How to Marry a Cowboy (Cowboys & Brides, 4)
How to Marry a Cowboy (Cowboys & Brides, 4) book cover

How to Marry a Cowboy (Cowboys & Brides, 4)

Mass Market Paperback – July 1, 2014

Price
$9.01
Publisher
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1402280559
Dimensions
4.19 x 0.88 x 6.88 inches
Weight
6.4 ounces

Description

From Booklist Brown (The Cowboy’s Mail Order Bride, 2014) continues her streak of satisfying contemporary western romances with the final Cowboys & Brides novel. Mason’s young twin girls have been motherless for a few years, so they are delighted to find a pretty lady in a wedding dress asleep on the porch of their ranch house. Mason has been through several nannies for the high-energy girls and suspects that this development is too good to be true. Annie Rose is on the run from a stalker ex-boyfriend and genuinely enjoys watching the girls’ antics while caring for them. In spite of worries and trust issues, Mason and Annie quickly fall in love even as others in the community remain skeptical. The twins contribute a highly comic element to the story and tie Mason and Annie together. Though there is little conflict in this sweet love story, readers will still enjoy the humor and ranch setting along with Annie and Mason’s unusual first meeting. --Amy Alessio "This book will have you laughing so much that you want to make sure that you are not eating or drinking while you are reading for fear of choking from laughter. CAROLYN BROWN is truly the Queen of Romantic Comedy.I give HOW TO MARRY A COWBOY 5/5 stars. If I could give more I would, it was that good. I recommend this book to everyone." - Book Junkiez "In Her Cowboys and Brides Series ending, Carolyn Brown once again delights us. Each book has been slightly silly, slightly crazy and all the way fun. Filled with unique characters that we can't help but fall in love with." - Bodice Rippers "Carolyn Brown definitely knows how to write cowboy romance. Her story has so much passion and romance that it makes a perfect read." - Abigail's Book Addiction "You have passion, romance, ranch life, fun times, and if you have read Brown then you know you are in for a good ride." - Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell "Brimming with heart, humor, heat and loads of love, this is a story you do not want to miss! Whenever I see the name Carolyn Brown on a book, I know I am guaranteed an excellent read and this book is no exception." - Romance Junkies "This book was incredible on so many levels for me. I felt this story from the first page deep in my heart. Mason and Annie Rose's gave my heart the biggest hug it has had in a long time when reading a book. The book was so sweet I was covered in their love. This is probably one of my favorite books of the year so far." - Red's Hot Reads, 5 Stars "Brown continues her streak of satisfying contemporary western romances with the final Cowboys & Brides novel." - Booklist "The word to describe this book is CUTE....The twins are super cute, the main hero Mason is cute and the little blonde mamananny Annie Rose is cute. Damien the little terror is not cute and neither is his mama but everyone else is cute." - All Night Books "What I really liked and what saved the book was the characters...especially Lily and Gabby in all their 9 year old mischievous glory." - Floating Leaves "A solid entry in the series by Brown. Best enjoyed on a lazy afternoon when you want something feel good and light." - Backchatting Books " How to Marry a Cowboy is a gentle love story that is humorous, romantic and just plain fun. It is the perfect conclusion to Carolyn Brown's Cowboys and Brides series and I am very eager to dive into her next series!" - Book Reviews and More by Kathy "If it has a cowboy and Carolyn Brown wrote it - I will read it - a one click buy!" - TBQ's Book Place "[A] fantastic romantic read. Perfect for a light summer read!" - Leann's Book Reviews, 4 Stars "I found How to Marry a Cowboy a fast and easy read and the ending was so wonderful that it was bittersweet. I loved it!" - Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews, 4 Stars "Ms. Brown does a tremendous job of building up the feelings and attraction that build between Mason and Annie Rose as well as the closeness that develops between Annie Rose and his little girls...I pretty much read the entire book with a smile on my face." - Ms. C's Diversions, 4 Stars "A slow and steady contemporary romance that keeps you entertained the whole way through...I liked the characters... all of them. Especially Gabby & Lily, who are funny and rambunctious! I recommend this novel to those who enjoy cowboy contemporary romances!" - From Me To You... "I loved every word of How to Marry a Cowboy !" - Hott Books " How to Marry a Cowboy (Cowboys & Brides #4) by Carolyn Brown is a sweet, sassy, sexy, laugh out loud book that had me hooked from the first page. I have read other books by Carolyn Brown and this book was just a great as all of the others." - Harlequin Junkie, Top Pick "Overall, it was a quick little romance peppered with humor. The characters hadgreat chemistry from