The Cowboy’s Fairy Tale (Sweet Water Ranch Western Cowboy Romance Book 6)

Nell is an excellent protagonist as she slaves to keep her stepfather and stepsisters happy after her mother’s death. Nell promised her mother she would look out for her half-brother, Vinton, and keeps that promise! You will admire some traits of Ryder who will receive his inheritance by marrying a woman he chooses at a ball in North Dakota! You will keep wondering who Ryder will ask to marry him! I recommend this light romance to others who enjoy a country tale. I received a complimentary e-book from the author. This is my honest opinion.

Nell has worked hard at developing the character displayed by her deceased mother. She will go to any lengths & endure being treated as a slave in her own home just to make sure her little brother is taken care of. Given the opportunity for a job 2 hours away where she can take Will with her, she begins to see light at the end of the tunnel. Will makes immediate friends with the other children and Nell becomes known as the talented & industrious person she is. As the fairy tale unfolds, she falls in love with Ryder. It’s a romance that can never take place…for all kinds of reasons. But what fairy tale bends to reason?
The author takes a lump of character, mixes in some super sweet romance, adds a pinch of laughter & just plain fun and mixes them all together until no one is sure how it’s going to turn out. As it goes into the oven, you become sure that everything will die….but fairy tales always end up with a happily ever after—don’t they?
We are given another story about hard-working people who quickly have you rooting for them and keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.
I requested an early release copy and am delighted to say I believe you will be as spell bound as I was with this story.

I will not summarize this story because that information was already given in the description of this book and I do not want to give more of the plot away.

What I liked about the story:

• In beginning of the story, Nell had a flat tire. This incident pulled me into the story rught away.
• The mysterious box and its contents triggered my curiosity towards the story.
• This story was a contemporary western take on Cinderella.
• Ryder and Nell were very likeable characters.
• Nell was all sacrificing for her brother Vinton. This was a plus and a minus to Nell’s character make up.
• In the beginning, Ryder was consumed with having his business and his wealth. It was nice to see how Ryder evolved into a more selfless person.
• This was a clean read and I appreciate that. I believe it is harder to write a good, clean story than it is to write one full of swearing and sex.

I was given an ARC of this book. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own.

Cowboys Don’t Believe in Fairy Tales grabbed me in chapter one and never let go. I really wanted to shake Nell’s sisters and dad! This book is only slightly similar to Cinderella. Ryder and Nell are such realistic characters – with great chemistry. His late uncle’s expectations for Ryder are as unrealistic as Nell;s family’s expectations are for her. Many ticks are played but in the end, Nell’s scene in a flour sack is a triumph for this determined young woman! This is another great romance from Jessie Gussman!

The characters and storyline are so well written!
I love that Ms Gussman can take a well worn trope and give it an unexpected twist.

I loved it!

If you have read the previous stories in this series, you might recall Nell Eastler. A young woman who is treated badly by her step-father and her two step-sisters. She is treated more like the hired help. The reason she stays in the ranch is because of promises made to her dying Mom.
Sounds familiar? Yes, it’s sort of a modern day Cinderella story but filled with lots of twists and turns and where her tarnished prince charming is Ryder Peterson.
Ryder, a successful business man from NYC, is in North Dakota because his uncle’s will stipulates that if he wants to inherit billions of dollars and the business, he needs to marry a girl from N.D and live there for a year.
Nell and Ryder’s chance meeting leaves an impression on Nell and a gift of a new pair of fancy shoes.
Little did they know that they would meet again, when she’s hired to work a fancy ball and their lives would change forever.
This was an entertaining, clean western contemporary romance .
A surprise ending leaves the reader with a sort of cliffhanger . We’ll have to see what else the author has in store for us in the next book.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Jessie Gussman can spin a tale better than anyone I know! This is the sixth book in the Sweet Water Ranch series and just like the previous books, this one kept me spell-bound. It’s reminiscent of Cinderella with an unexpected twist at the end. Well actually with more than one unexpected twist at the end. I love that each book is a stand-alone story but at the same time incorporates the main character for the next story in such a way that just leaves you wanting more. I listened to this on Audio and Jay Dyess is absolutely awesome in taking you off the page and placing you in the middle of the action.

