Megan Crane

4.5 stars.

A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews is an emotionally compelling romance that is funny, poignant and heartwarming. This first installment in the Cold River Ranch series is a must read for fans of contemporary westerns.

Gray Everett is devoted to his family ranch and his fifteen year old daughter. He has just buried his verbally and emotionally abusive father and he is constantly sparring with his younger brothers, bull rider Ty and financier Brady. Widowed for ten years, Gray show more has decided it is time for him to remarry, but he wants a marriage based on practicality not love. He also wants a woman who knows what ranch life is like so he sets his sights on his longtime neighbor Abby Douglas. Gray wastes no time proposing to Abby, but will she agree to his unemotional and unconventional proposal?

Abby has a full life but she has little experience with dating. She has secretly pined after Gray for half of her life but she never expected him to notice her. Due to her mother Lily's indifferent mothering and verbal abuse, Abby's self-esteem is at rock bottom. At first disbelieving his proposal is genuine, she offers a few half-hearted (but valid) objections before agreeing to marry him. Abby is ill-prepared for Gray's plans for an emotionless yet passion-filled union but she eagerly assumes her role of wife and stepmother. But how will Abby cope with the emotional baggage that Gray brings to their relationship?

Abby is an absolutely delightful character whose caring and compassionate nature shines throughout the novel. Despite the limited amount of time she has spent with her hateful mother, she takes Lily's spiteful words to heart. Abby is continually off balance as she waits for Gray to reject her since she feels unworthy of his attention. Although she lacks self-worth, she stands up to Gray and fights for what is important to her. Abby also struggles to reconcile her love for her husband as he maintains a sensible, businesslike approach to their daily interactions.

Gray is gruff, unsentimental and determined to be nothing like his father. He also carries deep scars inflicted by first wife and he is quick to view his current marriage through the lens of his first disastrous union. Gray is stunned by the depth of his attraction to Abby but he does not let his desire for her change the parameters he set for their marriage. He is genuinely bewildered by his wife's kindness to others and he stubbornly refuses to change his mind on the things that matter to Abby. Gray is also astounded when her reactions to their differences do not match up to his previous experiences.

Alternating between Abby and Gray's perspectives, A True Cowboy Christmas is a truly captivating romance. Abby and Gray are emotionally wounded characters with realistic issues to overcome. Despite the rather inauspicious start to the marriage, the chemistry between them is palpable but outside of the bedroom, Gray clings to his expectations of their life together. Abby gradually realizes she deserves more than Gray is offering, but will her love for him be enough to sustain their marriage?

Caitlin Crews perfectly balances angst with humor which results in a truly unique love story that stands out from other books in the genre. The glimpses of Ty and Brady will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment in the fabulous Cold River Ranch series. Highly recommend to fans of the genre. show less

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Stars)
Title: Untamed
Author(s): Caitlin Crews
Character(s):
― Lucinda Graves: 28 years old, Red, Blue Eyed
― Jason Kaoki: Black, Black Eyed
Setting: Pacific Islands
Tag(s): Romance, Contemporary
Content Rating: R
POV: Third Person
Smexy Level: Hot
Favorite Quote(s):
― “When failure wasn’t an option, she liked to tell herself, the only remaining possibility was success.”
― “This man is dangerous and you’re a fool to get this close to him.”
― “Some of show more us weren’t blessed with athletic prowess and matinee idol good looks. Some of us can’t smile our way into a better future, we have to claw for it. One broken fingernail at a time.”
Overall Opinion:
Five separate emissaries had already been sent from competing hotel conglomerates to convince the notably impossible Jason Kaoki to develop the unspoiled private island in the Pacific he’d inherited from his late father, international playboy and real estate tycoon Daniel St. George. Lucinda Graves had no intention of making herself the sixth and just when she thinks she has this in the bag, she finally crosses paths Jason who is distinctly and unarguably more male than any man she’d ever encountered before.

Oddly, disregarding the previous reviews, I liked this a lot more than I was expecting. The relationship between Lucinda and Jason didn't fall into a romantic relationship straight away, it purely started as sexual attraction and gradually built over time, ultimately leading to their happily ever after. Throughout the series, the storyline did not see rushed and it was well paced. The characters were realistic and relatable, and the sex scenes were scorching hot. A fun read with overall good content and characters.

show less

Scottie has an albatross around her neck, of the virginity variety. At twenty six she's just left a relationship with a man who's fooled her into being innocent for years while he still romps around the town. Just one day into being single and she is a woman on a mission. Damon Patrick, hot lawyer and boss, isn't exactly who she had in mind, but he is the ideal candidate. Making one bad decision may be the best decision Scottie has ever made.

I love a good romance filled with humor, show more especially when it's filled with just the right amount of both. Project Virgin is one of the funniest novellas I have read in a while, the main characters share witty dialogue and the general subject at hand, Scottie's virginity, just makes this story stand out. What I expected to be a short erotic novella was so much more. Megan Crane wrote two great characters, Scottie and Damon, who you wouldn't put together at first, but make so much sense by the end.

I really liked Scottie as a character, you don't have to agree with her method of losing her virginity to enjoy this one. She is exactly as I would picture a sheltered, innocent 26 year old who just came out of a long lasting, emotionally scarring engagement. What a way to shake it off! Damon, on the other hand, I could use a full length novel about. He's intriguing, he's successful, and he's apparently a sex god. Combine that with his straight forward, no nonsense attitude and you've got the perfect boss to take care of the job at hand. I genuinely enjoyed their interactions and I definitely liked that this novella felt longer than it was. It wasn't just a take her virginity and move on kind of book, but it built up to the fireworks and ends with a massive bang. There's emotion, some hot hot smut, insta-love, and witty dialogue. When all are combined together you get the engaging story of Scottie and her project for handsome lawyer, Damon. show less

Fffffff....LOVE IT.

I know, I'm a huge nerd when it comes to bullriders apparently, which is funny because I actually hate the sport in real life, finding it cruel and unnecessary. Apparently I'm okay with it in a fictional sense.

The thing I love most about this book is that it deals with how sometimes loss is different for everyone. It doesn't mean being despondent for a year, or more than a year. Sometimes it means just moments of tragedy, ebbing and flowing and changing. And sometimes when show more you lose someone you also lose yourself.

This book is a pretty strong depiction of how and who you end up after death.

Skylar is a strong woman, in that she tries for everyone, and in the end the person she tries most for is herself which is great. It's good to see, someone putting themselves first before they sacrifice too much.

This book is a journey I quite enjoyed taking. show less