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Gold Valley #4
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas
You won't want to miss this powerfully emotional cowboy romance by New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates! It’s Christmas in Gold Valley, and this wounded widower is about to get another shot at love…Grant Dodge didn’t expect to find a woman sleeping in an abandoned cabin on his family ranch. Or to find her so intriguing. Unlike every other woman in town, McKenna Tate doesn’t know Grant’s a widower. There’s no pity in the looks she gives him. McKenna wants him, and Grant has forgotten what it’s like to feel like a man. A no-strings fling for Christmas might be the kind of holiday cheer Grant needs…With only a suitcase to her name, McKenna came to Gold Valley to confront her birth father. She didn’t plan to work at the Dodge ranch or fall for the gorgeous cowboy who keeps his heart roped off. But there’s no denying the way their broken pieces fit together. Hope brought her to Gold Valley—but will it be the gift that could finally heal Grant, and McKenna’s own wounded heart?Also includes a bonus Gold Valley novella, Snowed in with the Cowboy!Don't miss The Lost and Found Girl by Maisey Yates! A powerful novel of sisterhood, secrets and how far you’d go to protect someone you love. Read the entire Gold Valley Smooth-Talking Cowboy2. Untamed Cowboy3. Good Time Cowboy4. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas5. Unbroken Cowboy6. Cowboy to the Core7. Lone Wolf Cowboy8. Cowboy Christmas Redemption9. The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch10. The Hero of Hope Springs11. The Last Christmas Cowboy
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2018
294 people are currently reading
1730 people want to read
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,175 books3,004 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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December 7, 2018
It’s that time of year, Lifetime and Hallmark setting out to woo watchers with their hard-core press of holiday themed previews on a constant loop. And you know what, it actually worked. Lifetime grabbed the attention of this avoider of overly cheerful and saccharine storylines, for one reason initially—the casting of One Tree Hill alum—and now I can’t seem to stop. *wink*
Caught-up in a binge-fest of holiday movies, and being a fan of Maisey Yates's previous series, made this an effortless reach.
Homeless and found squatting in an spider infested cabin on the Get Out of Dodge compound, McKenna has one goal in mind. The town of Gold Valley—a close knit community, with picturesque scenery and home of the idyllic Christmas parade—is where she was born and her last hope for tracking down any family.
Lucky for her, the Dodge family is overly trusting and more than willing to give a complete stranger a cutesy cabin of her own and a job. Mr. Tall, Dark and Cranky—otherwise known as Grant Dodge—is set to be her Yoda, tasked with teaching McKenna the ropes.
Both broken in their own ways, Gage and McKenna battle it out for the gold metal in the Shit Olympics. Opening up to each other along the way, sharing their darkest moments, like they’ve never done with anyone else. A widower, Gage has spent the last 8-years of whisky-filled nights trying to escape the pity present in just about everyone’s eyes. Having grown up in foster care, McKenna doesn’t know what it feels like to have unconditional love or roots. You guessed it, this is the tale of two broken people finding a way to mend one another.
I can’t say A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas holds a place among my favorites of Yates's novels. I tend to favor her storylines with less introspection and more humor. McKenna and Gage’s story is driven almost entirely by inner thoughts—often wishy-washy and rampant with will-they/won’t they musings—and loses fervor quite quickly. My biggest contention of all being with Gage’s backstory. I might be seriously jaded here, but the reality of his sexual history at the age of 34 was incomprehensible to this girl.
What I adored about the author’s previous series, Copper Ridge, was getting to connect with secondary characters who pop up later when they’re deemed worthy of love. Seems Yates is continuing the trend here with Bea and Dane set to take the stage next in Unbroken Cowboy. She gave just enough here to pique my interest. Let’s just hope Yates injects some humor.
*Thanks to Harlequin for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Caught-up in a binge-fest of holiday movies, and being a fan of Maisey Yates's previous series, made this an effortless reach.
Homeless and found squatting in an spider infested cabin on the Get Out of Dodge compound, McKenna has one goal in mind. The town of Gold Valley—a close knit community, with picturesque scenery and home of the idyllic Christmas parade—is where she was born and her last hope for tracking down any family.
Lucky for her, the Dodge family is overly trusting and more than willing to give a complete stranger a cutesy cabin of her own and a job. Mr. Tall, Dark and Cranky—otherwise known as Grant Dodge—is set to be her Yoda, tasked with teaching McKenna the ropes.
Both broken in their own ways, Gage and McKenna battle it out for the gold metal in the Shit Olympics. Opening up to each other along the way, sharing their darkest moments, like they’ve never done with anyone else. A widower, Gage has spent the last 8-years of whisky-filled nights trying to escape the pity present in just about everyone’s eyes. Having grown up in foster care, McKenna doesn’t know what it feels like to have unconditional love or roots. You guessed it, this is the tale of two broken people finding a way to mend one another.
I can’t say A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas holds a place among my favorites of Yates's novels. I tend to favor her storylines with less introspection and more humor. McKenna and Gage’s story is driven almost entirely by inner thoughts—often wishy-washy and rampant with will-they/won’t they musings—and loses fervor quite quickly. My biggest contention of all being with Gage’s backstory. I might be seriously jaded here, but the reality of his sexual history at the age of 34 was incomprehensible to this girl.
What I adored about the author’s previous series, Copper Ridge, was getting to connect with secondary characters who pop up later when they’re deemed worthy of love. Seems Yates is continuing the trend here with Bea and Dane set to take the stage next in Unbroken Cowboy. She gave just enough here to pique my interest. Let’s just hope Yates injects some humor.
*Thanks to Harlequin for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
December 6, 2018
It’s a no from me, dawg
February 16, 2019
Happy Sunday and happy December! I am on my branching out tour right now and I read a Christmas romance book that is firmly in the romance category (none of those romance thrillers or romance mysteries I’ve tested the waters with). This book was charming and adorable! A fun Christmas read for those looking for a little getaway from life to the Get out of Dodge ranch for a few days.
This is the fourth in Maisey Yates’ Gold Valley books, and though I haven’t read the others, it seems that each tells the story of a local cowboy finding love. This can absolutely be read as a standalone, the story of Grant and McKenna is completely contained in this book. And we get a bit of a teaser of who book 5 will cover, and it is definitely one I’ll want to read!
McKenna Tate is a character that it is hard not to admire. She’s had a tough life, and though she acknowledges how painful it has been, she never really acts like a victim. McKenna is a survivor—she keeps moving forward, despite a life filled with setbacks. So when she arrives in Gold Valley, it’s hard not to hope that this is the place she finally finds a sense of belonging.
Grant is really his own worst enemy. He married young to a woman named Lindsey who changed him. He’d been mean before—a bully. He took out his pain on others. Lindsey gave Grant the chance to realize he can be a better person. But Lindsey was also dying, and their marriage was more one of healing than one of passion or love. Grant now feels unsure how to take what he learned from Lindsey and start giving back to others. In a way, Grant became satisfied being the caregiver, but he doesn’t really know how to let himself be cared for too.
And finally, there is the plot around McKenna and her birth father. Hank is a somewhat mysterious figure for a lot of the book. A legend in the Rodeo world. McKenna hopes that he might want her, if only he knew she exists. And finding the courage to meet him is a really fun plot to this novel.
And finally, all of our stories will come together at Christmas. You’ll find yourself happy and delighted to see that Christmas may allow us to truly open our hearts to others, and maybe that is what happens for this rough and tumble family. Happy holidays and happy reading!
Thank you to the team at Harlequin for my copy to review.
This is the fourth in Maisey Yates’ Gold Valley books, and though I haven’t read the others, it seems that each tells the story of a local cowboy finding love. This can absolutely be read as a standalone, the story of Grant and McKenna is completely contained in this book. And we get a bit of a teaser of who book 5 will cover, and it is definitely one I’ll want to read!
McKenna Tate is a character that it is hard not to admire. She’s had a tough life, and though she acknowledges how painful it has been, she never really acts like a victim. McKenna is a survivor—she keeps moving forward, despite a life filled with setbacks. So when she arrives in Gold Valley, it’s hard not to hope that this is the place she finally finds a sense of belonging.
Grant is really his own worst enemy. He married young to a woman named Lindsey who changed him. He’d been mean before—a bully. He took out his pain on others. Lindsey gave Grant the chance to realize he can be a better person. But Lindsey was also dying, and their marriage was more one of healing than one of passion or love. Grant now feels unsure how to take what he learned from Lindsey and start giving back to others. In a way, Grant became satisfied being the caregiver, but he doesn’t really know how to let himself be cared for too.
And finally, there is the plot around McKenna and her birth father. Hank is a somewhat mysterious figure for a lot of the book. A legend in the Rodeo world. McKenna hopes that he might want her, if only he knew she exists. And finding the courage to meet him is a really fun plot to this novel.
And finally, all of our stories will come together at Christmas. You’ll find yourself happy and delighted to see that Christmas may allow us to truly open our hearts to others, and maybe that is what happens for this rough and tumble family. Happy holidays and happy reading!
Thank you to the team at Harlequin for my copy to review.
December 12, 2018
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas gives us a lovely Christmas feel from the ranch Grant lives on, to the town, and all it’s people.
I had fun with my first Maisey Yates novel. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is book four in the Gold Valley series, but it can read as a stand alone. I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing things. The author did a great job blending the previous characters and couples into the story, that they felt like they belonged, and it was ok that I hadn’t read about them before.
In A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas we get one grumpy Cowboy and a women who is looking for family. These two damaged souls had me crying, laughing, and hoping for the best for both of them. It’s a touching heartwarming romance.
McKenna has had a tough life being abandoned to foster care and finding herself homeless. She’s come to Gold Valley to find her family, but she knows that they may not accept her. Grant married his childhood sweetheart who was dying of cancer. He knew she would be gone one day, but even 8 years after the loss he’s morning and not living. Both of these two pulled at my heart. It was hard not to fall for them and hope that they could get their lives together and maybe find something more along the way.
The romance had some bumps along the way; especially with them both dealing with emotional baggage and that they have both learned to keep people at a distance. But, I had a delightful time with their romance and watching them both find what they needed.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was a sweet and delightful read. I had a wonderful time and plan on reading more in the Gold Valley series.
Rated: 4 Stars
I had fun with my first Maisey Yates novel. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is book four in the Gold Valley series, but it can read as a stand alone. I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing things. The author did a great job blending the previous characters and couples into the story, that they felt like they belonged, and it was ok that I hadn’t read about them before.
In A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas we get one grumpy Cowboy and a women who is looking for family. These two damaged souls had me crying, laughing, and hoping for the best for both of them. It’s a touching heartwarming romance.
McKenna has had a tough life being abandoned to foster care and finding herself homeless. She’s come to Gold Valley to find her family, but she knows that they may not accept her. Grant married his childhood sweetheart who was dying of cancer. He knew she would be gone one day, but even 8 years after the loss he’s morning and not living. Both of these two pulled at my heart. It was hard not to fall for them and hope that they could get their lives together and maybe find something more along the way.
The romance had some bumps along the way; especially with them both dealing with emotional baggage and that they have both learned to keep people at a distance. But, I had a delightful time with their romance and watching them both find what they needed.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was a sweet and delightful read. I had a wonderful time and plan on reading more in the Gold Valley series.
Rated: 4 Stars
January 7, 2019
I received this book for free from the publisher (Harlequin) as part of their Bookstagram Christmas mailing.
This was my first time reading Maisey Yates and I throughly enjoyed it. I obviously haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but that did not hinder my reading experience. I was able to read this as a standalone with no problems.
I loved Grant. He was a tall, dark cowboy with a tragic past. So swoon worthy.
Plot-wise, the storyline was pretty good. It was well paced and the romance happened at just the right speed. However, Grant being a virgin was a bit unbelievable and kind of threw me for a loop.
I loved the wintery Christmas spirit that the book had. I could just picture Gold Valley all decorated for Christmas. Also, McKenna’s search for a family and Grant overcoming his grief fit in perfectly with the holiday theme.
The one thing that I didn’t like was that there was too much inner dialogue that didn’t really do much of anything. It got repetitive after a while. It felt excessive and could have been cut down significantly.
Overall, I enjoyed this Christmas themed cowboy romance!
Note: This book also contains the novella, Snowed in with the Cowboy, which I will be reviewing separately.
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This was my first time reading Maisey Yates and I throughly enjoyed it. I obviously haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but that did not hinder my reading experience. I was able to read this as a standalone with no problems.
I loved Grant. He was a tall, dark cowboy with a tragic past. So swoon worthy.
Plot-wise, the storyline was pretty good. It was well paced and the romance happened at just the right speed. However, Grant being a virgin was a bit unbelievable and kind of threw me for a loop.
I loved the wintery Christmas spirit that the book had. I could just picture Gold Valley all decorated for Christmas. Also, McKenna’s search for a family and Grant overcoming his grief fit in perfectly with the holiday theme.
The one thing that I didn’t like was that there was too much inner dialogue that didn’t really do much of anything. It got repetitive after a while. It felt excessive and could have been cut down significantly.
Overall, I enjoyed this Christmas themed cowboy romance!
Note: This book also contains the novella, Snowed in with the Cowboy, which I will be reviewing separately.
Connect with me!
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
October 4, 2018
With Christmas trees popping up at stores around town and the Hallmark Channel promoting their Christmas movie lineup, I couldn't say no to a holiday-themed new release. Yes, I know it's not even Halloween yet. What can I say? I'm susceptible to holiday cheer.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is the fourth installment in Maisey Yates's western romance series titled Gold Valley. I read it out of order as a standlone with no issue. It features a lonely heroine looking towards a hopeful future and a cowboy hero who can't move on from his past. The complexity of these characters, especially the male lead, was impressive with realistic attitudes towards the issues they each are dealing with. With themes related to abandonment, grief, and giving life and love a second chance, this was an emotional and engaging reading experience.
Maisey Yates is a new-to-me author and to say I am excited to finally discover her is quite the understatement. I am 100% in sync with her writing style. Super sweet and sexy with an unexpected amount of character development. Who knew I liked cowboy romances? I like hers at least. Check it out!
My favorite quote:
"It was just that life had teeth wherever you were at and it didn't hesitate to bite you in the ass when the opportunity came up."
Maisey Yates's Gold Valley series includes the following installments as of October 2018:
0.5-Cowboy Christmas Blues
1-Smooth-Talking Cowboy
1.5-Mail Order Cowboy
2-Untamed Cowboy
2.5-Hard Riding Cowboy
3-Good Time Cowboy
3.5-Snowed in with the Cowboy
4-A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas
5-Unbroken Cowboy (not yet released)
6-Cowboy to the Core (not yet released)
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is the fourth installment in Maisey Yates's western romance series titled Gold Valley. I read it out of order as a standlone with no issue. It features a lonely heroine looking towards a hopeful future and a cowboy hero who can't move on from his past. The complexity of these characters, especially the male lead, was impressive with realistic attitudes towards the issues they each are dealing with. With themes related to abandonment, grief, and giving life and love a second chance, this was an emotional and engaging reading experience.
Maisey Yates is a new-to-me author and to say I am excited to finally discover her is quite the understatement. I am 100% in sync with her writing style. Super sweet and sexy with an unexpected amount of character development. Who knew I liked cowboy romances? I like hers at least. Check it out!
My favorite quote:
"It was just that life had teeth wherever you were at and it didn't hesitate to bite you in the ass when the opportunity came up."
Maisey Yates's Gold Valley series includes the following installments as of October 2018:
0.5-Cowboy Christmas Blues
1-Smooth-Talking Cowboy
1.5-Mail Order Cowboy
2-Untamed Cowboy
2.5-Hard Riding Cowboy
3-Good Time Cowboy
3.5-Snowed in with the Cowboy
4-A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas
5-Unbroken Cowboy (not yet released)
6-Cowboy to the Core (not yet released)
September 25, 2018
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
A TALL, DARK COWBOY CHRISTMAS (A Gold Valley Novel #4) by Maisey Yates is a contemporary holiday romance. This is an addition to the Gold Valley series and does have many characters crossing over from previous books in the series. The H/h romance can be read as a standalone, but I feel some of the backstory and character interactions are better understood if you have read this series in order.
McKenna Tate was given away by her mother and put into foster care at the age of two. At age eighteen, she received paperwork that could lead her to her birth father, a famous rodeo cowboy and his family in Gold Valley. After eight years of having no one to care about her, with only a suitcase to her name, she ends up in Gold Valley broke and sleeping in an abandoned cabin. She has to figure out a way to approach her father because all she has ever dreamed of is belonging to a family and having someone care about her.
Grant Dodge has been existing, but not living for the last eight years since his wife died. He hates the pity in all of the townspeople’s eyes, but he cannot leave his responsibilities at his family’s dude ranch. He is shocked when he finds a woman sleeping in the abandoned cabin on the ranch’s property. His brother hires McKenna and there is something about her prickly and tough exterior that begins to break through Grant’s protective shell. They agree to a no-strings attached fling.
McKenna wants the Christmas miracle of a family that cares for her and just maybe a man who loves her, too because she stills believes in hope. Grant believes he has no more emotion left for a new relationship, but he also does not want to give up McKenna. Can these two find what they want and need in each other or will their pasts overshadow their future?
I loved McKenna and her never ending hope, but she also would not be taken advantage of or walked all over. Grant was a great foil to her with his loss of hope. All of the family and friends made the story feel realistic because of their own situations going on around the H/h. The sex scenes were explicit, hot and appropriate to the story. I did have a problem with how many times the author returned to McKenna’s and Grant’s backstories. There was a continual repeat of the same internal angst and it got to be a bit repetitive and I felt unnecessary. The unexpected love, hope and letting go of the past are what made this an enjoyable holiday read.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
A TALL, DARK COWBOY CHRISTMAS (A Gold Valley Novel #4) by Maisey Yates is a contemporary holiday romance. This is an addition to the Gold Valley series and does have many characters crossing over from previous books in the series. The H/h romance can be read as a standalone, but I feel some of the backstory and character interactions are better understood if you have read this series in order.
McKenna Tate was given away by her mother and put into foster care at the age of two. At age eighteen, she received paperwork that could lead her to her birth father, a famous rodeo cowboy and his family in Gold Valley. After eight years of having no one to care about her, with only a suitcase to her name, she ends up in Gold Valley broke and sleeping in an abandoned cabin. She has to figure out a way to approach her father because all she has ever dreamed of is belonging to a family and having someone care about her.
Grant Dodge has been existing, but not living for the last eight years since his wife died. He hates the pity in all of the townspeople’s eyes, but he cannot leave his responsibilities at his family’s dude ranch. He is shocked when he finds a woman sleeping in the abandoned cabin on the ranch’s property. His brother hires McKenna and there is something about her prickly and tough exterior that begins to break through Grant’s protective shell. They agree to a no-strings attached fling.
McKenna wants the Christmas miracle of a family that cares for her and just maybe a man who loves her, too because she stills believes in hope. Grant believes he has no more emotion left for a new relationship, but he also does not want to give up McKenna. Can these two find what they want and need in each other or will their pasts overshadow their future?
I loved McKenna and her never ending hope, but she also would not be taken advantage of or walked all over. Grant was a great foil to her with his loss of hope. All of the family and friends made the story feel realistic because of their own situations going on around the H/h. The sex scenes were explicit, hot and appropriate to the story. I did have a problem with how many times the author returned to McKenna’s and Grant’s backstories. There was a continual repeat of the same internal angst and it got to be a bit repetitive and I felt unnecessary. The unexpected love, hope and letting go of the past are what made this an enjoyable holiday read.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
October 10, 2018
3.5 Stars
I’ve been waiting for Grant’s story for some time. I always felt bad for the sullen cowboy who married and lost his high school sweetheart, but that’s exactly the kind of feelings of pity Grant hated.
Mckenna comes along and doesn’t know anything about his past, and she’s got her own sad story and troubles to deal with. Kindness on the part of Dodges is unexpected as McKenna has never experiencing a big loving family. McKenna yearns to fit in, belong, and be loved. Yet, it’s the brusque, sexy Grant that captures her heart. She can tell he cares even if he doesn’t want to, and they start forming a close friendship. Of course, when Grant feels it getting too close he pulls away, but never for very long.
Maisey Yates writes emotional and complex romances, she gets to the heart of her characters and makes me feel for them every time! My heart went out to Grant, but he frustrated me a bit too. McKenna made him happy and then he’d push her away, obviously afraid of another emotional commitment that had the potential to hurt him again. McKenna was very honest with her feelings, and I felt like she let Grant off a little too easily sometimes, but maybe that’s what he needed. Still, I enjoyed their romance and was tickled that McKenna got her heart’s desire in so many ways.
I look forward to Bea and Dane’s story! Bea is such a sweetheart! All I have to say Dane better be good to her!
A copy was kindly provided by Harelquin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been waiting for Grant’s story for some time. I always felt bad for the sullen cowboy who married and lost his high school sweetheart, but that’s exactly the kind of feelings of pity Grant hated.
Mckenna comes along and doesn’t know anything about his past, and she’s got her own sad story and troubles to deal with. Kindness on the part of Dodges is unexpected as McKenna has never experiencing a big loving family. McKenna yearns to fit in, belong, and be loved. Yet, it’s the brusque, sexy Grant that captures her heart. She can tell he cares even if he doesn’t want to, and they start forming a close friendship. Of course, when Grant feels it getting too close he pulls away, but never for very long.
Maisey Yates writes emotional and complex romances, she gets to the heart of her characters and makes me feel for them every time! My heart went out to Grant, but he frustrated me a bit too. McKenna made him happy and then he’d push her away, obviously afraid of another emotional commitment that had the potential to hurt him again. McKenna was very honest with her feelings, and I felt like she let Grant off a little too easily sometimes, but maybe that’s what he needed. Still, I enjoyed their romance and was tickled that McKenna got her heart’s desire in so many ways.
I look forward to Bea and Dane’s story! Bea is such a sweetheart! All I have to say Dane better be good to her!
A copy was kindly provided by Harelquin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2022
This is a cowboy romance, and this is the 4th book in the Gold Valley series. I have read and review the other books in this series. I have to say I was really looking forward to this book because Grant Dodge was in some of the other book as a small secondary character. I have been wanting to know more about Grant Dodge, and wow...There is a big secret about him that comes out in this book. I love his character even more after reading this book. McKenna turns his world upside down, and I love her character so much. I love a strong and hard headed woman character, and that is McKenna in a nutshell. I think this is my favorite Gold Valley book that I have read so far. I am also glad to see the ranch is up and running now.
September 30, 2018
I'm going to begin with the ending and say that this epilogue was one of the sweetest ! The gift and the note melt my heart and had me turning to goo ! I can't help but say this again and again and again, the feelings... Maisey Yates is one of the most skillful with it, in my opinion.
Grant Dodge knows how reality can slap you in the face and that life can be a cruel bitch. Years ago, at a young age, he lost the two most important women in his life; his mother and his wife. Not at the same time, but it wasn't less painful for that. He thinks he doesn't have any love left to give, but maybe the real question is, is he ready to receive it ?
Dismissed at 18 from her last foster home, McKenna Tate has led a solitary life where she never belonged anywhere and never connected with anyone. Not quite a decade later, she come to Gold Valley to search for a man that could be her father. But when her truck break down and she run out of money before she could find a job, she look for shelter in an abandoned cabin. A cabin on Get Out of Dodge's property and it's just her luck than Grant couldn't sleep that night, went for a walk and found her asleep. Or could it be that her luck finally turned ?
McKenna doesn't know Grant's story. That he became semi-famous for marrying his terminally ill high school sweetheart. She never had a cowboy fantasy before, but there's something about this one that she can't help but like, even if he's not quite rude, but not friendly either. Assigned to train McKenna on the dude ranch's chores by his brother and sister-in-law who hired her, Grant doesn't want an emotional connection and try to push her away, but he wants to be and be seen as more than just a tragic widower and McKenna might be the only woman who can make him feel like he yearn for.
Like I always do every time I open a Maisey Yates' book, I was sucked into an emotional tale. The story of a hurting man who was only surviving and a down-on-her-luck woman who never surrender and kept fighting, no matter what life threw at her, and the beautiful romance of these two souls finding each other. This author excel in showing that love is not an easy thing, it's deep and sometimes too raw, but there's not a truer feeling than that.
"This feeling was new. And it wasn't... Easy. It was sharp and hard, it was too much. But it was certain. The most certain thing she had ever felt."
The Anne of Green Gables' references made me smile and I love that we were introduced to what I'm sure will be some next heroes, but I'm glad that Bea and Dane's story is next :)
Grant Dodge knows how reality can slap you in the face and that life can be a cruel bitch. Years ago, at a young age, he lost the two most important women in his life; his mother and his wife. Not at the same time, but it wasn't less painful for that. He thinks he doesn't have any love left to give, but maybe the real question is, is he ready to receive it ?
Dismissed at 18 from her last foster home, McKenna Tate has led a solitary life where she never belonged anywhere and never connected with anyone. Not quite a decade later, she come to Gold Valley to search for a man that could be her father. But when her truck break down and she run out of money before she could find a job, she look for shelter in an abandoned cabin. A cabin on Get Out of Dodge's property and it's just her luck than Grant couldn't sleep that night, went for a walk and found her asleep. Or could it be that her luck finally turned ?
McKenna doesn't know Grant's story. That he became semi-famous for marrying his terminally ill high school sweetheart. She never had a cowboy fantasy before, but there's something about this one that she can't help but like, even if he's not quite rude, but not friendly either. Assigned to train McKenna on the dude ranch's chores by his brother and sister-in-law who hired her, Grant doesn't want an emotional connection and try to push her away, but he wants to be and be seen as more than just a tragic widower and McKenna might be the only woman who can make him feel like he yearn for.
Like I always do every time I open a Maisey Yates' book, I was sucked into an emotional tale. The story of a hurting man who was only surviving and a down-on-her-luck woman who never surrender and kept fighting, no matter what life threw at her, and the beautiful romance of these two souls finding each other. This author excel in showing that love is not an easy thing, it's deep and sometimes too raw, but there's not a truer feeling than that.
"This feeling was new. And it wasn't... Easy. It was sharp and hard, it was too much. But it was certain. The most certain thing she had ever felt."
The Anne of Green Gables' references made me smile and I love that we were introduced to what I'm sure will be some next heroes, but I'm glad that Bea and Dane's story is next :)
November 8, 2025
Completely engaging, emotionally invested in the outcome, I couldn't help but love A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas.
Yates crafted an emotionally jarring tale of two people deeply scarred by life circumstances...but they still manage to have hope for the future. I loved how they managed to heal each other without all this unnecessary angst but focusing on change, making their lives better and not settling for anything less.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas will put you through the gambit of emotions and leaving you wanting more when it ends.
I received this ARC copy of A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) - HQN. This is my honest and voluntary review. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is set for publication 25 Sept 2018.
Yates crafted an emotionally jarring tale of two people deeply scarred by life circumstances...but they still manage to have hope for the future. I loved how they managed to heal each other without all this unnecessary angst but focusing on change, making their lives better and not settling for anything less.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas will put you through the gambit of emotions and leaving you wanting more when it ends.
I received this ARC copy of A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) - HQN. This is my honest and voluntary review. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is set for publication 25 Sept 2018.
September 3, 2018
I’ve been waiting for Grant’s story since the first mention of his background.
I love love loved McKenna. She’s had an interesting life and maintained hope the entire time. I enjoyed her tenacity and strength. Grant was just as stoic as I was expecting, but he’s also a bit of a gooey marshmallow. I loved seeing McKenna push his buttons and while their chemistry wasn’t super apparent to me, I was there for it.
Plot wise, it did get a bit slow at points. There’s a lot more inner monologue than there is dialogue. However, I loved seeing all of the other couples and the set up for the next story.
Overall, it was definitely worth the wait. I can’t wait for Bea’s book.
**Huge thanks to HQN for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved McKenna. She’s had an interesting life and maintained hope the entire time. I enjoyed her tenacity and strength. Grant was just as stoic as I was expecting, but he’s also a bit of a gooey marshmallow. I loved seeing McKenna push his buttons and while their chemistry wasn’t super apparent to me, I was there for it.
Plot wise, it did get a bit slow at points. There’s a lot more inner monologue than there is dialogue. However, I loved seeing all of the other couples and the set up for the next story.
Overall, it was definitely worth the wait. I can’t wait for Bea’s book.
**Huge thanks to HQN for providing the arc free of charge**
August 17, 2020
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was a wonderful holiday romance with a delightful setting.
Grant Dodge has been widowed for eight years, but that hasn't stopped the pitying glances he gets from Gold Valley's residents. When he finds a woman sleeping in an abandoned cabin on his family's ranch, he unexpectedly finds himself drawn to her. McKenna Tate came to Gold Valley to find the father she never knew, hoping to become part of a family. She didn't expect to end up on the Dodge ranch or to find herself falling for Grant. With Christmas rapidly approaching, McKenna and Grant find themselves falling hard, but will their newfound love be enough to overcome their pasts?
Grant's past is a tragic tale, he married his high school sweetheart at eighteen knowing she was dying of cancer. He had six years with her before she passed which was eight years before the start of this book. Grant has never regretted marrying Lindsay as he truly did love her, but he has always hated that their romance was turned into a tragic love story. In the years since he was widowed, Grant has all but stopped living and he needs to drink in order to sleep at night. My one complaint about this book (and the previous ones where Grant was featured) is that everyone jokes about his drinking problem. In my mind that's just not something you joke about and I wish that it had been handled differently.
McKenna grew up in the foster care system after her mother gave her up when McKenna was two. The one thing in life McKenna has always wanted is family and someone who will just love her for who she is. As a result of being shuffled around her whole life with people who never really wanted her, McKenna developed a bit of a hard shell. She questions the motives of people who want to be kind to her, but she's also willing to take that help as she knows she needs it. I liked the snarky attitude McKenna developed due to her situation.
Grant and McKenna's relationship starts out as one that is supposed to be a physical only one. The pair's chemistry is amazing and the sex scenes are quite steamy. There was one thing related to their physical relationship about Grant that surprised me, , but after hearing the reasoning behind it, it made sense. Obviously the physical only thing doesn't last long as they both catch feelings although they have different ideas on how to handle them. There is a bit of drama when one of them confronts the other over the direction of their relationship, but in the end I was happy with the way it was handled.
The side characters are one of the best aspects of these books in my opinion. For the most part the side characters in the series are made up of past couples or future ones. I love getting to see couples after they've found their happily ever after which the author shows in spades here. Most of the characters in the books are part of various ranching families which means we get to see characters return quite a bit while the series is focused on that family's arc.
Holiday romances are some of my favorites and A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was no exception. I highly recommend this series as well as the Copper Ridge series by the author if you're looking for charming, small-town romances.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Grant Dodge has been widowed for eight years, but that hasn't stopped the pitying glances he gets from Gold Valley's residents. When he finds a woman sleeping in an abandoned cabin on his family's ranch, he unexpectedly finds himself drawn to her. McKenna Tate came to Gold Valley to find the father she never knew, hoping to become part of a family. She didn't expect to end up on the Dodge ranch or to find herself falling for Grant. With Christmas rapidly approaching, McKenna and Grant find themselves falling hard, but will their newfound love be enough to overcome their pasts?
Grant's past is a tragic tale, he married his high school sweetheart at eighteen knowing she was dying of cancer. He had six years with her before she passed which was eight years before the start of this book. Grant has never regretted marrying Lindsay as he truly did love her, but he has always hated that their romance was turned into a tragic love story. In the years since he was widowed, Grant has all but stopped living and he needs to drink in order to sleep at night. My one complaint about this book (and the previous ones where Grant was featured) is that everyone jokes about his drinking problem. In my mind that's just not something you joke about and I wish that it had been handled differently.
McKenna grew up in the foster care system after her mother gave her up when McKenna was two. The one thing in life McKenna has always wanted is family and someone who will just love her for who she is. As a result of being shuffled around her whole life with people who never really wanted her, McKenna developed a bit of a hard shell. She questions the motives of people who want to be kind to her, but she's also willing to take that help as she knows she needs it. I liked the snarky attitude McKenna developed due to her situation.
