The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna GrantMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Three and a half stars.
Clayton East is a former Navy SEAL. He's returned to his parents' cattle farm in Clearview, Texas after his father had a stroke only to discover that their accountant has robbed them blind and absconded with the money. Added to which rustlers have stolen 100 head of cattle and a prize bull. After being involved in an ambush in which the rest of his SEAL team died Clayton has suffered PTSD, he also still feels guilt at the death of his twin brother Landon when they were children. If his father hadn't had the stroke he would never have come home.
Abby Harper is struggling to make ends meet bringing up her two teenage brothers after their father died and their mother walked out on them as soon as Abby graduated from school. The last thing she needs three weeks before Christmas is to have her brother Brice arrested for cattle rustling. Clayton was ready to throw the book at Brice, especially when he refuses to implicate the people he was working for, but after Abby offers to pay him back every red cent he is impressed despite himself and decides to let Brice work off the debt after school and at weekends. It wouldn't hurt that he would get to see the beautiful Abby at the same time.
Phew, this is a cowboy story that just happens to take place at the run up to Christmas rather than a full-on Christmas story. I liked the plot although I feel there were some massive clues to the identity of the cattle rustlers that Abby should have picked up on before and one of those involved appears to have got off scot-free (although maybe that will come out in the next book in the series?).
This was enjoyable, Clayton and Abby were a good couple with plenty of passion between them. I do have a slightly bad taste in my mouth that the only women portrayed in this book are either absolute saints (Abby and Clayton's mother), selfish (Abby's mother) or nasty employers (Gloria), why do so many romances have to categorise women as either good or bad? Why can't they be a bit more nuanced? Anyway, maybe I'm being a bit grumpy. Otherwise this had a bit of everything: kids, Christmas, horses, drama, cowboys, a Navy SEAL, a mystery you name it, it was there.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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