter this book would be a breath of fresh air. And I was not disappointed in my assumption. First I’ll say that this was my first book by Caitlin Crews. I really loved everything about her writing style. Her descriptive monologues and scenes brought me right there to those Colorado mountains. I will add that this book is heavy on monologue. I would have like to read more dialogue from our hero and heroine. That said, I still loved this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. This series has two more brothers to match off. And I can only hope they are matched with Abby’s two friends. Unfortunately I was not given any hints as to what is to come and whose story is next so I’ll patiently wait and see. But I can assure you this author is on my watch list.
Gray and Abby…..
I won’t summarize this book. The blurb gives you great insight as to how this will play out. Marriage of convenience is not a trope I often come across unless it’s a historical romance. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy reading them. I do. Quite a bit, actually. Gray is a bit older than Abby, who is thirty herself. He has a teenage daughter, two alienated brothers and a whole ranch to run. After his father passes away, Gray feels the need for a change in his life. He doesn’t want to be lonely. He wants companionship and to find a woman he can work along side without drama. Unfortunately for Abby, Gray does not want “feelings” involved. There is quite a bit of angst. A lot of chemistry. Abby is a wonderful character. Unfortunately while I liked Gray, I didn’t love him until the end. But that is okay because otherwise this book would not have been as perfect. Gray had a lot of issues and he needed to come to terms with many aspects of his life. He especially needed to learn that loving Abby and allowing her to love him was currently the best thing that could happen to him. I don’t want to spoil anything for you. That said, I will say that this is a book I would like to reread each Christmas. I loved it that much!
This is my honest and unbiased opinion. Thank you for taking the time read it. 🙂
A True Cowboy Christmas is one of my favorite reads of this year. Caitlin Crews wrote a beautiful story about love and family with two amazing leads set in the cold Colorado mountains.
The story starts out with Gray Everett at his father’s funeral who was a mean old drunk. Gray fears he will turn out to be like his father, but as soon as he sees Abigail he knows he needs to change his life and she’s the one who will help him do so. He proposes a marriage of convenience to her and she accepts.
I appreciated that the author didn’t jump straight into the marriage, but rather gave Abigail time to adjust to the idea that her fantasy of marrying her crush will come true. She gives Abigail and Gray time to get to know one another before the marriage and those small intimate moments were so sweet.
“Happy isn’t something you stumble over on the street like a penny, Abigail. You can’t pick it up, put it in your pocket, and consider it done. Happy is something you choose. And keep choosing.”
There are some complex issues concerning family. The author did a good job of dealing with it in a real way and not overdramatic, but sensible. Neither Abigail or Gray had great parents that treated them right. I really felt for them and am glad they found happiness with each other.
***I received an ebook copy from the author at no charge***
From the get go, Crews sets this pair up for chaos in the most entertaining of ways.
Gray has a daughter he’s raising and family land that he’s taking care of. After his father passes, his brothers are determined to sell the family land and move on, but not if Gray has anything to say about it. In a desperate attempt to keep things going, he proposes to his neighbor Abby, with the understanding that it’s just a marriage of convenience and not the real deal.
Sounds like a great idea? More like a recipe for disaster!
These characters are both flawed and it’s beautiful. Abby has all sorts of internal issues that come from crap she endured in her childhood. Gray had an awful marriage before, which left him emotionally scarred. It was wonderful to see these two come together because they heal each other in a way, and I thought that was a beautiful part of the story.
This story has all kinds of romance along with angsty moments and some scenes that will make you giggle. The characters are complex and the secondary ones play just as important of a role in the book as the main ones do.
If you like cowboys and moments that tug at your heartstrings, A True Cowboy Christmas is the book for you!
Four stars to this novel!
A fantastic addition to the western cowboy romance genre, this story has everything the fan of cowboy romances craves—an honorable but tough hero, a heroine that deserves a happy-ever-after and the rugged Montana landscape that is a perfect setting for a Christmas story. Loved it and can’t wait for book 2 in the series.
A new to me author, I grabbed it for the cover.
