Billionaires, cowboys, and romance collide during the holidays in this next book in the River Ranch series! It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the Ford family ranch. Will one cowboy’s homecoming be the greatest gift of all? He left town and never looked back. Cody Ford is a Wall Street honcho with humble Texas roots. This holiday season, he’d be content to just stay in New York and … he’d be content to just stay in New York and not face his family–and dodge their questions about when and with whom he plans to settle down. . .and if he will do so back at home. But his father isn’t getting any younger, and Cody doesn’t want to miss any last chances to see him and the rest of the folks back on the ranch. The last person Cody was expecting to see? His one-time girlfriend, Lexi Murphy, who’s been working as his dad’s new live-in nurse.
She never forgot him. Can she ever forgive him?
Lexi still holds a grudge against Cody. Back then, the college-bound heartthrob believed he was too good for a small-town girl like Lexi. But now Cody can’t help but see her in a whole new light. Could it be that this beautiful single mother with an unbeatable can-do spirit is the one he’s been waiting for all along? That depends on whether Cody can prove to Lexi that, this time, he means business–and if a sudden snowstorm can lend just the right amount of Christmas magic to help move things along. . .
“Lane warms hearts of readers across the globe.”
—RT Book Reviews
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
First I just need to say that I was a little disappointed in the editing of this ARC. I am used to typos and misspelled words or incorrect words used in context to the sentence and/or paragraph. It is common unfortunately to prevent piracy. While I do understand it, this book was littered with errors. It took me a lot longer to read than it should have as I was trying to figure out what was going on. I especially loved Lexi’s magic bra. She took it off and the very next page, he took it off.
Okay on to the review. The plot was a good one. I felt that it dragged in spots (but it could have been due to the errors). Cody comes home at Christmas time to spend with the family. He lives in New Year dealing in land development. After high school, he couldn’t get away fast enough once his mother became ill. He only comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas with the one exception of his mother’s funeral. Not only did he leave his family but he left his girlfriend without even a good-bye. He was running from the pain of losing his mother. A problem that I had with that was he left before she passed away, missing out on her remaining time. This did not endear the character to me. Then he meets his father’s care-giver and introduced himself to the gorgeous woman. Another check mark, IT WAS HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND. It isn’t until later that we find out that he is suffering from a form of PTSD. Okay now it all makes a little more sense.
Lexi, has a wonderful son, Harry. He was absolutely wondering in the book. I truly felt for Lexi. She has had several curve balls thrown at her over the years but she keeps up a brave front. That is until Cody returns.
I loved seeing prior characters throughout this story. Also having a dual POV format normally helps me to understand the characters and to identify with them. Unfortunately not here with Cody.
There are a few sexy scenes so I would not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 18. The reason for the 4 stars versus 3, the author did make me feel while reading this book. Not all characters are perfect and likeable but they should make the reader FEEL. The reason it wasn’t a 5 star isn’t from the editing but I did feel it dragging at times.
I enjoyed this contemporary western holiday read that kept me entertained and intrigued from beginning to end with engaging characters and a well-written story. I really liked the chemistry and second-chance romance between Cody Ford, a Wall Street honcho who returns home for Christmas and Lexi Murphy, his former girlfriend and now single mother as well as his father’s caregiver. I look forward to reading more about River Ranch and the Fords by talented author, Soraya Lane. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Millionaire
Cowboy
Second chance romance
Christmas
So many themes I enjoy all in one book. I found this an easy to read holiday romance.
Cody was the reluctant son returning to the family ranch for Christmas, he had his own reasons. I thought his family was lovely.
Lexi is a nurse, caring for a terminal I’ll man who happens to be the dad of her old school sweetheart. This has not been a problem before as his never near, until he is.
A warm romance set in snowy Texas.
3.75
This is my first book by this author; Soraya Lane. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had I had more free time I most likely would have finished this in one sitting. I could identify with the main characters and the author created a very good story. It was just a little predictable; but, in a good way. Of course everyone that reads a romance novel wants a HEA ending. Cody and Lexi are two likable characters and their situation/families/story are realistic. This story also touches briefly on the real-world problem of finding decent/affordable/local care facilities for our aging parents; especially those with special needs like dementia/Alzheimer’s. The characters are well developed and the story flowed well. I hope you have a chance to read it and enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!
