Enjoyable.

The Cowboy's Bride Collection is yet another novella collection by Barbour publishers. I liked this one better than the Love is Patient Romance Collection which I've previously reviewed. I find that it's kind of a hit-or-miss with novella collections, and this one was a definitive "hit" for me. I was pleasantly surprised that even those these nine novellas all had the same premise, wild west + cowboy + girl, they were all original stories and plots. I'll most likely be looking up some of these authors.

Some of my favorite novellas from this collection were The Cowboy's Lasso, The Reformed Cowboy, and The Wrangler's Woman. There were some really creative stories in this collection! I would highly recommend it for light reading when you want to read a story but don't have time for a full novel. Each of these novellas stand alone too, so you don't have to remember characters that would have carried over. The charcters were very cute from story to story, and each story was unique.

Thank you so much to Barbour publishers and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.

The Cowboy's Bride is a collection of nine novellas, each with a cowboy and/or cowgirl and assorted other characters--sometimes a child and sometimes a cranky father, but always a horse or two. Each of these stories makes for an entertaining afternoon or evening read. Actually, they are all entertaining no matter what time you wish to read them.

The authors of the stories are all seasoned writers who know their craft and ply it well. While no one story sticks out in my mind right now, I loved each and every one of them. I tried, for the most part, to read each story in one sitting and it was totally worth it. The last story in the book--The Cowgirl's Lasso has CJ employed as Jonah's ranch foreman (forewoman?), but he won't let her do her job without undermining her at every turn. It takes an old cowboy named Charlie to bring them together as a working team and as a partnership in marriage. Both had pride issues to overcome, and both had to really take hard looks at themselves to see how they could become a team and really make the ranch work.

This is a five star collection, with two thumbs up, and a cow-pony to do the hard work.

My thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Cowboy's Bride Collection consist of nine wonderful novellas each by a different author. As the title would suggest this is a great book for the fan of cowboy and romance stories. These stories are great for a change up when your not sure of what you would like to read next or are not in the mood for a full length novel. I did not necessarily have a favorite novella in this collection, but rather enjoyed reading each story and discovered several new authors in the process that I had not been aware of prior to reading this collection.

I was provided a copy of this book by Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was impressed with this short collection of stories. I felt they were all very well done, flowed well together and served as a fun, interesting "in between full length books" read. I always love a good western, cowboy romance and this sweet collection was all of that and more. Love, faith, family and forgiveness all wrapped into a beautiful set by some wonderful authors!

This is the first book I've read with nine novellas by nine different authors. Some authors were new to me, some familiar and some were new authors as well. Every story was unique but always included the rugged cowboy, women that were both tough and soft, and sweet romances that were passionate but clean. I could feel the heat, the cold, the dust, and the danger that was apart of these stories.
Some elements you will find in these stories: strong women that work like men, men fighting nature's elements, widower's and widows in need of help, Cowboys that write poetry, ladies that travel to sing and entertain but find something different, a mail order bride that gets caught in a storm and fails to reach her destination in a timely manner, a lady trying to instill manners and etiquette in a bunch of cattlemen, rodeo type competition to name a new ranch foreman that includes not only ability and brawn but character as well, and an English born ranch owner who finds himself butting heads with a female foreman that he was duped into hiring.
If you enjoy late 1800s type westerns, realistically portrayed and full of adventure and romance you will certainly enjoy these novellas. I was given this ebook from Net Galley for my honest opinion, which I have given. I received no monetary compensation.

Filled with humor, mystery, adventure, and romance, these nine novellas tell of honorable men and women who dared to make a living off the land, living in the wild west.

I liked Bat's dog Woolly who comes to save the day in The Cowboy Poet. And it's a misunderstanding that starts it all for Jackson and Lily, in For a Song, when he asks for songbirds, and instead gets women who can sing.

I liked the hero in Crazy About Cait, Jonas, who has come to faith and turned his life around since then. He wants to show Cait that he has changed.

Love comes at unexpected times like in Love's Sweet Storm, when Addie takes shelter from a storm and when a half frozen cowboy shows up she nurses him back to health. Will Addie be able to keep her prior commitment?

The Reformed Cowboy, Wes, has been writing to Millie for years, and when he hears that she is teaching a class on manners he decides to sign up under a different name and meet her. But as more problems occurs, the moment of truth draws near.

