This collection of 8 sweet romances is just what you're looking for on a gloomy weekend. This was a great collection - but I did what another reader suggested and read them in order. Delightful!

I felt that the depth of the historical knowledge was a great match to the author's sense of humor evident in the stories. I especially loved the ones that were Christmas themed.

I would highly reccomend this series to anyone who enjoys sweet romances and happily ever afters.

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite authors, bringing humor and sweet romance to the world of Louis L'Amour westerns. Her novellas are always fun to read, although there sure is a lot of insta-love ;) Her characters tend to jump into marriage quickly, but that is part of the times and is refreshing when compared to today's commitment wary society. The action and adventure always sweep me away to the setting and keep me turning the pages. It's a delight to revisit the families that are built throughout her series of books.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

First, I have to express my delight at the cover. I can just imagine cowboy brides in cowboy boots, especially if they are in Texas.

With eight wonderful tales, Mary Connealy takes us on a journey through the Old West, from the Nebraska grasslands and plains to Montana and Texas, from the 1800s to the 2000s. Some of the stories are linked through family, but they are not all in chronological sequence and occasionally reveal another plot. Just a word of caution: double-check the dates at the beginning of each novella.

I enjoyed the diversity of the scenarios, as well as how several of them had a Christmas theme. I also appreciated how Biblical themes were presented without overwhelming readers with heavy-handed preaching.

In her plots, Connealy's clever, witty humor shines through, as does her historical knowledge. The characters in each short story are engaging to get to know, and you won't want to leave them when the book ends.

The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection is another compilation of short stories that will keep your attention until the end. They're also enjoyable, entertaining, clean and wholesome. The book will fascinate and engage you as you read it. It's a terrific pastime if you have a period of time to read. You will want to absorb, think about and delight in each novella.

I received an e-copy from NetGalley. However, my review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

This was an anthology made up of short stories that take place in the Old West. They are all sweet and quick reads with likable characters. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

A wonderful book! I loved every second of this book. Mary Connealy always has me laughing til I cry with her characters and her plot lines. This book was no different! Definitely a keeper and one I look forward to reading again and again. 5 stars and two thumbs up!

~Guest Reviewer at Cafinated Reads
~Cafinated Reads was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

This is a book of 8 short stories all set to the Frontier historical period in America. Mary has a way of writing that moves you right along in these stories. I liked all the stories, but my favorite was His Surprise Family. I thought it blissfully romantic. My least favorite was The Advent Bride because the ending seemed so abrupt. Although I loved the advent box and would love to come across one of those if there even is such a thing! How clever.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughts:

THE CALICO AND COWBOYS Romance Collection by Mary Connealy uncovers hope inside the Old West with home, family, and romance!

Can the hardened landscape shape the strength of the visitors and create the desire to call it home with some tender love and care?

I will share about two tales where the heart falls in love and the West gains a family….

In THE ADVENT BRIDE, turning each page brings depth to the life of a schoolteacher devoting herself to Nebraska’s schoolhouse in the late 1800’s. You will wonder why she stays put, as her life is not going all that well. Within her student body, she discovers that the most difficult student has undergone the most difficult of times. He lost his mother to death and his father to his work. Melanie Douglas brings herself to take care of this child enforcing her schoolmarm discipline structure and through forcing his father back to the duties that matter most when raising a son. The structure gives what the child requires, but the arrangement gives Melanie and Mr. O’Keeffe lessons of their own. Where does getting too close become a problem and how dangerous can the problem become?

While HOPE FOR CHRISTMAS is a modern Western, the panorama inside a winter’s grip is dangerous to navigate as it was centuries ago. The convenience we have in today ‘s automobile must still submit to the ground it travels. Unfortunately, for Kelsey Black, she is on the run, and this task is a difficult one since the baby’s due date is near.

A broken car made the falling snow intolerable, but a pack of wolves had this mother too scared to move, until shots sound! Tanner Harding did not hesitate to share his information after the shooting, but he recognized that she did.