the start and I was really rooting for them." - The Royal Reviews "Carolyn Brown has done it again. I don't say that lightly. She's written quite a few books, but she's one of the few authors I grab once I see the book on the shelf. Her work sparkles and I'm glad to get the opportunity to read the novels... a fluffy, happy read that should be a staple at the beach or on your kindle." - Long and Short Reviews "This story was heartwarming, loving, sweet, totally sexy and lol funny." - Up All Night, Read All Day... "After reading this book, I'm on a mission to find myself a cowboy! This was such a cute and captivating read and I look forward to many more stories by Carolyn Brown!" - Miss Book Lovers "I enjoyed this book particularly because it was a matter of falling in love with family and not just a couple isolated in their romance. The scenes are bucolic and slow, yet they sparkled too. Those who enjoy easygoing, humorous, slightly spicy Contemporary Romance set in Texas ranch country should definitely give this one a try." - Delighted Reader "I love the way this story was written. I love how the characters had to work through their personal history in order to make things work together. Mason's daughters made this story hilarious with their antics and made the angsty parts better." - Sassy Moms Say: Read Romance "Wow! Can only say am sorry series has ended but if it had to go this was a great send off and such a heartwarming story it was enough to give me chill bumps more than a time or two along the way to the HEA." - House Wife Blues and Chihuahua Stories "I loved this book. From the start to finish it was a feel good novel where you are rooting for the best outcome for everyone. I laughed at all the antics that Mason Harper's twins got up to. Carolyn Brown has a way of writing a book that makes you want to be friends with the characters and be a part of their world. I know that when I pick up a book written by her the heroes are going to be super hot and the heroines are going to be spunky and feisty." - Romancing the Book "HOW TO MARRY A COWBOY tickles your funny bone from the very start. Carolyn Brown has developed two of the most precocious children ever you know the kind only parents can love. But Brown makes you absolutely fall in love with them faults and all. Carolyn Brown has an affinity for wise cracking characters who are larger than life. Usually it's a cowboy or cowgirl. This time in Gabby and Lily she gives us two pint sized versions...Love is a Carolyn Brown story. HOW TO MARRY A COWBOY is an instruction manual on how to find love and overcome fears by the master herself." - Fresh Fiction Carolyn Brown is a New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly and #1 Amazon and #1 Washington Post bestselling author. She is the author of more than 100 novels and several novellas. She’s a recipient of the Bookseller’s Best Award, Montlake Romance’s prestigious Montlake Diamond Award, and a three-time recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Brown has been published for more than 25 years, and her books have been translated into 21 foreign languages, and have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. When she’s not writing, she likes to take road trips with her husband, Mr. B, and her family, and she plots out new stories as they travel. Visit her at www.carolynbrownbooks.com. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Book 4 of Cowboys & Brides
  • From New York Times and USA Today-bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a contemporary Western romance filled to the brim with sexy cowboys, gutsy heroines, and genuine down-home Texas twang.
  • Texas rancher Mason Harper's daughters want a new mama in the worst way, and when a beautiful woman in a tattered wedding gown appears on their doorstep, the two little girls adopt her―no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Mason isn't sure about taking in a complete stranger, but Lord knows he needs a nanny, and Annie Rose Boudreau stirs his heart in long-forgotten ways...
  • Annie Rose is desperate, and when a tall, sexy cowboy offers her a place to stay, she can't refuse. After all, it's just for a little while. As she settles in deeper, her heart tells her both Mason and her role as makeshift mama suit her just fine. But will Mason feel the same way once her nightmare past catches up with her?
  • Fans of Linda Lael Miller and Diana Palmer will thrill to this moving story of a lonely cowboy and his two little girls finding the family of their dreams.
  • Cowboys & Brides Series:
  • Billion Dollar Cowboy
  • (Book 1)
  • The Cowboy's Christmas
  • Baby
  • (Book 2)
  • The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride
  • (Book 3)
  • How to Marry a Cowboy
  • (Book 4)
  • Praise for Bestselling Contemporary Western Romances by Carolyn Brown:
  • "Sizzling... Brown imbues her lively story with lots of heart."―
  • Publishers Weekly
  • "Hilarious...a great, entertaining read."―
  • Fresh Fiction
  • "Writing so expressive I could almost hear the country drawl."―
  • Night Owl Reviewer
  • Top Pick, 4 stars

