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Big Sky Cowboys #3
The Cowboy's Christmas Baby
A Family For Christmas
No one expected Erin McCauley to arrive in Saddlebank, Montana, with a baby…and no wedding ring. Especially not Dean Moore, who cared for Erin but knew the by-the-book girl would never go for a hard-living cowboy like him. While helping renovate Erin's new home, Dean realizes he's still in love with her—and with her beautiful daughter. As far as he's concerned, past mistakes don't have to define them—but guilt is holding Erin back from seeing that Dean is offering exactly what she's longing for. Because if she lets him, he'll give her the home—and the family—she's always wanted.
No one expected Erin McCauley to arrive in Saddlebank, Montana, with a baby…and no wedding ring. Especially not Dean Moore, who cared for Erin but knew the by-the-book girl would never go for a hard-living cowboy like him. While helping renovate Erin's new home, Dean realizes he's still in love with her—and with her beautiful daughter. As far as he's concerned, past mistakes don't have to define them—but guilt is holding Erin back from seeing that Dean is offering exactly what she's longing for. Because if she lets him, he'll give her the home—and the family—she's always wanted.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 18, 2016
69 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Carolyne Aarsen
213 books723 followersEven with over 1.5 million copies of my books in print, I still feel like I haven’t written the perfect story. From my office in the woods of Northern Alberta, I’ll keep trying. Inspired by spectacular sunrises, breathtaking Northern Lights and long walks through wooded trails, the stories keep coming. To find out more about my life and my writing, check out my website at www.carolyneaarsen.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 31, 2018
Not bad for a paperback romance.
July 22, 2021
Erin was always considered as the good girl in the family. She doesn't tell her sisters that she is a single mother to a beautiful baby girl until she comes home to the family ranch and brings her daughter with her. She thinks they will think bad of her but all she finds are two loving sisters who will help her with her little girl and save judgement.
She finds a house that she wants to fix up and make a home for her and her daughter and she gets everyone helping her.
She finds a house that she wants to fix up and make a home for her and her daughter and she gets everyone helping her.
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December 27, 2016I know authors don't always get to pick the name of their books, particularly when it comes to category romance, so I'm not putting this on Carolyne Aarsen. But dude.
December 21, 2022
This book is #3 in a series of three.
I read them out of order, because *holidays*.
Except this book takes place IN SEPTEMBER, FYI.
So... misnomer.
There's a mention of X-mess in the epilogue,
but that's it where the holidays are concerned. Sorry.
Mostly? I liked the story. I liked the hero - Dean - very much; he was tortured, quiet, gentle, sobered, and changed because of an accident that took him from cocky rodeo bronc rider to carpenter. He was a man with pride, but his love of a woman was far stronger than that.
Having said? The story is badly done... hence the stars taken from it.
Erin is the second of three sisters, the other two had their books (and I'll go back and read them, next). The author wants to make the sisters all different, but fails, utterly. Jodie is the free spirit, emotional, 'wild' child sister, but she hates nature and the ranch - while Erin loves to roam and breathe in nature, so... that doesn't work. Then pg 69 we're told Erin is the people pleaser, but if she's the one who's out roaming and the other two are your in-town social ones, this doesn't work, either.
Lauren is Erin's twin, and is supposedly the neat, organized, efficient one... but Erin's described as the 'good' child, which a neat, organized, efficient Lauren would be. It. Makes. No. Sense.
And Erin is the 'good' child, because... why? Because she prods people to read their Bibles and go to church? Wouldn't Lauren - the organized, efficient one - be the one reminded people to do things? I... just... it........ NO. Then later she's called 'spacey Erin' because of her corny jokes. Wouldn't the free-spirit daughter be the spacey one, not the 'good' child??? ARGH!!!
Lau-REN calls E-RIN 'Rinny' as a nickname. They're *TWINS*, both with 'REN' in their name, as a sound... wouldn't they BOTH be 'Rinny'? It. Makes. No. Sense. And since when do twins have the exact same personality (both good, 'reminders', neat, etc.)... aren't twins almost always opposites? NONE of this jives.
