So when I started prepping my  review of this latest release from Donna Grant, I kept thinking it was a novella. Then I looked and realized this book is over 300 pages in length. So one of the big things I can say about this story is that it moves quickly and it's definitely a story that sucks the reader in. When I started it, I felt like I was halfway through in no time at all. For me, I love stories that flow this well. 

Our story starts out with Clayton East avoiding calls from his mother, back in Texas. Clayton is an ex-Navy SEAL and is working in South Africa, protecting animals from poachers. (Yeah, I was swooning in the first chapter). Then he finally takes the call from his mother, where he learns the East Ranch is in major trouble. 

We then meet Abby Harper, where she's running to the police station because her brother, Brice, has been arrested. The crime? Stealing cattle from the East Ranch. Abby is devastated since she's been raising her brothers since she was 18. With a mother who ran out on them, Abby and her brothers only have each other. Clayton and Abby immediately have an attraction to each other. Clayton decides to extend a second-chance to Brice, by allowing him to work off his major debt to the ranch, instead of pressing charges against him. 

While this is happening, Clayton and his family are also dealing with the realization that their CPA embezzled a significant amount of money from them. Abby works for a different CPA in town as an assistant and starts helping Clayton look through the financial records for the ranch. 

"No, Abby Harper, I'm going to pay you what you should've been earning all this time. You're worth it." 

This quote really stuck with me while reading. Several times in the story, Clayton lets Abby know that she's worth it, and someone else's loss is his gain. Abby's brothers realize the sacrifices she's made for them, even though Abby never mentions it, never complains. So to see Clayton see these things in her, and make her feel valued and appreciated, it was like Abby was able to blossom when she was around the East family. This was especially heartwarming to see because as the reader goes along, you realize how much Abby really has done for her family. 

This story might be one of my favorite Christmas stories. You get all of the Christmas activity, but then we see forgiveness, fresh starts, love, and even suspense. This is a Christmas novel that any reader could enjoy because there is a little bit of something for everyone.

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant is a coming home story. Many people leave home when they become adults, so this is the time a year many return for a visit. However, in this case, Clayton East is needed for more than a visit. This is not a prodigal son returning home, especially since Clayton had been a Navy SEAL serving his country, not a selfish sibling who took half of the inheritance and run off to waste it. Clayton is an upstanding, tough but kind individual which makes this a wonderful hero story.

There is mystery, romance and family drama all packed into the story of Clayton and Abby. The pacing is quick in that something is always happening never a dull moment. Part of this is because it is a two-family story, Clayton’s and Abby’s, which I enjoyed. While the characters do their best neither is perfect, which also made it easy to identify with their lot in life.

I think of paranormal romance when I see the name of Donna Grant. However, she has written an excellent contemporary romance with some suspense added in The Christmas Cowboy Hero. An intriguing romantic read, not just at Christmas but could be enjoyed anytime.

This is my favorite scenario for a book. A military hero, whose a bit surly, and who goes back home to help his family with the ranch. Add a sweet heroine and I'm a goner.

The story was entertaining and sweet with enough suspense to keep the reader interested.

I received a copy for a honest review

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant is the first book in the Heart of Texas Series.

Meet Clayton East. He left the military and comes home to his family's ranch because of his father's health problems. But there are more problems awaiting him,much more.

Abby Harper is the guardian for her two teenage brothers and works hard to make ends meet. And then her brother Brice finds trouble, big big trouble. And this trouble put Abby in Clayton's path.

Both have this strong pull to each other.
The Christmas Cowboy Hero is a sweet love story, a beautiful romance novel with just the right amount of danger, drama and violence.
I love the story, I love the characters and I love their beautiful HEA.
I give 4,5 sweet stars and say thank you, Donna Grant.

This was my first book by Donna Grant. I received the copy via Netgalley for my honest opinion. I liked this book. It's not often you see a Navy Seal/cowboy. That caught my attention first. Clayton left the Seals to go home to run the family ranch because of his father's illness and the fact that someone had just rustled a significant number of cattle. Then there's the matter of the missing money. His digging into the problems leads him to Abby and her brother, who they all think knows something about the missing cattle. Clayton offers the boy the chance to work at the ranch instead of going to jail. Abby and her brother are also invited to the ranch, and all sort of relationships develop.
The sparks between Abby and Clayton were instantaneous! Bonus! This book had hot sexy times, lots of family, danger, intrigue, Christmas, horses and cowboys and honest-to-goodness love. What more could you ask for? I also loved the cover!!! It wasn't too heavy on the Christmas, so a good read for any time.

