New York Times BestsellerPublishers Weekly BestsellerFans of Jill Shalvis, Linda Lael Miller, and Maisey Yates won’t want to miss these delightful Christmas love stories filled with humor and heart. Plenty of cowboy kisses under the mistletoe are the perfect escape this holiday season! MISTLETOE COWBOY * Diana Palmer Horse whisperer Parker doesn’t drink, smoke, or gamble, and he doesn’t have much … whisperer Parker doesn’t drink, smoke, or gamble, and he doesn’t have much to do with women, either. Until he meets winsome widow Katy, and her sweet child. Could Christmas kisses under the mistletoe bring the handsome wrangler the gift of his very own family?
“No one beats this author for sensual anticipation.”
—Rave Reviews
BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE * Marina Adair
To claim his slice of the family ranch, Texas Ranger Noah is forced back to Tucker’s Crossing. All he expects to find is a tractor load of painful memories—until a holiday storm, a power outage—and perhaps the magic of Christmas—deliver him to rescue an intriguing woman named Faith. But just who’s rescuing whom?
“Marina Adair is a breath of fresh air.”
—New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones
MISTLETOE DETOUR * Kate Pearce
When Morgan Valley rancher Ted Baker gets out his tow truck to pick up a snowbound driver, he doesn’t expect to find his old school friend Veronica on the lam with her pet pig—much less true love—just in time for Christmas . . .
“Captures the spirit of the West.”
—Booklist on The Maverick Cowboy
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Always love holiday stories, especially with cowboys. I originally read this book for Ms. Pearce’s story, but enjoyed the other two as well. In Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer, we meet Parker who comes across as ‘just’ a cowboy when in fact, he is so much more. He has a reputation as being a ‘horse whisperer’ as he has a special bond with animals. But he has this sorta secret life as a government…let’s call it agent, if you will…as he is absolutely brilliant. He meets up with Katy, and her daughter Teddie. He actually meets Teddie first and they bond over her abused (new) horse. The intrigue around Bartholomew (that’s the horse’s name) brings these three together and working thru all that goes on is the rough road they must travel towards an HEA.
In Blame it on the Mistletoe by Marina Adair, Noah is home for an uneasy holiday and his first foray into town he runs into an elf…who is just adorable as she secretly decorates a tree in front of the Sheriff’s station. And that’s the first of her Christmas good deeds! Faith, the Elf, and Noah have to navigate personal histories and trust issues but they keep working towards that holiday HEA.
In Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce, I have always enjoyed her Morgan Ranch stories so a holiday return trip was fun to read. Ted Baker is the quintessential good guy. He owns the local garage and bails out a stranded motorist, Veronica Hernandez. They actually went to school together but she’s been gone a while. The sparks are immediate. There is a little kicker to this reunion – Veronica is hauling around a pig, in a bad snow storm, and things get a wee bit complicated. Annnnnnnnnd the pig’s name is Bacon. Veronica is keeping secrets from Ted (and yeah, you can assume it revolves around Bacon), but until they learn how to navigate the way to mutual trust, they won’t have an HEA. But this is a holiday story and I loved the ending.
This is a collection of three stories about sensitive alpha cowboys and the women they grow to love. Each story is written by a different author. I really enjoyed the first two stories but didn’t love the third. It wasn’t bad but the sex was more descriptive and I felt it detracted from the story.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
So Enjoyed Each of the stories
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways, and I was not required to give a favorable review. Each w the authors in this book I have read and they write wonderful stories. I loved that the theme of these are around Christmas and finding love.
A well written set of three Christmas stories that held my interest until the end. The stories are MISTLETOE COWBOY * Diana Palmer, BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE * Marina Adair, and MISTLETOE DETOUR * Kate Pearce. A set that is well worth reading and I will be reading it again. I received a copy of this book via Net Galley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great set of books by three wonderfully talented authors. Each book featured a Christmas theme and was beautifully written with well-developed characters and story-lines. What better way to get introduced to each of these authors than with novellas that showcase their ability to draw their readers into heart-warming and sweetly sensual romances!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley.
