I love Jennie Marts writing! When I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it. I can't wait to see everyone love the characters as much as me.

The perfect Christmas read that will leave you smiling at the end and many laugh out moments. A second chance romance between Holt ( Mr Grinch) and Lainey (Miss Sunshine), who have unresolved issues from when they were younger, will it still haunt them as they move forward in their relationship. With the menagerie of farm animals, who really think they are human, will bring a pure delight in their antics.

This is the sixth book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend this book.

I adore this author and all her cowboy romances! This one was so good! I’m usually insecure of second chances but Jennie always comes through!:) This romance had all the holiday vibes with hot coco, snow, mistletoe, and sleigh rides! Holt has Christmas since his heart was broke on Christmas Eve. He’s living on his cousins ranch. Lainey is how he has loved since he was 10, but thought she was gone for good when they were teens. So it was a shock when Lainey has returned. These two will work together for the holiday season. I adored that Holt was grumpy but has the biggest cowboy heart! Lainey is in town to help her grandfather and bring the Christmas joy! I really enjoyed watching these two become friends again and fall in love! They are such a perfect match! All in all a great holiday cowboy romance!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a second chance romance set around Christmas. The book follows Holt who is down on his luck and also the guy who keeps getting dumped around Christmas Eve . While hiding out on his ranch in Creedence he doesn't expect to meet the one that got away. It takes a missing horse to bring two broken hearts together. I absolutely loved the setup, the season, the characters and the plot. Tis' the perfect read for a season of wonder , hope and healing.

A Cowboy Country Christmas has all the feels all wrapped up in the magic and mayhem of the Christmas season. I absolutely love this story full of love, hope and second chances.

Holt and Lainey have been in love since they were kids. Something tragic happened in high school one Christmas and a lot of confusion and broken hearts have kept these two souls separate for ten long years. A runaway horse brings Holt and Lainey back into each other’s orbit. Then it’s a wild roller coaster ride of Christmas cheer, nosey townsfolk, a grumpy cowboy Grinch, a sunshiny elf with a hand for helping everyone, a menagerie of quirky farm animals, and a love story desperately in need of a Christmas miracle.

The story is beautiful, fun, hilarious, heartfelt, heart wrenching, and packed full of Christmas spirit. The secondary characters are amazing and vital to the storyline. The animals are the real stars of the show! The love in this book is so raw and so beautifully fragile, I felt every high and low of Holt and Lainey’s story as if it were my own. It was a complete joy to read and I highly recommend this and every book by the author.

This is a Christmas Cowboy Romance, and this is the 6st book in the Creedence Horse Rescue Series. I have read and reviewed the first five books in this series before picking up this book. I really enjoyed reading this book and this series. I loved the characters in this book so much, and I love the animal characters in this series so much. The animals in this book are just so cute and funny which brings so much to this book. I really enjoyed the Christmas parts of this book as well. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Sourcebooks Casablanca) or author (Jennie Marts) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
Holt and Lainey’s story is one of heartache but also one of second chances. Holt came back home but never expected a chance encounter with Lainey when returning a horse to her Grandads farm.
It’s great to see Lainey again but when they avoid the past it could lead to another heartbreak. Do they finally mend their differences in order to move on together?

Another fun Creedence title from Marts. Lainey and Holt were the perfect combination of grumpy and sunshine with lots of second chance thrown in. A must read for the holiday season.
4.5 stars

"Kiss me like you mean it!"

What was Lainey McBride thinking? Would Holt remember, or would it ruin things?

Holt Callahan is living in the bunkhouse on his cousin's Heaven Can Wait Horse Rescue ranch. For Holt, it's the most awful time of the year because he hates Christmas. Twice, he has been ditched on Christmas Eve by those he thought he could start a life with. One of those mishaps just happened to return a decade later, whom he encounters after returning a black horse to the Mountainside Ranch. Lainey and Holt met as kids, but by junior year, their relationship deepened with talk of marriage and a future. Then Lainey was gone, and Holt's heart was broken. Here she was again!

Lainey McBride has returned to Creedence, Colorado, to lend a hand at her grandfather's ranch. Her grandfather held the Christmas Festival yearly, and this was the first year without her grandmother. Following her grandfather breaking his hip, Lainey stepped in to help in his absence. Lainey's departure all those years ago was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but she communicated with Holt, who was a no-show and broke her heart.

Lainey ropes Holt into helping with the festival despite his lack of Christmas spirit. Little by little the two pick up where they left off, even though there are unanswered questions from the past. Secretly, both feel that maybe there is still a future for the two of them. Holt thaws towards the Christmas spirit.