The beginning was like diving into the deep end and slowly swimming to the top as the story progressed. I questioned why and what for as the author slowly revealed facets of their lives.
I found the writing style probably not for me, overly descriptive and repetitive in many places. I enjoyed the story though, wanted to kick his butt and hoped she’d get her HEA.
This is the second book that I’ve read that was supposed to be a Christmas story, that was way off base. This story is pretty depressing and hard to get into. I wanted so bad to like Gray, but he never redeems himself in my eyes. He kept thinking that he didn’t want to be like his dad, but he was exactly that. He was rude and mean to everyone except his daughter. Abby was a sweet and forgiving woman, and I felt bad for her that she kept putting up with the way Gray treated her. It’s like the last 10-20 pages when Gray suddenly realizes what a jerk he’s been, and decides he needs to change and let the past go. That was too little too late for me.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
This was a Christmas story of self-discovery for the main characters, Abby and Gray. Long-time neighbors in a remote Coloradoan mountain valley. Abby has been infatuated with Gray since she was a child; she never dated and has worked for many years in the local coffee shop as the manager, while being raised by her grandparents due to an absentee mother. Gray, the local cattle rancher, has been in a “living hell” with his father, Amos, since he was young, with rarely a mother figure in the picture. Amos is a drunken, cantankerous old man who never had a good word to say about anyone or anything. You could say he has a toxic personality.
I enjoyed the entire story about Abby and Gray and how they learn some self-truths while trying to help each other. The story is well written; with wonderful character development and the setting plays a part without overdoing it. I found the writing style to flow and pull emotions from me. I fell into the story and could picture the scenes in my mind as I read. Not your traditional Christmas story as Christmas isn’t a main character but plays a supporting role.
4.5stars
Lovely unique Christmas story. After his father dies Gray decides that he will not become him and that he will make a change by marrying his neighbor. Abby is secretly in love with Gray for years and is shocked when he proposed. He doesn’t do it very romanticly and his reasons are a bit unorthodox. But she eventually agrees. The story is full of family drama on both sides, Gray with his brothers and daughter, Abby with her mother. Their characters collide about Christmas decoration and celebrating Christmas and change everything. A funny, romantic story with great writing, great side characters, I hope that both Abby’s best friend end with their story and as great as this is. I really enjoyed reading it!
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly
Cold Creek Ranch #1, I love when new series start off with Christmas books. Cold Creek Ranch is in Colorado up high in the Rocky Mountains, a hard place to live. I really enjoyed this book I loved the characters; Gray, Abby, and Becca were well written and easy to connect with. Gray is a hard man being raised by a man who was hateful, ungrateful, and just plain ornery Gray was determined never to be like his father. The biggest way to do that was to not repeat his mistakes he’s already done it once and payed the price for it, marrying a flaky girl who couldn’t keep her pants on, had no interest in staying at Cold Creek Ranch and died leaving with her lover. One good thing did come out of the marriage his daughter Becca. With his old man dead and buried and his brothers, Ty and Brody, wanting to sell of the land the brothers start to argue. Brody and Ty worry about Gray and they are afraid he will end up like their father, all alone and mean. So Gray comes up with the idea that he needs a wife, one that he knows is steadfast, loves Longhorn Valley and Cold Creek, someone with roots just as deep as his.
Abby Douglas has always loved Gray Everett and now he’s proposing to her, something she’s always dreamed of but not for the right reasons. Ever since Gray came up with the idea of marrying Abby he’s looked at her in a new light more as a woman than just his neighbor and he likes what he sees. The more time he spends with her the more the attraction grows but Gray has spent to long with the main focus of his life as the ranch he’s already more like his father than he thinks. All Gray needs is Abby’s steadfastness, her unassuming beauty, and her honesty to knock some sense into him but is she willing to risk her heart for something that may never be reciprocated?
Overall, this was a heartfelt and emotional read. The Everett boys aren’t 100% mended but they are off to a great start.Abby and Becca have so much in common they form a quick bond and they are good for each other just as much as Abby is good for Gray. This story was addictive I didn’t want it to end I look forward to the rest of the series.
