A True Cowboy Christmas, by Caitlin Crews

What happens when a dysfunctional family looses the patriarch
that has been causing all of the dysfunction? It discovers that even though Dad, Grandpa, the Patriarch is dead the dysfunction lives on. Why is that? Because each of the sons has got their own dysfunction (baggage) to deal with.

Gray Everett, the oldest of the three brothers, has stayed on the ranch and worked it while his younger brothers have fled and got on with their own lives. One is a businessman living in Denver and the other is a Professional Bull Rider on the Rodeo circuit.

But with Dad's death issues rise up. Dad left the ranch to all three brothers, even though only one has been living there for the last 20 years and working it. So, Gray thinks he should have inherited it outright.

But now Brady wants to sell the Ranch, get rid of all the former ugliness and memories and makes some money, i.e. get his fair share. But Gray says "No." That starts some new issues.

But in all of this Gray wants a new start at life and he wants to find a wife who can also be a mother to his 15 year old daughter, whose mother died in a car crash. In steps the girl next door, Abbey. Well, she doesn't know she has stepped in. Gray sees her at the funeral and for the first time notices that she is all grown up and desirable.

So, what does he do? He goes next door (5 miles down the road) and proposes marriage to Abbey, just like that. No warning, no dating, no get to know you, just will you marry me? After the shock wears off she asks why? He explains that it is a transaction. Marriage will fill a need for both of them and fix some issues in his life.

So, a marriage of convenience is what he wants. But Abbey has loved him since she was 5 years old. She has fantasized about him. Is she going to get what she wants? How will it work?

The book is good for the lessons that it explores through the storyline. Those lessons are:
1. How do three brothers overcome an abusive father?
2. How does a girl overcome the lost of her mother?
3. How does another young woman overcome her abusive distant mother?
4. How can love be built between two people who seem a bit different but then again a bit alike?
5. Can love conquer all of the issues that each family member is facing?

I loved the book because it dealt with real family issues. It didn't gloss over the dysfunction. It didn't gloss over the brash behavior of a Cowboy going after what he wants without considering thoroughly the feelings and emotions of the woman he is going after.

The love story is good, but the life lessons are awesome.

For my Christian readers, please be aware that this is a Romance novel that delves into the sexual aspect of a new marriage. If you don't want the steam pages, just skip over them. They usually run about 5 to 7 pages. Skipping them will not detract from the story. BUT, they are not written in such a graphic way as to cause trouble for the reader. So, you decide.

I really enjoyed the novel and hope that Caitlin Crews writes two follow-up stories to tell us what happens with brothers Ty and Brady.

Enjoy.