CHRISTMAS EVE COWBOY is a fantastic offering by three well-known, best-selling authors that will get you into the Christmas spirit with a few laughs, a few tears, and maybe humming a couple of Christmas songs.

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=79693

3 short stories by 3 superb authors

Once There was a Lawman by Dianna Palmer
Christmas Creek Cowboy by Delores Fossen
Christmas Eve Cowboy by Kate Pearce

I enjoyed all of these stories, the characters are exciting and the interaction engaging.

Kate Pearce’s story give you an introduction into her new series with Lucy Smith who runs the fictional B&B in the town of Quincy in Northern California.

I only read Kate Pearce's Coming Home For Christmas which sets up her new series coming in December. This was a fun read about an estranged son going home reluctantly at Christmas and gets way more than he anticipated. Caleb Erickson gets stranded in town late one night when his truck breaks down. The only lights on in town are at the bed and breakfast, so he knocks to see if he can charge his phone. He gets a surprise when Lucy Smith, his old best friends annoying little sister, now all grown up, cheerfully answers. He ends up spending the night. When the power goes out he finds Lucy freaked out and not wanting to be alone. Little does Caleb realize Lucy has had a crush on him FOREVER. Caleb left town at 18 to go to Stanford and started a company in Seattle that's about to go public. He's been micromanaging it earning a severe case of burnout. One thing leads to another and he and Lucy have to look at their life choices and make changes. I loved that Kate brought into the story Chase Morgan from her Morgan Ranch series.

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

I requested this book for COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by Kate Pearce as it is the prequel to her brand new series, but I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the stories within. Fun, romantic and endearing tales that left this reader with a happy smile. I'm looking forward too more from all three authors.

Three very good Christmas stories in one book. The stories are ONCE THERE WAS A LAWMAN by Diana Palmer, Annalisa and FBI agent Tom's story. CHRISTMAS CREEK COWBOY * Delores Fossen, Sheriff Calen and Emmy's story. COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS * Kate Pearce, Caleb and Lucy's story. I enjoyed reading so I bought both the e-book and the Audible book to both listen to and read again.

ONCE THERE WAS A LAWMAN * Diana Palmer
The storyline was interesting with an easily deduced murder mystery to be solved and a not-too-bright murderer to be apprehended by FBI agent Thomas Kincaid, who falls under the spell of sweet, caring nurse Analissa Davis who lives next door to the hotel he is staying at and whose driveway he inadvertently blocks her exit from when she has to leave for work. Their initial confrontation leads to him stopping by her door after his day's investigating the murder he was sent to solve to get information on the area and those that live there, and he finds himself enjoying her company way more than he should while she makes sure that he gets a home-cooked meal before she leaves for work on the night shift at the local hospital. This was a slow-build sugary sweet, sex only-after-marriage, classic Diana Palmer novella.

CHRISTMAS CREEK COWBOY * Delores Fossen
I really, really liked this story and the characters of Calen and Emmy. It was a trope that has been done before, but Ms. Fossen was able to make it feel fresh, new, and interesting. The story flowed smoothly and never had any lags that would have caused the reader to lose interest. An overall lovely story that I was disappointed to have come to an end!

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS * Kate Pearce
This was a wonderfully written second-chance-with-the-one-that-always-seemed-unattainable-brother's-best-friend love story. Lucy has always had a thing for Caleb, but felt that he never really noticed her when they were growing up, and he would hang out with his best friend who also happened to be her older brother. Caleb is back in town though to help his father out on the family ranch and is stranded by a snowstorm before he can make the drive out of town to the ranch property. Luckily for him, Lucy now owns and manages the local B&B that she inherited from her grandmother and has plenty of rooms available due to the terrible weather. This was a beautiful story and I loved how it was gradually revealed to the reader how the attraction had always been mutual, but the circumstances in his life and that ever so pesky bro-code kept Caleb from acting on it until the opportunity so ideally presented itself now. Warm-fuzzies abound!

Each of the novellas in this collection were written by well-known and very talented authors that leave the reader with a feeling of peace and contentment long after the last word has been finished.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book, which was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I enjoyed reading this story.

I requested a review copy of this book because of Kate Pearce’s story, Coming Home for Christmas and my rating is based solely on this story. I loved the Morgan Ranch books so I knew that I wanted to read this as soon as I heard about it.

This is a novella length story with a brother’s best friend / best friend’s younger sister trope. There isn’t a lot of time for character development and it’s pretty much an insta-love story, but I don’t mind those the way that some people do.

Caleb is sort of estranged from his father but is coming back to see him at Christmastime. His car breaks down so he seeks shelter at the B&B now run by his best friend’s little sister. Lucy has been crushing on Caleb since forever and welcomes into her B&B.

The story moves along at a good pace and there’s a nice amount of sexy time. There’s also a brief appearance from a Morgan Ranch character which was fun. There were a couple of characters introduced in this story that I can envision getting their own book at some point and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

This is a collection of three short reads set around Christmas. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say I enjoyed each story. Once There Was A Lawman is Thomas and Annalisa’s story. Christmas Creek Cowboy gives us Calen and Emmy’s story. Coming Home For Christmas is Caleb and Lucy’s story. Grab your copy and get ready to fall in love with these wonderful characters by three of my favorite authors.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Christmas Eve Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen and Kate Pearce. The book is made up of three novels based around Christmas. The novels were fun to read and Just long enough to finish in one sitting.

