A Cowboy's Gift

Twelve years ago, Gus Holt decided that the appeal of the outside world beat tying himself down to the girl he loved. He headed down the road and he hardly ever looked back. Now, years later, the appeal of the road has slowly worn away and he finds himself uncertain about his future. Taking a few weeks to get it straightened out was all he planned to do when he arrived in Montana. But when he unexpectedly encountered his ex-fiancee, his uncertainty faded quickly.Mary McLean's world is turned upside down by the sudden reappearance of Gus Holt. She is surprised to find that the young man who claimed he'd rather be dead than married is all too eager to pick up where they left off twelve years ago. Unfortunately for Gus, Mary's world no longer centers around the young love they shared. She is also carrying a child. But nothing will deter Gus from reclaiming the love they once shared.Anne McAllister has written the story about a man who grows up quickly when he realizes that the source of his restlessness is actually his need to set down some roots. This is an irony that the author makes impossible to miss for both Mary McLean and the reader. At the story's beginning, Gus still is that careless young man in that he never truly understands the consequences of his heartless actions. But through Mary's strength of character, Gus is compelled to face his inadequacies again and again as he comes to understand the depth of the heartache he inflicted upon her. This is a wonderful and heartwarming story for the holidays which readers will enjoy. Mary is a determined and strong heroine both as a young woman and as a mature adult and her sheer will both humbles Gus and allows him to appreciate all he had taken for granted.

A cowboy's Gift is my favorite Anne McAllister book so far. The characters grab you right from the first page. Gus Holt is a man who hasn't stayed still for five minutes in his whole life. Disillusioned with living his life on the road, he starts re-thinking the decisions he's made. Gus can't stop thinking about Mary, the girl he left a week before their wedding. Mary McLean pulled her tattered heart together and started living her life. In fact, she's pregnant. How Gus deals with Mary being pregnant, and the shock of who's baby she's having kept me reading long past my bedtime. I highly recommend A Cowboy's Gift.