Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy

Recently, Mary Connealy visited Seriously Write, a blog my friend Dawn Kinzer and I cohost. After reading her journey to publication and the promo on her recent release, I had to get my hands on a copy of her book, Cowboy Christmas. I'm glad I did.

First, a peek at the summary:

Get ready for a fun and suspenseful Christmastime romance. Trouble follows singer Annette Talbot to Wyoming—and rancher Elijah Walker finds himself directly in its path. Though still wounded by the betrayal of his ex-fiancée, Elijah finds himself attracted to the secretive singer. When it appears Annie is a threat to his mother’s life, Elijah must decide if Annie’s deep faith and love of God is genuine or if it’s all just a ruse. He decides to trust her—until he discovers she’s a wanted woman. As Christmas draws near, will Elijah respond to God’s gentle persuasion to find the truth before he loses Annie forever?

And now my review:

What romance readers can resist a cowboy story?

Mary depicted her hero well. True to his cowboy designation, he hated crying, but she told you why. He didn’t trust women, and this fit with his history.

Mary’s heroine was fun to follow through her adventures. It’s interesting to read a book where the heroine bears my name. Annette is an unusual name, and I’ve rarely seen it in books I’ve read. At times, "Annie" drove me crazy with her annoying choices, but I kept turning the pages, which shows Mary had me hooked.

The beginning of this story plays out with a scene of violence, which is not a good representation of the rest of the novel's tone. On the whole, the novel is a fun read, lighter than the opening tone suggests. (though a suspenseful element exists behind the scenes). Not one for reading violence or suspense, I'm glad I kept reading.

Mary has a great command of romance. She showed us her characters’ love story developing in a believable way with a sometimes humorous backdrop. Romance readers will eat it up.

Overall, readers will enjoy this full-length Christmas novel. The title and cover (and story, once you crack it open) are irresistible. There’s nothing like reading a new Christmas-themed book at Christmastime. Grab a warm beverage, plunk down in front of the fireplace, and give yourself permission this season to dive into a good romance with Mary’s novel.