In these Texas-set stories of romance and adventure, the Civil War is over, Christmas is coming—and it’s time for three rugged fighters to become lovers . . . FATHER GOOSENew York Times and USA Today Bestselling AuthorJodi Thomas Dispirited by war, when Trapper Hawkins accepts a job hauling five little rich girls to Dallas, all he cares about is the money. He doesn’t expect they’ll awaken his … he cares about is the money. He doesn’t expect they’ll awaken his spirit—or that their intriguing nursemaid, Emery Adams, will awaken his heart. And when danger strikes as Christmas Eve nears, he definitely doesn’t expect Emery and the girls to risk their lives—for him . . .
THE MISTLETOE PROMISE * Sharla Lovelace
A catastrophic storm, an ailing herd, and a failing cattle ranch have left Texas rancher Josie Bancroft in danger of losing everything her father worked for. Still, she’d rather die than merge with her neighbor rancher Benjamin Mason, the man who broke her heart years ago, on Christmas Eve. As old sparks fly and secrets are revealed, however, Ben is determined to help Josie—and prove that this time around can be different. That the misunderstandings of Christmas past need not define their future . . .
ALMOST CHRISTMAS
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Linda Broday
Noelle Blessing owns Blessing Falls, Texas’ local candy shop, The Sugar Spoon. But despite her festive name and delicious occupation, Christmas doesn’t promise to be sweet this year—thanks to the curvy confectioner’s resentful ex-fiancé. When he shows up at the town’s holiday dance spoiling for trouble, Noelle grabs the nearest cowboy to partner with. Cord Dalton is more than happy to play the hero—and the new boyfriend too. And by the time an unexpectedly white Christmas rolls around, what began as pretend might just be the equally unexpected gift of the real thing . . .
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I won an advanced copy of this one, so I decided to ignore my no Christmas books until November rule. Let’s be fair, even when we aren’t in a pandemic I have trouble resisting new Christmas books. Why does every writer come up with Christmas stories? Because there is a huge population of sappy schmucks like me! This is a cute collection full of sweet cowboys! You will love it! Happy Reading!
– FATHER GOOSE by Jodi Thomas –
I am a huge fan of Jodi’s historical western romances, so I couldn’t resist reading this novella. Even though I usually like my historical romances to be long, I thought Jodi did a great job in introducing and making me feel a connection with the characters. Trapper and Emery were great main characters, and I also absolutely loved the five girls that Trapper was in charge of getting home safely. Their personalities were so unique and I enjoyed getting to know them better on the trip to Dallas. All five of them were so different and surprised me in how capable and courageous they were for their ages. This story felt like a full-length novel, and the only thing that was missing in my opinion was an epilogue.
– THE MISTLETOE PROMISE by Sharla Lovelace –
This book is a second-chance historical western romance. I loved that the author included flashbacks to when the main characters Josie and Ben first met and how their relationship developed, because it helped me in connecting with the characters better. It was heartbreaking in seeing how they broke up and lost contact, because it was obvious that they were still in love with each other. I would’ve loved for this book to be full-length because it felt a bit rushed at times. I still enjoyed it and like with the previous story I was hoping for an epilogue.
– CHRISTMAS ROAD by Scarlett Dunn –
Another great Christmas story with very likable characters. Clint was an honorable and strong hero that did everything he could and even went out of his way to help the people around him. Amelia was a caring heroine and even though she already had suffered some hardships, did her best to take care of her sick neighbor. I loved all the side-characters and the interaction between Clint and Amelia. This was a nice and sweet Christmas story.
Loved it. This book is pure Jodi Thomas. The writing is excellent. Her characters are well written and have depth. This story is excellent. I loved everything about it. The other 2 stories in this book were excellent.
I really enjoyed this book. It was really very special how Trapper connects to the girls. This is a very quick enjoyable read.
Really enjoyed this set of heartwarming holiday adventures filled with intriguing charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and exciting passion. Was a highly entertaining and action packed journey from beginning to end.
A feel good story.
Three very talented authors! Great cowboy stories and happily ever afters! Each story is situated around the Christmas season, yet every story is unique in its storyline and presentation. It was a quick read as I was drawn in and didn’t want to put it down!
Great Christmas stories
Father Goose
When Trapper Morgan takes a job escorting a group of 5 little girls to their ranch home, he thinks all he cares about is the money. But what will happen when he comes to care for his traveling companion and all 5 little girls? I really enjoyed this novella. But why do we have to have confederate soldiers? Just because he “didn’t understand” the war, doesn’t mean he didn’t fight for the enslavement of a whole race. This novella would have been so great except for that. I loved the story and the characters, but it was hard to look past the confederate soldier.
