Cowboy Christmas Homecoming (Dark Horse Cowboys Book 4)

This is a great Christmas Goodness story! I really enjoyed reading it, coming back to Big Jim Garrett’s brood of sons and a nephew that’s like his son.
Zach comes back troubled and when he meets Stephanie, he feels calmer. She is a firefighter, so a totally rocking heroine, but has big troubles of her own.
Some of the story was a bit predictable, and some I never saw coming. This family has the biggest hearts and when danger comes, they’re there, front and center. A lot of emotions will hit you, so be prepared to feel everything.
I received an advance reader copy thru Netgalley and am giving my honest opinions voluntarily

A Cowboy’s Christmas Homecoming by June Faver is a Dark Horse Cowboys novel and a beautiful love story between Zach Garrett, a newly discharged soldier and Stephanie Gayle a local firefighting badass. Zach’s father had died while he was overseas and his mother, overwhelmed, sold the ranch Zach had always thought would be his. Stephanie had rescued two children from a fire after their stepfather, right in front of them, had murdered their mother. Not really a match made in heaven, or is it? Stephanie really wants to adopt these two kids and Zach really wants to stop the nightmares and get back on his feet. What does he have to offer? Not much, or so he thinks. Big Jim Garrett is his uncle, a second father to him, who lives on his ranch with his three sons, Zach’s cousins, all of whom are ready to welcome him back into the family.

A heartbreaking portrayal of PTSD and how difficult it is for a soldier to come home. Zach is likable and an all-around decent guy who has been through a lot. His character is one the reader takes to immediately and roots for the entire way. Stephanie has worked so hard to prove she’s a good a firefighter as the guys at the department, that it is difficult for her to let loose and be a human, plus the reality of trying to adopt as a single woman with a dangerous career. She is tired and frustrated. What else can go wrong? Well, she soon finds out, but a lot goes right, as well. I gripping novel exploring aspects of real life that many readers will be unfamiliar with. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too. I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of A Cowboy’s Christmas Homecoming. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #acowboyschristmashomecoming

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Zach is just back from the war.
For now, he is living with his uncle Big Jim.
Stephanie is a firefighter and an EMT.
The holidays are approaching, and these 2 are single.
I think that we all can do the math.
Will these 2 give love a chance ?
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!

Part of the series, Dark Horse Cowboys of the Garrett brothers, this time we are introduced to the cousin that grew up with them, Zack Garrett.
He’s back from serving his country as an Army Ranger, thinking the family ranch would be his to run. But his mother sold it, and Zack is now staying with the Garrett clan.
In the midst of dealing with his return to civilian life and working with his uncle Big Jim, he meets Stephanie Gale.
She’s an EMT and firefighter who saved a couple of young kids after their mother was killed. She wants to adopt the children but is hope and the man she sent to prison has escaped and is after her.
While the story was most of the time engaging, there were times the dialogue was stilled and not really adding to the plot.
Zack was a more likable character than Stephanie and the bad guys did bring some action to the story.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Sourcebooks. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Zach Garrett, ex-Army Ranger, returns home to Langston, Texas invited to spend Christmas at his uncle’s ranch. His uncle, Big Jim considers his nephew Zach as much a son as his own. Zach’s mother moved to Ft. Worth following the sale of the family ranch after Zach’s father died. Zach feels rather adrift following his release from the Army until he enters Big Jim’s ranch house and sees Stephanie Gayle. Two sets of eyes light up. Stephanie is a firefighter and EMT, an independent woman. She definitely appreciates the view in front of her. As she is leaving the ranch house the wheels start turning. “I wonder if…” A couple days later Stephanie works up the courage to call Zach to ask him to escort her to a fundraiser Christmas dance. Zach is eager to go and spend time with the beautiful firefighter. Zach and Stephanie just sort of fall into a relationship from that point on. Not that their road to a HEA isn’t strewn with danger and other obatacles.

Cowboy Christmas Homecoming by June Faver is book #4 in her Dark Horse Cowboys series. Once again this author tells an emotional, fun and sexy story. The storyline is fast-paced with action and scenes to hold the reader’s attention. The characters are realistic and quite likeable. It was fun to be reunited with Big Jim, the Garrett brothers and their significant others, kids and pets. Big Jim’s role is prominent again and I just love his generosity and big heart. He sure is having a great time being a loving grandfather. The dialogue in this story is fun and just right for the personalities of the characters. The warmth and activities that occur epitomize the Garrett family Christmas. This story makes for a cheery read that generates a Christmas holiday spirit. I love Christmas romances and this one will be added as a favorite to reread.

Cowboy Christmas Homecoming is the fourth title in June Faver’s Dark Horse Cowboys series, and it’s the third title in the series I’ve read. While I wasn’t over-the-moon about the previous two novels, I’m a sucker for a heartwarming Christmas story, and this novel does deliver some of that in addition to some tropes I’m not over-the-moon about, like insta-love, it held my interest throughout, and it gets 3.5 stars from this reader.

