Sorry, but this one just wasn't for me. I did read a few chapters, but then I stopped reading.

Donna Grant gives us an amazing story that exemplifies the true meaning of Christmas. This is a story of loss and of struggle. It’s a story of the strength and power of forgiveness and of promise. It’s also a story of sharing and giving and love and family and it was absolutely beautiful!

This is a long way from the Highlands of Scotland and Ms. Grant’s Dark books, but I find I’m really enjoying her foray into the contemporary genre with her Sons of Texas series and this book, the first in a new series called Heart of Texas!

While Ms. Grant has changed locations, she hasn’t changed the way she puts together an exciting and engaging story and we definitely don’t have a shortage of strong, stubborn heroes!

Abby is an absolute hero in this book as well. Her mother up and left her to care for her two younger brothers when Abby was barely 18 years old. It’s been a struggle, but she’s been able to handle things—barely—so far. Well, until her oldest brother gets in trouble for stealing.

Clayton is a wonderful hero dealing with his own personal demons but he’s obligated to help the family ranch after a series of very unfortunate events. He crosses paths with Abby and her brothers and his well-made plans of one day leaving Texas fly out the window.

This is so much more than just a love story. It’s well-written and crafted beautifully. There’s so much depth and emotion and character growth. And I really enjoyed reading it!

If you need a Christmas romance, look no further! THE CHRISTMAS COWBOY HERO is exactly what you need!

Clayton is the hero you’ve been dreaming about! He comes home to save his family ranch and to help his father. His heart could be the size of Texas. There he meets Abby, who is trying to raise her brothers. Of course, raising two brothers is a feat in its self. Sparks fly and coming home was best decision Clayton ever made.

A sweet family oriented romance with a small mystery surrounding stolen cattle, money embellishment and it takes place around the Christmas time. Both the MCs are very much likeable and their HEA is heartwarming.

Thanks to netgalley

Clayton has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Returning home from his work in the Navy to find his father is sick and their family ranch has fallen on hard times. Clayton needs to save the day but he is not sure home is where he belongs. That is until he runs into Abby. She is busy trying to hold her home life together but not everything is perfect in her world either. These two needed to be loved in the worst way but unfortunately they are both too stubborn to give into it. This story was perfect for the season and the romance was wonderful with little angst and lots of heart.

This should totally be a Hallmark movie! So sweet and entertaining with just the right amount of drama and a touch of suspense. And hello swoony cowboy!!! Awesome read!

I went into this wanting a feel good, easy read, and that's exactly what I got. It was fun and flirty and there was a nice amount of heat too. Abby and Clayton were great characters. I thought they had good development coming together and I enjoyed learning their backstories. They're both wonderful, caring people and I love how they overcome their personal obstacles. I felt for them and there were lots of emotional moments as things were learned. I really enjoyed them getting to know one another as their feelings grew. These two definitely pulled at my heart strings.

I also really enjoyed the mystery and suspense element that was in play. It kept the story moving along nicely and I was excited to see where it all would go. It added a nice amount of action and drama that kept things exciting. I thought there was a fantastic cast of characters. Abby's brothers were great and I loved Clayton's parents. His mom was so wonderful. They all helped make it a full story. I thought the writing was great and enjoyed the descriptions. I really enjoyed the storyline and felt there was lots of depth. There was a really good pace and great details. I enjoyed the different POVs as well.

I had so much fun reading this and it definitely left me smiling and happy. From beginning to end I enjoyed Clayton and Abby, they're just both so sweet and caring. A feel good story for sure! This was my first Donna Grant book and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Fabby new series with a hot, hot cowboy!

Clay has had enough of bloodshed. He left the SEALS behind and instead of going home as expected, he hot-footed it to Africa. Now policing poachers and protecting animals, he is also dodging his family!