Three wonderful stories! Of course I have a favorite and a new author. Marina Adair, Blame it on the Mistletoe was well written and a funny chance meeting between Noah, Texas Ranger and Faith small town overachiever. Kate Pearce, Mistletoe Detour also had funny moments in it in the form of a pet piglet. I was a little disappointed in Diana Palmer, Mistletoe Cowboy. All three stories will make you wish for the small town Christmas.
Christmas Kisses With My Cowboy by Diana Palmer is the misleading title of this book, which is actually three books: Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer; Blame It On the Mistletoe by Marina Adair; and Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce. The first two are definitely cowboy romances; the third is about a mechanic but he lives in a cowboy town and all his friends are cowboys, so… These are three very cute stories with happily-ever-afters. The first is about a lonely man who meets a little girl who needs some horse lessons. Then he meets her mom who needs some lessons of another sort. Parker is half Crow and learned early that bad language keeps women away so he uses that to isolate himself. Enough said. In Adair’s story, Noah Tucker is a Texas Ranger. Doesn’t get more cowboy than that. The first night he’s home he sees an elf decorating the tree outside of the sheriff’s office. He’s intrigued. The there’s more. Pierce’s Mistletoe Detour is a second chance romance. Ted is called out with his tow truck to help someone in trouble. Turns out it’s a girl he knew in high school: Veronica Hernandez. Her uncle is on the same cruise Te’s dad is on so she has nowhere to stay. The town is full up with guests to a wedding that weekend, so Ted takes Veronica and her pet pig, Bacon home with him. You can guess where that leads.
This was fun. It was not serious or even realistic. It was just plain light and fun. Perfect for Christmas. I totally recommend it if you are looking for romance, hot guys, happy stories, and not much trouble. You will like it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Christmas Kisses With My Cowboy by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #christmaskisseswithmycowboy
What a great group of authors and what a fun group of books. You will smile, laugh out loud, and, grab a Kleenex within these stories. I plan to look up each author and see what other books would bring a smile to my face. I met Parker, a little girl named Teddie and her horse, Bartholomew, or Bart for short. Then, I read about Noah in Sweet Plains who became acquainted with an elf like woman. Finally, there was snow, car on the side of the road, Ted with a tow-truck and Veronica Hernandez coming back to the mountains to visit her Uncle who was not home. So, the logical answer was to stay with the mechanic and that’s another book in this box. I loved each story and appreciated the humor and escape under the mistletoe with a smile as I read excellent writing by these authors. Thanks.
I liked this quick read story set within the Morgan Valley series. Kate Pearce’s story conveyed the life, love, drama, and tribulations of everyday people. Ted a good man and son finds himself with an unexpected guest. Veronica has been long gone from Morgan Valley, however her need to seek shelter with her uncle does not go as planned. The attraction flares between the former schoolmates, though they encounter some bumps along the way. Throw in a pig named Bacon and this Christmas story will make you smile.
Christmas Kisses With My Cowboy is a trilogy of Christmas novellas, Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Blame it on the Mistletoe by Marina Adair, and Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce. Each story is tied together with the thread of coming home in some form or fashion. Two stories are a reconnection between two somewhat lost souls. All stories are heartwarming and perfect for the holidays. I very much enjoyed these novellas and do recommend this collection!
Diana Palmer – Mistletoe Cowboy
Blame It On The Mistletoe – Marina Adair
Mistletoe Detour – Kate Pearce
When it comes to great reads, short or long, each of these authors are well known and at the top of the list in writing romance. Put three cowboy Christmas stories in one book by these same authors, and you have a trilogy of stories that is a must have for readers of the genre. Rather than give a review on each story, the blurb tells you all you need to know, while the authors speak for themselves. **I was gifted “Christmas Kisses With My Cowboy” via NetGalley and leave my review based on my reading.** 5 Stars! I also own a copy for my library from Amazon.
This is how to read a good BOOK with stories by several authors =-) loved reading my netgalley copy and second chance stories are one of my favorites – these ladies are all some of my favorites and to revisit Morgan Valley is always a bonus =-)) I freely leave my honest review!
