I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is set in Harper Falls, Wyoming. The setting in this book is beautiful. The writing style is great. I adored Gertie and Henry's characters. This is a wonderful Christmas romance book. I absolutely recommend it to anyone and everyone. This ebook is in stores for $3.99 (USD).

Sometimes you're just in the mood for some warm cookies and milk, folks. The Gingerbread Man by Kim Turner might fit that literary niche if you've got a hankering for a sweet, caring, protective, loner, good guy hero who has already fallen from afar for a beautiful, widow mother of two barely getting by on the cold, wintery, post civil war frontier. Throw in the fact, he's been her early secret Santa helper for some time only made him extra swoon worthy, IMHO.

Sully (John Sullivan) was a soft spoken widow himself. Both having loved their dearly departed didn't detract from this new beginning of hope and love that very quickly blossomed between them. They each acknowledged their pain and loss but didn't let it keep them from moving on to this new chance of happiness. At only 126 pages, it didn't surprise me overly much that aspect was rushed. There was only one very steamy scene between the sheets, btw.

A little thick on the children's western frontier dialect and stereotypical infatuated bad guy scenario had me having to roll with parts of it. The graphic descriptions of animal trapping and preserving as a means of income and survival, though to be expected in this era, may be disturbing to some. Along with one violent trigger content scene involving Hannah, the heroine, Not to worry, as this hero lives up to his title, folks.

This quick, mostly predictable read was worth it to me to travel down a romance venue I seldom think to venture (western romance). Maybe it helped it was actually snowing outside, which is also a very rare occurrence in my neck of the woods, my fellow romance book loving friends.

Title: The Gingerbread Man, Series: Christmas Cookies (Book 1), Author: Kim Turner, Pages: 126, stand-alone with HEA & epilogue, both celibate widows, heroine has 2 children, post Civil War romance, loner caring good guy hero, one graphic steamy scene, 1 trigger content scene, animal trapping & preserving content.

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not rewarded or compensated in any form for this review. There is no relationship or affiliation between this reviewer and the author, publisher, NetGalley, or any PR firm.)

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read. It held my interest from start to finish. I would recommend it.

Hannah is raising 2 young children and is a widow. John was hurt in the civil war, and lost his wife and child, and is now a hermit trapper. A good Christmas novella about giving, plus a nice romance. Would recommend..

Really sweet read! Easy to follow and quick to get through. The story is not super clean from a romance perspective, but I always flip thought all of that and move forward. It is always fun to see where the love will begin and what will happen from it. You will enjoy this easy read filled with twists and turns and of course, a happy ending!

The Gingerbread Man by Kim Turner
Christmas Cookies

This Christmas historical romance may be shorter in pages but still filled with warmth, love, and holiday cheer. A feel-good story that sent me to bed with a smile on my face last night.

What I liked:
* Sully: a good man who lost much and went West to make a new life for himself after the war
* Hannah: a good woman who lost her husband and is making the best life she can for her children
* Gertie and Henry: Hannah’s children who added a lot to this story
* The believability of the story and the way it was written
* That Sully was so good with both Hannah and her children
* Hannah’s love for her children and willingness to work hard
* Thinking about what life might have been like when this story takes place
* The Gingerbread Man tie-in
* Remembering making gingerbread cookies, houses, and such during past holiday seasons
* That the bad guy – there was one – met his match
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* The bad guy…a predictable character but also beneficial to the story’s plot

Did I enjoy this story? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

This was an amazing novella that puts you right in the past with the characters. It’s set in 1875 Wyoming in the winter so there is a lot of snow… but it’s the author’s words that put you there in the cold, struggling through the blizzard, and more. Hannah is a widow with two children trying to survive on her own. What she doesn’t know is that “Sully”, a trapper who knew her husband, has been helping her out in secret. Her daughter Gertie calls him the gingerbread man as he is bundled up and looks like the cookies they bake. There’s also a bad guy who is determined to make Hannah his. As this is a romance, you can figure out who she ends up with, but it’s not an easy path that is taken. Note: trigger alert for some readers as there is a strong abuse/near-rape scene. It’s brief but it is there. Still, the story is really good and keeps you turning the pages to the satisfying ending.

Recommendation: If you love your historicals and strong, silent heroes, definitely pick this one up. It’s worth the read.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Jeez, this story actually made me cry, in a good way.
The heroine is a rancher whose husband passed away two years prior. She has two children, an 11 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. She has noticed things being fixed around the ranch over the past year, and attributed it to her son. But her daughter often gets up to use the potty at night and sees the man who has been helping around the ranch. The hero is a trapper,who lost his family during the Civil War when he was fighting for the Confederacy. He is hurt saving his troop from a bad situation when he is shot in his shoulder. He is recovering from surgery when he is told his wife and child have died in childbirth. The man often regretted going to war and he helps the widow because he had always hoped someone helped his wife while he was gone. The daughter names him the gingerbread man and the heroine is confused as to who her daughter is referring to. When the hero notices his traps are being set and the animals stolen, he sees a young boy. He watches him, then chases him back to the ranch. He catches him and tells him they have to talk to his mom because the boy can't go on stealing from other people traps. The woman meets the man and recognizes him from around town.
This story is well written and very descriptive. I will the character or relationship development was a little more empathized, but in a western, most of the story is about the settings and small town life. This story had love, action and adventure. It was very believable. I give this book 4 stars and recommendation to read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was a good story, nice read.

I don’t usually read historical novels, but I really enjoyed the summary and found the story to be an enjoyable read. Hannah Tate’s husband died from the influenza and she and her children, Henry and Gertie, are living in their cabin. Times are hard and there is never enough money, but someone has secretly been helping them with the chores. Gertie tells her that it is the “Gingerbread Man” and that she has seen him. He is not the “Gingerbread Man”, but John “Sully” Sullivan has been secretly stopping by to help. He lost his wife and child when he fought during the Civil war and now makes his living trapping and selling the pelts. The owner of the Harper Falls Trading Post & Saloon has expressed an interest in Hannah and she dreads every time he tries to speak to her. Can Sully keep her safe and will they be given a second chance at love? A sweet romance. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)