But when a near tragedy strikes he is forced to return home. But he finds that his father's illness is only the tip of the iceberg and there is a heap of more trouble to deal with. Including some sneaky embezzling from the Accountant who was supposed to look after the books! But his fortune may have changed. When he catches a youngster rustling cattle, he calls the sheriff but when Brice's guardian turns up, Clay can't believe that this young woman has shouldered so much responsibility.

Abby Harper, put upon sister, Accountant wannabe and all around good girl needs a break. Her brothers are acting up, she is stressed trying to make money stretch, and she has zero romance. Her brother has been given the chance to payoff his debts by working at the ranch. Somehow he manages to make this an enjoyable thing and he loves the work.

Abby also finds herself enjoying the ranch and inadvertently finds herself helping Clay track down the missing money. Clay is reeling from his attraction to Abby but the more he fights, the more he falls!

Fantastic read. Abby is at turns naive, strong-willed and stubborn. But she has a heart of gold. Clay is rough, gruff with a hair trigger temper but he handles Brice and Caleb like younger brothers and really has a soft centre! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

This is a brilliant must read Christmas story. A sizzling, sexy romance! It has two beautiful families who come together and are a brilliant fit. Read this!

The Christmas Cowboy Hero was the perfect blend of romance, intrigue and family. It's also a standalone and that makes me very happy.

Clayton has stayed away from his family for many years but he comes back to save his parent's ranch after they've gotten themselves into financial trouble. But what he doesn't expect to happen is fall in love.

Abby's brother gets mixed up with the wrong people and finds himself working on Clayton's ranch to make up for it. So then Abby finds herself on the ranch often and slowly starts to fall in love with all of them.

This was a cute romance. The sexual tension was smokin'. I'm glad it was a standalone and wrapped up nicely. I look forward to the next books. I'm quite curious as to who's going to be featured.

This was a really sweet, feel good romance with a little bit of mystery.
I enjoyed the story because there was an element of danger. The mystery pulled me into the story better than the romance. This is a very sweet book where everyone is super nice to each other and the two main characters fall instantly in love. Quite a nice read for a lazy, wintry afternoon.

3.5 Stars
This will give you the warm and fuzzies this holiday season!
Clayton is a retired Navy SEAL who returns home when his family’s ranch is in jeopardy. The ranch trouble brings Abby and her brothers into his life.
This is a sweet story with wonderful characters and an entertaining story. Well written, this is the kind of book that makes you want to curl up and read.

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant is a 2017 St. Martin’s Press publication.

This one’s a winner!!


Ex-Navy SEAL AND a Cowboy? Yes, please.

Clayton has returned home at his mother’s bidding, due to his father’s sudden illness and the family ranch teetering on bankruptcy, due to a major embezzlement scheme and cattle theft ring.

When Abby Harper’s younger brother is caught stealing cattle, as his guardian, she must sort things out. When Clayton realizes Abby is raising her brothers and is a little overwhelmed, his heart melts a little, and he decides to cut her some slack, by generously allowing her brother to work off his debt at his ranch.

As Abby begins to spend a little time at the ranch, she learns of Clayton’s financial issues and winds up helping him uncover the embezzlement issues, but she also finds herself falling for the tortured cowboy, and Clayton begins to have feelings for the beautiful lady who had to grow up too quickly when she had to step up and become a parent to her brothers at the ripe old age of eighteen.

I loved this story for many reasons. Everyone deserves a second chance, and although Clayton may have been moved more by Abby than her brother’s regret and remorse for the crimes he committed, by having him work off his debt, it helped Brice build character, and he responded to having a stable male presence in his life.

I also love the tortured hero complex and Clayton has all those traits. His time in the military left him hallowed out and the loss of his brother gutted him. You won’t be able to resist this big hearted Texan!

Abby is being taken advantage of by her boss, has her hands full trying to make ends meet, and raise her brothers. I admired her loyalty and responsibility to her brothers, and I’m glad she found a better life for herself and her brothers.

