This Book and the Story Stole My Heart. I Could not get enough of this Hot, Sweet and Sexy Cowboy Hero. Donna Grant has done wonderful job and It was Unputdownable read.

I Highly Recommend all Readers to Grab this book now.

Former Navy Seal Clayton East has come home to his family's ranch which is in trouble and to also take care of his father who is ill. Along the way he has to deal with men who stole some cattle and some of the ones caught actually were teens. Abby Harper who is trying to raise her brothers and finish her degree along with working now has to deal with one of her brothers being arrested for cattle rustling. Once Clayton and Abby meet and Clayton gets past his anger and sees his plight he works to find a solution. Also, they work towards being a couple and helping her brothers. This was a really good book with good characters, very much worth the read.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Oh did I enjoy this one! Watching Clayton come home and reacclimate to farm life when the family farm is in danger would have been enough, but add in a woman who just wants to provide a good life for her brothers and you have me hooked. I loved watching Clayton and Abby come together, but I think I loved watching her brothers and his parents more. The found family aspect of this was absolutely delightful and we had just enough spice and suspense to keep me engaged. I would have preferred a bit more lead in to who the "bad guy" was, but overall it was delightful. And now I want five different Christmas trees all with their own color.

If you love cowboys and Christmas, then this is the book is for you. It’s an instant attraction for Clayton and Abby.
"It seems like our families are intertwined…."
This quote couldn’t be more true for this book. Especially when Clayton takes one of Abby’s brother’s under his wing instead of making him pay for the cows he’s been taking.
Contemporary Romance, Christmas/Holiday, Cowboy, Military, Suspense, ARC, Alpha Male, Netgalley, Audio, Small Town,

This fabulous book is first in the Heart of Texas series and it features ex-Navy seal Clayton East and CPA in-training Abby Harper. She’s raising her two teenage brothers by herself. One of the boys gets caught stealing cattle from Clayton‘s family ranch and Clayton decides to give him a second chance by letting him work off his debt on the ranch. Clayton’s dealing with PTSD from his SEAL days and is struggling being back home before he was ready. At least that was until Abby came into his life. It’s so beautiful to watch Clayton go through all the phases of falling in love because he loves with all that he is. Abby is extremely gun shy because of her past but she couldn’t help but fall, worry and hope. It was very emotional watching her brothers have so much hope with the East’s.

This is a beautiful story full of hope, family, second chances and love. I know this fabulous book is about Abby and Clayton falling in love but I feel that this trio of brothers and sister, the Harpers, wouldn’t be completely whole without the unconditional love from Justine and Ben, the parents they never really had. So emotional at times I had tears in my eyes. I adore this series already.

*4.5 stars*

An early Christmas present…

I love this author’s cowboys and Clayton, a rancher and ex-military to boot, was perfect. Not in everything of course, he was the prodigal son after all, but when it counted, he pushed away his own pain and stepped up. For his parents, for his brothers. For Abby and her brothers, it was a second chance in so many ways. From Abby’s perspective there was relief and so much more. Struggling financially, emotionally, the Easts were a chance for Abby and her brothers to see family in a whole new light. They knew about love, of course, but they were going to learn that people could stick around when things got tough….

The relationship between them all meant this sweet romance was more than just the love sprouting between Abby and Clayton- even if that was more than satisfying on its own. It was the love between siblings, parents - and what really makes a family, a family – even when dealing with loss and anger, and missteps along the way.

This read was a slow burn between Clay and Abby with a lot of sub-plots contributing to a story that was full of all the things I love about this genre – family, high emotion and just enough tension and drama to make it all so very interesting…

This is the first book by this author that I have read, and was not disappointed. Clayton who has returned home to help his parents meets Abby who is on her own trying to raise her two younger brothers. Will Clayton be the hero that Abby and her brothers need? I loved reading about Abby and Clayton and following their story.

A romance, a western and a mystery all rolled into one. Clayton East, ex-SEAL comes home to help his parents when their cattle are stolen and money embezzled. Abby Harper is mother to her two brothers after their mother ran off.

The two come together when one brother is involved in the cattle theft. As a bookkeeper, Abby helps the East’s figure out where the money went and Clayton gives the brother a second chance by working on the ranch to repair the loss.

And it is Christmas time which makes the story all that much more romantic. It is one book that I had a hard time putting down.

THE CHRISTMAS COWBOY HERO - Donna Grant

#1 in the Heart of Texas romance series

Plot - 4 stars - A teenager has been caught stealing cattle from a prominent ranching family. When his sister Abby (his legal guardian) goes to the jail to discuss the problem, she meets Clayton East, the wronged party. And the romantic sparks fly between them, despite their better judgment.

