Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Luke Carsen needs to honor the stipulation in his late adoptive father’s will for him to be married in order to take co-ownership of the family ranch. But he’s too broken to love again. Recovering from the wounds of war is one thing, but the wounds from a previous relationship is another.

Jemma Smith grants wishes for the ill through her Grant-A-Wish app, but can she grant her dying grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down before Christmas? She’d always dreamed of getting married and knows her grandfather just wants to see her happy, but she’s not getting any younger and it’s too late for her now, isn’t it?

After meeting Luke through his matchmaking aunt, Sue Mae, Jemma wonders if she could make this work. Or will a marriage of convenience be all they can handle to appease their folks?

109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2021

137 people are currently reading
165 people want to read

About the author

Marie Richards

15 books4 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
233 (45%)
4 stars
112 (21%)
3 stars
91 (17%)
2 stars
45 (8%)
1 star
29 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
5 reviews
June 27, 2021
Repetitive

Repetitive. Statements are made over and over, rearranging the words does not make them say anything new. Makes several chapters redundant.
Profile Image for Kait.
1,401 reviews229 followers
December 5, 2022
A sweet marriage of convenience for two people fully against any future relationships..

Luke needs to be married within the next year as a stipulation in his late fathers will. Jemma always wanted a family of her own and now it’s her grandfathers wish to see her married before he goes. Can this be more than just convenience?

Powerful story! Jemma is such a sweet human being. She deserves the world!
Profile Image for Justine.
70 reviews22 followers
January 4, 2024
i hate leaving negative reviews, i’m so sorry.
but um…what the actual hell was this?! this book was so bad i barely made it to chapter 5. and it was a painful 5 chapters lemme tell you.
the amount of times the exact same sentence was repeated and rephrased, in ONE chapter, and then EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER AFTER, was astounding. they’re all adopted and it was her grandfather’s last wish to see her married, yep, don’t worry, we got it the first 20 times. i’m not even exaggerating, it was almost every sentence.

(but hey if you loved it then that’s awesome and i’m very happy you managed to push through and enjoy it! so please do not attack me, this is just my opinion)
Profile Image for Talia.
177 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2025
I listened to this audiobook on Spotify while slack-packing on the Appalachian Trail. Her Christmas Cowboy was precisely what I needed to bring a bit of comfort and warmth to my lonely, slightly spooky, evening in the deep dark woods. Sure, it was a bit repetitive, and the only thing Christmas-y about it was the fact that it took place at Christmastime, but it was sweet, gentle, wholesome, and easy to listen to.
Profile Image for Lisa.
752 reviews8 followers
December 22, 2023
It was a sweet, clean Christian marriage of convenience story I felt like some of it was a bit repetitive with their thought processes and realizations. The voice actor was interesting. Based on how he said "sorry" he sounded Canadian, and then he didn't quite achieve a Texas accent. Instead he sounded more deep South. So the Texas cowboys had deep South Canadian accents. The story was nice for a novella.
Profile Image for Dasha.
1,580 reviews21 followers
abandonados
December 30, 2023
Romántica cristiana. Demasiada religión en mi historia de amor navideña…
667 reviews
May 26, 2021
Jemma and Luke

Luke can't believe what he is hearing! His late adoptive father Chet Carson, beloved son to Sweet River, did not put that stipulation in his will! All of his brother's, including himself, must be married within the year to inherit the ranch! Why would he do that to them? Knowing the hardships he and a couple of the others had with their wives? Then there's Jemma, dear sweet Jemma. Her grandfather, who adopted her when her parents died, is dying. His last wish is to see Jemma married. Then there's Aunt Sue Mae, Chet's sister, the "quote" matchmaker of the town. Will she be able to work her "magic"? Only one way to find out, read this great story by Marie Richards.
86 reviews
June 14, 2021
Made me tired

I had such a hard time staying with this book. The initial introduction was great. The rest if the first five or six chapters were tiring me out. So full of repetition, and the same words just rephrased. Cut out the first third or so if this book, rearrange some of it, and move on already.
Profile Image for Kissa.
562 reviews4 followers
December 2, 2023
I listened to the free audiobook of this book on Spotify; the narrator (Gary Tredwell) was enjoyable to listen to and kept my attention throughout the book with his pacing. As for the story itself, it was just "okay" for me. The concept of marriage of convenience is a fairly new trope I've started to read more books of, so I was intrigued to see how a story set in modern times would be like. Unfortunately, the set up seemed a little too... organized and "Mary Sue" perfect; both his adoptive father and her grandfather want them to be married upon/before their passing and he just happens to have an Aunt who is a matchmaker and knows both families to help set up the "meet cute." While I understand this is meant to be a clean romance, I felt like it was clean of all romance aside from butterfly flutters and comments of finding the other attractive. Everything seemed to unfold so quickly that there didn't seem to be any buildup of any actual romance; it was literally just two individuals brought together agreeing to marry to achieve their wishes (his to get the family farm, hers to fulfill her grandfather's wish). Furthermore, despite having Christmas in the title, it seemed to have gotten lost along the way aside from a few mentions towards religious viewpoints and hoping a "Christmas miracle" will happen to make it so they can achieve their goals. Overall, the idea was intriguing, but the execution fell short.
181 reviews
July 2, 2024
Why Had He Done This

