It kills me to say this. I did not enjoy this book. I've read and liked several other Kate Pearce books but everything in this one felt stilted. It was a battle to finish it, to be honest.

Here's the premise: Noah and Max are ex-marines working on Luke's (another ex-marine) ranch. Their flighty ex-team member from the marines, Dave, comes up the remote area, telling tales about how he's going to find his ex up there and hand off his one year old son to her. But that was all lie and Dave ghosts in the middle of the night and leaves his kid there. The men reluctantly take care of him and try to figure out what to do. But sheer luck, the ranch happens to be equipped to take care of an infant for six weeks, including diapers and formula in storage. Noah, with three younger siblings, has the most experience with kids and ends up taking on most of the child care. Meanwhile, Dave's ex, Jen, missed her meet with Dave because she is a Navy officer and was trapped on a ship because of weather. When she docks, she gets sent on a wild goose chase to find her son because of Dave's self-centered idiocy and finally makes up the mountain to the ranch. She ends up snowed in with the guys and she and her son spend a month there due to the weather limitations.

I love the premise because forced proximity is a favorite trope. But the interactions with the characters were all so dry. Max, Lucas, and Noah barely seem to be friends, despite living and working together. Max and Noah have issues and it's never explained why. None of the guys have any layers to them. Lucas is the kind peacemaker. Noah is the grumpy stoic. And Max is the unstable trouble maker. They all have issues from their Marine days, but that is rarely discussed and it's just hints here and there. If I didn't know they were on the same team in the Marines, I would not have a clue why they are all in the place.

I didn't feel any chemistry between Noah and Jen. There was a lot of telling but not a lot showing. After 12 days together, they are both into each other. But we didn't get to see what happened in those 12 days. It was confusing. The steamy scenes were a little painful to read, and I'm shocked to be saying that about a Kate Pearce book. They were stilted and lacked any emotional intimacy. But my biggest issue was the lack of communication between them. There were so many assumptions and misunderstandings. Forced proximity usually causes the characters to let down their guards more, but in this case it seems like the caused the walls to go even higher.

I think if you are a fan of the 80s movie, the premise will give you enough nostalgia to enjoy the story. This was just a miss for me.

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. And oh boy did I enjoy the book! Perfect amount of spice, tension and romance. The added cowboy element just tied it all together in the best way! Jen and Noah's blossoming relationship was such a delight to read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three Cowboys & A Baby was my first experience reading Kate Pearce's work and it was an enjoyable, fun read. After reading the blurb I was intrigued and interested in reading how 3 former military guys were going to handle a sweet, blue-eyed baby boy. It was exactly as I had anticipated with a little bit of angst, lots of chemistry between the main characters and some interesting, eye-opening situations that ranchers deal with on a daily and seasonal basis. This all made for a quick, pleasurable read that I would definitely recommend. I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

What a fun read. Noah, Luke and Max end up taking care of baby Sky after his father leaves him. When his mother Jen shows up sparks fly between her and Noah. Snowed in they are forced to put up with each other. Enjoyed this one and found it hard yo put down. Highly recommend this book and author.

I was excited for this book when I read the synopsis, however, no matter how hard I tried I just did not enjoy this book. I did not like the writing style, the pacing felt very choppy, the characters made unrealistic/dumb/inorganic decisions, and the dialogue felt manufactured.

I didn't feel that any of the characters really had any sort of connection or care for each other. However, Noah and Sky had some adorable moments.

Three Cowboys and a Baby
By Kate Pearce

Noah lives and works on the Nilsen Ranch with two of his military buddies Luke, who owns the ranch, and Max. When their mutual friend Dave leaves his less than one year old and takes off for a job overseas, the three men are stuck with Sky. Noah who has taken care of his three sisters steps up to take care of Sky.

Jen Rossi returns home from a deployment, surprised to find out that her ex boyfriend who is supposed to be taking care of their son, isn’t where he was supposed to be. She travels cross country twice in her effort to locate Sky, and finally does after three weeks.