The Mistletoe Promise
Josie’s ranch is struggling. She needs to do something to save it. When she runs into an old love, will she be able to forgive their past to let him help? I liked this novella. I just thought that the romance wasn’t really justified. I felt like the characters needed to have more conversation about what happened between them. I wish that this was longer to get a better payoff from the reconciliation. I also felt like some of this novella wasn’t staying true to the time period it was set in.
Christmas Road
When Yellow Fever takes a toll on his hometown, Clint rushes home to see his mother. Upon arriving home he sees that most people have escaped. Clint goes looking for the woman who took care of his mother while she was sick. When he finds the young widow and her two girls, will he find a connection to keep him at home? This is definitely my favorite of this collection of novellas. I adored Clint and Amelia. All of the other characters were so amazing as well. I wish this one was longer so that we got more time with these characters!
I really enjoyed this Christmas anthology. I am frequently disappointed with these collections because the characters are slighted and the plots seem abbreviated. These stories were excellent and I loved all of them and will place this book on my keeper shelf. I particularly liked the youn girl characters in Father Goose and how well prepared they were for their journey across hostile territory and to help their cowboy guide.
This is a compilation of three novellas, all with a cowboy at the heart of the story. And, yes, in each situation, the cowboy saved Christmas. These stories are all romances, and they’re very sweet and perfect for the season.
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Father Goose: This one was sweet and wonderful with just a touch of heat. I’d say that this novella is a pretty clean read. A cowboy is charged with transporting five little girls from their boarding school to their home. A young woman running from an abusive father manages to join them as a nanny. They travel through Texas for two weeks, having to deal with rough roads, bad weather, and outlaws.
It ends happily, as a Christmas book should. I’d give it five stars. The writing is great and it left me feeling good.
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The Mistletoe Promise: This was my least favorite of the three novellas. At times, it slowed down and became repetitive. Still, it was enjoyable to read. It’s much hotter than the other two books in this compilation. It was a nice read, but by the time I started to care about the characters, the story was three-quarters of the way done. I’d probably give this novella 3 !/2 stars.
The Mistletoe Promise involves premarital sex – sex, sex, sex, until the end when there likely should have been some, but wasn’t.
This story was an okay read but nothing out of the oridianry.
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Christmas Road: The strength of this story is its characters. They’re a delight. Clint is tall, handsome, kind and caring, and so incredibly generous. There’s no way not to love him. Amelia, a young widow with two adopted children, was sweet and caring. When she become ill, I desperately hoped she’d recover. Her girls, and the other children in this story, added the perfect touch of Christmas.
This novella is all about the magic of Christmas and the gifts it can bring if you just believe. It’s clean and offers a nice touch of humor.
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All three of these novellas are quick easy reads with happy endings. They’ll leave you feeling all the warm fuzzies that the holiday season should. It’s not particularly religious; there’s no preaching to be found anywhere within its pages. I recommend this book if you enjoy cowboys and sweet tales with happy endings. I know I did.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I thank the authors, publisher, and Goodreads for their generosity in sharing this book with me, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
I loved all three of these historical romance stories. Jodi Thomas was the only author I was familiar with, but the other two were just as good. The three stories are cowboy romances centered around Christmas with a heavy emphasis on love and family.
I’ll admit that the story by Jodi Thomas, Father Goose, was my favorite. Trapper takes on the job of returning five little girls to their father with the help of a woman who is running away from the life that she knows she’s is going to be trapped in by her father. The five girls definitely steal the story. They are strong and loveable.
The Mistletoe Promise is the second chance at love story by Sharla Lovelace. Josie is on the verge of losing her ranch and Ben comes to her rescue–much to her chagrin. Their past was very, very rocky and him doing anything without asking her is just too much like their past. Can he make her see that he did it out of love?
In Christmas Road by Scarlett Dunn, a war weary man hurries home to be with his dying mother. He doesn’t find her, but instead a message to go find the woman who took care of her. Is his mother match making from the grave? You’ll have to read it to find out what happens!
A very enjoyable Christmas Anthology.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
I enjoyed this anthology of three stories set in Texas in the 19th century after the end of the Civil War. All of the stories have the common theme that they take place just before Christmas, have cowboy heroes, brave women in need of help, and children. The first and third stories were my favorites.
Jodi Thomas outdid herself with her story, Father Goose. I adored her cowboy, the five little girls he was hired to escort to their home for Christmas, and the desperate young woman he hired to look after them on their journey. He assigned the girls a number in order of age, so spent the entire journey calling them One, Two, Three, Four, and Five. I’ve rarely seen so many likable, vivid characters in a story. It was even better after he got the girls back to their home.
The second story is The Mistletoe Promise by Sharla Lovelace. Josie Bancroft was left to run the ranch after the death of her father. She is on the verge of losing the ranch, and is desperately trying to find a way to keep it without the help of a man who had let her down years before. I could feel her heartache, courage, and desperation in this story. This is a second chance romance.
