The Holiday Heartbreaker

Four Corners Ranch #5

by Maisey Yates

MP3 CD Format A fresh start is all she wants this Christmas, but maybe a cowboy is all she needs... It's not the holiday season she'd envisioned. But moving back home with her son, Benny, is all single mom Elizabeth Colfax can do after her ex-husband's infidelity left their life in pieces. A fresh start at Four Corners Ranch means Elizabeth's dream career in equine therapy can become a reality, allowing her to share her love of horses with Benny. If only it didn't also mean butting heads with Brody McCloud, the frustratingly attractive cowboy who sets sparks off inside her. Brody doesn't do complicated, and Elizabeth's got more baggage than an airport. But there's something about the woman that's always gotten under his skin in a very welcome way. As the simmering tension between them grows harder to ignore, they'll have to decide if their undeniable attraction can outweigh a shared loss of faith in forever. Maybe this Christmas, they can find a family worth fighting for. Four Corners Ranch Book 1: Unbridled Cowboy Book 2: Merry Christmas Cowboy Book 3: Cowboy Wild Book 4: The Rough Rider

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Audiobook, Westerns, Holiday, Amazon

1 pages, Audio CD

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

New 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.

Reviews

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delicious slow burn that got hotter than a pepper sprout fast. I’ve been dying for Brody’s story as his experience with his father, abusive to his siblings, but he experienced the opposite. A different type of abuse because it left him to wonder why him and what was wrong with him. The scars these men have both external and internal affected each son differently and made them feel unlovable. MAISEY writes the hell out of these books in bringing the emotions out in such a real way. This was a single mom romance and I love those. This story was everything!

[HTP Books]

Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Western Romance
Miniseries
Four Corners Ranch (Book #5)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun holiday romance. Cowboy and all! LOL

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book good author good series

[Holly Doyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many words. Could have been much shorter and been a more effective book in my opinion.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel as though Brody is the McCloud brother I knew the least about. The McClouds had an abusive father and a mother who abandoned them. Brody is the only sibling that was never hit by their father. The only one who was ever treated kindly in any way. The brothers love each other deeply, they’ve been through hell and back with each other. Rationally they all know it’s not Brody’s fault their father favored him, but Brody carries that invisible scar after watching his brothers be treated badly and even almost killed while he stood alone and untouched.

Elizabeth and Brody met briefly when she was interviewing for the job at the McCloud ranch and both felt prickly about the other. Meaning, of course, that they are unwillingly attracted to each other. This story starts with Elizabeth and her 8-year-old son Benny pulling up to their new home at Four Corners Ranch. Brody is there to greet them and show them around and there is an instant comradery between Benny and Brody that I love. Brody wasn’t in the mindset of having to or wanting to impress Benny since he had no illusions that he would ever have a relationship of any sort with the prim, put-together single mom, so there was no pretense when he dealt with the youngster. He joked with him but also gently corrected him to make sure Benny was respecting Elizabeth as well as the work she did and the land they now lived on. Their friendship was one of my favorite things in this book.

While there is some angst in this story due to the nature of how both Brody and Elizabeth were raised, when it comes to the relationship they build the angst is kept quite low. Even when things come to a head with feelings Elizabeth cannot keep in and Brody doesn’t know how to accept, it doesn’t delve into despair and heartbreak. I enjoyed the maturity Brody had gained throughout the book and how he handled his chaotic feelings. It was a refreshing change.

I’ve mentioned before that this author has gotten a bit wordy for my taste and too in the character’s heads. This story was, thankfully, a nice blend of self-reflection and dialogue so I was able to feel the connection Brody and Elizabeth had. The story is still a bit wordy for my taste, but getting better.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this one just felt ok for me. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a small town romance, or maybe it just didn’t have enough Christmas for me. It was still enjoyable but a little too predictable. The plot was cute and it was nice to see some other characters. Overall just ok for me!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Initially thoughts:

Maisey Yates has done it once again creating an emotional tale of two broken people healing and falling in love at the same time in a very beautiful way. Another winner for this series.

Review:

I could probably gush and gush about this, but that would take forever, instead I’m just going to talk about some key points throughout the story.

Firstly, Elizabeth and Brody had some intense chemistry that started from the moment they met. The tension and chemistry was so thick. It was a lot. In the beginning, it almost felt too much because every time they had encounters with one another all the focus was on said chemistry. It was overwhelming at times. It did get better once the emotional intimacy came in, and they started to bond beyond just the chemistry.

Second, I loved Brody. He was so good with her son, Benny. He really took him under his wing while demanded respect not only for him but Elizabeth. Just the bond they formed was just so stinking cute. And the way he treated Elizabeth was gold. He really took care of her. He supported her. He was a friend before they ever got intimately involved. The things he did for was precious. The moments of gestures and affection were just great. Plus the way he totally fell head over heels for her was so amazing. He was truly smitten with her. I loved seeing him so smitten and showing it accordingly. It was everything I wanted and more.

Thirdly, at first I was disappointed that there wasn’t a lot of elements of Christmas here, but once it went there, it went there. It was so romantic and special, and spicy too, as Elizabeth and Brody spent the holiday. The way that Brody participated in Christmas activities for her even though he didn’t celebrate himself was heartwarming while Elizabeth put in all the effort in the world for him to make sure he had a special Christmas was just so beautiful. I loved how much a role Christmas played in bringing them closer. That’s how it supposed to be done in a Christmas romance.

Lastly, I loved the whole family aspect. The dynamics that were explored. The bonds that were there. The brothers teasing one another. It just gave me all the family feels that I was expecting and wanting.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 66%

Ok, I promised myself after the last one I picked up a few years ago that I wouldn't try any more of Yates' Western-set romances, because their political and gender conservatism, which seems to be growing ever-more pronounced, is a huge turn-off for me. But when I saw this one on my library's list of new ebook romance releases, I somehow let my liking for some of Yates' earlier books make me forget that dislike of the later ones. But I'm regretting it now...

Divorced single mother Elizabeth moves with her son Benny to take a job as an equestrian therapist at the ranch where Brody McCloud lives and works with his four brothers and their wives. Both have childhood trauma—Elizabeth as a foster child whose bio father is in jail, whose bio mother often abandoned her, and whose best foster mother died when she was 19; Brody as the only one of his brothers whom his physically abusive father did not harm—but other than that, there's not much but insta-lust pulling the two together. Tons of time spent inside each characters' heads, with very little in the way of plot, makes for a dull story. Elizabeth has the more interesting character, a woman just starting to realize how her foster care upbringing made her glom on to the first guy who showed a spec of interest in her, and how she continually represses her own desires and needs to prevent others from rejecting her. Brody's the conventional male bad-boy who, despite sleeping around and drinking excessively before meeting his one true love, is really a good guy deep inside. And who doesn't believe he is worthy because backstory reasons. Yates conveniently never explains how a man who grew up with an abusive father and without a mother learns and displays gendered politeness norms (opening a car door for a woman, placing his hand on a woman's back to guide her protectively through a crowded room).

When Elizabeth asks Brody's brother for Christmas present recommendations, and brother tells her she can't go wrong with a knife or bullets, and Elizabeth not only makes no objection but immediately goes to the store to purchase said weapons—that's when I decided this one was definitely not for me.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am woefully behind on this series--but at least I did get to see a couple whose story I did read (Sawyer and Evelyn from Unbridled Cowboy ) near the end, so there's that ;)

I picked up The Holiday Heartbreaker this week because Christmas, and because it has a single mother in it. Elizabeth has been divorced for six years and in all that time has been all about being a mother to Benny--no dates, no relationships, no sex. Not that there's anything wrong with people who are able to move on quickly after such a devastating life change, but I did appreciate that Elizabeth took her time, making a better life for herself and her son in Pyrite Falls and figuring out what she wanted for herself for once.

And it turns out part of what she wanted is a cowboy pirate. Go figure ;)

Parts of this story felt like they dragged a bit--Brody and Elizabeth spend a lot of time in their heads, which makes sense because they both have a lot of issues to work through, and they spend a whole lot of time talking, which again, they need to do but there were times I wanted more action and less dialogue. Ms Yates makes up for it with the last part of her story, though, and the Dread Pirate Roberts rep was spot on. Brody's chat with Ben 100% had me tearing up. And that epilogue? I have no notes; just excellent.

Now--to move on to Lachlan's book, or back up and read the other brothers'? Decisions, decisions...

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Laura R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth has a career in equine therapy, and so when the McCloud ranch reaches out to her to come and live on the property and work for them, she immediately heads out to stay in a cabin on the property with her son, Benny, leaving behind her ex-husband and his new family. She wants a fresh start, hoping to instill a sense of passion for the horses she loves in her son. What she doesn’t expect is Brody McCloud – the attractive cowboy who is way too smooth for his own good. Brody doesn’t do complicated, so when he can’t get Elizabeth out of his mind, he knows he’s screwed. And as Christmas rolls around and the two of them think they can manage just a small fling, it’ll take some serious Christmas magic for them to get over their own personal issues and find their way towards each other for good.

This was cute and fun and sweet. Brody was damaged for sure, but probably the least damaged of the MMCs in this series so far. Elizabeth was an orphan who married the first guy who gave her attention, so as her and Brody hit it off she becomes a bit of a hard one to crack and accept that he’s more than just a fling. I love the two of them together, and the way Brody interacts with Benny was so sweet. I loved the backdrop of Christmas time and how they spend their Christmas together. I loved how Elizabeth finds it within herself to heal from her divorce. I loved the romance and the spice and everything in between. Honestly, I enjoyed this. Definitely follows the recipe of “we’re both broken,” “now I’m fixed,” and then “I can fix you.”

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Holiday Heartbreaker by Maisey Yates is just that and more. The story quickly introduces us to the single mom raising her young son while her ex-husband is off creating another family with another woman. The female protagonist feels like she does not even compare to the new woman in her husband's and son's new life. Her son now has some half-siblings and a stepmom. The boy's father and his new family live in an upscale area with a huge house and horses. The protagonist decides to move her son to where she works. It gives her three hours distance from her husband and his new family. There at the Four Corners Ranch, the heroine finds herself falling for one of the owners. His gruff exterior and instant chemistry that they share is off the charts. But the single mom tries to hide her feelings because she's a mom. Can the hero show her she can still be a mom but one who has a man to love her? There were many great topics discussed in this charming Christmas read. I enjoyed unraveling each and every issue and watching the charming cowboy win over the mom and young boy. Humor, family, and romance all in one fantastic holiday novel.

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Madoka Kamimura Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maisey Yates brings us the story of Elizabeth and her son Benny coming to Four Corners Ranch to start fresh. Working on the ranch brings her up close and personal with Brody McCloud as they fight the attraction between them. When Elizabeth decides to give in, will they be able to maneuver all of life's complications as they make discoveries about each other and themselves? Will they decide that what they have is worth it all, or will the past get in their way?

Maisey Yates brings us the story of discovery and starting over. You get to see how single mom Elizabeth tries to do her best not only for her son, but also for herself and how the two may actually be the same thing. We also get to watch Brody who runs from complications battle with himself and his attraction to mother and son.

In addition, we get a bonus story about taking chances and perhaps finding love when you do.

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press for this privilege.

[Lynn Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 STARS!

One of my favorites in the series! The next book in the Four Corners Ranch series by Maisey Yates delivers another delicious cowboy, but Brody McCloud brings an even more emotional delivery than we're used to. He's out for a good time, and just can't believe the way Lizzie and Ben knock him for a loop and have him questioning his feelings before he can turn around. He unpacks a lot of baggage along the way about his childhood and the way his family sees him. I really enjoyed watching both main characters find the side of themselves that they can live with going forward and the fact that they each bring out the best in each other. Great characters, emotional journeys and so many sweet and sexy thrills along the way!

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a small town romance filled with an overbearing family that lives hard and loves even harder standing up for each other along the way towards finding their forever one after another.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the Four Corners Ranch series, in which Elizabeth Colfax is struggling to reset her life after a divorce. She takes a job as a therapy specialist on the Four Corners Ranch and enounters the McCloud brothers, one of whom just seems to rub her wrong. (Or is it right when she finally realizes the attraction is mutual and very very strong?)

Brody McCloud doesn't want to be drawn to Elizabeth, but he could be wrong about that, something his brothers seem to recognize before he chooses to. After all, he's not into commitment, particularly with a woman who already has a son. After all, Brody's background with an abusive father has convinced him never to father anyone.

Too bad little Benny doesn't agree. He just doesn't want his mother to bring a man into their lives, that is, until he meets Brody, who convinces the boy that he's both a pirate and a cowboy. But the question remains: will Brody admit his feelings and then do something about it? And will Elizabeth realize that what she thought was love with her ex-husband wasn't anywhere close? Is Lachlan next?

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all, I am so enjoying Maisey Yates’ Four Corners Ranch series, and The Holiday Heartbreaker is such a terrific addition.

I knew Brody McCloud’s back story would be a bit deeper than I thought, and boy is it! But I loved how the relationship with Elizabeth drew him out and got him to a point where he could be himself and stop hiding from the past. And Elizabeth too! I loved how fiercely protective she was of her son Benny. And I loved how she quickly enmeshed herself with the rest of the McClouds as well as the other Four Corners families.

I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to see how Brody’s and Elizabeth’s relationship would unfold. And though a slow build, it was so worth the wait! I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series—The Troublemaker—to see if Lachlan and Charity finally admit their friendship is something so much more! ~ Missy, 4.5 stars

[who · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4.5. This is my first introduction to this author and this series in fact. The book is about the various degrees and types of trauma the people in this series experience, and it showcases how they cope with said traumas.

It was deep without being too heavy and exhausting. The main characters felt like real people with real problems. The story was charged with great chemistry and tension between Elizabeth and Brody (my favorite pirate cowboy). Both of them were flawed and imperfect and likable people. They fit well together despite their differences and being in different stages of their lives. Also, they both show so much growth in their journeys and it’s a lovely thing to read about.

The pacing was great throughout most of the book. At the end things started moving a little too quickly for my liking, and it was a little jarring. But overall, it was an immensely enjoyable read.

[Traci Westling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK ! Couldn’t get through it fast enough !! Somehow this author manages to balance real life adult professional characters that happen to have kids & marriage /divorce situations … that make all her romance stories believable & heartfelt! With that said the story resonates with full on explosive chemistry between our hero/heroine while the two characters manage to navigate their said jobs and family & friends ! This particular story had a lot of passion, pain & wonderful “ah huh “ moments! I found to be a wonderful holiday read that really gets you ready for all the Christmas feel good’s & reconciliations. Bonus was the HEA epilogue AND just as HOT NOVELLA included . Just the way I like them! Wholesome & Hot !

[Marybelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book. It includes the title story, The Holiday Heartbreaker, and a short novella, The Wild Night Cowboy. Both stories deal with the main characters’ sense of self and what can be constituted as normal. Each protagonist, in both stories, is injured emotionally, and in the case of our males leads, physically and psychologically. Both of our female leads dealt with neglect and abandonment.

All four characters deal with the acceptance that there is no such thing as “normal”. What is normal for one person is not for another. Each dealt with the acceptance of who they are and what they deserve in life and love.

Both stories are difficult reads, but very enjoyable.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC was provided by Edelweiss and the publisher.
I also had an audiobook copy via Hoopla.

This one hooked me from the beginning. I think it was the whole bit Brody pulls with Benny about being a "Pirate Cowboy". This was also kinda Christmas-y but not super Christmas-y ... which I found nice!

I think what keeps me coming back to Yate's work as a reader is the tone of her stories. They are each unique in their details but they all feel familiar. I like visiting the towns and families that she has created in each series ... they make me feel some sort of way as a reader, the way that makes me keep coming back with each new volume to see what the people in town are up to next!

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth moves to four corners with her son Benny to do something she wants with her life. She is a therapist with the equine facility the McCloud's have built.

Benny doesn't like it at first but he takes up with Brody the "pirate cowboy".

Elizabeth is so attracted to Brody but doesn't understand. He is feeling the same but he can't understand as she is not the kind of woman he goes after.

Brody keeps showing up around her.

When they finally succumb to the heat and passions, Elizabeth feels a part if her wake up that gas long been dormant.

She confides in Brody and he with her.

Can these broken people with awful pasts realize they are meant to be?

Such a good book!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little Christmas story, the usual Hallmark stuff. But I enjoyed the fact the main woman was an equine therapist, that led a fun element, since I'm a horse person. The characters weren't bad, the setting typical, but it was an enjoyable story. I really like, since I read this book over the holidays, that it began right before Christmas, and ended after new years, as I never quite finish my Christmas books before the big day, it was fun to have the story continue past the usual Christmas morning. Would definitely recommend for those who enjoy a good wholesome Christmas story!

[Kristi Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot and steamy story and a page turner. Loved the story, the characters and location. I loved that two people who have both had a rough childhood who find they are attracted to each and end up having a sexual relationship that turns to love. Complication: a young son and and ex-husband that Elizabeth is trying to protect and the cowboy that ca't seem to get enough of her. A great read and page turner.

The short bonus story "Wild Night Cowboy" was an extra great and quick read! I enjoyed it a lot!

[STACIE DUFOUR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do love this series and the books are getting better and better.

Brody and Elizabeth were great. They had instant tension and great chemistry. They spent more time together on the page and less time in their own heads.

I enjoyed Brody working through his trauma, that was different but just as hard as what his brothers lived through. I also loved how Elizabeth grew and how she and Benny opened things up for Broday.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

These characters are great. The dynamic between them is really deliciously relaxed in a way that makes for a great holiday read. We literally just watch them date and I love it.

The ending is so rushed it's unbelievable.

Came with a short story with Zane and Shayna. That was a fun smutty read with an ending that felt much more organic.

ARC

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!!! The true meaning of Christmas is shining down on me. Brody has learned what it is to love and beloved. I am so impressed with his character. He has faced his demons, dressed like a pirate and promised a little boy that he will always love his mom. I never expected that the therapist hired by the McClouds would be able to help Brody. What a wonderful feel good holiday romance.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Colfax come to Four Corners to work on McCloud ranch as an equine therapist. Brody McCloud is attracted to her but knows nothing will come of it because she has a son, and he doesn’t do single mothers.
Both are broken individuals that find that together they can be good together. They understand that their brokenness can help with healing themselves.

[Vera Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming love story about two people (Elizabeth and Brody) who are struggling to overcome their issues surrounding commitment. This novel is psychologically deep and well written. I came away with some interesting insights. I love when I can learn something from a book. It's more than just a temporary escape. Well done!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the book. I felt like some of the issues got swept under the rug or barely addressed.

Also the I love you to marriage timeline was insane lol
Like you just took all your things and couldn’t do it then bam you realized you could love her and marriage right away??

Overall, it was a fun time and I appreciated the tension between the two main characters

[Danielle Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely not my typical read but I’ll scoop them up at library book sales based on their covers and save them for December every year, like a weird little treat. I’ve read a few from this series. All so corny. So typically. Hate each other at first. Fall in love. Blah blah blah. I’m just here for the cowboy.