Dean has always loved Erin, but he was a bad boy so she'd always shot him down flat. She was his 'gold standard' where girls are concerned, according to the author, but the first time we see Dean, he calls Erin 'the uptight sister' thinking he's talking to Lauren. It's completely out of character for someone to diss the girl they've always idolized, especially to her sister. That's... not fitting with the Dean shared in the rest of the book.
Now he's down and out with a leg injury and his rodeo career is over, and his latest flame (Tiffany) has dumped him. His dreams of working a ranch and having the little house on it for him & Tiffany to raise a family in is over. And then Erin comes back to town and decides to take the little house as her chunk of the ranch inheritance, so it's REALLY over. Add insult to injury, Dean is assigned to do the renovations to the house by his construction owner boss for Erin.
I'm sorry, but if the man can't bend his knee and dropped out of PT? THEY WOULD *NOT* have him climbing ladders and carrying heavy loads - it's an insurance nightmare and a liability crisis waiting to happen. No. Way. Especially not on a site with no other workers to assist him. Absolutely not.
Then there's the internet stupidity. Erin needs internet hooked up, so pg 57 her sister tells her the internet company will be out the next day, and it'll be two days to get internet hooked up. (!?!?) Then on pg 68 she goes into town to see about getting the internet hooked up. (!!!)
And the stupidity in this book continues to boggles the mind: (pg 76) "Unbidden thoughts of Caitlin's father entered her mind and behind that came the ever-present shame and guilt. 'I didn't know', she whispered to her baby, 'I just didn't know'." What didn't she know? That if you have unprotected sex out of wedlock, you very likely end up a single parent? She *SERIOUSLY* DID know this, hello...!!
I'm also not understanding HOW or WHY a thirty-three year old man is living home with mommy, yet. This boggles the mind. We don't see much for home interactions - he's gone to work all day and out at night, so... it's not to take care of momma. Who the heck lives home until they're 33yo!?!?
Aarsen also does something weird in this book: every single male's name is one-syllable. Jan, Keith, Dean, Finn, Vic, George, Mike. All one-syllable. No Justin or Andy or Derek or Dennis... it's kinda weird. Every. Single. Male.
Pg 135: "...he stood by his horse, his hand on the pommel, reins gathered in his hands" ... um?... Editor? Is there an editor? ((Already know there isn't - This is my 253rd 'Love, Inspired', this year, and it has NOT been good...))
Pg 196: "She fiddled with her knife, moving it to one side of her plate and then the other." Motivation for this? THERE IS NONE. I have never in my entire fifty years seen anyone move a knife from one side of a plate to the other, randomly. This is... awkward and weird and serves no purpose, whatever.
((sigh.)) I don't know. MOSTLY I really didn't mind this one. Probably because I've just come off four 1 and 2 star reviews, two of which I ripped up and threw in my burn barrel, they were so hideously bad. Kinda easy to score a 3-star after that... but it's not saying much when par is set that dang low, either.
I guess if you let a lot go, this one isn't bad. But you have to let a *L.O.T.* go. And while I'm okay with the 'fall from grace, repent, find love' trope, I'm not okay with the 'I didn't know shagging a non-believer in a big city who doesn't seem to want a commitment with me would end in single motherhood' delusion being peddled. She knew. And if she was that dang 'good'? She never would've done that - it's out of character. So there were WAY too many issues with the way this one was thrown together.
I read them out of order, because *holidays*.
Except this book takes place IN SEPTEMBER, FYI.
So... misnomer.
There's a mention of X-mess in the epilogue,
but that's it where the holidays are concerned. Sorry.
Mostly? I liked the story. I liked the hero - Dean - very much; he was tortured, quiet, gentle, sobered, and changed because of an accident that took him from cocky rodeo bronc rider to carpenter. He was a man with pride, but his love of a woman was far stronger than that.
