A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund {Book Review}

 **Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

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.

Jody Hedlund is the author of over 20 novels and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy Award, Carol Award, and Christian Book Award. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog. Learn more at www.jodyhedlund.com.

I often find myself thinking that I don't really like western/cowboy stories too much... but then a book like this one comes along and I find myself realizing, hmmm... maybe I do. Or at least when they are written well anyway... and Jody Hedlund writes them well! 

First of all, there is just something about a marriage of convenience story, isn't there? Perhaps it's because it's more unheard of these days, or perhaps there's something fascinating about an upside down love story- the marriage agreement before the falling in love, it's all very intriguing. That is certainly the case for Greta and Wyatt when they find themselves agreeing to marry each other as a solution to both of their struggles. What follows is a slow burn romance between the two that is hard not to fall in love with yourself. 

As the first book in the Colorado Cowboys series, it was a great start. I cannot wait to read more. Whether you're typically a fan of these western type stories or not, don't let that keep you away, it's certainly one not to be missed.