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The Cowboys #1
The Christmas Cradle
Eight years ago Marisa Preston fell in love, but her plans to marry rodeo star Colter Kincaid were thwarted by her controlling parents. Now, unexpectedly, she's found Colter again—and his adorable seven-year-old daughter, Ellie. More than anything in the world, Ellie wants a mommy....
And more than anything, Marisa wants a child. But she's been keeping a secret about the past, a secret she has to tell Colter. She goes to see him at his ranch, and it isn't long before she falls in love all over again. With Ellie...and with Colter.
And more than anything, Marisa wants a child. But she's been keeping a secret about the past, a secret she has to tell Colter. She goes to see him at his ranch, and it isn't long before she falls in love all over again. With Ellie...and with Colter.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
17 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Linda Warren
150 books334 followersLinda Warren loves happy endings. The Rita® nominated and award-winning author has written 26 books for Harlequin, including SuperRomance, American, and Everlasting Love. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a farm/ranch in Texas, she writes about sexy heroes, feisty heroines, and broken families with an emotional punch all set against the backdrop of Texas. She lives in College Station with her husband and spends her days doing what she loves—creating unforgettable love stories—with happy endings.
Linda Warren was born Linda Siegert in Brazos County, TX, on July 2, 1945. She passed away on November 8, 2023, in Bryant, TX. Warren is survived by her husband, several children, and grandchildren.
Linda Warren was born Linda Siegert in Brazos County, TX, on July 2, 1945. She passed away on November 8, 2023, in Bryant, TX. Warren is survived by her husband, several children, and grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 6, 2019
"I really loved you."
"You were seventeen years old. You knew nothing about love. I was the first man you'd ever slept with." 62%
How DARE you say that to her, you fucking piece of trash!!!!
...
So. Anyway. This book is completely BSC. If you have ever watched a telenovela, you kind of have an idea about what this book is like. Very dramatic. Very, very dramatic. Works hard to make you say, "What the fuck?!?!" and "Oh, my gosh!" on every single page. Tons of BSC stuff happens, and it happens for no other reason than to amp up the drama.
If you like very dramatic romance books, with tons of twists and dramatic reveals and cruel heroes and suffering heroines, this could be your jam.
...
Marisa was an extremely sheltered and had very controlling parents. On a brief escape, she has sex with 27-year-old Colter. She was 17. When her parents find out, they freak the fuck out and things just get progressively worse and worse and more BSC and more BSC from there.
...
Marisa's parents are, quite frankly, monsters and I can't believe what they did to their own daughter and how they treat her even now, at age 26. The book but frankly I would never be able to forgive them and don't think what they've done is forgivable. It's HORRIFIC. I don't know how they sleep at night.
My main problem is that Colter is not much better. I hated him. I tried to be very, very patient with him and give him the benefit of every doubt, but by 40% my guts were filled with burning rage for him. He's trash and the way he treats Marisa in this book is unconscionable. I can't believe she ends up with him.
"Marisa, I thought I made this clear, but evidently you didn't understand. I'm not interested in anything you have to say. We had a brief time together. It was over years ago. Nothing you say can change a thing, and I don't care about your excuses anymore. It just doesn't matter." 13%
I'm going to give you a pro tip here: if someone from your past shows up, you haven't seen them in years, and they tell you that they have something VERY IMPORTANT to tell you, FUCKING listen to them. This man is a FUCKING IDIOT.
He's a horrible combination of cruel asshole and deeply stupid, which as we all know is very dangerous.
Even though Marisa is a huge victim here (which might be tiresome to some readers), she has to 'prove herself' to this asshole over and over and over and over again while he judges her relentlessly. He's not compassionate or forgiving or understanding. He's going to burn in hell. I rarely say this about heroes, but he's going to burn in hell. He should never be allowed to have sex again in his entire life.
Meanwhile, Marisa is a huge victim who goes around telling every single person she meets her incredibly tragic story. Why? I have no idea. It's bizarre.