Having said? The story is badly done... hence the stars taken from it.
Erin is the second of three sisters, the other two had their books (and I'll go back and read them, next). The author wants to make the sisters all different, but fails, utterly. Jodie is the free spirit, emotional, 'wild' child sister, but she hates nature and the ranch - while Erin loves to roam and breathe in nature, so... that doesn't work. Then pg 69 we're told Erin is the people pleaser, but if she's the one who's out roaming and the other two are your in-town social ones, this doesn't work, either.
Lauren is Erin's twin, and is supposedly the neat, organized, efficient one... but Erin's described as the 'good' child, which a neat, organized, efficient Lauren would be. It. Makes. No. Sense.
And Erin is the 'good' child, because... why? Because she prods people to read their Bibles and go to church? Wouldn't Lauren - the organized, efficient one - be the one reminded people to do things? I... just... it........ NO. Then later she's called 'spacey Erin' because of her corny jokes. Wouldn't the free-spirit daughter be the spacey one, not the 'good' child??? ARGH!!!
Lau-REN calls E-RIN 'Rinny' as a nickname. They're *TWINS*, both with 'REN' in their name, as a sound... wouldn't they BOTH be 'Rinny'? It. Makes. No. Sense. And since when do twins have the exact same personality (both good, 'reminders', neat, etc.)... aren't twins almost always opposites? NONE of this jives.
Dean has always loved Erin, but he was a bad boy so she'd always shot him down flat. She was his 'gold standard' where girls are concerned, according to the author, but the first time we see Dean, he calls Erin 'the uptight sister' thinking he's talking to Lauren. It's completely out of character for someone to diss the girl they've always idolized, especially to her sister. That's... not fitting with the Dean shared in the rest of the book.
Now he's down and out with a leg injury and his rodeo career is over, and his latest flame (Tiffany) has dumped him. His dreams of working a ranch and having the little house on it for him & Tiffany to raise a family in is over. And then Erin comes back to town and decides to take the little house as her chunk of the ranch inheritance, so it's REALLY over. Add insult to injury, Dean is assigned to do the renovations to the house by his construction owner boss for Erin.
I'm sorry, but if the man can't bend his knee and dropped out of PT? THEY WOULD *NOT* have him climbing ladders and carrying heavy loads - it's an insurance nightmare and a liability crisis waiting to happen. No. Way. Especially not on a site with no other workers to assist him. Absolutely not.
Then there's the internet stupidity. Erin needs internet hooked up, so pg 57 her sister tells her the internet company will be out the next day, and it'll be two days to get internet hooked up. (!?!?) Then on pg 68 she goes into town to see about getting the internet hooked up. (!!!)
And the stupidity in this book continues to boggles the mind: (pg 76) "Unbidden thoughts of Caitlin's father entered her mind and behind that came the ever-present shame and guilt. 'I didn't know', she whispered to her baby, 'I just didn't know'." What didn't she know? That if you have unprotected sex out of wedlock, you very likely end up a single parent? She *SERIOUSLY* DID know this, hello...!!
I'm also not understanding HOW or WHY a thirty-three year old man is living home with mommy, yet. This boggles the mind. We don't see much for home interactions - he's gone to work all day and out at night, so... it's not to take care of momma. Who the heck lives home until they're 33yo!?!?
Aarsen also does something weird in this book: every single male's name is one-syllable. Jan, Keith, Dean, Finn, Vic, George, Mike. All one-syllable. No Justin or Andy or Derek or Dennis... it's kinda weird. Every. Single. Male.
Pg 135: "...he stood by his horse, his hand on the pommel, reins gathered in his hands" ... um?... Editor? Is there an editor? ((Already know there isn't - This is my 253rd 'Love, Inspired', this year, and it has NOT been good...))
Pg 196: "She fiddled with her knife, moving it to one side of her plate and then the other." Motivation for this? THERE IS NONE. I have never in my entire fifty years seen anyone move a knife from one side of a plate to the other, randomly. This is... awkward and weird and serves no purpose, whatever.