LOVED this book so much! Sweet, protective, ex-navy SEAL hero and a woman who is raising her two brothers - this was the perfect romance! I loved everything about this book! A little touch of suspense and a couple steamy scenes, this book was absolute perfection! Highly recommend!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

There was something about this book that just draws you in and wouldn't let me go until it was "the end".  This was very well written with characters that are very believable.  Abby is someone I could see in real life.  She is struggling with keeping a roof over her and her brothers heads.  Their mother left them once Abby graduated from high school.  I know I was thinking how could a mother do that, but eventually it went to how strong Abby has been all these years.  Clayton is a retired SEAL, who is sexy as hell. 

I can not wait to read more from Ms Donna Grant.  I love her writing!

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

There was chaos all around him, but she was the center of the storm. Calm, serene, exquisite.

Guys, it might be Halloween, but Christmas has come early in the form of Donna Grant’s The Christmas Cowboy Hero. Oh, come all ye (who love) faithful (romance), and meet one of the swooniest, sexiest, most heroic cowboys I’ve ever encountered—and I have encountered a lot in my reading-life.

Clayton East is . . . *sigh* just perfect. He has that brooding thing going on, but the way he loves and recognizes that feeling within himself—not to mention the way Abby and Clayton support and care for each other and Abby's brothers—is just so refreshing and delightful, I wanted this book to keep going and going and going forever.

Sadly, it had to end, but not before showering me with good feels in the form of loving family, strong men, smart women, and that easy way cowboy romances have. The relationships in this book were the centerpiece of a story that mixed mystery and suspense with life lessons and, of course, love, and they were just the thing this cowboy-lovin' reviewer needed.

And thankfully, The Christmas Cowboy Hero appears to be just the beginning—especially good since I was left with a few unanswered questions and a strong desire to head back to the East Ranch again. Perhaps that’s what I’ll ask Santa for this year—another swoony, sexy cowboy in another book by new-to-me author Donna Grant.

He refused to let her back down, pushing her in new, frightening directions. He saw her fears and worries and made some of them his own. He recognized her need and woke her desires.
And he appeared to have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

~ 4.5 Diamond STARS ~

Struggling to make ends meet is the least of Abby Harper’s concern right now. Not when her young brother has been arrested for stealing cattle. And not just any cattle either, but East Ranch cattle!

After her mother up and left them when she was just eighteen, Abby has worked herself raw to clothe, feed and properly raise her two younger brothers. Seeing her brother behind bars nearly breaks her and drives home the feelings of failure she has been harboring since waking up that fateful morning and finding herself thrust into the role of both sister and mother to two young boys.

Clayton East is home to help his parents unravel their own financial issues. Having the family CPA run off with all their money is bad enough, but when he received word that almost a hundred head of cattle have been stolen right under his trusting parents’ noses and it feels like the last straw.

But one look at Abby and a heartfelt interview with a misguided young man and Clay finds himself offering his own deal. Have Brice work off his debt at the East Ranch in the hopes of earning his trust and finding out where the cattle are being held in exchange for dropping the charges. His deal is two-fold. One being that he hopes to make a positive change in Brice and two, he’ll have an excuse to get to know Abby more. The electric charge he feels upon seeing her for the first time is too tempting to pass up.

With Christmas right around the corner and a new second chance for both Abby and Clay’s families, will a budding romance withstand some dangerous criminals bent on causing havoc?

What I loved:
Donna Grant writes amazing family orientated characters and the Harper/East families were above and beyond amazing. I loved reading about Abby and her brothers. Their love for each other was inspiring and frankly, a beautiful representation of family you don’t see all that often. The way they supported each other, gave so selflessly and loved unconditionally would have gotten five stars, alone, from me.

The East family was just as enjoyable to read and get to know. They were strong and united, in the good and the bad time,(even if Clay struggled on his own for a while) they cared deeply for each other and DG doesn’t just tell you this. You feel the emotion through the writing, letting you experience the family ties first hand.

Then there is the romance aspect of this story. I loved Abby and Clay! The progression of their romance from friends to lovers was so in sync with their characterizations. Their instant connection shot off sparks of electricity and heat that was undeniably yummy to read. When I started TCCH I was expecting a short novella type read but what I ended up getting was a nice meaty full blown novel that delivered everything it promised.

