Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Cowboy Christmas by Carol Finch, Elizabeth Lane & Pam Crooks
Historical romance anthology released by Harlequin Historical 01 Oct 09
Holiday time means two things. 1) Harlequin starts churning out the Christmas-themed books and 2) Wendy’s wallet starts quietly sobbing. It doesn’t help matters that Harlequin has a habit of offering up a western historical anthology. So I started Cowboy Christmas with some anticipation, settling in for what I hoped would be a solid, heartwarming collection. Unfortunately, none of the stories inspired more than just an “Meh, it’s OK” reaction from me.
A Husband For Christmas by Carol Finch
Victoria “Tori” Thurston enjoys her life in a tiny west Texas town where she runs her own bakery. Her parents are major movers in Fort Worth society, which means they have the perfect potential husband picked out for her. Naturally Tori isn’t overeager to abandon her business to wed some stuffed shirt, so she tells her parents it’s too late, she’s already married to local marshal, Logan Daniels. However now she’s really in the soup. Her parents expect her home for Christmas and they want to meet this mysterious husband. Now all she has to do is convince Logan to play her husband for a quick holiday visit home. Surely that won’t be too difficult.
This is the humorous story in the anthology, and Finch does a nice job keeping the proceedings fairly light and fluffy. Unfortunately she skims over a lot of the sticker details in order to achieve that goal. Tori has always played second fiddle to her gorgeous older sister. She has a good relationship with The Chosen One, but her parents, while not mean-spirited, are offhandedly neglectful of the more enterprising Tori. None of this family baggage is really addressed, other than for Tori to realize that her sister’s life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I also was disappointed there wasn’t more than a passing western flavor to this tale. Honestly the author could have plucked these characters up and dropped them anywhere else in time or place and the story wouldn’t have changed all that much.
Grade = C
The Homecoming by Elizabeth Lane
Clay McAllister has spent the last three years in prison because of his reckless, stupid younger brother. All he wants is to return to his ranch, his wife Elise and their young son. When he arrives though, he discovers the ranch in disrepair and Elise less than happy to see him. Why had Buck never returned home, delivering the money they made on their last cattle drive together like Clay had begged him to?
I love holiday stories that center around redemption and forgiveness. However, this one hinges on one of the more insulting plot devices around – The Character Who Won’t Read Letters That Explain Everything. Yep, you guessed it. Clay wrote his wife faithfully from prison and she marked them all Return To Sender without reading them. So naturally while she thinks she knows what happened, she really doesn’t. Honestly, who the hell does this? It makes absolutely no sense. Also, while there is more than enough conflict to keep this story chugging along, there’s really too much conflict to keep this story chugging along. If ever a story was begging for a full-length treatment, this one is it.
Grade = C
The Cattleman’s Christmas Bride by Pam Crooks
Allethaire “Allie” Gibson is returning to Montana in disgrace. She’s been accused of embezzling money from a fundraiser she was spearheading back in Minneapolis, and she needs to see her father in Montana to explain her innocence. That’s when the train is held up by outlaws and they find a whole wad of cash in her trunk! But she’s innocent! Before the authorities on the train can take her in for questioning, she’s saved by local rancher,Mikolas “Mick” Vasco who was nearby when he heard the train stop in the middle of the tracks. He spirits Allie away, determined to help her clear her name. There’s one small wrinkle though – a few years back Mick was one of the men who kidnapped Allie for ransom!
This is a sequel of sorts to the author’s previous book, The Cattleman’s Unsuitable Wife. If you haven’t read that story, this one is a bit rocky. Mostly because the majority of the conflict is a holdover from that book. Once the author catches the reader up to speed, it sails along at a smoother clip, but too much is glossed over. Namely the heroine’s compulsion for drinking brandy in secret and the small matter of the stolen money, which is apparently going to be fodder for a future book. Which ultimately makes this story nothing but a placeholder between books. If you’re a fan, you’ll likely want to read this one. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot here for newcomers.
Grade = C
All in all these stories never rated above OK for me. This anthology was a quick pleasant read, but it didn’t set my world on fire. If you’re hooked on Crooks’ series, this one is probably worth a look. Otherwise, while it’s a decent diversion, it didn’t have a whole lot of staying power.
Overall Grade: C
Summary:
Twelve days of Christmas—three heartwarming romances!
A Husband for Christmas by Carol Finch
To reassure her overprotective parents, Victoria Thurston must convince the town marshal to be her “holiday husband.” But the magical, festive air—and Tori’s luminous green eyes—make it very difficult for Logan Daniels to keep to their marriage in name only!
The Homecoming by Elizabeth Lane
Brooding rancher Clay McAllister paid his reckless brother’s dues in a tough Kansas jail. Now Clay must win back his beautiful wife, Elise. And, after three years apart, some yuletide passion is just what Clay and Elise need to reignite the fire that still smolders between them….
The Cattleman’s Christmas Bride by Pam Crooks
With her reputation cruelly slandered, Allethaire Gibson is forced to flee to the snowy Montana mountains. There the dazzling socialite unexpectedly finds a Christmas romance with a man who has fought for respect just as she has—rugged cattleman Mikolas Vasco!
Read an excerpt – Finch Story, Lane Story, no excerpt found for Crooks story
Other books in this series:
