A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund is a lighter story then others that I have read by this author.

Greta Nilsson responds to an ad for a mail order bride. Her purpose it to take her young sister out west to help with her consumption. Everything seems to go wrong. First their stage is held up and she loses all her money. Next the man she was supposed to marry dies. Which leaves her homeless and penniless.

Wyatt McQuaid finds himself in town when the stage arrives. A fellow passenger, Mr. Steele, comes up with a plan to help Greta, and gives Wyatt an out for his struggles running a ranch.

Greta has a hard time reigning in her young sister as she gets herself into lots of trouble. Their sibling relationship strikes me as true to form.

The ending introduces you to Wyatt's siblings, and it looks like the continuation of the series.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book and am very excited for this series! Jody Hedlund is great here. When Greta Nilsson's stagecoach is robbed, she and her little sister are totally destitute. But she is on her way to Fairplay, Colorado to marry a man she has agreed to marry. When she arrives and finds out that her husband-to-be is dead, she is left completely bereft. But then a struggling rancher is persuaded by the mayor to marry her for an investment in a herd of cattle. Wyatt McQuaid doesn't want to get married but wants his ranch to succeed. So he proposes. Greta has nothing to lose at this point and agrees to marry him.

What follows is a most delightful and precious story as two people who have not had the best life so far learn to care for each other and depend on God to work out their problems. I am so very excited to read more books in this series! Did I mention that already? That's because I am. I stayed up till nearly 4 am to finish this one. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I was not compensated in any way and the opinion in this review is expressly my own.

A Cowboy for Keeps
by Jody Hedlund
Bethany House
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance
Pub Date 05 Jan 2021 | Archive Date 16 Feb 2021

Jody Hedlund is one of our patrons' favorite authors. This is a great first book in the next series. I liked the story and the characters. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. Thanks to Bethany House and Netgalley for the ARC.

5 stars

I could not put this book down! This was such a fun read and I look forward to reading the next one!

Greta embarks on a journey to Colorado with her ill sister as a mail order bride. Unfortunately many difficulties come their way.

Wyatt is a rancher in Colorado who is looking to expand his ranch. He marries Greta since her to be husband has been killed.

There are many twists and turns in the story that will leave the reader staying up pate at night, like me, to keep turning the pages!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I confess that western novels aren't a genre I'm typically drawn to, but this was written by Jody Hedlund and I will happily read anything with this talented author's name on it. This was a heartfelt, sweetly romantic story of new beginnings. Can two people desperate to save their loved ones find the answer in the rugged Colorado wilderness? On top of that, can a marriage of convenience survive the many woes that come with such a life? Greta and Wyatt are two endearing characters that you can't help but be drawn to as you make your way through this charming novel. This is a story less about suspenseful plotlines and more about character development. You truly get to know these characters, really get in their heads, and enjoy a slow burn romance while you're at it.

Jody Hedlund is such a good writer, and most of her books have a great spiritual depth, but her newest offering is a bit lighter in plot and character and it is a welcome change. A common trope in historical romances is the mail order bride, and Jody has used this trope quite successfully in A Cowboy for Keeps.

Greta Nilsson and her sister Astrid are moving to Colorado for Greta to be a mail order bride. She wants to move to the high elevations of Colorado because of Astrid's consumption.

Wyatt McQuaid is trying to make a go of his struggling ranch while meeting obstacles at every turn. He is in town when Greta and Astrid arrive on the stagecoach and when Greta finds out that her mail order fiancé is dead. Mr. Steele was also a passenger on the stage coach and had come to know and like Greta. He comes up with a plan to solve Wyatt's and Greta's individual problems that requires Wyatt and Greta to marry.

Wyatt and Greta run into all kinds of set backs and challenges with the ranch and with Astrid. Jody's ability in pulling them out of these challenges is quite sharp. Greta enters into the marriage with partnership foremost in her mind. She is a lovable character with all the caring that an older sister should have, especially for a sickly younger sister. Astrid is a handful in the best of times, her personality is quite precocious. Wyatt is a completely relatable cowboy and his ranch is the perfect setting for the bulk of the plot in this book.

One thing that Jody did with the ending of this book is to give a glimpse into the next book in the series, which promises to be just as good. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a huckleberry hand pie (and my tastebuds are watering at the thought).

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An incredible beginning to a new series from Jody Hedlund! A Cowboy For Keeps is sweetly romantic, poignantly fulfilling, and will certainly capture the hearts of readers.

A Cowboy For Keeps is not a typical mail-order bride story in any way. Combined with an unexpected marriage of convenience, Hedlund’s take on these tropes is refreshing and surprising. I even gasped a few times! As always, Hedlund has created a new cast of wonderful characters. Wyatt and Greta’s relationship is beautifully portrayed. Astrid is hilarious, and her sisterly relationship with Greta accurately resembles all the ups, downs, and truly touching moments between sisters.

Hedlund also has an exceptional talent for making the reader feel as if they are actually there with the characters, feeling and seeing everything they are. All of the reader’s senses will no doubt be activated by Hedlund’s incredible talent. Her writing always includes undertones of humor in stories that inspire and fulfill, and allow for introspection. A Cowboy For Keeps elicits all that and more.

I’ve been waiting for a really good cowboy story, and A Cowboy For Keeps certainly fits that definition. I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the series! 5/5 stars

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

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will love this new series. When mail order bride, Greta arrives in frontier Colorado to find her intended deceased, what will she do to survive? Wyatt, trying to grow his herd of cattle and provide a ranch for his Pennsylvania family so they may move is put in a hard place when the mayor makes an uncomfortable offer. I enjoyed reading about the everyday life and struggles for survival on the frontier. The wisdom Judd provided Wyatt was encouraging. The strength and determination of Greta was admirable. Her nine year old little sister, Astrid, ill with consumption but spunky at times did not ring true. Enjoyable! Looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended!

A COWBOY FOR KEEPS by JODY HEDLUND is a historical romance novel with a good Christian message of hope against all odds, a great plot and believable characters. I like the way the author makes us feel the characters' emotions, especially Greta's, as we see her trying not to be a nuisance to anyone, showing the rejection she and Astrid have been through.
The story starts in 1962 with the stagecoach taking Greta Nillson and her little sister Astrid to a new life in Colorado is held up by bandits. Greta is on her way to meet the man she has promised to marry, as a mail order bride, only to find out that he has died.
I'm not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you. It is an exciting story with many twists and turns and one I can highly recommend. It is the first novel in the Colorado Cowboys series, and i am looking forward to the next one.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers, The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A Cowboy for Keeps is a traditional mail order bride story. While not entirely original, it was thoroughly delightful to read and I read the entire book in two days. Jody Hedlund’s characters are perfectly sweet and the romance is delightful. I would highly recommend as a great escape read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, good clean mail order bride story. Greta and Astrid leave the family where they are a burden to find that there is no groom, local rancher Wyatt comes to the rescue and marries Greta giving her 3 months to get used to him . Lovely reading their relationship unfold, and can’t wait to see what happens when Wyatt’s family join them in the next book.

This is my first time reading a book by Jody Hedlund. It definitely is not going to be the only one. I can hardly wait for the next!! The story grabbed me from the first page!!