A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe is the third book in The Wyoming Cowboy series by Jessica Clare and is a holiday romance. A lovely fast-paced romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet.  You are sure to devour the pages as A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe pulls you in and you find yourself connecting with the characters. The story flows at a steady pace leaving you wanting more. Clare as an exquisite writing style that sweeps the reader away to another place in time. I enjoyed reading A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe and found it to be swoon-worthy romance full of highs and lows that had me turning pages as fast as I could read them!

It's December in Painted Barrel, Wyoming, time for Christmas celebrations. The residents of small-town Painted Barrel know how to celebrate the holiday.

Who takes a job as a cowboy on a cattle ranch with no experience with ranching or cattle and doesn't even know how to ride a horse? Former Navy Master-at-Arms Jason Clements, that's who. And he really, really needs this job. Call him desperate. Jason suffers from PTSD after a tramatic experience in Afghanistan and add to that he lost his support dog so he's in a world of hurt. When he first arrives in Painted Barrel he meets a most generous soul, Sage Cooper. Jason doesn't know why but he opens up to Sage when they first meet and the end result is that Sage will give Jason a crash course in ranching. In return she asks Jason to escort her to a special event. Did I mention that Sage is twenty-nine and has never been kissed? Hasn't ever been out on a date? Well, there's all that. Will Sage's crash course save Jason's job? How will their date turn out? Guess you will just have to read the book to find out.

A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare is the third book in her Wyoming Cowboy series. Seems each book in this series gets better and better. The storyline is quite interesting. How Jason's PTSD affects him is heart-wrenching. Ms. Clare has a truly fascinating character in Jason. She depicts Sage as a big-hearted, generous woman who cares deeply for her friends and the town. She is the perfect partner for Jason. The dialogue, especially the texts, between Sage and Jason is very entertaining. So much fun to read! The small town atmosphere and Christmas festivities are a delight to read. All in all this is a fun, very entertaining Christmas read.

It's been a while since I've read a cowboy romance and I'm definitely feeling festive (even though it's only September) so I was excited to jump into A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe. We meet Jason who is a vet that is going through some PTSD. He lands himself a job as a cowboy on a ranch, but really has no idea what to do - he's just happy he has a job at the current moment. Sage is the towns girl next door and a complete sweetheart. She always feels like everyone tramples over her and doesn't take her seriously. She hasn't had much luck with the men in town and is about to sell her ranch and move out of Painted Barrel. That is until Jason and Sage finally cross paths.

This was a very sweet romance and I enjoyed the progression of Jason and Sage's relationship. I appreciate the fact that the author didn't shy away from serious topics, such as PTSD and the fact that she gave our heroine a curvy figure that she owns. And although the I would classify this romance as a slow burn, Jessica Clare also knows how to write some very steamy scenes.

I enjoyed this sweet holiday romance, even though parts of the book dragged a little for me. Overall this was a great book and I would give it 3.5 stars.

**ARC provided kindly by Berkley and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

3.5 stars -- Apparently the theme of this series is "Jessica Clare makes me OK with tropes that I usually don't like." Basically, I just really like Jessica Clare's authorial voice and humor, so it is hard for me to have a bad time reading her stuff. I don't love cowboy stories usually (though they have been growing on me recently with the sheer volume of them coming from authors I like), and I also don't like romances where there's a big secret at the heart of the conflict. That said, this one won me over... all the cute doggos didn't hurt

This has everything that I want in a romance novel. A military man who is seeking solace in a ranch, looking to become a cowboy and a sweet heroine that has the perfect ranch for this "new " cowboy.
The author gives us the perfect amount of drama with the storyline and characters in the book.
Sage is strong but sweet. I loved that she wasn't afraid to be herself and didn't shy away from conflict. Jason is a but broke and struggling from his time in the service but they compliment each other.
I loved reading how their friendship grew into something more.
This is the first time I've read anything by this without but I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Coming into the series without reading books 1 & 2 left me a little confused, but not a ton as I grew to know the characters somewhat. Jason Clements is a former Navy master-at-arms. Things just haven't been the same since he came back home. PTSD plagues him and for a while he had it under control with his support dog, but since his dogs death, he can't seem to hold down a job. Getting a job recommendation from his cousin seems like his only chance left, but this green horn knows nothing about cattle ranches. And now he has to prove he can do the job and hide his problems at the same time. 

