The Last Christmas Cowboy (Gold Valley)

The Last Christmas Cowboy
by Maisey Yates
Release Date:  October 13, 2020
Publisher: HQN Books
Book #11 in the Gold Valley series
Number of Pages: 384
Kindle Edition
Source:  Amazon Pre-Order
Contemporary Romance/Holidays M/F
Rating:  NC-17
Read 10/23/20 to 10/25/20

This Christmas, cowgirl Rose Daniels is determined to play matchmaker to ensure her beloved sister will meet someone under the mistletoe. She enlists the reluctant help of family friend Logan Heath, but his insistence that she doesn’t understand chemistry is exasperating. Until they share one electrifying moment that shows her exactly what chemistry is all about, and it becomes outrageously, irresistibly intriguing…

Logan hates the holidays. They are a painful reminder of the family he lost and a time of year he always wants to spend on his own. But Rose refuses to let him. Logan’s worked for years to keep his attraction to her under wraps—she’s his best friend’s youngest sister and she couldn’t be more off-limits. He’s the last cowboy that innocent Rose should ever kiss, but this Christmas, will Logan become the only cowboy she’ll ever want?

When thinking of Hope Springs, this is the story I wanted to read the most. It’s a tricky thing when dealing with a romance between characters who have known each other their whole lives with a significant age difference. As usual, Maisey Yates handles her characters with care and tact.

Logan has seemed, to me, to be a solid and supportive presence on the ranch. He’s part of the family, but also on the outside. Yet, everyone looks to him as a sort of old reliable. Not to say he’s boring. He’s definitely not. He loves the land and ranching, and he always does what needs doing…even if that’s holding his emotions in check when it comes to his best friend’s little sister, Rose.

While Logan is steady and reliable, Rose is impetuous and reliable. Those two things may seem incongruous to one another, but they’re not. She’s a hard worker and is always there to jump in and help, even with chores she doesn’t find very appealing. But she always speaks what’s on her mind and doesn’t necessarily think about the ramifications of her words. Sometimes Rose can be wise beyond her years. She’s had a rough start losing her parents so young and be raised by her siblings. Other times, her age and naiveté shine through that tough exterior.

Something I didn’t expect from this story was the connection I felt to Rose’s sister, Iris. I wouldn’t say I have disliked Iris in past books, I will admit she didn’t endear herself to me. Getting to see a more vulnerable side to her after Rose makes a mess of things really turned me into a cheerleader for this women. Besides the obvious emotions between Rose and Logan, the most touching scenes in this story involved Iris. That woman needs her HEA STAT!

Things play out in this story as one would imagine on some levels, but there are some surprises along the way. And regardless of if I knew something would happen or not, I greatly enjoyed the journey. Rose and Logan have wonderful chemistry, and not just once they take their relationship to a physical level. When Logan expresses his disappointment in Rose for something she says, I felt that in my gut. These two are connected in a way that is not just about love and sex. They were friends far before either of them thought of the other in a romantic way. They rely on each other heavily at work. They are a well-oiled machine. It was a joy to read about and feel all aspects of their connection.

I have to say, I’m very curious about the rodeo cousins. We’ve only gotten to know them on a very superficial level, yet I’m sure they will both have a lot to say eventually.

4 stars