Christmas Romance ✔️
Sexy Cowboy ✔️
A great Hero ✔️
A strong and likable/lovable heroine ✔️
Great supporting Characters ✔️
Feel good vibes ✔️
HEA ✔️

Favorite Lines:
He didn’t know how, but he had to make her his, to ensure their hearts and souls were bound forever. No matter how long it took, no matter what he had to do, he would win her.

"Living a full life isn’t about keeping yourself safe and tucked away so nothing and no one can hurt you. You’ll end up alone and lonely. Life is about putting yourself out there to see what’s coming. You might get knocked down, but then you pick your a$$ back up and lift your chin, waiting for whatever’s next."

Memorable Moments:
Clay certainly has a way with words because he all but melts me into a puddle of gooey sappiness a few delicious times but his declaration of love to Abby steals the number one spot.

“I’m going to love you forever, Abby Harper. I’m going to love you so fiercely and so hard that you’ll never doubt us for one instant.”

Would I recommend? If you want a totally safe cowboy Christmas romance then a big fat YES! I loved The Christmas Cowboy Hero !

Donna Grant just gets better and better, I loved this Abby and Clayton have unmistakable chemistry and this was just the thing for a Christmas love story

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own opinion

I really loved and enjoyed The Christmas Cowboy Hero. It was the perfect book for this time of the year. I love reading Christmas time stories. I loved the story line and the characters. I thought they were perfect for each other. Cant wait to read more.

I enjoyed this book. Family plays a much bigger part to the story than I would have thought. But that made it even more appealing. Both Abby and Clayton are really good main characters. But other good characters are Abby's teenage brothers, Brice and Caleb. And Clayton's parents Ben and Justine are no slouches either.

Abby and Clayton have had a fair amount of responsibilities that rested on their shoulders. Abby's father died after a long illness. Then her mother bailed on the family leaving Abby as legal guardian to her brothers when she was only 18. Eight years have passed an she has done the best she could but it's been a big struggle. She loves them fiercely and has done the best she can doing without so many times. They do without a lot but not without love.
Clayton has his own struggles. Struggles that have kept him running instead of coming home. He just wasn't ready. But when he understands that he is needed and things are desperate at the ranch, he comes home right away.
There is plenty of action trying to discover what is going on with finding the master mind behind the stealing of the cattle and money. It kept me interested and so did the developing romance.
There is a H.E.A. all the way around.

Attractive eBook cover.

Three and a half
This is a classic prodigal son returns home story but with the added twist of some cattle rustling ! Plus it's all set in the run up to Christmas so expect sweet moments designed to melt the coldest heart.
This story actually had a lot going on with a cowboy/Seal hero returning home to the last place he really wants to be. Yet Clayton isn't the typical wounded hero no, he's simply a man tired of death with demons of his own . He's come home to help save his families ranch but quickly realises that it's going to take patience as he knows exactly who holds the answers he's looking for.
Abby is the soul carer of her two brothers but when one gets involved in cattle rustling she's way out of her depth and has never felt so alone. So when Clayton suggests her brother Brice can work off his debt it's a welcome relief but there's still the matter of who stole the cattle to solve .
Plenty of attraction going on between this couple and yes it's a wee bit cheesy at times but as a feel good Christmas story it worked. I enjoyed reading about the boys simple joy in learning about ranch life and the suspense added greatly but I did question how easy it was for everyone to accept that Brice although admitting to being involved wasn't pushed more for information . Plus I'm not sure if Abby's work colleagues were meant to be a red herring or not as it did seem at one point that things might connect. Whatever the author intended I can't fault the warm Christmas atmosphere and life at the ranch seemed idyllic and lets face it at this joyful time of year what could be better?
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

when clayton east is called back home to his family's ranch in the opening pages of the christmas cowboy hero, he's not sure he wants to face what awaits him there. his father has taken ill and the ranch's financials are in the toilet after their accountant embezzled the funds. on top of that, cattle rustlers have stolen a herd of pregnant cows and their sire which endangers the ranch's future.

brice harper might be the key to untangling the mystery, but he's only sixteen and in a whole heap of trouble. his older sister and surrogate mother, abby has been trying to make ends meet and keep her family together, but this trouble is too big for her to handle alone. and she has every expectation that the forbidding cowboy meeting with her to discuss brice's involvement in the whole scheme will end up throwing the book at her brother.

but instead he gives brice a second chance. and that gift keeps on giving as his family welcomes hers into its fold. when what brice knows becomes dangerous from abby and their younger brother, caleb. clayton does everything he can to keep the harpers safe, knowing that these three orphans will make his family whole again.

there's a lot of healing and a lot of holiday spirit in this heartwarming tale of love and second chances. one thing i loved is that the fate of the relationship wasn't held in suspense, instead the mystery of the cattle rustlers and the robbery providing the tension in the story. it was a nice, enjoyable read.

