The unlikely story of a happily ever after. This book was a fairly classic concept of girl loves boy and boy comes to realize he loves her to until big things happen. I wasnt too sure about the excuse of practicality for marriage, it felt like there could have been a bit more development on this story, but overall I found it enjoyable. Quick read!

Overall, this was an okay read but it was just not for me. This is the first book I have read by this author but I could not quite adjust myself to her writing style. The story itself was a good concept and there were some very entertaining parts but I could not really get past the over descriptiveness of thoughts and scenes and the repetitive sentences on almost every page. It was extremely distracting for me and I had a rough time reading the book. I ended up skimming a great deal of the story but was still able to keep up with the overall plot. All the characters were deeply flawed and had serious family issues. They thought they were destined to be their parents because of how they were raised with negative, hateful thoughts and no real concept of parental love, support or guidance. Gray and his three brothers were not close at all; they were always at each other’s throats, even as children. They could not have a hint of conversation that did not involve hurtful words and thoughts of violence; mostly from Gray, who was gruff, bitter and had no compassion. It was his way or no way, only his opinion and way mattered. He did not want to listen to anyone else or compromise on anything. Abby was sweet and had a loving nature but she was naive and a real pushover in some ways. And poor Becca, Grays daughter, was just caught somewhere in the middle of all the tension and strife holding in all her emotions and feelings and trying to go with the flow. For me, this book just had more bitter parts that kept me feeling tense than a smooth flowing, romantic story. I was actually relieved when I finished the read. Sadly, I do not think I will not be reading any more books by this author. Her writing style is just not for me. *Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

The emotional baggage this couple has could take a family on vacation. It made my heart ache watching them work through it to find their happily ever after. Caitlin writes a beautiful love story in this one. Gray and Abby were perfect for each other and Gray was the hot, brooding cowboy ever girl dreams of.

Caitlin Crew's writing is my new obsession! What a sweet, complicated story about family, love and forgiveness. You can't resist falling for sweet Abby and stern Gray. The secondary characters are perfect and we are given enough of each to want more and more. The next book can't come soon enough.

Love this story! So many stories written today are not written with the depth and detail in this book. This book didn't end with the wedding, it followed through to a conclusion. It satisfied my idea of romance. Thank you Caitlin Crews for an awesome book.

The book was good, teetering on okay some moments, and teetering on great in others. But there was so much dysfunction with so many characters, it was hard to keep up. I did like how the author showed the impact a parent can have on a child, without even realizing it. But unrequited love in a marriage and marriage for convenience and ease just seemed a little far fetched. Maybe Becca helped Gray see the light about his life, but it was a little to neatly wrapped up in the last 5-10 pages. And Lilly needs to get punched in the face.

I know it's early to be reading Christmas romances, and I wasn't trying to get in the spirit or anything, but this book was beautiful.

Gray is the perfect cowboy. I love when authors get a character just right and he's everything I expected. Gray is a brooding alpha male who is set in his ways. His father has just died and left the ranch to his 3 sons. Gray is the only one interested in working the land. It's what he has always done. He has a daughter and would like a wife to help with life. He isn't looking for love. He wants a partnership. Someone practical and only one woman fits the bell.

Abby lives next door to Gray. She's secretly been in love with him for as long as she can remember. She's younger than him and has already seen him marry someone else. His marriage wasn't perfect and Abby watched it spiral out of control. It's now years later. Out of the blue Gray turns up on her doorstep and ask her to marry him. Abby never imaged this moment in her wildest dreams.

He wants a wife and she can't say no.... not that she's saying yes. If the man of your dreams asks you to marry him for whatever reason, could you really say no? The dream and the reality are about to come head to head.

Caitlin Crews is very good at descriptive writing and the emotion in this book is beautiful. Both characters have difficult families. Abby lacks confidence and Gray lacks compassion. These two don't need love in their life but find a great match with each other. They don't know each other too well but have lived next door for years. It's essentially an arranged marriage. It's old-fashioned, but it worked in the past so why can't it work now.

A true cowboy Christmas is great. It's the start of a new series and I want more! It's the first book I've read by this author and I would definitely read more. This book is sweet and entertaining. If you like headstrong brooding cowboys then you'll fall in love with this.