I usually don’t read anthologies, but I read this one as part of Kate Pearce’s review crew. I loved finally getting to know more about Ted, who appeared in some of the Morgan Valley books as just the name of the mechanic and guy who had the tow truck. But the reason that I don’t like anthologies is because the stories are too short. I want to know what happens with Ted and his high school crush Veronica after the story ends.
I also am a fan of the other two authors, and some of the peripheral characters seemed very familiar. Hot cowboys and HEAs. What else do you need? I read a free ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
This a well written and fast paced story that captivated me from the start. The storyline is entertaining and action packed. The characters are wonderful. This is one Holiday Romance that will capture your heart!
I love books like this! Not only do I get to read stories by two of my favorite authors, I get introduced to a new-to-me author! Add to that, all the stories were oriented around Christmas! It was a win win! These authors didn’t support in this wintry trio of romance stories.
4 stars!
I received a complimentary copy of this via the publisher through NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
Mistletoe Cowboy – Diana Palmer
This is a favorite author of mine but for some reason the story fell a little flat for me. While collections like this have shorter stories and therefore a little tighter of development, this just didn’t work for me. Also there can be formatting issues in an advanced reader copy that could explain why I had to go back and read a couple of sections as I couldn’t tell who was speaking.
Blame it on the Mistletoe – Marina Adair
Noah Tucker is a Texas Ranger and he comes back to Sweet, Texas to spend Christmas with his brother and family. He comes across an elf of all things decorating the tree outside of the Sheriff’s department. Noah is intrigued with the sprite dressed as an elf. Faith is very leery of anyone in law enforcement because of her family history. The two are striking sparks off each other right from the beginning. They seem to keep crossing paths and get to know each other better. But can a Texas Ranger see a woman with a family history like her’s? Beside he works out of Austin not Sweet so can they even have a relationship?
This is a sweet, clean romance that anyone can read.
Mistletoe Detour – Kate Pearce
Ted is a local tow truck driver. He gets a call about a stranded car and driver along side the road. It is a cold snowy night. After traversing over the snowy roads, he comes to the car and out pops an old child friend. Veronica hasn’t been back to town in years. She is on her way to see her uncle when her car ran out of gas. Ted also has a bit of bad news for her. Her uncle is with his dad on a cruise around Hawaii. Ted invites her and her pet pig to stay with him in the interim.
Veronica has a secret (well two actually). She tells Ted that she had stolen her pet pig, Bacon from her ex-husband. Ted can feel that something more is going on than she is telling him. What could that secret be? Will it drive these two apart?
This story is written in a dual POV format. I love that. I can get into the characters’ mind and really see how they think in any given situation.
This is a slightly sexy read. The author does not go into any great and graphic detail. It was really glossed over. That being said, and I would hate to offend any parents of minor children, I would only recommend this to someone over the age of 18.
Blame It On The Mistletoe by Marina Adair was Amazingly AWESOME! It is a feel good, warm your heart, perfect for Christmas-time story. Noah returns to Tucker Ranch to fulfill requirements set forth by his deceased father, only to find memories of the ranch weren’t all that bad. Noah finds it was his dad’s abusive behavior, not the ranch itself linked to his bad memories. While reconnecting with his brothers, Noah meets an “angel” by the name of Faith.
Faith is a single mom-sister who’s not looking for a relationship. She’s a hard worker, but can’t seem to shake her family’s past. She gave up a RN scholarship and was at the top of her class when her mom decided she didn’t want to be a mom anymore. So Faith came home to raise her younger brother. She’s aware of the town gossip and takes it upon herself to atone for her family’s sins. She becomes the “Secret Santa” of town—unbeknownst to the town’s people. It’s when she’s covertly decorating the town’s Christmas tree that Noah, aka Texas Ranger, happens to cross her path…
I absolutely LOVED this novel! If I could give it 5 stars I would. It’s hard to place a star rating on a novel with several stories as some may not be as good as others, so I “averaged” the star rating. Full disclosure, I did not read Diana Palmer’s novel, only Marina Adair’s and Kate Pearce’s novels. I recommend this novel on Marina Adair’s story alone! It was serious, but fun and heart warming. Noah and Faith’s paths crossed in high school, it just wasn’t their time. This story does end in a HEA.
Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce is a 3.5-4 star novella. While I enjoyed revisiting the Morgan’s and we FINALLY get to see Avery and Ry get married, I had trouble engaging in Ted and Victoria’s story. To have a piglet named Bacon was one of the cutest parts of the story. That was funny! It was a second chance love story. They knew each other in high school, but neither knew the other was interested in them. Then Victoria runs out of gas on her way to her uncle’s place, only to get “rescued” by Ted. Victoria seemed kind of flighty, evasive and Ted was easy to anger, but just as easy to accept the excuses/secrets Victoria was hiding from him. This story does end in a HEA.
I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.
Oops, I did it again. So, I happen to love Kate Pearce and Marina Adair. I remembered that I didn’t have the best relationship with Diana Palmer’s books, but just couldn’t pass this compilation up when 2/3 of the stories would be by favorites of mine. After reading the first story in this book, Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer, I decided to do the same thing as last time I read a compilation in which she was involved…save the review of her story for last.
Blame it on the Mistletoe
(Sweet Plains novella)
by Marina Adair
I’ve actually had this author’s Tucker’s Crossing on my TBR for about 6 years. Then, more than a year ago I bought the book. It was on sale, she’s a favorite author of mine, I’ve been wanting to read it forever, etc. Still haven’t read the darn thing! After reading this short story, which I guess would be a book #2 in the Sweet Plains series, I want to read that story even more. I was hooked from the beginning and rooting for Faith and Noah to find their way to one another. They are both amazingly kind characters, Noah with some added swagger. Both with much added baggage. I felt as though the author packed a lot into this story without bogging things down. The chemistry between Noah and Faith was off the charts, whether they were flirting or telling each other their secrets. The perfect Christmas story.
~ 5 stars
Mistletoe Detour
(Morgan Valley novella)
by Kate Pearce
This author always pulls me in and holds me tight. On top of my love of her writing, this story starts off with some awesome forced proximity and continues with a bit of fake relationship. I was in heaven! Ted and Veronica are so sweet together in the beginning, their chemistry simmering under the surface while they’re both unsure if they should admit what they’re feeling. That chemistry flames up once they realize their feelings aren’t one-sided. Even with the passion, the sweetness is still there. Both Veronica and Ted are such good people who deserve the best. I love that Veronica grew up in Morgan Valley and had many connections to the town, as well as her and Ted having gone to school together, so the story felt natural even when it was moving quickly. I didn’t want this one to end.
~ 5 stars
Mistletoe Cowboy
by Diana Palmer
As I’ve mentioned, I am not a fan of this author. I gave some of her full-length books a try years back and just had too many issues with her writing. Trying to keep an open mind going into this story, I was pleasantly surprised for the first little bit. There was something to her writing style I still found quite plodding and simple without a good flow, but issues I’ve had with her story content in the past (misogyny, racisim, etc.) weren’t so prevalent. In fact, it almost seemed as though the author was overcompensating to almost a preachy degree about some hot-button issues.
Don’t you hate when you are reading and can pinpoint the exact moment a character you found to be smart and kind turns into an unthinking and selfish idiot? And then doubles down on their stupidity as the story progresses. Seriously, I went from liking Katy to flat out hating the woman. I didn’t see how the author could redeem her (in my eyes she never did) or how her daughter or Parker could ever look at her the same. On top of it all, there was a lot of repetition (especially for a short story) and inconsistencies. Please guys, remind me to skip her stories if I ever get another compilation with her involved. I just can’t read her stuff without getting mad.
~1 star
What I usually do when rating a compilation is take the average rating of all of the stories and use that. I feel that is unfair to Marina Adair and Kate Pearce to do that since I loved their stories so much. So, instead, I’m giving this 5 stars and pretending the Diana Palmer story wasn’t included.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Three short, sweet romances set during the Christmas season. Kate Pearce is a favorite author of mine. And I’m sure the other two will be now also.
I love special books like this. Not only do I get to read a book by one of my favorite authors but I get the opportunity to read stories by authors that I might not usually read.
I liked the opportunity to go back to Morgan Valley. The story was sweet. Second chance stories, sexy heroes and adorable animals. What more could you want? Holiday books are great to help get me into the spirit.