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Gold Valley #6
Cowboy to the Core
Gold Valley s wildest cowboy has finally met his match ... Jamie Dodge is confident she knows everything there is to know about cowboys. She grew up surrounded by them, after all. But somehow her new boss, champion saddle bronc rider Gabe Dalton, and his brand of cowboy charm have her interested in all kinds of things she never has been before. There are a million reasons Gabe should ignore his attraction to Jamie. He needs her horse-training skills on his family s ranch ... and the Dodge brothers would happily hurt him for touching her. Forget kissing her. He d be a dead man. But Jamie s tough-talking attitude masks an innocence that tempts him past the breaking point ... and soothes the restlessness that s dogged Gabe his whole life. Has this cowboy finally found a place he wants to call home?
1 pages, MP3 CD
First published June 18, 2019
218 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,162 books2,963 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
March 31, 2019
ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
Jamie lost her mother a little after her birth. She was raised by her three older brothers and Father who treated her a "one of the boys". She never had any female influence growing up, so her tendency leaned towards being a tomboy. Jamies also never really felt any sexual interest in a man and she's okay with that knowing the mechanics of it but just thinking she's not as crazed as other about sex.
Jamie had a gift with horses and she loves being around and working with them. She's feeling smothered lately by her brothers and Father. She realizing that she needs something more, away from them.
Gabe Dalton needs someone to train horses at his rescue ranch and offers Jamie the job. Jamie needing to do something for herself and away from her brothers takes the job. Gabe is an ex-rodeo cowboy, something Jamie doesn't have much respect for. Gabe is working hard to fulfill a dream he had when he was a young man in making it a thriving ranch. A dream his Father didn't support. Gabe and his father have some issue between them that cause a lot of friction in their relationship. Gabe is friends with Jamie's brother.
The two start off their working relationship with some tension and strong opinions. But Gabe decides to work with her and try a different approach. After a couple days of working together Jamie realize that she's becoming aware of Gabe, physically aware and she's starting to feel attraction, physical attraction. Gabe, he appears like he's all good and has everything figured out. He likes his woman experienced and excepting it's a one nighter. He's got a lot of hurt from his father and scars from watching his parents marriage. But he starts noticing Jamie in a different light and things start change and shift between them.
These two have some issues with trust and past hurts. Jamie never having a woman in her life and trusting men, cowboys and rodeo cowboys especially. Gabe hasn't had the best example of what marriage is like and what a healthy relationship looks like between a couple. The two challenges each other to work on past hurts and relationships to further what they feel for one another. Their development isn't smooth but a lot needs to be worked through for them to make it as a couple. They are sweet and endearing and loved watching them fall in love and make their HEA work for them.
Appreciate the ranch life that was portrayed and how I felt like I was right there in the middle of the story experiencing what was happening. The secondary characters and their flaws and redemption was satisfying as well.
Jamie lost her mother a little after her birth. She was raised by her three older brothers and Father who treated her a "one of the boys". She never had any female influence growing up, so her tendency leaned towards being a tomboy. Jamies also never really felt any sexual interest in a man and she's okay with that knowing the mechanics of it but just thinking she's not as crazed as other about sex.
Jamie had a gift with horses and she loves being around and working with them. She's feeling smothered lately by her brothers and Father. She realizing that she needs something more, away from them.
Gabe Dalton needs someone to train horses at his rescue ranch and offers Jamie the job. Jamie needing to do something for herself and away from her brothers takes the job. Gabe is an ex-rodeo cowboy, something Jamie doesn't have much respect for. Gabe is working hard to fulfill a dream he had when he was a young man in making it a thriving ranch. A dream his Father didn't support. Gabe and his father have some issue between them that cause a lot of friction in their relationship. Gabe is friends with Jamie's brother.
The two start off their working relationship with some tension and strong opinions. But Gabe decides to work with her and try a different approach. After a couple days of working together Jamie realize that she's becoming aware of Gabe, physically aware and she's starting to feel attraction, physical attraction. Gabe, he appears like he's all good and has everything figured out. He likes his woman experienced and excepting it's a one nighter. He's got a lot of hurt from his father and scars from watching his parents marriage. But he starts noticing Jamie in a different light and things start change and shift between them.
These two have some issues with trust and past hurts. Jamie never having a woman in her life and trusting men, cowboys and rodeo cowboys especially. Gabe hasn't had the best example of what marriage is like and what a healthy relationship looks like between a couple. The two challenges each other to work on past hurts and relationships to further what they feel for one another. Their development isn't smooth but a lot needs to be worked through for them to make it as a couple. They are sweet and endearing and loved watching them fall in love and make their HEA work for them.
Appreciate the ranch life that was portrayed and how I felt like I was right there in the middle of the story experiencing what was happening. The secondary characters and their flaws and redemption was satisfying as well.
June 27, 2019
Jamie Dodge and Gabe Dalton come from two prominent rancher families in Golden Valley, both rancher royalty in their own way. Jamie is the youngest of the Dodge children, and only girl. Through the series, glimpses of Jamie show her to be a tough, feisty sister, not willing to show vulnerability. Her mother died just days after giving birth to her, and she’d swear that you can’t miss what you never had. And yet, I felt Jamie’s loss along with her as her long ignored feelings surface. Especially, since working with Gabe Dalton brings out emotions she never thought she’d feel. There’s a bit of a snarky dance between Gabe and Jamie until it’s impossible to deny their mutual desire and attraction. Oh, their sexy times sizzled!
Gabe Dalton battles his own issues from the past. His father was a habitual philanderer making his parent’s marriage a mess of full of constant up and downs. Gabe fears he’s programmed to follow in his father’s footsteps if he attempts a serious relationship. However, his feelings for Jamie are anything but casual.
I was wrapped up in Jamie and Gabe’s story from page one! I felt their emotions like they were my own; from their sadness and indignation, to their passion and lust. My only niggle is that things wrapped up a little maybe a little too easily and quickly for my tastes, and yet it was pretty low on drama, so I shouldn’t complain since over-the-top drama drives me nuts. It’s always easy to sink in and want to tune out the world when I pick up one of Maisey Yates’ romances. And now I can’t wait to pick up the next book, which is centers on another Dalton, Gabe’s brother Jacob!
A copy was kindly provided by HQN via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Gabe Dalton battles his own issues from the past. His father was a habitual philanderer making his parent’s marriage a mess of full of constant up and downs. Gabe fears he’s programmed to follow in his father’s footsteps if he attempts a serious relationship. However, his feelings for Jamie are anything but casual.
I was wrapped up in Jamie and Gabe’s story from page one! I felt their emotions like they were my own; from their sadness and indignation, to their passion and lust. My only niggle is that things wrapped up a little maybe a little too easily and quickly for my tastes, and yet it was pretty low on drama, so I shouldn’t complain since over-the-top drama drives me nuts. It’s always easy to sink in and want to tune out the world when I pick up one of Maisey Yates’ romances. And now I can’t wait to pick up the next book, which is centers on another Dalton, Gabe’s brother Jacob!
A copy was kindly provided by HQN via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2019
Same old same old!
April 15, 2019
I had a love/hate relationship with Jamie and Gabe. For the most part, I liked Gabe. He was chivalrous, caring, and pretty straightforward. Then he had to go and screw things up! Jamie though...I really struggled with her abrasive, immature attitude. When the light bulb finally came on for her emotionally, there was a big turn around, however, by then I was worn out with these two! I didn’t buy into the romance either. Everything just seemed imbalanced, but I could see the potential for things to develop for the better.
So this wasn’t my best read by Yates, but it’s not the worst either. Aside from issues with Jamie, I think my biggest problem was the timing. Jamie’s struggle to define herself, Gabe’s family drama and his personal issues, and then Jamie’s newly discovered emotional depth made the romance feel like it was sitting on the back burner forgotten.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So this wasn’t my best read by Yates, but it’s not the worst either. Aside from issues with Jamie, I think my biggest problem was the timing. Jamie’s struggle to define herself, Gabe’s family drama and his personal issues, and then Jamie’s newly discovered emotional depth made the romance feel like it was sitting on the back burner forgotten.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 19, 2021
(4.5 stars) [ARC Review]
NOTE: updated to 4 stars on 2nd read, because of the same thing I've mentioned when reviewing other Yates books: too much repetition and long-windedness about their emotions, verbally and in their heads. Otherwise great!
This book was SOOOO GOOD!!! This is my second Maisey Yates book, the first one being Unbroken Cowboy (my review), the book before this one in the Gold Valley series. I seem to be on a winning streak with her, and I'm loving it!! I've gotten both of these books as ARCs, but I've already gone to her backlist and started buying them up, because she clearly has amazing romance game. Her characters are well-written and defined, intriguing and different, and very compelling. The romance aspects are equally amazing, with terrific chemistry and relationship development. (And now for my long-as-fuck review ... I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself!!! Such a great and emotional read).
Our Heroine, Jamie Dodge (25). I was introduced to Jamie in the previous book, since she was one of Beatrix's (that book's heroine) best friends. I was already intrigued by her from that book, because she seemed very different from other heroines I've read—and she is. That's one of the things I loved best about this book. Don't get me wrong, I adored Gabe, and the dynamic and chemistry between them is killer, but Jamie totally steals the show. She truly is unlike any other heroine I have read, and having read 300, 400, maybe 500 (????) romances, that's definitely saying something.