I really liked the mother in A Texan's Surprise, she brings Sadie and her girls with her to visit her son Trey--without telling him that they are coming. She wants him to teach Sadie to be a proper rancher's wife, will Trey finally pick up on what his mother's been hinting at all along?

I loved The Wrangler's Woman, and it as probably one of my favorites, Corra agrees to teach Josiah's daughter to be a lady. I like the way that Corra doesn't expect Jess to totally change who she is, and reads the Bible every night.

The Cowboy Competition made me want a horse just like one of the book's heroes, the horse Blaze, that Toby trained himself.

The dialog was fantastic in The Cowgirl's Lasso, CJ comes to the Desert Pony Ranch to work as it's new foreman, but the owner still wants to control everything, can the two find a way to work together?

Overall, a fantastic read, all of the stories were enjoyable and new to me. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys a western romance.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Sweet Smorgasbord of Western Romances..
The Cowboy's Bride is a great, sweet,delightful collection of nine romantic stories from the time of America's cowboy days. One of my favorites was Miralee Ferrell's Love's Sweet Storm, about a mail-order bride who is stranded with a stranger in his cabin during a snowstorm and stuck on his ranch before being delivered to her intended.This story really resonated with girlhood dreams and was beautifully told.

I must admit, ALL the stories were well-told and made me want to keep my Kindle open. Darlene Franklin spins a yarn about two young women who hold classes to teach uncouth cowboys manners(The Reformed Cowboy).Davalynn Spencer pens a narrative of a widowed cow poke whose meddling sister-in-law threatens to remove his children from his care unless he can prove he is raising his daughter to be a lady(The Wrangler's Woman). Another favorite was The Cowgirl's Lasso by Jaime Jo Wright. I loved the headstrong characters including a woman ranch foreman!!

What a neat way to be introduced to several new authors for whom I will now be watching! A wholesome, fun, and educational way to spend a few hours!

I was gifted this egalley through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Cowboy's Bride Collection: 9 Historical Romances Form an Old West Ranches (Barbour Bride Collection) by Susan Page Davis, Vickie McDonough, Nancy J. Farrier, Miralee Ferrell, Darlene Franklin, Davalynn Spencer, Becca Whitham, Jamie Jo Wright and Susanne Dietze

1- The Cowboy Poet by Susan Page Davis June 1880...near Beaumont, Texas Rilla Lane leaves finishing school and returns home to the family ranch to help her ill mother. She continues to write poetry and hopes to be published one day. Then there is that handsome ranch hand, Bat Wilson, who has worked his way into her poetry—and possibly her heart? Bat Wilson is fairly new to the ranch, is a hard worker and finds a discarded poem Rilla wrote that has filled his head—and his heart. Will poetry bring love to Rilla and Bat?
This is a cute story and I loved the interaction between Rilla and Bat.

2- For a Song by Susanne Dietze April 1858...Boston, Massachusetts Jackson Bridge's great-aunt—Mrs. Martha Phipps—misread his letter to her, due to poor penmanship, causing some very unexpected visitors when she arrives in his hometown in South Texas. Sisters Lilly and Delia Kimball and Martha arrive by stagecoach in Wildrye, Texas with the expectation of Lilly and Delia singing at one of the establishments in town. They all are in for a big surprise. This is a funny, heartwarming story with misunderstandings, romance and learning to trust God in all things. I loved the adorable little girl, Georgia—or Georgie as she likes to be called.

3- Crazy about Cait by Nancy J. Farrier Cait Sullivan is one of the best horse trainers in the area, how then could her father hire that Jonas Hall to help train horses for the cavalry. Cait hasn't forgiven Jonas for the past and they certainly do not train horses the same. Jonas is a changed man and hopes Cait will see that and finally forgive him. This is a wonderful story with great characters who learn to forgive and work together, lots of humor, faith and romance.

4- Love's Sweet Storm by Miralee Ferrell January 1888...Southern Border Colorado Addie Patrick is on the way to her new home and life when the wagon wrecks, tragedy and blizzard put her in a dangerous situation. She must find shelter and soon. Grant Hollister is caught out in the blizzard and is in a bad way. He finally stumbles into the line-shack only to discover a woman there and blacks out. Tragedy, heartache, forgiveness, choices to do what is right or follow their hearts, romance and faith making Love's Sweet Storm a heartwarming story.