As the novel opens, Big Jim, a central figure as head of the Garrett family and someone we’ve met in previous novels, opens a letter from his sister-in-law, Adele, letting him know that after the death of Jim’s brother, she could no longer keep the ranch his brother had worked so hard on for so long, intending it go to his son Zach, who enlisted in the army right after high school, and who is finally coming home after his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Big Jim always treated his nephew like one of his sons, and his sons treated Zach like one of their brothers, and Jim plans to do so again. But the Zach who returns isn’t happy that the ranch he hoped to inherit from his father was sold by his mother who couldn’t or wouldn’t maintain it after the death of her husband, although the rest of the Garrett family is happy to have him back and he’s welcome to stay at the Garrett ranch as long as he likes. Zach is a big, strong guy, honed by years of combat, but seems somewhat cool, disconnected and distant, which is no surprise to anyone who’s had a soldier return home from war and feel displaced and detached, at least until Zach soon meets one very special lady.

The lady is Stephanie, a petite yet feisty firefighter, and the attraction between these two is instantaneous. Stephanie wants to adopt the two young children, Cody and Ivy, whom she rescued from a fire after their drunken, abusive father killed their mother in front of them and set the house on fire with his children inside, to hide his crime. Stephanie’s testimony at his trial got him locked up for years, but we soon learn that’s not the end of his story. His children are currently being kept at an orphanage, but the administrator is one large impediment to Stephanie’s adoption plan, pointing out that Stephanie is single, in a dangerous profession, lives in a small apartment, and that the orphanage would much prefer to place the two children in a stable 2-parent household. When Stephanie is being lauded with a medal from her fire company, it’s a black tie affair, and since she won’t get involved with any of her fellow firefighters, she asks Zach to be her escort, and it doesn’t take long before they chat, dance and soon wind up in her bed–a little too soon and too fast for this reader.

In Stephanie’s company, Zach begins to feel alive again after 10 years of war, death and destruction, and working on the Garrett Ranch fulfills his need to feel useful, although, since all the Garrett men have been happily married and are starting their families while he’s been overseas, he feels like a fifth wheel, except when he’s with Stephanie–and it’s not long before Stephanie’s truck is keyed, her apartment invaded and destroyed and she receives death threats from the family of the abusive killer/arsonist she helped send to prison. The drama and suspense was a welcome addition to the somewhat overdone pre-Christmas goings-on at the Garrett ranch, multiple rounds of chili and hot cocoa, and Stephanie soon moves in with Zach, who is now living and working on Grandma Fern’s now vacant, small ranch nearby.

As Christmas romances go, this one will certainly give you the warm fuzzies, and, of course, an HEA ending, but I wish the author had spent more time on developing her main characters and their attraction for one another than she did on their sex lives. The insta-love on their second date was again too much and much too soon, they barely know each other outside of bed, and the declarations of love seem both ill-timed and a tad hollow.

While this novel works as a standalone, with so many characters in the Garrett family, it’s hard to keep them and their offspring straight, so I strongly suggest reading the novels in this series in the order they were written. Cowboy’s Christmas Homecoming was an okay read for me, but it was a bit lightweight on both plot and character development and although I liked it, I didn’t love it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Dark Horse Cowboys #4, I am so glad the series didn’t end with the Garrett Brothers it has now expanded to Zach Garrett their cousin who has been away in the Army. Like with his cousins when Zach meets the woman that was meant for him he’s practically 100% all in from the start. It is an easy romance with very few bumps. Zach spent two tours in the military and during his second his dad died and his mom wasn’t able to maintain the ranch so when Zach came home he came to his uncle’s house not his mother’s new home in Ft. Worth. Big Jim welcomed his nephew with open arms. Zach is dealing with a bit of PTSD and feeling like he doesn’t fit in with the family any more, but then there is Stephanie.

Stephanie Gale, we met in one of the previous books, is a firefighter/EMT who specializes in confined space retrieval. She recently was called on to a scene where two young children witnessed their step father murder their mother. She was first on the scene and was the one who took the kids to the hospital. Stephanie and the kids formed an attachment and if the social worker wasn’t such a *clears throat* wasn’t so old fashion Stephanie would have adopted them weeks ago. Unfortunately right before Christmas the step father managed to escape police custody with help of his two brothers. Stephanie worries about the kids but she should be worried about herself too. After her first official date with Zach he bring her home to a destroyed apartment and a couple hours later she’s attacked by one of the brothers. Zach’s protectiveness amps up he may not have a lot to offer Stephanie but he can protect her until she’s no longer in danger.

Stephanie falls for Zach quickly she wants to help him even if that means tracking down Jewel and bringing her here. Trying to track down Zach’s dog from overseas took many phone calls being put on hold and transferred a bunch of times, but being a bit sneaky but it payed off. Big Jim has such a big heart he wants what’s best for those poor kids so he offers to bring them to his home for Christmas and since Stephanie will be spending the holiday at his house too, well, two birds one stone everyone is happy. That is until Stephanie goes missing.

Overall, great book. It can be read as a standalone even though Leah (from book one of the series) and her pregnancy have a big chunk of this book just about her. It did distract a little from the other storyline but it was nice to see Tyler, Leah and Gracie I just wish it didn’t take up so much of the book. I don’t want the series to end I kind of want to see Dex, the deputy, get a book.