((sigh.)) I don't know. MOSTLY I really didn't mind this one. Probably because I've just come off four 1 and 2 star reviews, two of which I ripped up and threw in my burn barrel, they were so hideously bad. Kinda easy to score a 3-star after that... but it's not saying much when par is set that dang low, either.
I guess if you let a lot go, this one isn't bad. But you have to let a *L.O.T.* go. And while I'm okay with the 'fall from grace, repent, find love' trope, I'm not okay with the 'I didn't know shagging a non-believer in a big city who doesn't seem to want a commitment with me would end in single motherhood' delusion being peddled. She knew. And if she was that dang 'good'? She never would've done that - it's out of character. So there were WAY too many issues with the way this one was thrown together.
December 26, 2021
A handsome cowboy, a baby, a little house remodeling, and a lot of God’s love make this a beautiful story. Super quick read - just delightful!
July 13, 2025
One of 2 books in English at the all inclusive we’re at- not awful 🤷🏼♀️
May 2, 2022
A friend sent me this book in a box of Love Inspired books. The Subseries sounds familiar but I'm not sure if I've read any of the other books in it. I am pretty sure I've read this author before though.
This one gets 3 stars for the parts about broken, hurting people being able to return to the church and to God/Jesus and that the brokenness/hurt doesn't have to define them. Otherwise, the plot is pretty standard (and recycled) for Love Inspired line.
Ladies, learn from what Erin went through with Sam. Don't give in just because a guy guilts you into it or to try to save a relationship or for any other reason. I admire that Erin is willing to take on single motherhood--but honestly, she shouldn't have had to.
Guys, if you truly don't want kids (like Sam doesn't), then either don't have sex or get a vasectomy so you can't become a father. Or at the very least tell your girlfriend prior to getting engaged or making wedding plans etc. Don't be like Sam and sleep with women only to dump them when they get pregnant or assume they'll go have an abortion just because you say so. If you're willing to do the deed that gets the woman pregnant, be man enough to be a father to that child (whether or not you marry the mother of that child).
The Pluses:
*Erin and Dean knew each other in the past, so it's more a rekindling of a friendship (since they were never romantically involved in the past though Dean wanted them to be).
*Physical Therapy--knowing that sometimes it's baby steps to get to where you want to be. Sometimes there has to be pain before you get there. Good life lesson for both physical therapy and other aspects of life.
The Minuses:
*Since there wasn't a romantic relationship between Dean and Erin in the past, their relationship does seem a bit rushed.
This one gets 3 stars for the parts about broken, hurting people being able to return to the church and to God/Jesus and that the brokenness/hurt doesn't have to define them. Otherwise, the plot is pretty standard (and recycled) for Love Inspired line.
Ladies, learn from what Erin went through with Sam. Don't give in just because a guy guilts you into it or to try to save a relationship or for any other reason. I admire that Erin is willing to take on single motherhood--but honestly, she shouldn't have had to.
Guys, if you truly don't want kids (like Sam doesn't), then either don't have sex or get a vasectomy so you can't become a father. Or at the very least tell your girlfriend prior to getting engaged or making wedding plans etc. Don't be like Sam and sleep with women only to dump them when they get pregnant or assume they'll go have an abortion just because you say so. If you're willing to do the deed that gets the woman pregnant, be man enough to be a father to that child (whether or not you marry the mother of that child).
The Pluses:
*Erin and Dean knew each other in the past, so it's more a rekindling of a friendship (since they were never romantically involved in the past though Dean wanted them to be).
*Physical Therapy--knowing that sometimes it's baby steps to get to where you want to be. Sometimes there has to be pain before you get there. Good life lesson for both physical therapy and other aspects of life.
The Minuses:
*Since there wasn't a romantic relationship between Dean and Erin in the past, their relationship does seem a bit rushed.
