
Hardship and Faith
A Cowboy for Keeps is book #1 in the Colorado Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
Our thanks to the author, Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
Book Details
Print Length: 333 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 5, 2021)
Language: English
ASIN : B08CJB95HZ
Book Description
Greta Nilsson’s trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.
Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He’ll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt’s ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry.
From the Publisher’s Blurb
These links were provided by the publisher
Review
Set in 1862, Colorado, the book tells the story of a mail-order bride, her sick sister, and the rancher who married her after her fiance died.
Greta and her sister Astrid were not wanted in their own home. After their father had passed away and their brothers joined the war, their sisters-in-law wanted them gone.
Expecting the west’s clean air to help her sister recover from her illness, Greta decided to answer an ad to become a mail-order bride.
Her fiance was older, kind, and well-situated in life and had agreed to take care of Astrid.
But when Greta arrived in Colorado penniless and frightened, she discovered her fiance had died, and she had no place to stay and no money to return.
The mayor of the city, interested in keeping Greta there to make the place more family-friendly, asked a rancher (Wyatt) to marry her instead.
With a sick sister and no food or shelter, Greta reluctantly agreed to marry the quiet stranger.

The story was emotional and angsty with a strong element of faith.
Wyatt and Greta’s relationship was built on companionship and hard-work, and I love that he was always so caring and respectful of her wishes.
The side characters are the real show—Astrid and her love for life, and old Judd’s timeless wisdom.
A Cowboy for Keeps is an inspirational story about difficult choices, hard work, and never losing faith.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Try a sample
About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

I don’t usually read books about cowboys but this one sounds interesting!
LikeLike
I love stories about historical farmers 😉
LikeLike
Sounds like it was a good book. Great review!
♥ Mae
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds so good. I have read several of Jody Hedlund’s series, and this sounds like another winner. Great review Lu.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carla! It was my first book by her, but will not be the last.
LikeLiked by 1 person