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livefrommylibrary's review
3.0
I didn't love all the characters, but the family intrigued me enough that I'll check out the next one. They did work together to grow as individuals and I was pleased that the plot did deviate a little from what I was expecting based on JH's previous works.
brittsbooknook's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Love this author, need to get back into reading her books again! This is book 1 in a series about 5 siblings. Loved it!
the_reading_pantry's review
5.0
sweet
Oh my. This book was amazing and such a fun marriage of convenience story. There were so many aspects to their story, I had no idea what would happen next.
Oh my. This book was amazing and such a fun marriage of convenience story. There were so many aspects to their story, I had no idea what would happen next.
karenthornell's review
5.0
I’m so grateful to great friends who recommend great books like this one!! It’s the perfect cowboy romance, with the history, romance, and action beautifully woven together to create an unforgettable story!
melissasbookshelf's review
4.0
Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite authors and I loved this first book in her new Colorado Cowboys series. This is a marriage of convenience story with plenty of heart palpating drama and romance.
Greta is traveling West with her little sister to marry a virtual stranger and hopefully offer her sick sister a new chance. When her stagecoach is robbed and she then finds out her soon to be husband is dead, she’s at a loss.
Wyatt is trying to make a go of his cattle ranch in Colorado, but things are difficult. When the mayor makes him an offer he can’t refuse if he’ll marry Greta, he decides he might just take him up on it. With nowhere to go and no money, Greta accepts Wyatt’s offer with the understanding that it’s a marriage of convenience and either one could walk away in the Spring.
Wyatt and Greta’s relationship is filled with so many swoon-worthy moments and a lot of angst. While there was so much great chemistry between them, each tries to protect the other and they both suffer from a lack of self worth. When they finally get on the same page, the romance sizzles, but there’s always a fly in the ointment and when the past comes back to haunt them, they have to decide if what they’ve found is worth fighting for.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. While at first I wasn’t sure if I’d like the narration, it grew on me and I ended up enjoying the narrator’s interpretation. She was able to distinguish each character in a unique way with great emotion. I think the one character that was hard for me to listen to was Astrid. It’s hard to voice children, but she did a pretty good job.
All in all, I enjoyed this start to a new series and look forward to the next books. I think I would have enjoyed reading it more than listening, but still loved Jody Hedlund’s brilliant story telling that shines through. Story is a 4+, audiobook is 3 1/2 stars.
Greta is traveling West with her little sister to marry a virtual stranger and hopefully offer her sick sister a new chance. When her stagecoach is robbed and she then finds out her soon to be husband is dead, she’s at a loss.
Wyatt is trying to make a go of his cattle ranch in Colorado, but things are difficult. When the mayor makes him an offer he can’t refuse if he’ll marry Greta, he decides he might just take him up on it. With nowhere to go and no money, Greta accepts Wyatt’s offer with the understanding that it’s a marriage of convenience and either one could walk away in the Spring.
Wyatt and Greta’s relationship is filled with so many swoon-worthy moments and a lot of angst. While there was so much great chemistry between them, each tries to protect the other and they both suffer from a lack of self worth. When they finally get on the same page, the romance sizzles, but there’s always a fly in the ointment and when the past comes back to haunt them, they have to decide if what they’ve found is worth fighting for.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. While at first I wasn’t sure if I’d like the narration, it grew on me and I ended up enjoying the narrator’s interpretation. She was able to distinguish each character in a unique way with great emotion. I think the one character that was hard for me to listen to was Astrid. It’s hard to voice children, but she did a pretty good job.
All in all, I enjoyed this start to a new series and look forward to the next books. I think I would have enjoyed reading it more than listening, but still loved Jody Hedlund’s brilliant story telling that shines through. Story is a 4+, audiobook is 3 1/2 stars.
staceylovestoread's review
5.0
I was so excited for Jody Hedlund’s new cowboy series and the first story is definitely everything I had hoped for. Danger, heartache, heartbreak, and romance are a few elements in this captivating novel. I can’t wait for the rest of the series. A Cowboy for Keeps is definitely a book for my keeper shelf!
I received an advanced copy and all opinions are my own.
I received an advanced copy and all opinions are my own.
sincerelylatisha's review
5.0
I loved this book so much! Jody is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. She knows how to draw you in and weave an emotional story full of hope, love, and faith. One of my favorite parts of this book was actually the younger sister, Astrid. So many times I see authors write children as perfect, sweet, and innocent. Astrid has flaws. Astrid disobeys. Astrid is also sweet and sometimes innocent.
As a mom of three young kids, this is refreshing to see! It can be very discouraging when you’ve had a rough day with the kids, to pick up a book and see a fictional child being perfect throughout the entire book. But, that isn’t real life!
As a mom of three young kids, this is refreshing to see! It can be very discouraging when you’ve had a rough day with the kids, to pick up a book and see a fictional child being perfect throughout the entire book. But, that isn’t real life!
goodeyreads's review
3.0
GIRL STOP.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I’m still on a quest to find a western cowboy romance that moves my soul. This was good, but there was one major element that brought this book down two stars y’all.