If romance fans enjoy the Cinderella trope for their heroine, then this author has written a book filled with all the best parts to entertain her readers.

In this version, there is the step-father, two step-sisters and a younger half-brother. The yoke of responsibility that tethers Nell to her family farm is her half-brother, Vinton. Her love is so strong that it carries her through the times that would break a less determined person. Her respect and adoration of her deceased mother, and her guidance and advice while she was alive, buoys Nell up when she needs it the most. It’s said that the meek shall inherit the earth, but being meek doesn’t mean a person doesn’t stand up for themselves. It means they have an inner strength that a lot of people can’t fathom, and when something is really important, they step up to the plate with dignity and stand for what they believe in. They choose their battles with wisdom. Nell wouldn’t believe that of herself, but that’s what I saw. It may not come out until the end of the novel, but again, that’s when it counts the most and the author made sure readers would cheer for her heroine when the time came.

Ryder is the hero with a lot riding on his shoulders. He’s rich because he worked hard and is dedicated to what he does – so dedicated that it cost him in his first marriage. The author has the hero growing emotionally and in maturity during the course of The Cowboy’s Fairy Tale so that clarity comes to him. It takes getting to know Nell and Vinton to show him the way and I enjoyed watching all those baby steps and seeing how they guide him.

There were secondary characters of import besides Nell’s step-sisters. There is Roxie, Ryder’s sister, and then there’s Michelle, a character I didn’t like at all. I’m sure that was the point, and the author created an effective plot conflict using Michelle’s conniving and manipulative actions as she aimed to get what she wanted. I think that’s also where I had a hard time in the book. The angst got to me. When a certain scene came up, I knew exactly what was going to happen and I despised that eye-roll moment but I couldn’t help myself. I got that feeling of “oh, come on!” and I couldn’t take it. I walked away from the story for a bit. But, I had to come back; I had to know how the happily ever after could overcome what was going to transpire. I have to give the author credit, it didn’t play out exactly as I expected. It was much more devious than that. So, when Nell decided it was time to make her move, to finally stand up for what was of the utmost importance, she didn’t disappoint. She did it with dignity while wearing a fashion statement that is sure to never be forgotten. It was a little over the top, but then again, what Cinderella-themed trope isn’t? It wouldn’t work otherwise.

The happily ever after does occur but again, not quite in the way readers may expect. That fact makes this book stand out. It’s not expected perfection, but it is perfect and in line with what I enjoyed in the previous story, The Cowboy’s Convenient Marriage, and it’s what makes The Cowboy’s Fairy Tale well worth reading. And, just like the previous book I read, the author includes a hook in the epilogue to get a reader interested in the next story. I believe it’s about Clay, a/k/a Preacher. He’s a nice guy and he’s helped the heroes and heroines in previous stories so it sounds like he’s overdue for his own HEA. It’s something to look forward to, that’s for sure.

This book was well written with an interesting story line and likable, well developed characters. The audio was well done by the narrator. I really enjoyed reading this book – there was only one draw back for me. Some of the language. Now, this story was clean with no cuss words, per se, but there were what I would consider questionable words in the story. This might not bother some people, but if this were the first book I had read by Jessie Gussman, I probably wouldn’t read any more. I have read several of her titles and thoroughly enjoyed them all and have not seen any issues with language in the other titles I have read. There was enough in this book that I felt they were worth mentioning. Otherwise, this was a great, clean read.

I loved the message and the sweet fairytale retelling of Nell, a woman who believes that we can all choose happiness, just like Paul and Silas did (Acts 16:25), even when we are sad and mistreated.
This happiness calls to Ryder, who sees the true beauty of this Cinderella in green sockhat (beanie, toboggan, knitted cap, whatever you call it). Will his reluctance to give up the life he’s always known prevent him from letting go of his control and choosing happiness for himself?