Review: The Christmas Cowboy Hero (Heart of Texas #1)

The Christmas Cowboy Hero (Heart of Texas #1)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:

’Tis the season for ex-Navy SEAL Clayton East to come home for the holidays―even if the mood at home is anything but festive. His father is ill. The East Ranch is in financial trouble. And now it’s on Clayton, the prodigal son, to make sure his family doesn’t lose everything.

Headstrong Abby Harper is like a mother to her younger brothers, who she’s helped raise since she was a teenager. Keeping them in line is no small task while she’s also working toward her college degree. And now that one of her brothers has been arrested for stealing cattle at the East Ranch, Abby is at her wit’s end. But there is a silver lining: Clayton East. He believes in second chances, and is willing to give one to her brother this Christmas. Letting beautiful Abby―and the inescapable longing in his heart―off the hook, however, is a whole ’nother story. Could it be that the woman of this local hero’s dreams has been back at home all along?

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

Donna Grant, one of my favorite paranormal authors, has taken another shot at a contemporary series, set in the steamy and sexy landscape of a Texas cattle ranch and this time she scores big.  Her last foray into contemporary was not my favorite series, but I really liked this book and can say for sure that I am removing her from the typecasting of “paranormal author”.  This series is set on the East Ranch and revolves around the East family, focusing on the sexy oldest son Clayton, a former Navy SEAL who has returned home to help his family when some strange goings on leave his family in dire straits.  Being home for only a short time Clayton soon uncovers a cattle rustling operation has been eating into his family profits and when he catches one of the rustlers red-handed is determined to see him brought to justice, despite him being just a kid.  But when the kid’s older sister and guardian comes to bail her brother out Clayton finds himself too intrigued to press charges, instead proposing an alternate solution for punishment.  Soon Abby and her brothers are both pulled into the Clayton family and becoming more and more integrated as members of the family, including the passion that is becoming more impossible to deny between Abby and Clayton.  Abby never imagined a man like Clayton would give her the time of day, so when he pursues her, convincing her to not only join the ranch but to give him a chance to steal her heart, how can she say no?  But then the awful truth comes out, putting all the East family including the newest additions of Abby and her brothers in serious danger.  This story grabbed my heart right away reminding me why I love Donna’s writing so much, pulling me into the story and making it hard to come out to live my life in the real world.  I loved seeing Clayton come to terms with his past with Abby’s help as well as accepting that having Abby in his life would make staying on the family ranch forever as easy as breathing.  His skills from the navy came in handy too,  which made the story that much more fun and interesting and his protective nature came out more than once with that sexy alpha behavior so many of us love.  Abby on the other hand was so sweetly in denial at times that I wondered if she would ever accept that she would be welcomed into the East family along with her brothers simply because of the woman she was, not just because of what she could do for them.  While it is definitely a departure from her paranormal writing, this book gives us the heat, imagination, and sense of familiarity in her heroes that makes Grant’s writing so enjoyable and I was thrilled to have that back even without the sexy dragon shifters.  I am looking forward to the next story in this series and truly cannot wait for who might find love next as well as hoping to see some of these characters again soon.   

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.