Finally, when the time comes to address the past, Lainey and Holt's emotions get in the way, and an angry outburst leads to a split. After finding their way back to each other, can they overcome the hurt to hear what the other is saying?

This was a feel-good, humorous second-chance story! I loved the elderly ladies flirting with Holt and then working magic to add a little Christmas cheer courtesy of a mistletoe. I love the newest addition to the rescue ranch-- a fainting goat! A great addition to the book series!

I received an advanced reader's copy and voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is the sixth Creedence Horse Rescue book
And is such a great read, I hope you'll look.
A teen romance had a horrid end
Where both thought they'd been let down by a special friend.

Twelve years later, they meet once more
Could this be a chance for their romance to explore?
Holt Callahan hates Christmas after all he's been through
Can Lainey McBride help to change his point of view?

A beautiful, festive, second chance romance
Where a Grinch is helped to give Christmas another chance.
Secrets from the past are at last revealed
And teen heartbreak has an opportunity to be healed.

A great read that is full of laughter
With great hopes for a happily ever after.
I really enjoyed every page in this book
And hope you'll also give it more than a look.

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you -
Such an adorable read - as I share my honest review.

Laney McBride has come back to help run her family's Christmas event at their ranch since her grandfather was laid up. Her first day does not start off well as she is missing a horse, she finds it at the Heigbhors ranch which is Holt Callahan. He does not like Christmas for many different reasons. One is her and the second is an ex who dumped him on Christmas Eve. He helps Lainey though and as it turns out ends up helping her most every day. During this time things are revealed from the past which makes this a better book, and questions for both of them will get answered. Will it make a difference all of these years later? Read this story to find out.

A Cowboy Country Christmas is the sixth book in the Creedence Horse Rescue novels by Jennie Marts. Holt Callahan had recently returned to Creedence after a long stint on the rodeo circuit. Back in Creedence, Holt has taken up residence at his cousin Bryn Callahan’s Heaven Can Wait horse rescue ranch. With Holt in residence in the remodeled bunk house, Bryn and her boyfriend Zane Taylor are able to travel as needed to rescue horses to bring back to the ranch.

One morning Holt is able to do a rescue of his own when a large black horse comes running through the ranch. Able to corral the horse, he discovers it is from the neighboring Mountainside Ranch. In fact, this is the horse they depend upon for their winter sleigh rides at their winter festival. Upon wrangling the errant horse, Holt guides it back to Mountainside. However, when Holt arrives he finds his one time love, Lainey McBride, rather than her grandfather Walter, is in charge. It seems Walter is in rehab at a nearby Senior Living center and Lainey has come to manage the festival, the main ranch moneymaker.

Neither Lainey nor Holt are pleased to see the other. But the Callahans have pledged to help with the festival and Bryn and Zane have been called to Montana for a big rescue and it is now up to Holt to do whatever is necessary to help Lainey make it a success. Initially neither of them is pleased by this turn of events, but each finds closure from their teens and a future that may just be exactly perfect for them.

This is a very good story! The characters and stories of Creedence are always interesting and never disappoint. I very much enjoyed this book and certainly do recommend it!

I enjoy this author’s book, not that I am an expert on her writing. I read this expecting a heartwarming story of Christmas. For the most part, Marts delivered.

Holt is a bitter man. After being let down by love twice during the holidays, he doesn’t like the holidays at all, but worse, his entire life seems colored by his bitterness. Imagine his surprise when his high school love from when he was 16 returns unexpectedly.

Without giving away everything, the two engage in a deepening relationship that is always capped by knowing she will leave in a short time. There is a frustration that every time she attempts to discuss the past, there is an interruption.

Then the past comes out and he acts like a big baby. For me, if a man acted like this, it would be a relationship ended. If he can’t pull his head out of his…. Let me rephrase. If he can’t show emotional maturity to imagine her horrendous situation at age 15, then lose the jerk. Because come on, they were both young teenagers and it’s been YEARS.

So Ms Marts, You lost me on this one. The hero is no hero, he is a loser. Complete turnoff. His bitterness and narcissism rules his life. Lainey needs to see the red flags and run to a new man. There is no Merry Christmas here, even if there shows one in the book.

I get tired of huge “red flags” playing out as “romantic” over and over in romance books. Women read these unhealthy things and are subliminally told it’s ok, and so they ignore them in real life. Yes, she told him to leave, but then he came right back. That’s my rant for today.

Holt and Lainey were HS sweethearts and planned to marry. Then one day changed their lives. Instead of meeting at the annual Holiday Hoedown dance, Lainey is whisked away by her mother to escape her abusive stepfather. She left Holt a note in their special meeting spot explaining why she left and where to meet on her 18th birthday if he still loves her. He never shows and she's heartbroken.

