A second chance romance for Cody and Lexie. He left her behind years ago when he left for college, breaking her heart. Now he is back for christmas and does not even recognise her when he meets her as his father's nurse.

They are still attracted to each other, but he will just be leaving again.

I found “Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas”, by Soraya Lane (St. Martin's Paperbacks), an enjoyable read featuring a couple who were high school sweethearts and had a rough breakup.
I usually love this trope and this story was no exception, with a combination of bitter-sweet memories, regret, hurt, lost chances, misunderstandings and new beginnings. I really liked the way Soraya Lane wrote the familiarity, comfort and intimacy between Cody and Lexi, and how we, readers, realize that despite their 10-year separation, they’re still amazingly close.
I think Cody’s reasons to stay away were smartly, although a bit unexpectedly, handled. I liked the fact he’s a bit broken, yet very rational and practical.
The Texas setting, Cody’s family and Lexi’s son create the ideal environment, sometimes a little cookie-cutter, for the romance to flourish.
Lane’s outlook on caring for ageing parents gave a realist tone to the story.

This a first time read by the author, I enjoyed Soraya Lane's Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas.

Lexi and Cody were high school sweethearts until Cody went off to college and never look back breaking her heart. He returns after 15 years to visit his family and hope that the painful memories that surround his home do not rear its ugly head and envelope him to return to his life in New York City. He stumbles into the beautiful nurse/caretaker to his father, later to find out that it is Lexi, his old sweetheart. He tries to rekindle what they had before but Lexi is bent on keeping her heart to herself and a cold wall of anger against him.

Although she can never forget him, she tries hard not to forgive him and comes off a bit cold in the beginning of the story. As Cody spends more time with Lexi, he begins to learn a bit more about her and sees her in a whole new light. She's a single mother that will not let anything and anyone break her spirit...not even Cody. Eventually, they both find themselves drawn to each other again. Can the many years that have passed between their last encounter bring them to love again?

This story was very heartwarming and a comfortable read. Each party had their demons to deal with...Cody has to rediscover his love for Lexi and overcoming the memories that drove him from his family and his home. Lexi has to learn how to not let her past relationships hinder her chance at love again with Cody. In the beginning, I was put off a little by Cody's arrogance and Lexi's cold austere but as I continue to read the story, these faults start to melt away from the main characters. Lovely well-written story that I would love to visit in audible form.

I would like to thank the author, St. Martin’s Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4-Stars

Once Upon A Cowboy Christmas is a fantastic western romance by Soraya Lane. Ms. Lane has provided readers with a well-written book populated with great characters. Cody is a businessman going home for the holidays. His father is dying and Lexi is his caregiver, she's also Cody's high school girlfriend that got left behind when he went to college without a goodbye. Cody and Lexi's story is packed with drama, humor and sexy bits. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Soraya Lane in the future...even though I did wonder if Cody was ever going to get his head out of his butt. Once Upon A Cowboy Christmas is book 3 of the River Ranch Series but can easily 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.

Lexi Murphy has come to the River Ranch as a nurse to take care of Walter Ford, the family's patriarch, dying of cancer. She came even with a romantic history with his son Cody, because Cody rarely comes home....but he manages to come home this Christmas.
They meet, disagree about many things, but manage to work through their issues...one is the closing of the nursing home in which her mother resides. A large problem for the pair.
This sweet western Christmas romance is told with plenty of humor and wonderfully real family interactions. This was a delightful read.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my opinion freely.

3.5 STARS
ONCE UPON A COWBOY CHRISTMAS by Soraya Lane. I found this story to be just ok, although I was hoping for more. I did like the heroine, Lexi. Although at times I wasn't quite sure where she was coming from or, going to. Cody, the Hero, did not appeal to me at all. And, sadly, I didn't feel the connection between the two. I did enjoy the premise of the story - hardened businessman, brought back to his roots and made to look into his soul about his life. However, again, it just didn't all click for me. However, the reasons for 3.5 stars is, despite that, there were moments throughout that my heart burst or ached and I felt a tear or two. So, while this wasn't the best I've read, it still touched me and even drew out a sigh or two during the couple's touch and go relationship. (received ARC from NetGalley for honest review)

Loved it, was very enjoyable to read. May have to go back and read the earlier books.

This is a voluntary review and I don't get paid for this review.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it’s storyline was good and I liked the characters. I know it hasn’t been edited yet, but when it has it will be more enjoyable.

A beautiful story that has the past and the present melding together. A night of passion. A few days to remember what love is. Will this renewed relationship, that’s meant to be fleeting, bring back pain, fear and sadness. Or will it spark hope, love and a future filled with warmth? A fantastic read with excellent writing and great dialogue!

Lexi & Cody were high school sweethearts, but after Cody left for college, to start the rest of his life, Lexi didn’t know what he was moving on from her too. Fast forward and Lexi is a single mom, and a care giver for Cody dad. This situation put both of them in close proximity, with a lot of lost and hard feelings.

Cody couldn’t run away from Texas fast enough, and only returned for the obligatory holidays, special occasions, and his mother’s funeral. Too bad he was so busy trying to put Texas in his rear view mirror to really realize what he left behind.

This is a great story, well written, with just the right amount of humor, drama, and love. Can Cody & Lexi find their way back to each other? Can Cody figure out his demons and get a better grasp on reality?

I wanted to love this book – I love the idea of it, but unfortunately I just really didn’t like either of the main characters.

I think the problem started off with Lexi. She was just so nasty that I couldn’t form any attachment to her. I know we were supposed to empathize with her situation in life and the fact that the hero had left her behind, but her attitude was just something I couldn’t get past.

In terms of a hero, well he just came across as really pathetic. I understood why he had left everything behind when he was 18, but he had never seem to grow up despite being a force in the financial world.

Ultimately not liking either character made reading this book a chore instead of a pleasure.

With a hero who is a bit of a Scrooge, this sweet and angsty book finds Cody rediscovering his heart - and the woman he let get away - just in time for Christmas. The story follows Cody, a Texan who fled life on the family ranch when his mother passed away. He’s spent the last 15 years trying to avoid the painful memories that surround home, turning into a New York City businessman who cares more about the bottom line than how his actions affect others. Now that his father is ill, he’s returned home for the holidays and is shocked to discover that his father’s caretaker is none other than Lexi, his high school sweetheart. Lexi was devastated when Cody left without a word, and time has not healed all wounds between these two. The girl Cody once knew has turned into a woman, and he reluctantly finds himself drawn to both the woman and life he left behind. But the years apart have changed them both and Cody still isn’t sure if he’s ready to be the man Lexi needs.

It’s a heartwarming and emotional book about learning to appreciate the good things in life and not letting your work overtake you. Cody has to rediscover his love for Lexi, his family and his home. He’s a nice guy deep down but it’s clear he wasn’t his best self in the city, so it takes time for him to understand what needs to change. There are plenty of ups and downs in Cody and Lexi’s relationship, but they share a history that connects them in the present. I didn’t always love Cody (or Lexi for that matter), but I was still rooting for them to find love again. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This story has depth and shows that anyone can change their ways when they realize how wrong they’ve been.