She's a straight-up tomboy and very, very closed-off emotionally. She is also super blunt, always itching for a fight, doesn't take shit from anyone, knows who she is and is confident in that. HOWEVER, at the same time, there is this supreme vulnerability to her, of which she is just scratching the surface at the beginning. What we got a taste of in Unbroken Cowboy and start to see more of here is her solitude, which has become increasingly apparent to her as her brothers and everyone around her have started to pair off. She is an island unto herself on multiple fronts, and that's one of them. She also has a bit of discomfort with and lack of knowledge about sex. She thinks she knows everything there is to know—she grew up on a farm and around three brothers who were players to varying degrees; to her mind, that means she understands sex and all there is to it. And it's never been something she's really been interested in or cared about. She has her life planned out, knows what she wants, and is focused on becoming a competitor in the barrel racing circuit.
When she starts to work with Gabe Dalton on his ranch, she is shocked when she starts to feel something (physically) because of his presence and proximity. The first few days, she's her normally prickly self, and Gabe decides to take a different approach than he figures most others do—and he might normally—and instead doesn't take the bait and responds calmly to her needling and pushing. It throws her off a bit and she doesn't really know how to handle it. That, combined with this newfound awareness of him, leaves her at a bit of a loss.
And I'm telling you, watching her handle that and how she responds ... OMG so good!! There are some serious laugh-out-loud moments involved, one of my favorites being when she goes with two of her friends to the bar and sees Gabe flirting with a "buckle bunny," with her big hair, tight dress, makeup, sparkly all over, etc.—basically the complete opposite of Jamie, with her sports bras, shapeless jeans, white tank tops and flannel shirts (which leads to my one annoyance about the cover, because although Jamie wears a dress in one scene, that's it). But Jamie, being Jamie, doesn't withdraw into herself when she sees this, or just stew in her feelings, as most heroines would—no, no, even though she's struggling with this new awareness of herself and her vulnerabilities, and doesn't even know WHY she's bothered by the scene (or is completely willing to admit the possibilities of why), she's still hardcore, tough-as-nails Jamie, and so goes over to see what's what. I don't want to say more, but it's definitely the beginning of one of my favorite sections of the book. HA!
Our Hero, Gabe Dalton (33). Gabe is Mr. Player and has been around the block—or in this instance, around the rodeo circuit ;-). He's jaded and bitter and closed-off and somewhat elusive. He's unsatisfied with life, and it becomes clear as the story progresses that there are many root causes for this, including external circumstances beyond his control, and then also his own choices and reactions to these events.
He always wanted to run his father's ranch and his father, who was convinced that the best thing for him was to go to school and get the opportunities he himself had never had, sold all of Gabe's horses out from under him when he was 15 years old, which basically broke his heart and tore him in two. He had always felt at one and at peace working with the horses—basically how Jamie is now—but he felt betrayed by his father's decision and it really scarred him. He ended up going on the rodeo circuit, kind of as an F U to his Dad, and he was supremely successful, so even though it was never all that rewarding or what he had originally wanted to do, he ended up getting sucked into that life.
His father asked him to come back and help him on the ranch, because he's not doing very well health-wise anymore, and so Gabe came back and took some time off the circuit, though his plan is to go back eventually. He decides to use this time off though to setup a type of horse retreat and hires Jamie, who is kind of a horse whisperer, to come work for him and help him set everything up. He is intrigued by her, but having been so put off by his father's behavior, he is very clear with women about only wanting one night stands and not fooling around with anything more serious. So as soon as he starts to note his attraction to Jamie and how intrigued he is by her, he tells himself to put that on lockdown.
Amazing Character Development. Much of Jamie's development centers around her family, and the same applies for Gabe. Both of them have built super protective shells around themselves, a lot of it caused by internal family dynamics. Jamie's mother died two days after her birth and she was left to be raised by her three older brothers and her father; she's always felt a lot of guilt at having, as she sees, taken her mother's life, and made her family swap their mother for her. She missed not having a mother and a female influence in her life, but at the same time she never wanted to be a burden and wanted to fit in with the family, so she tried as much as possible to lay low, be one of the guys, make do, take care of herself—not ask for help or show or admit that she needed any.
When it comes to Gabe, there are hugely complex family dynamics going on there that I won't get too much into, but needless to say, his parents' marriage has kind of been a wreck for much of his life. It has led him to be afraid of being in a relationship himself, afraid of being a negligent, devil-may-care charmer who invariable hurts the people in his life, like his father, and afraid of being on the losing end of love, like his mother. Over the course of the book, a lot of things in his family come to a head and he has to deal with them and figure out how he wants to manage them, how he will or won't let them impact his life, and what the rest of the course of his life will be like. He is kind of at loose ends and trying to find his place still, even though he's 33 years old. He thought he was so clear on why his life has been the way it has and the choices he has made, but it all seems to be coming apart and he's no longer sure about anything.
Watching him and Jamie's development is so lovely and enjoyable, sweet and also heartbreaking. Jamie develops the most, and is the one who pushes Gabe in the end to face his demons and come to the realizations he needs to. For her part, Jamie is so brave and I had so much admiration for her; at the beginning, she's such a prickly, closed-off little thing, and watching her open up, to herself and to everyone around her, and to finding the strength in vulnerability, is SUCH a lovely experience. There are so many sections of this book that I highlighted, and many of them weren't necessarily related to romance or sexy lines or anything like that, but just the beautiful character development that happened within and between them.
Criticism. My only real criticism is about the end section, and there are two points. First, there seems to be a little too much dialogue in the final section. There's a lot of back and forth between Gabe and Jamie and it's a bit repetitive and long-winded. Now, in some instances they were repetitive in the scene, but I think in others it may seem repetitive to the reader because we've already heard these thoughts from the character's perspective, but their romance counterpart hasn't, which I get can be a bit of a bind, but whatever—it's still annoying.
Second, I wish Gabe's lightbulb had come about a bit differently; I get tired of how often in romances the only obstacle is one of the characters being unwilling to admit their love for the other, and then there's some breakthrough moment in the last two pages (or whatever) that then makes them run to the other and pour their heart out. Especially in this instance, I feel like it almost cheated us a bit, because we had SUCH character development from Jamie, and there was the exact same potential with Gabe, and so I wish the end had unfolded a bit differently, in a way that was worthy of how amazing the rest of the book was.
Oh: and it needed an epilogue!!! Such an abrupt ending. What's up with DAT?!
Quotes from Jamie's Perspective.
*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.
NOTE: updated to 4 stars on 2nd read, because of the same thing I've mentioned when reviewing other Yates books: too much repetition and long-windedness about their emotions, verbally and in their heads. Otherwise great!
This book was SOOOO GOOD!!! This is my second Maisey Yates book, the first one being Unbroken Cowboy (my review), the book before this one in the Gold Valley series. I seem to be on a winning streak with her, and I'm loving it!! I've gotten both of these books as ARCs, but I've already gone to her backlist and started buying them up, because she clearly has amazing romance game. Her characters are well-written and defined, intriguing and different, and very compelling. The romance aspects are equally amazing, with terrific chemistry and relationship development. (And now for my long-as-fuck review ... I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself!!! Such a great and emotional read).
Our Heroine, Jamie Dodge (25). I was introduced to Jamie in the previous book, since she was one of Beatrix's (that book's heroine) best friends. I was already intrigued by her from that book, because she seemed very different from other heroines I've read—and she is. That's one of the things I loved best about this book. Don't get me wrong, I adored Gabe, and the dynamic and chemistry between them is killer, but Jamie totally steals the show. She truly is unlike any other heroine I have read, and having read 300, 400, maybe 500 (????) romances, that's definitely saying something.
She's a straight-up tomboy and very, very closed-off emotionally. She is also super blunt, always itching for a fight, doesn't take shit from anyone, knows who she is and is confident in that. HOWEVER, at the same time, there is this supreme vulnerability to her, of which she is just scratching the surface at the beginning. What we got a taste of in Unbroken Cowboy and start to see more of here is her solitude, which has become increasingly apparent to her as her brothers and everyone around her have started to pair off. She is an island unto herself on multiple fronts, and that's one of them. She also has a bit of discomfort with and lack of knowledge about sex. She thinks she knows everything there is to know—she grew up on a farm and around three brothers who were players to varying degrees; to her mind, that means she understands sex and all there is to it. And it's never been something she's really been interested in or cared about. She has her life planned out, knows what she wants, and is focused on becoming a competitor in the barrel racing circuit.
When she starts to work with Gabe Dalton on his ranch, she is shocked when she starts to feel something (physically) because of his presence and proximity. The first few days, she's her normally prickly self, and Gabe decides to take a different approach than he figures most others do—and he might normally—and instead doesn't take the bait and responds calmly to her needling and pushing. It throws her off a bit and she doesn't really know how to handle it. That, combined with this newfound awareness of him, leaves her at a bit of a loss.
And I'm telling you, watching her handle that and how she responds ... OMG so good!! There are some serious laugh-out-loud moments involved, one of my favorites being when she goes with two of her friends to the bar and sees Gabe flirting with a "buckle bunny," with her big hair, tight dress, makeup, sparkly all over, etc.—basically the complete opposite of Jamie, with her sports bras, shapeless jeans, white tank tops and flannel shirts (which leads to my one annoyance about the cover, because although Jamie wears a dress in one scene, that's it). But Jamie, being Jamie, doesn't withdraw into herself when she sees this, or just stew in her feelings, as most heroines would—no, no, even though she's struggling with this new awareness of herself and her vulnerabilities, and doesn't even know WHY she's bothered by the scene (or is completely willing to admit the possibilities of why), she's still hardcore, tough-as-nails Jamie, and so goes over to see what's what. I don't want to say more, but it's definitely the beginning of one of my favorite sections of the book. HA!