Meeting Jen for the first time is not Noah’s finest moment. In fact he pulls a gun on her, and then insults her for her lack of responsibility in regard to her son, not knowing the whole story. Jen just wants to make the best of the situation and leave the ranch as quickly as possible with her son. Just as she is about to leave the mother of all storms comes followed by freezing temperatures and strands them all on the ranch for almost a month.

I enjoyed the buildup in the relationship between Noah and Jen although I wanted to smack Noah a couple of time for making his own assessments instead of really talking and listening. He’s a bit grumpy and set in his ways. I would have like to have seen a bit more straight talk between Jen and Noah. Although, they seem to communicate very well physically. 🔥🔥

True to Kate Pearce form, Three Cowboys and a Baby is full of likable characters who have each other’s backs. There are laughs in the form of an adorable baby, and plenty of drama with three retired Marines a deserted baby, his mother, and an irresponsible father. The relationship between the three friends is not always smooth either, and they each seem to have their demons to fight and do so very differently.

I read this story in one sitting and have become invested in the characters. I want to see if there is something between Noah’s sister Bailey and Luke or Max. I received and arc of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A mutual friend visits his three cowboy buddies and leaves… well… he leaves his baby behind when he goes. One of the three cowboys, Noah, take special responsibility for the child and can’t wait til the mother arrives so he can chew her out for abandoning her child as well.

Jen returns from a Navy mission to discover, after haring across the country twice, that her crazy ex has just left her kid with a bunch of cowboys. She is livid. And not at all interested listening to Noah’s lectures.

But gradually she finds she just might be interested in something Noah has to say- about their attraction.

This is a sweet take on the old Three Men and a Baby movie. It doesn’t seem to be a rom com which is what I had expected, not to say that there isn’t a nice sense of humor at times. The secondary characters are well developed and it is easy to like Noah. I had a little bit of trouble identifying with Jen though.

I kind of felt like I missed a cue for the change from enemies to lovers for Noah. I didn’t see the progression. It just felt like a switch was pulled and voila, Noah no longer mistrusted and disliked Jen but had fallen in love with her.

Maybe (ok, for real) I’m weird but my favorite character to read was Dave, the baby daddy. We all know him: he’s the totally self un-aware good time screw up who reframes every situation to make himself look benevolent and good. He totally believes his new reality. He is a jack@$$ but fun to read.

Maybe it isn’t clear from the above but I quite liked the book and would give it a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 because there are no .5s on the scale.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good solid book. It wasn’t great, it could’ve been better but it was a fun read. Who doesn't love three rugged cowboys taking care of a baby? This book had promise and it did deliver in some aspects. It was well-written, the characters were fleshed out (though one character was definitely one-dimensional), and the ending was satisfying. However, I couldn't relate to Jen and I did get annoyed with her choices. There was barely any chemistry between her and Noah, and even Noah, though rugged, did nothing for me. I expected no spice but this book surprised me with a few open-door spicy scenes, which I appreciated. Overall, this was a quick and easy read but it wasn't memorable. A solid 4/5.

A cute enough story. I found the premise pretty original. The characters seemed well described and fleshed out. I struggled with the constant hot and cold between the main characters and I also had trouble understanding all the conflict between Max and Noah. Refusal to communicate as the main source of conflict, is tiresome, overdone and makes the reader lose respect for the characters. Overall, this is a decent and entertaining story, that I'm unlikely to reread. *I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

This review was added in error and the review for THREE COWBOYS AND A BABY will be posted shortly. Thank you for your patience.

The premise was great. It had wonderful promise. The writing was not great. I gave up a few chapters in. I hate it when I'm excited for a book and it turns out to be meh.

