The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection

I'm new to this author and I was not disappointed! Her characters are interesting and feel less cookie-cutter than most Christian authors which is lovely. I liked how the theme was family and religion, it was nice to read after a long day as they aren't too taxing and are feel good stories that make you smile.

A whole lot of fun, adventure and romance set mainly in the 1800's!
A hand picked collection of previously published novellas, with some family connections. Love this author's humor and quick paced writing! Colorful characters, full of spunk and grit, who are thrown together into adventures, awkward and dangerous situations at times. Laugh out loud fun along the way in western settings stretching from Texas, Nebraska and up to Montana. Enjoyable reading even the second time around. The last story is a contemporary one, with a family tie-in that makes a nice wrap up to the set.
Recommend for anyone looking for a fun, light hearted, clean historical romance!

I absolutely love Mary Conneally and have now read every book she's written When you read multiple books by the same author, sometimes it can feel like you've already read everything and things start to overlap and sound familiar. That's not the case with this author. Once again she's created a story that made me want to laugh, cry and then snuggle up to someone special.

What do a tamed herd of longhorns, an advent box with secret compartments, three unruly little girls, and oil have in common? Each has a place in a story in The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection: 8 Novellas from the Old West Celebrate the Lighthearted Side of Love.
These novellas, all written by Mary Connealy, take readers to Nebraska, Montana, and Texas. Whether couples have a long history, admire each other, or are meeting for the first time, there are plenty of hijinks and laughter (something Connealy excels at adding to her stories) on their way to finding their happily ever after.
I liked that there was some overlap in these novellas. Each one stands alone, but there is common ground with families—one through several generations—and towns. This common thread made each story I came to a bit more enjoyable with the insight from the previous one with some of these characters.
Get comfortable and settle in to a wild west with heart and humor in this collection.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This is a lovely collection of cowboy romances set in the 1800s. The focus is on the importance of family, with each story's characters interconnected with the family of another story. The stories are unique and varied, each with its own HEA. Humor permeates throughout the stories, with adventures at every turn and values that are true to the time period. The writing is top-notch, witty, genuine, romantic and heartwarming. I really enjoyed this collection, and am voluntarily reviewing an ARC of this book provided through NetGalley.

The Calico and Cowboy Romance Collection from Mary Connealy was an absolute delight. I love Connealy’s work and the way she weaves everything together so seemingly effortlessly; this collection was no different in that regard. While I did have favorites (namely His Surprise Family and Sophie’s Other Daughter), each novella had its own merit and is well-worth the reading time and focus. I love that Connealy’s characters are never one-dimensional and always grow throughout her stories, be they in a novella or one of her full-length novels. Reading this definitely has me wanting to go back and re-read some of her other works.

Love this author. I wait impatiently for her next book, Yes Impatiently, that was not a miss-type. This is one of the best collections I have read. In the eight Novellas she revisits many of my favorite characters. You know you are over the top when you can't wait to talk to your daughter about the latest escapade of these characters, as if they are relatives. If you have read anything by Mary, you know her novels are well written, fast passed and laugh out loud funny. She has such a great wit and wonderful one liners. Her novels are also full of very tender moments. Quote from The Sweetwater Bride, “I love you Tanner, That's why when your pa said you left-----” “The sun dimmed and the birds quit singing. The trees wept and the wind turned cold. I knew you'd gone out of my life.” Mary has a wonderful way of picking you up and planting you back into the late 1800's, before you even realize what's happened. Hope for Christmas was a pleasant surprise. It was written as a modern day novella. A story of the great, great, great grandson of the first Harden family. If you were to ask me which novella was my favorite, I would have to say the one I am reading right now. Don't miss out, read Calico and Cowboys, Purchase one for a friend who loves western romance novels.

The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection by Mary Connealy was a book with eight novella stories. They are romance, but cleanly written. This collection was excellent and were a mix of action, humor, and adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures the characters took in these western stories. I recommend reading this collection.

A nice collection of eight Old West novellas filled with romance and humor. These stories are tied together by main characters who are either from the Reeves family (think 12 boys and then a girl) or the McClellan family (4 rambunctious, strong willed girls and then boys). The major characters from the stories have also starred in other books of Connealy's, so it is nice to revisit them. Another common thread is that each story features a child or children that draw the male and female lead together and leads to romance. Each novella feels like a complete story.

Mary Connelly's books are always clean, humorous and filled with old west fun while maintaining a strong Christian thread throughout. Another great collection from this author featuring easy-to-read stories that are perfect for a short break on a busy day.

I loved this delightful collection of stories from Mary Connealy. Set in the old West, each book has delightful charaters; a sparkling storyline; and are filled with humor, love, and faith. Each one stands in its own, and there’s something unique and charming about each one. It’s a delight to read such sweet, clean, stories with no bad language or embarrassing scenes. Just the type of light reading that warms your heart. I highly recommend this collection to you!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

This collection of stories was wonderful. I enjoyed the full spectrum of relationships. I do, however, wish that it had been a little better in transitioning the reader from story to story. Possibly adding in a family tree or diagrams with which families were from where. Each story had me rooting for them, hoping all things worked out, and that they could have their hea!!

This is a book of 8 short stories all set to the Frontier historical period in America. Mary has a way of writing that moves you right along in these stories. I liked all the stories, but my favorite was His Surprise Family. I thought it blissfully romantic. My least favorite was The Advent Bride because the ending seemed so abrupt. Although I loved the advent box and would love to come across one of those if there even is such a thing! How clever.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful book! I loved every second of this book. Mary Connealy always has me laughing til I cry with her characters and her plot lines. This book was no different! Definitely a keeper and one I look forward to reading again and again. 5 stars and two thumbs up!

~Guest Reviewer at Cafinated Reads
~Cafinated Reads was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are our own.