A Cowboy for All Seasons

Jasper Creek #1

by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm

Discover the power of family in this uplifting quartet by New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates, USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden.

June Gable left each of her four granddaughters a handwritten bequest—to spend a season at her beloved farmhouse in Jasper Creek, Oregon, before they sell it. These cousins were once as close as sisters, but time and family betrayals have pushed them apart…

In spring, polished city girl Keira must find her country roots—and reconnect with an old flame. In the summer, tough tomboy JJ needs to tap into her softer side helping a single dad and his daughters. Cheerful dreamer Lila has to help coordinate the town craft fair in autumn, under the stern eye of the handsome cowboy she loved as a girl. And as winter falls, headstrong, independent Bella must learn to ask for help from the one man she believes she can never have.

The four cousins will have to confront secrets from the past, deal with old wounds they’d rather hide, and tangle with their hardheaded cowboys before they can find love, healing and the true meaning of family…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Westerns, Anthologies, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook

446 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2020

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Reviews

[Brooke — brooklynnnnereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a proud connoisseur of country cowboy romance novels. I read lots of them that are done well and also read a lot that are mediocre. This compilation of short stories that built into one overall story, is AMAZING.

Typically, I can get nervous and apprehensive of novels that are made up of short stories, especially when more than two authors are involved. Depending on the different writing styles, there can often be a huge disconnect between the stories. However, this one really worked well.

Each author wrote from a different character perspective within the family (a group of cousins). Each author did have a different writing style but not to the point of each story feeling vastly different from each other. It worked well because it gave each character a unique personality but all of the stories combined beautifully.

For those that like country, small-town romances, and/or Hallmark movies, I highly recommend checking this book out. This novel was so magical that after initially reading a library copy, I went out and purchased a copy of my own. It's definitely a book that I will remember and want to reread.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5

Grandmother June leaves a note after her death to each of her four granddaughters to spend some time at her farmhouse after her passing. The farmhouse was were the girls spent their summers together bonding and making some wonderful memories. But time and circumstances had the girls drifting apart over the years. But now June has left each granddaughter a letter with a request that each spends a season at the farmhouse.

Keira is the first to visit. She comes back after five years of living in the city. Back to the farm to help with care of the cattle and learns someone will be assisting her. Remy, Keira's one and only true love. The two had a young love but their relationship had some major challenges. Challenges that had Keira running to the city and breaking Remy's heart. Now the two have a whole lot of history and heartbreak to deal with. Can they find their way back to each other and their HEA. This was my favorite couple.

JJ is to assist in the care for two little girls. Her grandmother asked she help this single Dad, Cade during the summer in watching the girls. JJ has attachment and emotional issues, she's closed off thanks to her cold Father. But these two sweet girls teach both JJ and Cade all about love and laughter.

Lila was asked to help organize and execute a fall festival alongside Everette. Everette is Lila's secret crush, a man she had her most embarrassing moment in life with. Lila finds this a challenge working on this festival, in more ways than one. Lila's strong point isn't organization, she's more of a free spirit and spur of the moment kind of girl. And then to top it all off she's working with Everette, how much more challenging can this all be for her. Everette and Lila work through some past misconceptions and the differing ways they work.

Bella has been asked to help fix up the farmhouse, and if she wishes to sell it. Bella's been absent cousin and no one knew where she was. She's a very independent loner. Her Mother's dysfunctional relationships had shaped Bella's guarded heart. But of course who's the first person she sees, her step brother, Noah, from one of those" dysfunctional relationships" her mother had. And the one person that Bella knew could get past her guarded heart. Noah had his own issues, Bella's mother pretty much destroyed his father when she left him. So Noah is fighting his attraction because he doesn't want repeat what happened to his father.

Each of these stories has some sweet and tender moments. It seems to lean a little more heavily on the family theme but did have the romance feel as well. My favorite couple was Keira and Remy.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic read this was. It’s a collection of four sweet, tender, heartwarming stories (that could easily have been four parts of the same story by one author with the effortless way it flows between them) that is perfect for romance lovers everywhere with some second-chance romance, a touch of forbidden love, and a dab of long-time crushes!

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cowboy for All Seasons is an anthology by Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, Maisey Yates and Jackie Ashenden. It’s four romances starring four different cousins who each spend a season in their grandmother’s home in Jasper Creek, Oregon. She’s recently passed away and each granddaughter has received a letter written to them before she died with an invitation to spend a season in her home. For the women it’s bittersweet to be at Grandma June’s house without her, but their Grandma had some tricks up her sleeve to make sure they would find partners so that they wouldn’t be left alone for long. It will also give the cousins a chance to reconnect.

Spring by Caitlin Crews is a second chance romance for Keira. She’d left the small town and her boyfriend Remy behind several years before. But she’d never gotten over Remy, and she knows she hurt him deeply. Grandma June has left Remy in charge of her cattle and that means Keira is going to see him on a daily basis while she’s living in the house. Seeing each other again brings up good memories and bad, and their initial stiff and awkward conversations soon lead to the rekindling of their friendship and more. Their attraction to each other is still strong leading to sexy scenes, but it takes courage for Remy to forgive Keira and for them both to trust each other again. It’s an excellent start to the anthology.

Summer by Nicole Helm is a lovely, heartwarming single parent romance. It’s JJ’s turn to stay in Grandma June’s house, and as Grandma June had planned to take care of single father Cade’s girls she’s asked JJ in her letter to take her place. JJ shares a unique and difficult bond with the girls. Their mother left them ‘to find herself’ and JJ’s mother abandoned her too. This gives her an empathetic hand in knowing how the girls might be feeling and understanding how they might act out. Cade wants to return the favor of her watching the girls by doing odd jobs at the house at night, leading to a friendship between him and JJ and then the succumbing to attraction between them. But Cade is wary of opening up too much to a woman who is only going to be around for the summer. They have to both be willing to take a chance to get their happy ending. This story also delves into JJ and her sister Lila’s estranged relationship, and with JJ’s newfound happiness comes the hope that they too can reconcile.

Fall by Maisey Yates is Lila’s story and one of unrequited love. As a teenager Lila had confessed her love to the older Everett on the eve of his engagement, only to be kindly rebuffed. Mortified, Lila had made sure to avoid Everett for years later. But since that time Everett has married and divorced and now he’s single. He’s also hosting the Red Sled Holiday Bazaar at his ranch, an event that Grandma June would have been planning with him that now falls to Lila. Everett barely remembers the event that Lila has felt humiliation over for so long but he can see that she’s become a beautiful woman. And one he is definitely interested in. Working together develops their friendship and Lila finally gets to find out what a kiss from Everett feels like – and it’s oh so good. Some sexy scenes ensue as they make the plans for the bazaar and when her time in Grandma June’s house is up Lila decides that she’s staying – even if Everett isn’t sure that he’s ready for more. He almost misses his chance at a happy ending but makes up for it before it’s too late. Lila and JJ’s sibling relationship is part of this story and it was lovely to see them find a way to open up to each other and become real sisters again.