Absolutely a great Christmas Read
The holidays aren’t always a good time for everyone, but it can also be the perfect time to change what you can, and accept what you can’t.
Fantasy and reality meet in this romance giving you all the feels. The heat is there, but only enough to make you want more.
Gray and Abby both coming from broken families, how each has and is dealing with it, just shows there are choices.
This was so well written, getting in their heads and their hearts.
Abby was beautiful inside and out, and seemed to have an empathy for Gray. Gray just didn’t want what he considered messy complications, like you can’t miss what you never had. His daughter, Becca, was a wonderful character addition, wise but confused. Abby was exactly what they both didn’t know they needed, just as much as she wanted them, but didn’t know she needed also.
It just made for an excellent read with an unexpected, and very HEA.
I received an ARC thru NetGalley and am giving my honest review.
What! A marriage of convenience. Even though it sounds outdated this holiday has all the charm and warmth you need as you follow the storyline and it’s character’s lives. This little number has plenty of drama to captivate your interest that leads to a happy ever after. A must read.
21st Century twist on the mail order bride, I am so here for this!!!
Gray has known Abby her whole life but he doesn’t know she’s loved him for most of it, so when he propose a practical marriage of convenience she’s scared of destroying her image of him or getting everything she’s ever wanted.
Caitlin Crews does a wonderful job of layering the emotional struggles with self-awakening and some serious chemistry. She did a great job of setting up the rest of the upcoming series by creating complex secondary characters that I’m already intrigued by. I did feel the ending was a little rushed but I’m hoping we’ll be updated on Gray, Abby, and Becca in upcoming books.
Gray wants to keep his family’s land out of greedy developers’ hands, so a proposal of a marriage of convenience to his neighbor, Abby, seems like the way to do that. Plus with Abby around, she can help with his daughter. It doesn’t hurt when Gray notices that Abby’s grown into a beautiful woman. But, there will be rules to this marriage – mainly that he’s not capable of love, so that will not happen for them. It’s just for convenience. At least on his part. As far as Abby’s concerned, she’s more than happy to marry the man she’s always had a crush on. So what that he’ll never return her feelings, right?
I wanted to love A True Cowboy Christmas, and I thought I would. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. It’s not horrible or anything, it’s just so negative in tone that I couldn’t connect with it. And it’s all because of the hero, Gray. Gray was so determined to not become a man like his father, and yet, that’s exactly what he was doing until the very end. He was pretty much a jerk, and so negative, I couldn’t stand him, quite frankly. Abby was just OK, nothing special but not unlikable or anything. So I’m sorry to say that I can’t really rate this higher than 3 stars. It may not even deserve 3, but I don’t like to rate less than 3 unless it’s really bad.
WOW! That’s what I’m starting out with. So much emotion throughout the ENTIRE book. I was feeling all sorts of extreme emotions! This fantastic story is book one in the Cold River Ranch series and it features Gray and Abby. He just wanted a smooth sailing, practical marriage/life without love he wasn’t capable of giving. She agreed cause she’d been in love with the gruff cowboy practically her entire life. As Abby quickly learns, he was totally serious when he described the type of marriage he wanted from the girl next door.
Sometimes the feelings were so unbelievably rough that tears leaked so slowly out of my eyes and just kept going. I wasn’t just reading a story. I was in her head feeling the things she was feeling. I’m still so stuck in that emotional state that I’m finding it hard to pick up the next book. AMAZING writing! I look forward to reading more from this very talented author.
Modern Mail Order Bride?
Two deeply dysfunctional families, drawn together through the death of the patriarch of Cold River Ranch, claw their way through the holidays. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? But it is anything but. More a modern fairy tale–Beauty and the (inner) Beast; a love story and a fight for a way of life as the spirit of Thanksgiving and the true meaning of Christmas work their magic. This is a beautifully nuanced, rich story of love and faith and patience and values overcoming meanness, hate, discord, and dissatisfaction.