This book has a similar premise to the 80s movie Three Men and a Baby. I loved that movie as a kid. I equally adored this novel! I loved the “suspense” at the beginning of wondering who the mom was and why she’d abandoned her child. Never mind that I wanted to strangle the child’s actual father, Dave! Lol
I loved the three cowboys Noah, Luke and Max. The author did a great job of making each man unique and interesting in their own way. The book starts out with the baby’s father abandoning the baby with these three cowboys. The weather is bad. Once Jen shows up the weather keeps her snowed in and that’s when the fun begins. Noah is the best with baby Sky which means he is very angry at Jen for not showing up. I loved their journey to get together. This book was well written with great conflict to keep me interested the entire way through. This book is a great winter getaway! Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

Loved this start to a new series by author Kate Pearce. This book was definitely full of angst & heat. The blizzard of the century traps Jen in Northern California after a cross country bus trek on a ranch with 3 strangers who’ve been watching her baby after his father’s dumped him & left the country. They don’t have a very high opinion of Jen until they realize their buddy lied. Battling nature & injuries, Jen & the guys do their best to survive & we get to see the true strength of Jen as she takes on medical care & the household duties. Noah’s strength is a given as a former marine but it’s his care of baby Sky & his attention to Jen that makes us swoon. Their chemistry is definitely running full force throughout the story, even as they’re trying to deny it. I love how this story is brought full circle as Sky’s father ends up back at the ranch leaving him there, but this time it’s for a good reason. Definitely recommend. I voluntarily read this book for an honest review.

Three Cowboys and a Baby was such a fantastic story. Full of the frustrations that come in romance novels like initial dislike, thinking the other interested party isn't as interested and of course the hardships of finding time together as well as living in different towns. I loved the characters and the plot line. Great book!

Kate Pearce brings us a story of three former Marines living and working together on a farm. When someone from their former life shows up with a baby, they are in for a surprise when their buddy leaves them with his baby. With the snow coming down faster and being remote, it leaves them little choice but to wait for the missing parent to show up. Meanwhile, Jen is finally able to see her baby boy only to find out that he is not where he is supposed to be. This leads to a lot of traveling to get to the ranch and then receive an unwelcoming reception from Noah. Because of the snow storm, Jen is stranded there with her baby boy, Noah, and the rest of the men. Will this time together thaw Noah out enough to allow his heart to thaw as well, or has there been enough damage done? Has the past already colored the future, or will the time spent together make them see each other differently?

Kate Pearce brings us a story of three men, a baby, and a lady and what happens when you can't go anywhere because the snow is in the way. Will love conquer all, or is the past too much of a burden to carry? You want to keep reading how these guys handle a baby on their own as well as how they all manage when Jen shows up for her baby. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I have received and read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra for this privilege.

Complementary copy provided by NetGalley and publisher for my honest review and opinion. Kate Pearce knocked it out of the park with this interesting romance that starts with an end in mind then gives you twists and turns.

This novel was such a light and good read. I was engaged quickly and loved the story. Soldiers turned cowboys who end up assisting in raising a baby of one of their fellow brothers. Definitely a good story with lots of emotions involved. Thanks to Kensington books and Netgalley for the ARC.

THREE COWBOYS AND A BABY by Kate Pearce is a heartfelt contemporary western romance full of misunderstandings, tension, humor, and love. This is the first book in a new trilogy featuring three sexy former Marines now cowboys on the Nilsen family ranch at the northern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.

When Luke Nilsen left the service, he returned home to run his family’s ranch with two of his Marine brothers, Noah and Max. An old teammate shows up at the ranch out of the blue with his infant son, Sky, looking for the baby’s mother who supposedly lives in town. When he doesn’t find her, he sneaks out overnight and leaves the baby behind.

Noah Harding had to raise his three sisters while his mother worked to support them and he swears he will never have a child of his own, but until the baby’s mother turns up to claim him, he will do his best to take care of him. When Sky’s mother shows up at the ranch relieved to find her son safe, they become snowed in, and Noah learns there is more to the story and there may be more to his own feelings.

Jen Rossi knows her son’s father is unreliable and when she is delayed getting back from deployment, she never expected he would abandon their son with three men she doesn’t even know. Snowed in, Jen is especially helpful with her nursing skills after an accident. While she really appreciates the handsome, but taciturn Noah, she must consider her future with her son and the ever-present problems her ex can cause for her custody.

I like the author’s set up for this trilogy, the setting and the three friends. Their military service made them all close, but they also came back with some difficulties adjusting and the isolated, large ranch in the mountains is a perfect place to heal. Noah is gruff and has to have everything organized in a logical way which does not always line-up with emotions. Jen has grown up in foster care until her service and now whether she has found a man she can learn to trust and love; she must put hers and her son’s futures first. While I enjoyed all the back and forth while Noah and Jen are getting to know each other, there were times it went on too long for me when some things could have been taken care of by just some honest conversation. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but not gratuitous. All of the secondary characters are fully fleshed and realistic and I cannot wait to see who is going to meet their HEA match next.

I enjoyed this contemporary western romance and am looking forward to the other two books to come in the trilogy.

I have read many of Kate Pearce's books, but I personally had a difficult time being drawn in by this one. I am unsure if it was the implausibility of how the cowboys came to be caring for the baby or if it was hard to get past how cold and distant Jen and Noah seemed. I understand that they both have pasts and carry a lot of baggage, but for me I felt like the pacing was off and it went from hot to cold and back to hot. This book for me personally, asked for me to accept a lot of things and just move on with the story, but I am not very good at that.

On a positive note, Kate Pearce does an excellent job describing the characters and has taken a new look at the old "Abandoned baby" trope. I do believe that this book has an audience, but I am just not included in that group.

I know what you are probably thinking. I certainly did when this title came up to review. Three men and a baby was a lovely movie about three guys managing, sometimes rather awkwardly, taking care of a baby. But that is where the comparison ends in THREE COWBOYS AND A BABY by Kate Pearce. This isn’t my first read of a book by this creative author. Kate Pearce has a strong romantic sense, but it is her honest and intelligent dialog that has made me a fan. In THREE COWBOYS AND A BABY the guys aren’t just cowboys running a ranch together, they are all ex-military. They are retired but each still faces some issues. It seems everyone that leaves the military must deal with baggage.
As ex-military it makes sense that their circle of friends and folk share that background. So when their friend Dave shows up at the ranch, they of course offer hospitality. But Dave came with some baggage of his own, his almost year-old son Sky. No wife in the picture, just Dave and Sky. Dave is on the way to Africa for some sort of job. And during the night he somehow managed to exit the ranch, leaving Sky behind. Dave is irresponsible, but not stupid. He knew these guys would do the right thing. Problem was he didn’t leave them with any way to get in touch with him or with the baby’s mom.
Seems Dave wasn’t forthcoming with very much factual data. Somehow even that didn’t surprise his buddies.
Now several weeks later we get to meet Sky’s mom Jen. At first the guys keep themselves at arm’s length from the woman they assume had sort of abandoned her baby. That would not make her the best judge of character to begin with considering her relationship with Dave and the fact that she had been gone for much of the baby’s first year.
As facts unfold, we realize that Jen had been in an untenable situation. First finding out she is pregnant. Having her son Sky. And still legally obligated to her job in the navy. She had thought they had figured out a good workable arrangement. Dave would live with his mother who would help take care of Sky until her assignment was completed. Needless to say, events changed everything, and their plan had to be altered rather quickly.
Hence baby Sky winding up with Noah, Luke, and Max at the Nilsen Ranch in California.
Sky is being well cared for by the gruffiest guy in this trio, Noah. Noah had helped raise three younger sisters and seemed rather well prepared to take charge with Sky’s care until they could locate the mom, Jen. As it turns out Jen travels coast to coast – twice – in her desire to find her son. She never expected to find three navy guys taking care of her one-year-old son. And absolutely would never picture a big, bearded guy like Noah leading the team. Sky is absolutely in love with Nono – his Noah. Noah greets Jen with a huge chip on his shoulder as he had pre-judge her as a lousy absentee mother. But it becomes rather obvious that their shared love for this baby could become something rather wonderful.
Here’s where Kate Pearce comes in. Her dialog and attention to detail in THREE COWBOYS AND A BABY makes for a very entertaining story. You are immediately drawn to these characters. And somehow the story never feels contrived, instead rather plausible, and you can’t help but cheer these tough guys and gals along. Kate Pearce invests part of her heart and soul into her writing and awards the reader with some of the best situational romance books of this season.