Winter by Jackie Ashenden is the last of the quartet and the story of Bella, a girl who spent only a short period of time with her Grandma June but was never forgotten. Bella’s mother Avery was estranged from her mother and they never came back after she was thirteen and when Avery was briefly involved with a local man. For a short time Bella was a step-sister to then 19 year old Noah but they’d never even had a chance for a friendship before Avery had left Noah’s father and they’d left town. Bella is a reminder of a hard time for Noah, when his father drank himself to death after Bella’s mother left him. But Noah is Bella’s neighbor now and he knows Grandma June would want him to help her if she needed it – and she does. They get a chance to have that friendship now, except that the attraction between them is new and exciting and leads to a sexy affair. Bella is torn between what she could have here and her old life back in Seattle. Her cousins Keira, JJ and Lila are happy to see her again after all these years and the warmth of family and their friendship is something she’s been missing for so long that it’s not hard to think about staying – especially if Noah is willing to open his heart to her. Their happy ending is sweet and satisfying.

All four stories have emotional moments as the women are dealing with their grief over the loss of Grandma June and they have their own baggage to contend with. There were several moments that brought me to tears as they struggled to come to terms with their lives past and present. They each experience character growth as they find the men in their lives who will support them. The authors did a great job with the continuity of the series and making the reader feel that they really know these women and their new partners. I highly recommend this anthology and hope to see the authors work together again.

This review appears at Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-...

A copy of this story was provided by the publisher.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific collection of stories about second chances, self-discovery, and family. I loved seeing these four women overcome past hurts and find their ways back to the love and friendship they used to share.

Spring - Caitlin Crews
Keira and Remy

Keira is the first of June's granddaughters to arrive at the old homestead. Her task is to help with the cattle, which after five years of living in the city, will take some getting used to. Her partner in this endeavor is Remy, the former love of her life. Their relationship fell apart when he couldn't understand her need to move away for a while. It wasn't that she didn't love him or want to marry him, but that she had to get away from her parents and find out who she was without their influence. Remy was very cold to her at first, but it wasn't long before the old attraction rekindled. However, they are now older and better able to discuss the differences between them and see where things went wrong before. There were two scenes I especially liked: Remy being there to support Keira during her confrontations with her parents, and Keira facing off with Remy's mother about the way his family has treated him. I liked how they finally worked through their differences and were able to move forward together.

Summer - Nicole Helm
JJ and Cade

Grandma June's request of JJ was that she watches two little girls for the summer while their single dad does his work. JJ's parents divorced when she was young, leaving her with her father and her mother taking her little sister Lila. JJ's father was very anti-emotion and taught JJ to be the same way. She has spent years hiding and burying her emotions while trying to win her father's approval. Fulfilling her grandmother's request is the first time she's gone against him. JJ feels very much out of her depth at first with the two girls. I liked watching her relax with them, and begin to see similarities between Ellie and Lora and herself and Lila. There were sparks between Cade and JJ, but they tried to ignore them, as JJ wasn't planning to stay. They developed a very sweet friendship before the sparks started to burn out of control. I loved watching JJ learn to embrace her emotions and show them to those she cares about. It was sweet to see how Cade helped her express those emotions by not judging her when she did. The ending was terrific.

Fall - Maisey Yates
Lila and Everett

Fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants Lila was tagged to organize and run the yearly Red Sled Festival, something she feels is way beyond her capability. But that's okay because Grandma June has also asked neighbor Everett to help Lila. This forces Lila to face the man she had a crush on as a teenager, and who she made of fool of herself in front of at his engagement party. But Bella is an eternal optimist who does her best to see the bright side of everything, so she sucks it up and deals, only to discover that the feelings she had for Everett never died. Everett is a very pragmatic man who views everything with a jaundiced eye. The opposites attract development of their relationship was an interesting one to watch. I especially enjoyed the discussions of their different ways of looking at life and the effect on their dreams of the future. It takes Everett a little longer to recognize his feelings for Lila. I loved his big moment at the end. There was also a terrific scene between Lila and JJ as they mended the rift caused by their parents' actions.

Winter - Jackie Ashenden
Bella and Noah

Bella was the missing cousin, the one who didn't come to the funeral because no one knew where she was. The lawyers finally tracked her down, just in time for her to have her season in Grandma June's house. The timing was fortuitous for Bella, as she recently had her bank account cleaned out, leaving her with nothing. She showed up at the house with little more than the clothes on her back. Bella is very independent. Having grown up with a mother who used men for whatever she wanted, then leaving them when something better came along, Bella works hard at never asking for help. Her letter from June tells her to fix up the house and sell it if she wants to, and not to be afraid to ask for help. When Bella arrives at the house, she immediately runs into the last person she wanted to see - her ex-stepbrother, Noah. Her mom was married to Noah's dad the year Bella was thirteen. Bella had a massive crush on nineteen-year-old Noah, who never seemed to notice her. Lila asked Noah to check on Bella. He wasn't happy about it, as he had cut himself off from everyone. Years of taking care of his drunk father had drained him, and he doesn't want anyone to need him. But something about Bella draws him like a magnet. The development of the relationship between them was a rocky one. There was intense chemistry, but both of them feared getting too close. Noah fought it, but couldn't stop himself from wanting to help her. There were some sweet scenes of the things he did for her, things that showed he understood her. Bella was a bit lost at first, having a hard time accepting his help. Though both fought against their growing feelings, they also found it easy to talk to each other about stuff they'd never told anyone else. I ached for Noah, who was afraid of becoming addicted to Bella the way his dad was addicted to booze, and caused him to push her away. I cried for Bella, who had finally let someone in, just to be rejected. I loved the ending and the unexpected visitors who arrived at just the right time to give Bella the support and kick in the pants that she needed. Her and Noah's big moment at the end was deeply emotional and perfect for both of them.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Cowboy for All Seasons is an anthology from four different authors and what makes it special is that each story features one of four cousins and take place at Grandma June's House (who left each of them a request and/or advices in her will), the farmhouse in Jackson Creek where they used to all spend time together. Each woman get to spend a season there and the chance to find love.

Spring start with a second chance romance. In Summer, romance bloom between an emotional closed-off woman and a single dad. Fall bring us a Holiday Bazaar organized by an optimistic soul and her teenage crush and Winter is all about a down-on-her-luck woman and her ex-stepbrother.

Let's not pretend I didn't chose this book for Maisey Yates name on the cover😏. I read the stories in order but you could read them out of order with no problem. I know we're not supposed to pick favorite but I'm gonna do it anyway and says my favorite stories were Maisey Yates and Nicole Helm.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Cowboy for All Seasons was a fantastic collection of romances from authors both new to me as well as some old favorites.