The title of this one led me to expect both a cowboy and a Christmas romance, a second chance romance at that. Other than the story taking place at Christmastime, I never really got the holiday vibe with this one. And Cody does not feel like a cowboy. He’s around the horses while he’s home, and his childhood home is a ranch, but Cody is a businessman through and through. Regardless of the picture on the cover, I just never pictured him with the Stetson or any of the things I’d expect of a cowboy. The romance is a second chance for Cody and Lexi, but we’re told more than we’re shown so it’s not easy to get behind these two as a couple. There are several secondary characters, and the author does a solid job of giving each of them a distinctive voice, so there’s no confusion about who is who. The shining stars in this one were Cody’s dad and Lexi’s son. I absolutely loved Walter and Harry, and they are what kept me reading until the last. They both stand out in every scene they’re a part of, and you can’t help but love them. I really would’ve liked a bit more development of our couple and the romance, especially since that should’ve been the focus of the story, but it is what it is. In the end, this one was just okay for me.
Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas was a heartwarming story. It was a second chance at love story with interesting characters.
This book is part of a series and a second chance romance with a sweet HEA. I have not read this author before and was worried about reading a third in a series book and feeling lost, but I was able to follow along just fine; though I did find myself skimming some of the pages. This story is an emotional read and deals with family, illness, aging, reconnecting, growing, strength, forgiveness, and love. The characters have a lot of past hurts and lingering questions and doubts to wade through to get to their happy ending. It was a decent read to pass some time, but I was not as engaged with the characters or overall story as I had hoped to be. There was nothing that really stood out to push it to a great read for me, but still pleasant just the same. I would still have no problem trying other stories from this author.
*Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, received via NetGalley. I am providing my honest review.
I struggled to read this book. There I said it. Why? I don’t know if it was because I didn’t read the first two in the series or if I just really did not like Cody. This book is book three in the series and can be read as a standalone. I just did not feel it though. Cody is a selfish, pain in the backside. He came home for Christmas because his dad has cancer. When he walks in on his dad’s nurse, he does not recognize her as his ex girlfriend. Who he crushed when he ran away years ago. He ran away, not just left. Again the selfish pain in the rear is showing. Lexi is a sweetheart. My heart went out to her and she is the bright one in the relationship when they finally allow themselves to have the second chance. Of course there is a struggle and a secret. Can they overcome it? There is an HEA, so yes. But the journey was not an easy one.
This book did not hook me HOWEVER that is just my opinion.
Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas by new to me author Soraya M. Lane, is a nicely written holiday romance with a ton of emotion and longing. The story takes place in small town Texas, where the two main characters were high school sweethearts about fifteen years ago. Lexy Murphy is now a nurse and Cody Ford is a successful financier on Wall Street. Cody left Lexy, without even a goodbye, right after high school ended. He had to get out of town, unable to face the tragic loss of his mother. Cody prefers his job in NYC to life on his family’s very successful ranch, and only returns home when it is absolutely necessary.
Cody’s father is dying of cancer, so spending Christmas with his family is the right thing to do. He learns that Lexy is his father’s caregiver, when he runs into her in the kitchen. At first Lexy is uncomfortable being around Cody, however, she needs her job in order to care for her young son and pay for her mother’s nursing home bills. Overtime, they rekindle their feelings for each other, as they deal with the tremendous stress in their respective lives.
I enjoyed this book about the meaningfulness of the holiday season. Not only are the Lexy and Cody interesting, the secondary characters, especially Lexy’s son Harry, are engaging. Lexy is a strong, independent woman and her determination is inspiring. The sexy times between Lexy and Cody are hot, both in and out of the bedroom. Overall, a wonderful holiday romance with great characters, an entertaining plot and more than a hint of spice.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
This is my first time in reading this author with it being a great discovery. In here we meet Cody whom would like to completely shake the dust on his feet but there are some whom still pull him back. Upon this holiday he meets up with his father’s nurse Lexi whom he is well aware of and throws him off. Second chance you see one reason to enter this holiday. He will need the holiday magic that will be sprinkled in here with us receiving delight as each page is turned. I adore when two stubborn people find out what is really going on.
