A True Cowboy Christmas

I pretty much loved this book. A marriage of convenience story where one of the characters has loved the other from afar for years, Crews does a great job setting up the premise in a believable way and making you understand their reasons for entering into their arrangement. Both characters have some deep seated issues after their upbringings which makes it really hard for them to trust their new relationship. I adored Abby and my heart hurt for her,. I love a taciturn hero and Gray certainly fit the bill. I wanted to throttle him sometimes but he still made me swoon. There were some things I did not like as much, Gray's interactions with his brothers for one, but overall this book hit me in the feels and I loved it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an unconventional romance but still a wonderful story. And I recommend you read this book anytime if the year, not just Christmas. The holiday theme is integral to the storyline but not overbearing nor written throughout the whole book.

Gray is a rough and tough stereotypical cowboy who just buried his father. His upbringing certainly wasn't the best but he is a man of the land and wants his family legacy to continue as well as flourish. The only problem is he is a widower with a teenaged daughter and two annoying brothers. He knows he needs changes in his life. After the funeral, he walks back up to his home to find a neighbor, Abby, at the back door telling him she prepared a meal for the family. How had he never really seen her before? Can this man who was never been shown love nor taught compassion get this perfect woman?

Abby is a strong woman who has great friends and a very caring grandmother but a mother who always tries to tear Abby down. She has dealt with the abuse but unfortunately some of that has been internalized. While Abby is independent and successful in her life, she lacks a bit of self confidence.

These two embark on a life many in the modern world would drown upon. They both have issues which hold them back while also being very strong people. Can they pull this off or will it all come crashing down?

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this book. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. I am eager to learn about Gray's brothers and Abby's friends so I hope their stories will be coming. This novel has a well developed story line, nice flow, and relatable characters. It was a great start to a new series.

There was so much to love about this story, from Abby’s light, whit, purity of nature, unfiltered innocent belief in the goodness others deserved, a propensity to tell the truth no matter the cost to herself, and her unabashed love for Gray, to the darkness of Gray’s struggles to rid himself and his family of the venom that was his father’s legacy. By the conclusion of the couple’s story, Abby’s light out shown Gray’s darkness.

The emotions this story generated swung like a pendulum resulting in heartfelt laughter, tears, heartbreak, happiness and anger. The author created a story that gives the reader the gift of taking something away from this story...which would be different for each individual.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This is a heartwarming story with poignant moments that made me fall a bit in love with the characters. Sometimes you get everything you wished for, but nothing like you expected. Such is Abby's life when she takes a chance on Gray. Both of them are damaged by their toxic parents, yet Gray is struggling to raise his teenage daughter to be different - but he doesn't even know what that looks like.

I loved Gray and Abby's story and how they try to fit their broken parts together to create something new and whole. Their tale was at times sweet and others painful, yet that is what made it feel real. By the time I finished this book, I felt as though I had lived in their world for a bit.

When I picked up this novel, I expected a light romance. Instead, I got a romance filled with heart and depth that made me fall a bit in love with Gray. Fans of the genre will love this book. While its the first novel I've read by this author, it won't be the last. I'm already looking forward to her next book.

5 Stars.....
Loved this book so much! A very well written novel with great characters.

I knew from the first chapter this book would be a breath of fresh air. And I was not disappointed in my assumption. First I'll say that this was my first book by Caitlin Crews. I really loved everything about her writing style. Her descriptive monologues and scenes brought me right there to those Colorado mountains. I will add that this book is heavy on monologue. I would have like to read more dialogue from our hero and heroine. That said, I still loved this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. This series has two more brothers to match off. And I can only hope they are matched with Abby's two friends. Unfortunately I was not given any hints as to what is to come and whose story is next so I'll patiently wait and see. But I can assure you this author is on my watch list.

Gray and Abby.....
I won't summarize this book. The blurb gives you great insight as to how this will play out. Marriage of convenience is not a trope I often come across unless it's a historical romance. That's not to say I don't enjoy reading them. I do. Quite a bit, actually. Gray is a bit older than Abby, who is thirty herself. He has a teenage daughter, two alienated brothers and a whole ranch to run. After his father passes away, Gray feels the need for a change in his life. He doesn't want to be lonely. He wants companionship and to find a woman he can work along side without drama. Unfortunately for Abby, Gray does not want "feelings" involved. There is quite a bit of angst. A lot of chemistry. Abby is a wonderful character. Unfortunately while I liked Gray, I didn't love him until the end. But that is okay because otherwise this book would not have been as perfect. Gray had a lot of issues and he needed to come to terms with many aspects of his life. He especially needed to learn that loving Abby and allowing her to love him was currently the best thing that could happen to him. I don't want to spoil anything for you. That said, I will say that this is a book I would like to reread each Christmas. I loved it that much!

This is my honest and unbiased opinion. Thank you for taking the time read it. :)

“She was everything he wanted. She was so much more than he’d imagined.”

This is not your regular heartwarming Christmas novel. It’s emotional, deep, and sometimes heartwrenching. It’s not about Christmas traditions and all the goodness that comes during the holiday season. It will skim the holiday, but it’s more about two main characters who did not have warm, loving parents. They both were verbally/mentally abused growing up. The emotional scars come alive off the pages. Abby lacks self-esteem, Gray lacks compassion. They end up agreeing to, well basically, an old-fashioned arranged marriage. Gray is the perfect headstrong cowboy and Abby makes a perfect rancher’s wife for him. She’s strong in her own way and doesn’t change for him. Loved the characters and the secondary characters. It does have the Christmas miracle at the end but it was a struggle and a journey for them. I do have to say that what Gray does on Christmas morning makes me his biggest fan. I’m eager to read Gray’s brothers stories, especially Ty, an injured bull rider. I can see Abby playing an important role in helping heal the brothers who have drifted so far apart that they’re strangers. A True Cowboy Christmas is a fabulous cowboy romance.