The Christmas Road was written by Scarlett Dunn. There is an epidemic of yellow fever in Texas, and people who can leave have been fleeing towns where there is a lot of the sickness. Clint rushes home when he receives a letter from his mother with the news that there have been deaths in their family, and that she is also sick. He finds his mother’s house empty and a new grave in the cemetery. She also asked him in her letter to help the woman who had nursed her. So Clint leaves on this mission and finds more than he’d bargained for. I enjoyed this story immensely, as there were so many vivid characters. I had never heard of the yellow fever epidemics in Texas, particularly the devastating one in 1867, just a couple of years after the end of the Civil War.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for allowing me to read an advance reading copy of this book. These are my honest opinions of the book.
This review is for “Father Goose” by Jodi Thomas, as reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1np
Trapper Hawkins became a soldier at seventeen, fighting for the south in the Civil War, becoming adept at shooting, tracking, and spying. Now, at twenty four, the war is over, and he has nothing and no prospects. He’s a fair gambler, so he’s able to survive by playing in the occasional card game. In this particular game, the stakes are highly unusual. His opponent has bet his upcoming job, one that will pay the whopping sum of five hundred dollars. Trapper wins, and is now responsible for escorting five young ladies from school to their home near Dallas in time for Christmas.
Emery Adams has been abused and forced to work long hours, with all her pay going to her cruel father. Any attempts at escape will result in a beating. Emery has squirreled away what small amounts of cash she was able to hide from her father, and when an opportunity presents itself, she’s quick to take it. Emery found an abandoned suitcase with some ladies’ clothing inside, and disguises herself as a widow, and takes off to purchase a ticket out of town.
Trapper has met the girls he is responsible for escorting home, but their nurse won’t release them to his custody until they have a chaperone / caretaker. As Emery is passing by, Trapper implores her to pretend to be their hired nanny, but Emery wants to make the deal real. Trapper agrees, and they set off for Dallas — Trapper, Emery, and the girls, ranging in age from four to thirteen.
Trapper knows this is not going to be an easy journey. There are going to be some rough roads, unpredictable weather, and the threat of attack from thieves, or even kidnappers. This group of travelers somehow forms a strong bond of mutual respect and affection. When the danger comes to pass, Trapper is willing to lay down his life for his charges. But these ladies are no shrinking violets. Having grown up on a ranch, the girls know how to shoot and protect themselves.
FATHER GOOSE is a warm and entertaining story, with Trapper and Emery starting with nothing, yet finding love and hoping for a future. The sisters are truly delightful, unspoiled, and each endearing in their own way. Their journey has moments of tenderness along with the hardships, and is a pleasure to read. Perhaps Christmas will bring a greater gift to Trapper and Emery than they could ever have imagined.
My first Christmas book of the season! I so enjoyed all three sweet stories. What’s not to love about Christmas Eve, children, second chances, and wishes fulfilled!
All of these stories are novella length, historical, and very quick reads. The authors may not have written a full-size novel for each couple, but they succeeded in telling their stories and making them real in the pages they were allotted. I can’t say that any were my favorite, I loved them all.
Just what I needed as we head into the holiday season in this crazy year. Looking back at the tragedies that happened in the past, we need to thank our lucky starts we’re here now! A great anthology!
Three stories in one. Overall rating 5 Star.
Father Goose by Jodi Thomas is a 5 Star rating. I am such a fan of Jodi Thomas. The author creates unique and endearing characters. Who wouldn’t fall in love with Trapper and 5 extremely savvy little girls who prove to be more than capable adversaries. I commend the author’s strong female lead in Emory. She walked away from abuse and never looked back. Jodi used the perfect balance between describing the abuse of Emory’s father and Emory’s strength, courage and plan for a better life without turning the story dark.
The Mistletoe Promise by Sharla Lovelace-4 Star rating. The storyline was good but some of the slightly graphic descriptions were totally unnecessary to get the point across. Jodi Thomas received top billing on this anthology (as she should) but she would never use that terminology in one of her books so I was taken by surprise it was used by Ms. Lovelace.
Christmas Road by Scarlett Dunn is a 5 Star rating. This author is new to me but I really like her writing style. I can see why she was paired with Jodi Thomas. Their writing styles are very similar. Even though the setting is another era, the story of a pandemic is relevant today. A unique and creatively crafted storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Three stories set in Texas in the 1800’s during the Christmas season. I enjoyed these stories specially the first one by Jodi Thomas.