Writing - 4 stars - Grant is a new-to-me author, and she caught my attention right away. I know this trope is fairly typical of romance novels, but Grant was able to make the story fresh and appealing. I found myself quickly turning the pages to discover the answer to the mystery as well as hoping for a HEA.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Abby is the perfect romantic heroine. She is strong and honorable, struggling against all odds to find a job, care for her two younger siblings, and make a home for them. And she's a genuinely nice person on top of it all. Clayton, having been away from home since his brother's death, has been called home to help with the farm now that it's in crisis. Of course, he's a handsome, strong and capable former Navy Seal. Plus he's finding Abby to be irresistible despite his misgivings about her family. These characters are both appealing and warm. I especially liked the camaraderie they both share with those around them.

Title - 3.5 stars - Self-explanatory. It says it all without really telling us much about the story. But it certainly leads us in the right direction.

Cover - 4 stars - A nice romantic cover. The hero is handsome, with his cowboy hat front and center. And it doesn't fall into the trap of showing naked male abs in the winter.

Overview - 4 stars - This is a predictable romantic story, but in all the right ways. The main characters are attractive and easy to like. The plot is present but not overpowering. There's a bit of a mystery surrounding the missing cattle which kept my interest. The secondary characters add dimension to the story. The story moved forward quickly and smoothly. And the happily-ever-after ending was warm and satisfying. I will definitely continue with this series sooner rather than later.

Clayton East, ex-SEAL never wanted to come back to his family's ranch until he was ready to come back. Until his mother called and asked him to come back. His family owns multimillion EAST cattle company and they were doing well until his father had a heart-attack and lost half of his cattle.
When Abby finds out her brother is in sheriff station and she never thought she would see his younger brother will do something like this. Ever since Abby's mother abandoned all of them, it was Abby trying to raise two younger brothers. They were just getting by with her small salary she is earning at CPA office. She never have thought Brice will do something that would land him in jail.
Now Abby is willing to anything to get Brice to tell the truth and get him out of jail. But when Clayton reveals how much they will have to replace, Abby couldn't hide the devastation. Clayton was upset Brice stoled his cattle but he believed in second chances and he was willing give Brice a second chance and have him work it off at his ranch.
Ever since Brice started to work at Clayton's ranch, both brothers were behaving better and loving every moment of it and Abby was enjoying the company of East family. East were treating Harpers like they are part of their family and Clayton wanted to spend more time with boys and especially with Abby.
With mom's abandonment issue, Abby couldn't pursue Clayton and waiting for him to make first moves. They were attracted to each other and they were trying to work their own issues.
Now they still have to find the missing cattle but Brice won't talk so Clayton has to find his own way. Will they find their cattle and find their happily ever after?
This book had romance, family, suspense until the very end. I can't wait to find out what will happen in the next book.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for honest review.

As a young adult, Abby Harper was thrown into a situation that many wouldn't be able to handle. When her mom walks out, she immediately becomes the guardian to her two young brothers. Barely an adult herself, Abby works and goes to school all while doing the best she can by her two younger brothers. When one of her brothers gets into trouble due to an incident at a large ranch nearby, Abby is torn between going into mama bear protector mode, and pissed off - and not just at her brother, but also at Clayton East, the good looking son of the ranch's owner. They agree that Abby's brother can work off his debt to the East ranch by working there when not in school. Being around the East's ends up not just being great for her brothers, but also for Abby as she and her brothers get close to the entire East family.

From the beginning, as a reader, I want nothing more than for Abby to get her HEA. She works hard and loves harder, and while she barely makes ends meat, she gives all she can to her young brothers. As she and Clayton get close and get to know each other, its wonderful to watch someone who has not had an easy life, be loved and have someone want to take care of her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait until the next installment.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up My Favorite Cowboy to read and review as I had a hankering for Donna Grant, but didn't realize it was part of a series. Then I realized that I had these on my to read and review books but never got around. (Big mistake) So I quickly put book 3 down and then caught up with 1 & 2 first.

If I'm looking for a good solid read than Donna Grant never lets me down. This time around we got some loyal loving cowboys needing love with this series.

Abby, Brice and Caleb were left by their mom and Abby was left to pick up the pieces. With this event it affected all of them but in different ways.

" . . . Living a full life isn't about keeping yourself safe and tucked away so nothing and no once can hurt you. . . ."

