Review: Cowboy Boots for Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Title: Cowboy Boots for Christmas by Carolyn Brown
Burnt Boot, TX Series
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

‘Tis the season for…
Feasting
Frolicking
And…Feuding?

All he wants for Christmas is peace and quiet…
After two tours in Afghanistan, retired Army sniper Finn O’Donnell believes his new ranch outside the sleepy little town of Burnt Boot, Texas, is the perfect place for an undisturbed holiday season. But before he can settle in, an old friend shows up looking for protection and a place where nobody knows her name.

But that’s going to take a miracle…
Callie Brewster must relocate to protect her young nephew, Martin, and the only person she trusts is her old Army friend, Finn. Burnt Boot seems like the perfect place to be anonymous, but it turns out a small town with big drama is no place to hide…

The Review:

Cowboy Boots for Christmas is the wonderfully heartwarming first novel in Carolyn Brown’s newest series, Burnt Boot, TX.  It is another highly entertaining story with plenty of sass, a sighworthy romance and just to keep things interesting, a long running feud that pretty much surpasses the one between the infamous Hatfields and McCoys. Throw in a mess of adorable pets, lovable kids and feisty seniors, and you have an unforgettable tale that will leave you grinning from ear to ear at all of their crazy antics.

Although Finn O’Donnell and Callie Brewster were extremely close during their deployment to Afghanistan, they lost touch after they returned stateside. Two years later, they are reunited at Finn’s isolated ranch outside the small town of Burnt Boot, TX when Callie needs a safe place for her and her nephew Martin to hide for a few weeks. Callie and Finn settle right back into their easy friendship and now they are no longer working together, they are free to explore their smoldering attraction to one another.

Their previous acquaintance is the perfect set up for love to flourish between Callie and Finn. Although they were attracted to each other in Afghanistan, their relationship remained platonic and Finn was momentarily distracted by another woman. Callie is surprised to discover that Finn is still single while Finn is pretty shocked that Callie is now the legal guardian of eight year old Martin. Callie is a little dismayed to discover she is still attracted to Finn but with her aversion to all things cowboy, she is not planning to act on her desire. Meanwhile, Finn is left wondering why he never acted on his long ago attraction to Callie and since he remembers she wants nothing to do with ranch life long term, he does not see any reason to act on his passion either.

The relationship between Callie and Finn is slow growing, and their friendship makes their inevitable transition from friends to lovers believable. Their romance is very sweet with plenty of sexual tension. Their lovemaking is deliciously steamy but the scenes are not very explicit. While their romance is mainly conflict free, Callie has some uncertainties to come to terms with before she can fully commit to a future with Finn.

Cowboy Boots for Christmas is another absolutely charming romance by Carolyn Brown. An eclectic but (mostly) lovable cast of characters brings the story vibrantly to life. This engaging novel has a refreshingly unique plot that is sweet, sexy and just plain fun. With the local feud heating up and the unexpected arrival of Finn’s cousin Sawyer, readers are going to be chomping at the bit for the next installment in the Burnt Boot, TX series.