TLC Book Tours Book Review: Lone Star Christmas

About Lone Star Christmas: Cowboy Christmas Eve (A Coldwater Texas Novel)

Series: A Coldwater Texas Novel (Book 1)

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: HQN; Original edition (October 1, 2018)
Synopsis:

A family crisis brings him home…

Just in time for Christmas

Cattleman Callen Laramie has no intention of returning to his hometown of Coldwater, Texas, until a Christmas wedding and a family secret convince him he has no choice. And when he’s reunited with his childhood crush, the girl who’d always been off-limits, Callen knows leaving might not be so easy this time.

Shelby McCall is as pretty as a Christmas snowfall, and Callen wants to kiss her under the mistletoe…and the Christmas tree…and the stars. But once Shelby knows the whole truth behind this homecoming, will their holiday fling come to an abrupt end? Or will she accept the gift of his heart?

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Review: I have go to authors when it comes to certain types of books and when it comes to cowboys, it is always Delores Fossen. I was totally excited to see that she had written a holiday themed book, because those are my favorite types of books. Ever since I was in junior high, if there was a holiday romance, I wanted to read it.

Shelby and Callen have a relationship that was a long time in coming.  They both had a crush on each other back when Callen was a foster at Shelby's family ranch. Their relationship is steamier than what I'm used to in Delores' books, in fact it seems that their relationship is all about sex. Love is declared, but there is no reason for it. There's no reason why they love each other, they just have good sex and that didn't even happen until midway through the book.

This book comes complete with a Christmas wedding and some super quirky characters, including a trench coat wearing flasher named Gopher. He was one the funniest parts of the book, along with Rosy, the cake toppers and the plethora of bridesmaids.

This book also has its share of family secrets and illness. It wasn't the easiest read for me at the current time of my life especially as the illness didn't seemed to be handled according to procedure. The mass, Buck had on his lung would not have been removed without a biopsy done first. I hate when medical stuff is off in books, mostly because I've dealt with so many illnesses from my parents that I know my stuff.

Then there's Rosy, Buck's intended. As a first book in a series, I wish I had more knowledge of the dad and Rosy, because even though she was sweet, she drove me bonkers. I wanted to know how they got together and why at this point in their lives they decided to take a walk down the aisle in such a big way.

Like Delores' other books her characters are all flawed individuals. Buck fostered Callen and his brothers years ago. Callen was the one brother that flew the coop. Again, I wish there was more back story given. Though some of it shows up to add a little drama at the end of the book.

I felt that there was much more that needed to be clarified and it needed more romance instead of jump your bones sex because Callen and Shelby just didn't feel like they were a forever kind of romance.

This wasn't the way I'd want to start a new series, but I do hope Callen's other brothers get more interesting stories, with better romance.

Rating: 3 flowers