She’s never had a true family Christmas….

As a child, Alex Woodson appeared to have it all, yet her life was an illusion. Now independent, Alex returns to the one place she was briefly happy—Marietta, Montana and starts an interior painting business. Her first client is the Keller Ranch. When Cade Keller unexpectedly arrives home, Alex promises herself she can ignore her former high school crush, who barely knew she existed. But the handsome cowboy is up in her business, flirting and tempting her with holiday activities she’s always dreamed of.

After leaving his job as an oil rig operator, Cade heads home to the family ranch for Christmas and to re-think his career. Seeing the former Woodson princess painting his family’s home is a distracting mystery he intends to solve. But the more time he spends with Alex, the more he’s intrigued.

Cade tells himself he’s just being neighborly by inviting Alex to join his family for their holiday traditions, but he’s lying. He’s falling hard—unfair with his uncertain future. Alex is wary, knowing life is never a fairytale.

Titles in the Return to Keller Ranch series include — Christmas with the Cowboy —♥— Her Cowboy Baby Daddy —♥— Cowboy Meets Cowgirl —♥— Her Cowboy Christmas Hero —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Booksprout ARC

Title:  Her Cowboy Christmas Hero
Series:  Return to Keller Ranch #4
Author:  Jeannie Watt
Genre: Modern Western Romance
Published:  October 26, 2023
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5

Her Cowboy Christmas Hero is the fourth book in the Return to Keller Ranch series.  I can’t believe I missed the earlier books in this series because I love Jeannie Watt’s stories.  It’s been a rough year, and I’m going to put it down to being distracted… but you’d best believe I’m heading to grab those earlier titles.  See, this is what happens when you have a group of favorite authors that you really enjoy the worlds they create; you end up wanting them all!

The Return to Keller Ranch series concludes with us finally meeting Cade face-to-face in Her Cowboy Christmas Hero.  I think it’s fair to say that he isn’t exactly what we would have expected, he is so much more than his recent actions.  Bring into the mix Alex, a woman who had a huge crush on Cade in high school while he didn’t seem to know she even existed.  Her life since high school has had a major upheaval with family betrayals, reinventing herself as independent from her parents, and finding out what she wants for her own future.  Interior design is her passion; she’s started her own business back in the one town she felt safe in…Marietta, Montana. 

She’s begun work on the Keller family’s ranch home, painting the interior while the family is away.  The last person she expected to show up was Cade.  She’ll discover that her crush hasn’t diminished over time, that the Cade of today is far different from the boy she knew, and that through this man, she’ll be able to experience all the joys of Christmas that she was denied when she was younger.  If along the way they both feel the sparks growing between them, if perhaps they open their hearts to the possibilities that today might hold, then they just might find that love that can last a lifetime…together.

I loved everything about Her Cowboy Christmas Hero, from the angst of teenage crushes to the reality of the grownup people Cade and Alex are today.  This is such an emotional romance full of first times for Alex, rich with Christmas traditions and mending fences.  I would never recommend reading the final book of a series first, usually.  Yet, Cade and Alex’s romance could stand on its own in so many ways.  If you haven’t read the earlier books, please don’t hesitate diving in right here, for you will find an uplifting, joyful, emotional romance that is the perfect fit for this most magical time of the year.  I had a blast, and it only intensified my need to go back to the beginning of Return to Keller Ranch as soon as possible.

If you love a well-written romance full of Christmas traditions, finding true love, and…Marietta, Montana, then you’ll love this one.  I know I did.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available for your favorite e-reader