ONCE THERE WAS A LAWMAN * Diana Palmer
FBI lawman Thomas Kincad Jones is determined. He is investigating a death and is determined to solve the crime and head back to the city. Instead he meets Annalisa Davis. Annalisa Davis does not want to fall for anyone who is not going to stay and who is likely to be shot. However, the Christmas season is going to bring changes to both of them.

CHRISTMAS CREEK COWBOY * Delores Fossen
Sheriff Calen Jameson is laminating his least favorite time of the year. Emmy Kendrick agrees as both of their exes left them for each other and did so in a very public and “naked way”. However Calen and Emmy seem to be heating things up and maybe it is time to rethink this best friends only thought.

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS * Kate Pearce
I love reading Kate Pearce books. In this novella, Caleb Erickson is going home for Christmas. Only his vehicle breaks down and he is stranded at a nearby Bed and Breakfast with Lucy Smith. She used to follow Caleb and her brother everywhere and was quite a pest. Interestingly Caleb is not seeing her as a pest any longer.

All three stories are fun reads. Enjoy reading Christmas Eve Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen and Kate Pearce.

It's a collection of Christmas themed stories and I really think this book has a story for everyone. So if you like Christmas + cowboys and short love stories... this is the book.

Once There Was a Lawman by Diana Palmer (3 stars) – FBI Agent Thomas Kincaid Jones is after the person responsible for the death of a woman who was kidnapped and who died from exposure. Meeting Annalisa Davis was not in his plans as he is anxious to head back to Chicago. Annalisa is able to provide information about the deceased victim which gives him a lead on who might have been responsible for her kidnapping and death. Will he be able to leave Annalisa behind and return to Chicago?
Christmas Creek Cowboy by Delores Fossen (4 stars) – Emmy Kendrick finds missing mail sacks in the home she purchased from Sheriff Calen Jameson’s father. Why did his father hide mail in the attic and when will the U.S. Post Office give permission to deliver the letters, some of which are over two decades old? One letter will lead Calen to a family member that he was unaware of and another one might just make a difference in his future.
Coming Home for Christmas by Kate Pearce – (4 stars) – Lucy Smith is planning on spending Christmas by herself in the B&B that she inherited from her grandmother. A storm has closed the roads, but Caleb Erickson has made is to the B&B before his truck dies. As Lucy and Caleb become better acquainted, he begins to unwind from the stress of running his successful tech business. Will he make peace with his father and remember the joy of Christmas on the ranch, with Lucy? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

CHRISTMAS EVE COWBOY by Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen & Kate Pearce
This is a compilation of Christmas Cowboy stories. These are all very well written and each one is very enjoyable. All 3 of these authors are new to me, but I will be looking for more of their books. This is 4 stars.

Christmas Eve Cowboy contains three novellas.
Once Upon a Lawman is by Diana Palmer. Annalissa falls for Tom Jones, an FBI agent who is about 10 years older than she. Tom is in small town Colorado investigating the death of a kidnapped woman. That is a sad piece to this story.
Christmas Creek Cowboy is by Delores Fossen. Emmy Kendrick has loved Calen Jameson for a long time. This Christmas season will bring them together. Throw in some misbehaving by relatives, friends and townsfolk and you have an interesting story.
Coming Home for Christmas is by Kate Pearce. Lucy Smith is running her grandmother’s B&B and having a lot of bad luck. Caleb Erickson comes home for Christmas reluctantly because his relationship with his dad is strained. He gets stranded in town and stays with Lucy. Love gets it’s chance.
Each story has some reason for why things shouldn’t work out, but in a romance you know it’s got to.
There is sex in each story.
If you like romance and Christmas time stories give Christmas Eve Cowboy a try.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

The Christmas book releases are in full swing now and the anthology Christmas Eve Cowboy starts it all off with two of my favorite authors’ novella-length stories ( three authors in this one but frankly I no longer read one’s stories for my own reasons – but the other two make up for that rather quickly).

I loved the touches of mystery in Delores Fossen’s Christmas Creek Cowboy and in Kate Pearce’s Coming Home for Christmas. When an author combines an intriguing mystery along with a romance that touches my heart, well, I’m all in favor of that combination.

I had fun with these stories full of Christmas charm, some sizzling chemistry, a touch of mystery to puzzle out, and couples who simply fit together in the best way. It’s a great way to start off my Christmas reading season and if you love Christmas and Modern Western Romance then you’ll want to check this anthology out for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent.*

Christmas Eve Cowboy is a Christmas anthology by three accomplished romance writers. From a short story to a novella there is a story for everyone in this collection. Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen, and Kate Pearce give wonderful easy but quick read to get one in the holiday spirit.

