A Real Cowboy for the Holidays

by Stephanie Rowe

Blurb:

After a shattering divorce, former NYC ad exec Emma Rollins moved back home to Wyoming to give her son a better life. But with her family Christmas tree farm on the brink, she needs help fast, or the three-generation business will be gone forever…and all the memories with it.

Sidelined from Smokejumping with a devastating injury, Quintin Stockton is struggling to deal with the fact his career might be over. But when a family situation drags the former cowboy home for Christmas, he finds himself haunted by the shadows he's never been able to escape.

When a desperate single mom barters for his help hauling Christmas trees around, it's the distraction Quintin needs. But when the loner cowboy discovers it comes with her parents and a brave little boy, suddenly he has a chance to for the Christmas love he didn't even know he wanted.

Can Christmas magic bring love to two hearts that were once closed forever?

Themes: Contemporary, Holiday

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Another holiday romance to warm the heart during the coldest times of the year! Set in the wilds of Wyoming this story revolves around a family of crazy guys that have had a really tough time in their youth but have miraculously grown into strong, honorable men. I confess I haven’t read any of the other stories in this series, but all in all I enjoyed this one all on its own so if you aren’t inclined to grab the rest of the series, don’t worry you’ll still enjoy this one. Quintin Stockton has had a really bad few months, severely injured while smokejumping he is stuck back in his hometown as he recovers and tries to get back to his physical peak in order to return to the only job he loves, but it’s not looking great for him. Emma Rollins has finally decided to return home to her family’s tree farm in order to get away from the craziness of New York City, bringing with her the love of her life, her special needs son Ethan. When Quintin and Emma are reunited they are both surprised by the sparks, but asking Quintin to help on her family’s farm seem safe enough for this relationship-shy woman. But soon the two of them are falling deeper and deeper as they spend the holidays together. Quintin and Emma are both keeping dark secrets and dealing with pasts that are bound to rip them apart, unless they trust in one another and the love that has developed between them in order to fight for the future they both want and need so badly. I have to say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story once I got a few chapters in; I expected it to be the typical simple holiday story but there were some very deep and dark moments that challenged this couple and had me in tears as I wondered how they would overcome their issues to get their HEA. Emma was a woman that has had the deck stacked against her for years, but has never given up the fight. She was sweet, strong, loving, and sassy by turns and I enjoyed watching her as she blossomed with Quintin’s attention and affection. She is a great mother, doing whatever it takes, often to her own determent, in order to give her son everything he needs to be happy. Quintin could have come off as a shallow ass, even being an alpha hero, but luckily Rowe gives him a depth and compassion that keeps him from going that route. He obviously has a lot of issues to work through, but once he meets Emma again he puts all of his energy into showing her affection and teaching her to smile again, not to mention how sweet he is to her son, showing him that he isn’t defective in any way because of his disability. I truly enjoyed watching him learn the importance of love and settling down, accepting that his dreams could change and that being with Emma and Ethan was more important than his ego. The passion between these two is secondary to the friendship and love that they slowly build together, but it’s definitely hot once they unleash it on one another. I kind of wish I had read the previous novels in this series and might go back someday, but as long as my TBR list is it sadly may never happen. The holidays definitely are hot enough to start a wild fire as Emma and Quintin find their way together to an HEA.