Last Chance Cowboy

by Maisey Yates

Welcome to Mustang River where you just might choose to get lost on purpose, and find a love that won't ever let you go.

Wilderness Survival Expert Zane Barton wants to be left alone. He isn’t happy about the influx of tourists in Mustang River. Cody Grayson is the one person he's close to calling a friend, but when he asks if they can use his property for trail riding tours – he’s a big N.O. Which is when they send Cara to his door with baked goods, like she could bribe him. Trouble is, when he sees her, it isn't the baked goods he feels hungry for...

Baker Cara Logan knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. The problem with Zane Barton is – she’s not sure he has a heart. But after Cara manages to get herself lost in the woods overnight, she asks Zane if he’ll teach her how to survive so it won’t happen again – and warns him she’s going to try to convince him to allow the tours on his land.

One thing Zane can’t resist is the chance to teach someone wilderness skills, what he doesn’t count on is the spark that flares up between them – and not just when he’s teaching her to start fires.

Neither Zane nor Cara has a lot of practice with opening up to other people. But as they strip layers of clothes off each other, layers of protection come with them. Zane might be able to teach Cara how to survive alone, but can she teach him how to live with someone else?

Genres: Romance

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2026

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

[Lena]

I really loved Cara and Zane's story about two lonely slightly broken people who've experienced too much loss. They're on the brink of putting themselves back together but can't make it work until they find each other.

Lots of minor typos but they don't take away from the story (even the two instances where Cody's name is used instead of Aiden's), they did bump me out of the story while I made sure I was right.

[Heliand]

Slightly more readable than book #1 because Yates actually put some background in here for her characters. Showing the actual meat on the bone certainly does more for readers than just telling them there once was something there on the skeleton. However, the dialogue just drones on and on and on and on and on and on ... The minor characters' story arcs are all being set-up, and it is the same old same old all over again. If you've read any of the other series books by Yates, you know exactly where we are going with Lila and Nolan, and Walker and Addison. I'm sure even Chris will have his own story. The worst part about this book, though, is the editing, or lack thereof. So many grammatical and stylistic mistakes. Incorrect words -- sign instead of skat, misspellings, run-together dialogue without new paragraphs so that characters' responses to each other become grammatically dialogue of incorrect speakers. This book (hell, this entire series) is just being phoned in. It's an incredible disappointment for a writer with Yates's chops. Skip it. Skip all of them.

[Danielle]

Classic Maisey

4.25 stars

The romance between Cara and Zane was classic Maisey Yates. They had a great connection and chemistry. They revealed past hurts to one another that they hadn’t to another. They were sweet with one another. Lots of passion was bursting through the pages between these two. They worked as a couple.

I did wish there was built up more. Things happened very quickly between them. I wished this was a sex only setup. I am getting tired of that trope.

[Flo Hill]

Love at last

Just loved this novel about Zane and Cara initially fighting their attraction and then giving in to it. Both had to be brave to admit their feelings and committing to a forever relationship together.

[Lynn (book_wine_thinker)]

Love a Maisey Yates’ cowboy romance!

I loved this second in the Mustang River romance series. I love a good cowboy and heroine who are just destined for each other!

[Marie]

loved it!

One of my favorite things about Maisey Yates writing is her ability to share the thoughts in her characters heads. You really can feel what they’re feeling

[Moira]

Cara and Zane are both troubled souls. They both suffered great losses as children which affects their outlook on love and life. For the first time in her life, Cara is truly on her own and Zane helps her to grow and be confident in her abilities as she's living in the mountains now. Zane realized that helping others and opening his heart brings more rewards than he ever thought possible.