The first story, Once There Was a Lawman is classic Diana Palmer. A bit of a suspense with a FBI agent finding love when he least expected it and was not looking for it. Christmas Creek Cowboy by Delores Fossen is a fun story that really enjoyed. Sometimes love is right in front of you. Then last s the longer Coming Home for Christmas by Kate Pearce. A high school crush returns home. Now that they are grown, eyes and hearts are open to the gift of love.

Only a little suspense in some, drama in another, but mostly a whole lot of wonderful romance.

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.

Once again, I am tempted by an ARC of a compilation with a favorite author and an author whose writing doesn’t align with my reading preferences. As I learned to let myself do, I skipped that author’s story in this book. It’s better for me and the author that I do it that way. But, as you may know, I’m a huge fan of Kate Pearce and could not pass this up. To follow are my reviews of the other two stories in this book.

Christmas Creek Cowboy
by Delores Fossen

This is a new-to-me author although her name is so familiar I was shocked I hadn’t read any of her books before. I don’t know if this short story is a kick-off of a new series for her, but it sure could be. This is a sweet friends-to-lovers tale. Calen and Emmy have been friends forever and were even engaged to people who were good friends themselves. A little too good of friends, which brings us to a year later when Emmy and Calen are the subjects of pitying looks and gossip on the anniversary of the day their engagements imploded.

This couple is very believable. I was rooting for them to give in to their desires. Of course, there was a lot of them not wanting to ruin their friendship, but chemistry eventually wins out. On top of them trying to figure out their relationship with each other, there are bags of old undelivered mail discovered in Emmy’s attic and some of the letters could have huge ramifications for the senders and/or recipients. Including Calen and Emmy.

If this is the start of a series, I would love to see how these letters end up affecting the other townspeople. I’m a huge fan of the Christmas season, so a whole town named after things to do with the holiday seems like fun to me. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the intimate scenes. It almost seemed as though the author was not comfortable writing them? Seems odd since she has such a vast library of published work. But since I haven’t read her other books I don’t know if she usually does behind closed doors stories. I ended up thinking this story would have been better off leaving those scenes off the page. ~ 4 stars

Coming Home for Christmas
by Kate Pearce

How can you go wrong with this story? Snowed in, brother’s best friend, unrequited lifelong crush, grumpy/sunshine. This story was just what I want in a Christmas romance.

Caleb’s truck breaks down just as he rolls into town, but before he can make it to his father’s ranch. Nobody is around as they are smack dab in the middle of a blizzard so he makes his way over to the local B&B, the establishment his best friend’s grandmother owned. Only Caleb is not aware that his best friend’s little sister Lucy now runs the place. Poor Lucy, the year has been full of bad weather leading to canceled bookings. Her first year as the proprietor of her grandmother’s beloved B&B and she is afraid she’s not going to be able to keep the doors open much longer if her luck doesn’t change.

Lucy and Caleb are so great together, at least once Caleb thaws out. Lucy is always wanting to help others and makes a point to show a brave face to the world when it comes to her own troubles. Caleb can see through that tough exterior and makes sure to show Lucy that she is worth the time and effort that so many seem to not give her. At the same time, Lucy helps Caleb to navigate the tough relationship he has with his father so both Caleb and his father can learn to show the love and respect they have for one another.

This is a sweet holiday romance with some fire and butterflies thrown into the mix. The perfect short story for the upcoming season.
~5 stars

This anthology starts of with Once There Was a Lawman by Diana Palmer. FBI Agent Tom Jones doesn't believe in love, is a grinch about Christmas and is currently in a small town. He thrives on the noise in Chicago where he lives. Annalisa Davis is a nurse and doesn't believe she should be able to ask for help personally. These two battered souls also want the same thing, to find out who killed Julia Downing. Tom kept reminding Annalisa that he was to old for her and that he was going back to Chicago when it was done. Be careful what you wish for.
Christmas Creek Cowboy by Delores Fossen. Sheriff Calen Jameson is not looking forward to Christmas this year. He has put out that there will be no holiday greetings towards him. Emmy Kendrick is in the same boat as the sheriff. All the towns busy bodies tongues are wagging because mail bags were found in the attic of Waylon Jameson's old house. People are afraid of the letters and packages that were mailed and never delivered. Several hints were given to people to make things right. The one letter is one Emmy sent to Calen. Can they transition from friends to more?
Coming Home For Christmas by Kate Pearce. Caleb Erickson is on his way home. His father and him don't get along much since Caleb's mother died. Lucy Smith has inherited her grandmothers B&B. She has a positive outlook on life even though she feels like she's letting her grandmother down. Due to weather and other incidents she afraid she might have to close the place. Now old nemesis is back. It doesn't help that she's had a crush on Caleb. It's going to take locking Caleb and his father to make them talk to each other. The same for Lucy's family. In the end, they were meant to be.

This book consisted of three short stories. It was a quick, easy read. Perfect for those times when you want to read but don't have much time.

Three great holiday stories by three famous authors. Love us in the air for the holidays and these heartwarming stories will certainly get you in the holiday spirit.

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

It's tradition.

Three holiday novellas from Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen and Kate Pearce. deliver a winter punch.
I couldn't ask for a better present in this little yearly gem.
From law enforcement to a grumpy sunshine, unrequited crush, there's something for everyone to read with a Christmas setting.
Recommend.