This was good, but I had a harder time connecting with the story.

Both Abby and Gray have a truck full of baggage when they come together in one of the more unconventional relationships I have seen.

While I understood Gray’s issues, they made it hard to relate to him. The saving grace, was the grudging emotional growth he experienced

I liked Abby, but struggled a little bit with her sense of self and why she'd put herself in the situation she was in. I also enjoyed the secondary cast and am curious about future books in the series.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Going into this book I thought I knew what I was getting- marriage of convenience, cowboys, unrequited love and a single dad romance. This book was so much more than just the sum of its parts. It was raw and emotional and even more- real.
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Our hero decides that he wants to marry after his father passes. He wants someone to help raise his teenage daughter and he wants a wife who will be compatible with his farm, so he turns to his next door neighbour. Now what woman in her right mind would say yes to a marriage like this? One who has been in love with him her entire life that’s who.
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This book blew me away a little, it wasn’t a light and fluffy read- it was intense and emotional. There were a lot of emotional hang ups that both the hero and heroine had and they didn’t work through them straight away- it took them a while to learn to deal. The other thing that blew me away was that for a marriage of convenience this didn’t gloss over everything, it dealt with everyday problems and didn’t over romanticise anything 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.

Once you get through the initial proposal and really read the story you will see the joy in this story. A brooding man with a daughter who with his brother inherits his fathers land. A girl who lived next door his whole life. Becoming a union makes sense but at what cost for her. He has a lot of emotional issues to deal with and that can cost both of them.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

Gray and Abby are a great couple to watch and fall in love. They agree to help each other and a lot more ends up happening.

Cowboys and Christmas... That has to be a good story. And indeed! We meet Gray Everett, a lonesome cowboy who has just buried his mean, cold-hearted father. His two brothers, Brady and Ty come back to the ranch where they grew up, to bury their father. Between the three brothers there is a lot of tension. Ever since Brady and Ty were grown up, they left Gray alone on the ranch to keep it afloat. And now that their father is dead, Brady is trying to sell of his portion of the land. But Gray doesn't want to sell, he wants to stay and live on the ranch. Therefore, he proposes to his brothers to stay for one year and see if they can help the ranch flourish. If not, he will help sell the property.
Furthermore, he realizes he needs a wife to help him run the ranch and take care of his daughter Becca. Since his ex-wife ran off with one of her lovers and crashed with her car, he has been taking care of his daughter alone. He decides to propose a convenience marriage to Abby, his neighbour. Little does he know, that Abby has been having a crush on him since her teenage years. And secondly, he thinks Abby is just a sweet woman, who lives with her grandmother, since her mother walked out on her. He doesn't realize that Abby has serious issues with her self esteem. However, she has a heart of gold and she decides to accept Gray's proposal of marriage, although she is offended by his proposal. After their marriage we see how Gray and Abby are struggling to make the marriage work. Both are damaged, but is it beyond repair? Or will they be able to reconcile and have a merry Christmas after all?
The story started out a bit slow, but Caitlin peeled off a lot of layers throughout the story. A wonderful and emotional read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Sometimes you just need a fun, smart, sexy, cowboy, marriage of convenience book to get yourself out of a book funk. And one that wins you over from the start is just an added bonus!

I loved the story between Gray and Abby. Their slow burn of a romance as well as their denial of their feelings--err, well, Gray's denial. I loved Abby's quiet strength. Her openness to being Becca's stepmother--as well as how she "saw" Becca and helped her work through her feelings about her mother and grandfather.

Gray grew on me--it took a while because of his gruff and grumbly nature. He had a whole lot of deep seeded issues he needed to work through to become the man he wanted to be and the man Abby deserved. Seeing that growth--fueled by the love of an amazing woman--was fantastic.

In the end, I truly loved Gray and Abby's romance. And I look forward to more with Gray's brothers!

