A year ago on a trip to Ireland with his grandmother, Texas cowboy Maverick Callahan finds himself in a one night stand with Irish bartender Bridget O’Malley. With only a picture to remember her by, he is certain he’ll never see her again. That is, until he returns to his grandmother’s ranch to help her after a hip surgery and finds Bridget there, in tow with a child, no less!

For Bridget, life has been nothing kind to her. After the deaths of her best friend and her husband, Bridget is given responsibility over their baby daughter, Laela. With the support of her grandmother, she makes it work, but when her grandmother dies she is left with nowhere to go. Thankfully, her grandmother’s friend in America offered her a short term job to get her back on her feet. What are the odds that Bridget’s grandmother and Maverick’s knew each other?

Now close together once more, they must decide if the spark is worth kindling. Will Maverick give up his honky-tonk lifestyle and settle down with Bridget? Will Bridget leave her home behind for a man she met before her life turned upside down? She’s a mom now, and she has to be certain Maverick will accept Laela as his own. Christmas with a Cowboy by Carolyn Brown explores their second chance at romance in the heart of Texas during the holidays.

With a cozy holiday setting, the charm of a picturesque Texas ranch, and a cute (yet still plausible) story line, this read would have been a perfect feel-good romance novel for the Christmas season if not for the extremely slow pacing. I often found myself skimming during slower chapters and wishing the writing was a bit more flowery. Otherwise, I really enjoyed how Maverick was portrayed. For the most part, I liked that he was good with Laela and his eventual willingness to communicate with Bridget via letter. Similarly, I loved seeing that Bridget started to make friends with people in Texas. While her character was rather boring, I appreciated that the author didn’t stick her in a new place and not settle her in. This made her final decision much more satisfying and realistic. I also was glad the author hinted at sexual scenes but was not graphic. Overall, this was a cute read for people who enjoy the genre, but I otherwise would not recommend to a general audience.

Happy reading,
-Beppa