Robyn: A Christmas Bride

Brides of Noelle: Love For All Seasons #9

by Jacqui Nelson

Who’s the perfect match for a flame-haired Welsh tomboy who loves driving wagons?

Raised by three free-spirited older brothers, Robyn Llewellyn has learned to fight for what she wants—and now she wants to transform her boss and best friend, Max Peregrine, into a lifelong partner. Determined to become the image of what a marriage-minded man wants, Robyn trades her trousers for a dress and heads to Max’s hometown of Noelle, Colorado. But changing who she is with the help of the now happily married Brides of Noelle puts her friendship with Max at risk.

Who’s the perfect match for a work-addicted Denver business owner who loves his independence?

Defying his brother and grandpa’s wishes for him to stay with them in Noelle, Max Peregrine has created his dream job—leading a highly successful branch of Peregrines’ Post and Freight while working beside Robyn, the only person who makes him smile every day. But when she leaves without a word, Max follows her to Noelle where the choices they both must face could make it impossible for them to stay together beyond Christmas day.

Inspired by My Fair Lady, The Gift of the Magi, and the spirit of gift giving, Robyn: A Christmas Bride is a classic Western historical love story set in a small town high in the mountains during Christmas 1877.

Genres: Westerns, Christmas

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2018

About the author

I love historical romance adventures of all sorts, including those set in the Wild West. My love for frontier tales with grit and passion came from watching Western movies while growing up on a cattle farm. In addition to winning the Laramie® award, my stories have won the RWA Golden Heart® once and been nominated three times.

Fall in love with a NEW Old West...where the men are steadfast and the women are cardsharps, scouts, spies, and Wild West trick riders. Join my newsletter to receive my FREE READ & be the first to hear about my new releases, giveaways, events & more.

Read an excerpt from each of my books at www.JacquiNelson.com & discover what inspires me on my BLOG. Follow me on Amazon, BookBub, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and Robyn's Christmas love story delivers alot of sweet and charm.

From the first pages, you can feel Max and Robyn's love for each other - and for family. But you can also feel their struggle to figure out how exactly to express that love, and what's truly the best for the other. They truly are the perfect compliment to the other, loving the other as they come, not needing anything else. Watching them dance around the other, you can't help but cheer them on! And that moment when Max finally captures Robyn in his arms? *TOSSES CONFETTI*

Grandpa Gus and Robyn's brothers kept threatening to steal the show -- and I'm hoping from the sounds of things, we aren't going to be saying goodbye to this family quiet yet!! I loved getting to reconnect with Jack and Birdie as well.

This is a cute story that is a perfect little read for Christmas.

[Glenda Kinard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacqui Nelson takes us back to the beloved Town of Noelle for yet another one of her splendid stories. I love this quaint little mining town and Jacqui Nelson's touch upon the town with her stories is just one reason why. She can spin Wonderful stories and she certainly does with Robyn and Max's story. Robyn wants to change and become the Lady she thinks Max wants but Max loves her just the way she is. It was such an amazing read to see these two finally come together in LOVE. Thank You Jacqui Nelson for another great read in Robyn

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robyn and Max have feelings for each other, but neither has revealed them. Robyn gets it into her head that Max would prefer her to be more ladylike; growing up with three brothers, she is more of a tomboy. So she enlists the aid of the brides of Noelle to help her become more ladylike in a just a few days before a special party at which she hopes to receive a marriage proposal. Robyn and Max had been living in Denver, but Robin went to Noelle for the special tutelage. Max does follow her, even though he's sworn that he wouldn't go back to Noelle.

The absolute highlights of this book are the crazy Llewellyn brothers with their silly, fun banter and Grandpa Gus. Another fun theme running throughout this book was of men knitting! I thought Max had a good character arc about him coming to grips with his feelings about the town of Noelle. While I did enjoy the snappy dialogue and the other concepts I just mentioned, I felt that Robyn’s motivations for change were weak, and the plot felt contrived with the idea of a 4-day time limit on Robyn’s transformation and the proposal. I also felt to that the conflict between the couple was a non-conflict; if either just could have said their true feelings—and the reasons for not doing so didn't seem to be substantial enough—things could have been solved rather quickly.

That said, if you suspend your disbelief about the weak motivation and the contrived plot, you might find yourself just enjoying the banter and the quirky characters we've come to know and love in this series. Once I realized this was just a light piece of Christmas fluff, like a good Hallmark movie, I was content just to let the story unfold and enjoy the ride.

I received a copy of this book for free, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.

[Maria Dariotis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Perfect for Christmas!

Robyn A Christmas Bride
Brides of Noelle book 9
by Jacqui Nelson

This was the perfect book to set the mood for the Christmas spirit!
Jacqui did a fantastic job in pulling you in the lives of Robyn, Max and their friends. Robyn flees to Noelle to become a new and revised woman one that will change her status from Max’s best friend to hopefully a wife.
Little did she know of the impact she left behind, with Max hot on her heels, life in Noelle will get interesting by the day. The magic of Christmas, family and love is all the magic one needs to realize that change isn’t necessary for true love!
Robyn is the latest addition to the Peregrine household, and I can’t wait to read all about the three brothers. Jacqui Nelson has given us a wonderful Christmas romantic read for the holidays!

