Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy was a light, heartfelt, enjoyable anthology of 3 holiday-themed stories. Even though all 3 were clearly part of a larger series, the only one of which I have read is Kate Pearce's Morgan Ranch series, I followed along just fine and plan to check out more of Diana Palmer and Marina Adair's backlist.

As novellas, these stories moved at a fairly quick pace but were perfect for a rainy, dreary day snuggled under a blanket on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa.

Rating: 4.5 stars
MISTLETOE DETOUR by Kate Pearce was a wonderful Christmas story in the Morgan Ranch series. This is a fun quick read, with great characters and humor. The pace was fabulous which made the book hard to put down. I can’t wait for the next installment in the Morgan Ranch series.

This review is not going to be long. I am not a huge fan of a review rehashing the entire plot and spoiling it for everyone.

This is a wonderful collection of feel good Christmas cowboy stories. I enjoyed each and everyone. The writers are skillfully weaving the plot and character chemistry throughout the stories. I would like more!

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not one of my favorites as far as a Christmas anthology goes.
Mistletoe Cowboy-This story is kind of odd. I felt sorry for the way Teddie is treated and it's difficult to like her mother but Parker is a good guy. 4 Stars
Blame It On The Mistletoe-This was really good and carries the anthology. Faith gave up her promise of a career to obtain custody of her younger brother. She is trying hard to live down the reputation of her parents. Noah is just the Texas Ranger to help her. This would be good as a stand alone. 5 Stars
Mistletoe Detour-The storyline cannot be taken seriously. It's more along the lines of a cozy mystery. So much drama over a pig named Bacon. You are led to believe a serious crime has taken place. 3 Stars
Together overall this is a 4 star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zebra Books for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Mistletoe Cowboy

Was not a fan of this story. I did like Teddie she was a fun character with a lot of spit fire and drive to learn as much as she can and make something of herself even at a young age. I was not a fan of Parker he came off as whoa is me I’m a victim. The author has him as this ex military guy, with smarts like no other, but he comes off as a whimp and kind of a jerk. I feel like Katy could have done way better. I was sickened by the fact that it seemed Katy could not even stand up for her own daughter and she tolerated the behavior of her so called attorney. There was no curse words one adult scene over all a clean read just not the read for me.


Blame it on the mistletoe

Faith has a brick wall built around her heart an no one was getting through no matter what. She would also do anything to protect her nephew at all cost. Noah on the other hand was cocky and ready to tear down the wall Faith built if she would only let him in. Noah had issues of his own but he seemed to have a good heart, and really craved the closeness of his family. Now Faith my heart broke for her and for everything she faced and loss. She was a fighter and it was hard not to root for her in this story. There were sexual innuendoes throughout this story no strong language over all I did like this one over the first one.


Mistletoe Detour

I was not a huge fan of this story. I found both Ted and Veronica very immature being the fact they were in their 30’s they acted a lot more like they were in their early 20’s at best. I did like the authors sense of humor with the pig and his name kind of hard not to laugh at that every time the big made his appearance. There was adult content in this story so it may not be suitable for all readers.

Over all this set of books was not really my cup of tea. I liked Blame it on the Mistletoe the most it seemed to really get to the heart of Christmas over all. There is adult content in every one of these stories so may not be suitable for all readers.

Can’t go Wrong with Cowboys & Christmas!!

***** Mistletoe Cowboy – Diana Palmer ***** 5-stars

Parker is a horse wrangler on a large ranch. During the summers he uses his mathematical genius to work for the government. When widow Katy and her daughter Teddie move in to the ranch next door and adopt an abused horse, Parker helps in the rehabilitation and teaching Teddie about horses.

Katy has some early history which makes it hard to connect with people, including her daughter. Parker is able to help in those areas too, until outside forces create friction. An emotional journey of growth and doing what is right. Terrific characters, and wonderful breaking of stereotypes.

***** Blame it on the Mistletoe – Marina Adair ***** 5-stars

Texas Ranger Noah Tucker could not wait to leave the small town he grew up in. When he returns for an extended time over Christmas, he has a greater appreciation for the folks there – especially Faith who is best known for being the daughter of a convicted felon, and at an early age put her dreams on hold to raise her brother Pax.

Both Faith and Noah have trust issues. As small-town rumors interfere, will they be able to find a relationship together? More emotion to be found here. Small town loyalties, and seeing others who have found their “one” make working for the relationship worthwhile. A tremendous story of growth and forgiveness.

***** Mistletoe Detour – Kate Pearce ***** 5-stars

Ted Baker is the sole mechanic for the only garage and gas station in the small town of Morgan Valley. He moved back in with his father to assist him through some health issues. Year have passed, now his father is on a cruise, and he is alone over Christmas. When he assists a stranded motorist, it is former classmate and unbeknownst to her love interest; Veronica Hernandez.

Veronica was to surprise visit her uncle, but he has accompanied Ted’s father on the cruise. Veronica travels with her pig “bacon” and some troubles she is not willing to reveal to Ted, yet. Past history influences current events, and misunderstandings threaten a future together. Will the holiday spirit prevail as these two try to work out their differences?

These three stories are a terrific bundle as they feature small towns, large ranches, cowboys and second chances. Fabulous!!

**I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book**

This book has 3 Christmas novellas and I did enjoy them. I found they were quick and enjoyable reads but they weren't my favorite stories.

I do recommend if you are looking for easy reads.

Blue collar cowboys.

I really liked that this collection of three cowboys and Christmas stories featured all working cowboys.
The realism of the stories, especially Kate Pearce's Christmas Detour really shines through. Ted lives in an apartment with his dad. He's helping out Veronica, who gets stuck staying with him. Don't worry, its not a hardship and he'll find a way to keep her warm (wink).

Recommend for three enjoyable cowboy Christmas tales, sure to brighten your day.

What a lovely compilation of wonderful cowboy romances this book is! Diana Palmer, Marina Adair and Kate Pearce have all written a short story in this compilation called Christmas Kisses with my Cowboy.

Diana Palmer wrote Mistletoe Cowboy. Her leading male, Parker is one of the good guys. He is strongly principled and falling for Katy. He has agreed to help with riding lessons and has helped their rescue horse get well. Katy has never really had anyone to stand up for her, and struggled to show her daughter how much she loved her. Was all this real?


Marina Adair wrote Blame it on the Mistletoe. Noah is forced to go home to Tucker Crossing for the holidays. He has successfully avoided home for years. Within the first few days he meets Faith and falls hard for her. Faith is easily the most suspicious female in the world, but she is struggling to bring up her younger brother Pax in a safe and well respected way. Noah is going to have to figure out what is really important.


Kate Pearce wrote Mistletoe Detour. We are back in the High Sierras in Morgan Valley. Ted Baker is called out to tow a car that is on the side of the road. Ted is pleasantly surprised to find an old school friend Veronica coming home for the holidays, but there seems to be more going on. Veronica ends up staying with him as everything is already filled up for the big wedding up at Morgan Ranch. Can two people find love after all this time?


I really enjoyed reading all three short stories and found the theme of Christmas and cowboys that ran through the books fun.

This was a lovely collection of sweet cowboy romances. All three stories were very entertaining. The characters were well drawn and the romances were a treat. Some heat without being overly sexy. Also quite a bit of humor which always adds to a romance. After all, if you can't laugh with them then they are not keepers.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

I read this anthology that I think you will enjoy if you like both cowboys and holiday themes.

Mistletoe Cowboy 4 stars

I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. I really liked Parker's character. He was so chill. I was surprised at how Katy reacted to Ron's suggestion. She seemed like much more of a fighter than she appeared at that time. I kind of felt sorry for Katy and her inability to be close to Teddie. Also, when she had to suffer through the cold shoulder from people. Brutal. I was glad to see Parker and Katy reach their HEA..