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(494)
★★★★
25%
(206)
★★★
15%
(124)
★★
7%
(58)
-7%
(-58)

Most Helpful Reviews

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A Heartwarming Contemporary Romance

"How To Marry A Cowboy" by Carolyn Brown is a delightfully warm and touching romance with a large dose of wit and humor that begins when West Texas rancher Mason Harper finds a pretty woman on his porch in a torn and dirty wedding dress, A widower with two ornery twin daughters he's in the market for a nanny and wonders if destiny has brought Annie Rose Boudreaux to his doorstep.

On the run from an abusive boyfriend,her car submerged in the rancher's pond Annie Rose doesn't expect to find a job and sanctuary with Mason and the twins who believe their father has finally gifted them with a mother. As the days pass Annie not only falls in love with the Harper girls who call her Mama-Nanny , but with their father but they all wonder if she'll stay or runaway.

The plot centers around the budding love affair between two lonely and broken people who find love and healing where they least expect it. Drawn to each other from the first time their eyes meet, Carolyn Brown slowly builds on the strong sexual chemistry between Annie Rose and Mason, heightening the tension as they struggle against their growing attraction until a steamy shower brings them relief. But the story is not just about the budding romance between a widower who lost his childhood sweetheart/wife to illness, and a shattered woman filled with doubts and a lack of self-confidence after months of abuse, but it's a family love story as Annie Rose wins the heart of two very precocious children.

The story is filled with endearing and amusing moments that often include two contrary goats, a old yellow tomcat called Mallory and their friend Kenna. On their ninth birthday when Lily and Gabby receive the gift of a Mama-Nanny, laughter and high spirits begin infecting everyone at Bois D'Arc Bend Ranch. Their antics include a fist fight with their nemesis Damian, piercing the ears of their pets and badgering their father into letting Djali and Jeb stay in their bedroom overnight. Yet every crisis has a silver lining as the children learn lessons about self-control and the consequences of their actions from a woman they come to love and respect.

The well-developed plot is as entertaining as the characters are fascinating and realistic, especially Annie Rose whose common sense, wisdom and strength-of-character win her the love and respect of a widower and his children. Mason Harper is not just overly handsome and a hard-working rancher, but honest and decent. He's natural, talking when nervous and overly-protective of his children. I found Mason's love for his deceased wife and guilt for his sexual desire unrealistic at times especially after eight years and other short sexual affairs. It seems more of a defense mechanism when he continually compares her to Annie Rose and gets extremely upset after the earring incident. I also found Annie Rose's situation with Nicholas Trahan the violent, bad-tempered and controlling Cajun more of an add-in to influence her decisions and emotions rather than having any impact on the storyline. I loved Lily and Gabby, the two strong-willed and feisty nine year olds who hate nannies and are determined to get a mother. Yet, these characters and more add to the laughter, energy and fun of this delightful story.

"How To Marry A Cowboy" is a heartwarming contemporary romance with a down home feeling that must be read to be enjoyed
1 people found this helpful
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Love and romance, with a couple sweet little girls plotting to get them together.

Loved the little girls' mischief and their matchmaking efforts, especially their 'how to' notes. Wonderful Carolyn Brown writing, as always.
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Five Stars

This is one of my favorite Brown books! I love Lily & Gabby and their goats...
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Okay

Very hard to read, felt kind of like a watered down book. Hard to get through :/ But an ok story line and book.
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Light, sweet cowboy romance that reads fast.

Entertaining with a spoonful of sugar for sweetness. I loved the rugged, hunky rancher Dad. And Annie Rose was likable, although all of Carolyn Browns heroines tend to be super women in that there is absolutely nothing they can't do or handle, which pulls me out of touch with the intended story from time to time, and the twins were very spoiled, and not always likable little girls. They were in need of a good mama. Annie Rose gets a handle on them, and she also gets a charming romance with Mason. Again, as in others I've read by this author, no villains or big mystery, no real action scenes, it's just what it says, a western romance. It follows the characters day by day lives and chronicles the characters progression into love. That's what I was looking for at the time, a quick light, romance, and this provided it.
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Five Stars

Love this author and series
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A Contemporary Story with Heart

This is a simple, homespun kind-of-story. All the characters were engaging from the time they were introduced. The twin girls have starring roles and I laughed out loud several times with their antics.

Annie Rose, dressed in a tattered wedding gown, awakens on a Texas porch swing with two girls babbling about their new mama. Before long, she realizes the twins are talking about her. Before she’s reasoned things out, Annie Rose has promised to stay and take care of the girls until a new nanny arrives from Dallas (2 days).

My only complaint is that Annie Rose is a tad too perfect: She cooks, bakes, takes care of children expertly, knows ranch routine AND teaches one twin to play a fiddle. She’s also a nurse and a former librarian. All this, and Annie Rose is only 29 years old.

Annie Rose does have one tiny problem – she’s on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. The man has dangerous connections and is looking for her; he’s promised to kill her when he finds her.

Mason Harper carries a bit of guilt; his wife Holly, died suddenly when the twins were a year old. He’s never committed to a serious relationship since then and feels he’s betraying Holly by being interested in Annie Rose.

The girls are the comic relief in this tale and you will love the goats. Poor things are threatened with being the next night’s barbecue more times than they can count.

All said, this is a cute, funny, engaging book that will keep a reader tied to the book until finished. I did not realize that this is the fourth in a four-part series until I finished the book. They are listed below:

Cowboys and Brides
1.The Billion Dollar Cowboy (2013)
2.The Cowboy's Christmas Baby (2013)
3.The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride (2014)
4.How to Marry a Cowboy (2014)
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I am definitely a Carolyn Brown fan. Once I ...

I am definitely a Carolyn Brown fan. Once I read the "Lucky" series, I purchased all her books. Once again this is a winner.
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Five Stars

Love the cowboy books. Another good one. I have read all of her books.
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The and their goats I just loved it.

It is so cute this book. The and their goats I just loved it.