...
And of course, as the final cherry on the cake, she's been celibate since he was her first-ever lover years ago, and he's... NOT been celibate. Because fuck women, right? Heaven forbid a woman have sex or enjoy sex or move on with her life after the man who takes her virginity completely FUCKS HER OVER LIKE A TRASHBAG. Fuck her ever experiencing sex with anyone besides 'the hero.' That way, she'll never figure out how truly awful he is in bed. What a bunch of misogynistic garbage.
...
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
DON'T talk to me about sex with this trash. He's trash. Burn in hell, Colter. If there were any justice in life you'd never know the touch of a woman again. *Carmen spits on the ground*
TL;DR ONLY read this if you like your romance extremely dramatic, BSC, and telenovela-like. If you love angst, drama, cruel heroes and long-suffering heroines... this is for you. If you'd like to avoid all this stuff, skip this.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Cowboy/Western Romance
Holiday/Christmas Romance
Second-Chance Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine - ... but he's the one who took her virginity, eight years ago, so I'm not sure this really counts.
Secret Baby Romance
He's a former Rodeo Rider and runs a Boot Company; She's a Concert Pianist and Senior Vice President of a department store.
SETTING: Texas - Dallas area
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
"You were seventeen years old. You knew nothing about love. I was the first man you'd ever slept with." 62%
How DARE you say that to her, you fucking piece of trash!!!!
...
So. Anyway. This book is completely BSC. If you have ever watched a telenovela, you kind of have an idea about what this book is like. Very dramatic. Very, very dramatic. Works hard to make you say, "What the fuck?!?!" and "Oh, my gosh!" on every single page. Tons of BSC stuff happens, and it happens for no other reason than to amp up the drama.
If you like very dramatic romance books, with tons of twists and dramatic reveals and cruel heroes and suffering heroines, this could be your jam.
...
Marisa was an extremely sheltered and had very controlling parents. On a brief escape, she has sex with 27-year-old Colter. She was 17. When her parents find out, they freak the fuck out and things just get progressively worse and worse and more BSC and more BSC from there.
...
Marisa's parents are, quite frankly, monsters and I can't believe what they did to their own daughter and how they treat her even now, at age 26. The book but frankly I would never be able to forgive them and don't think what they've done is forgivable. It's HORRIFIC. I don't know how they sleep at night.
My main problem is that Colter is not much better. I hated him. I tried to be very, very patient with him and give him the benefit of every doubt, but by 40% my guts were filled with burning rage for him. He's trash and the way he treats Marisa in this book is unconscionable. I can't believe she ends up with him.
"Marisa, I thought I made this clear, but evidently you didn't understand. I'm not interested in anything you have to say. We had a brief time together. It was over years ago. Nothing you say can change a thing, and I don't care about your excuses anymore. It just doesn't matter." 13%
I'm going to give you a pro tip here: if someone from your past shows up, you haven't seen them in years, and they tell you that they have something VERY IMPORTANT to tell you, FUCKING listen to them. This man is a FUCKING IDIOT.
He's a horrible combination of cruel asshole and deeply stupid, which as we all know is very dangerous.
Even though Marisa is a huge victim here (which might be tiresome to some readers), she has to 'prove herself' to this asshole over and over and over and over again while he judges her relentlessly. He's not compassionate or forgiving or understanding. He's going to burn in hell. I rarely say this about heroes, but he's going to burn in hell. He should never be allowed to have sex again in his entire life.
Meanwhile, Marisa is a huge victim who goes around telling every single person she meets her incredibly tragic story. Why? I have no idea. It's bizarre.
...
And of course, as the final cherry on the cake, she's been celibate since he was her first-ever lover years ago, and he's... NOT been celibate. Because fuck women, right? Heaven forbid a woman have sex or enjoy sex or move on with her life after the man who takes her virginity completely FUCKS HER OVER LIKE A TRASHBAG. Fuck her ever experiencing sex with anyone besides 'the hero.' That way, she'll never figure out how truly awful he is in bed. What a bunch of misogynistic garbage.