I was given a complimentary copy from the author. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone's a matchmaker!!! What a fun read about wonderful, loving, funny, people. The people of Noelle are in the matchmaking mood. And anyone coming to town is fair game. Max left the small town to make his fortune in Denver. He wanted more excitement. There he met the Llewellyns. A family of three large brothers, and Robyn their sister. All four Llewellyns help Max in his new freight business. Even Robyn, who isn't afraid to work like a man, and is more comfortable in pants then dresses, and can swear like a sailor. But she's in love with Max and afraid he won't see her as anything more than "one of the boys". So she escapes to Noelle to enlist the help of Max's family and the town women to make her over. And that is where the fun starts. Everyone has their one agenda and their ideas on matchmaking, but how they go about it is the problem. These characters were enchanting and their love for their fellow towns people heartwarming.

[Nicole Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author; this is my honest review.
-I loved how Max had no inkling as what was going on with Robyn and that the brothers didn't help much either.
-How many of us want to change things about ourselves just to catch the eyes of someone special or to fit in? Robyn is living it; it's funny but it's also sad. She really should go back to wearing trousers.
-Max sees the changes but doesn't say anything. They have never been there in their relationship. It's really hard to go from friends to lovers when you consider what you could lose.
-Predictable but super funny: Interfering older brothers in any way they can.
-I loved how the town, again, gets together and help out others in need, particularly Jack & Birdie.
-Didn't anyone in their family caught on what Jack said about Birdie's pregnancy? Or was it said in their bedroom? I can't remember now.
-Funny: Birdie says "Zut de Zut". I say that a lot too. LOL. It's like a swear word but it's not.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robyn - The Christmas Bride is a fun- whimsical delight.

Ms. Jacqui Nelson and her gifted talent of creating spitfire heroines who outsmart their soulmate’s always brightens my heart.

Robyn’s in love with Max, she is his best friend, but she’s out to prove to him that she’s more than just friend quality.
Robyn needs help convincing Max she’s more than an employee or friend, but in order to do so, she needs the women of Noelle’s advise, or so she thinks!

Finding Robyn missing from Denver, Max know what he must do, where he must go, and who he must follow.
“At least until December 25. After that, if - No, when they made it back to Denver together, things could be different. They could make shared plans. He’d put aside his work to see them fulfilled. “

Beautiful story of friendship, love, and forever happy ever after.

[Marjorie Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas is a time for family and love. Jacqui Nelson has given us both with her engaging story. Robyn flees to Noelle with Max on her heels. In that magical town, they find that change isn’t always necessary to find true love.
Robyn is the latest addition to the Peregrine household, but with three brothers in tow there’s the promise of more lively romances ahead. Join Welsh bride Robyn, along with Max, Jack, Birdie, Gus and new arrivals Griffin, Heddwyn and Brynmor for the holiday season!
Enjoy the fun!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, sweet and heartwarming story. Robyn is unsure of herself, having been raised by three men, and having one as a best friend, she doesn't think that she's feminine enough for Max, because he refused to marry her. Max realizes that Robyn is the woman he wants, but only after she's left. Max races to get to her before it's too late. It's a great story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

[Terez Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this story as an ARC
Robyn wants to marry her boss, but feels he doesn’t see her as a woman, just as a best friend. Being raised by 3 brothers she never learned how to be a lady. So, she heads out to Noelle to transform herself with the hopes of being married at Christmas.
Max Peregrine left Noelle to expand the family business in Denver. When he learns that Robyn is gone, he follows her.
This was a sweet story and like The Calling Birds I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. It was nice “to see” Jack, Birdie, and the whole town of Noelle again. I believe this would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas reading. It will leave you with a happy warm feeling, just like Christmas.

[Jo-Ann Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacqui Nelson swept me away to the small town of Noelle, Colorado in the year 1877, The love affair between Welsh tomboy Robyn Llewlyn and Max Peregrin isn't happening fast enough for Robyn, so she decides to become more ladylike, thinking that will surely snare his heart. These two have a torturous time of it. We know they love each other and we suspect that deep down in their hearts they know that too, but their reluctance to share their true feelings keeps them apart. The question becomes, will another bachelor steel Robyn away from Max? 

The characters in this story are strong and bold. Grampa Gus is once again my favorite. His gruff manner hides a soft and endearing heart. Robyn's three big brothers are great fun and the women of Noelle create a perfect tableau. 

I loved the story, and I highly recommend it for readers who like sweet romances with happy endings that leave you with the feeling that all is right in the world.

[Jessie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A very sweet and beautiful love story. A lot of twists and turns. Very enjoyable. Hopefully Mor and Lark's storyline will be told along with the other brothers and Gus and Agatha' s happy ending. Fantastic storyteller.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ninth book in the Brides of Noelle: Love For All Seasons series a well written story that held my interest until the end. Robyn Llewellyn and Max Peregrine's story kept me turning pages. I want to read more in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are Max and Robyn meant to be? I love that these characters found themselves going back to Noelle. I love Grandpa Gus and all the fun characters in this town. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pamela Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story telling!