5- The Reformed Cowboy by Darlene Franklin 1881...Wichita, Kansas Former Bostonian Millie Cain wants to bring some much needed culture to the cowboys in her town. She is excited and a bit nervous about finally meeting the man she has been corresponding with for the past year. One of the cowboys in her class—teaching cowboys to be gentlemen—has caught her interest, but what of Wes? Wes Harper is excited to finally meet Millie but he over hears her say something that causes him to second guess his plans. This is a cute, humorous story, some jumping to conclusions and misunderstandings, romance and faith with colorful characters.

6- A Texan's Surprise by Vickie McDonough 1878...Sherman, Texas Rancher Trey Carpenter is meeting the train in town, his very talkative mama is coming for a visit. However, when she steps off the train she is not alone, she has brought a young woman and her very young daughters with her. What is she thinking? Widowed Sadie Hunter and her two daughters—Abby and Martha—agree to accompany Ella to her son's ranch. But she had no idea how that visit would forever impact her and her daughters lives. Will Ella's matchmaking bring Trey and Sadie together? This is a fun story. I enjoyed the two little girls and Trey and Sadie's story.

7-The Wrangler's Woman by Davalynn Spencer 1881...Ford Junction, Colorado...
Corra Jameson is happy helping her sister, Letty Baxter, at her boarding-room house—the Baxter's Boardinghouse—and taking care of her 8-year-old niece. In her spare time she likes to “get lost” within the covers of her books, dreaming of her own “happy ever after”. Will she find the man of her dreams, a family of her own or be forever caught up in a story-book-world? Widower Josiah Hanacker—along with his two hands, Jess and Joe—drives his heard of cattle right through the middle of town, passing by the boarding-room house and catches Corra's eye—a real cowboy! His two hands are actually his young children—12-year-old son, Joe and 11-year-old daughter Jess—were a huge help on the cattle drive. But Jess is more “tom-boy” than girl and that is worrisome, especially for his deceased wife's sister—who is threatening to take his daughter to live with her. He can't allow that, but what can he do? After praying, asking God for guidance, he comes up with a plan, now if only Corra will agree. This is a heartwarming story that had me laughing at times and wondering how the characters would overcome their obstacles—namely a certain sister-in-law at other times. Loved how faith is woven throughout the story-line, strong family ties and devotion are so much of the characters lives, making this a wonderful story.

8- Cowboy Competition by Becca Whitham 1848...Northern Texas...
Nia Lindley works her family's ranch—the Double L Cattle Ranch—as any of the ranch hands but struggles with balancing being a lady and a cowboy. Now her father may sell the ranch if they can't find a foreman with character. Cowboy Toby Lane feels like he is “cursed” from the past—his father's past and can never break that curse. He finds an ad for a foreman's position at the Double L Cattle Ranch based the outcome of a competition—based on character, would be given the position. Does he dare go back there and compete, will his father's past curse him yet again or does God have other plans for his life? There is a lot of character growth in this story—Nia certainly grew into a strong, godly woman and Toby learned some hard lessons in his life which mold him into a godly man of character. Forgiveness, second chances, faith and love make this a heartwarming story.

9- The Cowgirl's Lasso by Jaime Jo Wright 1895...Desert Pony Ranch, New Mexico...
London born Jonah Sparks is at odds with his new foreman as to how to run the ranch—his ranch. How could his old mentor, Charlie, send him a woman foreman? CJ—Celia Jo Matheson has to prove to her new boss she is a good foreman. If only he would stop interfering in each of her decisions and orders to the men. She is not afraid of hard work or anything—well, there is one thing she fears greatly. Can Jonah and CJ come to terms and find a working relationship that will benefit the ranch or will they forever be at odds? I love CJ's spunk and determination and the sparks that flew between her and Jonah. Charlie captured my heart and his matchmaking schemes. A heartwarming story with characters that will captivate the reader, some humorous situations, battle of wills between Jonah and CJ, faith and love.

~I received an e-book copy of this book from Miralee Ferrell via Netgalley for my review, this is my honest review~

This is a wonderful collection of short historical romances.

These great novellas are all set in the time period from 1839-1895. The authors that were brought together to write each of these stories is fantastic. Each writing style is just different enough that you can easily tell they were written by different people. I thoroughly enjoyed the accuracy to the time period for each story. There is quite a variety of characters throughout these stories that kept me interested in reading them.

Love’s Sweet Storm by Miralee Ferrell
I think that the thing I liked the most about this story is that it was a great reminder of the need to speak honestly about our feelings. We shouldn’t just go along with what others have planned for us.