Overall average rating — 4 Stars

Spring by Caitlin Crews — 4 Stars

To honor her grandmother’s last wishes, Kiera Long will return to her family’s farmhouse in Jasper Creek, Oregon and spend spring there where she hopes to correct the wrongs of her past starting with former flame Remy West. This second chance romance was fantastically done with just the right amount of tension between the main characters. When Kiera and Remy see each other again, their initial meeting does not go well. Remy is very short with Kiera while she struggles to find a way to get through to him to show him that her leaving had nothing to do with him but was due to her family. Kiera’s issues with her parents were heartbreaking and I was happy to see Remy back her up when she had run-ins with them even when they hadn’t resolved things between them. I loved the way the pair resolved everything in their relationship and was overall very happy with the ending of their story.

Summer by Nicole Helm — 4 Stars

JJ Frost doesn’t understand why her grandmother requested that she be the one to watch two little girls over the summer, but she knows she wants to honor that request. But as JJ spends time with Ellie and Lora, as well as their father Cade, she finds herself falling for this family and wanting it as her own. I loved JJ as a character so much. I related so much to her issues with showing emotion and how she felt her family’s problems were her fault. Her relationship with Cade is so incredibly sweet and I loved the friendship the two formed before things progressed between them. While romances with characters who have children aren’t generally my favorite, I actually really enjoyed Ellie and Lora. Overall this was an excellent romance and I really liked how the characters reached their happily ever after.

Fall by Maisey Yates — 4.5 Stars

Lila Frost has always been the dreamer of her family, so why Grandma June asked her of all people to organize the annual holiday bazaar is anyone’s guess. And when Lila finds out she has to work with Everett McCall, the cowboy she had an enormous crush on at seventeen, she feels like she’s being punished somehow. I adored Lila and Everett together as they are the epitome of an opposites attract romance. Lila is the biggest optimist I’ve ever seen while Everett has been dealt a hand that could only lead him to be a realist. I loved how their differences shaped their relationship and led to them having some big realizations about what it is they truly wanted out of life. The scenes between Lila and JJ were wonderful and I thought their repairing their relationship was fantastically done. I’m loving how each consecutive story brings these women back together and I can’t wait to see what the final season has in store for them all.

Winter by Jackie Ashenden — 3.5 Stars

After a string of bad luck in Seattle, the invitation to spend winter at her late grandmother’s farmhouse is exactly what Bella needs. But when her ex-stepbrother Noah keeps showing up offering help, Bella doesn’t know how to accept it without falling even harder for her first crush. Bella and Noah’s relationship kicks off fairly quickly in this story as after meeting again there is an instant attraction between the pair. Bella is extremely wary of accepting help from anyone as her mother routinely took advantage of people and Bella never wants to do that. Noah though needles his way into Bella’s life and I loved their instant connection. It was frustrating at times how Noah was convinced there was no future for them due to his own issues, but I was happy with the way the pair moved past that. I was ultimately happy with their romance and loved the ending of the story.

Overall A Cowboy for All Seasons was a phenomenal read and I loved how well the stories connected with each other. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be checking out more from the authors I hadn’t read previously.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[Donna Repsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by stating that I am a fan of all four of the authors responsible for this anthology, because they seldom, if ever, disappoint, which once again proved true in A Cowboy for All Seasons. I first encountered three of these authors, Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates, and Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews, in The Deacons of Bourbon Street series, which I loved, and I have been following each them ever since, and for good reason--they are all amazingly gifted writers, as is Nicole Helm, whose work I discovered more recently, and in this anthology they more than earned the 5 stars I'm giving them for this utterly wonderful, heartfelt book.

The premise for this anthology was both simple and brilliant. Set in a small western town, Grandma June gave birth to four daughters, and now, in her eighties, widowed, and facing her own mortality, felt that she'd failed to raise her daughters right somehow, and she decided that she wanted to make amends, not with her four daughters, but with the four granddaughters to whom they had given birth, and who spent their childhood summers as friends as well as cousins, making memories, and being loved by their very special, very loving, and very wise grandmother.

After three of the cousins attend Aunt June's funeral, they barely say a word to each other, but several weeks later, each of her granddaughters received a letter from Grandmas June, each letter containing all the love Grandma June had felt for them during the many summers they spent together at her ramshackle farmhouse, and making a request of each one of her granddaughters. The requests were simple, but somehow cryptic--she wanted each granddaughter to spend one season at her farmhouse, tasked each one of them with a special request, and asked them to trust her, and let her spirit and the farmhouse guide them along the path to a better future. Three of cousins, Keira, JJ, and Lila, who'd only sporadically kept in touch over the years, each decided on a season, and arrived at the farmhouse alone. The fourth cousin, and the youngest, Bella, couldn't be found, although the search for her was ongoing. What Grandma June knew, was that each of her granddaughters, though successful, was missing something in her life, and Grandma June, unbeknownst to them, led them back to her farmhouse and back to the loves of their lives, albeit with more than a few stumbling blocks in their paths to those special men.

While I won't go into detail about each granddaughter's season, believing you should discover them on your own, how these four incredibly talented and different authors, already friends, and each with her own distinct writing style, wove their separate stories so seamlessly into one cohesive, heartfelt, sweet, sexy, funny, sad, and charming second chance at love romance, seemed as magical a feat to me as a reader as what I can only refer to as Grandma June's guiding spirit, whose farmhouse retained all the memories, love and wisdom she possessed.

If you love it when you read a romance that gives you the warm fuzzies, and contains so much depth, emotion, and character development that, by the end, you feel you've come to know the minds and hearts of each of its characters, understand their loneliness, their pain, their hopes and their dreams, then you need to grab a copy of what I consider to be the best romance anthology I've ever read, and immerse yourself in the charm and wisdom about life, choices, love, forgiveness, and family contained within its pages.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this anthology. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Carma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow. Separately Maisey Yates, Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden and Caitlin Crews are powerhouses behind the keyboard. Together, they are unbelievably amazing. Each woman puts their spin on a season with one woman and their very special cowboy.

Each summer 4 cousins would travel to the farmhouse and to Grandma June, who was one of a kind. She loved each of her granddaughters and their strengths and weaknesses unconditionally. When she passes, 3 cousins return home for her funeral, only Bella stays away. Keira, JJ and Lila each get a letter soon after with specific instructions for each of them from Grandma June. Each girl must follow their instructions to receive their ultimate gift from Grandma June.

First up is Spring, written by Caitlin Crews. Keira is the oldest cousin and takes that job, and Grandma June very seriously. She returns to Grandma June’s house not long after she passes. She has received her letter from Grandma June with instructions on what to do while she spends the season at the ranch. She hasn’t been back to Jasper Creek much since she ran out of town for college, and from the man she loved. She does her best to avoid that one true love, Remy each time she returned also. Sure looks like Grandma has other plans in mind for her and Remy now though. Will they revisit the past to face the future or stubbornly continue to avoid one it and one another?