Jacqui Nelson continues weaving her wonderful stories of the Peregrine family as she tells Max and Robyn's tale. So much fun reading adventures of old and new characters. Can't wait for more of her books!

[Leanne ~ Tales From The Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romance set in the 1800s when life was slower.
The heroine is a tomboy, she wants to change her ways to attract her best friend. It's time for him to wake up and see the jewel in front of him.
Will the magic of Christmas give her the gift she wants? You'll have to read to find out.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Max a d Robyn
I enjoyed reading this captivating story that is well written and has charismatic characters . Their story has a sweet and complete HEA.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read

I so enjoyed this story. It was charming and heartfelt and made me sad that sometimes we have gifts to give but we think they aren't good enough. I love this community and all the characters and this story just makes Noelle that much more special.

[Anita Rohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changes

A tomboy decides to become a lady but will that satisfy her heart and fill her wishes. Through the adventure of visiting the town of Noelle and meeting friends several lives will change. Read this story to find out what matters most and makes the best gift.

[Peggy Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have come to love the way Jacqui writes her books. I have found that each one that I have read are just so good and this one was no exception. This is part of the series Brides of Noelle and this is the 4th one that I have read they are written by different authors. Jacqui has hit a home run with this one!

[Renee Lewis]

I found this a sweet read that took you away from your daily problems to another day and time. It was well written and part of a great series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Jane McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

A really great series with fun characters and lots of love to be found. I look forward to more books in the series.

[Texas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the cover; the story does not make OK status.

The Calling Birds - This is my first read by this author and I found this book OK. It is simplistic, unrealistic, but the author tries. There is a little intrigue concerning her background and the baddies. The author does not know anything about sewing a simple one-hour top, else she would not have Birdie making dresses in one day and without fittings. Hand sewing the garments from that era involved a lot of stitches and acres of material.

Some of the dialog was silly, but most of the characters were nice, if underdeveloped. The nude scene did not work for me. Grandpa would be pushing for marriage, not bedding. I found this book on Booksprout and the cover attracted my attention. 3*

Robyn - This sequel takes place about a year after Calling ends. We have a petite woman riding a Clydesdale; grown men would have a problem riding that large of a horse. The characters are uninteresting; the story boring; and silly dialog galore. While Calling could be read, this book is not that good. I found this book on Booksprout and the cover attracted my attention. 3*

[Dorothy Roller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another good story in this Noelle series by Ms. Nelson. Her stories for this series surround the Peregrine and Llewellyn families. The Peregrine’s are two brothers and their grandfather who run a freight service one in Noelle, CO and one in Denver, CO. They used to be running one together in Noelle, then Max decided to get a freight business going in Denver which was going really well and he ran it with the Llewellyn brothers and their sister Robyn.
Robyn runs off to Noelle to see if Max is really interested in her as a woman or just a friend and coworker. In 1877 when this story takes place, woman do not where pants for Robyn driving freight wagons it is so much easier but now, she goes to her friends in Noelle to see about becoming a lady wearing a dress and fixing up her hair and wearing hats. Max loves her either way but he hasn’t told her that so she doesn’t know what to do.
This is a really good story that I loved and you will too.
It is fun, funny, exasperating and just an all-around good read. I highly recommend this story and the rest of this series.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review
Robyn Llewellyn is determined to show her boss and best friend, Max Peregrine, that she would make him the perfect wife. Desperate for results, she heads to Max’s hometown of Noelle, Colorado to seek help from the happily married Brides of Noelle. Will the changes she makes ruin her chances to get Max to see her as more than just a friend?

Max Peregrine enjoys his Denver job at Peregrines’ Post and Freight and can’t understand why his best friend, Robyn, has run away to his hometown just when he needs her most. He follows her to Noelle-and his past-where the stubborn woman leads him on a merry dance. Will Max find a way to let Robyn know he loves her just the way she is?

This is a sweet holiday romance filled with many of the characters we’ve come to love in the small town of Noelle and an important life lesson on the value of loving ourselves as we are.

I give Robyn: A Christmas Bride 5 lovely kisses- an enjoyable tale!

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Thick-headed Sweethearts

What a fun Christmas romance about two "good friends" trying to get the other to see them as more. Some tried to help, other s ran interference. I loved the three brothers, although at times I felt like they belonged in a circus. Good characters and a delightful outcome.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

She thought she needed to be a lady

He thought she was perfect the way she was. She left him to learn to be a lady and he followed her. I liked how the story made them have a happy ever after in the end.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the story of Robyn and Max. She go to Noelle to get help to be more faminine and Max follows her there. Grandpa Gus and all the characters in this was fun to read about too.

I was given a complimentary copy from the author. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

[Claire Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but..

At times, things got a bit confusing.

Overall, though, the story was very interesting. I love that Robin and Mac were best friends that fell in love. Noelle just helped it along.

I look forward to the next book!

[Marilyn Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was in the “old times” which I love to read about very descriptive. The families were loud but very caring. The way decisions were made cracked me up