Western Christmas Brides - Lauri Robinson, Lynna Banning, Carol Arens (HH #1347 - Oct 2017)

A Bride and Baby for Christmas by Lauri Robinson

Series: Oak Grove (Book 2.5)

Pregnant Hannah Olsen has made a list of Oak Grove’s eligible men. A list that Teddy White sees—and he’s not on it! Time for him to act so that both their Christmas wishes can come true.

I was happy to see Hannah Olsen get her happy ever after. She made her first appearance in Winning the Mail-Order Bride as the woman Brett's mother sent for him to marry. Her backstory is a sad one. She fell in love with a man, but their families were involved in a longstanding feud. She and Eric planned to marry, but he died before they could. When she turned up pregnant, her father kicked her out of the house. She was a childhood friend of Brett's, so his mother sent her to Oak Grove, but Brett was already in love with Fiona.

Hannah lives with Brett and Fiona and works creating illustrations for the local newspaper. She and Teddy, who owns the newspaper along with his sister, have become friends. Hannah wants to find a husband so that her baby has a father, and has made a list of the town's eligible bachelors. When Teddy accidentally ended up with the list, he was surprised to find that he wasn't on the list. Not that he wanted to be, but still...

I liked both Hannah and Teddy. Hannah is a strong woman, who has been through a lot. The youngest of seven sisters, she never knew love from her father. He was unhappy that she was a girl and never let her forget it. The only love she had growing up was from her grandparents. Hannah is determined to make sure that her baby knows it is loved. She was also affected by the hatred between her family and Eric's and swore that she would never put herself in that position again. Teddy was terrific. He is a nice man with a big heart. I loved how protective he was of Hannah.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Hannah and Teddy. They started as friends, with no thought of a relationship between them. I loved how easy they found it to talk to each other. Teddy had fallen in love with another pregnant woman several years earlier and was badly hurt when she went back to her baby's father. He swore he would never let that happen again. He couldn't help being drawn to Hannah, though he worked hard to convince himself they were just friends. Finding Hannah's list made Teddy realize that he didn't like the idea of her marrying another man. Teddy was everything Hannah wanted in a man, but it was obvious to her that his sister hated her, so she refused to consider him as a possible husband. I loved the time that Teddy and Hannah spent together and seeing how right they were for each other. I ached for Teddy when he discovered why he wasn't on Hannah's list. I loved seeing him stand up to Abigail when he discovered what she had been doing. I really enjoyed how Hannah took control and made an effort to change Abigail's attitude by changing her own. Things were looking up for Hannah and Teddy until a misunderstanding made Hannah push him away. I loved Teddy's determination to win her back. His big moment at the end was sweet and romantic.

Though Abigail really bugged me in the previous book and most of this story, I understood her motives here. She was protective of her big brother and didn't want to see him suffer again. Her abrasiveness and rudeness were irritating. She did redeem herself in the end, and I enjoyed seeing the changes in her. I would love to see her get her own story, and maybe find out why she had been so obnoxious. I'd like to see her find her own happy ending.

Miss Christina’s Christmas Wish by Lynna Banning

Series: Smoke River (Book 4.5)

Dedicated new teacher Christina Marnell feels her heart race as she watches Ivan Panovsky chop wood for the school. She had ruled marriage out, but Christmas is a time when miracles can happen…

Good story about two people who have their eyes set on goals and discover that there is more to life. Christina is fresh out of teacher's college and raring to go. She has wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl and it is finally happening. She plans to devote her life to educating children. Marriage is not in her plans. Meanwhile, Ivan has been working two jobs to earn money to bring his little sister to live with him. What happens when these two determined people discover that love happens when you least expect it.

I enjoyed this story. It was more than a romance; it also showed a realistic look at life. Christina is enthused about teaching but got quite a wake-up call on her first day. Injured as a child, she walks with a limp. That same limp made her the target of bullies in school, making her even shyer and more withdrawn around people. She had never dealt with boisterous youngsters before and was out of her element. I felt a little sorry for her, but also admired her dogged determination to make a difference in their lives.

Ivan is a hardworking man who wants to do right by his little sister. I was seriously impressed by the sacrifices he made in his efforts to bring her to him. He came across as a bit standoffish at the beginning until his reasons for avoiding social occasions were revealed. Once AnnaMarie arrived, the reader also gets to know his old world customs and the way they influence his thoughts and actions.

