A Cowboy for Keeps (2021)

About the Book

Book: A Cowboy for Keeps

Series: Colorado Cowboys #1

Author: Jody Hedlund

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational

Greta Nilsson’s trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He’ll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt’s ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry.

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My Thoughts

Jody Hedlund cannot write a bad story. She’s a master storyteller. A Cowboy for Keeps, her first novel in the Colorado Cowboys series, is a highly engaging, fast-paced ride you won’t want to put down. The action in this story is non-stop. The characters are fantastic — Greta will make your heart hurt a little, Wyatt will steal your breath a couple of times, and Astrid … well, Astrid will try your patience and make you want to hug her and laugh with her all at the same time. Hedlund has crafted endearing characters readers won’t soon forget. A Cowboy for Keeps is a novel I highly recommend to all who love a good Historical Romance.

My most favorite aspect to this story is the relationship between Greta and Wyatt. Each character has a hang up that really keeps them in a cycle of genuine negativity. But from the very beginning of meeting one another, Greta and Wyatt are able to silent those pessimistic thoughts for one another and allow the best versions of themselves to come to life. The whole time I was reading this book, Ecclesiastes 4:9 kept popping into my brain: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” Truly, these two characters are the perfect embodiment of this verse. Being as their marriage of convenience is just that, they each have a purpose for making things work between the two of them. Greta needs a safe place to raise her sick sister, Astrid, and Wyatt needs the financial benefit that will come to his ranch through this convenient marriage. Neither one takes the other for granted and shows this through HARD work. I’m talking before the sun rises to well past its setting each day, Greta and Wyatt work together to make the best of their circumstances. I was truly impressed by their actions towards one another. Their relationship is a great example of the level of respect and arduous daily work it takes to make any marriage a successful one. And, I absolutely love their journey from teammates to much, much more. This relationship left my heart very happy, and I’m walking away from Greta and Wyatt’s story smiling from ear to ear!

A Cowboy for Keeps is a wonderful Historical Romance that I highly recommend. The plot is highly engaging. I did not want to put this book down! The characters are well written, unique, and endearing. And the messages are timely. Overall, this novel is a true must-read, and another home run by Jody Hedlund!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers, via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.