This may be my favorite contemporary holiday romance, so far, this year! It’s sensual and sexy, but also has a little suspense and mystery, with lots of drama and a heartwarming holiday atmosphere to top it all off. That I’m a little partial towards SEALS and cowboys is also a big added bonus! This is the first book in a new series, and that means more Texans and more cowboys. I can sense my romance novel diet could be coming to an end. So, Merry Christmas to me!!

This one gets all the stars!

5 stars

Well I do believe I have developed a taste for cowboy romances. Oh my, oh my, oh my. . .

To be fair, this isn't the first book I've read by Donna Grant. In fact, I'm quite a fan of her paranormal series, the Dark Kings. But I also wasn't a huge fan of her Sons of Texas books so there's that too. So I honestly wasn't sure how I'd feel about The Christmas Cowboy Hero. Turns out, I liked it quite a bit.

What worked for me in this one was the story beyond the romance. I liked that there was something going on. It did feel overshadowed at times by all the lusting between resident cowboy Clayton and the resilient Abby but it pulled through in the end. I actually liked that storyline better than the actual romance.

But this is a romance so it's okay for it to take over at times. I could've done without the opening scenes where the two protagonist oogle each other in what's really a serious situation. Abby's brother is in jail and Clayton could press charges against him. And they're just staring each other down? Hmm. . .

There were other moments like that too where I felt like Grant wanted us to feel the heat between these two SO MUCH that it came off as forced instead. Clayton and Abby had chemistry. A slow burn would've done just fine here. Because when they did get together things got hot.

The Christmas Cowboy Hero might just have you wishing for your own sexy cowboy beneath the tree.

As for the characters, both had such a level of vulnerability to them that it caught me off guard. I haven't seen that in a romance, at least not that I can remember. Abby is trying to be the best mother figure to her brothers while dealing with one obstacle after another in her life. Clayton has demons from his past that still haunt him but he's being forced to move forward for his family. There's a lot of emotion and themes of family and love that went beyond the on-the-page story and it worked.

Now, that's all after I thought about the book for a bit but when I first finished it, I loved all but the ending and only because it felt really rushed. A time jump might have helped alleviate that. Otherwise, I devoured this book. I swear Grant's books are (mostly) magical, y'all. I have every intention of picking up the next book in this series as well as Grant's future books!

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant is book one in her new Heart of Texas series. A contemporary holiday romance that will have you indulging in the holidays early with this cowboy and his headstrong heroine who is doing everything she can to take care of her family.

Clayton East, an ex-Navy SEAL, who has come home to help make sure his family doesn't lose their ranch when his father falls ill and the family ranch falls into financial trouble.

Abby Harper has been taking care of her younger brothers since their mother walked out on them after their father passed away. A not so easy task, which definitely is hammered home when she is called to the sheriff's department when her brother is arrested for stealing cattle from the East Ranch. Luckily, Clayton East is not Ebenezer Scrooge and offers a second chance to her brother, Brice.

What follows is a wonderful romance filled with some suspense with the missing cattle, lots of love, family, and Christmas. Donna Grant provides us really great and admirable characters with Clayton and Abby, as well as, the supporting characters of their families. I liked how close Abby and her brothers are. Also, how kind and loving Clay's parents are to the Harpers. You can't help but want to read and see what happens to the couple and the Easts and Harpers. Clayton is definitely book-boyfriend worthy and such a great role-model for Brice and his younger brother Caleb. If the Hallmark Channel or PassionFlix ever want to make a movie of this book, I would definitely watch!

Overall, The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant is a great contemporary romance filled with family, love, and some holiday magic sprinkled in. I happily recommend anytime of the year.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Christmas is a time that I believe that all things are possible, and that happens in Clearview with Clayton and Abby.

Meeting under dire circumstances, Clayton feels a pull toward Abby and her wayward brother, Brice. Making Brice work off his mistakes is just one way to keep Abby close until he can figure out what to do about her. What he doesn't expect is to genuinely like her and her brothers.