I thought the lead characters were well-developed and contributed to the world building of the series. Backstory was provided as it served the plot; we learned what we needed to know about Cody and Lexi as we needed to know. I was disappointed by how quickly Lexi “forgave” Cody and was ready to jump into bed; I like more sizzle and steam before the story goes there. The conflict was realistic; the resolution was satisfying but in my opinion was pretty abrupt.
I voluntarily read a complimentary copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.
I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Lexi + Cody were high school sweethearts.
Lexi stayed
Cody left.
Now, Cody is back, and he still has feelings for Lexi.
Lexi is not nearly as ready to let Cody back in her life.
Why shoudl she ?
Can Cody prove that he mean business this time ?
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas by Soraya Lane is a charming tale about a successful businessman who ran from his mother dying a decade ago and has never really returned home until now, only to find his father declining and his ex-girlfriend his father’s caretaker. Makes for a mess romance, and messy this is. Cody Ford is met at the airport by his brother, Tanner, and ex-rodeo bull rider who is currently working on his Master’s degree so he can take over the family ranch. It has been tough going, working and going to school, which is not really his thing, but it is happening. Cody has been gone from home for so long that he doesn’t really get Tanner’s need to prove himself. Tanner is just angry with Cody for the way he has cut himself off from the family. They arrive at the ranch and Cody is introduced to his father’s caregiver, Alexandra, who seems familiar but he can’t place her. Seeing his father so deteriorated is difficult but Alexandra and the old man get along well, and he is cared for. Things begin to go downhill almost immediately. Or uphill, depending on your point of view.
This was an absolutely enticing novel. The characters are excellent: Cody as a damaged man with nothing and no one; Lexi as a woman deeply hurt in the past and guarding her heart now. Walter Ford is the quintessential father to his children, guarding them and loving them as best he can. He feels the same toward Alexandra, as well. There is the overreaching plot, which is Cody and Lexi’s feelings for one another but there are other plots as well, including the fact that Lexi is a single mom and her mother has Alzheimer’s and is living in a home. It is just the right amount of steamy and the rest is pure plot. Cody’s siblings all make an appearance; all love their brother; and all want the best for everyone concerned. It is a Christmas story that will put a smile on your face. I recommend Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas to readers of romance who want to celebrate Christmas while they read.
I received a free ARC of Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas from Netgalley. #netgalley #onceuponacowboychristmas
I enjoyed “Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas”, by Soraya Lane. This book is about a couple who were high school sweethearts who broke up suddenly when Cody left for New York. Lexi was extreemly hurt by being left behind with no explanation. This trope is one of my favorite, second chance at love. The story was well told and I having Cody come home after 10 years and having both Lexie and Cody to be dealing with issues made for an interesting story. This book has dealing with how death of a love one affects us and how sometimes it breaks us and some find it hard to move on from it. I think ending happen a little too fast for me…I wanted a little more about Cody’s reasons for leaving and a chance to see him work through those problems. 3 1/2 stars
Both of the main characters had depth and challenges and I liked them both. Well, even though Cody could be such a tactless jerk at times. All in all it was an emotional story. When Cody and Lexi meet back after all those years it was one surprising encounter.
Cody’s family was one tight group of people even though Cody had run out on them. His father adds some spunk to the story even though he is so terminally ill.
Wow, I think his brother Tanner had it right when it came to. Cody’s approach to dealing with people. He basically said, you don’t live in the real world do you? And several other times when he urged Cody to reveal something and he wouldn’t? Cody blew him off saying everything would be fine. I totally agreed with Tanner’s assessment that he was into wishful thinking. Cody did have a lot of good qualities but he was also kind of selfish. He wanted what he wanted and he was used to pushing through to get it, no matter what.
I think that the world-building when it came to the family and people’s history was pretty good. The one down-side thing I would mention is that if felt like a little bit too much time was spent re-hashing how Cody ran away because he was afraid to stay for the pain of his mother’s slow battle with death. About how the memories still plagued him and it made him want to run again. He wanted to stay but he wanted to go. It felt like it slowed the story down at times and went on too long.