Abby is now the guardian of her two younger brothers and one just happens to get in trouble. Clayton is working overseas after his stint in the military, but when his family needs his help he comes back home. When he comes back home he meets Abby as she is the caregiver of Brice whom has created some problem at the ranch.

Abby is skeptical at first to get close but something about Clayton lets Abby trust him and his family to not leave her and her brothers.

"I'll always come back to you," he said. "Always."

The connection between Abby and Clayton is instant and the relationship is quick moving but it wasn't too quick that it was unbelievable. As with Donna grant we get a bit of suspense thrown in with our romance. Can't wait for more from this series.

Well, what a nice and cute surprise! I'm always in for cowboy romance, but this one took the cake, I dare say!

Abby Harper has learned that people leave you when you most need them the hard way. Left alone to raise her little brothers on her own, she tries to juggle her work, studies, and family - with sort of disastrous results to her personal psyche. However, when Brice, the middle child, steals cattle from Clayton East's family ranch, things turn out shockingly for the better. Clayton decides to make Brice work his debt off, instead of punishing him via law, and he takes the whole Harper family under his wing. With things escalating romantically between Abby and Clay, it's only natural that danger will come their way - and threaten the new bonds the Harper children are finally starting to form.

I loved this story. It was sweet and adorable, and yet really hot. The tension was visible between the two leads - so much so that even Abby's brothers caught on to it - but the pace let the the relationship form naturally, and I appreciated that. Not to mention, the action started to pick up at one point when it seemed too calm, and then we were in for the suspense ride of our lives!

I really hope I can read more of this series - if the rest of the cowboys are anything like Clayton, it's gonna be a true treat!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have been on a binge of historical fiction so I kept pushing this one off. I am sooo glad that I pulled it out. This is a story of a woman who is raising her brothers and one has just gotten into a whole punch of trouble. I loved the story and the romance so much. I couldn’t put this one down!

Amazing! Clayton is the man that woman dream of. He's a ruggedly handsome cowboy, but he's so much more. His love of family, country and ranching(when he realized he loves the ranch) makes him all the more attractive. He has a big heart and is willing to fight for anyone he cares about.
Abby is a strong women who puts her own life on hold to care for her brothers. Shes strong, fiercely independent and has a huge heart.
I loved this book, beginning to end. I laughed and cried along with all of these amazing characters. I can't wait to see what these characters have in store for us in the future!

A good Texas Christmas story. Clayton has been overseas in the military, but now cannot adjust to the idea of going home. It is not until he gets a call from his mother describing the troubles at the family ranch, then he heads back to Texas. Abby goes to the jailhouse to see her 16 year old brother who had been arrested for stealing cattle. Clayton is there too, since they were his cattle, but instead of pressing charges he makes the boy work it off, hoping the boy will tell who he was working with. Abby, who has been raising her two younger brothers when their mother left them, is struggling to take classes and work in a CPA's office. Sparks fly between her and Clayton, and they slowly get closer and closer. I liked this story, although the jerk who stole the cattle seemed a little odd. Also, some of the struggles Clayton had, especially the guilt of his brother's death, could have been described a bit more. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book and author.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. 

This book sounded like it would be a cute read for around the holidays, which is when I had originally planned to read it but unfortunately work got in the way last year. So I read it this year while I was on vacation! The premise behind this book was a romance trope cliche, millionaire cowboy rescues poor nice woman in a Texas town. And while it was completely unrealistic, it was still romantic. Clayton as a character was everything you'd want from a romance novel hero: dark, brooding, completely devoted, utterly sexy. Abby was nice enough, and honestly I loved that she was an accountant studying to be a CPA, but she was a little too shy for my tastes in a romance heroine. Their whole relationship moved pretty quickly too, I mean within a week of Brice getting arrested Abby's whole family was staying to weekend with Clayton's family, and within 6 weeks they were engaged. This was a sweet romance though with an ok Christmas theme and some serious sparks between the hero and heroine. I enjoyed it and would recommend it!

This was a good book but not something I found myself enjoying. I did not finish this book.

A sweet Christmas story with a cowboy/ former Navy Seal? That's a double whammy right there.
Fantastic main characters, aswell as secondary characters. I was thrilled that it was a true romance. The drama was from outside sources, not anything to do with their relationship. No ow/om situations for the sake of drama.

- no cheating
- no ow/om drama
- no violence of a sexual nature
-a few steamy scenes (could have used a bit more)
- safe

Another winner by Donna Grant. Clayton and Abby were amazing together. I read this book in one day.