...
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
DON'T talk to me about sex with this trash. He's trash. Burn in hell, Colter. If there were any justice in life you'd never know the touch of a woman again. *Carmen spits on the ground*
TL;DR ONLY read this if you like your romance extremely dramatic, BSC, and telenovela-like. If you love angst, drama, cruel heroes and long-suffering heroines... this is for you. If you'd like to avoid all this stuff, skip this.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Cowboy/Western Romance
Holiday/Christmas Romance
Second-Chance Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine - ... but he's the one who took her virginity, eight years ago, so I'm not sure this really counts.
Secret Baby Romance
He's a former Rodeo Rider and runs a Boot Company; She's a Concert Pianist and Senior Vice President of a department store.
SETTING: Texas - Dallas area
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
July 26, 2016
Love the premise but it dint live upto the promise...and barely delivered the angst. This story could have been a huge tear jerker but sadly, it falters.
The secret/suspense was not so great and one gets to realise what it's building upto..
Also I wasn't convinced about the h/H's relationship. For the first half, there is barely any interaction and then later not enough emotional depth. Their love seemed contrived and pushed. Like a goal that has to be reached and is reached at the end.
What I liked..
The story was different and the kid was endearing and cute. The parenting was involved and heartwarming. And I liked the whole christmasy thing, especially the idea of forgiveness and the whole cradle story was a good touch.
The secret/suspense was not so great and one gets to realise what it's building upto..
Also I wasn't convinced about the h/H's relationship. For the first half, there is barely any interaction and then later not enough emotional depth. Their love seemed contrived and pushed. Like a goal that has to be reached and is reached at the end.
What I liked..
The story was different and the kid was endearing and cute. The parenting was involved and heartwarming. And I liked the whole christmasy thing, especially the idea of forgiveness and the whole cradle story was a good touch.
January 4, 2012
The hero Colter is doing his best to raise his beloved daughter Ellie by himself, however she is desperate to have a mother and believes that Santa will bring her one for Christmas. The heroine Marisa has never forgotten the happiness she found in Colter's arms eight years ago, nor has she forgotten her devastation after her controlling mother forced her to leave him, and the later loss of her stillborn baby. Seeing Colter again and his beautiful daughter reminds her of everything she lost. She attempts to talk to him but she doesn't expect his anger. Colter has never forgiven Marisa for the way she left him and warns her to stay away from him. But Marisa can't accept that, as she needs to tell him the real reason she left and the tragic events that happened after. Eventually he listens but this results in some very traumatic secrets being revealed that rocks both Colter and Marisa's lives. And even though they still love one another deeply, the pain of the past will stop them from being together.
I really enjoyed this book, but wow, it is so intense! The plot of this book is so heartbreaking, you'll need tissues, and very poignantly written. I couldn't put it down! The 'big reveal' was shocking and I was completely not expecting it, I think the author did a great job in making this book a little unpredictable. Yes, perhaps the plot is a little contrived and relies on a series of coincidences, but I really liked it. The hero and heroine are both flawed characters but also sympathetic, which makes them three dimensional. I really felt they went on a journey together throughout the book, and that is very satisfying to read.
My only complaint is that I feel that some issues were too easily, and neatly, resolved and it felt too convenient for me.
Nevertheless, this is a deeply emotional and heart-warming story that will keep you guessing.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I really enjoyed this book, but wow, it is so intense! The plot of this book is so heartbreaking, you'll need tissues, and very poignantly written. I couldn't put it down! The 'big reveal' was shocking and I was completely not expecting it, I think the author did a great job in making this book a little unpredictable. Yes, perhaps the plot is a little contrived and relies on a series of coincidences, but I really liked it. The hero and heroine are both flawed characters but also sympathetic, which makes them three dimensional. I really felt they went on a journey together throughout the book, and that is very satisfying to read.