He becomes a Rodeo star that grows to hate Christmas as bad things happen. Flash ahead 12 years and she returns home to take over the annual Christmas festival occurring on his ranch after her grandfather falls and is sent to rehab. They accidentally meet and rekindle the relationship. But they both have questions about the fateful day she disappeared without any further contact.

Can they get over past hurts to understand what happened and why? You'll have to read it to find out : It's worth it!

Although I received a free ARC ebook, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This really is the ultimate feel good Christmas romance. Lainey loves Christmas whilst Holt is a bit of a grinch, due to some bad experiences. There is a gorgeous rural setting with the kind of community focused small town that we all secretly want to live in. Add in cute kids and some adorable animals and this book ticks all the boxes - I loved it!

A Cowboy Country Christmas was a heartwarming, second chance romance. With characters that will find their way into your heart and a cast of animals that will make you laugh and smile, I can’t recommend this book enough. With sleigh rides, hot cocoa, snow, mistletoe and so much more, this festive heartfelt book is exactly what you need around the holidays!

Holt snapped the reins and gave Merry a cluck, and the sleigh burst forward, the runners gliding easily along the freshly fallen snow. Lainey laughed with delight, and he knew he would do just about anything, even wear a stupid jingling Santa hat, to hear her laugh like that again.

Holt Callahan hated Christmas after having his heart ripped out on Christmas Eve. He currently found himself living on his cousin’s ranch, in the adorable small town of Creedence, Colorado. Yet one day on the ranch, Holt came face to face with the woman from his past. Her name was Lainey McBride and her grandparents owned the ranch next to his cousin’s. Colt had been in love with Lainey since he was 10 years old. He thought she had left for good when they were teenagers. So he was shocked to see her back, and dressed as one of Santa’s elves. When Lainey asked Colt to help her out with some Christmas festivities, he couldn’t say no to her. It had felt like no time had passed since he had been around the woman he loved. And from that one moment, it led them on a path to a beautiful second chance!

She’d shredded his emotions and pretty much wrecked him for years. Maybe still. But she was here now, smiling up at him, and that was all that mattered.

I adored Holt! He was a grumpy, sexy, cowboy who was such a good man and had the biggest heart. He worked around his cousin’s ranch and loved the animals he spent his time with. So I couldn’t understand what happened to make Lainey stand him up at the dance when they were younger. She had shattered his heart. But even with his heart hurt, and with questions about the past, Holt found himself smiling more when he was around Lainey. I loved that he messed with her. His banter and teasing was smile inducing and made me laugh. And I loved even more that he helped Lainey out every time she needed it.

A little flicker of something that felt like hope bloomed in her chest, and she couldn’t keep the smile from broadening across her face. It had been a lot of years since she’d flirted with Holt Callahan, but it still felt as easy as falling into a mountain lake on a hot summer day.

Lainey found herself back in Creedence at her Grandparents ranch. Every year they put on Christmas celebrations that countless people came to and helped fund their ranch for half of the year. Yet with her Grandma’s passing and her Grandpa’s broken hip, Lainey stepped up to pull off the Christmas magic! I liked Lainey right away, yet I paused when we got to listen to her thoughts too. I didn’t understand why she thought Holt had abandoned her. So as I was waiting for the past to meet the present, I loved how strong and brave Lainey was. How she had the biggest heart too. And that Lainey seemed to be falling back in love with Holt all over again, while also helping him fall in love with Christmas.

He let go of her hair, and his fingers trailed softly over her neck and along her jawline. Her lips parted, and she sucked in a quick breath as his thumb grazed across her bottom lip.

It was beautiful to watch how Lainey and Holt’s friendship rekindle so quickly. It was like they never were apart. Except for the fact that there was a huge elephant in the room about why they parted ways to begin with. But with touches, glances and kisses under the mistletoe, I loved watching their love for one another come back and continue to grow. On top of Lainey and Holt we also got to see so many characters from the previous book and even the other series too. Do you need to read the previous books in this series or the one before it? Nope! But I can’t recommend them enough! Aunt Sassy was hilarious as ever! I loved seeing someone all the way back from Caught Up in a Cowboy! And getting to see HEA’s for characters in the Creedence Horse Rescue previous books was so beautiful! I had happy tears over getting to see how their stories played out! But there was also moments of laughter with the animal antics. With a dog rescue, a fainting goat and even a camel, along with our favorite tiny horse, pig and goat this book had it all! Ohhhh and my favorite moment was the nativity scene. I was laughing so hard that I had tears pouring down my face.

He closed his eyes and dropped his chin as if her touch caused him physical pain. She started to pull her hand away, but he caught it in his and held her fingers to his lips, pressing a hard kiss against them. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered against her palm, his voice husky and raw with emotion.