This book is set at Christmas. Abby is kind and loves the Christmas spirit of giving and sharing but Gray doesn't even want a tree. Abby is all about adjusting to fit into Grays life but that doesn't mean she's going to change for him. She can make the cookies for the people who appreciate them. Marriage is about compromise and acceptance. Abby isn't alpha strong but she will make Gray think. So leave your trinkets in the cupboard and your trees in the forest. December isn't the month for festive songs and twinkling lights. Not yet anyway.

Aimed at the 18+ audience. This book has sexual content.

5 out of 5. *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

**I received a copy of A True Cowboy Christmas from St. Martin's Press and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**

A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews is what I hope a new series by Ms. Crews. This author is new for me and I thought the story was awesome so after reading this book, I have every faith that any additions to the series will all be as good as this way.

Abby Douglas has always felt plain and boring partly due to her mother's hurtful words whenever she decides to show up at her parents farm but from her friends and customers at the coffee house she works in town as well she's has a beautiful soul. So imagine her surprise when at Amos Everett's funeral Gray whom she's loved all her life asks her to marry him. Will she say yes and have a happy ever after or will his lack of wanting to be loved hurt them both?Can she teach a stubborn and very handsome cowboy about love also?

Gray Everett loves the land and while still reeling from his father's passing knows that he is only part owner of the ranch. When he realizes that his daughter, Becca, is needing a mother figure (as hers died in her way to meet a lover) he decides to ask the girl next door that he's known forever. His proposal lacks what Abby would love to hear plus its just an arrangement to Gray no full of his love to she'd love to have. But he also needs to mend fences with both his brothers and part owners Ty and Brady who know that he's in danger of becoming his bitter and mean father. Can Gray figure out what's more important than the ranch and that he loves her before it's too late?

While this has a lot of dark moments as both Gray and Abby had parents who berates them and quite a lot of angst, they will both have to learn to forgive themselves before moving forward to their lives together. I'm looking forward to reading Ty's story of what happened at the rodeo and who'll be his love interest.

Love the cowboy romance for characters that have not had a healthy mental upbringing. The Everett brothers have just buried their father and breathe a sigh of relief. Gray Everett who sees himself coming off with traits of his angry abusive father; seeks the gal next door for marriage. Abby Douglas has had her own family dramas and lived with loving the unattainable Gray almost her entire life. This reminds me of a series I LOVE by Kate Pearce and her Morgan Brothers. Great brooding Everett brothers move on the road to discovering some light in their future. This is not per say a Christmas in depth novel but one that does skim that holiday. "A copy of this book was provided by St Martin's Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Stayed up till 2 in the morning because I would not put this down.

I was provided a copy of this novel by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for review. Thank you to both of them!

I thought this would just be a typical, fun read to get me in the holiday spirit...a Christmas in July sort of book. I was completely wrong! I was immediately drawn in by the characters, their motivations and the beautifully described setting in which they lived.

Gray Everett was a bitter man, raising a daughter on his own. He's had a difficult life with an unpredictable, angry father and no mother. Abby Douglas is a sweet, unmarried woman whose mother flickered in and out of her life, leaving a legacy of hateful remarks which severely impacted Abby's self image, as did being in her 30s with no prospects for marriage. Her childhood crush on Gray Everett didn't help either, as he had never looked at her.

Which makes Gray's suggestion after his father's funeral that much more interesting...

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and was disappointed to see it end. I hope there will be a sequel!

Wow! What an emotional journey! I stayed up until 3am to finish this book. So many feelings, it was warm and heartbreaking at the same time! Definitely a story you need to read!