Blame It On the Mistletoe by Marina Adair. 4 stars

Noah and Faith both had pasts that left them lacking trust in other people. They had a really good chemistry. I liked that their relationship didn't feel like instalove. Noah had to work to win Faiths trust, and Faith had to let her guard down in order for Noah to get close. I was also glad not too much time was spent on the narrow mindedness, nastiness, and pettiness of some of the people in town. None of which prevented Noah and Faith from reaching their HEA.


Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce. 3 stars

This was a quick, short read that was sweet and gave me a few chuckles. I loved that Tom was so unfazed by Victoria's mishaps. I don't know if this falls under instalove, because it wasn't really a second chance romance. Just a kind of sweet holiday story that also revisits some of the Morgan family, specifically Ry and Avery.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book provided by the author via NetGalley.

One of the best reasons to read an anthology is catching up with stories from favorite series. The other is to discover a new authors who may become one you want to read full novel that they write. Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Marina Adair, and Kate Pearce does both of those. Kate Pearce give the reader another Morgan Valley story while Marina Adair is a new author for me to read a novella written by.

Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer has a young child that makes this a cute story. Helping her learn to be around horses also helps her mother and horse whisperer to come together in spite of losses in their lives. It is a Diane Palmer typical romance. If she is a favorite author of yours, you will want to read this one.

Blame it on the Mistletoe by Marina Adair gives us two characters coming to town for the holidays. Insecurities and fears work to keep them apart but love overcomes. This is the new author for me. She has a wonderful way with dialogue.

Last is Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce with a coming home of sorts for Veronica to her uncle’s home. Car troubles bring former high school tow truck driver to the rescue. This has a bit of mystery concerning Veronica and Bacon, her pet pig.

All three are novellas so the romance is rushed but the authors need to give their characters HEAs so it is par for the course in anthologies. Still you can connect with the characters, try out a new author’s style and have an enjoyable read in the process.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first two stories made me shed a tear or two. Enjoyable romances. The last of the trio included intimate details that I skipped over as I am not a fan. The story was okay, but the least favorite of the three, bringing my rating down to four stars. This was a pleasant, quick read.

My review is based on 2 of the 3 books. 5 stars!

Mistletoe Cowboy
This is a sweet Christmas story by Diana Palmer.  Katy and her daughter Teddie move to Colorado following her husband's death overseas. When they stumble across an abused horse, they take it in. When it breaks through a fence, they meet Parker, a horse wrangler with a degree in physics. Parker agrees to help take care of the horse and teach Teddie how to ride.
This is a sweet romance. Of course there is conflict when an acquaintance pays Katy a visit when ownership of the horse comes into question. Encountering a snag in their relationship, Katy comes to realize the importance of family and true love.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Well written, concise storyline makes this an entertaining read. 5 stars.

Blame It on the Mistletoe
Marina Adair
This was a wonderful, humorous story about a Texas Ranger named Noah and a young woman named Faith who is rearing her young brother. Noah has returned to his home town after a decade away because his home was anything but sweet growing up. Faith is trying to make up for her parents' bad reputation by doing good deeds around town anonymously. Though both Noah and Faith have been burned in the past, they tentatively begin a friendship that slowly moves beyond the friend stage, until the unthinkable happens.
I really loved this story. The book kept me engaged with great writing, a Christmasy plot and lots of humor. I especially loved the play on words such as "stocking stuffer". LOL

A delightful trio of Christmas themed novellas, this set is an enjoyable read. Contemporary romances in the western genre, these three all have strong heroines, dashing heroes, and a couple of twists and turns to keep everyone happily reading. Diana Palmer and Kate Pearce are both authors who’s stories I’ve read and enjoyed. It was fun to rejoin their fictional worlds and catch-up with familiar characters. Marina Adair, a new-to-me author, also writes a great story, and one I will be looking to read and follow in the future. Don’t miss this set, these are good. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

Fun, sassy and fast reads with this book of 3 stories! I enjoyed all three but I think Parker was my favorite characters.
Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion.

It's not so often that when I read a bundle of books that I enjoy all the stories. I must say that this bundle is so sweet and colored with different but strong and great people with great personalities that make every story enjoyable to read. All three authors did a very good job and created her own beautiful Christmas love story for us to enjoy.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

I read this book because I've been enjoying Kate Pearce's Morgan Valley stories. Also within this book is Diana Palmer's Mistletoe Cowboy, part of one of her series and a short story in Marina Adair's Sweet Plains Series. I really enjoyed Pearce's & Adair's stories. Palmer's story I found plodding and chuck full of social issues that was not my cup of tea.

Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer is about Parker, a 1/2 Crow American Indian and 1/2 Scot animal whisperer who works part time for NASA in secret code and computer work. He is in charge of the horses for the D.L. Denton Ranch. He finds himself rescuing Teddie, a young girl who is chasing a wild Palomino her mother owns. The horse was abused by his former owner and Parker helps her learn about horses and learn to ride. Teddie's mother Katy is a widow taking over her in-law's ranch after they passed. It's run down and Parker end's up helping her and teaching Teddie how to ride. I found the story predictable, full of social issues of race, assumptions & abuse. It also had two repeats in the storyline.

Blame It On The Mistletoe by Marina Adair was laugh out loud funny at times. It makes me want to go back and investigate her Sweet Plains series to get the rest of the stories. Noah Tucker is back in town for the first time in 12 years after leaving his mean, abusive father. He's a Texas Ranger workaholic and on a much needed vacation. He catches Faith Loren doing her Secret Samaritan acts for the community and swears him to secrecy. They knew each other in school. Faith works two jobs and in her spare time gives her life to her community. She's desperate to make up for her family's legacy of destruction and chaos. She feels judged by the town in general. This was a fun story where Faith learns her community loved her and she does have time embrace love in her life. Noah discovered the reason he left home is gone with his dad's passing and community is important.

Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce is Morgantown's Ted Baker's story. Ted is a dependable, non-risk taker who's never reached for a life of his own, always caring for his ailing father. Well Dad's better and off the Victor Hernandez on a Hawaiian Cruise for the holidays and he's all alone. He rescues Veronica Hernandez and her pet baby pig when he car breaks down in a snow storm. Veronica is on the run from an abusive ex boyfriend and stole his pig. With her only family out of town she has nowhere to stay so Ted offers her his Dad's room until Uncle Victor gets home. This was a fun story of discovering value and love where you don't expect.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer
Unfortunately, this story wasn’t really my cup of tea. The beginning and ending both read like a laundry list of information, and the dialogue was cheesy and unnatural. I didn’t really connect with the characters, either. There were also some plot and character inconsistencies that took me out of the story several times. Overall, this story just wasn’t for me. 1/5 stars

Blame It On The Mistletoe by Marina Adair
I liked this novella! It had some depth and was an enjoyable story. It could’ve used more of an ending, maybe a short epilogue, but it was still satisfying. None of these stories are in my usual genre, so the humor was a bit more crude than I like to read, but still made me laugh. 3/5 stars

Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce
Not my type of story. I skimmed through it just to finish the collection, and it definitely wasn’t for me. 1/5 stars

The only one I semi-enjoyed was Blame It On The Mistletoe. Can’t say I recommend this collection to my followers/friends. 2/5 stars overall

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Parker, part Crow, is great with horses and a valuable ranch hand on Denton’s ranch. Parker tends to stay away from relationships, until Teddie, a ten-year-old, shows up at his cabin needing help with her horse. Teddie and her mom are new to the area and Teddie’s love for horses endears Parker to her. He also finds himself interested in getting to know Teddie’s mother. Good story and important lessons on communication and trusting yourself.