Christina and Ivan didn't have much interaction until about halfway through the story, once AnnaMarie arrived and was enrolled in school. Christina was overjoyed to have such a promising student in her school. I loved that Ivan was so proud of his sister, but he also made it clear that he expected AnnaMarie to follow tradition and marry young. I loved seeing these two people, who were so different, get to know each other. It was sweet to see Ivan show Christina that there was more to life than teaching. The scene at the barn dance was fantastic, as he introduced her to the joys of dancing. I also enjoyed AnnaMarie's birthday dinner and seeing Christina learn about some of Ivan's traditions. At the same time, I enjoyed how Christina's example helped Ivan to see that there was a whole new world of opportunities available for his sister.

The more time they spent together, the more their feelings grew. Unfortunately, Christina suffered from some pretty severe tunnel vision and refused to see that she could have more out of life. I ached for them both when they confessed their love, but couldn't find a way to be together. I loved Mrs. Ming's comment “For an intelligent woman, sometimes you do not act very smart.” There was a very fortuitous twist that enabled both Ivan and Christina to get their hearts' desires.

Christina's classroom was an interesting microcosm of their world. There were smart kids and ones who struggled. There were the popular ones, and the ones who were excluded because they were "different." I ached for Christina's frustration on how to reach them all.

 

A Kiss from the Cowboy by Carol Arens

Kitson James and Livy York both have secrets, but can their love overcome the lies they’ve told? A Christmas kiss might help…

When two wrongs do make a right. Livy has been raising her four-year-old brother since their parents died earlier in the year. She did the best she could, but there were parts of the ranch that began to suffer. When she found out that her wealthy cousin Edwina was coming to visit, Livy panicked. She remembered her visits to Edwina's family, and how she constantly felt inferior. Her letters to Edwina have been full of how well she was doing. Now she was afraid that Edwina would look at the ranch and try to take Sam away from her. Determined to prevent this from happening, Livy advertised for a ranch hand who could help her fix things up before the visit. Livy implied that the position would be permanent, even though she only intended it to last two weeks.

Kit James applied for the job and was hired. What he didn't tell Livy was that he had no experience as a ranch hand. He was an actor who has played the parts of cowboys and believed that he could learn what he needed to know from the book The Common Man's Guide to Ranching. He wanted a permanent job because he needed a real home where he could raise his little niece.

I enjoyed the initial meeting between Kit and Livy. Livy and Sam were stuck walking back to the ranch from town because of a stubborn horse when Kit and Emmie came across them. There were some sparks between Livy and Kit from the start, but Livy had been burned by a previous relationship and resisted the attraction. Kit, on the other hand, was ready to embrace it. It didn't take too long for the truth to come out, leaving both of them struggling with what to do. I liked Kit's protectiveness toward Livy, something that was more than just his way of finding a way to stay on. There were some sweet scenes between the two of them, but Livy fought hard against her growing feelings, especially once she found out that Kit was an actor. When Edwina showed up early for her visit, it created even more complications, especially once Kit claimed to be Livy's husband.

I loved how the town rallied around Livy and Kit, right down to seeing them married for real. Livy still did her best to put distance between them, but it got harder for her to resist him. Meanwhile, Kit was determined to show Livy that he cared. I wanted to shake Livy when she made a nearly impossible condition to their staying married and ached for Kit's fear that he wouldn't be able to make it happen. I loved the solution he came up with, and how he accomplished it. His big moment at the end was terrific.

There were some interesting twists when it came to Edwina. I was right there with Livy and her fears, up until Edwina arrived. It didn't take long for me to suspect that there was something more going on with her. I enjoyed seeing the changes she went through and loved how her relationship with Livy was affected. There was also a terrific little twist to her story at the end.

 

Miss Murray on the Cattle Trail - Lynna Banning (HHSS #471 - Mar 2018)

Series: Smoke River (Book 6)

A cattle drive is no place for a greenhorn

But this city miss is here for the ride!

Cowboy Zachariah Strickland should put Alexandra Murray on the first eastbound train home. But he has no choice except to take her on his cattle trail. She hasn’t ridden a horse to death, or shot anybody, but she does drive him furious with longing… Is it possible Alex belongs right here in the Wild West -- with Zach?

This was a fun book to read. Alexandra has come to Smoke River from Chicago, where she works as a newspaper reporter. She intends to accompany her uncle's crew on their cattle drive and write about it for the newspaper. Ranch foreman and trail boss Zach Strickland is completely against the idea. A cattle drive is no place for a city woman, but he doesn't have much choice in the matter.

I really enjoyed this battle of the sexes. Zach is sure that Alex won't last twenty-four hours before she'll be ready to high-tail it back to her uncle's ranch. Alex is equally determined that she will make the entire journey. From the start, Zach does not treat Alex and differently than the rest of the crew. She rides as long as they do, takes her turn riding at the back in all the dust, eats the same food, and sleeps on the ground. For the first week or two Zach waited for the crying and complaining to start, and each day was surprised at Alex's fortitude. That isn't to say that she didn't want to complain. Alex didn't expect the dust, the extreme temperatures, or the sometimes mind-numbing boredom. But she wasn't going to give Zach the satisfaction of saying "I told you so."