Our Hero, Gabe Dalton (33). Gabe is Mr. Player and has been around the block—or in this instance, around the rodeo circuit ;-). He's jaded and bitter and closed-off and somewhat elusive. He's unsatisfied with life, and it becomes clear as the story progresses that there are many root causes for this, including external circumstances beyond his control, and then also his own choices and reactions to these events.
He always wanted to run his father's ranch and his father, who was convinced that the best thing for him was to go to school and get the opportunities he himself had never had, sold all of Gabe's horses out from under him when he was 15 years old, which basically broke his heart and tore him in two. He had always felt at one and at peace working with the horses—basically how Jamie is now—but he felt betrayed by his father's decision and it really scarred him. He ended up going on the rodeo circuit, kind of as an F U to his Dad, and he was supremely successful, so even though it was never all that rewarding or what he had originally wanted to do, he ended up getting sucked into that life.
His father asked him to come back and help him on the ranch, because he's not doing very well health-wise anymore, and so Gabe came back and took some time off the circuit, though his plan is to go back eventually. He decides to use this time off though to setup a type of horse retreat and hires Jamie, who is kind of a horse whisperer, to come work for him and help him set everything up. He is intrigued by her, but having been so put off by his father's behavior, he is very clear with women about only wanting one night stands and not fooling around with anything more serious. So as soon as he starts to note his attraction to Jamie and how intrigued he is by her, he tells himself to put that on lockdown.
Amazing Character Development. Much of Jamie's development centers around her family, and the same applies for Gabe. Both of them have built super protective shells around themselves, a lot of it caused by internal family dynamics. Jamie's mother died two days after her birth and she was left to be raised by her three older brothers and her father; she's always felt a lot of guilt at having, as she sees, taken her mother's life, and made her family swap their mother for her. She missed not having a mother and a female influence in her life, but at the same time she never wanted to be a burden and wanted to fit in with the family, so she tried as much as possible to lay low, be one of the guys, make do, take care of herself—not ask for help or show or admit that she needed any.
When it comes to Gabe, there are hugely complex family dynamics going on there that I won't get too much into, but needless to say, his parents' marriage has kind of been a wreck for much of his life. It has led him to be afraid of being in a relationship himself, afraid of being a negligent, devil-may-care charmer who invariable hurts the people in his life, like his father, and afraid of being on the losing end of love, like his mother. Over the course of the book, a lot of things in his family come to a head and he has to deal with them and figure out how he wants to manage them, how he will or won't let them impact his life, and what the rest of the course of his life will be like. He is kind of at loose ends and trying to find his place still, even though he's 33 years old. He thought he was so clear on why his life has been the way it has and the choices he has made, but it all seems to be coming apart and he's no longer sure about anything.
Watching him and Jamie's development is so lovely and enjoyable, sweet and also heartbreaking. Jamie develops the most, and is the one who pushes Gabe in the end to face his demons and come to the realizations he needs to. For her part, Jamie is so brave and I had so much admiration for her; at the beginning, she's such a prickly, closed-off little thing, and watching her open up, to herself and to everyone around her, and to finding the strength in vulnerability, is SUCH a lovely experience. There are so many sections of this book that I highlighted, and many of them weren't necessarily related to romance or sexy lines or anything like that, but just the beautiful character development that happened within and between them.
Criticism. My only real criticism is about the end section, and there are two points. First, there seems to be a little too much dialogue in the final section. There's a lot of back and forth between Gabe and Jamie and it's a bit repetitive and long-winded. Now, in some instances they were repetitive in the scene, but I think in others it may seem repetitive to the reader because we've already heard these thoughts from the character's perspective, but their romance counterpart hasn't, which I get can be a bit of a bind, but whatever—it's still annoying.
Second, I wish Gabe's lightbulb had come about a bit differently; I get tired of how often in romances the only obstacle is one of the characters being unwilling to admit their love for the other, and then there's some breakthrough moment in the last two pages (or whatever) that then makes them run to the other and pour their heart out. Especially in this instance, I feel like it almost cheated us a bit, because we had SUCH character development from Jamie, and there was the exact same potential with Gabe, and so I wish the end had unfolded a bit differently, in a way that was worthy of how amazing the rest of the book was.
Oh: and it needed an epilogue!!! Such an abrupt ending. What's up with DAT?!
Quotes from Jamie's Perspective.
She felt like she was standing outside her life, looking at herself, and there was a strange and horrible clarity to it that she didn't like at all.Quotes from Gabe's Perspective.
—
She had always felt like she knew who she was. Certain of her place in the world around her. And now she felt like she was looking inside at something she couldn't understand, her face pressed against the glass. People saw her as sad, apparently. Everyone around her was involved in relationships, and she'd never been in one. She'd never even wanted to be. But right now all of that just made her feel rootless, adrift and very not like herself. Or maybe that wasn't even the problem. Maybe the problem was it made her not want to be herself at all. And it made her feel a whole lot closer to that sad, motherless girl, than she had ever wanted to be.
—
This was all becoming unbearable. All of this intimacy had been built between them. And it had ... It had changed her. On a fundamental level. It had altered who she was, and how she felt about things. I thad opened up the door to a piece of her she hadn't known was there, and with it, she'd been flooded with all these new desires, hopes and dreams. And now he was pulling away, and it was killing her.
Years on he'd woken up one morning, his last night out on tour, and realized as he lay in bed with a stranger and a hangover as companions, that he was an apple flourishing right beneath the shade of a tree he had hoped to roll far away from. At this point he had a feeling the roots were too damned deep to do any different. He'd started to wonder if the vision he'd had of becoming Hank [his father] was the wrong one, after all. If he'd just been born him.Quotes That Show Why They're Such a Good Fit.
—
She was a revelation. And he wished ... He wished that he could be the man that she seemed to think he was. The way she looked at him ... He didn't know a man that deserved to be looked at like that.
—
He built a life for himself, made entirely out of materials he didn't give a shit about. And then he wondered why he felt nothing. Nothing in triumph, nothing in failure. He made it that way. Because he never wanted to ... He'd never wanted to be like his mother. Broken and crying and destroyed over caring so much about something that didn't love you back. He was a coward. Jamie was right.
It was still enough out here that it was easier to really see. Quiet enough that you could really hear. When he'd been younger this was where he'd found his peace, and also where he'd done his thinking. Where he'd been his strongest and most vulnerable. He could see it in her now because he knew what this place, what these mountains, did. Broke down your walls. Made you feel small. Not small in a way that made you easy to crush. Small enough to find shelter in these trees.
—
For some reason, his entire world felt like it was standing on its head and ... He wasn't even all that pissed off about it. Not like he should be. Because Jamie was interesting. She had a passion about her, and it had touched something inside him he hadn't accessed in years. And she'd gone and made him feel. Made him feel things about the ranch, the horses, about the life he'd left all those years before. And then she'd done this. Walked up and broken into his routine.
*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.
March 20, 2019
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (posting to blog June 20,2019)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Y7W57K
You really can't go wrong with Yates. Seriously. You need her cowboys in your life!
The Gist: Gabe needs a horse trainer for his family ranch and Jamie, well, she needs a breather from her own family ranch so signs up to help evaluate and train new horses for Gabe. Simple. Easy. No emotional involvement. Just a job. She is not tempted by cowboys. Not even a little. No, ma'am! ::snort::
I liked Gabe and Jamie. Broken but endearing and lovable and make you want to hug them even when they're being stupid or irrational. Jamie is all prickles and attitude. She's not easy at the start but whoa this girl is pretty amazing as the book goes by. Talk about personal growth and facing some hard truths about yourself. And Gabe. He may look like he has it all together but he's got his own personal brand of self discovery happening. He's sexy and infuriating sometimes but man when the guy decides to go all in he goes all in and is pretty damn honorable, too.
Their romance was lively. She's a young thing with absolutely no use for cowboys. He likes his women a little older and a lot less prickly. They had great chemistry and heat and it was hard not to root for them as they dealt with each other and tackled all kinds of difficult things. They really did make each other better people.
All in all, Cowboy to the Core was full of cowboy (and girl) goodness. It was really remarkable seeing how far these two both came from chapter one. Seeing them turn into better and more well rounded individuals and finding some happiness, joy and peace. It was just lovely to see.
June 25, 2021
This is a Cowboy Friends to Lovers Romance, and this is the 6st book in the Gold Valley series. Jamie Dodge and Gabe Dalton has been in several of the other books as a secondary character. I have to say I never wanted to really wanted to know more about Jamie, but Gabe's character had me wanting to know more. This book was told in the point of view of Jamie, and this book took me a while to get into it. Once, I got into the story I was totally pulled in and did not want to put the book down. I am happy to get to know the Dalton Family more.
March 15, 2021
Cowboy to the Core is book six in the Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates.
I’ve had my ups and downs with this series. Some I’ve really enjoyed and others not so much. This one was in the middle. Part of my struggle is that COVID had been happening for 4 months and my reading/listening was not in a good place, so I struggled with this audio. It took me a month to get through it. I would be into the story and then not. It went that way until I finished.
I liked that we get to visit a new family in the town. Jamie is all prickly and Gabe is sometimes infuriating. Both are broken. I had a love/hate relationship with these two, but I liked Gabe more. Maybe because he’s older. Jamie was so abrasive and when she eventually turned around I was just done. I will say when Gabe goes all in he’s in.
As for the romance I wasn’t all in. It felt like it was on the back burner; especially with all the family drama with Gabe and Jamie’s struggles to define/find herself.
Narration: Suzanne Elise Freeman is an astonishing narrator. She does a wonderful job with the Gold Valley series and I continue to enjoy her narration of this series.
All and all Cowboy to the Core was just an ok read for me. I do enjoy a good cowboy now and then and Maisey certainly writes them well. I’m not done with the series, but I’m in no hurry to continue.
Rated: 3 Stars
I’ve had my ups and downs with this series. Some I’ve really enjoyed and others not so much. This one was in the middle. Part of my struggle is that COVID had been happening for 4 months and my reading/listening was not in a good place, so I struggled with this audio. It took me a month to get through it. I would be into the story and then not. It went that way until I finished.
I liked that we get to visit a new family in the town. Jamie is all prickly and Gabe is sometimes infuriating. Both are broken. I had a love/hate relationship with these two, but I liked Gabe more. Maybe because he’s older. Jamie was so abrasive and when she eventually turned around I was just done. I will say when Gabe goes all in he’s in.
As for the romance I wasn’t all in. It felt like it was on the back burner; especially with all the family drama with Gabe and Jamie’s struggles to define/find herself.
Narration: Suzanne Elise Freeman is an astonishing narrator. She does a wonderful job with the Gold Valley series and I continue to enjoy her narration of this series.
All and all Cowboy to the Core was just an ok read for me. I do enjoy a good cowboy now and then and Maisey certainly writes them well. I’m not done with the series, but I’m in no hurry to continue.
Rated: 3 Stars
June 30, 2019
Rodeo cowboy Gabe Dalton is turning his family's ranch into a sanctuary for retired or abused horses. He hired Jamie Dodge to assit him and lend her expertise working with older animals. Jamie grew up surrounded by men and lost her mom when she was only a few days, dying of complications after her birth. She's prickly, direct, proudly practical and is immune to cowboy charms, so that makes for an interesting but confrontational chemistry with her new boss. As for Gabe, he can handle any type of women, even the most high-spirited one. But when Gabe's presence begin to awaken emotions and sensations she never felt before, it's getting harder for both of them to keep their distance.
I often pass by the same process when I read Maisey Yates's books (which is not a bad thing for me). At first, I think okay, this is it, that's the first time where I won't like one of her books (in this case, because the heroine was so prickly and even arrogant at times and it made it difficult to believe there could be a romance between her and Gabe) and then Maisey Yates throw different layers of emotions, play with intense and complex feelings and voilà, this is how I end up liking her books every time.
I often pass by the same process when I read Maisey Yates's books (which is not a bad thing for me). At first, I think okay, this is it, that's the first time where I won't like one of her books (in this case, because the heroine was so prickly and even arrogant at times and it made it difficult to believe there could be a romance between her and Gabe) and then Maisey Yates throw different layers of emotions, play with intense and complex feelings and voilà, this is how I end up liking her books every time.
July 26, 2019
I had a hard time with this story at the beginning. Jamie just came off as too strong and with a chip on her shoulder. As the story progressed, I started to understand some of her attitude. It was actually about a third of the way through the story that I started to really get interested and engaged with the story-line and characters. Both Jamie and Gabe had hard lives. But, that’s what made them who they are today.
Gabe always felt that he had something to prove and felt like he turned out just like the man he swore he would never be. Jamie thought she knew everything there was to know about men, cowboy’s in particular, because she was raised by a whole bunch of them. No cowboy was ever going to get the best of her, especially a womanizer like Gabe. She knew how to hold her own, how to prove herself and how to handle cowboy’s and horses. But, things were changing for both of them. Gabe found out the truth about the past. Realized that there may be more to him than meets the eye. And, most of all, started correcting the sins of the past. Jamie found out that it was okay to feel things, to feel like she missed out on something special and opening her heart to the possibility of love … because she deserved it.
The road was a long and arduous one but worth it for both Jamie and Gabe. They found out things about themselves and found each other. It’s okay to love, want to be loved and to love back … no matter the circumstances.
Like I said, I felt the story was a little slow in the beginning. But, once you understood where the characters were coming from, why they felt like they did, then it all came together. It was beautiful watching Jamie grow into a young woman and Gabe accept his faults, move on and open himself up to the possibility of love.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Gabe always felt that he had something to prove and felt like he turned out just like the man he swore he would never be. Jamie thought she knew everything there was to know about men, cowboy’s in particular, because she was raised by a whole bunch of them. No cowboy was ever going to get the best of her, especially a womanizer like Gabe. She knew how to hold her own, how to prove herself and how to handle cowboy’s and horses. But, things were changing for both of them. Gabe found out the truth about the past. Realized that there may be more to him than meets the eye. And, most of all, started correcting the sins of the past. Jamie found out that it was okay to feel things, to feel like she missed out on something special and opening her heart to the possibility of love … because she deserved it.
The road was a long and arduous one but worth it for both Jamie and Gabe. They found out things about themselves and found each other. It’s okay to love, want to be loved and to love back … no matter the circumstances.
Like I said, I felt the story was a little slow in the beginning. But, once you understood where the characters were coming from, why they felt like they did, then it all came together. It was beautiful watching Jamie grow into a young woman and Gabe accept his faults, move on and open himself up to the possibility of love.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
June 19, 2019
I don't think it's secret that I love all of Maisey's books and I was exceptionally excited for Jamie's story.
I've loved Jamie since the first time we saw her. She seemed skittish and prickly and I couldn't wait to get inside her head. I should have known that underneath the crunchy shell was the start of a marshmallow. I really enjoyed seeing her work through her feelings and grow as much as she did. Gabe was interesting. He's got a good amount of baggage and I would have liked more of his growth through the entire story instead of a chapter at the end, but it sort of works. Together, they had great chemistry and definitely an annoyed-to-interested type of story.
Plot wise, it was good. There was a lot of inner monologue that felt repetitive and while there was a a good amount of conversation, somehow it still didn't seem like enough. I didn't quite get the leap from lust to love in less than a month--even if they have casually known each other for a while. And as always, I truly enjoyed seeing all of the other characters.
Overall, it was the characters that kept me reading. I do think the marriage proposal at the end wasn't really needed, but I'm happy to see that they were heading in that direction...although I wouldn't have hated an epilogue. Regardless of what Maisey writes next, I'm reading it.
**Huge thanks to HQN Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I've loved Jamie since the first time we saw her. She seemed skittish and prickly and I couldn't wait to get inside her head. I should have known that underneath the crunchy shell was the start of a marshmallow. I really enjoyed seeing her work through her feelings and grow as much as she did. Gabe was interesting. He's got a good amount of baggage and I would have liked more of his growth through the entire story instead of a chapter at the end, but it sort of works. Together, they had great chemistry and definitely an annoyed-to-interested type of story.
Plot wise, it was good. There was a lot of inner monologue that felt repetitive and while there was a a good amount of conversation, somehow it still didn't seem like enough. I didn't quite get the leap from lust to love in less than a month--even if they have casually known each other for a while. And as always, I truly enjoyed seeing all of the other characters.
Overall, it was the characters that kept me reading. I do think the marriage proposal at the end wasn't really needed, but I'm happy to see that they were heading in that direction...although I wouldn't have hated an epilogue. Regardless of what Maisey writes next, I'm reading it.
**Huge thanks to HQN Books for providing the arc free of charge**
June 27, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
Maisey Yates is my reliable cowboy romance author when I need to get out of a reading slump. I know exactly what I am getting (but sometimes I want to be surprised, hence the 3.5 instead of 4)
I love a good cowboy and Maisey certainly writes them well; its the heroine character that's been bugging me lately:
To read my reviews visit: www.saturdaynitereader.com
Maisey Yates is my reliable cowboy romance author when I need to get out of a reading slump. I know exactly what I am getting (but sometimes I want to be surprised, hence the 3.5 instead of 4)
I love a good cowboy and Maisey certainly writes them well; its the heroine character that's been bugging me lately:
To read my reviews visit: www.saturdaynitereader.com
June 18, 2019
The novel has an apt name, cause once I opened up my mind and heart to the broken protagonists and their growing pains and process, it hit me to the core with the profound emotions and insights their story provides. The feels went from raw, crushed, humbled, to the tender, ardent, and adoration. There are so many subtle life lessons, inspirational moments, thoughts and perspectives to take home on multiple matters. The author didn't give the characters not one easy road out with their personal problems or with their family drama.
Yes, there is absolutely adorable, sweep your feet under you romance in the tale. And it is passionate, sizzling, heated, and intense. The love scenes are beautifully done and so well embedded into the plot, showing how the hero and heroine find their harmony with each other in a delightfully lovely way.
But it is those deep, vulnerable, delicately honest conversations between the different characters that time and again blew my mind, had me reflecting on the insights and inspiration the scenes provided.