It was not until he reached home when he became aware of what she could not hide. Tanner didn’t know how, but he was sure the pregnancy was keeping her mouth shut. However, he could guess as to the reason. The hospital is too far to get to in a blizzard, but this needing to be delivered child did not understand his problem.

Can two strangers remain detached in such an intimate act of birthing a baby? Once this beautiful baby is born, how can they stay safe?

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

Within THE CALICO AND COWBOYS, Romance Collection by Mary Connealy is eight novellas full of love and laughter inside the toughened Western terrain.

Not light in struggle or faith, will these romances last?

Enjoyable read but read for personal reading. Would recommend to others who enjoy this genre (which I do on occasion like this week!).

This collection of stories was wonderful. I enjoyed the full spectrum of relationships. I do, however, wish that it had been a little better in transitioning the reader from story to story. Possibly adding in a family tree or diagrams with which families were from where. Each story had me rooting for them, hoping all things worked out, and that they could have their hea!!

A perfect set of delightful stories there to warm the heart and bring sunshine smiles to your lips. I enjoyed each one of the couples I met and am glad to have read this sweet collection.

I loved this delightful collection of stories from Mary Connealy. Set in the old West, each book has delightful charaters; a sparkling storyline; and are filled with humor, love, and faith. Each one stands in its own, and there’s something unique and charming about each one. It’s a delight to read such sweet, clean, stories with no bad language or embarrassing scenes. Just the type of light reading that warms your heart. I highly recommend this collection to you!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

A nice collection of eight Old West novellas filled with romance and humor. These stories are tied together by main characters who are either from the Reeves family (think 12 boys and then a girl) or the McClellan family (4 rambunctious, strong willed girls and then boys). The major characters from the stories have also starred in other books of Connealy's, so it is nice to revisit them. Another common thread is that each story features a child or children that draw the male and female lead together and leads to romance. Each novella feels like a complete story.

Mary Connelly's books are always clean, humorous and filled with old west fun while maintaining a strong Christian thread throughout. Another great collection from this author featuring easy-to-read stories that are perfect for a short break on a busy day.

The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection by Mary Connealy was a book with eight novella stories. They are romance, but cleanly written. This collection was excellent and were a mix of action, humor, and adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures the characters took in these western stories. I recommend reading this collection.

I love Mary Connealy’s Books and I was definitely not disappointed with this great collections of novella. Loved the plot, the wester setting and the characters. I highly recommend this book.

I love Mary's books. This book is a series of novella's that include siblings that have full novels and here we get to know what happens to the siblings that do not have a novel. For example the youngest of Sophie's Daughters, and the Reeve's Boys and even Belle's children. The first novella is totally new characters and the last is a contemporary but the hero is related to the historical characters.
I loved the book I loved seeing what happened to different characters and loved the dangers that Mary always adds to her books. A really good read.

The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection was funny and covered the adventures in 3 parts of the American west from Nebraska to Montana and Texas. The reader is taken on a funny and dangerous ride through the lives of the Reeves and Harden families from the late 1875 to 1897 Texas and Montana following a few of the children of the characters in the Lassoed in Texas Series of books and a connection is made to bring all 3 families in the series together. We meet 3 of Dan and Grace Reeves oldest boys. Also there are the 2 boys of Silas and Belle Harden and the descendant of their family in modern times. We also meet the people of Lone Tree Nebraska in the last 2 novellas.

The Advent Bride Lone Tree Nebraska November29, 1875 Melanie is the local school teacher who is dealing with a difficult student who is in trouble. When she realizes he's going home and no one is there makes him stay until his father comes. Henry thought never to marry again but every time he sees Melanie he gets a jolt. They become friends and spend time together when Melanie figures out how to keep his son from disrupting class. The box her landlady has is the perfect solution. Melanie and Henry get closer as they help Simon find the items in the box. Finding a compartment Melanie missed Henry puts a ring in it and is about to propose when her mean landlady comes in the with the school board making accusations about Melanie. With an audience Henry proposes.