I am a huge fan of Donna Grant. I have read many of her books and I will continue to read her books because I do love her writing.

I don't usually like to read Christmas theme books early on but I read this book as soon as I received the advanced reader copy back in September because I just couldn't wait to read it.

The Christmas Cowboy Hero is book one of Heart of Texas series and I have to say that I do love this book. I love Abby and Clayton together.

If you are looking for a sweet Contemporary Romance book to read I think you will want to pick this one up.

I give this 5 out of 5

A new romance series from paranormal author Ms. Grant. In the spirit of the holidays it's a feel good story with just the right touch of spice and suspense. While food and presents may sometimes be scarce in the Harper household, there's no doubt about the love that keeps the siblings thriving.  It's quite a shock to Abby when her brother Brice is arrested for cattle stealing. Fortunately Clayton East is willing to give Brice a chance to work off the debt even as he hopes to find more details of the cattle rustlers. The instant attraction between Clayton and Abby is just the icing on the cake.
Being a navy seal, Clayton has seen his share of trouble in the hot spots of the world.  He's returned home to a father in the hospital and the family ranch in financial trouble.  When he catches Brice he's on the fence whether he should prosecute or try to turn the young man to find the ring leader. His almost instantaneous attraction to Brice's sister makes the decision easier on him. With Brice working off his debt at the ranch every evening comes Abby to pick him up. Soon she's volunteering to of the books and her younger brother is also working at the ranch.
Clayton's parents have  never recovered from the loss of their teenage son which drove Clayton to join the seals and leave home. Effectively one son's death has stolen both sons from the grieving parents. Now the presence of the Harpers brings hope and laughter back to the ranch. Clayton's mother is in her element baking and cooking to feed two hungry young boys and benevolently watching her son fall in love.
Clayton of course is determined the people who have stolen from his parents to justice. Using his talents and Abby's help he does just that.  When Abby's home is destroyed it gives Clayton an excuse to move her to the ranch and explore the chemistry that exists between them.  This is a straight forward love story with a little bit of danger and mystery to keep things interesting. All in all a great feel good Christmas story just in time for the holidays.

A reluctant but hot rancher and a family that will do anything to keep themselves together make for one extremely heart-warming, feel-good, romance that will stay with you long after you through!

Clayton is a troubled retired Navy SEAL that has returned home for the holidays only to find his family’s ranch in financial trouble. Their accountant has been stealing money from the coffers and someone has rustled the cattle needed to pull them out of the dire straits they are in.

Abby Harper is doing everything she can to keep her family together. Left with the custody of her two younger brothers right after she turned 18, she’s struggling to keep their heads above water. When her brother makes a rash move to help out his sister, it brings Abby and her family’s plight in front of the East family and their ranch.

Immediate attraction between Clayton and Abby spark a meaningful and lasting tale that will bring a smile to your face. is the perfect feel-good holiday story we all crave.

I received this ARC copy of The Christmas Cowboy Hero from St. Martin Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Christmas Cowboy Hero is set for publication October 31, 2017.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Donna Grant
Series: Heart of Texas (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
ISBN-10: 1250165423
ISBN-13: 978-1250165428
Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

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What an awesome read! This was just a delightful story filled with honest to goodness people and love. In this story we find Clayton an ex-SEAL, returning home to take care of some problems that had occurred at his family's ranch. Abby is in charge of her 2 younger brothers, after her mother split leaving her as the sole guardian to her brothers, which she has done the best by, raising them on her own. One of her brothers gets involved with stealing the cattle from the East Ranch and Clayton decides not to press charges and has him work off the debt to the ranch. Abby and Clayton meet and there is an undeniable attraction. I loved the heartfelt commitment that Clayton made to Brice, the deep abiding love that grew for Abby and Caleb and their parents goodness throughout the whole story. I honestly cannot even think of one thing that was even remotely bad. It was that great of a story from beginning to end. Loved It! 5 stars!!!