Making our way into Summer, written by Nicole Helm, finds us meeting JJ. JJ loves to be alone and quickly finding out that Grandma took care of Cade’s 2 young daughters during the summer, throws a wrench in her alone time. She quickly finds she has more in common with the young girls than she knew. Getting closer to the girls means getting closer to their Dad as well, not that it’s a stretch at all. Cade is a tall dark hunk of cowboy, who inserts himself squarely in her life. Knowing her sister is next to visit stirs up all kids of feelings for JJ, will they reconnect over Grandma June? Knowing what she needs to do is hard when she is so set in her ways. Will she let down her guard in search of happiness or keep her self imposed walls raised?

Fall, written by Maisey Yates, introduces us to Lila. Lila is JJ’s little sister, though their lives haven’t included each other for quite some time. Everett is her long time crush who she once made a complete fool of herself over. An older man that proved well out of her reach, but that didn’t stop her from trying. Being back at Grandma June’s and thrown together with Everett to plan a party has those old feeling trying to resurface. Proving to herself that she is over her crush is a task she quickly finds is harder to do that she’d thought. Will their differences in approaching how they approach life, pessimist vs optimist, be a push to finally get them together, or a huge division in their relationship?

Winter, written by Jackie Ashenden, brings us Bella. The youngest of the cousins and the one who has traveled the bumpiest road, she ran with her mother out of town and never looked back. She initially avoids anything related to Jasper Creek and Grandma June, but a recent setback has her seeing this as a new way out for her. She has to find a way to ask for help though, one thing she doesn’t like to admit she needs. Enter her ex stepbrother Noah, a man she had a crush on when her mother married his father. He was older and paid no attention to her, though she would have given her right arm for him to do so. Asking him for help is the last thing she wants to do, but it seems to be her only choice right out of the gate. Does asking him for help leave her vulnerable, or show her strength as a woman perfect for him?

Each season we meet these 4 incredible women, each with their own story to tell and tied all together through Grandma June. There is such diversity in their backgrounds and current lives, but the way they are woven together fits a seamless flow from one woman to the next. I did have favorites and ranked them but the differences are so minimal it isn’t worth mentioning at all. The illustrations on the ebook version of Grandma June’s tree were wonderful. The tree expressed so much with so little, it placed you right front and center to experience the season. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy without expectations. All opinions expressed are my own. I can’t wait to return to Jasper Creek and continue on with this lovely tradition.

[Asheley T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories in this anthology: four female cousins, each come back to their grandmother's home for one season after her death, each falling for a local cowboy while she is there.

I liked the idea of this story, with a different couple featured for each season. I loved the use of Grandma June's house as a character, acting as a link for all four stories. But I felt like the four stories were more repetitive and similar than they should be. (For example, three of the four female leads were virgins when they found their cowboy partner. Three out of four adults? In a romance novel? Okay.) My favorite of the bunch was the second story, the summer story, by Nicole Helm. She is a new author to me and I'll be seeking out more of her stuff.

I would certainly enjoy each of the stories more if it was a full-length novel. But as an collection of linked stories, it was just okay.


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HQN Books!

[Megan Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5ish. First two sections I really enjoyed, last two felt rushed in some places. Last section seemed to lack substance but the rest of the book made up for it. Overall, a feel good book to scratch the romance itch.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

[Nate Brightman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this four novella compilation by four different authors an aggregate 3.5 stars.
A Cowboy for All Seasons
Each book tells the story of one of Grandma June Gables four young adult granddaughters returning to her rambling farm house for a season in Jasper Creek Oregon (where they had spent summers growing up) discovering something about themselves that allows them to lead fuller happier lives after coming from dysfunctional families. Grandma June was their shelter, their wise counsel, the one who loved them unconditionally when they were growing up. Now she’s gone but her love and wisdom still surround them when they return to her home. My only issue with this scenario is how someone as loving and wise as June Gable ended up with 3 dysfunctional adult daughters? I’ve been around long enough to know that the best parents in the world can end up with a terribly dysfunctional adult child. And the most wonderful people can come from the most dysfunctional homes. But how Grandma June ended up raising not one but three daughters all of whom were so damaged as adults that they damaged their children is a mystery.

Spring -Caitlin Crews 3 stars
To be honest I really struggled with this first book because I had a hard time embracing either lead characters Keira Long or Remington “Remy” West for different reasons. Kiera crushed on the older Remy whose family ran the ranch abutting her Grandmother June’s. At seventeen they became lovers. At eighteen she went off to college. At twenty-two when Remy proposed to her she told him she needed space and wanted to live and work in Seattle some ten hours away from home for an indeterminate amount of time. Which ended up being five years until Grandma June leaves the house to her and her cousins. Kiera throughout the book gives us and Remy a laundry list of reasons for why she needed this time and separation. She was so in love with Remy she was afraid she’d lose herself and disappear as her mother had done with her father. She wanted to live someplace where neither she nor her parents were known so she could see how much like her con man father she was or wasn’t. She had to learn how to stand on her own. I get it. There’s nothing wrong with a twenty-one or twenty-two-year-old college graduate needing time to find her or himself before marrying and settling down. What bothered me about Kiera was that she waited until she graduated from college and Remy was down on one knee before springing the whole, “I need space and time” thing on him. She knew he couldn’t follow her to Seattle and she really didn’t want him to. Way to break a guys heart who has been in love with you for five years and waiting for you to come home for the past four. She didn’t figure this out somewhere between her first and final year of college? To me it felt like she sort of strung the guy along until she was finished with college and ready to move on with her life.
Remy was a knucklehead. While I could fully sympathize with him being pissed at Kiera for breaking his heart, and even with his parents for never having been supportive of his relationship with Kiera, I don’t understand why for five years after Kiera broke up with him and he left his family ranch to work for Grandma June, he kept shutting his four brothers out? They never put down Kiera or their relationship. It just made no sense to me.
Beyond that this was a mostly sweet and sentimental story where grandma seemed to be able to communicate with Kiera from beyond the grave through the old farm house. It was great when Kiera finally stood up to her worthless parents and put them in their place and I liked it even better when she confronted Remy’s very intimidating mother.

Summer-Nicole Helm 5 Stars
This is the story of J.J. oldest of the two Frost sisters (sister Lila’s is the next book) and second oldest of the four cousins. J.J. has to be one of the saddest heroines of any contemporary romance I’ve ever read and there have been a lot of them. She is so devastated by the fact that after her parents divorce her mother took her younger sister Lila to live with her and then ignored J.J. as if she didn’t exist, and her father whom she physically resembles, never sees her as anything more than someone to help him run his garden shop business, that she’s not only afraid to show or express emotion, she’s virtually afraid to have any. She’s practically OCD in making “To Do” lists to avoid her emotions. She has spent her entire 26 years trying to earn her father’s love and approval. She fears if she expresses any strong emotions he’ll abandon her like her mother did. Grandma June’s directive to J.J. is to take her place watching the two young daughters Ellie and Lora of single rancher Cade over the summer school break. Even though it means arguing with her controlling father to leave the business for 3 months, and pushing her out of her comfort zone she accepts Grandma June’s final request to her. Because as with her cousins, Grandma June was the only adult in her life who ever showed her unconditional love. Ellie and Lora can’t help but remind J.J. of her and her sister. Ellie the oldest is quiet and introspective like J.J. was at her age and Lora as are most six year olds wears her emotions on her sleeve and is fanciful like Lila. Also, just like J.J. their mother abandoned them. Their father Cade was a childhood friend of J.J. who never seemed to mind her tomboy ways or that she could out run and out climb most boys her age. Over the course of the summer with a little help from the spirit of Grandma June and her cousin Kiera (whom didn’t play nearly as large a role in this story as I would have expected living on the same land) J.J. comes to realize that hiding from her feelings, her emotions may have kept her safe to a degree but it has also left her feeling lonely and unfulfilled. Cade helps her realize that it’s alright to show your emotions just by holding her and not judging her when she cries. By the end of the story J.J. realizes she has to be brave enough to express what she needs and wants in order to have the life she’s always dreamed of.

Fall-Maisey Yates 4 Stars
Maisey Yates is one of my favorite authors. She’s the reason I purchased this book even though I was completely unfamiliar with the other authors. But as I always warn readers if you’re new to Maisey Yates, I don’t think despite her popularity she’s for everyone. Every contemporary romance character has personal emotional baggage that they must overcome before they can truly love and be loved. And every author spends some time defining their characters baggage. But Maisey turns it into an art form. The dialogue in her stories is heavily laden with deep psychological discussions around the history and motivations of why her characters are damaged people. This story is no exception.
Lila Frost is the younger sister of J.J. Frost the heroine of the previous story. When their parents divorced they were separated at a young age. The only time the girls got to spend together was over the summers when they both visited their maternal grandmother Grandma June’s ranch in the rural town of Jasper Creek Oregon. The age difference, their basic personality differences, the way they each dealt with their parents divorce and their forced separation caused them to grow apart. Lila resented J.J. for her close friendship with their cousin Kiera (heroine of the first story) who was closer in age to J.J. She resented that her father had chosen J.J. and her quiet practical nature over her in the divorce. J.J. couldn’t understand how Lila maintained her sunny disposition as their parents marriage crumbled and was embarrassed by Lila’s lack of inhibition in expressing her feelings. She resented that her mother had chosen to take Lila and ignore her. As the last book closed J.J. has learned to express her emotions and badly wants to repair her relationship with her little sister. But she knows Grandma June has a plan for Lila and she needs to be left to her own devices for the Fall months she’s scheduled to live in the old farm house. Lila too wants to bridge the gap between herself and her sister and her cousin Kiera but she’s afraid of being rejected. So for much of the story even though they are all living in jasper Creek she doesn’t reach out to either.
At seventeen Lila had professed her love to twenty-seven year old Everett at his engagement party. Of course he rejected her as kindly as possible. But that moment was what she considers the most embarrassing moment of her life. From that point on when ever she comes to visit her Grandma June she avoids any possibility of contact with Everett. But Grandma June has other plans for Lila She has charged Lila with running the Red Sled Festival. This is completely out of the wheel house of creative Lila who like many creative people isn’t very organized or detail oriented. But because of her love for her Grandma June she can’t refuse this last request from her. Unbeknownst to Lila Grandma June has enlisted Everett to help Lila and the festival is scheduled to held on his property so avoiding him is not an option. Lila has always felt her role in life to support her mother was to be the eternal optimist, the shining light, never expressing fears or sadness. Just as her sister had to learn it was alright to express any emotion, Lila has to learn it's okay to feel and express hurt, sadness and disappointment.
Everett has his own full load of emotional baggage. His father was a stubborn, prideful man who put all of his energies into farming the land that had been in his family for generations ignoring the needs of himself, his wife and his son. Because his father refused to adopt newer techniques for farming the family often struggled financially. Everett often went to bed cold and hungry. Everett was determined not to live in the poverty he knew as a child. He has built a very successful ranch. Everett married young but he married poorly and like his father he gave his work priority over his marriage resulting in a divorce. He’s convinced himself that marriage is not for him because his devotion to the land is as strong as his father’s was and he’s not going to allow a wife or child to suffer for it as he had.
This is an opposites attract trope. Lila is a dreamer, an optimist who always tries to stay positive while Everett is a realist who always expects and tries to prepare f the worst. What neither can deny is the powerful sexual chemistry between them. Like her sister before her, Lila is still a virgin when she returns to Jasper Creek because she’s never met a man she felt deserved her virginity. In truth she’s been subconsciously saving it for Everett. They become lovers but not a couple. They both expect Lila to return to her old life once her three months time is done in Jasper Creek. But as Grandma June foretold, Lila learns much about herself. She realizes she is in love with Everett, but when she confesses that love to him he rejects her again. J.J. and Kiera show up at her door to support her sensing something is wrong. They all have the long overdue heart to heart and begin to rebuild their relationships. Everett finally gets his head out of his ass and realizes that the life he’s built for himself is nothing without love. Without Lila. He professes that love and proposes to Lila in a very un-Everett, very public way. As the story closes Lila and J.J. are closer than ever and she’s ready to build a life with Everett surrounded by the family that loves her. The only thing this story lacked that the other two included was Lila dealing with her bitter mother whom she’d become the defacto caretaker of.
Winter-Jackie Ashenden 3 stars
It’s a week or so before Christmas when Grandma June’s last granddaughter Bella shows up at her rambling old farmhouse with little more than the threadbare clothes on her back and a bad attitude. One can hardly blame Bella for her bad attitude. Life hasn’t been very kind to her. Her mother Avery used men as an ATM machine. Once she wiped them out she moved on to the next one. At 16 she decided it was time for Bella to move out on her own. The only person in her life that ever tried to take care of Bella was Grandma June but her daughter Avery (like her sisters) didn’t get along with her mom so Bella’s interactions with her grandmother were brief and ended when she was 13 and her mother moved them to Seattle. Now 23, Bella hadn’t seen her grandmother for ten years and now it’s too late. Grandma June is gone leaving Bella a final request and gratefully for her a place to regroup and find her footing after she lost her ATM card and someone wiped out all her bank accounts and her dreams of opening a coffee shop in Seattle. Because she’s spent her life witnessing her mother depending on other people, using men to take care of her, Bella is fiercely independent and would rather chew her leg off than ask for someone to help release her from a bear trap. One of the lessons Grandma June has told Bella she must learn in her time at the farmhouse is to ask for help when she needs it and know it doesn’t mean she’s weak. Enter next door neighbor Noah, (Grandma June sure seemed to have a lot of close by neighbors who were young single men, well acquainted with her granddaughters) who for a year was also Bella’s step brother as her mother used is father Hank up and then moved on. Noah is six years older than Bella. In that year when she was 13, she had a huge crush on Noah but he never noticed her, spending most of his time glaring at her mother whom he didn’t rightfully trust. Like she did with many of the neighbor boys in need, Grandma June had adopted Noah providing him with one of the few friendly adults in his life. His father was an alcoholic whom his mother left when he was thirteen. As the town drunk the good folks of Jasper Creek didn’t have anything good to say about Hank or by extension Noah. Bella’s cousin Lila had asked Noah to keep an eye open for Bella’s arrival and make sure she got settled okay. Of course Grandma’s old farm house which was imbued with Grandma’s spirit made sure Bella needed a little help getting settled which brought Noah on the scene immediately after she arrived one cold, snowy night and couldn’t get the front door open or the old wood burning stove lit. Noah goes above and beyond insisting the hungry, dirty, freezing and taciturn Bella spend the night at his house where he feeds her, gives her a hot shower, a place to sleep and even launders her clothing while she is sleeping. Then he takes her back to Grandma June’s house in the morning, shows her how to light the stove, unfreezes the water pipes and even buys groceries for her. He overwhelms Bella with a kindness and generosity she’s not used to and doesn’t know what to do with. Thus begins their budding relationship which quickly blooms into something sexual. It’s interesting to note that Bella like her cousins the Frost sisters J

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spring by Caitlin Crews
After the death of their grandmother, four women are tasked with staying at her house, each of them for one season. The first is Keira Long. Keira was raised by a con man father and a mother who thought that he was everything leaving no room for anyone else. The only place Keira felt loved was at her grandmother's. And then with Remy West. But his parents didn't approve and Keira felt like she needed to find out who she was on her own so she left when he proposed. That was five years ago. And now she's back, living in her grandmother's house on the same land the Remy lives on, helping with the cattle. Could it be that both of them of matured into people who can be together?

This was the best story of the four. We got to know both Keira and Remy. Was Keira a little bit more adult about them being together? Yes. But we got to see that both were human.

Summer by Nicole Helm
JJ is back for the summer and has promised to fill in for her grandmother, caring for Cade Mathewson's two girls. She remembers Cade from visiting her grandmother in the summer; he was the only boy that didn't get upset when she beat him at footraces. She is falling in love with the girls but can't deny that their situation (their mother decided to leave and hasn't seen them since) mirrors her own. It brings up a well of emotions that help her heal and maybe bring her to the life she wants to have.
I wish we had seen more of Cade realizing why JJ was so good for him. Of course, this is a short story so we don't get to see a lot but it was an okay story. Three stars.

Fall by Maisey Yates
Lila isn't sure why she's sticking around. It's not like she's organized enough to help run the Red Sled Holiday Bazaar but for some reason, that's what her grandmother asked her to do. And it's being run on Everett McCall's land. Yes, the same Everett that Lila confessed her love to when she was 17. At his engagement party. He's the whole reason she hesitated coming back to Jasper Creek, even ten years later. But working on this together might be a way to finally show the man that she's loved for so long that she is worth loving too.
I never did connect to Lila. She didn't get the closure with her mother that I was hoping for. An okay story but not one of Yates' best.

Winter by Jackie Ashenden
Bella is the last of the four cousins. She stopped coming back to Jasper Creek when her mother decided that it wasn't worth going. Now, after having all of her money stolen (and why wasn't there more follow-up on this? The bank can't just tell her that they won't replace her money), selling her grandmother's house is her last hope for opening up a cafe. But she has no money, no clothes, and little hope when she comes to the house. Luckily, her ex-stepbrother, Noah is keeping an eye on her. The same stepbrother she always loved. And he offers to help her get the house ready for sale while she... draws her cafe ideas? I guess that was supposed to show that he was helpful and dedicated but it would have been nice to see Bella make more of an effort. There are definitely going to be readers who want to read about a man taking care of a woman like that but I prefer more of a equal relationship.

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cue all the swoons! I loved every part of this book!

One small town, one beloved grandma, four cousins coming home, four hot cowboys worth coming home to, and one life-changing year for this extended family. When Grandma June passed away, she left behind her ramshackle farmhouse filled with love and memories along with four letters - one for each of her granddaughters - arranging for each of them to spend one season in her home, with each assigned a separate task that turns out to be an insightful matchmaking plan in disguise.

I loved how all four of these stories - each with their own HEA - work together so beautifully. The healing that these women need is not just with their hearts, and the focus on their family dynamics was exquisitely done, especially because it was done by four different authors throughout each of their stories.

The first story is a true second-chance romance, with Keira having returned years after breaking Remy's heart only to find that she now has to work alongside him. Their romance is about so much more than just how they feel about each other, and I was simply enthralled as they each had to come to terms with all the family issues that were lying just beneath the surface.

Next up is JJ, who finds herself helping out the now very grown-up Cade with his motherless daughters. I loved how this story drew both JJ and Cade out of their shells, forcing them to confront long-buried feelings as they make a new life together.

Fall brings the delightfully optimistic Lila, who finds that she has a second chance with the guy she humiliated herself for seven years before. Everett is one tough nut to crack, however, as he's crafted a protective outer shell that keeps him from risking it all. Her sunny disposition hides the still-devastating effects of a troubled childhood, one that she is able to find healing for through reconnecting with her sister, JJ.

The last story brings the broken Bella to town, desperate to find her own way, and just as desperate to stay away from her ex-stepbrother, Noah, who just happens to be the one person Grandma June put in her path. This romance nearly broke my heart, with both Bella and Noah hurting so deep before they find their healing path to love.

All of these stories have a solid "one true love" theme as each of our main female characters has never had eyes for, or experience with, any other men. That Grandma June knew this and orchestrated her matchmaking plans accordingly is the thread that ties all the stories together. The girls also find healing in their relationships with each other, just as planned.

It's a beautiful story from start to finish, a rare opportunity to read four different love stories that together make up one unforgettable, life- and love-affirming family saga. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

We get a little bit of everything here, a second chance romance, a single-dad romance, a first love romance, and a former step-siblings romance. All are packed with emotions, all have a rocky ride to the HEA, and all have our women ending up with their cowboy <3

Spring – Caitlin Crews
Watching Remy and Keira now as mature adults, and hearing how they were when they were younger, made this second-chance all the sweeter. Having them realize they were always still in love with each other, and making sure they listened to, and talked to, each other this time around, yeah, I shed some tears for them. Their story was poignant, sexy, and sweet, in other words, a most wonderful romance!

Summer – Nicole Helm
Oh sweet JJ, you may have had problems expressing your emotions, but you had me expressing mine, repeatedly, as your story unfolded. Throw in those two motherless little girls, and I was lost in your heart, even before you fell for their cowboy dad. And when you finally figured it all out, I was so happy for you, so happy you finally found your way and let yourself feel!

Autumn – Maisey Yates
Lila and Everett, both had such buried pain, but didn’t acknowledge it was there. Shaped by their parents, but doing the opposite, to find that happiness it seemed they never got from those who should have loved them the most. But burying that pain only meant it bubbled up when their emotions overcame them. Once they acknowledged and dealt with it, they could move forward with the lives they were meant to live, together, and in love!

Winter – Jackie Ashenden
Bella and Noah’s history holds no cherished memories for either of them. Bella has been isolated from everyone who cared about her because she followed her mother’s lead. Noah has also isolated himself, by choice, because of who and how his father was. But they both seem to have no problem opening up to each other, even though they really don’t want to. Letting go of old hurts and habits when you are as stubborn as these two isn’t easy, but the peace it brings them when they do, was wonderful!

[Eileen]

A Cowboy for All Seasons by Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, and Nicole Helm is a wonderful, connected compilation of romance stories reminding the characters of the strength and love of family. How years melt away, and childhood memories can see us through the most challenging of times. This anthology revolves around a small town, a beloved grandma, four cousins coming home, four hot cowboys worth coming home to, and one life-changing year for this extended family. When Grandma June passed away, she left behind her ramshackle farmhouse filled with love and memories along with letters for each of her four granddaughters, arranging that each one is to spend one season in her home, with each being assigned a separate task that turns out to be a perceptive matchmaking plan in disguise.

I loved how all four of these stories work together so beautifully. The healing that these women need is not just within their hearts. Focusing on their family dynamics was exquisitely done, knowing that the four different authors worked together to ensure the flow from one story to another. Each story has a genuine "one true love" theme since our four female characters has never had eyes for, or experience with, any other men. That Grandma June knew this and orchestrated her matchmaking plans accordingly is the thread that ties all the stories together. The girls also find healing in their relationships with each other, just as planned. It's a beautiful anthology, from start to finish, providing a chance to read four different love stories that are connected and together make up one unforgettable, life and love family story.

Ms. Ashenden, Ms. Yates, Ms. Crews, and Ms Helm wrote wonderful and moving romance anthology that is not to be missed. Each story gives you warm tingles, emotion, and charming characters and the magic of family, that, by the end, you feel as if you know the minds and hearts of each of its characters, understand their loneliness, their pain, their hopes and their dreams. I highly recommend A Cowboy for All Seasons to other readers.

[Haylee • haylsbookshelf •]

4 books in 1 and it was great! The stories were sweet, and the characters were amazing! What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good romance novel, and throwing a cowboy in there doesn't hurt either 🤷🏻‍♀️

The stories flowed together great, and the fact that each one was written by a different author was cool! I expected it to be at least a little choppy since they might all write differently, but I was pleasantly surprised. Each season flowed into the next, just like it would in real life. With nothing abrupt happening, or causing confusing, that made me need to stop and think about what was going on.

The woman they used as their main protagonists were also realistic and exactly what I would have pictured. I found I related more to JJ than the others, but I could see real people, even my own sisters and friends in them and that was refreshing and exciting. The bonds these cousins had with one another showed how deep friendships can really go. At one time they were as close as could be, but over a number of years life happened and they grew apart. They were cousins yes, but they chose to be more like sisters, and in my own life I can say I have friends that are more like sisters ♥️

Even though each season had its own story, I loved the fact that they were all connected, and you got to see the characters interacting with one another and see their relationships change and develop as well. I've read Maisey Yates before, and that is one of my favourite things about her books. They can all be stand alone stories, but at the same time you get introduced to new characters in one book and later find out they have their own book down the road. The Copper Ridge and Gold Valley books have definitely kept me hooked 🤠

I haven't read much of the other authors YET, but after finishing this book I 'm sure I will be looking them up and adding their novels to my already too long to be read list.

🌟 A job well done 🌟

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cowboy for All Seasons by Maisey Yates added some fun elements to the well written book. Grandma June had four granddaughters. After her death she willed each of her granddaughters one season at her house. The letters came with specific instructions on what they were to accomplish during that season. Grandma June had specific objectives in mind obviously and each of her granddaughters - Keira, JJ, Lila and Bela all had help though - each had the help of a cowboy from their past.

One of the cool ways this book was so remarkable was that each granddaughter and her season was written by another author (Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden.). Quite frankly, I found it to be well done. The stories of each flowed nicely and the small amount of needed tailoring was not forced. Another great aspect was that each of the granddaughters found their peace.

I liked how the house was a character in the book. I love how the house (presumably with the Grandma June) made their opinions known with doors slamming, windows shutting and steps breaking. Each of the granddaughter had to find a way to come to grips with the death of a loved one, while learning how they were going to move forward. A Cowboy For All Seasons by Maisey Yates was a good read!

[Figlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.

I bought this sucker right before the lock down for us began so it sat on my ever-growing TBR pile because I just could not read for 6-8 weeks (as previously mentioned in another review). We're on our second lock down so I decided to get over myself and start a'reading. I am sorry I waited on this. I kept reading insanely positive reactions and reviews to it so I figured a million (approx) romance lovers couldn't be wrong.

They were not wrong. What a brilliant concept and flawless execution. I loved the humor, the Grandma June Magic, THE EMOTIONALLY WOUNDED COWBOYS (I really loved them), and the four heroine's journeys. Also the parallels of the seasons to the women were awesome.

I won't even rate the novellas individually because I really think it would be a disservice to the reader to not read it in its entirety. It works so well.

Rated 5 Gazillion Cousins.

ETA: One, no two, wait three last things... 1.) I am insanely curious to know why all the mothers and Grandma June had such tumultuous relationships 2.) I loved the mother who stealth weeds 3.) This is the best Harlequin purchase I've made in well over a decade (not counting the used archival Betty Neels and Helen Bianchin titles I pick up over on Amazon).

[Ryan - Sweet Red Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 wine glasses.

I don't know what it is about cowboys that just does it for me! I enjoyed all four stories and I loved the idea behind each of the cousins spending a season in the house. While the skeleton of each story was similar (granddaughter is estranged/emotionally detached from parents but shares special bond with grandmother, shares history with a man in town, and has no real attachment to keep her from relocating to Jasper Creek after her season ends), I did find each of them nuanced and compelling. I found myself getting emotional for different reasons with each of the cousins and since there was a perfect amount of page time/story committed to each story, I would've loved if there were maybe more cousins in the wings so that we could spend some more time in this world. Having already read from (and enjoyed) Maisey Yates and Caitlin Crews, it's good to know that I can rely on them to consistently provide me with excellent stories and now I can look for more from Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden.

[T. Rosado · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars (rounded up for the two stories in the collection that I enjoyed the most)


Spring by Caitlin Crews (4.5 Stars) - Favorite in the collection. Age gap romance done well.

Summer by Nicole Helm (3 Stars) - Didn't feel the connection between the H/h. Fell into the novella trap - everything happens too quickly without enough page time.

Fall by Maisey Yates (4 Stars) - By far the funniest. Loved the heroine's personality.

Winter by Jackie Ashenden (2.5 Stars) - Nice premise, but didn't care for the execution.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I’ve been meaning to read this book since it came out a couple of years ago. All four authors who contributed to this book are writers I really enjoy. This book is, essentially, one story broken into four parts. Four cousins who lose their beloved grandma and are tasked with staying in her home for one season of the year each. Grandma June picked which season each should stay there and what task they should complete while there. Sounds like a fun set-up to me!

Spring by Caitlin Crews
To start things off, we have Keira. She moves into Grandma June’s house just weeks after the funeral. Keira once left behind her one true love in Jasper Creek in order to get away from her parents and prove to herself that she could stand on her own two feet. Now she’s back in town and that guy she left behind, Remy, pretty much wants nothing to do with her. She shattered his heart and he just didn’t understand her motivations at the time. Surprise! He’s running Grandma’s cattle operation and lives on the land, throwing these two together every single day.

There is a lot of angst with these two. I definitely felt the connection, but would have liked to see more. When they were together and interacting, be it to fight or get along, were the best parts. The reader, of course, needs to know the inner workings of the characters and why they made certain choices, but I felt we got a bit too much of the inner dialogue and not enough of them being together. So, while I enjoyed the story, I didn’t love the story. ~ 3 stars

Summer by Nicole Helm
It’s been a minute since I’ve read a Nicole Helm book, and this story makes me anxious to get her back into my rotation. This story gave me all the feels! JJ has a huge chip on her shoulder, with good reason, and Cade’s daughters are just the perfect little imps to help her open her eyes and her heart. Cade’s not so bad himself. A wonderful father and brother, a fantastic friend, really a great guy. The moments of vulnerability JJ is able to show in Cade are so touching and really helped to cement the idea that these two are meant for each other. I adore this story.

As I’m writing the review for each story in this book before moving onto the next story, I’m not sure that JJ’s story is truly over yet. She has her HEA with Cade and the girls, but there is still a lot to unload with her sister. Lila is next on the list to stay in Grandma June’s house. JJ may have come to terms with a lot that has to do with herself, her father, and the abandonment of her mother, but there is still a lot to unpack with her sister and I hope the authors find a way to show that by the end of this book. ~ 5 stars

Fall by Maisey Yates
Now it’s Lila’s turn at the farmhouse. Not only is she tasked with staying at the house, she has to plan the big Fall Bazaar. A sort of craft show, if you will. And it’s on the property of none other than Everett, the man she professed her love to back when she was the ripe old age of 17 and he was 27…at his engagement party…to another woman. Awkward!

Lila’s done a lot of growing up in the 7 years since she impetuously blurted out her truth to Everett. Turns out, she hasn’t had the perfect life with no problems she always tries to portray. To be fair, she never said she didn’t have problems. Lila just never saw the point of being doom and gloom when it’s not going to change the outcome. Everett, on the other hand, is nothing if not practical. While Lila’s matured a lot over the years, he has stayed in a bit of a rut when it comes to his emotional and social growth. These two don’t look like they’d work on paper, but that’s what makes them perfect together. That is, if they’d get out of their own way.

I didn’t get the warm-fuzzies I usually get from this author with this story. I was very interested to see how things would play out and liked the couple together, but I wasn’t getting the feels I wanted to feel. When it came to Lila and her sister JJ, they didn’t share a lot of time on the page together but the interactions gave me a lot of satisfaction. ~ 3 stars

Winter by Jackie Ashenden
This story is very emotional, and it’s the only one I felt compelled to use a content warning. Both Bella and Noah had a rough time of things as kids. Not that the other cousins didn’t have terrible parents, but there’s something about Bella’s backstory that seems a bit more dire than the others. Noah grew up with an alcoholic father and was basically abandoned by his mother. There’s just so much angst for them both. Yet they both find themselves compelled to make the other smile. It’s a beautiful thing.

Throughout these stories it’s become quite obvious that Grandma June’s house (yes, the house) is conspiring to help these women find their HEAs. With Bella’s way of dropping off the map and not being in any sort of contact with family for so long, the house is in emergency mode to get her to ask for help and not close herself off as she would usually do. I’d actually find it amusing to be in on the conversation of these cousins comparing notes on that house when all is said and done.

As for this pairing, Bella and Noah are perfect together. They are enough alike to understand each other, which they eventually start to realize, and enough different to be complimentary pieces to each other. They push when pushing is needed, and learn how to pull back once in a while…even when it goes against their first instinct. ~ 4 stars

Summary: This is a lovely family story, although the family doesn’t spend a lot of time together. The fact that they aren’t constantly in each other’s business is explained in an organic way that didn’t feel fake or forced. It came as a surprise to me that my two favorite authors out of this group of authors wrote my least favorite of the stories. They were still lovely, but not quite what I expected from them. But that also means the other two gave me more than expected, so I can’t complain.

You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.

[Martin Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartwarming novel by four great writers in series category romances. The book is about four cousins who come back home to their grandmother's farm after she passes. Each one stays for a season, like winter spring fall summer. I picked it up because Maisey Yates is my favorite author, but I loved the other three just as well. And four girl and four cowboys have their own problems that keep you intrigued. The book is told in four novellas that are a quick read. There are three more in this series that I can't wait to get too.

[Julle Comer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandma said she loved this book and gave it to my mom and I to read, so I wanted to see why she loved it. I can absolutely see why this is a favorite of hers, it reminded me of a hallmark type story (with some spice…did not need to know my grandma read this BUT oh well) and it was such a nice concept to have an interconnected story written by different authors. I loved the growth they had, and loved the idea behind the book

[Cheriwinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting presentation-4 books by 4 authors (all read very well by Samantha Cook) telling the stories of 4 young women who share 1 grandmother who provided the family glue none of their parents were capable of. Pretty well written (one author used ‘tireder’ and ‘ostentatiously’ instead of ‘ostensively’…😣🥴). Loved Grama June’s guiding presence!

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading each of the cousins seasons and them finding love along with the letters written by recently deceased grandmother. She loved in life and tried to be what they truly needed and didn't receive from their parents. In dead wrote them each letters with advice and told to allow her spirit to help guide them. Great story.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my quest to replace the Ryder family of Cowboys this book came up on a list. It is definitely not the rebel blue series. This book is four interconnected novellas. The star of the story is grandma June and her magical house. There was a part of the storyline that I thought was antiquated, but mostly I was entertained still looking to replace the Ryder family.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It’s beautifully written. All four books were so heartfelt and touching. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a touching romance that will have you sighing in a good way.

[CrazyGal609 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandma June was a Smart Lady😉 Sweet stories that can have a lil’ heartache too. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My favourite was the Winter🔥💋🔥

💜I lIke this: “I think you have to at least believe in magic a little bit to have some in your own life.”~Lila💖