Chet Carsen, owner of the Sweet Rivers Family Ranch and Resort, made a stipulation in his will that his sons marry within a year to inherit the Ranch. Not one of the sons was happy about this for several reasons. Like Carsen was the first brother to fall into a marriage of convenience. Although the first time he saw Jemma, he th out she was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Jenna was the creator of the, "Grant A Wish" App. Jemma's grandfather was in the hospital when Doctor Samuels told her father wouldn't live much longer. Her grandfather wanted to see Jemma married before he died. Jemma,did not know what she was going to do,she wasn't even dating. Through her App she contacted the Sweet Rivers Family Ranch and Resort to ask about bringing Jimmy, who has Cerebral Palsy, there as he wished to pet and ride a horse. She spoke with Sue May, the boys aunt, a match maker at heart. She said yes and the Jimmy and his family could stay a week in one of their cabins. Jemma was out of her car when Luke came out of the barn with a horse. For Luke it was love at first sight. Please read the wonderful clean romance story, you won't be sorry.
MK
Profile Image for Chris.
596 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2023
Luke Carsen needs to honor the stipulation in his late adoptive father’s will for him to be married in order to take co-ownership of the family ranch. But he’s too broken to love again. Recovering from the wounds of war is one thing, but the wounds from a previous relationship is another.

Jemma Smith grants wishes for the ill through her Grant-A-Wish app, but can she grant her dying grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down before Christmas? She’d always dreamed of getting married and knows her grandfather just wants to see her happy, but she’s not getting any younger and it’s too late for her now, isn’t it?

After meeting Luke through his matchmaking aunt, Sue Mae, Jemma wonders if she could make this work. Or will a marriage of convenience be all they can handle to appease their folks?
Profile Image for Caitlin Loggins.
Author 5 books36 followers
December 6, 2023
Her Christmas Cowboy is a really cute sweet romance story but I'm only giving it four stars because there is a lot, and I mean A LOT of repetition throughout the story and in some places it's like the author is just telling the same part of the story over and over again.

There's also several places in the story where the author should have chosen different words for what they were trying to say.

I loved the story in general, it's just the writing and/or editing of the book that's forcing me to rate it four stars instead of five.
Profile Image for Annemarie.
2,186 reviews16 followers
January 16, 2022
Luke needs to marry within a year to get the ranch. So do his brothers. His Aunt Sue Mae plays matchmaker and pushes him toward a marriage of convenience. Letting him know it can grow into love down the line. Jemma has been running her Make-A-Wish app and sitting with her ailing grandfather. His wish is to see her married before he passes. These 2 have both been hurt before and are hesitant to jump into marriage, but agree to be married on paper only. Liked the ending.
20 reviews
May 22, 2021
Great Read!

This is a HEA, clean read with a Christian perspective. Jemma helps others with their wishes with a pure heart, not for monetary gain. Someone finally comes along to support her, with what she needs to make her grandfather happy. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Brenda Howard.
6 reviews
November 2, 2022
Love, Hope, and Faith


I liked this book because of the love that it showed. It was about family, whether by blood or by close bonding. About a loving heart and giving love, joy and happiness to people. I didn't like some of the story being repetitive. I liked how it ended with the couple realizing their love.
Profile Image for Fanny.
621 reviews5 followers
December 29, 2023
I'm glad this book was short because it felt like torture to me.
I like clean and sweet romance as much as steamy ones and I'm okay with a bit of traditionalism but this was in every sentence. I don't need to be said things with a hammer every few seconds.
There is no way I will read the next books.
668 reviews
June 9, 2021
Marriage of convenience?

Luke needed a bride in order to fulfil his late father's last will and Jenna needed a groom to grant her grandfather's dying wish. Problem is that neither one of them wants to get married.
Profile Image for Chrissy Adkins.
8 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2021
Can we say redundant? I only read the first 10 or so pages. I get it! Chet is a Vietnam vet. His sons are adopted. No need to constantly repeat it. Also, is everyone eccentric, or was a thesaurus unavailable during the writing of this manuscript?
Profile Image for Pamala Kingery.
16 reviews
March 3, 2022
Sweet plot

The story is sweet, predictable, and clean; but is too repetitive. The same words are used every time a character and their circumstances are mentioned. The author could show rather than tell the character's feelings and actions.
139 reviews
November 6, 2022
As a Mama who adopted a baby girl I found it unrealistic that Luke’s family was always referred to his adopted family. That’s his family. Yes the birth family is honored and respected. The author must not know anyone who was adopted or has adopted. It was also very repetitive throughout the book.
Profile Image for Noor369.
4 reviews
November 17, 2023
Was really light and simple! But felt was a little complicated by Luke at the end by his stubbornness for love
I love it when sue said
(I believe two hurt souls can heal each other with love
Love can heal anything)
Profile Image for Adrienne Patenaude.
332 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2024
A marriage for convenience with two people who are against a serious relationship let alone marriage. But things change but will they share how they really feel. I was drawn into the characters with heartwarming back stories.
Profile Image for Kathy Brickert.
3,479 reviews17 followers
May 24, 2021
Lovely sweet story!

Wonderful story about finding love when you're not looking! And I love how the author shows Gods plan always is best for us! Great read!
Profile Image for Janice Ross.
50 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2021
A Keeper

This book is so sweet. So many challenges and dreams coming true. A sweet clean read, with a touch of reality.
1,264 reviews27 followers
November 28, 2021
Awe

This book will bring you on an emotional ride. I think you will connect with the characters really quick and enjoy reading it.
Profile Image for  BookwormMomma7.
965 reviews
December 21, 2021
Beautiful

A clean Christmas romance that helps mess broken hearts and remind us about faith and the power of love. A must read.
Profile Image for Sandy Mckenzie.
188 reviews33 followers
February 4, 2023
This was an okay read. I am learning that most mail order bride books are basically the same, same story with different characters and places. I enjoyed reading it but it was very predictable.
541 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2023
Delightful!

Great story line with realistic characters and scenes. Love has a way of grabbing people and pulling them together as the story ended.
47 reviews
August 24, 2023
A sweet quick read Christmas romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.