Homestead on the Range Lone Tree Nebraska 1875 Elle is looking around the general store when she notices a man buying sewing supplies and since the store is busy tells the owner she'll help him. Elle & Collin find out that they're neighbors. They're attracted to each other immediately and plan to go on a drive but after Collin finds out Elle has 4 kids he just doesn't think he can handle it because with his 3 that would be 7. He keeps his distance but when her son comes to tell Elle where Collin is building his home they rush to stop him because its a flood area. They move Collin's family closer to Elle's house so they can share the artesian well. The Winters family help the Samuelson family build their house and when a tornado comes through they take shelter in Elle's root cellar. Collin and Elle kiss for the first time and then keep their distance. but knowing how they feel the children come up with a plan to get them together so they can be one family and it works.

A Bride Rides Herd Montana 1894 Matt Reeves is coming to visit his brother when he sees someone in the creek and he's in the process of trying to save them when he realizes that there are 2 little girls but the 2 are just having fun. Matt realizes they're his nieces. As the 3 of them are headed home they run into the girls Aunt Betsy. Matt is immediately attracted to her and when he finds out the problems she has while watching their nieces he offers to stay until his brother gets home. They find ways to keep the girls in the house so they don't cause problems. When a storm comes through and stampedes the cattle they take the 3 girls and go to round them up. On a break they kiss but are caught by Betsy's family who are not pleased. They head back to the house and along the way Matt asks Betsy to marry him.

Sophie's Other Daughter Mesquero, Texas 1887 Laura is in happy about going out to the Reeves' Ranch because Grace is going to have a baby #13 because she's never needed help before. Laura just arrives when she's told that the baby should arrive in an hour. As Grace is getting ready for the birth her husband brings in their son Ike who's come home as a doctor. Ike ends up delivering what everyone expects to be a boy but is actually a girl, stunning everyone. Laura is finally able to head home and Ike is with her. They ride through the canyon and Ike realizes someone is trying to kill and they've shown up. Ike keeps Laura save by taking her to a cave he played as a child. They come up with a plan to capture the outlaws. Working together they capture all 6 and are about to take them to town when Laura's pa shows up and catches them kissing. Ike offers to marry her and is told that he needs to talk to her ma. Ike's twin brother shows up and says that the whole town knows about what happened the night before because the outlaws spread the gossip. Laura and Ike decide to get married but not only because of the gossip but because they love each other.

Texas Tea Sour Springs Texas June 1897 Luke Reeves shows up at the school that sorta cousin Libby Cooper is teaching at. They're glad to see each other and they share a unexpected passionate kiss. When Libby finds out that Luke is an oilman she doesn't trust him because of past relationships. Because they know Luke and trust him the give him a chance to make is case. Libby and her parents and Luke head out to the oil seep on the ranch and are confronted by men trying to steal the oil. Libby is shot and the bad guys are captured they head to town to take them to police and get Libby a doctor. Luke tells the Coopers his plans for the town and the oil and lets them decide what they want to do. All the while Luke and Libby are getting closer to each other. Luke starts courting Libby and her parents decide to take him up on his offer. Libby and Luke get married and move into a house. Later that year Luke's parents and siblings come to visit, They tell everyone that they're expecting a baby.

The Sweetwater Bride Montana July 1897 Tanner harden is out riding his land looking for water sources to his ranch when he hears a woman scream. He locates a hidden valley where Debba McClain has been living alone for years. They are both shocked to see each other. Tanner can't leave her in the valley alone so he kidnaps her to take her to his ma. A few days later Debba's whole menagerie of animals show up at the ranch. The Hardens don't think that its right for Debba to go live at home alone so they talk her into to meeting a trio of older people who aren't keen on living so close to civilization. They all like each other and agree to go live in the valley with Debba. After the group start building the new houses Tanner decides to go check on his own ranch but can't seem to leave the valley and when Debba thinks he's living for good runs after him. They get married at his parent's ranch with family and friends around and as soon as possible before her pet longhorn shows up.