I love western cowboy type books and love reading holiday themed books so naturally I gravitated to this book. After reading this I will say I was hoping for more christmas spirit but what was there was good. But then again if you read this book you'll get why there wasn't as much christmasy things but if you like a good western contemporary romance then you might like this book. I liked that there was the dual point of view and getting to see what was in the mind of both the main characters to see where they were coming from. Just knowing that Abby had a thing for Gray while he has a different outlook on love you know there was going to be problems when it comes to this marriage of convince arrangement. I thought that this book was really enjoyed and I really enjoyed it.

Okay, it took me awhile to review this book because I was between books but I must say this book filled my heart with so much love. This is actually my first book by this author and I am absolutely in love. If you want to get in the christmas mood this book is for you! I could picture every detail this author was trying to convey!

As you guys probable notice I'm a holiday freak. The happiest time for me starts at Halloween and runs through the new year. Family, friends and a ton of food. What more could you want?

How about holiday themed books!!!

Yep, for me that's one of the highlights of the holidays. I turn on the lights on the Christmas tree and read. Already this year I've read a bunch of really good stories. I'm hoping to keep reading them until the new year.

For me Caitlin Crews is a new author. This is my first time reading her. I figured how could I go wrong with a cowboy with a holiday theme. Two of my favorites.

The idea of the story is nothing new but the author handles it pretty well. They marry but not for love it's for convenience. The problem is that poor Abby happen to love Gray. What could go wrong?

First off Gray and his brothers all have some emotional issues. Being guys they probable would agree with me but you'll see what I mean when you read the story. Abby is just the sweetest, nicest person who jumps in and just loves Gray's daughter. If you were going to pick a wife of convenience, Abby is the perfect pick.

I really enjoyed the story and all the characters you meet. The author does a good job of have Gray come to grip that he loves Abby and you also want to know more about his messed up brothers. You don't always like them, but still wonder.

This is a good holiday story that I enjoyed reading. The second book in the series, Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy (great title) doesn't come out till end of July. Not sure who it's about, but I have my thoughts.

This was the first book I've read by Caitlin Crews, but I cannot wait to read more!
I adored the book, from beginning to end. From untraditional marriage proposal, to the growth of a couple that had an incredible chemistry. I loved the banter and the turmoil that brewed beneath the surface and ultimately pointed them in the direction they truly were meant to follow. I'm really looking forward to more books from Ms Crews, hopefully about some of the other characters in A True Cowboy Christmas.

Oh what a ride this story was. Hello cowboys and Christmas. This is the first time I have read this author and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The concept was thrown right at you but as the story progressed you got to see deeper into the characters as it flowed seamlessly. The slow burn between Gray and Abby was sizzling. While it was a little slow to start, it ramped up with a punch. The banter was amazing as well. I loved the wit the author wrote into this story as well. I really loved watching Abby pull Gray out of his shell as well. He was hard to love at the start! Both carry a lot of baggage but it comes out in the end. This was a fun read and I am looking forward to what is next in the series!

3.5 stars

I enjoyed reading A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews, it's the first book in the Cold River Ranch series and I have to say its a lovely start.

I found the storyline enjoyable, entertaining and the characters engaging.
It warmed my heart watching Gray and Abby's relationship unfold, it took time for them to get to know the real person and for love to blossom.

Overall, A True Cowboy Christmas is a heartwarming read and I recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

An unusual marriage proposal and a secret childhood infatuation turned into love combine to make “A True Cowboy Christmas” an amazing read.
Stern, solemn Gray and soft-hearted Abby form the most unexpected romantic couple, and Caitlin Crew’s excellent writing style, a great plot and great secondary characters make this a refreshing, different story.
Besides the great main characters, I especially liked the depiction of family dynamics and the lasting effects of toxic people (Amos, Lily) in their close relatives, managing to cause pain and hurt even after they’re dead.

A True Cowboy Christmas is book one in this series and I'll say right now I look forward to reading more. I haven't read a book by this author before but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style, though I will say at times I felt like she was holding back a little, but it didn't take away from the amazing story. I needed more of this book once it was finished and that tells me that I really connected with the story and its characters. Normally I don't read Christmas stories before December, but I agreed to read this one because it sounded fantastic and I was right.


