Regina (virgosun) reviewed Dreaming of a Western Christmas: His Christmas Belle / The Cowboy of Christmas Past / Snowbound with the Cowboy (Harlequin Historical, No 1251) on + 888 more book reviews
A warm and fuzzy Christmas-themed romance is a perfect way to get your holiday season into gear. This anthology sounded promising, and while I'm familiar with only one of the authors, all turned out to be enjoyable reads, too.
His Christmas Belle - An ex-military cowboy must escort a sheltered Southern belle to Oregon to join her fiancé. Brand, irritated with the assignment, thinks the trail is no place for a delicate woman; however, Suzannah wants to prove him wrong. I got a kick watching the two of them get on each other's nerves, but not once did I get irritated with them. I loved how Brand tried to convince Suzannah to ditch her fiancé. He really fell hard for her.
The Cowboy of Christmas Past - After serving years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Levi heads back to the woman he never stopped loving and lost to another man. Ada made a hard choice and paid a high price. Now a widow with a child and living on the fringe of society, she never expected Levi to reenter her life. Their reunion was a tender tale of forgiveness, understanding, and second chances.
Snowbound With the Cowboy - This one is easily the best of the three. A charming story of how a tragic turn of events inadvertently led a cowboy to fulfill the Christmas wishes of a handful of orphans and their caregiver. Joe's childhood circumstances helped him to understand theirs, if only he could convince Mary to accept his very loving solution. Watching these kids get their miracles warmed my heart and made me chuckle more than once. Other than a few religious references that I found slightly distracting, this one was delightful!
Overall, this charming collection of feel-good stories makes a perfect addition to your holiday season.
His Christmas Belle - An ex-military cowboy must escort a sheltered Southern belle to Oregon to join her fiancé. Brand, irritated with the assignment, thinks the trail is no place for a delicate woman; however, Suzannah wants to prove him wrong. I got a kick watching the two of them get on each other's nerves, but not once did I get irritated with them. I loved how Brand tried to convince Suzannah to ditch her fiancé. He really fell hard for her.
The Cowboy of Christmas Past - After serving years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Levi heads back to the woman he never stopped loving and lost to another man. Ada made a hard choice and paid a high price. Now a widow with a child and living on the fringe of society, she never expected Levi to reenter her life. Their reunion was a tender tale of forgiveness, understanding, and second chances.
Snowbound With the Cowboy - This one is easily the best of the three. A charming story of how a tragic turn of events inadvertently led a cowboy to fulfill the Christmas wishes of a handful of orphans and their caregiver. Joe's childhood circumstances helped him to understand theirs, if only he could convince Mary to accept his very loving solution. Watching these kids get their miracles warmed my heart and made me chuckle more than once. Other than a few religious references that I found slightly distracting, this one was delightful!
Overall, this charming collection of feel-good stories makes a perfect addition to your holiday season.
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
His Christmas Belle by Lynna Banning
Nursemaid to a spoiled Southern belle isn't how loner Brand Wyler imagined spending Christmas. But beautiful Suzannah's intrepid spirit makes him feel less empty insideâ¦
Good story of opposites attracting. Brand is a former military scout who was unwillingly called back to duty to escort Suzannah to Oregon to join her fiancé. Brand is grieving the loss of his sister and in no mood to make nice with the spoiled woman. Suzannah is determined to do what she must to reach her fiancé. Brand is quite rude and not particularly considerate of Suzannah's inexperience in western ways, fully expecting her to wimp out within hours of starting the trip. Suzannah is stubborn and determined, and won't let Brand kept her from her goal.
I loved seeing Brand and Suzannah butt heads at the beginning, and how Suzannah's pride wouldn't let her give in. I loved seeing her change from spoiled miss to strong western woman. Some of her actions were pretty amusing, especially when you could see how they got to Brand. Brand didn't expect to like Suzannah, much less fall in love with her. I liked his growing respect for her determination, and how she worked her way into his heart. The ending was fun and very satisfying.
The Cowboy of Christmas Past by Kelly Boyce
Ada had left her dreams of cowboy Levi MacAllistair behind. Until one Christmas he arrives injured on her doorstep! Maybe it's time for Ada to reveal the truth about their sonâ¦
Levi had served years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. When the truth finally came out and he was released, all he wanted was to see Ada again. Thanks to tangling with a bear and fighting a blizzard, he arrived at her house at the end of his rope. When Levi had been sentenced to prison, Ada had a difficult choice to make. She made the only one she could at the time, and married another man. Now she is a widow with a young son, barely eking out their existence. Levi was the last person she expected to turn up at her doorstep.
Though she tried to resist him, her love for Levi had never died. As she nursed him back to health, it was easy to see that their feelings for each other were as strong as ever. I loved watching them talk about their pasts and realize that there hadn't been any way for them to be together. I loved seeing Levi connect with Ada's son. They were really terrific together. Levi's shock and anger were understandable when he found out the truth. The ending was intense, as a crisis provided Levi with the insight he needed to understand Ada's actions. I loved seeing them come together as a family.
Snowbound with the Cowboy by Carol Arens
Mary Blair's Christmas wishes come true when Joe Landon seeks shelter from the snow. The handsome cowboy wants to adopt the orphans in her care. The catch: he needs a wife!
This story was terrific. Joe was caught in a blizzard on his way back to his mother's ranch. He stumbled on a fatal wagon accident, where the only survivors were a dog and an infant. He made it as far as the parsonage, where he took shelter. Mary is a nanny who had been hired by the preacher to care for several orphans while he was away on his honeymoon. She loves the children and tried to figure out how to make their Christmas wishes come true. Things look bleak for them, as the preacher's new wife has no interest in caring for the children and they are slated for the next orphan train.
Joe's unexpected arrival seems destined to fulfill some of those wishes, as some of the kids had wished for a dog, a horse, a pa and a ma. Mary is also overcome by the presence of the baby, as she has given up on the idea of ever having children of her own. I loved seeing Mary and Joe grow closer. His kindness and connection to the children were wonderful, partly made possible by his own childhood. It was clear that he and Mary were falling hard for each other, but Mary refused to believe that he would love her if he knew the truth about her. I loved his persistence and his initial method of getting his foot in the door with her. I ached for both of them as she fought her feelings. The ending was awesome, as Joe's mother helped Mary see the truth, and a crisis involving little Maudie brought it all into sharp focus. Christmas morning was fantastic, with an unexpected twist involving Maudie.
Nursemaid to a spoiled Southern belle isn't how loner Brand Wyler imagined spending Christmas. But beautiful Suzannah's intrepid spirit makes him feel less empty insideâ¦
Good story of opposites attracting. Brand is a former military scout who was unwillingly called back to duty to escort Suzannah to Oregon to join her fiancé. Brand is grieving the loss of his sister and in no mood to make nice with the spoiled woman. Suzannah is determined to do what she must to reach her fiancé. Brand is quite rude and not particularly considerate of Suzannah's inexperience in western ways, fully expecting her to wimp out within hours of starting the trip. Suzannah is stubborn and determined, and won't let Brand kept her from her goal.
I loved seeing Brand and Suzannah butt heads at the beginning, and how Suzannah's pride wouldn't let her give in. I loved seeing her change from spoiled miss to strong western woman. Some of her actions were pretty amusing, especially when you could see how they got to Brand. Brand didn't expect to like Suzannah, much less fall in love with her. I liked his growing respect for her determination, and how she worked her way into his heart. The ending was fun and very satisfying.
The Cowboy of Christmas Past by Kelly Boyce
Ada had left her dreams of cowboy Levi MacAllistair behind. Until one Christmas he arrives injured on her doorstep! Maybe it's time for Ada to reveal the truth about their sonâ¦
Levi had served years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. When the truth finally came out and he was released, all he wanted was to see Ada again. Thanks to tangling with a bear and fighting a blizzard, he arrived at her house at the end of his rope. When Levi had been sentenced to prison, Ada had a difficult choice to make. She made the only one she could at the time, and married another man. Now she is a widow with a young son, barely eking out their existence. Levi was the last person she expected to turn up at her doorstep.
Though she tried to resist him, her love for Levi had never died. As she nursed him back to health, it was easy to see that their feelings for each other were as strong as ever. I loved watching them talk about their pasts and realize that there hadn't been any way for them to be together. I loved seeing Levi connect with Ada's son. They were really terrific together. Levi's shock and anger were understandable when he found out the truth. The ending was intense, as a crisis provided Levi with the insight he needed to understand Ada's actions. I loved seeing them come together as a family.
Snowbound with the Cowboy by Carol Arens
Mary Blair's Christmas wishes come true when Joe Landon seeks shelter from the snow. The handsome cowboy wants to adopt the orphans in her care. The catch: he needs a wife!