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. After a while, something strange happened. Zach found himself admiring Alex's ability to adapt to her surroundings. He was impressed by her ability to get the other cowboys to talk about themselves for her stories. It wasn't long before he noticed a lot more about her too. I loved seeing the protectiveness kick in, such as how he cared for her after the river incident and when she had problems with Cassidy. For her part, Alex stopped looking at Zach as the enemy and saw the man who cared for each member of his crew, and who could be depended on in any crisis. That isn't to say that they didn't still butt heads from time to time. I loved the scenes with the Indians when Alex insisted on going along. There were also a couple of great scenes where they opened up about their pasts, and the effects on their lives now. The feelings and attraction built between them until they could no longer be denied. I ached for them as they reached the end of the drive and couldn't figure out a way to be together. It took going their own ways alone for each of them to realize what was most important. I loved Alex's big moment at the end. It was fun to see the way that she pulled it off.

I loved the descriptions of the cattle drive. The sights, sounds, and smells were described so vividly that I felt as though I was there each step of the way. The flooded river, the stampede, and the storms were exciting and nervewracking. The confrontation with the rustlers had me on the edge of my seat until it was over.

I also loved the characters of the other cowboys. Each one was a unique personality, with their own little quirks. It was sweet to see the way that they all accepted Alex and were so excited to be interviewed for the paper. I laughed out loud when they reached the end of the drive and she joined them for dinner in the restaurant. It was also fun to see them fall all over themselves and each other when she wanted to go to the saloon and to play poker. I loved their excitement as they read each of her stories once they were back home.

The Hired Man - Lynna Banning (HH #1352 - Nov 2017)

Series: Smoke River (Book 5)

A home for the drifter

Cordell Winterman is haunted by his mistakes -- and the years spent paying for them. Broke and hungry, he takes a job as a hired man on Eleanor Malloy's farm.

Eleanor needs help. Desperately. Her kids are running wild and the place is held up by spit and rust. But as Cord helps her set her home to rights, Eleanor realizes she doesn't just need this enigmatic drifter with hunger in his eyes…she wants him, too!

Good book. Cord is on his way to California to restart his life, but in the meantime, he is broke and hungry. Spotting a newspaper ad for a hired man, he heads to Eleanor Malloy's farm to apply for the job. The sight of her apple trees in bloom appeals to something within him and the state of the farm to his desire to be needed.

Ellie is desperate for help. She is recovering from pneumonia and can't keep up with the work. Her nine-year-old son and five-year-old daughter need more attention than she can give them right now. Cord's arrival is just what she needs to keep going.

I liked both Cord and Ellie and the development of their relationship. Cord is haunted by his past, both the things he did during the war and what happened after. He hopes that the new start in California will help him feel normal again. In the meantime, working for Ellie will keep body and soul together. I liked the way that Cord immediately felt protective of Ellie and her family. It was really sweet to see him care for her as she recovered from her illness. I also loved how he became a role model for Danny and taught him the things a boy needed to know. He was also great with little Molly. There were sweet and funny scenes throughout the book as Cord dealt with various issues with the kids.  I also liked Ellie. She has worked hard to keep the farm and family going since her husband left for the war and never returned. I liked that she was smart enough to have the property put in her own name when Tom didn't come back. She is protective of her children which causes a few conflicts between herself and Cord when their views don't match up. She is also stubborn and determined, frequently to the point of collapse.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Cord and Ellie. It progressed past employer and employee to friends very quickly. There was also an attraction that simmered below the surface, but both tried to ignore it. Cord is only there temporarily until he can move on to California, and Ellie isn't sure what her marital status is. She doesn't know if she is a wife or a widow, so she won't give in to whatever she might feel. I loved Cord's protectiveness toward Ellie, from the way he took care of her to how he watched the men who came to visit her. I also enjoyed seeing him try to cope with his jealousy regarding those same men. Though Ellie was wary of Cord at the beginning, she quickly came to depend on him. The way he made her feel was very different than what she had experienced with her husband. I liked seeing them grow closer and how they began feeling like a family. Cord found himself dreaming of staying, but his past mistakes kept him from believing it was possible. Then an unexpected and unwelcome visitor arrived. Cord's protective instincts really came to the forefront then. Ellie was also cautious and came to depend even more on Cord. There were definitely signs that the visitor was bad news. I liked the way that Cord suspected the truth and the steps he took to protect Ellie and the children. The ending was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat as I wondered how it was going to work out. I loved the epilogue and Cord's comment right before they got married.