The Cowboy Poet by Susan Page Davis
The thing that really caught my attention in this story was how teasing affects people, even adults.

I really like the fact that with these short stories it is easy to take just a little time each day and finish a whole story in just a couple of days. They are brief escapes from our everyday lives.

I received a free eBook copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, I certainly enjoyed every story as I rode onto the open range alongside the cowboys and cowgirls who embraced the adventures of living in the Old West! I found these ladies quite a mix of talents who each in there own way attracted a cowboy who may have liked or disliked them at first.. Each author had their own way of telling a tale and I liked them all! If you like historical romance, this ride into the old west is a wonderful way to escape for awhile. I was gifted a copy by one of the authors through NetGalley for review.

Great book I loved all of the stories!!! This is one of my favorite books

5.0 out of 5 starsLots of Cowboys and Romance Bywileyon March 20, 2016 Format: Paperback If you need a dose of cowboys and romance, you will love this book! I always enjoy reading about cowboys and the women they "tame", which is a theme I noticed in this collection as well as some of the women taming the men. I enjoyed meeting the ladies the cowboys fell in love with; from Reila, a poet, to CJ, a ranch foreman with an attitude. Some of the stories and characters are very funny; one story is about teaching manners to cowboys and that's funny to me. Some of the stories are accidentally happening with misunderstandings and confusing, unexpected situations. You will enjoy the characters and fall in love with many of them. It's fun to see the cowboys transform into gentle, kind, understanding men. Each story is a different situation so that keeps one interested in the collection. I was given this book to read and review for the authors.

This is now officially one of my favorite novella collections (so far) from Barbour Publishing. When choosing whether or not to read each collection, there is generally one author's name that draws me in. For this collection that name is Susan Page Davis, and her story did not disappoint. Bat Wilson, ranch hand, is inspired by the boss's daughter, Rilla Lane, to write poetry - much to the amusement of the other ranch hands. A sweet, fun story that sets the tone for the collection.

In the second story, Jackson Bridge asks his Aunt Martha to send two songbirds for his "saloon." While Lily Kimball and her sister Delia delight his daughter Georgie, they were not quite what he had in mind. Cait Sullivan excels at working with horses. Much to her chagrin, her father hires Jonas Hall to train them. Having her sister's ex-fiance working on the ranch is difficult for her pride, and her heart. Addie Patrick, raised like a son, is an orphan with no place to go. After a few letters, she leaves Iowa to be the bride of a Colorado store owner. Being trapped in a line shack with an injured rancher during a snow storm was not in her plans. For Grant Hollister, however, it is a good thing that he felt God nudging him to keep going until he could be.

Millie Cain has co-founded the Ladies Society for the Betterment of Culture, intent on bringing Boston manners to the cowboys of Wichita, Kansas. Little does she know that Wes, the man she has been corresponding with for a year, has joined her Learn To Be A Gentleman class to see if she can accept him as a cowboy. Everything they hope for hinges on a song.

When Trey Carpenter's ma comes to visit his ranch, he is unprepared for the surprise she brings with her. He is even less prepared for how he feels when neighbors come courting Sadie Hunter, the penniless young widow with two daughters.

With the threat his deceased wife's sister coming to take his daughter, Josiah Hanacker hires a spinster, Corra Jameson, to turn her into a lady. Petunia (Nia) Lindley learned not to trust her judgement about men, but there is something about Toby Lane, one of the men competing to become foreman of her family ranch. Jonah Spark has come a long way from being a titled Englishman to a New Mexico rancher, but he is still a bit too proper to accept a woman as his foreman. CJ Matheson is ready to fight to win this power struggle. It isn't her fault the ranch's owner thought she would be a man.

In a collection like this, there are often stories that you wish would be developed into full length novels. Miralee Ferrell provided a prime example with her story. It felt a bit of a jumble, which might have been partly due to the length, but it was so very sweet that I would gladly read a longer version.

I try to take time between each story so that my reaction to one doesn't affect my thoughts and feelings about the next. Sometimes, however, the stories are strong and distinct enough that this isn't necessary. For example, Becca Whitham's story was a little touch and go for me at first, but had such an "awwww" ending that I was won over. Jaime Jo Wright, on the other hand, had me from the first page with her descriptions and humor.

Darlene Franklin and Vickie McDonough are two authors I have been wanting to try, as they wrote a series with Susan Page Davis. I was quite pleased to see that they had contributed the fifth and sixth stories in the collection, and I've lost any trepidation I may have felt about reading the rest of that series.