An excellent read! Five stars to Father Goose! Jodi Thomas really created a fun book with this one. The characters are great, and the story so entertaining! I highly recommend! I also enjoyed Christmas Road. Clint goes to so much effort to find his mother midst the yellow fever epidemic and finds much more. This book made me research the yellow fever epidemic of 1867. Very interesting. The Mistletoe Promise was a little less interesting but still a good read and may appeal more to others—still a four star read. I received an ARC copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas is an anthology of wonderful, heartfelt Christmas Romances set around the time after the Civil War’s ending. Each story delivers an emotional tale, some for different reasons than the obvious, yet all will capture the heart and spirit of the Christmas season of long ago.
FATHER GOOSE by Jodi Thomas – Trapper gets a lot more than he bargained for when he took on the job of getting five little girls home for Christmas. It sure sounded like easy money – the reality was far, far different. One woman, Carolina, hired to watch over the children may change Trapper’s thoughts on settling down but first, he has to get them all to safety and that’s not going to be easy. A fun Christmas story full of laughter, sass, and danger. I loved how five little girls could change this hardened man’s heart, and that the woman he never expected to find in his life simply completes it in a complicated manner.
THE MISTLETOE PROMISE by Sharla Lovelace – Ben and Josie were once a couple, right up until he broke her heart on Christmas Eve no less. Now Josie’s ranch is in trouble, Ben has seen the error of his ways but he is also the last man on earth that Josie will accept help from. He might be her neighbor, he is also the one man she just cannot forgive. Josie holds a grudge like a champion and it’s going to take some serious troubles to even hear Ben out. Watching them banter and argue often put a smile on my face because it was evident that beneath the anger… love still lived.
CHRISTMAS ROAD by Scarlett Dunn – Considering the pandemic right now in 2020, the reality of Clint and Amelia’s situation hit a bit extra hard for me. Yellow Fever has struck Clint’s home town and after receiving a letter from his mother stating that family members have passed away and that she is ill, too, Clint races home. His mother had asked him to watch over the woman who took care of her upon his return home. Clint has some surprises awaiting him at home, perhaps the greatest is a woman who will come to mean everything to him once his search for her is finally fulfilled. An intense yet completely enjoyable Christmas story that was perhaps more emotional for me given the situation for those I love in my real life.
I enjoyed myself completely with The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas. Each author gives us a different look at the events and the times… and a lovely Christmas Romance to enjoy. If you can read a Christmas story any time of the year then you’ll want to add this one to your need to read this Christmas season.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas-Three stories: Father Goose by Jodi Thomas; The Mistletoe Promise by Sharla Lovelace; and Christmas Road by Scarlett Dunn. All three were unique in their own way; each a romance. The first and third taking place shortly after the Civil War, the middle, taking place in 1904. Each of the three had its own plot and characters; they were unrelated stories. All three take place at Christmas. It is hard to write a review on this kind of book since really three reviews are necessary.
Father Goose is a lovely story about a young man, Trapper, who is seriously displaced after the war. He hadn’t had a great home life and went to war early. He finds himself in a card game in Jefferson, Texas, where he wins a job, a job worth $500. All he has to do is retrieve five girls from the paddleboat and deliver them to their father in Dallas. It was a journey of many days, but he thought he could handle it. As he was preparing to get the girls, he met a young widow who would be the perfect person to deal with the girls and he dealt with the journey. Off they went. There were some challenges, which, interestingly enough he dealt with help from the six females with whom he traveled. It was a challenging but successful trip, in many ways. It was also a fun story of the old west and of women stepping out it their place in the world. Trapper learned to love and to trust. The trip turned his life around. It was well written and an excellent storyline. It held my interest and I would love to hear more.
The Mistletoe Promise is the story of a young woman, Josie, thwarted in love and about to lose the family ranch after the death of her father. He man who had been her lover, Ben, had lied to her and embarrassed her in the most heinous way and despite asking her to marry him, had married another and had a child. This was a terrific plot, as usual, based on miscommunication. Josie is a stubborn and prideful character, as well as independent. Ben never meant to hurt her, but circumstances were against him. His character is not at fleshed out as Josie. She is the protagonist. The plot is good and the pacing is perfect. I recommend you read this story. You will love it.
Christmas Road is another story of a soldier after the war. He is on his way home and his trip is hastened when he receives a letter from his mother letting him know that his father and his brothers have died of Yellow Fever and she is in bed with it now. He hurries to arrive at his parents’ house only to discover it empty and four graves in the family plot. He joins a man and his two sons who are mining for gold where he meets the woman who had tended his mother and her two daughters. There’s more to the story. It’s a charming story of love and where a good heart will take a person. Clint Mitchum is a good man and a terrific character. The story is uplifting and definitely full of the Christmas spirit. Leave it to say, it all ends well.
This was a terrific trilogy of novellas. One I highly recommend for readers of cowboy romance. I was invited to read a free ARC of The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thecowboywhosavedchristmas