Sage Cooper loves Painted Barrell with all her heart, but it's time to move on. Her father has passed away, she has sold off most of the cattle and now she is about to put the ranch on sale to move somewhere she can find a life, love and a family. When a man walks into the post office, library, county offices and more, Sage takes it in stride. This has been her job since high school and nothing phases her holiday spirit. 

Jason and Sage hit it off and Sage offers to help Jason learn about taking care of a ranch over the weekend. Yeah, that seems a little fast, but she doesn't dismiss Jason's fears, protectiveness or his need to keep a job and his life private. When Jason goes to work on Monday, they know he isn't as experienced as he said he was and now his shifty eyes scanning everything and the sweaty brow give them cause for alarm as they have children, wives and furry pets to worry about.

The story moves along at a looping pace with Jason and Sage becoming friends. She soothes him in ways he didn't expect and Sage is attracted to him in ways she also didn't expect. Sage holds his secret close to her heart, but when he might lose his job, she does the one thing she doesn't want to do. 

Jason learns to grow. He starts to suspect some things when suddenly there is a dog thrust upon him, but everything is finally coming to be how he hopes. He's more at ease, learning to love and doing a job that is rewarding.

The two fall way to fast and easily in love. That is my one complaint. Jason is always with her every chance he gets and Sage thinks of him every time he's not. They fall into bed, texting, dating and more without much of a bump on the road. So when the big conflict comes around, it feels silly how upset he gets knowing she loved him in ways he could only dream about. This does have love scenes, but also it is kind of sickeningly sweet. Sorry, it just got flirty, dirty and sweet all at once.

As it is Christmas time, this flows through the holiday season with events and gifts. Sometimes we need these kind of uplifting holiday tales. Just to remember what is most important to us and what can be taken away from the ones we love who also serve our country.  PTSD is real and I loved that the author didn't just sweep his condition under the rug with love. Nope, she calmed him, but he didn't just all get better. This something that will continue through life and I loved she made that clear.

A moving story of love, moving on, learning to accept help and learning not to be a doormat for your best friend. It all made a pretty decent story!

Jason has PTSD from his time in the service and it's hard for him to keep a job. He always has to check the perimeter to make sure he won't be blindsided like he was in Afghanistan. He gets a job as a cowhand on a ranch though his cousin but he can't even ride a horse. Luckily for him, he meets Sage, an amazing caring woman who's considered a sister by most of the men in their small town. In fact she's never had a date at 29. Sage helps Jason learn some ranching fundamentals and their relationship develops. I really enjoyed this holiday romance!

OMG I fell hard for this one!
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When you read a lot of books like I do it takes something special to really capture my attention. This book had something special and I’m not sure I can really put my finger on but I’ll try.

I think one of the main things that drew my attention is the way the author created her characters. They both were vulnerable but yet have pride in themselves.

I think that’s what’s missing in many stories where someone is held down or pushed down. The characters are written with that negative energy in themselves. While Jason had some, Sage’s amazing support and friendship just turned him around in a minute.

What’s best of all is the amazing friendship that they built first. From that love just came naturally. He was so gentle and kind and loving to her and she was the same to him.

I absolutely love that the author took the time to write this book with amazing positive energy, steamy love, sweet surprise, and much needed grace throughout the entire story. Beautiful five-star read that envelops what a shining, warm romance story should be.

A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare
Jason & Sage
SO. DARN. CUTE.
5 Stars

This was such a cute read. I thought it might be cheesy and a bit cliche, but it's actually an excellent story. It deals with some darker issues and shows how one can conquer the gloomier side of PTSD.

Jason is a former Navy guy and going through some extremely tough times adjusting to civilian life. Sage is this funny, cute, and down to earth small town girl thinking she might become a city girl. When these two collide it's magic.

I devoured the pages and found myself totally connecting to these characters. The dialogue flows nicely and the writing style is exquisite. There were plenty of highs and lows to keep this girl glued to her kindle! Great book!

This was a pleasant mindless escape. I do not regularly read romance novels, but I did enjoy this one.

So you don't know anything about ranching? And you told your new boss that you do? This is the dilemma at the beginning of the book. It started a story that was entertaining. Although I know that you can't learn about ranching in a weekend, I think that this book is a good read. I liked the story and the characters!