A Cowboy Country Christmas ended with the most wonderful happily ever after! And with baking cookies, ugly Christmas sweaters and trees, this book was filled with all the Christmas cheer! Plus a Christmas miracle that will bring tears to your eyes! I absolutely adored this story and I love that whenever I pick up a book by Jennie Marts, it is always filled with so much heart and love! I can’t wait to read whatever she releases next!

PS They talked about hot cocoa with crushed-up candy canes stirred in and then sprinkled on top of the marshmallows and OH MY GOSH! This sounds amazing! Why I’ve never had that before is beyond me but I’m making this for me and my little boys ♥!

I loved every minute of Holt and Lainey's second chance love story! They were perfect together, and all of the animals were so adorable. One of my favorite scenes was Esme at the live Nativity. So funny!

I will start off saying that I did not know this was part of a series so if you read this and not the others it won't be hard to find or follow what's going, however if the other books in the series are like this one you will want to read them because the group of characters are so fun to follow. Now on to my review. I did feel like the "situation" with Holt and Lainey went on a little to long and I wished it had played out a different way. I really liked Lainey she did have a big heart and truly was just this breath of fresh air wherever she went. She made sure to always include and care for anyone she crossed paths with. Holt was this grumpy gus but honestly I was laughing and rolling my eyes at his antics because it felt like it was more for show then that's who he wanted to be betrayed at. In the beginning the chemistry between these two was explosive and the author did not disappoint keeping it going. I loved all the sub characters in the book they added such a fun factor into the story, but my favorite where the animals I laughed so hard at the antics of them for sure. I think hands down the two characters that stole the "show" were Winnie and Esme I could not stop laughing when they made appearances and you truly never know what was going to be said or done next. Overall this was really cute story and I would say worth the read. I will say that there is sex in this story so it may not be suitable for all readers.

A Cowboy Country Christmas by Jennie Marts
Book 6 of the Creedence Horse Rescue series, a spinoff of The Cowboys of Creedence series. Contemporary western romance. Can be read as a stand-alone, but family and couples from prior books appear briefly in the final chapter of this book.
Holt Callahan is a Christmas holiday Grinch. He’s been dumped at Christmas more than once. Lainey McBride is the exact opposite. She loves the holidays and has come home to run the Christmas event at the family farm while her grandfather is away. Lainey and Holt fall into old childhood patterns of spending their time together and soon find their hearts involved. But they haven’t discussed what happened back when she first left town, both of them heartbroken.

Sentimental and touching. But they needed to talk about the past! Heartwarming family ending. Love the little goat and the donation they received for future care of it.

I love knowing how the hero feels:
“Her nearness could send jittery nerves spiraling through his stomach that made him feel like a love-crazed teenager”.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

A Cowboy Country Christmas continues the Creedence Horse Rescue series with the story of young lovers, each believing their love had been betrayed, tossed aside without reason, only to be unexpectedly reunited during the Christmas season. Emotions run high in Lainey and Holt’s story, from anger and tears to laughter and passion and finally to understanding and forgiveness. It’s quite a journey for this couple and for the reader as well. I was so easily caught up in their romance, and watching real love work its way back into their lives once again was a road filled with potholes, but the destination was well worth the rocky road they had to travel.

Although I will always suggest reading a series in order if at all possible, you could read Holt and Lainey’s story as a standalone title for any characters from the previous stories are explained enough within the dialogue or narrative that you wouldn’t feel lost. We’ll run into some familiar faces for those who have read the previous books, and for that, I’m always grateful to catch up a bit.

What I enjoyed most about A Cowboy Country Christmas was something so simple yet so very true for some people. In spite of circumstances, real love between two people will find a way to show itself again if risks are taken, if trust can be rebuilt, if or when the entire truth about the past can be faced, dealt with, and moved on from. And if it’s not obvious, yes, sometimes love does take some work, commitment, and even a few miracles along the way… but it’s always worth fighting for, no matter what obstacles are tossed in the way. I experienced all of that and more within Holt and Lainey’s romance. I won’t go into details of the storyline because I feel each reader should discover this love story on their own… but what a story full of love this one was. Sometimes, the best of intentions lead us right back to where we began.

If you love a story full of laughter and tears, anger and forgiveness, of seeing two people who really do belong together fight their way back to their happiness – then you will love this romance. Plus, there are probably all the Christmas cheer, shenanigans, and miracles you’d want to find in a romance taking place during the most magical time of the year. I’m still smiling over a fainting goat… just wait, you’ll see. I had a blast back in this world, and I’m definitely waiting for the next visit to the Creedence Horse Rescue.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*