Abby is at her wit's end. Trying to raise her two brothers after her mom left for greener pastures is harder than it sounds. When Brice is caught, again, doing something he's not supposed to, she just knows that he will end up in jail and all the hard work she's done in the past eight years will be down the drain.

What she doesn't expect is to have a crush on Clayton East. His family is admired in their little town and she's just a nobody, trying to get her college degree and keep her brothers on the right side of the law. She notices Clayton watching her the same way she watches him and everything changes one afternoon.

A sweet Christmas story where the good guy gets the girl and the bad guys get what they deserve.


Dawn – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this book, it was such a sweet story with a few twists and turns.

Clayton and Abby meet under quite tense circumstances but they can't deny the pull they have to each other. Clayton wants his cattle back and he thinks the quickest way to do that is through Abby's brother, Brice, who was caught stealing some of the cattle. Once Abby starts to let her guard down, the sparks start flying.

Abby and Clayton help to heal each other without even knowing it.

I really hope there is more to this series as I did enjoy the book, but I want more.

This is sweet, romantic, emotional and charming. Clayton is emotionally closed off, but kind, caring and generous. Abby is emotionally damaged, strong, sweet and insecure. The storyline is captivating, the characters are extremely likable and but the past is very sad. The heartache they all have endured slowly heals them , each in their own way. It belongs on the top of your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

Yet another Donna Grant story I loved. Clayton and Abby were awesome together the ying to the others yang but what I always love in Miss Grants stories are her secondary are always so strong as well and leave a great impression. Caleb was a favorite of mine.

Clayton East left the military and instead of going home took a contract job protecting animals at a wild animal preserve. Until he gets a call from his mother because everything is a mess at home. Ready or not he's forced to go home and deal with the issues there and face his personal issues. Abby Harper has raised her two younger brothers since she was 18 years old when her mother abandoned them all. Now one of her brothers is mixed up with some bad people who stole Clayton's families cattle from the their ranch. Clayton takes one look at Abby at the police station and he's done in. I loved this story. Clayton is suffering from PTSD and not really dealing with it. Coming home means dealing with demons there and well meaning family. He doesn't want to go but it turns out it's the best thing he could have ever done. The more he's around Abby and her brothers the better. Not only does having Abby and her brothers help Clayton it helps his parents as well. Abby's dad passed away when she was young and her mom took off one night and left her and her younger brothers. They have this amazing bond made stronger by being around Clayton and his family. Enjoyable read from beginning to end.

Find out more about Donna Grant here www.donnagrant.com

A new series, “Heart Of Texas” from Donna Grant brings us another enticing series of hardworking cowboys, their destined stories of love, redemption and a future of togetherness.

“The Christmas Cowboy Hero”, the prodigal son of Texas and ex-navy Seal, Clayton East returns home to take care of his family’s failing ranch, deal with is father’s illness and give his mother much needed hope of keeping the family business on solid ground and emotional and financial support to his parents. The thought of dealing with theft, a wayward brother of the enticing Abby Harper, and the attraction that flares on sight was not something he had signed up for.

Abby Harper has a hard life since a teenager, the sole guardian of her siblings and working hard to keep food and roof over their heads. Her brother getting into trouble with Clayton she had wished was avoided and the interest that Clayton sparks, she really could do without, not on her agenda and not part of plan.

But fate and destiny don’t listen to anyone, and with Clayton giving her brother a chance to make up for his theft, Abby finds herself spending more time with Clayton on the ranch, and the perfect opportunity to know each other and fall in love.

And so we get another sweet Texas romance from Donna Grant, be it a paranormal or contemporary romance, we can never be disappointed with her stories. With a perfect blend of emotions and romance, chemistry and an interesting plot, “The Christmas Cowboy” is a perfect reading pleasure for the holidays.

Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

<b>4 Second Chances Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Second Chances given by those who also got second chances feel like more...and Clayton East was someone who knows what another chance can mean...With this past experience... It plays an important role in how he handles the teenager who was caught rustling his family's cattle.