His Surprise Family Montana 1898 Silas Harden is waiting on the train in Helena Montana for his mail order bride to show up. Wen she arrives they immediately get married and have meal. On the way up to their room a commotion erupts and a small boy comes running toward Meghan. It is then relieved that this is her brother and that there are 2 more. Silas is anger because Meg lied to him but he takes all 3 in. They head for his ranch and meg scares them into being good so he won't send them away. When Silas gets anger because they aren't really becoming a family Meg tells him their story and they start going on walks to get to know each other. When Meg's youngest brother goes missing and gets hurt Meg and her brothers work together with Si to save him and the boy from wolves. The next day Si's parents show up for a visit and welcome Meg and her brothers into the family.

Hope for Christmas Montana December 2014 Kelsey is travelling back roads trying to stay off the radar when she is caught in a blizzard and brakes to miss hitting something in the road crashes her car and it falls into a gorge just after she jumps out. Kelsey is facing the wolf she almost hit when Tanner comes to her rescue. Hearing the crash he came to see what happened, He takes her back to his house. They end up delivering her baby girl. They start falling for each other and Kelsey tells Tanner everything about why she's on the run and Tanner shares about his family. When Hope gets sick they take her to Tanner's cousin who's a doctor and he insists that they fill out a birth certificate and file it. Tanner's brother Silas comes for a visit and they plan the Christmas Eve celebration at Tanner's house. While they're celebrating Kelsey' s mother-in-law barges in with the police to have Kelsey arrested and take custody of the baby. With Tanner's aunt the judge there they look through the papers and when the mother-in-law won't cooperate she's put in jail. Tanner and Kelsey had fell in love with each other and they get married then, They go to court where its revealed that the mother-in-law has committed more crimes so Tanner's aunt has her arrested again.

Mary Connealy shows you how the Harden and Reeves family have continued into the 21st century and I can't wait to hear more about the families and the also the Cooper McClellan families in the past and the future. I had fun reading their stories and it makes me want to read the parents and sibling stories that have already been written.

A wonderful collection of variety, action and humor.



The Advent Bride--Teacher Melanie Douglas uses a special box to encourage a struggling student's productivity. Soon she has his father the town Sheriff stopping in as well.



A Bride Rides Herd--Matt Reeves comes to Montana to visit his brother but ends up helping Betsy Harden to take care of his three nieces which is a full time job. When Betsy's parents find out about Matt's help, they are not pleased, could marriage be the solution?



His Surprise Family--Si Harden gets more than he bargained for when he sent away for a mail-order bride. Meghan McCray decides to get married first and confess later, her secret being that she brought her 3 younger brothers to come live with them as well. Si and Meghan's brother get off to a rough start, can Si accept his surprise family?



Homestead on the Range--Elle Winter and her 4 children lend a hand to their new neighbor, Dr. Colin Samuelson, who has 3 children of his own. Colin is new to homesteading so the Winters show them the ropes. Colin and Elle are hesitant to think beyond friendship, so their children take matter into their own hands.



Sophie's Other Daugther--Laura McCellen shows that she can hold her own braving the narrow canyon and the wild Reeves boys to be there when Grace has her baby. Ike Reeves who is now a doctor shows up to help as well. On the way home Ike and Laura feel as if someone is following them, will they make it out of the canyon alive?



The Sweetwater Bride--Tanner Hardin rides to the rescue when he hears a scream, he finds Debra McClain who hasn't left the valley since she was young. He and Debra get to know each other and get some surprise visitors.



Texas Tea--Libby Cooper has been friends with Luke Reeves for years but they haven't seen eah other in a while, Libby is not pleased when she learns that Luke works for an oil company now, as there is oil on the Cooper property and con men have been trying to get it for years. But as Luke proves himself to be a man of integrity, will Libby and Luke find more than friendship?



Hope for Christmas--A contemporary Christmas tale of love. Tanner Harden V finds Kelsey Blake on the side of the road after her car goes off the road into a ravine--not only that she's pregnant and in labor. Kelsey is widowed and on the run form her mother-in-law who wants to take the baby away from her. Tanner rallies support for Kelsey, and his family welcomes her with open arms.



This is a terrific collection of fun quick reads, and many of the characters are the children of previous main characters of Ms. Connealy's novels, which is just an extra bonus, and makes these novellas a must read for a true fan, but they can also stand alone. I love the theme of cowboys and the strong women that win their hearts, great humor, and plenty of adventure!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection by Mary Connealy

The Old West comes to life under the talented pen of bestselling author Mary Connealy. Enjoy a lighthearted ride alongside seven historical and one contemporary cowboys and the women who tame their hearts.