A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews is a fabulous western romance. Ms. Crews has delivered a well-written book. The characters in this book are outstanding. Kudos to Ms. Crews for this fabulous cast of characters. Gray has worked his father's ranch for years while his brothers went off into different professions. Abby is Gray's closest neighbor and has been in love with him since childhood. Gray and Abby's story is loaded with drama, humor, sizzle and conflict. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and look forward to reading more from Caitlin Crews in the future. A True Cowboy Christmas is book 1 of the Cold River Ranch Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gray and Abby have both been damaged terribly and by two people who should have loved them unconditionally-her mother and his father. Gray’s father was a cruel drunk who drove everyone away except for his eldest son. Abby was abandoned as an infant by her mother. She was raised by loving grandparents, but periodic verbal abuse by a jealous mother scarred her for most of her life. Gray and Abby agree to something of a marriage of convenience following his father’s death. Unbeknownst to Gray, Abby has actually been in love with him for years and he is very attracted to her and comes to care for her quickly. However, their backgrounds make it difficult for them to get to a point of love in their marriage. The story is well written and heartbreaking at times, as we watch Abby struggle to connect with Gray. Just when it looks like that won’t happen, there is a bit of a Christmas miracle.

This was deep. And dark. And made my heart hurt. Gray and Abby have LOTS, and I mean LOTS, of baggage that they bring into their relationship. Watching them work through it made me happy and restored my faith in happy endings :) Just so you know, Gray way of making it right with Abby was AWESOME. Honestly, he was swoony all through the book. His dark and brooding made him even hotter.

I'm anxious to get to the stories of Gray's brothers and I am soooo curious about what went on with Abby's friend Rae and where she will end up :)

First things first, yes it has Christmas in the title and you do get to it but not without a whole lot of emotional situations. Our main stars Gray and Abby +1 his teenage daughter have deep rooted scars. They need to work through all this baggage if they want to make their arrangement work. This was the perfect start to the series that was far from hearts and roses. There were many bumps in the road. That made this HEA one worth fighting for. We also had a wide variety of secondary characters that contributed to this story. I wholeheartedly enjoyed every bit of this book and can’t wait to see where it goes from here. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC that was graciously provided by ST. Martin’s Press.

Gray Everett and his brothers have lived a life of misery. Their father was mean and unhappy and made everyone around him miserable. When his father finally died, Gray needed a plan to keep the land he loved and support for his motherless teenage daughter, so he came up with a practical plan, marriage of convenience to long time neighbor Abby Douglas.
She also had a hard life, her mother was not one to be proud of ...and she never married, so he thought she'd jump on his offer.
Abby has loved him from afar ...since forever, but isn't sure she could handle a cold marriage, so she tells him it's not a good idea. But Gray really is invested in his plan and convinces her to go for it.
Amazingly his daughter, Becca, is thrilled by the idea, as is her grandmother. Not so her mother who pops up and is nastily negative, giving Abby doubts.
But Abby's sweet loving nature and honesty makes Gray fall hard for her, maybe he had already and just didn't know it.
Covering family dysfunction, people of good character, friendly neighbors, Abby and Becca each dealing with their issues with their mothers, both mothers being selfish good time girls.
I requested and was granted an ARC from NetGalley and enjoyed not only the love story but the way Abby healed the whole Everett family.

Well this is a depressing beginning.

Sheesh, how many lovers did his wife have?

Abby's grandmother sounds like a lot of fun.

So. Awkward.

If anything, at least she'll have her grandpa's land back.

I hear ya, honey. I always imagined I would do well as a spinster companion to an old lady.

Settling for an unrequited marriage isn't the answer for everyone.

I'm glad her "chauffeurs" didn't listen to her.

Lily is just a jealous hag.

Colorado lets couples marry themselves? Isn't that kind of depressing?

What the heck's wrong with decorating for Christmas?

So sex is going to be what their marriage is about. Got it.

He expects her to get mad when he doesn't respond to her declaration of love, but he doesn't get that she doesn't expect love from anyone but her grandmother.

I want to give Becca such a big hug. Then dig Amos up and punch his corpse five or six hundred times.

He does a good apology, that is for sure.

I received an arc from Netgalley. When a man endured verbal abuse most of his life he does not feel worthy of love or even know how to display his love. When a woman goes through the same verbal abuse by her so called mother she also doubts she will ever be loved.

When Gray and Abby meet and make an agreement they have no idea how much their lives are going to change and how much love can change all kinds of circumstances. Becca is also a light that brings them together.

Great read of love, hope and forgiveness.