Willow Weston, a well-known artist, is working on an upcoming exhibition in Seattle when her brother Hayden puts Hunter Grant in charge of managing The Weston Ranch.

She’s seen the big cowboy with the killer smile around town, but so far has managed to ignore the instant tug at her heart when he’s around. But now he’s living on their ranch and is constantly getting in her way, even intruding when she’s swimming naked in her favorite private hot spring.

Like her grandmother, Willow is fey, as her mother calls it. She knows when something is wrong, and she experiences the feelings of those she loves. She’s made peace with the fact that she’ll never have a family or even consider marriage, but when she and Hunter ended up being fake-engaged, things got complicated. Apart from the fact that she doesn’t want the responsibility of one more person’s feelings to consider, Hunter has made it clear he’s only on the Weston Ranch temporarily. There’s a family ranch waiting for him in Colorado.

There’s no way they can be together forever, is there?

Titles in The Westons of Montana series include: A Family with the Cowboy ~ Reckless with the Cowboy ~ What the Cowboy Wants ~ The Rancher’s Christmas Bride ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  The Rancher’s Christmas Bride
Series:  The Westons of Montana #4
Author:  Elsa Winckler
Published:  November 11, 2025
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Rancher’s Christmas Bride is the fourth title in The Westons of Montana series.  Sometimes I’ll be fascinated by (and perhaps a bit impatient for the story of) a recurring character, one that I know will one day have their story told.  For me, in this series, that character was Willow, with her unique empathic abilities, a touch of fey, and her hidden strength as events happened within the Weston family.  She certainly has the right to protect herself from the onslaught of emotions flowing off of those she loves… yet, she’s also created a bit of a prison cell for herself as she keeps her heart locked behind high walls.  Those emotions that she shelters flow through her paintings, some often speak a truth that her heart (or her mind) hasn’t yet acknowledged.  One of those things would be Hunter, and the feelings she simply cannot control for this annoying, stubborn cowboy, who she’s certain is not the staying kind.

I loved every aspect of The Rancher’s Christmas Bride by Elsa Winckler.  It answered every question, fulfilled every hope I’d had for this couple, and delivered a heartfelt story that is everything I want in a romance… especially one set in my favorite fictional town of Marietta, Montana.  It’s well-written, full of laughter and tears, comfort and fear, discovery and finding that safe haven we all need.  Willow and Hunter’s story lingered long after I closed the book. If that’s your kind of romance, then you’d love their story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Do you love anything (any story) that’s even slightly connected to Marietta, Montana?  Yeah, me too.  Be sure to visit our Marietta, Montana pages (this link to where this series is located – there are three pages :)) to catch up on the series that you might have missed over time.  It’s quite an amazing and diverse community, with happily ever after endings guaranteed.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)