This story was terrific. Joe was caught in a blizzard on his way back to his mother's ranch. He stumbled on a fatal wagon accident, where the only survivors were a dog and an infant. He made it as far as the parsonage, where he took shelter. Mary is a nanny who had been hired by the preacher to care for several orphans while he was away on his honeymoon. She loves the children and tried to figure out how to make their Christmas wishes come true. Things look bleak for them, as the preacher's new wife has no interest in caring for the children and they are slated for the next orphan train.
Joe's unexpected arrival seems destined to fulfill some of those wishes, as some of the kids had wished for a dog, a horse, a pa and a ma. Mary is also overcome by the presence of the baby, as she has given up on the idea of ever having children of her own. I loved seeing Mary and Joe grow closer. His kindness and connection to the children were wonderful, partly made possible by his own childhood. It was clear that he and Mary were falling hard for each other, but Mary refused to believe that he would love her if he knew the truth about her. I loved his persistence and his initial method of getting his foot in the door with her. I ached for both of them as she fought her feelings. The ending was awesome, as Joe's mother helped Mary see the truth, and a crisis involving little Maudie brought it all into sharp focus. Christmas morning was fantastic, with an unexpected twist involving Maudie.
jjares reviewed Dreaming of a Western Christmas: His Christmas Belle / The Cowboy of Christmas Past / Snowbound with the Cowboy (Harlequin Historical, No 1251) on + 3414 more book reviews
HIS CHRISTMAS BELLE (Lynna Banning) Brand Wyler does NOT want to go back to Oregon. He's recently had word that his sister has taken her life because of a man. He's not interested in taking a hot house plant to her betrothed in Oregon. Suzannah Cumberland isn't to pleased with her escort either. Brand is brusk, irritating and feels put upon by the colonel at the fort. He figures he can get Suzannah to cancel the trip if he makes it hard enough. To his surprise, Suzannah does not crater.
Over the weeks they are on the trail, the couple change from open dislike to grudging admiration to gentle affection. Brand starts telling Suzannah not to marry the man she is traveling to meet. At 119 pages, this is an interesting and well-fleshed out story. I think this story was the best of the bunch.
COWBOY OF CHRISTMAS PAST (Kelly Boyce) Just out of prison after 8 years, Levi just wants to see his old flame once before he goes on to Salvation Falls. Along the way, he gets too close to a bear that decides to attack Levi. It is freezing cold and Levi passes out near the steps of a small house.
Later, Levi learns that Ada married after Levi went to prison. Harlan Baxter has now died and Ada is alone with her son, Micah. This is a likable story. However, it's position after the excellent one by Lynna Banning took some of the shine off of this one.
SNOWBOUND WITH THE COWBOY (Carol Arens) This story is so wildly improbable that I hesitate to even take the time to explain it. If a man can be a 'Pollyanna' then Joe Landon is one. He decides that he wants to adopt 5 children, including one a few months old. Mary Blair just happens to be caring for the orphan children and has been worrying how to meet the Christmas wishes of the foundlings. You probably wouldn't believe the rest of the story, so I'll leave it.
It seemed a shame that the stories started great and got progressively worse. Maybe if these had been put in reverse order, they might have fared better. But Lynna Banning's story was so superior to the others, they didn't have a chance.
Over the weeks they are on the trail, the couple change from open dislike to grudging admiration to gentle affection. Brand starts telling Suzannah not to marry the man she is traveling to meet. At 119 pages, this is an interesting and well-fleshed out story. I think this story was the best of the bunch.
COWBOY OF CHRISTMAS PAST (Kelly Boyce) Just out of prison after 8 years, Levi just wants to see his old flame once before he goes on to Salvation Falls. Along the way, he gets too close to a bear that decides to attack Levi. It is freezing cold and Levi passes out near the steps of a small house.
Later, Levi learns that Ada married after Levi went to prison. Harlan Baxter has now died and Ada is alone with her son, Micah. This is a likable story. However, it's position after the excellent one by Lynna Banning took some of the shine off of this one.
SNOWBOUND WITH THE COWBOY (Carol Arens) This story is so wildly improbable that I hesitate to even take the time to explain it. If a man can be a 'Pollyanna' then Joe Landon is one. He decides that he wants to adopt 5 children, including one a few months old. Mary Blair just happens to be caring for the orphan children and has been worrying how to meet the Christmas wishes of the foundlings. You probably wouldn't believe the rest of the story, so I'll leave it.
It seemed a shame that the stories started great and got progressively worse. Maybe if these had been put in reverse order, they might have fared better. But Lynna Banning's story was so superior to the others, they didn't have a chance.