My only complaint is that I feel that some issues were too easily, and neatly, resolved and it felt too convenient for me.
Nevertheless, this is a deeply emotional and heart-warming story that will keep you guessing.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
October 6, 2015
I wasn't sure how to rate this, so its a 2.5*. Heartbreaking story line but that wasn't strictly romance related. I wish the romance had that kind of emotion invested in it. I was reading it because I was more interested in how the relationships between the h and secondary characters resolved themselves rather than what happened with the H.
April 14, 2017
What a wonderful, heart warming story!!
I loved every second of this book!
It was so full of heartache, love and family drama that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for what's coming next!
This is my first read by this author, and if this book is any indication .. Then it most certainly won't be the last :)
I loved every second of this book!
It was so full of heartache, love and family drama that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for what's coming next!
This is my first read by this author, and if this book is any indication .. Then it most certainly won't be the last :)
January 21, 2026
4.25⭐️
April 26, 2019
Eight years ago Marisa Preston fell in love, but her plans to marry (rodeo star/rancher/boot stores) Colter Kincaid were thwarted by her controlling mother who threatened to charge him with statutory rape since she was only 17. Later, at home she finds that she’s pregnant, but her mom tells her her son was stillborn. Now, unexpectedly, she's found Colter again—and his adorable seven-year-old daughter, Ellie. More than anything in the world, Ellie wants a mommy.... she writes Santa regularly with that request. And more than anything, Marisa wants a child. But she's been keeping a secret about the past, a secret she has to tell Colter. She goes to see him at his ranch, and it isn't long before she falls in love all over again with Ellie...and with Colter, but he seems to hate her. Then she discovers why, her mother lied, she gave the child away since she wouldn’t sign adoption papers, she gave the child to its father, it wasn’t stillborn, and it wasn’t a boy, it was Ellie..
February 20, 2020
Excellent
Very good read, not what I was expecting, but still very entertaining. This was more of a love story than a true western. Thank you for offering this fabulous read.
Very good read, not what I was expecting, but still very entertaining. This was more of a love story than a true western. Thank you for offering this fabulous read.
May 10, 2020
Amazing
A truly unique and amazing story.One minute I was laughing and the very next I had years in my eyes.I will be looking forward to reading more from this author.
A truly unique and amazing story.One minute I was laughing and the very next I had years in my eyes.I will be looking forward to reading more from this author.
May 27, 2016
Oh My Lordy Lord!
Gah!
This was so cute and sweet, I swear it'd give me diabetes.
I am so happy, a total blubbering mess.
It was THAT good a book.
You lose count of the "aww"s and the happy tears.
It fills you up with hope,
It makes you wish for a "forever",
For the good times,
For the happily-ever-after.
I thought I knew where the book was going and I have read enough to be able to make an accurate guess.
But boy!
This had me jumping from one thought to the next.
In the beginning, I couldn't reconcile myself with Ms.Warren, the writing just didn't agree.
But I told myself to keep going and though some parts still weren't as smooth as they could be,
I'm glad I stuck through!
4 massive "Adorable" stars!
^_^
July 23, 2016
Love this book
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was about true love, heartbreak, and forgiveness. You can always forgive someone hurting you, you just may never forget. As an adult you can believe that miracles do happen and believe in Santa Claus as you did when you were a child.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was about true love, heartbreak, and forgiveness. You can always forgive someone hurting you, you just may never forget. As an adult you can believe that miracles do happen and believe in Santa Claus as you did when you were a child.
January 13, 2017
I normally don't review Harlequin books because, for me, the stories are all good and easy reading. But this story was exceptional. Well written the storyline truly was heartfelt and moving. This was truly a Christmas story that everyone should read.
May 11, 2022
I cried so much reading this story!!!
January 10, 2015
A little slow at times but for the most part good. Probably not a repeat.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews