Country Romance

Millar's Crossing #1

by Carolyne Aarsen

Two lonely strangers and a snow storm. Recipe for romance?

If Adele Marten’s troubled childhood taught her anything it was that family is everything.

So when the time comes to keep a promise she made to her dying friend, she knew she would do whatever it takes to reunite a father and son... who have never met.

Even risk her fragile heart.

Hard-working single dad, Wyatt Sutton had his hands full raising twin girls and running a ranch, after his wife took off and left them. He’s been doing things on his own for a long time.

When a gorgeous stranger shows up on his doorstep with child she claims is his, Wyatt is thrown for a loop. A simple test can tell him what he already knows... the boy is his.

Too bad it’s not as easy to figure out his feelings for Adele. She’s everything he never knew he was missing, but she has plans— and he already had a family.

With goodbye on the horizon, can Adele and Wyatt let go of the past to take a chance on a country romance?

Country Romance the first book in the Millars Crossing Cowboys romance series. If you like heartfelt explorations of hope, picturesque rural settings, and emotional journeys, then you’ll adore Carolyne Aarsen’s latest sweet tale.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Christian, Westerns, Clean Romance

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2020

About the author

Even with over 1.5 million copies of my books in print, I still feel like I haven’t written the perfect story. From my office in the woods of Northern Alberta, I’ll keep trying. Inspired by spectacular sunrises, breathtaking Northern Lights and long walks through wooded trails, the stories keep coming. To find out more about my life and my writing, check out my website at www.carolyneaarsen.com

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian Contemporary romance. Quick read.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of caring, kindness, compassion, love and family life.
Five brilliant stars from this reader!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Romance

Country Romance is a sweet story. Nice characters and setting. The conflict is low key but always there. A fun read.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family Love

A sweet romance, and a lovely family Love story. Three adorable little children add a lot of fun and joy to the story.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author, Carolyne Aarsen, via Bookfunnel and this is my voluntary and honest review. What a beautiful and heartwarming love story between Adele and Wyatt. They met when Adele showed up with Dean, an eight-year old son he never knew he had. Adele's roommate, Sally, was Dean's mother and she died after asking Adele to deliver her son to Wyatt. When they arrived, they found Wyatt passed out on the couch with a high fever from a stomach virus. His small daughters were there unsupervised, so Adele cleaned up the mess they had made in the house and took care of Wyatt until he recovered. Adele was also able to drive a tractor to deliver hay to Wyatt's cattle since she grew up on a farm. Since Wyatt's wife left after the girls were born and the nanny was on leave, Adele agreed to stay to make sure Dean and Wyatt could bond. She mainly didn't want to leave Dean behind and she started to have feelings for Wyatt. Her dream was to have her own bakery. It seemed like God had plans for her and Wyatt to be together because all her plans for the bakery where she was from were not panning out? There was a bakery that was fully equipped that had closed and was for sale in the town where Wyatt lived but Adele's business partner didn't want to move there. Did Adele give up her bakery plans and did she and Wyatt and the three children become a family? You will have to read the book to find out. I highly recommend this book as a clean Christian romance.

[Lori R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, touching story of family and home. Adele had gone through so much growing up, Her mom had died and her dad often drank and put her in foster care, only to lose that family too after her foster dad died.

I enjoyed how much she loved little Dean, her friend Sally's five year old son. Sally had just died and Adele was taking Dean to meet his father, Wyatt who does not know anything about him. Wyatt has had a rough time too, taking care of his daughters after their mom left when they were babies. He also lost his dad shortly after his wife left and his siblings are away at the moment so he has to take care of the girls and the ranch by himself. until he catches the flu and in walks Adele.

Wyatt's three year old twin daughters were so cute. Reading this story and watching Adele's love for little Dean, knowing how hard it would be for her to leave him, touched my heart. I was so glad when sparks were starting to fly between Wyatt and Adele. I was also glad Adele's dreams were finally going to come true. I really enjoyed the story a lot and I like the small town of Millars Crossing and look forward to more stories in this series! I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

[Harmony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a beautiful story about faith, family, and love. The book is a Christian romance yet that is never explained in the description or the book category. I felt like it should have been for those who may not want to read a book in this genre. The book read very old fashioned but it was still sweet.

The reason I lowered a star rating was because of the reappearance of the ex-wife. Considering that the woman didn't even give two hoots about her children, it made no sense. It was done simply for drama sake and to throw a monkey wrench in things. It was unnecessary and diminished the book, in my opinion.

I liked the two main characters. They were both flawed but hopeful for something better. Their romance was sweet. It was an insta-attraction that grew to something more very quickly due to their circumstances.

I didn't like one of the twin girls, she's a brat who will only get worse if they don't reign her in. I adored Dean though. He was such a little man and flat out adorable. I was glad he got his own version of happily ever after.

Overall, a well written story. It was heart warming and left me with a smile on my face when I finished the book.

[Patricia Solla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this story. Adele had promised her dying girlfriend's request to take her son to the man who is his father. Adele had no knowledge of this fact before her friend's request. Adele takes the boy and goes to the address her friend has given her. Arriving at the ranch, Adele finds the house a mess and two little girls trying to make themselves breakfast. Adele finds their father extremely ill and takes it upon herself to care for the family. Once the father, Wyatt, recovers Adele tells him the little boy she has with her is his son. As the story progresses, there is a DNA test, Wyatt finally remembering the boy's mother and Adele helping out at the ranch until the girls nanny comes back from helping a family member. Adele through all this is still planning on leaving and going to another to open a bakery with a new partner. Of course, there is a touching romance between Adele and Wyatt that is resolved happily to all who are involved. The story moved along quite nicely and would make a great beach read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Country Romance by Carolyne Aarsen
Millar’s Crossing Series Book One
Wyatt Sutton has been through a lot of sorrow. Loss of family members. Loss of his marriage. Raising his twin daughters on his own. Soon, one of his three siblings would be returning to the ranch again. He was looking forward to that. What he didn't expect was the beautiful woman who came to his ranch with a little boy in tow.

Adele Marten was so torn. Her best friend had died, and now, she had to bring Sally's son to his father. A father who never met him...never knew about him. And then Adele would move into her future where she had control of her life. But leaving Dean behind was so much harder than she ever thought.

Two precocious twin girls and an adorable, well-mannered little boy add so much to this story as well as a hero and heroine that are so easy to like. A beautiful story that flowed from page to page. Looking forward to the stories of the rest of the siblings.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele Marten grew up mostly in foster care on a farm in northern Alberta. Her parents and foster father are all dead, and a close friend, Sally, who's been her roommate for the past three years has also just died of Cancer. Sally's dying wish is for Adele to reunite her five-year-old son with his biological father, Wyatt Sutton, a rancher in Millar's Crossing, who has no idea he has a son. Adele makes the 21 hour trip only to find chaos at the ranch. Wyatt is nearly incoherent, running a high fever and has the flu and his twin 3-year-old daughters have been creating chaos and trying to cook for themselves. Adele steps in to get Wyatt's fever down, and take care of the girls. When Wyatt is finally recovered enough to hear her story, he refuses to believe it. He eventually takes a paternity test which proves he's the father, but in the meantime, sparks have been flying between the two. With a few twists and turns, the five get their HEA family.
Christian themes - going to church, prayer, etc., but not overbearing, clean.

[SJ Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved getting to know Wyatt and his 2 darling little girls. And Adele and her little Dean, whom she was taking care of after his Mom passed away. I read this in a day. I had to know if Dean was happy and everything turns out ok. Both Wyatt and Adele had lived through some tragedy as young children and it effected them differently. Wyatt was adamant to share his faith with his daughters, whereas, Adele had lost her faith when she lost her foster family. Even though there where sad situations discussed, I still had laugh-out-loud moments while reading this book. Which was a bit of a problem, because I was reading in bed, beside my hubby. If you like clean stories with lots of heart, you can't go wrong with 'Country Romance'. I highly recommend. I received this book from the publisher. The thoughts and comments are my own.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adele Marten has been tasked by her dear friend Sally, who has now passed away, to take a journey to give her precious five-year-old son Dean to the father he doesn't know. That's right, she had passed the child off as another man’s child and had gotten a divorce when the boy was two. Then Sally needed a roommate. Luckily enough she met Adele, and they hit it off. They were looking forward to opening a business together when she found out she had a fast-growing and inoperable stomach cancer. It wasn't until Sally was on her deathbed that Adele found out that Wyatt Sutton was Dean’s real father, and he lives in Millers Crossing.

Sally’s last wish was for Adele to take Dean to his dad. She provided his birth certificate, and Sally’s DNA test, DNA Test - one for Dean to take, and one for Wyatt to take. So, after three grueling days of long hours of driving with her quiet and patient boy now in the back sleeping, they had arrived. She sat for a bit in Wystt’s driveway in the quiet taking deep breaths. If she still believed, she would be praying that Wyatt and his wife would understand and give Dean a chance.

That may be, but Adele just hoped he had married a good woman. An understanding woman. Finally, Dean woke up. Adele said, “Okay, buddy, here we go.” She kept reminding herself, He's a good man, Sally had assured her. With apprehension in his voice, Dean asked, "Do you think he'll like me?"
"You're a sweet boy," was all she could say. They knocked once, then again, and no one answered. On the third try, a little girl comes to the door with chocolate smeared all over her face. Asking what they wanted. Adele says, her parents. She goes and gets her sister. This one looks just like her, but a princess diva more on guard and harsher. Asking what they wanted.

There was no way Adele could do this on her own. Raising a child took money. So if they rejected her sweet boy she would have to get lawyers involved to get his dad to pay her for his care. She couldn't do it while trying to save for the dream bakery she had planned, since her foster mother taught her how to make cookies. Dean needed the stability Adele couldn't give him without help. Then there was the whole faith issue. Sally had been raised a strong Christian despite her momentary lapses, she still taught Dean about God and Jesus.

Another thing Adele couldn't give Dean. One Sally assured her Wyatt could. Adele asked if her Mom or Dad were home. She said Mom was gone, but Dad was asleep. Come on. The house was a disaster. She finds a pan on the stove ready to burn but good. These twin three-year-olds were wreaking havoc. She asked where Dad was sleeping once she put the pan in water and set the kids at the dining table to talk. She went looking for Dad, she sniffed him for alcohol-bender odor but none was detected.

Blurry-eyed he looked at her but didn’t see her but called her Theresa with a leery eye. Asked about the girls and he needed to feed the cows. Then he fell back and started to shiver. That’s when she realized he must be ill and checked for fever, and yes he was burning up. She searched her purse and got him some Tylenol and water. Once she got him to drink, she helped him to a first-floor bedroom. Then she went to get the holy terrors something to eat, cleaned the kitchen, took the two a bath, then they all were put into snow gear, and she took them to the barn and put them in the cab on the floor of the tractor then fed the cows in the blowing snow. They all watched TV she got Wyatt more Tylenol and put the children to bed. She was dog-tired, but it felt good.

That night Wyatt woke with a fright, not sure of a nightmare from fever or reality. But a beautiful woman, her girls, and a little boy. Something about him being his son. No way! Quite the meet-cute but so not the smooth ez ride to one another. At least not until Adele surrenders and turns over her life, the children, Wyatt, and the bakery over to his care and shoulders. It was hard for her to see at first that her friend had lied to her and was not perfect. None of us are. Only one of us was and he gave his life. So, she had to pray for guidance. Such a good story.

[RoseVE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family of Five

Adele was fulfilling a promise to her best friend, Sally, that she was already regretting. She got to her destination, Millars Crossing, and the ranch that belonged to Dean's father. Little 5 year old Dean slept in the backseat. Sally had died from a fast acting stomach cancer, and Dean was his only relative, although he had no idea that even had a son. The door was answered by two little girls. The house was a disaster. Something was burning on the stove. Adele quickly removed the pan and began cleaning up the mess. She asked where their father was, they replied he was sleeping in the couch. Adele found Wyatt burning up with a fever. She got him something to bring down the fever and got him into bed. She then started cleaning up the house. She fed the children. Wyatt kept saying he had to feed the cattle. She knew there was no way he could do that in his condition. Having done farm work with her foster father for years, Adele took the kids out with her and started the tractor, brought the bails of hay for the cattle. Wyatt was really impressed when she told him she had fed the cattle. She stayed to help until he was feeling better. It was surprisingly easy to fit in. Dean and the twins, Maya and Maria, got along great. Adele cooked, helped with chores,and with the children. When she finally told Wyatt he had a son, he said it was a lie. He didn't remember Sally. He agreed to take a DNA test. It came back positive. He found it was easy to love little Dean. He was a great kid. But he also found it easy to love Adele. She was everything his first wife, Theresa, was not. She was kind, funny, great with the kids. Theresa had left him and the twins when they were only a few months old. She didn't want to be a mom. The longer Adele stayed in Millars Crossing, the harder it was to think of leaving. But God's plan is in place for this group of people to become a family. This is a story of love of family and the value of trusting God to make a way. I really enjoyed this book.

[Cindy Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Country Romance, by Caroline Aarsen, is the first of another series

....set in a small mountain setting in the Canadian Rockies. It is the story of three young kids, brought together by the death of a mother who believed families should be together. Dean, a charming little guy of six years, was caught up in the loss of his mother to cancer. He'd never known a father, but was excited about meeting his for the first time. Maya and Maria were twins who had lost their mother by the time they were 6 months old. When Dean was brought to meet his dad and sisters, his dad had no knowledge of his son. What could have been a rough new beginning was eased by the children's easy acceptance of one another and a dad's big heart. The lady who brought them together might have been a big factor, as well.
I love this author's writing. She displays a wonderful talent with the way she carves characters out of thin air. Her descriptions of the surroundings are an essential addition, and the trust in a GOD who never fails is purely inspirational. Tie all that up in a flawless manuscript, and you have another Goodread. You WILL enjoy it! I surely did...

[Jennie Pendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Canadian Cowboy gains a son along with his twin daughters and women to love him and the kids.

Enjoyed being with this author again. Wyatt and Adele story was sweet. When Adele first meets Wyatt his house is in disorder. She goes into caring mode and takes care of him and his girls. She also gets to introduce him to his son. Who he didn't know he fathered. The women Dean mother he couldn't remember. But it didn't help that he was sick when they first met. She took care of him even then. She even took on his outside chores. As they were together love entered the picture. But Wyatt ex almost derailed it and her opening a bakery in Miller Crossing. The kids got a new mom and Wyatt got the love he so needed. I think her friend had it planned that way all the time. Looking forward to Reuben, Finn and Carly stories. I'm sure Wyatt, Adele and the kids will be in them.

[Irene S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to a promise that she made to her dying best friend, Adele is driving five year old boy Dean to meet his father. When Adele arrives, she finds Wyatt sick with the flu unable to care for his adorable twin daughters. Adele agrees to stay awhile to help with the girls while he is sick. Together they will create the family they both want. I received a free copy of this ebook from the author. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love how cute and loving the three children are. I like how Adele worked for her dreams and that Wyatt knew what he wanted in his life. I love how they both had to work through their misgivings for a future. This is a wonderful sweet romance that I read in one day. I really enjoyed it.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adele and Wyatt 💞

Loved this story! Adele's best friend Sally is a single mom of a little boy named Dean. Unfortunately, Sally is diagnosed with cancer and shortly before she passes away, she tells Adele who Dean's father is. She asks her friend to make sure Dean is taken to his dad.

Wyatt is a single dad to twin daughters. His flighty wife left the family when the girl's were only six months old. He's been struggling to make his ranch work plus take care of two very active girls. He has no idea about Dean...until Adele shows up at his door.

Beautiful love story of family coming first. I loved how Adele stepped up to the plate to take care of the twins when she arrived and found Wyatt down with the flu. ❤️

Can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Millard Ledford · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting read as Adele, Dean, Wyatt, and his twin daughters all have losses, sadness and yet they all have desires to love and to be loved. The difficulties they face enable them to reconnect to God

and to real relationships with each other. Dean's mother died, and he is sent with Adele to connect with his father. Wyatt's twin daughters were abandoned by their mother at 6 months old. Adele 's mother died when she was a child, and her father fought with the loss of his wife by hitting the bottle...eventually causing his death. This left Adele with only an older couple to care for her until she was 18, but eventually she wax without family. The twists and turns of the story keep you engage.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book is any indication then we have a real treat ahead of us with the new Millar’s Crossing series by Carolyne Aarsen! This book was about two lonely and wounded people who had been let down by those who should have loved them the most. What happens when they meet one another? You need to get this book and find out! Oh, and did I mention there are three adorable children in the mix? It all works together to make a heart-warming story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you smile! Don’t miss it! I was entrusted with a copy of this book by the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young woman fulfils the promise she made her dying friend, and takes her 5-year old son to his rancher father - who does not have a clue about his existence. When she finds said father very ill, and his young twin daughters unsupervised, she takes charge and looks after them all, hoping that he will love his son as much as his daughter. It will be hard to leave the little boy to follow her own dreams, but will it be harder to leave the father?
I loved this story, well written, with very likeable characters (although the twin daughters were a bit over the top on the precocious side for my taste).
I definitely will get more of this series, and this author.

[Nancy Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Cautious. Faith. Family

These are the three words that come to mind when I consider the book I just read. It's a sweetly beautiful romance. Both H&h have reasons to be cautious, careful and observant. Faith brings together what the world would tear apart. Finally, family is the thread that pulls them all together.
Dean is a solemn but sweet boy. The twins are precocious and enchanting. The three of them bond quickly, making it easier for the adults to deal with everything else.
It's a beautiful story and I'm grateful there are more books to read about Millars Crossing. (As a standalone, it works just fine, btw.)
5 happy little stars
-ncv

[Sue Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Circle of Family

Adele kept the promise to her dying friend to deliver Dean to the father he had never met, even if it meant putting her dreams of a bakery on hold and leaving this sweet boy she loved. Her years in foster care and loss of family made her emphasize that families stay together. Wyatt was so sick when they arrived that he and his young twin daughters needed her immediate care. Add in a snow storm, their strong attraction, their devotion to family, and their romance progressed to a happy ending.

[Sue Negrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a good book, makes you feel the emotion.
Adele promise’s her friend to deliver her son to his father that knows nothing about him. She dose, finds him sick. He has twin 3yr olds running the house free. She realizes he’s sick, takes care of him and the kids till he’s better. Even feeds the cows with w big tracker. When he’s better she stays to help till the DNA results comes back. Then helps Wyatt adjust to the fact, all while the feels are growing stronger. She gets her bakery and also the ring.

[Sharon Heaverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Country Romance is a tender, loving story of Adele and Wyatt. Adele is asked to deliver a young boy to his biological father after his mother, Adele's friend passes away. Problem is that Adele has grown attached to 8-year-old Dean and Wyatt isn't aware that the boy exists. Wyatt is raising twin daughters after his wife left them.

The is a heartwarming story, the first of Carolyne Aarsen's Millars Crossing series. Like all of Ms. Aarsen's books, this is a clean Christian romance. I have enjoyed every one of her books.

[Rhonda Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Christian story

Great Christian story. Adele is a great friend to take on such a task for her friend. Especially when Dean's the only family she has left. And he's such a awesome little dude. Wyatt is a good dad. The twins are so cute especially love how they took to Dean. Look forward to the rest of the series.

SPOILER ALERT

Two things that bothered me were:

1: Wyatt should have sat the twins down and explained who Dean was. They have to be confused.
2: Wyatt never reads the letter which could have explained so much. And may have had important info about Dean.

[Tracy Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adele's best friend passes away and leaves her in charge of taking her son to his father that he's never met. Adele is unsure of doing this but she has a strong sense of family and wants to make sure that Dean has time with his dad. When she arrives to meet Wyatt she finds the house in chaos and that he is very sick. Adele takes over taking care of Wyatt's twin daughters, Dean who came to meet his father for the first time and trying to nurse Wyatt back to health. I absolutely loved this story of faith, family, and finding love.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story of a blended family possibility, and memories of living on a farm, and all the chores that need to be done. I liked how the author, Carolyne Aarsen, set up the beginning to this Millars Crossing series, and also how she handled the story of the twin girls and little Dean who appears into their life without warning. The characters are realistic, and true to life. There is hesitation, compassion, empathy and famialial love. Well done lead-in to another series of clean family stories.

[Marzlie Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a precious love story.

The story begins with Adele bringing Dean to meet his father that he did not know about. Adele is one who grew up in foster care. Family is very important to her. Wyatt even had the DNA test to be sure he is the father of Dean. He has twin daughters whose .mother had written them out of her life.
This story is well worth the reading time. I really enjoyed it. It all comes out the way it should.

[Dorothey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Country Romance

This was a great story. Adela and Dean had driven to Miller’s Crossing to find Wyatt, his biological dad. Wyatt didn’t know about Dean. When they arrived at Wyatt’s ranch, they were met by a little girl dressed as a princes. She let them come into the house where Adela found another little girl, just like the princess. This story evolves from this point, you will enjoy this.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolynne Aarsen never disappoints

I loved this story. It was a warm and sweet love stories. The two main characters were likable and their conversations and actions realistic. The children were adorable. It was easy to picture each child with their different personalities. I couldn’t stop reading this book
even though I had work to do. It was a relaxing and enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.