Things work out to a H.E.A. for Cody and Lexi although you just know it won’t be a walk in the park.
A nice Epilogue rounds everything out.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press
Once Upon A Cowboy Christmas is book 3 in the River Ranch series by Soraya M. Lane, Christmas second chance romance, standalone, emotional read.
Lexi and Cody we high school sweethearts but when he went to college he never returned and broke Lexi’s heart. Now 15 years later he returns to the family ranch and who does he see…Lexi, who is his father caregiver/nurse.
Can these here two mend the past and move forward to a HEA or will Lexi’s grudge keep them apart?
This book was really good. This is the first time and I had read this author and even though this book is #3 in her River Ranch series it really read like a stand alone novel. Yes, I might have gotten some more out of it had I read the first two novels first but this one was so good that I didn’t need to. Definitely a must read any time of the year but especially with the holidays looming.
*I received an ARC for an honest review*
So here’s the deal ; I really really liked Lexi. With everything going on in her life she handled herself with grace and strength. With that said I’m not sure how I feel about Cody. While reading i just couldn’t connect with him. I did warm up towards the end of the story but I wanted something more from him to feel like I loved him as a character.
This story has a topic that hits home and I’m sure if I read this book in another time period I would be head over heels in love with it but for now I’m giving it 3.5*.
***Review copy provide by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review***
There was a moment in the first half of this story that I was afraid it was going to go down a path I didn’t like. I had just read another story where a character lied, and kept lying, to her love interest and I realized I really dislike that trope. While Cody was withholding some very important information from Lexi, the author was kind enough to not drag it on through the whole book. Let me tell you, the tension I was starting to feel (not in a good way) was relieved as soon as I realized the focus of the story wasn’t going to have a huge veil of deceit over it the whole time.
I found the trajectory of Cody’s and Lexi’s relationship to be very interesting. Especially once I started to understand why Cody did the things he did and how he ended up leaving everyone and everything behind. He’s lucky Lexi even gave him the time of day, but at the same time it was obvious that they had unfinished business.
While I did feel a connection between these characters, I never really felt the spark. I’m not sure why that was since I found them to be great for one another. I enjoyed that Cody fell into a comfortable patter with Lexi’s son almost immediately. It didn’t feel forced or fake and was actually very sweet. Yet I still never got the warm-fuzzies with these two.
That being said, I enjoyed this story and appreciate that the author didn’t make Cody out to be a jerk who was being a jerk just because he could be a jerk. Cody had some deep-seated issues that needed to be dealt with, and even he saw how skewed his thinking was once he started dealing with his real life. Not just in regards to Lexi, but also his siblings and his father.
When it was all said and done, I enjoyed this storyline and the characters. I just didn’t feel the emotions I would have liked to feel the way I normally would. I enjoy this series and adore this author’s historical fiction so I’ll be reading more for sure.
**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**
I really liked the Ford family and their River Ranch in Texas. They were a complicated family with strong opinions and characters. They lost their mother and now were losing their father to cancer. It was interesting to see how each member had dealt with their mom’s death and their dad’s prognosis.
I really felt for Cody and how he had run away before his mom died to avoid feelings of any kind. He had even left his girlfriend, Lexi behind as he fled to New York City. It was interesting to see he had built walls around his heart and was not willing to get close to anyone to avoid pain.
Soraya Lane wove a beautiful, complicated story full of emotions,secrets and a family that still struggled with their losses. This story touched my heart as I felt their emotions while I was reading the story. I fell in love with the characters too. They felt so real, so raw, so vulnerable and yet they all loved each other and had each other’s backs.
I also liked Lexi, who was the dad, Walter’s caregiver and Cody Ford’s old girlfriend before his mom got sick. The losses she has been through and her mom having Alzheimer’s added to the story. Lexi still loved Cody even though he had really hurt her.
I enjoyed how the story came full circle for Cody and his past. I was surprised by how the book ended and I want to return to River Ranch. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.