The character Abby really made this story the perfection that it is. I really loved her character so much and her humor cracked me up. I will say that there wasn't much Christmas in this story but for me, that was fine, because like I said above I like to read most of my Christmas reads in December. For a Christmas story, this book is filled with a lot of angst, so honestly, it doesn't have the full joyful Christmas story that I'm used to.

I think Abby is one of my favorite heroines.  Her mom is a horrible person but thanks to her grandparents she managed to turn out to be amazingly genuine and has a huge heart.  She's been in love with Gray for practically her entire life but when he asks her to marry him, she doesn't jump at the chance.  Part of it is that she doesn't believe that Gray is thinking clearly and doesn't actually want to marry her (she has a little bit of a self-confidence issue thanks to her horrid mom).  She's also afraid of what the rest of the town will say about their nuptials but she does eventually agree, throwing herself into the relationship with dignity & courage.     

Gray's home-life wasn't all that good.  He had an combatant alcoholic for a father and all feminine fixtures in the house would only put up with so much before leaving.  And unfortunately that included his own wife.  With the death of his father, Gray doesn't want to take the chance he'll end up like him and decides that a marriage based on logic is better than one based on emotion.  To him, Abby is the perfect candidate - sensible, steady, and will provide a little softness to his hard life & for his daughter . . . but what is he going to do when those pesky emotions enter into things?  He's not the best with feelings under normal conditions and definitely not when he's not expecting them.  

A man with some pretty thick walls and a woman who questions her own appeal find themselves at the mercy of love's power and the goodness of a caring heart in this beauty of a Christmas story.  A wonderful journey of healing and self-discovery, A True Cowboy Christmas will give you those all over warm & gooeys that you crave at this time of year.

Abby has always loved Gray from afar. His marriage proposal seems too good to be true. He wants a ranch wife and a mother figure for his daughter, but Abby wants and needs love.

Crazy family members, a fight over land and inheritance, and the need for a traditional Christmas threaten to come between this couple meant-to-be. Can they find middle ground, and love, to become a real family and have a real marriage, plus give Gray's daughter the Christmas and stability she longs for?

This is a story with raw hurt and need and love. It's so worth reading.

**received an ARC from NetGalley**

This is my first read by this author as Caitlin Crews, I have read Megan Crane books though and enjoyed them. This was an engaging read. Abby having been in love with Gray her entire life and agrees to a marriage even though they don't know each other. The family situation of both Abby and Gray were similar in that they both had parents who were lacking on so many levels. Gray's daughter Becca had mother issues. It was touching how Abby and Becca connected. A lot happened in this book in a matter of about two months. Looking forward to the next book in this series!

This book started out kind of slow for me but towards the end I finally found my love for the story. Even if it doesnt spike your interest in the beginning keep going! It gets better!

3.5/5 stars

A good story with a HEA ending, but the romance is underdeveloped and the MCs took too long to grow on me. Neither were likeable until much later in the book. The supporting characters were dynamic and interesting enough that I may give the sequel a try.

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A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews
Cold River Ranch #1

Story telling is an art and this author is a talented wordsmith. Her characters have depth with backstories that illuminate. The plotting is tight and flows easily. I smiled and cared and wanted Abby or her grandmother to be my friend. I was able to understand why Gray and his brothers were as they were even though I wished I could have smacked some sense into Gray a time or two and I also understood the insecurities of Abby and her understanding of Gray’s daughter, Becca. I hated the people I was meant to hate and wished them the karma they so justly deserved. I smiled and cared and enjoyed this story even when it was painful. And, I can’t wait to read book two in the series no matter who is going to star in it.

This book includes: marriage of convenience, unrequited love (till it is), dysfunctional families, small town romance, drama, friendship, awakenings and a whole lot more. I have enjoyed other books by this author but this is my first contemporary romance by her and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars