The Cowboy's Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown

‘Tis the season for…

A TOUGH RANCHER WHO DOESN’T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

 

A PISTOL-TOTIN’ WOMAN WHO’S NO ANGEL

 

LOVE THAT WARMS THE COLDEST NIGHT

 

After a year in Kuwait, Lucas Allen can’t wait to get back to his ranch for Christmas and meet his gorgeous Internet pal in person.

 

When he pulls in, there’s Natalie Clark right in his front yard with a pink pistol in her hand and a dead coyote at her feet.

 

Lucas is unfazed. But wait…is that a BABY in her arms? (from the back of the arc)

Book Details: Title: The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby, Author: Carolyn Brown, ISBN: 978-1-4022-8049-8, Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Formats Available: Mass-Market Paperback and E-book, $7.99 U.S./ £5.99 UK, Release Date: October 2013, Genre: Romance How I Read It: Mass-Market Arc from Publishers, Rating: 4 Cups

My Thoughts:

While I posted this review on Royal Reviews in October, I wanted to share it here as well because it is one my favorite Christmas reads!

Lucas Allen cannot wait to meet the woman who has been his confidant during his time in Kuwait, but when he realizes she hasn’t been exactly forthcoming, he begins to question if he truly knows her. Natalie Clark may have omitted the fact that she was pregnant then gave birth to a little boy whilst starting up a relationship with Lucas, but she’s no liar and intends to prove it. Now that he is home, even though he is a bit angry at her betrayal, neither can deny the attraction they feel for each other.

Brimming with secrets and sexual tension and characters that are delightfully flawed, The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby is my favorite Carolyn Brown romance thus far.

I am normally not overly fond of Christmas books or books that center on cowboys, but this drew me in because you could take it out of the ranch setting and it would read just as strongly because of the amazing characters and the connection that you feel to them. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. They were both strongly created characters with these human flaws they had to work through and both had valid reasons why they did or acted as they did.

The plot was solid and fast-paced and while it was mainly focused on romance the author entwined a touch of hearth and home into the book in the form of Lucas’ family, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The only thing that was a bit off-kilter for me was the fact that all animals seemed to flock to Joshua, Natalie’s baby, as if he was St. Francis of Assisi. Other than that little oddity, the book was an intriguing little read.