The Advent Bride
Melanie Douglas is alone on the Nebraska plains, teaching school to get by. She finds a unique box with hidden drawers to use over the advent season to engage a young boy in his schooling. When Henry O’Keeffe sees a positive change in his son, he has to see for himself what this new teacher is doing.

A Bride Rides Herd
Matt Reeves arrives at his brother’s ranch to find Betsy Harden alone with the little girls during a cattle drive. Will the ladies be too much to handle when Matt steps in for the missing ranch hand?

His Surprise Family
A lonely young rancher orders a mail-order bride and after the vows are spoken, she “surprises” him with her three little brothers. No amount of apologies Meghan McCray gives are going to make Silas Harden, Jr. believe a word she says. Should Silas just build himself another house and let his mail-order family take over the one he’s got?

Homestead on the Range
Widow Elle Winter meets new homesteader Colin Samuelson on the Nebraska prairie, but the attraction between them is soon dampened by the discovery that they have seven children between them. Soon their children are working against them to bring the two families together.

Sophie’s Other Daughter
Dr. Ike Reeves comes home to visit his family only to bring trouble in the form of outlaws who believe he witnessed their latest crime. When the gang traps Ike and his old nemesis, Lauren McClellen, in a cave, they must work together to outsmart the thugs. But will their time together put them in a compromising situation that will threaten both of their good reputations?

The Sweetwater Bride
Debba McClain takes offense at being offered a wedding in exchange for valuable water rights. But she doesn’t like to see a good man’s cattle die of thirst—and the rancher Tanner Harden is rather handsome.

Texas Tea
Luke Reeves has gotten wealthy in the oil business and goes to visit his uncle to convince him to sign over the oil rights to his land. But when he meets his grown up adopted cousin Libby Cooper, he may be forced to give up one dream to win another.

Hope for Christmas
It might be 2016, but Montana is still a mighty rough place to survive the winter. When Silas Harden finds the very pregnant Kelsey Black in a wrecked car surrounded by a pack of wolves in the heart of a blizzard he takes her to his remote home. What will Silas do when the baby decides to come and Kelsey confesses why she was out in such a terrible storm?

This book did not disappoint. It was fun reading about the children and grandchildren of previous book characters. It was a typical Mary Connealy book. Boy meets girl and they fall in love right away with all kinds of mishaps along the way. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Love this author. I wait impatiently for her next book, Yes Impatiently, that was not a miss-type. This is one of the best collections I have read. In the eight Novellas she revisits many of my favorite characters. You know you are over the top when you can't wait to talk to your daughter about the latest escapade of these characters, as if they are relatives. If you have read anything by Mary, you know her novels are well written, fast passed and laugh out loud funny. She has such a great wit and wonderful one liners. Her novels are also full of very tender moments. Quote from The Sweetwater Bride, “I love you Tanner, That's why when your pa said you left-----” “The sun dimmed and the birds quit singing. The trees wept and the wind turned cold. I knew you'd gone out of my life.” Mary has a wonderful way of picking you up and planting you back into the late 1800's, before you even realize what's happened. Hope for Christmas was a pleasant surprise. It was written as a modern day novella. A story of the great, great, great grandson of the first Harden family. If you were to ask me which novella was my favorite, I would have to say the one I am reading right now. Don't miss out, read Calico and Cowboys, Purchase one for a friend who loves western romance novels.

The Calico and Cowboy Romance Collection from Mary Connealy was an absolute delight. I love Connealy’s work and the way she weaves everything together so seemingly effortlessly; this collection was no different in that regard. While I did have favorites (namely His Surprise Family and Sophie’s Other Daughter), each novella had its own merit and is well-worth the reading time and focus. I love that Connealy’s characters are never one-dimensional and always grow throughout her stories, be they in a novella or one of her full-length novels. Reading this definitely has me wanting to go back and re-read some of her other works.