If you enjoy, as I do, Historical Romance set in the Old West with faith integrated into the story, engaging main characters, and touches of humor then this is a great choice. I plan on adding a physical copy to my bookshelves in the near future. French flaps, deckled edges, and nine enjoyable romances that are just the right length to read one (or two, if you start early) in an evening. Whether you prefer ebooks or physical books, I recommend it.

This review refers to a review ebook read for free courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Cowboy Poet, by Susan Paige Davis, begins the stories in The Cowboy’s Bride Collection.

Rilla Lane has returned home to the family ranch due to her mother’s illness. She loves the ranch and her Ma and Pa, but the poetry that lives in her heart needs a release.

Bat Wilson, a cowboy, had come to work on the ranch while Rilla was away. They really didn’t know each other, but Bat was hoping to remedy that by writing his own poems. What he didn’t expect was the ridicule he’d endure from the other ranch hands.

For A Song, by Susan Dietze, is a fun story full of miscommunication, misunderstanding and lots of faith and humor.

Aunt Martha Phipps believes she has the perfect answer to sisters Lily and Delia Kimball’s dilemma when she receives a letter from her nephew, Jackson Bridge. However, she only opens up a can of worms, and there will be a lot of talking to get out of the mess!

Crazy About Cait, by Nancy J Farrier, introduces us to Cait Sullivan and Jonas Hall.

Cait is one of the best horse trainers in the area, however, her father hired Jonas to train his horses for the cavalry, and Cait feels betrayed. Not only did Jonas get her job, but he had stolen and then broken her sister’s heart, how could she ever forgive him?

Love’s Sweet Storm, by Miralee Ferrell, puts us on the trail with Addie Patrick during a blizzard.

Addie is stranded when her wagon careens off the path, and the driver is gravely injured. Knowing she’ll never survive without shelter, she sets out to find somewhere warm.

Grant Hollis is caught out in the same blizzard, but he’s injured. When he arrives at the line shack Addie found, he passes out, leaving only Addie to assist him.

Darlene Franklin brings us the amusing story of Millie Cain and Wes Harper in The Reformed Cowboy.

Millie recently relocated to Wichita from Boston in order to meet her pen pal and possible boyfriend, Wes. However, she first decides she would like to teach the Kansas cowboys lessons in etiquette and how to be true gentlemen. Mayhem and confusion ensue, leaving Millie to wonder if cowboys can learn!

Trey Carpenter, a rancher by trade, is supposed to meet his mother at the train station in A Texan’s Surprise, by Vickie McDonough. However, his Mom has a surprise for him-she brought along a widow, Sadie Hunter, and her two daughters, Abby and Martha.

Trey isn’t very happy about his Mother’s unannounced surprise; however, he’s even more unhappy when the local men begin to court Sadie.

The Wrangler’s Woman, by Davalynn Spencer, captures the story of Corra Jameson, widower Josiah Hanacker and his two children, Joe and Jess, and Josiah’s meddling sister in law.

Josiah needs help with turning his daughter Jess from wrangling and tomboy ways to a refined and genteel young woman, and if Corra agrees, she’s the perfect answer to his dilemma. If Corra’s unable to help with his daughter, his sister in law plans to spirit her away and train her properly.

Toby Lane needs to hire on as a foreman at the Double L Ranch in Cowboy Competition, by Becca Whitham, but he fears his family’s “curse” will keep him from doing his job.

Nia (Petunia) Lindley is trying everything she can to convince her Father she can “run” the ranch and still be a lady. However, her Father is doubtful and determined to sell the ranch. Toby may just be the answer to her problems if he can overcome the family “curse.”

The Cowgirl’s Lasso, by Jaime Jo Wright, is about Jonah Sparks and his search for a new foreman on his ranch. He is thrilled when his mentor, Charlie, recommends CJ Matheson. That is until he learns CJ is a woman named Celia Jo.

Jonah doesn’t believe CJ can do the job and constantly challenges and undercuts her authority. CJ knows she can work wonders for the ranch, if only Jonah would leave her alone to work.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice compilation of short stories with a cowboy romance theme. I really enjoyed each and every story. I have read several stories by some of the contributing authors, too, which made it seem a bit more familiar, too. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants a quick fix from a short story just before bedtime, for instance. These stories were clean and pretty fast-paced because of the length of the stories, but they were very enjoyable to read.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.