Grant and McKenna's relationship starts out as one that is supposed to be a physical only one. The pair's chemistry is amazing and the sex scenes are quite steamy. There was one thing related to their physical relationship about Grant that surprised me, , but after hearing the reasoning behind it, it made sense. Obviously the physical only thing doesn't last long as they both catch feelings although they have different ideas on how to handle them. There is a bit of drama when one of them confronts the other over the direction of their relationship, but in the end I was happy with the way it was handled.
The side characters are one of the best aspects of these books in my opinion. For the most part the side characters in the series are made up of past couples or future ones. I love getting to see couples after they've found their happily ever after which the author shows in spades here. Most of the characters in the books are part of various ranching families which means we get to see characters return quite a bit while the series is focused on that family's arc.
Holiday romances are some of my favorites and A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was no exception. I highly recommend this series as well as the Copper Ridge series by the author if you're looking for charming, small-town romances.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
August 4, 2018
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (posting 12/11/18)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MjYMN4
Christmas and grumbly cowboys? Yes, please! lol
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was a heart touching romance that had me wiping away some pesky tears, laughing, and rooting for two damaged yet strong individuals.
The Gist: Grant's found a woman sleeping in an abandoned cabin on his property. Turns out she's homeless and a bit prickly. Suits him just fine since he's a bit of an asshole, too. Might be they're exactly what the other needs to soften some of those sharp edges.
Both Grant and McKenna pulled at my heart. Life has treated both pretty harshly --he married his childhood sweetheart who was dying of cancer and McKenna was abandoned to foster care and wound up homeless. They've distanced themselves from other people just trying to survive each day but goodness they both have a strength to them that goes soul deep. It was hard not to fall for them completely as they started to get their lives together and deal with all their past pains.
Their romance was herky jerky since both are dealing with so dang much on the emotional front. And, well, since they're both prickly as hell. But I enjoyed it. And watching them both find what they really needed even if they didn't expect it. Home, love, a second chance. Things heat up nicely, too with a couple of added surprises.
All in all, A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was Christmasy goodness.
November 27, 2019
LMFAOOOOOOO.
This ain't it, chief. This was so far from the move that I don't even know what to say. Actually, I found it mildly entertaining because it was so bad.
I'm an absolute sucker for cute, light, fluffy holiday romances. Add on a cowboy? Yeah, I'm going to read it. However, my expectations are never high; I just want to feel warm and fuzzy.
How did this inept book fail at reaching this incredibly low bar? Let me give you a list.
1. Utterly useless, unlikeable characters.
2. No real plot! Yay!
3. Unrealistic, stunted dialogue.
4. An unhealthy focus on sex.
5. Stupidity in high doses.
Let's expound on a few of these, shall we?
Utterly useless, unlikeable characters
Grant was so fucking annoying that it's honestly an achievement how much he grated on my nerves. It was all "woe is me, I'm such a bad guy, but I'm secretly the best guy in the history of mankind because I married a woman with cancer and then she died so I'm a saint." Then, this bitch turns out to be a virgin, which is absolutely fine because sex is not the end-all, be-all! But this dude is all "I'm such an amazing guy for staying with my sick wife even though I could not have sex with her because that is so important because all guys are dicks and can only think about sex; however I will remain a virgin until I'm 34 because I'm just that stand-up of a guy, and then I'm going to lose my virginity to this woman who comes into my life and all my worlds are going to shift and the universe is going to flip upside down BECAUSE SEX IS SO FUCKING GOOD and I finally see why all these guys are fucking all these women because THIS IS SO WORTH IT." Whoops. I meant to save the sex rant for later.
But then there's also McKenna who's even more "woe is me because my mother abandoned me and I'm so tough because I grew up in foster homes and I have no roots and I've starved and lived in poverty and I came here to find my family but I have no one I love because I'm just that edgy blah blah blah." Yeah. She's that bitch.
Together, they make an absolutely fantastically miserable couple.
No real plot! Yay!
Yeah honestly that kind of sums everything up. There was no real plot. The writing was atrocious. Pages were dedicated to description. Their inner monologues were so fucking long as they ruminated about the aforementioned woes. I skimmed solid sections of the book because they were so fucking boring.
Unrealistic, stunted dialogue
Okay, this is a pet peeve of mine especially for romance novels. For some reason, a bunch of romance novels have this odd dialogue where everyone speaks either really maturely, or they confess a bunch of really deep, personal shit in a weird, factual way, or everyone is just magically capable of witty repartee. Let me tell you: no bitch is that mature that they can just converse like that. Deep, personal shit is often conveyed in really odd manners. AND VERY FEW FUCKING PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF WITTY REPARTEE. LITERALLY MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FUNNY AT ALL OR QUICK ON THEIR FEET. Anyway, let's move on before I have an aneurysm because of this.
An unhealthy focus on sex
Wow. This was a big one. Sex was treated so fucking odd in this book? Like, Grant's a virgin until he's 34 which is perfectly fine as I've said before. There is no right time to lose your virginity. But he places so much importance on sex? And I get that too. Sex is really important and intimate for some people and can mean lots of things. And I respect everyone who chooses to wait until marriage or everyone who doesn't or literally everything in between. I respect people's choices. But this bitch. This fucking bitch. There were WAY TOO MANY internal monologues about how he's such a saint for not having sex with his dead wife, and how he was only a caregiver to her, not a real husband because he couldn't have sex with her. Yeah, excuse me while I go gouge my eyes out and then throw them into a blender, so I can re-ingest them in a smoothie.
And last but definitely not least, Stupidity in high doses
I don't think this requires much explanation, or at least, I don't want to explain this too much because I feel it's relatively self-explanatory. This book contained a fuck ton of stupidity.
And that's it, folks! What a waste of time for me to have read that, but whatever, all books can't be winners. Please excuse the many grammar mistakes in this review: this was supposed to be more of a casual and colloquial rant.
And I'm out.
This ain't it, chief. This was so far from the move that I don't even know what to say. Actually, I found it mildly entertaining because it was so bad.
I'm an absolute sucker for cute, light, fluffy holiday romances. Add on a cowboy? Yeah, I'm going to read it. However, my expectations are never high; I just want to feel warm and fuzzy.
How did this inept book fail at reaching this incredibly low bar? Let me give you a list.
1. Utterly useless, unlikeable characters.
2. No real plot! Yay!
3. Unrealistic, stunted dialogue.
4. An unhealthy focus on sex.
5. Stupidity in high doses.
Let's expound on a few of these, shall we?
Utterly useless, unlikeable characters
Grant was so fucking annoying that it's honestly an achievement how much he grated on my nerves. It was all "woe is me, I'm such a bad guy, but I'm secretly the best guy in the history of mankind because I married a woman with cancer and then she died so I'm a saint." Then, this bitch turns out to be a virgin, which is absolutely fine because sex is not the end-all, be-all! But this dude is all "I'm such an amazing guy for staying with my sick wife even though I could not have sex with her because that is so important because all guys are dicks and can only think about sex; however I will remain a virgin until I'm 34 because I'm just that stand-up of a guy, and then I'm going to lose my virginity to this woman who comes into my life and all my worlds are going to shift and the universe is going to flip upside down BECAUSE SEX IS SO FUCKING GOOD and I finally see why all these guys are fucking all these women because THIS IS SO WORTH IT." Whoops. I meant to save the sex rant for later.
But then there's also McKenna who's even more "woe is me because my mother abandoned me and I'm so tough because I grew up in foster homes and I have no roots and I've starved and lived in poverty and I came here to find my family but I have no one I love because I'm just that edgy blah blah blah." Yeah. She's that bitch.
Together, they make an absolutely fantastically miserable couple.
No real plot! Yay!
Yeah honestly that kind of sums everything up. There was no real plot. The writing was atrocious. Pages were dedicated to description. Their inner monologues were so fucking long as they ruminated about the aforementioned woes. I skimmed solid sections of the book because they were so fucking boring.
Unrealistic, stunted dialogue
Okay, this is a pet peeve of mine especially for romance novels. For some reason, a bunch of romance novels have this odd dialogue where everyone speaks either really maturely, or they confess a bunch of really deep, personal shit in a weird, factual way, or everyone is just magically capable of witty repartee. Let me tell you: no bitch is that mature that they can just converse like that. Deep, personal shit is often conveyed in really odd manners. AND VERY FEW FUCKING PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF WITTY REPARTEE. LITERALLY MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FUNNY AT ALL OR QUICK ON THEIR FEET. Anyway, let's move on before I have an aneurysm because of this.
An unhealthy focus on sex
Wow. This was a big one. Sex was treated so fucking odd in this book? Like, Grant's a virgin until he's 34 which is perfectly fine as I've said before. There is no right time to lose your virginity. But he places so much importance on sex? And I get that too. Sex is really important and intimate for some people and can mean lots of things. And I respect everyone who chooses to wait until marriage or everyone who doesn't or literally everything in between. I respect people's choices. But this bitch. This fucking bitch. There were WAY TOO MANY internal monologues about how he's such a saint for not having sex with his dead wife, and how he was only a caregiver to her, not a real husband because he couldn't have sex with her. Yeah, excuse me while I go gouge my eyes out and then throw them into a blender, so I can re-ingest them in a smoothie.
And last but definitely not least, Stupidity in high doses
I don't think this requires much explanation, or at least, I don't want to explain this too much because I feel it's relatively self-explanatory. This book contained a fuck ton of stupidity.
And that's it, folks! What a waste of time for me to have read that, but whatever, all books can't be winners. Please excuse the many grammar mistakes in this review: this was supposed to be more of a casual and colloquial rant.
And I'm out.
December 26, 2019
Good story about two emotionally wounded people. Grant finds McKenna sleeping in an abandoned cabin on the family property. Both he and McKenna have had rough pasts that have affected the way they deal with other people.
Grant is a bit of a loner, even in his own family. He lost his mother when he was young and dealt with the pain by taking it out on other people. He was an obnoxious bully until he met Lindsay, who was assigned to tutor him. Her belief in him helped him change. They fell in love and married right out of high school, even though Lindsay's cancer had returned. For years, Grant was a caregiver rather than a husband. Eight years after her death, he is still grieving, but also frustrated. Everyone in town, including the women, always treats him as "that poor widower," and Grant is sick of the pitying looks, but he doesn't know how to move on either. When he meets McKenna, something about her gets to him, but he isn't sure what to do about it.
McKenna has had a rough life. Her mother gave her up when she was two, and she ended up in the foster system. She moved from home to home, never connecting with anyone. All she wants is a family of her own. When she left the system at the age of eighteen, one of the things she received was her birth certificate. Several years later, she tracked down her birth father and has arrived in Gold Valley to see him. Thanks to a run of bad luck, McKenna ends up homeless and finds herself sleeping in an abandoned cabin on a local ranch.