November 8, 2016
The Cowboy's Christmas Baby by Carolyne Aarsen. Erin McCauley arrives to her home town with a baby and she's not married. Before she left town she was a "good" person and would not date Dean Moore when he asked her out. Erin said Dean was a "bad" boy. Dean has always felt something for Erin. Dean is injured in a rodeo accident and walks with a limp and it hurts. He need to do therapy but her doesn't until Erin returns and Dean knows he still has feelings for her. Dean falls in love with the little baby. The ex-boyfriend comes into the picture. A good read.
December 4, 2016
This was a good book.
This was a good book. I love how God was in the book. If you do not wish to read about God and the Bible then this is not the book for you. I very much enjoy a lot of different books and this one was by far a great one. Than you Carolyne Aarsen for all of you hard work to write it.
This was a good book. I love how God was in the book. If you do not wish to read about God and the Bible then this is not the book for you. I very much enjoy a lot of different books and this one was by far a great one. Than you Carolyne Aarsen for all of you hard work to write it.
November 16, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It is well written and provides a good plot. As I read, I enjoyed seeing two people, who had been disappointed in the turn their lives had taken, find acceptance, strength and love in their relationship.
December 12, 2016
Not just a Christmas book , can be read anytime
June 12, 2020
The book is substantially better than the hokey title.
December 27, 2024
I really wanted the cowboy to find a baby and become a single dad, but alas, he just rekindles a romance with a single mom. Lots of religion and guilt.
March 13, 2023
I recommend this book for many reasons.
I had to deal with my own prejudices about a woman pregnant outside of marriage and the father...turns out to be one of the worst sins. Wait, God sees all sin as sin.
Not only did I have to deal with my condemnation but so did the heroine. The hero was a better man.
Enjoy.
I had to deal with my own prejudices about a woman pregnant outside of marriage and the father...turns out to be one of the worst sins. Wait, God sees all sin as sin.
Not only did I have to deal with my condemnation but so did the heroine. The hero was a better man.
Enjoy.
November 26, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It’s a nice story about mistakes, heartbreak, love, & forgiveness.
God is worked into the story nicely and naturally.
Erin: new single mom who returns to her home town with infant Caitlin, about whom nobody there is aware;
Dean, who always liked Erin but was always rejected by her as teenagers, and who is an injured rodeo guy
God is worked into the story nicely and naturally.
Erin: new single mom who returns to her home town with infant Caitlin, about whom nobody there is aware;
Dean, who always liked Erin but was always rejected by her as teenagers, and who is an injured rodeo guy
November 23, 2025
The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
This was a good story about Erin and her baby, Catalina. They returned home from the city. She knew everyone would beWondering about her and her baby. Finding a new love and a new way of life.p
This was a good story about Erin and her baby, Catalina. They returned home from the city. She knew everyone would beWondering about her and her baby. Finding a new love and a new way of life.p
August 11, 2019
Enjoyed this storyline. ... Erin McCauley and Dean Moore's story. The bookcover caught my eye :-) !
April 26, 2021
Enjoyable story, happy ending. Easy read.
February 17, 2022
Good read but seriously drawn out a bit too much. Happy ending so that’s what I love and what ultimately matters.
February 27, 2023
3-1/2 stars
Sweet story of repentance, forgiveness, letting go of pride, relying on God, with a sweet love story to boot.
Sweet story of repentance, forgiveness, letting go of pride, relying on God, with a sweet love story to boot.
December 5, 2023
literally not even about christmas, yet still strangely religious...
November 26, 2024
The power of Redemption!
November 26, 2024
The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
This was a sweet book about love and romance. It was about Erin and Dean and their love for each other.
This was a sweet book about love and romance. It was about Erin and Dean and their love for each other.
December 2, 2024
This book's storyline was okay. I liked the Christian ✝️ theme in this story. I liked Erin's character. I liked Dean's character. I liked the ending.
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November 2, 2016Miniseries: Big Sky Cowboys
Read
November 2, 2016Miniseries: Big Sky Cowboys
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews