Save Christmas and Ride the Cowboys

by S. Trout

“Not wanting us is one thing, Paige. Denying yourself is another. It’s Christmas, and here you are on my lap. Got a wish? We have ours."

Getting snowed in on her cattle ranch was not on Paige’s Christmas list this year. When her childhood pet’s health declines, Paige travels home for the holiday to say farewell. A homecoming means spending time with the three gruff cowboys she’s been trying to leave in the past. As the storm intensifies, Paige becomes trapped on the ranch and must decide between confronting years of crackling tension between them or leaving it buried. Ghosts of Paige’s past linger on the property, resurfacing trauma and memories she worked through in therapy. Eager to provide the comfort she craves, she turns to the cowboys, making it more difficult for the group to keep true feelings hidden. The truth runs the risk of upending their tight-knit relationships, and threatens to change their dynamic forever. Paige must choose whether she will stay and fight for love or flee back to her life on the East coast. The cowboys must decide if Paige is worth everything to them, including each other.

Will love be enough to warm them on this snowy Christmas or will it turn their hearts to ice?

Save Christmas and Ride the Cowboys is a stand-alone, why choose romance that ends with a HFN. With humor, heart, and swoon, Save Christmas and Ride the Cowboys generates enough heat to warm you this chilly holiday season.

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2025

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with some spice sprinkled in. This one unfortunately fell a little flat for me. The beginning was promising, but went down hill as I read due mostly to Colt's jealousy. I think if this had been a longer book it might not have bothered me as much but this is only 110 pages and being marketed as a why choose. Also considering the length and more so the title + dedication I expected a bit more spice especially between the 4 of them than we got. I did enjoy Bessie and Duke though.

-Friends to Lovers
-Why Choose

2.75/5 stars rounded up to 3 for GoodReads

[x.o-St3fani3-o.x · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love, Loss & Cowboys
This was a decent read. There were a few editing mishaps, but they were easy to overlook and didn’t take away from the story. The book starts out strong, and the alpha-male drama steadily builds until it finally becomes explosive.

Paige is a young woman who flees her family ranch for the big city of New York. In doing so, she leaves behind not only her beloved pet cow, Bessie, but also the three strapping cowboys who have been her best friends for years. Paige has very low self-esteem and constantly feels like she’s a burden or the source of every problem.

Rhett is the musician cowboy who is completely gone for Paige. Duke, the resident jokester, was by far my favorite. Colt, however, was a difficult character for me to like. He’s often stuck in a jealous rage, frequently upset with the other guys, and ends up taking much of his frustration out on Paige.

I nearly cried when Bessie died, it absolutely broke my heart. I would have loved an epilogue to see what happens next and whether the men are able to rein in their jealous tendencies.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige came home.

Paige left home years ago and hasn't returned since. All it takes is one text message from a former friend to ensure she comes home. Her cow, her pet isn't doing well and Paige has no intention of getting involved with the cowboys who have looked after Bessie. Temptation and small living quarters might be too much.

This quick, spicy read centers around Paige and the men she left behind. Being home is hard for Paige and with reminders of the past she might not make it through Christmas... but alas, Mother Nature has other plans. The story is decent and the character arcs are good. The only mishap were a few editing issues (which I am assuming will be fixed before it hits the shelves).

Paige gets snowed in with Colt, Duke and Rhett. Now.. will these men learn to share or will they fight until the very end to get Paige's attention. PS.. I only wish this book was longer and we got to see the full character arcs of our MMCs.

If you're looking for a quick read to clean up your 2025 reading goal, then slap this on your tbr.

Thank you to the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Brittany (booksandbottles) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for the ARC copy!!

2.5 rounded to 3 stars.

This one started out really good for me, but fizzled out towards the end mainly because of the testosterone alpha crap. Like if it seems too good to be true it probably is. I really liked Duke and Colt was my least favorite.

Bessie dying made me sad, especially since it seemed like she held on just long enough to say goodbye to Paige. Overall it was a good short read! I’d be interested in an epilogue to see how things turn out after some time passes.

[Samantha Abram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and spicy read. Reverse harem is my absolute favorite, but it’s hard to fit into a novella. For the glimpse we got at these characters, it was really good. I do wish we had gotten a little more of their story though.

Also, Paige is a stronger woman than I am. I would have folded the second I walked in the door. So, good for her!

[Samantha Ivy (novelsbysamantha) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ma’am!!!!! S. Trout does not disappoint, baby!!!! Christmas is supposed to be cold but it was getting hot in here 🥵 Spend the holidays warming up to this steamy Christmas novella. Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is Duke & Rhett because why choose? 🙂‍↕️

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE YEARNING!
These 4… dang. A decade of lost time. A small window of time to get it right, but will they be able to share her without turning on one another?

Also, that unsatisfying shower head has GOT. TO GO.

[Jennifer Whiting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and spicy read!