Once Upon a Cowboy Christmas: A River Ranch Novel

Soraya Lane

Oct 2019 · A River Ranch Novel Book 3 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

Billionaires, cowboys, and romance collide during the holidays in this next book in the River Ranch series!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the Ford family ranch. Will one cowboy’s homecoming be the greatest gift of all?

He left town and never looked back.
Cody Ford is a Wall Street honcho with humble Texas roots. This holiday season, he’d be content to just stay in New York and not face his family—and dodge their questions about when and with whom he plans to settle down. . .and if he will do so back at home. But his father isn’t getting any younger, and Cody doesn’t want to miss any last chances to see him and the rest of the folks back on the ranch. The last person Cody was expecting to see? His one-time girlfriend, Lexi Murphy, who’s been working as his dad’s new live-in nurse.

She never forgot him. Can she ever forgive him?
Lexi still holds a grudge against Cody. Back then, the college-bound heartthrob believed he was too good for a small-town girl like Lexi. But now Cody can’t help but see her in a whole new light. Could it be that this beautiful single mother with an unbeatable can-do spirit is the one he’s been waiting for all along? That depends on whether Cody can prove to Lexi that, this time, he means business—and if a sudden snowstorm can lend just the right amount of Christmas magic to help move things along. . .


“Lane warms hearts of readers across the globe.”
—RT Book Reviews

Ratings and reviews

The title of this one led me to expect both a cowboy and a Christmas romance, a second chance romance at that. Other than the story taking place at Christmastime, I never really got the holiday vibe with this one. And Cody does not feel like a cowboy. He's around the horses while he's home, and his childhood home is a ranch, but Cody is a businessman through and through. Regardless of the picture on the cover, I just never pictured him with the Stetson or any of the things I'd expect of a cowboy. The romance is a second chance for Cody and Lexi, but we're told more than we're shown so it's not easy to get behind these two as a couple. There are several secondary characters, and the author does a solid job of giving each of them a distinctive voice, so there's no confusion about who is who. The shining stars in this one were Cody's dad and Lexi's son. I absolutely loved Walter and Harry, and they are what kept me reading until the last. They both stand out in every scene they're a part of, and you can't help but love them. I really would've liked a bit more development of our couple and the romance, especially since that should've been the focus of the story, but it is what it is. In the end, this one was just okay for me.

He’d be content to stay in New York and dodge his family’s questions about when and with whom he plans to settle down and if he will do so back at home. But Cody Ford’s father is getting any younger and Cody doesn’t’ want to miss any last chances to see him and the folks back on the ranch. Lexi Murphy is working as Cody’s dad’s new live-in nurse and she holds a grudge against Cody since he believed he was too good for a small-town girl but she ever forgot him. This second chance holiday romance is an angst ridden, emotionally gripping read that puts readers through an emotional wringer as Cody and Lexi tries to overcome the past and some emotional issues. Readers can’t help but experience all the emotions of the strong, compelling characters as they draw readers into their story which means they shed some tears but also hope and forgiveness as Cody works to prove that this time, he means business. The plots is steady paced and captivates readers right from the start while keeping the readers glued to the pages with suspense as the HEA remains in question until the very end. Lots of family and secondary characters add that something extra to the story that makes it enjoyable and while Cody may be a bit of over dramatic, the magic of the holiday season and spirit of togetherness during the holidays makes this a gratifying and entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. First I just need to say that I was a little disappointed in the editing of this ARC. I am used to typos and misspelled words or incorrect words used in context to the sentence and/or paragraph. It is common unfortunately to prevent piracy. While I do understand it, this book was littered with errors. It took me a lot longer to read than it should have as I was trying to figure out what was going on. I especially loved Lexi's magic bra. She took it off and the very next page, he took it off. Okay on to the review. The plot was a good one. I felt that it dragged in spots (but it could have been due to the errors). Cody comes home at Christmas time to spend with the family. He lives in New Year dealing in land development. After high school, he couldn't get away fast enough once his mother became ill. He only comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas with the one exception of his mother's funeral. Not only did he leave his family but he left his girlfriend without even a good-bye. He was running from the pain of losing his mother. A problem that I had with that was he left before she passed away, missing out on her remaining time. This did not endear the character to me. Then he meets his father's care-giver and introduced himself to the gorgeous woman. Another check mark, IT WAS HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND. It isn't until later that we find out that he is suffering from a form of PTSD. Okay now it all makes a little more sense. Lexi, has a wonderful son, Harry. He was absolutely wondering in the book. I truly felt for Lexi. She has had several curve balls thrown at her over the years but she keeps up a brave front. That is until Cody returns. I loved seeing prior characters throughout this story. Also having a dual POV format normally helps me to understand the characters and to identify with them. Unfortunately not here with Cody. There are a few sexy scenes so I would not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 18. The reason for the 4 stars versus 3, the author did make me feel while reading this book. Not all characters are perfect and likeable but they should make the reader FEEL. The reason it wasn't a 5 star isn't from the editing but I did feel it dragging at times.

About the author

As a child, Soraya Lane dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance for many years to come. Some of her other titles include All Night with the Cowboy, Cowboy Stole My Heart, The Devil Wears Spurs, and I Knew You Were Trouble.

Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and two sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.