And that would be our female main character: Greta. She would NOT STOP COMPLAINING. Her entire inner monologue surrounded her not being a burden, and I can understand that in the beginning where we’re setting up for character growth arcs. What I can’t get past is that this still went on until the last pages when Wyatt is like, I LOVE YOU, and Greta is still saying, are you sure I won’t be a burden?? If you’ve read the book you would know both sides were OBVIOUSLY past this type of conversation.
Otherwise, loved the setting. Tiny historical Colorado town. There’s some faith elements that I don’t think were heavy handed either that I enjoyed. I did think Greta’s sister came off a bit young for her supposed age but I did like the aspects she added to the story.
I’m going to try book two, we’ll see what happens next.
Overall audience notes:
- Western Cowboy Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: make-outs
- Violence: medium
- Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, animal violence, a child with consumption, robbery at gunpoint
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I’m still on a quest to find a western cowboy romance that moves my soul. This was good, but there was one major element that brought this book down two stars y’all.
And that would be our female main character: Greta. She would NOT STOP COMPLAINING. Her entire inner monologue surrounded her not being a burden, and I can understand that in the beginning where we’re setting up for character growth arcs. What I can’t get past is that this still went on until the last pages when Wyatt is like, I LOVE YOU, and Greta is still saying, are you sure I won’t be a burden?? If you’ve read the book you would know both sides were OBVIOUSLY past this type of conversation.
Otherwise, loved the setting. Tiny historical Colorado town. There’s some faith elements that I don’t think were heavy handed either that I enjoyed. I did think Greta’s sister came off a bit young for her supposed age but I did like the aspects she added to the story.
I’m going to try book two, we’ll see what happens next.
Overall audience notes:
- Western Cowboy Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: make-outs
- Violence: medium
- Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, animal violence, a child with consumption, robbery at gunpoint
saramoore676's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
robin_is_me's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I’ve read two books by Jodi Hedlund previously, COME BACK TO ME and NEVER LEAVE ME, both from her Waters of Time series, both featuring time travel, and both of which I loved. So I went searching her back log to see if she had any other time travel stories, but alas, no. However, her Colorado Cowboys series caught my eye, and since I love cowboys as much as I do time travel, I bought this one, the first book. And I think I loved it even more than the other two books.
Set in 1862, Greta and her young half-sister have been orphaned, and rely on other family members to support them. Nine year old Astrid has consumption, and Greta feels she and Astrid are a burden to her sisters-in-law, who get angry and irritated when Astrid can’t stop coughing. Rescue comes in the form of a man in Colorado, who pays the way for Greta and Astrid to travel to Fairplay, Colorado, where Greta will be his mail order bride. But things don’t go as planned. The stagecoach is robbed and she loses all of her savings, and then learns that her fiance has died, leaving her stranded in Fairplay, homeless and penniless. But the mayor has a plan. He wants to make the town more family friendly so his wife will finally be willing to join him with their child. Wyatt McQuaid needs a loan to buy cattle. So he makes a deal with Wyatt. He’ll loan him the money, if Wyatt marries Greta and starts a family.
I adored Wyatt. He’s struggling to get his fledgling ranch up and running. He wants to get to a position where he can send for his ma and his siblings to come live with him, to get them away from his cruel stepfather. He’s tried various other ventures since leaving home, and they have failed. He’s filled with guilt for not being able to protect and provide for his family. His self-esteem is low, he feels like he is a failure at everything. A wife is the last thing he needs or wants right now, but he desperately needs some good cattle. Fairplay is a mining town, and he buys cattle off the new miners when they arrive, whenever he can, but those cows are all skinny and run down, and he’s struggling to come up with money even for them. On top of all that, he has an enemy, a neighboring rancher determined to run Wyatt out of town, because he wants Wyatt’s land. He feels a little bit of guilt for not telling Greta about the deal he made with Steele, but he doesn’t know how to bring it up. She thinks he’s marrying her to be chivalrous and keep her from being homeless, because of his close friendship with her late fiance.
I loved Greta also. She’s strong and determined. She agreed to be a mail order bride and come to Colorado not just to get away from the family who didn’t want her around, but also because she hoped the climate in Colorado would be good for Astrid’s health. She intends to be a good wife and make herself useful in Wyatt’s home, and she’s surprised when he gives her and Astrid the bedroom and he sleeps in the barn. But he doesn’t want to push her into a marital relationship, and tells her he’ll wait three months, and then if she wants to leave, she can. And she agrees to that, because if Astrid’s health is not improved in those three months, she intends to take her to a hospital in Denver, even though she has no idea how she’ll pay her care.
I like the author’s writing, and her descriptions of both the beauty and the desolation of the land is evocative. I had a little trouble connecting with young Astrid at first. She’s very precocious, and if we hadn’t been told early on that she is nine years old I would’ve thought she were eleven or twelve. But eventually she won me over, just like she wins over almost everyone she meets.
But it’s the slow build up of the friendship between Wyatt and Greta that is the heart of the story. As they get to know each other, they come to admire and respect each other, and of course to eventually love each other. They respect each other so much, in fact, that it gets in the way of the relationship growing. Sometimes I wanted to say talk to each other! Share your thoughts and feelings! Don’t let each other go!
Towards the end there’s an unexpected revelation that nearly ruined everything for both of them, but of course it all comes out right in the end, and I can’t wait to find the next book in the series.