Jamie Dodge at first seemed like a prickly, temperamental tomboy. She grew up as the youngest sibling with dominating older brothers and a father who didn't know what to do with a daughter. She lost her mother within days of being born, and the survival's quilt, and determination not to be the poor girl who lost her mother, she hides behind thick walls and abrasive behavior. Seeing her come to her true self, find her voice, and place, and purpose made me smile.
Gabe Dalton has tried to balance his life between his parents temper tantrums and atoning their mistakes. Determined not to be like them, he seems to prove just the opposite. I admired and applauded his aspiration to make the world a little bit better place for those in need. His ideas and the big heart for those alone and hurting, in need of guidance, were admirable.
Gabe with his broken soul and giving heart is just the person to understand Jamie. They connect on so many levels, it was marvelous to watch them get to know each other. There is that overpowering physical attraction, but also they are there for each other, they listen to each other and comfort the other when needed.
I marveled this story and everything it had to offer, everything I got from it, with the feels, the inspiration, and the insights. The Gold Valley series has been like a string of pearls, each story filled with the perfection that comes after the emotions are let free and then ground by life and polished by acceptance, respect, and love of the right person. The stories can be read as stand-alone books, but I wouldn't want to miss any one of them.
~ Five Spoons!
Yes, there is absolutely adorable, sweep your feet under you romance in the tale. And it is passionate, sizzling, heated, and intense. The love scenes are beautifully done and so well embedded into the plot, showing how the hero and heroine find their harmony with each other in a delightfully lovely way.
But it is those deep, vulnerable, delicately honest conversations between the different characters that time and again blew my mind, had me reflecting on the insights and inspiration the scenes provided.
Jamie Dodge at first seemed like a prickly, temperamental tomboy. She grew up as the youngest sibling with dominating older brothers and a father who didn't know what to do with a daughter. She lost her mother within days of being born, and the survival's quilt, and determination not to be the poor girl who lost her mother, she hides behind thick walls and abrasive behavior. Seeing her come to her true self, find her voice, and place, and purpose made me smile.
Gabe Dalton has tried to balance his life between his parents temper tantrums and atoning their mistakes. Determined not to be like them, he seems to prove just the opposite. I admired and applauded his aspiration to make the world a little bit better place for those in need. His ideas and the big heart for those alone and hurting, in need of guidance, were admirable.
Gabe with his broken soul and giving heart is just the person to understand Jamie. They connect on so many levels, it was marvelous to watch them get to know each other. There is that overpowering physical attraction, but also they are there for each other, they listen to each other and comfort the other when needed.
I marveled this story and everything it had to offer, everything I got from it, with the feels, the inspiration, and the insights. The Gold Valley series has been like a string of pearls, each story filled with the perfection that comes after the emotions are let free and then ground by life and polished by acceptance, respect, and love of the right person. The stories can be read as stand-alone books, but I wouldn't want to miss any one of them.
~ Five Spoons!
September 9, 2019
COWBOY TO THE CORE is book six in the Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates and revolves around a hard as nails cowgirl and a rodeo champ/rancher with a twist on an office romance type of scenario.
For those familiar with the Gold Valley series, you will quickly recognize Jamie from meeting her in the former books centering around Get Out of Dodge ranch. She has left her job at the ranch to go work with Gabe setting up a refuge for older horses, and it doesn't take her long to realize that for basically the first time in her life, she's attracted to a cowboy. She's grown up in the lifestyle and thought she knew them upside down but Gabe brings out feelings in her that she's not so sure she's ready for.
Gabe knew Jamie's horse skills would be beneficial to his set-up at the ranch, but he didn't realize how much he would be drawn to her as a person. They each have a large part of their past tied to family events and as they work their way through their own hang-ups, they tear down a lot of walls with each other.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a small town romance with tons of emotion and grit. Jamie and Gabe were golden together and even though they kind of tore each other's hearts out in the midst of it all, the way they slide into that happily ever after is simply magical! This entire series has been great and are all stand-alones, but I highly recommend reading them in order as it brings a much deeper connection to each group of characters to already know the family and background.
For those familiar with the Gold Valley series, you will quickly recognize Jamie from meeting her in the former books centering around Get Out of Dodge ranch. She has left her job at the ranch to go work with Gabe setting up a refuge for older horses, and it doesn't take her long to realize that for basically the first time in her life, she's attracted to a cowboy. She's grown up in the lifestyle and thought she knew them upside down but Gabe brings out feelings in her that she's not so sure she's ready for.
Gabe knew Jamie's horse skills would be beneficial to his set-up at the ranch, but he didn't realize how much he would be drawn to her as a person. They each have a large part of their past tied to family events and as they work their way through their own hang-ups, they tear down a lot of walls with each other.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a small town romance with tons of emotion and grit. Jamie and Gabe were golden together and even though they kind of tore each other's hearts out in the midst of it all, the way they slide into that happily ever after is simply magical! This entire series has been great and are all stand-alones, but I highly recommend reading them in order as it brings a much deeper connection to each group of characters to already know the family and background.
August 6, 2019
To date, there are 19 Copper Ridge romances and this, Cowboy To the Core, sixth in the complementary Gold Valley series. And here I am, having stayed up late to inhale yet another Maisey Yates romance. You’d think, after 25 of an author’s works, I’d be ready to roll my eyes and thrown in the reader bookmark. Nope. If you asked me which are my favourites so far (’cause I know you’re aching to read these, but may not be willing to tackle all 25), I’d say Brokedown Cowboy (Copper Ridge #2), One Night Charmer (Copper Ridge #7), Seduce Me, Cowboy (Copper Ridge #12), and A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas (Gold Valley #4) are top-notch, but I’ve enjoyed each and every one. (Any Copper Ridge/Gold Valley may be read as a standalone, but there are cameos of happy couples from previous books. So you’ve been warned.)
For those familiar with the series, the final Dodge sibling and sole girl, Jamie Dodge, of the Get Out of Dodge ranch, finally gets her HEA. A surly shadow, a good friend to Beatrix and McKenna (heroines of previous books, who make appearances here), a tom-boy to her brothers and dad, Jamie was not, at least for me, the most interesting of potential heroines. I’m not keen on tom-boy heroines who discover womanhood. Yates, on the other hand, does love a tom-boy heroine who, in the course of her sexual awakening with the hero (another Yates signature), also discovers pretty dresses and make-up. Ugh, it’s the cowgirl version of the secretary who takes her glasses off and puts her hair down and ta-da, insta-beauty. To give Yates credit, it makes no difference to the hero: he finds the heroine beautiful in Wranglers and a sports bra. Thus with hero Gabe Dalton and Jamie.
Gabe and Jamie spend time together when Gabe hires Jamie to help with rehabilitating former rodeo horses on his family’s ranch. With daily contact comes conversation and physical proximity, kindling to the Yates romance-fire. Thematically, Yates believes that meeting your one, true love upends your life in painful, cracking-things-open ways and resurrects you emotionally where you were soul-protective and numb before. Falling in love also dredges up the past in a way that exposes old childhood wounds, wounds that until now festered but appeared healed over. The emotional dissonance of falling in love makes those wounds ache; unless they’re admitted, acted upon, and resolved emotionally and oftentimes practically, hero and heroine cannot reach their HEA (except they always do, because hey, romance, that’s why we love it). The Yatesian HEA’s foreshadowing is in the love-making’s intensity; the hero and heroine’s pleasure in which has a resonance and meaning that leave them astounded. They’re dense, though, and cannot yet admit what their bodies already know.
The hero and heroine’s emotional unblocking always comes in the form of confession to oneself, admitting you need and love the other, and then, admitting that you need and love the other to him, or her. Both are painful and difficult, but unless enacted, the person cannot be free to cleave to the other. Gabe and Jamie’s wounds stem from their childhood experiences and prove to be complex and interesting in a way their courtship, no matter the sexy times, does not. Yates’s characters tend to be mired in some notion of who they are that tells them that love, intimacy, and vulnerability are not for them. In Gabe’s case, it involves his unfaithful father and his betrayal of Gabe’s mother and Gabe himself and his love of ranching. Jamie’s blocking self-concept involves her mother’s death mere days after she gave birth to her and being brought up by four men, all loving but not exactly versed in the ways of bringing up a girly girl. As is Yates’s wont, conflict lies within; the nature of what is “within” leads to a rupture between hero and heroine. Betrayal is never a contrived situation, or even conflicted loyalties, it is always arrive in the form of the hero and heroine’s emotional impediments.
The important moment comes when the hero and heroine break through this notion, a notion that tends to be mired in a false self-reliance (and it is to Yates’s credit that opening oneself up to love goes hand in hand with opening oneself up to needing other people, like friends and family). A beautiful sense of new-ness accompanies the HEA’s accomplishment which, for this reader, happily also comes with a commitment to marriage, family, and a continued pursuit of meaningful work. (I thought, if I could fault Yates for something here, it’s that the HEA is short and somewhat hurried.) These are the reasons why I read and will continue to read Yates. In the case of Cowboy To the Core, with Miss Austen, we say here is “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.
Maisey Yates’s Cowboy To the Core is published by HQN Books. It was released on June 18th and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from HQN Books, via Netgalley.
For those familiar with the series, the final Dodge sibling and sole girl, Jamie Dodge, of the Get Out of Dodge ranch, finally gets her HEA. A surly shadow, a good friend to Beatrix and McKenna (heroines of previous books, who make appearances here), a tom-boy to her brothers and dad, Jamie was not, at least for me, the most interesting of potential heroines. I’m not keen on tom-boy heroines who discover womanhood. Yates, on the other hand, does love a tom-boy heroine who, in the course of her sexual awakening with the hero (another Yates signature), also discovers pretty dresses and make-up. Ugh, it’s the cowgirl version of the secretary who takes her glasses off and puts her hair down and ta-da, insta-beauty. To give Yates credit, it makes no difference to the hero: he finds the heroine beautiful in Wranglers and a sports bra. Thus with hero Gabe Dalton and Jamie.
Gabe and Jamie spend time together when Gabe hires Jamie to help with rehabilitating former rodeo horses on his family’s ranch. With daily contact comes conversation and physical proximity, kindling to the Yates romance-fire. Thematically, Yates believes that meeting your one, true love upends your life in painful, cracking-things-open ways and resurrects you emotionally where you were soul-protective and numb before. Falling in love also dredges up the past in a way that exposes old childhood wounds, wounds that until now festered but appeared healed over. The emotional dissonance of falling in love makes those wounds ache; unless they’re admitted, acted upon, and resolved emotionally and oftentimes practically, hero and heroine cannot reach their HEA (except they always do, because hey, romance, that’s why we love it). The Yatesian HEA’s foreshadowing is in the love-making’s intensity; the hero and heroine’s pleasure in which has a resonance and meaning that leave them astounded. They’re dense, though, and cannot yet admit what their bodies already know.
The hero and heroine’s emotional unblocking always comes in the form of confession to oneself, admitting you need and love the other, and then, admitting that you need and love the other to him, or her. Both are painful and difficult, but unless enacted, the person cannot be free to cleave to the other. Gabe and Jamie’s wounds stem from their childhood experiences and prove to be complex and interesting in a way their courtship, no matter the sexy times, does not. Yates’s characters tend to be mired in some notion of who they are that tells them that love, intimacy, and vulnerability are not for them. In Gabe’s case, it involves his unfaithful father and his betrayal of Gabe’s mother and Gabe himself and his love of ranching. Jamie’s blocking self-concept involves her mother’s death mere days after she gave birth to her and being brought up by four men, all loving but not exactly versed in the ways of bringing up a girly girl. As is Yates’s wont, conflict lies within; the nature of what is “within” leads to a rupture between hero and heroine. Betrayal is never a contrived situation, or even conflicted loyalties, it is always arrive in the form of the hero and heroine’s emotional impediments.
The important moment comes when the hero and heroine break through this notion, a notion that tends to be mired in a false self-reliance (and it is to Yates’s credit that opening oneself up to love goes hand in hand with opening oneself up to needing other people, like friends and family). A beautiful sense of new-ness accompanies the HEA’s accomplishment which, for this reader, happily also comes with a commitment to marriage, family, and a continued pursuit of meaningful work. (I thought, if I could fault Yates for something here, it’s that the HEA is short and somewhat hurried.) These are the reasons why I read and will continue to read Yates. In the case of Cowboy To the Core, with Miss Austen, we say here is “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.
Maisey Yates’s Cowboy To the Core is published by HQN Books. It was released on June 18th and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from HQN Books, via Netgalley.
June 19, 2019
Cowboy to the Core by Maisey Yates is book 6 in the Gold Valley Series. This is the story of Gabe Dalton and Jamie Dodge. I have read the previous book, but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Gabe was once a redo cowboy star but who is now working on building his horse farm/ranch. Gabe needs a trainer and he wants the best, which leads him to as Jamie to be that trainer. Jamie lost her mother after her birth This left her brothers and fathers to raise her which of course she turned into a top boy who loves working with horses, but more importantly has a great skill at it. Jamie has never been attracted to anyone and has just focused on her work. But when Jamie and Gabe start working closer together but start to fill the pull of each other. But Gabe has seen enough of marriage and love after his parents relationship, so he been a free loving playboy. But there is something about Jamie that starting to prove him wrong.
Sweet Romance.
Gabe was once a redo cowboy star but who is now working on building his horse farm/ranch. Gabe needs a trainer and he wants the best, which leads him to as Jamie to be that trainer. Jamie lost her mother after her birth This left her brothers and fathers to raise her which of course she turned into a top boy who loves working with horses, but more importantly has a great skill at it. Jamie has never been attracted to anyone and has just focused on her work. But when Jamie and Gabe start working closer together but start to fill the pull of each other. But Gabe has seen enough of marriage and love after his parents relationship, so he been a free loving playboy. But there is something about Jamie that starting to prove him wrong.
Sweet Romance.
July 13, 2019
Cowboy to the Core by Maisey Yates is a sexy workplace romance for a tomboy ranch hand and her boss. It’s the sixth story in her western themed Gold Valley series, set in rural Oregon.
Having grown up in an all male household after the death of her mother shortly after her birth, Jamie Dodge has tried to model herself as just another one of the boys to fit in with her older brothers and work on the Dodge family ranch. But she’s realizing that it’s time to branch out. She’s decided she wants to join the barrel racing circuit and while she works on her training, she also gets a job on a nearby ranch to start to separate herself from her sometimes overbearing but well meaning brothers. They’ve all partnered up recently and this makes her very aware of her single status.
Gabe Dalton shouldn’t be attracted to Jamie, his friend’s younger sister and his employee. Having retired from the bronc riding circuit and taken over the Dalton ranch while he thinks about his future, working with horses again is a soothing pastime. He needs Jamie to help train the horses on his family ranch, horses who come from rescue situations or have been retired from rodeo circuits, and getting involved with the tough talking, confident woman could cause them both problems. But Jamie isn’t immune to Gabe’s charm and soon they are involved in a heated secret affair. Can it lead to something more?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-co...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
Having grown up in an all male household after the death of her mother shortly after her birth, Jamie Dodge has tried to model herself as just another one of the boys to fit in with her older brothers and work on the Dodge family ranch. But she’s realizing that it’s time to branch out. She’s decided she wants to join the barrel racing circuit and while she works on her training, she also gets a job on a nearby ranch to start to separate herself from her sometimes overbearing but well meaning brothers. They’ve all partnered up recently and this makes her very aware of her single status.
Gabe Dalton shouldn’t be attracted to Jamie, his friend’s younger sister and his employee. Having retired from the bronc riding circuit and taken over the Dalton ranch while he thinks about his future, working with horses again is a soothing pastime. He needs Jamie to help train the horses on his family ranch, horses who come from rescue situations or have been retired from rodeo circuits, and getting involved with the tough talking, confident woman could cause them both problems. But Jamie isn’t immune to Gabe’s charm and soon they are involved in a heated secret affair. Can it lead to something more?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-co...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
May 31, 2019
I was given a book to review by the author.
Maisey Yates gives us another wonderful story from Cold Valley, with her upcoming book. I really enjoyed this book and could relate to heroine of the story because she came from a family of all boys.
Although Jamie did not have a mother, she grew up tough and could do anything her brother's could do on the ranch. They never coddled her or when she fell or was injured, she just picked herself up and kept on going. There was one thing Jamie Dodge knew well and that was horses. Her dream was to Barrel race as a professional rider. There was one thing she needed though and the was some feminine advice a mother would give a young girl growing into a woman. She was lucky her two BFF's Beatrix and McKenna could take her in hand when she needs all her wits to convince her boss Gabe Dalton to look at her not as a person who could wrangle a horse but could wrangle this Bronc rider to give up his saddle bronc days and learn how to love.
Gabe Dalton was not going to fall in love an get married. He had seen a lot of marriages, especially his mom and dads relationship be more of a war zone at times than a loving marriage. No Gabe would just have a good time with a gal and then say goodbye when they started to hear "wedding bells". Gabe knew Jamie was great with horses and why he hired her, but he was surprised when he started to feel more than just boss and employee when ever they were alone together. He knew if he even thought of kissing her, the Dodge brothers would string him up..... No he would just keep it all business, until that one night in the local saloon and all bets were off..
I loved how Gabe and Jamie wanted to keep their new found relationship just physical, no emotions getting in the way and when they start to realize that it means more, who was going to walk away first...With the Dalton gang and the Dodge family and well meaning friends looking on and advising form the side lines, this was a enjoyable and warm, sexy read.
Thanks Maisey for giving me the chance to read this upcoming book. Can't wait to see who's next to fall in love in Gold Valley.
Maisey Yates gives us another wonderful story from Cold Valley, with her upcoming book. I really enjoyed this book and could relate to heroine of the story because she came from a family of all boys.
Although Jamie did not have a mother, she grew up tough and could do anything her brother's could do on the ranch. They never coddled her or when she fell or was injured, she just picked herself up and kept on going. There was one thing Jamie Dodge knew well and that was horses. Her dream was to Barrel race as a professional rider. There was one thing she needed though and the was some feminine advice a mother would give a young girl growing into a woman. She was lucky her two BFF's Beatrix and McKenna could take her in hand when she needs all her wits to convince her boss Gabe Dalton to look at her not as a person who could wrangle a horse but could wrangle this Bronc rider to give up his saddle bronc days and learn how to love.
Gabe Dalton was not going to fall in love an get married. He had seen a lot of marriages, especially his mom and dads relationship be more of a war zone at times than a loving marriage. No Gabe would just have a good time with a gal and then say goodbye when they started to hear "wedding bells". Gabe knew Jamie was great with horses and why he hired her, but he was surprised when he started to feel more than just boss and employee when ever they were alone together. He knew if he even thought of kissing her, the Dodge brothers would string him up..... No he would just keep it all business, until that one night in the local saloon and all bets were off..
I loved how Gabe and Jamie wanted to keep their new found relationship just physical, no emotions getting in the way and when they start to realize that it means more, who was going to walk away first...With the Dalton gang and the Dodge family and well meaning friends looking on and advising form the side lines, this was a enjoyable and warm, sexy read.
Thanks Maisey for giving me the chance to read this upcoming book. Can't wait to see who's next to fall in love in Gold Valley.
May 29, 2020
COWBOY TO THE CORE is absolutely one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has banter, coming of age, swoon worthy-romance, and the characters I have grown to love over the last few books. People always ask me why I enjoy Maisey’s books so much and this story is a prime example. Each story is deep and complex with palpable emotions from each and every character mentioned. Maisey Yates writes some of the most three-dimensional characters I have ever read. Even her secondary characters have depth!
The book follows Jamie, who just started working for Gabe on his ranch. Jamie is trying to start a new chapter in her life and Gabe is trying to figure out his next life steps as well. It has been a long time since I connected with a character as much as I connected with Jamie Dodge. Which is amazing because I have almost nothing in common with her.
I challenge you to read this book and not relate to Jamie’s feeling of displacement and loneliness as her family all moves on with their lives and she is seemingly left behind. My heart hurt for her. She has always been confident to a fault; it was beautiful and heartbreaking to watch her learn some hard truths about herself and life in general. The woman only wears sports bras for goodness sakes! Jamie lived a very sheltered life and watching her come into her own was a true joy.
While I connected with Jamie’s personal growth more, Gabe’s journey was wonderful as well. He was charming, grounded, and at the end of the day, a really good guy who knew a great woman when he met her. I especially appreciated the way he helped Jamie through her hurdles. Both of them were relationship newbies, and it showed, but the genuine affection and respect between the couple is what really made this book stand above.
Overall, I really wasn’t sure I would like this book. Jamie isn’t a heroine I usually gravitate towards, but Ms. Yates completely sold me. I want to tell everyone about this book. I this is going to stay one of my top reads of 2019.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
The book follows Jamie, who just started working for Gabe on his ranch. Jamie is trying to start a new chapter in her life and Gabe is trying to figure out his next life steps as well. It has been a long time since I connected with a character as much as I connected with Jamie Dodge. Which is amazing because I have almost nothing in common with her.
I challenge you to read this book and not relate to Jamie’s feeling of displacement and loneliness as her family all moves on with their lives and she is seemingly left behind. My heart hurt for her. She has always been confident to a fault; it was beautiful and heartbreaking to watch her learn some hard truths about herself and life in general. The woman only wears sports bras for goodness sakes! Jamie lived a very sheltered life and watching her come into her own was a true joy.
While I connected with Jamie’s personal growth more, Gabe’s journey was wonderful as well. He was charming, grounded, and at the end of the day, a really good guy who knew a great woman when he met her. I especially appreciated the way he helped Jamie through her hurdles. Both of them were relationship newbies, and it showed, but the genuine affection and respect between the couple is what really made this book stand above.
Overall, I really wasn’t sure I would like this book. Jamie isn’t a heroine I usually gravitate towards, but Ms. Yates completely sold me. I want to tell everyone about this book. I this is going to stay one of my top reads of 2019.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
June 19, 2019
Jamie never knew her mother and she was raised by her overprotective father and three older brother which has resulted in her being a tomboy. On the outside she may appear to be outspoken and abrasive but underneath she is not as confident as she appears.
Gabe has always wanted to manage his father’s ranch, but his father wanted a different life for him. Feeling betrayed by his father when he was a teenager, he left home and became a rodeo star but due to his father’s health he has returned home to help out.
Gabe needs a horse trainer and Jamie wants independence from her family so having her work for him seems like the solution to both their problems. Although they don’t get off to a great start as they begin working together and truly get to know each other the feeling and chemistry between them ignites. Will there be a happy ever after between a feisty innocent woman and a man who has only seen the painful side of love?
Gabe has always wanted to manage his father’s ranch, but his father wanted a different life for him. Feeling betrayed by his father when he was a teenager, he left home and became a rodeo star but due to his father’s health he has returned home to help out.
Gabe needs a horse trainer and Jamie wants independence from her family so having her work for him seems like the solution to both their problems. Although they don’t get off to a great start as they begin working together and truly get to know each other the feeling and chemistry between them ignites. Will there be a happy ever after between a feisty innocent woman and a man who has only seen the painful side of love?
March 20, 2021
This one just wasn’t for me. Hated, hated HATED all the ridiculous and unnecessary references to condom and condom use. Just completely ruined the love scenes, so I just DNF’ed
July 17, 2019
So i forgot to review this because i was just tryna figure out what to read next and then i did but then got sucked into the book woops lol. Anyway so as always im excited to read the books in this series! This was no exception. I definitely wanted to see what would happen with them from seeing their interactions from the last books. Wyatt being all protective of his sister lol ooh Wyatt. Not gnna lie this book was much more tear jerking that I thought it would be and was not prepared. It reminded me so much of McKenna and her personality how she had to take care of herself and rely on no one else. Thats what made me sadder was that she had brothers but they were all concerned with dealing with either the ranch or their father that she had to grow up very young and take care of herself. I think she was pretty cool with the barrel racing like really impressive. I felt for her though she was looking at everyone and they were either paired up or having their business and career going on. She was left out which made me want to hug her because girl i feel your pain. Her horse whispering skills were so awesome lol they way she treated them and took care of them warmed my heart because im like Bea i just absolutely love animals so it made me happy. Gabe oh Gabe this man was the same as her and hurt that he went through so much with his dad but also his mom who im still angry at. I was glad he was opening that horse sanctuary and then stood with it because he realized that he was tired of that life. I mean whats better than helping retired horses find a home? Um nothing lol well at least to me hehe. Anyway their interactions were so heated and a pleasure to read. Broke my heart though all the stuff he had to find out and work through..im happy it worked out though in the end. Also excited to learn more about his brothers! In the next book :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2019
Another Gold Valley novel in which Jamie Dodge, the girl, whose mother died two days after Jamie's birth, starts working for Gabe Dalton when he needs help with the former rodeo horses he wants to rehab for work with children and other non-riders. She knows horses, but does she really know men? She thinks so until how Gabe reacts to her throws her for a loop. But then, how she changes also flummoxes him. She's just not one of those forgettable buckle bunnies he's sepnt so much time with.
Both have some growing up to do, and that includes working past the barriers they've erected, thinking it will prevent them from being hurt. Almost too late, Gabe realizes that he needs to move past what both his parents have done even as Jamie surprises herself and everyone else how much she needs to be loved and to love someone back--not just her brothers, so clueless to what Jamie has needed all her life.
The question remains: Can either of them admit how much they love each other and move forward, or will they continue to hide behind those mental and emotional barriers that have governed their lives for so long?
Both have some growing up to do, and that includes working past the barriers they've erected, thinking it will prevent them from being hurt. Almost too late, Gabe realizes that he needs to move past what both his parents have done even as Jamie surprises herself and everyone else how much she needs to be loved and to love someone back--not just her brothers, so clueless to what Jamie has needed all her life.
The question remains: Can either of them admit how much they love each other and move forward, or will they continue to hide behind those mental and emotional barriers that have governed their lives for so long?
February 25, 2019
4.25 Stars
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I really liked this book. It was a great addition to the series and I had a lot of fun while reading it. I became immersed in the love story between the two characters quickly and I did not want to let go.
Jaime- Jaime was such a strong woman both physically and emotionally. I loved the progression of her character and watching her come to terms with her mother’s death. I admired her a lot and appreciated the journey she went through.
Gabe- Poor Gabe was a pawn in a game he didn’t even know he was playing. I felt a lot of compassion towards his character and he really pulled on my heart strings. I loved his quirky romanticism and his hot cowboy moves.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The banter between Jaime and Gabe was just the right formula for word foreplay for me. I NEED more books in this series and I can’t wait for more of Gold Valley! I need my next fix of hot cowboys and fiery women… and hopefully some firemen in there… maybe.
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I really liked this book. It was a great addition to the series and I had a lot of fun while reading it. I became immersed in the love story between the two characters quickly and I did not want to let go.
Jaime- Jaime was such a strong woman both physically and emotionally. I loved the progression of her character and watching her come to terms with her mother’s death. I admired her a lot and appreciated the journey she went through.
Gabe- Poor Gabe was a pawn in a game he didn’t even know he was playing. I felt a lot of compassion towards his character and he really pulled on my heart strings. I loved his quirky romanticism and his hot cowboy moves.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The banter between Jaime and Gabe was just the right formula for word foreplay for me. I NEED more books in this series and I can’t wait for more of Gold Valley! I need my next fix of hot cowboys and fiery women… and hopefully some firemen in there… maybe.
June 26, 2019
In all honesty if I weren’t a devoted Maisey Yates reader I don’t know if I’d have stuck with Cowboy to the Core long enough to get to the good stuff. Tedious is the first word that comes to mind to describe the first part of this book.
Gabe Dalton is 33, a champion rodeo bronco rider like his father, currently taking a sabbatical from the rodeo for reasons we’re entirely unsure of. IMHO at 33 Gabe has serious daddy issues he should be over with. For several early chapters we hear how Gabe’s relationship with his father caused him to make decisions about his life as a teenager and still does to this day. He has a love/hate relationship with his father and fears that he is really just like him. His father besides being a legendary rodeo star as a bronco rider was also a notorious ladies man who rode as many buckle bunnies as he did broncos disrespecting his marriage vows in the process. While Gabe has never been married or even had a serious relationship since he was seventeen, he’s certainly had his share of buckle bunnies. About the only issue Gabe has that I agree with is that he should keep his hands off of Jamie Dodge whom he’s hired to help him turn ex-rodeo horses into decent trail horses for all levels of experienced or inexperienced riders. First off Jamie works for him and secondly more importantly Jamie at 25 and eight years his junior is too young for him, if not in age then in worldly experience. Of course if Gabe did that, we wouldn’t have a story.
As with Gabe we spend several early chapters hearing over and over again about the angst that Jamie Dodge is currently struggling with the changes going on around her. Jamie is the youngest sibling in the Dodge family and the only girl. Jamie still carries around a world of guilt over the fact that her mother died of a blood clot shortly after her birth. Which is why she can’t stand it when people pity her for growing up without a mother surrounded by her father and brothers. Feeling like she’s already cost her father is wife and her brothers their mother she doesn’t want to be a further burden to them so she has spent her twenty-five years trying to prove just how tough and independent she is. Unfortunately, what she’s gleaned from living with her brothers is that means she can never ask for help, never admit she’s wrong. She can never show her softer side. Jamie also has a burning desire to get away from Gold Valley and be someone other than the famous bull rider Wyatt Dodge’s pitiful baby sister. She wants to join the rodeo and make a name for herself as a barrel rider. Jamie’s brothers and her two best friends McKenna and Beatrix are now either married or engaged to be married and blissfully cohabitating. Hard as it is to believe until Jamie started working for Gabe she’d never even felt a hint of sexual desire. Now that she has, she’s flummoxed and doesn’t know what to do about it. Jamie, who has never even had a boyfriend and is still a virgin feels more alone than she ever has.
One night while out with her friends Jamie witnesses Gabe trying to hook up with a more than willing bleach blonde buckle bunny and the Green Monster flares within her. Ironically Gabe is only doing this to try and relieve the sexual attraction he’s developing for Jamie. When Jamie attempts to get between Gabe and his potential sexual partner Gabe pulls her aside and in plain terms tells her unless she intends to share his bed instead, she needs to back off and stay out of his sex life. Not sure what happens to Gabe’s vow to stay away from Jamie as anything more than an employee? Watching Gabe flirt with the buckle bunny makes Jamie acutely aware that there is a whole lot that goes on between men and women beyond the sex act that she is ignorant of. Which is also ironic because that’s exactly what her now both relationship and sexually experienced friends tried to tell her before they all went out for a drink. Well Gabe has thrown down the proverbial gauntlet and Jamie who never has backed away from a challenge is more than tempted to pick it up. Partially because she’s more than a little attracted to Gabe and partially because she doesn’t like being the only one in her life who doesn’t know first hand the joys of sex.
Gabe kisses Jamie outside the bar and suddenly Jamie begins to understand what all the fuss is about. She decides to show up at Gabe’s door in the middle of the night and make up for cock blocking him. From here on we have a classic Maisey Yates story and it’s a very, very good one. As her affection for Gabe grows Jamie blossoms and grows in ways you’d expect only someone with hours of therapy could. There’s some romance, some sex a whole lot of deep dialogue about self-awareness, changing and choices. In other words your typically wonderful Maisey Yates story. Some old friends from the Copper Ridge series that preceded Gold Valley make an appearance which made this story extra special for me. My only other complaint about this story beyond the seemingly repetitive rehashing of Gabe and Jamie’s issues at the beginning is the rather abrupt ending. I expected some sort of epilogue to show the couple living happily ever after once they finally got their act together but instead I got a brief installment of the next book in the series. It looks like another winner but I really would have enjoyed seeing just a little bit of Gabe and Jamie’s happily ever after.
Gabe Dalton is 33, a champion rodeo bronco rider like his father, currently taking a sabbatical from the rodeo for reasons we’re entirely unsure of. IMHO at 33 Gabe has serious daddy issues he should be over with. For several early chapters we hear how Gabe’s relationship with his father caused him to make decisions about his life as a teenager and still does to this day. He has a love/hate relationship with his father and fears that he is really just like him. His father besides being a legendary rodeo star as a bronco rider was also a notorious ladies man who rode as many buckle bunnies as he did broncos disrespecting his marriage vows in the process. While Gabe has never been married or even had a serious relationship since he was seventeen, he’s certainly had his share of buckle bunnies. About the only issue Gabe has that I agree with is that he should keep his hands off of Jamie Dodge whom he’s hired to help him turn ex-rodeo horses into decent trail horses for all levels of experienced or inexperienced riders. First off Jamie works for him and secondly more importantly Jamie at 25 and eight years his junior is too young for him, if not in age then in worldly experience. Of course if Gabe did that, we wouldn’t have a story.
As with Gabe we spend several early chapters hearing over and over again about the angst that Jamie Dodge is currently struggling with the changes going on around her. Jamie is the youngest sibling in the Dodge family and the only girl. Jamie still carries around a world of guilt over the fact that her mother died of a blood clot shortly after her birth. Which is why she can’t stand it when people pity her for growing up without a mother surrounded by her father and brothers. Feeling like she’s already cost her father is wife and her brothers their mother she doesn’t want to be a further burden to them so she has spent her twenty-five years trying to prove just how tough and independent she is. Unfortunately, what she’s gleaned from living with her brothers is that means she can never ask for help, never admit she’s wrong. She can never show her softer side. Jamie also has a burning desire to get away from Gold Valley and be someone other than the famous bull rider Wyatt Dodge’s pitiful baby sister. She wants to join the rodeo and make a name for herself as a barrel rider. Jamie’s brothers and her two best friends McKenna and Beatrix are now either married or engaged to be married and blissfully cohabitating. Hard as it is to believe until Jamie started working for Gabe she’d never even felt a hint of sexual desire. Now that she has, she’s flummoxed and doesn’t know what to do about it. Jamie, who has never even had a boyfriend and is still a virgin feels more alone than she ever has.
One night while out with her friends Jamie witnesses Gabe trying to hook up with a more than willing bleach blonde buckle bunny and the Green Monster flares within her. Ironically Gabe is only doing this to try and relieve the sexual attraction he’s developing for Jamie. When Jamie attempts to get between Gabe and his potential sexual partner Gabe pulls her aside and in plain terms tells her unless she intends to share his bed instead, she needs to back off and stay out of his sex life. Not sure what happens to Gabe’s vow to stay away from Jamie as anything more than an employee? Watching Gabe flirt with the buckle bunny makes Jamie acutely aware that there is a whole lot that goes on between men and women beyond the sex act that she is ignorant of. Which is also ironic because that’s exactly what her now both relationship and sexually experienced friends tried to tell her before they all went out for a drink. Well Gabe has thrown down the proverbial gauntlet and Jamie who never has backed away from a challenge is more than tempted to pick it up. Partially because she’s more than a little attracted to Gabe and partially because she doesn’t like being the only one in her life who doesn’t know first hand the joys of sex.
Gabe kisses Jamie outside the bar and suddenly Jamie begins to understand what all the fuss is about. She decides to show up at Gabe’s door in the middle of the night and make up for cock blocking him. From here on we have a classic Maisey Yates story and it’s a very, very good one. As her affection for Gabe grows Jamie blossoms and grows in ways you’d expect only someone with hours of therapy could. There’s some romance, some sex a whole lot of deep dialogue about self-awareness, changing and choices. In other words your typically wonderful Maisey Yates story. Some old friends from the Copper Ridge series that preceded Gold Valley make an appearance which made this story extra special for me. My only other complaint about this story beyond the seemingly repetitive rehashing of Gabe and Jamie’s issues at the beginning is the rather abrupt ending. I expected some sort of epilogue to show the couple living happily ever after once they finally got their act together but instead I got a brief installment of the next book in the series. It looks like another winner but I really would have enjoyed seeing just a little bit of Gabe and Jamie’s happily ever after.
June 27, 2019
I am one of those readers that gets annoyed & totally ruins the story for me if there are so many spelling errors & inconsistencies in a story - which this was. It would have been a solid 4 stars if not for that.
I received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
I received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
April 2, 2020
I am officially over this series.
No more Maisey Yates cowboy romance for this reader! I've been listening to all of these on audio for the last year or so. I find that I get really sick of the story towards the end and just want it to be over. They have all become predictable. I was actually hoping the girl would not end up with the guy in this one, how badass would of that been?
No more Maisey Yates cowboy romance for this reader! I've been listening to all of these on audio for the last year or so. I find that I get really sick of the story towards the end and just want it to be over. They have all become predictable. I was actually hoping the girl would not end up with the guy in this one, how badass would of that been?
June 22, 2019
I was waiting for this book. But a quarter of this book is just moaning about Hank being a bad parent and blabla. I was kinda disappointed
April 15, 2024
Exactly what I needed it to be. Cowboy romance and smut
Read
December 11, 2024Probably best to put away this author’s books for now. They’re starting to read the same, and that’s a no no.
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