The first meeting between Grant and McKenna isn't very pleasant. He's not happy to find a squatter on the property, but he's not going to kick her out either. There's something about her that draws him, so he takes her to his brother and sister-in-law, who give her a job and a place to live. Grant is assigned to show her the ropes around the ranch. There are sparks of attraction between them from the start. Because she doesn't know about his past, McKenna treats Grant like the hot cowboy he is, and he isn't quite sure how to deal with that. Grant has a surprising secret that affects how he handles his attraction to McKenna. Eventually, those sparks that fly between them burst into flame. Neither Grant nor McKenna claims to be interested in a relationship, so no-strings sex is their agreed-upon solution.
Of course, that doesn't last. I liked seeing the way that they were able to share their pasts, hard though it was. Grant held out the longest because he liked that McKenna didn't know. She didn't give him those pitying looks, just the ones that said she wanted him. However, he can't deny that she reaches him in a way that no one else does. I liked how he supported her when it came to her desire to connect with her family. McKenna is upfront about her life and what she wants from it. Even though she has no confidence that it will happen, she still allows herself to hope. I liked watching her with Grant. She constantly reminds him that life isn't fair and that you do the best you can. I liked that she finally dared to tell him her feelings, and ached at the way he pulled away. One of my favorite things about McKenna is that she stands up for her own needs and wants. She lets him know that she deserves more and won't settle for less. It took a while for what she told him to sink in, plus additional input from his brother, Wyatt, but eventually, Grant saw the light. I like their big moment at the end, especially Grant's exposure of his vulnerability. I loved McKenna's reaction and seeing them come together as they are. The epilogue was terrific.
I also ached for McKenna in her search for family. All she wanted was someone that would love her. I liked her conversation with her brother, Gabe, and the hope that it gave her. Her first visit with her father was emotional. Both McKenna and I had high hopes, and I felt her pain at the way the visit ended. I loved how she stood up to him. Fortunately, he did redeem himself in the end.
Grant is a bit of a loner, even in his own family. He lost his mother when he was young and dealt with the pain by taking it out on other people. He was an obnoxious bully until he met Lindsay, who was assigned to tutor him. Her belief in him helped him change. They fell in love and married right out of high school, even though Lindsay's cancer had returned. For years, Grant was a caregiver rather than a husband. Eight years after her death, he is still grieving, but also frustrated. Everyone in town, including the women, always treats him as "that poor widower," and Grant is sick of the pitying looks, but he doesn't know how to move on either. When he meets McKenna, something about her gets to him, but he isn't sure what to do about it.
McKenna has had a rough life. Her mother gave her up when she was two, and she ended up in the foster system. She moved from home to home, never connecting with anyone. All she wants is a family of her own. When she left the system at the age of eighteen, one of the things she received was her birth certificate. Several years later, she tracked down her birth father and has arrived in Gold Valley to see him. Thanks to a run of bad luck, McKenna ends up homeless and finds herself sleeping in an abandoned cabin on a local ranch.
The first meeting between Grant and McKenna isn't very pleasant. He's not happy to find a squatter on the property, but he's not going to kick her out either. There's something about her that draws him, so he takes her to his brother and sister-in-law, who give her a job and a place to live. Grant is assigned to show her the ropes around the ranch. There are sparks of attraction between them from the start. Because she doesn't know about his past, McKenna treats Grant like the hot cowboy he is, and he isn't quite sure how to deal with that. Grant has a surprising secret that affects how he handles his attraction to McKenna. Eventually, those sparks that fly between them burst into flame. Neither Grant nor McKenna claims to be interested in a relationship, so no-strings sex is their agreed-upon solution.
Of course, that doesn't last. I liked seeing the way that they were able to share their pasts, hard though it was. Grant held out the longest because he liked that McKenna didn't know. She didn't give him those pitying looks, just the ones that said she wanted him. However, he can't deny that she reaches him in a way that no one else does. I liked how he supported her when it came to her desire to connect with her family. McKenna is upfront about her life and what she wants from it. Even though she has no confidence that it will happen, she still allows herself to hope. I liked watching her with Grant. She constantly reminds him that life isn't fair and that you do the best you can. I liked that she finally dared to tell him her feelings, and ached at the way he pulled away. One of my favorite things about McKenna is that she stands up for her own needs and wants. She lets him know that she deserves more and won't settle for less. It took a while for what she told him to sink in, plus additional input from his brother, Wyatt, but eventually, Grant saw the light. I like their big moment at the end, especially Grant's exposure of his vulnerability. I loved McKenna's reaction and seeing them come together as they are. The epilogue was terrific.
I also ached for McKenna in her search for family. All she wanted was someone that would love her. I liked her conversation with her brother, Gabe, and the hope that it gave her. Her first visit with her father was emotional. Both McKenna and I had high hopes, and I felt her pain at the way the visit ended. I loved how she stood up to him. Fortunately, he did redeem himself in the end.
November 17, 2018
Sweet story, good narration especially if you like Julia Whelan - because Suzanne Elise Freeman sure does sound like her!
November 25, 2018
Maisey Yates is one of my favorite new-to-me authors of 2018. Her books always have heart, family, surprising depth, and cowboys. What more could I want? For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t quite grab me like her previous books have.
Widows and widowers who were in previous happy relationships are always hard for me to read about, mostly because it’s sad right from the beginning. The fact that Grant, our hero, selflessly loved his wife for eight years until she tragically died of cancer makes my heart hurt. Add on to that McKenna’s awful life circumstances (homeless, raised in the system) I was feeling pretty wretched for both of them and anxious for their happily ever after.
The pros: McKenna was a prickly heroine, and I liked that about her. Her walls were all completely valid with a childhood like the one she had. I thought her willingness to put aside her pride was admirable. She was in all ways a survivor, and I felt her character development was perfection.
I love the cast of characters Maisey Yates has built in this series. The secondary characters added a lot to the plot without taking away from the central couple, and I am invested enough in the few remaining singles to be super excited for their books.
The cons: While Grant should have been everything I love in a hero, (hot, grumpy, cowboy) I wasn’t really in love with him. I understood why he was depressed and sad, but mostly I thought he was kind of mean. I don’t think it helped my perception of him that we had long internal monologues. His head was not a fun place to be.
I also felt that the chemistry was a bit off. We were told that McKenna and Grant were attracted to each other, which quickly turned into emotional attachment, but I didn’t understand what they saw in each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this next step in the Gold Valley series, and I am still excited about moving forward with this fun group. I can’t wait for the next book!
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Find/Follow me on Twitter Instagram and my blog !!
Widows and widowers who were in previous happy relationships are always hard for me to read about, mostly because it’s sad right from the beginning. The fact that Grant, our hero, selflessly loved his wife for eight years until she tragically died of cancer makes my heart hurt. Add on to that McKenna’s awful life circumstances (homeless, raised in the system) I was feeling pretty wretched for both of them and anxious for their happily ever after.
The pros: McKenna was a prickly heroine, and I liked that about her. Her walls were all completely valid with a childhood like the one she had. I thought her willingness to put aside her pride was admirable. She was in all ways a survivor, and I felt her character development was perfection.
I love the cast of characters Maisey Yates has built in this series. The secondary characters added a lot to the plot without taking away from the central couple, and I am invested enough in the few remaining singles to be super excited for their books.
The cons: While Grant should have been everything I love in a hero, (hot, grumpy, cowboy) I wasn’t really in love with him. I understood why he was depressed and sad, but mostly I thought he was kind of mean. I don’t think it helped my perception of him that we had long internal monologues. His head was not a fun place to be.
I also felt that the chemistry was a bit off. We were told that McKenna and Grant were attracted to each other, which quickly turned into emotional attachment, but I didn’t understand what they saw in each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this next step in the Gold Valley series, and I am still excited about moving forward with this fun group. I can’t wait for the next book!
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Find/Follow me on Twitter Instagram and my blog !!
November 21, 2018
This is a fun and nice read! I haven't ever read any of those romance novels about Cowboys. As someone from Europe and not born in the times of Western movies, it is a rather foreign concept for me. Yet I thought this Christmas-Cowboy-mix sounded interesting and I was right! It is a good story, I was entertained and enjoyed it.
But that doesn't mean that I can't have points that I didn't like or that didn't make sense.
First of all, I didn't like the character development of our grumpy cowboy. He was grumpy, he had his reasons and he was all good. But towards the end he turned into some kind of emotional Shakespeare and I did not like that. It doesn't make sense for him to talk about his emotions that deeply when he usually doesn't open up to anybody. Or if he talks about them, at least let him have some part of himself in there, with his rough words instead of in rivers of words. The ending in general was rushed and I could have taken a bit more of family drama instead of rushing it into a happy end.
Lastly, some of the moments made me cringe because of how they were worded. Just to let you know one of them:
Yes, on its own the line isn't as bad but in the book and especially the moment these words are said... No. It's so cheesy. I am really sorry. But hey, if you really enjoy those kind of things, then that's a plus! I also didn't let it weigh down on the star rating, as this is a personal preference.
What I did deduct stars for was only the rushed ending and the magical transformation of grumpy cowboy to sweet prince.
What made this book still so so good were of course the fiery scenes of passion between them, the world the story is set in (I guess that all the other couples were from previous stories and they made me feel so warm and fuzzy, so I will definitely check out the other books in this series at some point!) and because I could've read through this story in one sitting, if only I had the time to. So while it is a 3* rating, this is in no way bad! For what it is, it is a good book. To use some of Grants words with my own spin to them: I wanted it to be my first cowboy book, but not the last one.
But that doesn't mean that I can't have points that I didn't like or that didn't make sense.
First of all, I didn't like the character development of our grumpy cowboy. He was grumpy, he had his reasons and he was all good. But towards the end he turned into some kind of emotional Shakespeare and I did not like that. It doesn't make sense for him to talk about his emotions that deeply when he usually doesn't open up to anybody. Or if he talks about them, at least let him have some part of himself in there, with his rough words instead of in rivers of words. The ending in general was rushed and I could have taken a bit more of family drama instead of rushing it into a happy end.
Lastly, some of the moments made me cringe because of how they were worded. Just to let you know one of them:
Yes, on its own the line isn't as bad but in the book and especially the moment these words are said... No. It's so cheesy. I am really sorry. But hey, if you really enjoy those kind of things, then that's a plus! I also didn't let it weigh down on the star rating, as this is a personal preference.
What I did deduct stars for was only the rushed ending and the magical transformation of grumpy cowboy to sweet prince.
What made this book still so so good were of course the fiery scenes of passion between them, the world the story is set in (I guess that all the other couples were from previous stories and they made me feel so warm and fuzzy, so I will definitely check out the other books in this series at some point!) and because I could've read through this story in one sitting, if only I had the time to. So while it is a 3* rating, this is in no way bad! For what it is, it is a good book. To use some of Grants words with my own spin to them: I wanted it to be my first cowboy book, but not the last one.
April 28, 2019
I read A TALL, DARK COWBOY CHRISTMAS by Maisey Yates. It's in the contemporary long category. FWIW, this got me thinking about my preferences, so I'm going to review the book first, then talk about some other things after.
The hero is Grant Dodge, he's been a widower for 8 years even though he's 34. He's struggling with depression and alcoholism. He works on his family's ranch or farm or whatever, but the opening establishes his profound unhappiness, including a moment of suicidal ideation. One night, he spies a light out in the woods and finds a young woman, McKenna Tate, hiding out in a cabin. She grew up in the foster system, and is now 26 & homeless. She has her birth certificate and hopes to find him in the nearby town. When Grant finds her, he takes her to the family home where she is offered a job and a place to stay (more on this later). They agree to a no-strings affair that becomes something more.
Pluses: I liked that McKenna was unflinching about describing the dangers she faced as a single woman. One of Grant's sisters fights for the right to be taken seriously for her own ambitions. I like stories where 2 lost souls find each other.
Wishes: I think it's irresponsible to write a story where sex and love cure alcoholism and depression. It is well-established that Grant has been going to bed drunk for at least 10 years, probably longer (his wife died of cancer) as a coping strategy. It's just...fixed. This book is essentially conflict-free. People are generally good to each other, and even if harsh words are said, everyone just takes a little time and think about it, talk to each other, and it's all fixed. Not only can all the characters perfectly describe their feelings, and all the other characters thoughtfully listen and respond and then change accordingly. It might take a few days, but everyone will come around. Family ties are strong and family does the right thing.
Verdict: Boring but in a soothing way.
A personal observation from all this reading: I think I need a lot more action and real conflict in my romances. It's nice to believe that "talking" changes people, but that has not been my experience. Which is fine. I'm just trying to be honest.
OKAY. This romance by Maisey Yates is kind of the perfect opportunity to talk about how small town romances reinforce white supremacy. Sorry. But they do, and this one does it in TWO ways. This book takes place in Oregon, and there are no people of color anywhere in it.
Now, as you may or may not know, Oregon is REALLY WHITE for a reason: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/...
And these books, I would argue, harken back to simpler times: family, working with your hands, being "neighborly", etc.
These cowboy romances mostly traffic in the same kind of nostalgia as Amish romances--it's just that people have cell phones. So with the rise of small town & cowboy romances, just think about the fact that they are doing IN BOOKS what the laws above did in practice: excluding people who "don't belong there." Of course there aren't any black people in Gold Valley. BUT WHY. Because Oregon was specifically set up to exclude them, that's why.
But this book also has another thing it's doing: McKenna is basically found squatting in a cabin, and instead of calling the cops, or shooting her, they take her in. They feed her. They give her a job and a home.
But what if she wasn't white? I don't want to even think about it. But I think it's worth pointing out that maybe ICE would be called if she was Latinx, or the cops if she were black. Her treatment by the family and in the town would have been VERY VERY DIFFERENT. And I believe it is our responsibility as readers to notice this. So that sense of welcoming her in, helping her get back on her feet, etc. That only happens because of their strong, shared cultural identity-- their race.
So if you read this book and feel warm and good inside, it's because you hope you'd be welcomed like that, too. But who gets to believe that they would be welcomed that way? Who gets to see this small town fairy tale and think, "that could be me?"
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reviewing the 2019 RITA finalists.
The hero is Grant Dodge, he's been a widower for 8 years even though he's 34. He's struggling with depression and alcoholism. He works on his family's ranch or farm or whatever, but the opening establishes his profound unhappiness, including a moment of suicidal ideation. One night, he spies a light out in the woods and finds a young woman, McKenna Tate, hiding out in a cabin. She grew up in the foster system, and is now 26 & homeless. She has her birth certificate and hopes to find him in the nearby town. When Grant finds her, he takes her to the family home where she is offered a job and a place to stay (more on this later). They agree to a no-strings affair that becomes something more.
Pluses: I liked that McKenna was unflinching about describing the dangers she faced as a single woman. One of Grant's sisters fights for the right to be taken seriously for her own ambitions. I like stories where 2 lost souls find each other.
Wishes: I think it's irresponsible to write a story where sex and love cure alcoholism and depression. It is well-established that Grant has been going to bed drunk for at least 10 years, probably longer (his wife died of cancer) as a coping strategy. It's just...fixed. This book is essentially conflict-free. People are generally good to each other, and even if harsh words are said, everyone just takes a little time and think about it, talk to each other, and it's all fixed. Not only can all the characters perfectly describe their feelings, and all the other characters thoughtfully listen and respond and then change accordingly. It might take a few days, but everyone will come around. Family ties are strong and family does the right thing.
Verdict: Boring but in a soothing way.
A personal observation from all this reading: I think I need a lot more action and real conflict in my romances. It's nice to believe that "talking" changes people, but that has not been my experience. Which is fine. I'm just trying to be honest.
OKAY. This romance by Maisey Yates is kind of the perfect opportunity to talk about how small town romances reinforce white supremacy. Sorry. But they do, and this one does it in TWO ways. This book takes place in Oregon, and there are no people of color anywhere in it.
Now, as you may or may not know, Oregon is REALLY WHITE for a reason: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/...
And these books, I would argue, harken back to simpler times: family, working with your hands, being "neighborly", etc.
These cowboy romances mostly traffic in the same kind of nostalgia as Amish romances--it's just that people have cell phones. So with the rise of small town & cowboy romances, just think about the fact that they are doing IN BOOKS what the laws above did in practice: excluding people who "don't belong there." Of course there aren't any black people in Gold Valley. BUT WHY. Because Oregon was specifically set up to exclude them, that's why.
But this book also has another thing it's doing: McKenna is basically found squatting in a cabin, and instead of calling the cops, or shooting her, they take her in. They feed her. They give her a job and a home.
But what if she wasn't white? I don't want to even think about it. But I think it's worth pointing out that maybe ICE would be called if she was Latinx, or the cops if she were black. Her treatment by the family and in the town would have been VERY VERY DIFFERENT. And I believe it is our responsibility as readers to notice this. So that sense of welcoming her in, helping her get back on her feet, etc. That only happens because of their strong, shared cultural identity-- their race.
So if you read this book and feel warm and good inside, it's because you hope you'd be welcomed like that, too. But who gets to believe that they would be welcomed that way? Who gets to see this small town fairy tale and think, "that could be me?"
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reviewing the 2019 RITA finalists.
November 9, 2018
I knew when I first “met” Grant I wanted to know his story. After reading A Tall Dark Cowboy Christmas it not only met my expectations, it exceeded them ten-fold. Grant Dodge touched my soul through the wonderful words of Maisey Yates, and had me feeling like I was along for the ride from his first words.
Grant Dodge was used to the pity head tilts, the supportive hand touches, the tsking and awwing whenever he was spoken to. He was Grant Dodge, widower. No longer just Grant or even just Grant Dodge because he lost his wife. He is old, cranky, tired and just wants to get on with his life, however that needs to happen. As it happens currently it is with a bottle of whatever alcohol he has on hand. He doesn’t like to be sober at bedtime and tonight was no exception. However the light coming from the small abandoned cabin abutting his property is. He has no idea what he’ll find but he knows his snarkyness will send them running.
McKenna Tate just needs a place to rest for a bit. Finding this abandoned cabin in the woods was a cherry on the crap sundae that has become her life. Her truck is toast, she has little to no money, clothes or food but she has made it to Gold Valley, which was her objective to begin with. The hunky cowboy that just interrupted her sleep was not on her to do list however.
Grant and McKenna are broken but together they start to heal each other. Each is looking to fulfill some part of their lives and not knowing how to truly trust someone else to walk the walk with them. Grant still lives with the guilt of losing his wife and how to move on while McKenna never had a “real life” and struggles with knowing her place in the world.
Grant has to delve deep inside to mourn his wife but to also let her go so he can move on. He lives daily with the reminders of his previous life, stuck in a sort of limbo both self-inflicted and by his surroundings. McKenna has a mission in mind to find her family, she has never been wanted by anyone so she doubts they’ll want her either. But if she doesn’t find out the answer she will drive herself crazy.
Such a wonderful story, diving deep into feelings we all have experienced at one point or another. Surprising for me was the fact that Grant was a virgin. Very unexpected but also makes so much sense when put in the bigger picture of his life from high school to the present. Just another wonderful way Ms Yates takes all aspects of someone’s life and incorporates those tiny details to weave an amazing story. 5 amazing stars for this incredible journey to the depths of Grant’s soul.
Grant Dodge was used to the pity head tilts, the supportive hand touches, the tsking and awwing whenever he was spoken to. He was Grant Dodge, widower. No longer just Grant or even just Grant Dodge because he lost his wife. He is old, cranky, tired and just wants to get on with his life, however that needs to happen. As it happens currently it is with a bottle of whatever alcohol he has on hand. He doesn’t like to be sober at bedtime and tonight was no exception. However the light coming from the small abandoned cabin abutting his property is. He has no idea what he’ll find but he knows his snarkyness will send them running.
McKenna Tate just needs a place to rest for a bit. Finding this abandoned cabin in the woods was a cherry on the crap sundae that has become her life. Her truck is toast, she has little to no money, clothes or food but she has made it to Gold Valley, which was her objective to begin with. The hunky cowboy that just interrupted her sleep was not on her to do list however.
Grant and McKenna are broken but together they start to heal each other. Each is looking to fulfill some part of their lives and not knowing how to truly trust someone else to walk the walk with them. Grant still lives with the guilt of losing his wife and how to move on while McKenna never had a “real life” and struggles with knowing her place in the world.
Grant has to delve deep inside to mourn his wife but to also let her go so he can move on. He lives daily with the reminders of his previous life, stuck in a sort of limbo both self-inflicted and by his surroundings. McKenna has a mission in mind to find her family, she has never been wanted by anyone so she doubts they’ll want her either. But if she doesn’t find out the answer she will drive herself crazy.
Such a wonderful story, diving deep into feelings we all have experienced at one point or another. Surprising for me was the fact that Grant was a virgin. Very unexpected but also makes so much sense when put in the bigger picture of his life from high school to the present. Just another wonderful way Ms Yates takes all aspects of someone’s life and incorporates those tiny details to weave an amazing story. 5 amazing stars for this incredible journey to the depths of Grant’s soul.
July 26, 2020
4 stars
Review. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was quite an angsty read in that I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Grant to be an asshole and reject McKenna. It was also very emotional and I got teary a couple times, which doesn't happen a lot for me with romances. Maybe surprisingly, it wasn't Grant and his tragic story that ended up really getting to me (though that was also very touching and affecting, don't get me wrong), but rather McKenna's torment when she puts herself out there with Grant and with her newly found father and half-siblings. I felt her fear, loneliness, and heartbreak so vividly; Yates truly did a superb job, as she often does with the more complex emotional aspects of her character's stories.
I will say that I was again a little annoyed by what seemed an excessive amount of rehashing of Grant and McKenna's personal stories, experiences, and emotional travails. They ruminate over it themselves, they discuss it with others and with each other, etc. constantly. I've noticed this in the last several Maisey Yates books I've read, which have not been in chronological order—i.e. a mix of books written both before and after the first couple. I don't know if in the books of hers I initially read, I didn't pick up on it as much because she was still a new author, or if it indeed was just less in those books, but it's become a bit frustrating, mainly because I truly adore her books, and this sole issue continues to prevent me from giving them higher ratings.
Note about Grant's widowhood. As you're told going in—and you've seen if you already know Grant from other Gold Valley books—Grant is totally wrapped up, weighed down, and haunted by his wife's death eight years ago. However, it is not a love triangle-type situation, which can for sure happen, even if one of the triangle members is dead. If anything, those are sometimes more difficult, because the person who has passed away is then put on a pedestal.
I appreciated that Yates didn't use that strategy here, and it never felt like there was an underlying competition between Lindsay and McKenna. The competition that exists resides clearly and solely within Grant, and not in the sense that he feels torn between the two women, but that he is at war with himself, in terms of how to move on and try to live again, despite knowing the great pain that can bring.
I was so glad that Yates didn't make guilt one of the emotions at play in the developing relationship between Grant and McKenna, and that the conflict isn't about him choosing between the two women.
Grant-Related Excerpt
Book 0.5. Cowboy Christmas Blues — 2 stars
Book 1. Smooth-Talking Cowboy — 4.5 stars
Book 1.5. Mail Order Cowboy
Book 2. Untamed Cowboy
Book 2.5. Hard Riding Cowboy
Book 3. Good Time Cowboy
Book 3.5. Snowed in with the Cowboy
Book 4. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas — 4 stars
Book 5. Unbroken Cowboy — 4 stars
Book 6. Cowboy to the Core — 4.5 stars
Book 7. Lone Wolf Cowboy
Book 8. Cowboy Christmas Redemption
Book 9. The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch — 3.5-3.75 stars
Book 10. The Hero of Hope Springs — 3-3.5 stars
Book 11. The Last Christmas Cowboy
Other Maisey Yates Recommendations
Except for the one novella below, all my MY reads have been from the Gold Valley series; this one was great also though!
● Seduce Me, Cowboy (Copper Ridge: Desire, #3) — 4 stars
"I wish you the best, McKenna Tate," he said.En Bref. This is, boiled down and overly simplified, a love story between two lost and broken people: one who has been rootless all her life, having to scrape by and make do after always being disappointed, used, and/or abandoned by people; the other who has experienced love and support in all its various forms, but has become weighed down and immobilized by a tremendous loss that such love can sometimes bring, and trapped and suffocated by the way it has defined his life in the eyes of others.
She forced a smile. "And I kind of wish you'd go fuck yourself, Grant Dodge."
Review. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas was quite an angsty read in that I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Grant to be an asshole and reject McKenna. It was also very emotional and I got teary a couple times, which doesn't happen a lot for me with romances. Maybe surprisingly, it wasn't Grant and his tragic story that ended up really getting to me (though that was also very touching and affecting, don't get me wrong), but rather McKenna's torment when she puts herself out there with Grant and with her newly found father and half-siblings. I felt her fear, loneliness, and heartbreak so vividly; Yates truly did a superb job, as she often does with the more complex emotional aspects of her character's stories.
I will say that I was again a little annoyed by what seemed an excessive amount of rehashing of Grant and McKenna's personal stories, experiences, and emotional travails. They ruminate over it themselves, they discuss it with others and with each other, etc. constantly. I've noticed this in the last several Maisey Yates books I've read, which have not been in chronological order—i.e. a mix of books written both before and after the first couple. I don't know if in the books of hers I initially read, I didn't pick up on it as much because she was still a new author, or if it indeed was just less in those books, but it's become a bit frustrating, mainly because I truly adore her books, and this sole issue continues to prevent me from giving them higher ratings.
Note about Grant's widowhood. As you're told going in—and you've seen if you already know Grant from other Gold Valley books—Grant is totally wrapped up, weighed down, and haunted by his wife's death eight years ago. However, it is not a love triangle-type situation, which can for sure happen, even if one of the triangle members is dead. If anything, those are sometimes more difficult, because the person who has passed away is then put on a pedestal.
I appreciated that Yates didn't use that strategy here, and it never felt like there was an underlying competition between Lindsay and McKenna. The competition that exists resides clearly and solely within Grant, and not in the sense that he feels torn between the two women, but that he is at war with himself, in terms of how to move on and try to live again, despite knowing the great pain that can bring.
I was so glad that Yates didn't make guilt one of the emotions at play in the developing relationship between Grant and McKenna, and that the conflict isn't about him choosing between the two women.
Grant-Related Excerpt
"The fucking problem, Wyatt, is that I met that woman when I was seventeen years old. I didn't want to play the field. Not even then. I wanted to marry her. And then she died, and I still don't want to do it. I'm living a life I don't want to live. So how do you help with that?"McKenna-Related Excerpt
Wyatt's eyes met his, serious and way too insightful for Grant's liking. "Make it a life you want to live, Grant. Because you aren't dead."
The words hung heavy between them. Filled the space, filled Grant with a kind of useless rage that had no function or form.
Because he was right. Dammit it all, his brother was right.
But Wyatt being right didn't change anything. Didn't change the fact that everything in him wanted to tear his own heart out of his chest and demand it stop ...
Feeling. (p.313-314)
It was a whole lot like Anne of Green Gables, really.Gold Valley Series
If she didn't believe those kinds of people existed—people who would happily take in a skinny orphan girl when she wasn't even what they really wanted—then she couldn't long for it.
Otherwise ...
Otherwise, there was this great, beautiful thing somewhere in the universe and she didn't have it. Couldn't have it for whatever reason.
Because of who she was, most likely. (p.185)
Book 0.5. Cowboy Christmas Blues — 2 stars
Book 1. Smooth-Talking Cowboy — 4.5 stars
Book 1.5. Mail Order Cowboy
Book 2. Untamed Cowboy
Book 2.5. Hard Riding Cowboy
Book 3. Good Time Cowboy
Book 3.5. Snowed in with the Cowboy
Book 4. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas — 4 stars
Book 5. Unbroken Cowboy — 4 stars
Book 6. Cowboy to the Core — 4.5 stars
Book 7. Lone Wolf Cowboy
Book 8. Cowboy Christmas Redemption
Book 9. The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch — 3.5-3.75 stars
Book 10. The Hero of Hope Springs — 3-3.5 stars
Book 11. The Last Christmas Cowboy
Other Maisey Yates Recommendations
Except for the one novella below, all my MY reads have been from the Gold Valley series; this one was great also though!
● Seduce Me, Cowboy (Copper Ridge: Desire, #3) — 4 stars
September 30, 2018
OMG this book left me so emotionally drained and happy at the end I'd give it 10 stars!
If you only read one Christmas time romance book this holiday season, read Maisey Yate’s “A Tall Dark Cowboy Christmas.” It’s really that good. I’ve already read a few Christmas releases by well known, best- selling authors, some okay, some very good but this book stands out as the best. It’s the latest in Ms. Yates Gold Valley series which is a spinoff of her Copper Ridge Series. I know most people reading this review are women but if you can’t fall in love with McKenna Tate the heroine in this story, if you can’t feel her pain and longing to be loved for who she is and not what she can give (her body, rent money) her desire to belong, you just don’t have a heart. I know mine broke for her several times while I read this book. Oh and of course for you ladies we have the broody, handsome Grant Dodge and the in depth story of his tragic teen marriage to his late wife Lindsay. Somehow these two emotionally damaged people with more emotional baggage than a freight train can carry find and heal each other. But not without a lot of struggle and help from family along the way. Its an emotional roller coaster of a read so bring a box of Kleenex. All the previous couples from this series get an appearance and even a few from Copper Ridge get a mention which is always nice when you’re a fan of a series. As an added bonus we get another novella Snowed in with a Cowboy about the Reid family, another Gold Valley family whose stories are separate from but interlaced with the Dodge family stories in the series. Does oldest Reid brother Tanner and his younger step-sister Chloe who has lusted after him forever finally hook-up? I know at first blush it sounds incestuous but you have to keep reminding yourself they aren't related by blood.
If you only read one Christmas time romance book this holiday season, read Maisey Yate’s “A Tall Dark Cowboy Christmas.” It’s really that good. I’ve already read a few Christmas releases by well known, best- selling authors, some okay, some very good but this book stands out as the best. It’s the latest in Ms. Yates Gold Valley series which is a spinoff of her Copper Ridge Series. I know most people reading this review are women but if you can’t fall in love with McKenna Tate the heroine in this story, if you can’t feel her pain and longing to be loved for who she is and not what she can give (her body, rent money) her desire to belong, you just don’t have a heart. I know mine broke for her several times while I read this book. Oh and of course for you ladies we have the broody, handsome Grant Dodge and the in depth story of his tragic teen marriage to his late wife Lindsay. Somehow these two emotionally damaged people with more emotional baggage than a freight train can carry find and heal each other. But not without a lot of struggle and help from family along the way. Its an emotional roller coaster of a read so bring a box of Kleenex. All the previous couples from this series get an appearance and even a few from Copper Ridge get a mention which is always nice when you’re a fan of a series. As an added bonus we get another novella Snowed in with a Cowboy about the Reid family, another Gold Valley family whose stories are separate from but interlaced with the Dodge family stories in the series. Does oldest Reid brother Tanner and his younger step-sister Chloe who has lusted after him forever finally hook-up? I know at first blush it sounds incestuous but you have to keep reminding yourself they aren't related by blood.
October 27, 2018
Grant and McKenna experienced loss from different perspectives. What I found compelling was how they handled it. Not having anyone to ground and support her, McKenna tried growing a hard shell to insulate herself from hurt, yet subconsciously held out a sliver hope with each new interaction. Grant was surrounded by supportive family and a well-intentioned community, yet chose to isolate himself emotionally. Grant’s surly, gruff manner was a thin shield against McKenna’s sarcastically sunny disposition and created a completely believable romance I enjoyed immensely! Overall, I think this was a sweetly moving romance. Rediscovering one’s self and going after what the heart desires most..I couldn’t ask for a better read!
Thanks to Aly’s review, I’m glad I gave this one a whirl. I enjoyed it!
Thanks to Aly’s review, I’m glad I gave this one a whirl. I enjoyed it!
September 25, 2018
I liked this book even if it is far from being the usual cowboy love story. I liked the characters and the deep scars they had, it made for much more drama and my day also!
Questo libro mi é piaciuto pur essendo lontano anni luce dal cliche che vede i cowboy nei libri d'amore come maschi alfa dominanti, le cicatrici emotive dei personaggi hanno contribuito al dramma, che ha reso il libro migliore ai miei occhi.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
Questo libro mi é piaciuto pur essendo lontano anni luce dal cliche che vede i cowboy nei libri d'amore come maschi alfa dominanti, le cicatrici emotive dei personaggi hanno contribuito al dramma, che ha reso il libro migliore ai miei occhi.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
August 30, 2018
Enjoyed this well written romance. This book has a good plot and great characters. I enjoyed the writing and look forward to reading more books by this author. Fans of the romance genre will enjoy this book.
December 6, 2018
A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas is the fourth novel in Maisey Yates' Gold Valley series, and I've been eagerly awaiting Grant's story, as he's previously been introduced as one of the Dodge brothers in the earlier novels. If you're new to this series, I strongly suggest that you read the first three novels in the order written, to get to know the other members of the Dodge family and their relationships, as they appear as secondary characters in this novel. Although it can be read as a standalone, I believe that reading the earlier novels in this series will enhance your understanding of this one, and I'm happy to say that once again, Maisey Yates doesn't disappoint--this novel gets 4.5 stars from this reader.
In addition to the usual cast of characters, the heroine in this novel, McKenna Tate, is new to Gold Valley, and Grant Dodge is the one who finds her, broke, shivering and alone in one of the cold, damp, abandoned cabins on the family ranch, and since he can't in good conscience leave her there, he brings her to his cabin to warm up, to feed her, and to find out why she's trespassing. McKenna only tells him the bare bones of her story, that her mother abandoned her at age two, that she was shuttled back and forth from foster home to foster home until she aged out of the system at 18, and was sent out into the world with little more than the clothing on her back. She's been struggling along alone, from menial job to menial job when she could find one, and boyfriend to boyfriend, trading sex for shelter and food when necessary. She's been mostly homeless and penniless for the past 8 years.
What McKenna doesn't tell Grant is that she's come to Gold Valley to find the man who fathered her, the only family connection she's ever had, and only learning her father's name on the paperwork she received when she left foster care. Careful research led her to Gold Valley, unsure whether or not her father even knows she exists, and even more unsure of how to approach the famous rodeo cowboy star whose ranch is situated there. All that McKenna has ever wanted was a family who cared about her, to give her a sense of belonging she's never experienced in all her 26 years, and she soon sees what that dynamic is when Grant and his siblings offer her a job cleaning cabins and doing other odd jobs at their Get Out of Dodge ranch.
Grant is the member of the of the Dodge family who has been the hardest to get to know in the series--he's a man of few words, with a short temper, and has been the most taciturn member of the Dodge siblings. We finally learn a lot more about him and why he's the way he is in this novel. After his mother died giving birth to his younger sister, Jamie, his father was devastated and emotionally destroyed, leaving the care of his infant daughter to her older siblings, and turning to the bottle more often than not. Grant's reaction to the whole situation was anger, and he took out his anger on everyone, becoming a bully at school, flunking classes and terrorizing weaker kids, until the day he was sent to a tutor in the school library and met Lindsey, a beautiful, young student at his school, one who wasn't put off by his blatant hostility, and one who saw that there was a good guy underneath his angry facade.
Grant and Lindsey soon fell in love, and although they both knew that Lindsay, who had already survived one battle with cancer, a cancer which would in all likelihood return and shorten her life, they married anyway. Lindsay's health went downhill not long after, and Grant spent the entirety of their marriage caring for and loving his his dying wife, and he's been a widower for the past 8 years. Grant has been been alone ever since, barely communicating with his siblings or anyone else, and crushed by Lindsay's death, only finding solace in a bottle. He's not sure what to make of McKenna, to whom he finds himself attracted for the first time in 8 years, and he's not sure what to do about it.
McKenna is, in this reader's opinion, one of the best characters ever to spring from Maisey Yates's amazing imagination. She's sassy, spunky, tough on the outside, but sweet and caring on the inside. She's not afraid to open up about her life, pretty dreadful though it has been until now. What keeps her going is one word, hope, and she's not afraid to talk about it, and there are no ears that need to hear that message more than Grant's, who's lived without hope for the past 16 years. In McKenna, Grant finds that she has the determination to try to carry on no matter what life throws at her, and she's certainly able to go one-on-one with grumpy, grouchy, secretive and closed-off Grant, and rather than the pity he's hated receiving from everyone in town, all of whom know his backstory, McKenna has no clue about his past or his marriage, and she treats him just like the handsome, strong, and virile man he is. Eventually, given their attraction to one another, the two agree to have sex--commitment-free, no talking, no questions, no hope of a relationship sex, and in addition to creating memorable characters, Ms. Yates is also quite adept at turning up the heat between these two characters, and does she ever!
With Christmas rapidly approaching and the whole town getting ready to celebrate its arrival, McKenna's hope for a Christmas miracle, one in which her father and half-brothers welcome her into their lives and family with open arms, may or may not play out as she hoped, and the road to her HEA is littered with potholes, stones and ruts in the road, and disappointment, but although she never gives up hoping, she has enough backbone and spirit to break off her her quasi-relationship with Grant after an argument, but at least she still has a job for now, and has certainly made friends while at the ranch, something else that has long been absent from her life.
The only negative I could find in this novel and my reason for not giving it a 5-star rating was the brevity and abruptness of the ending. I'm of the opinion that this novel and these vivid characters deserved a more fully fleshed out finale.
So, how does this story end? Will McKenna's hope of a better future actually happen? Will Grant be a part of it? Will she finally learn the truth about Grant's marriage? Will her newfound father and half-siblings accept her into their lives? For answers to these questions, you'll just have to read this deeply moving novel for yourself, and I highly recommend that you do so--especially with Christmas and its miracles right around the corner.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
In addition to the usual cast of characters, the heroine in this novel, McKenna Tate, is new to Gold Valley, and Grant Dodge is the one who finds her, broke, shivering and alone in one of the cold, damp, abandoned cabins on the family ranch, and since he can't in good conscience leave her there, he brings her to his cabin to warm up, to feed her, and to find out why she's trespassing. McKenna only tells him the bare bones of her story, that her mother abandoned her at age two, that she was shuttled back and forth from foster home to foster home until she aged out of the system at 18, and was sent out into the world with little more than the clothing on her back. She's been struggling along alone, from menial job to menial job when she could find one, and boyfriend to boyfriend, trading sex for shelter and food when necessary. She's been mostly homeless and penniless for the past 8 years.
What McKenna doesn't tell Grant is that she's come to Gold Valley to find the man who fathered her, the only family connection she's ever had, and only learning her father's name on the paperwork she received when she left foster care. Careful research led her to Gold Valley, unsure whether or not her father even knows she exists, and even more unsure of how to approach the famous rodeo cowboy star whose ranch is situated there. All that McKenna has ever wanted was a family who cared about her, to give her a sense of belonging she's never experienced in all her 26 years, and she soon sees what that dynamic is when Grant and his siblings offer her a job cleaning cabins and doing other odd jobs at their Get Out of Dodge ranch.
Grant is the member of the of the Dodge family who has been the hardest to get to know in the series--he's a man of few words, with a short temper, and has been the most taciturn member of the Dodge siblings. We finally learn a lot more about him and why he's the way he is in this novel. After his mother died giving birth to his younger sister, Jamie, his father was devastated and emotionally destroyed, leaving the care of his infant daughter to her older siblings, and turning to the bottle more often than not. Grant's reaction to the whole situation was anger, and he took out his anger on everyone, becoming a bully at school, flunking classes and terrorizing weaker kids, until the day he was sent to a tutor in the school library and met Lindsey, a beautiful, young student at his school, one who wasn't put off by his blatant hostility, and one who saw that there was a good guy underneath his angry facade.
Grant and Lindsey soon fell in love, and although they both knew that Lindsay, who had already survived one battle with cancer, a cancer which would in all likelihood return and shorten her life, they married anyway. Lindsay's health went downhill not long after, and Grant spent the entirety of their marriage caring for and loving his his dying wife, and he's been a widower for the past 8 years. Grant has been been alone ever since, barely communicating with his siblings or anyone else, and crushed by Lindsay's death, only finding solace in a bottle. He's not sure what to make of McKenna, to whom he finds himself attracted for the first time in 8 years, and he's not sure what to do about it.
McKenna is, in this reader's opinion, one of the best characters ever to spring from Maisey Yates's amazing imagination. She's sassy, spunky, tough on the outside, but sweet and caring on the inside. She's not afraid to open up about her life, pretty dreadful though it has been until now. What keeps her going is one word, hope, and she's not afraid to talk about it, and there are no ears that need to hear that message more than Grant's, who's lived without hope for the past 16 years. In McKenna, Grant finds that she has the determination to try to carry on no matter what life throws at her, and she's certainly able to go one-on-one with grumpy, grouchy, secretive and closed-off Grant, and rather than the pity he's hated receiving from everyone in town, all of whom know his backstory, McKenna has no clue about his past or his marriage, and she treats him just like the handsome, strong, and virile man he is. Eventually, given their attraction to one another, the two agree to have sex--commitment-free, no talking, no questions, no hope of a relationship sex, and in addition to creating memorable characters, Ms. Yates is also quite adept at turning up the heat between these two characters, and does she ever!
With Christmas rapidly approaching and the whole town getting ready to celebrate its arrival, McKenna's hope for a Christmas miracle, one in which her father and half-brothers welcome her into their lives and family with open arms, may or may not play out as she hoped, and the road to her HEA is littered with potholes, stones and ruts in the road, and disappointment, but although she never gives up hoping, she has enough backbone and spirit to break off her her quasi-relationship with Grant after an argument, but at least she still has a job for now, and has certainly made friends while at the ranch, something else that has long been absent from her life.
The only negative I could find in this novel and my reason for not giving it a 5-star rating was the brevity and abruptness of the ending. I'm of the opinion that this novel and these vivid characters deserved a more fully fleshed out finale.
So, how does this story end? Will McKenna's hope of a better future actually happen? Will Grant be a part of it? Will she finally learn the truth about Grant's marriage? Will her newfound father and half-siblings accept her into their lives? For answers to these questions, you'll just have to read this deeply moving novel for yourself, and I highly recommend that you do so--especially with Christmas and its miracles right around the corner.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
June 10, 2019
Grant Dodge didn’t expect to find the woman he found sleeping in an abandoned cabin on his family ranch to be so intriguing. Grant has forgotten what it’s like to feel like a man and McKenna wants him, she doesn’t pity him for his being a widower. McKenna came to Gold Valley to confront her birth father and she had no plan to work at the Dodge ranch or fall for the gorgeous cowboy who keeps his heart roped off.
This cowboy romance is one powerfully emotional romance that captures readers by the heart and refuses to let go. Strong, convincing characters make it easy for readers to become completely caught up in their lives and all the intense emotions that flows from the pages. The romance seems to be doomed from the way these two fight against the magnetic and sizzling chemistry that flows between these two and readers can practically feel that energy.
This wounded couple’s journey to happily ever after is a steady paced, suspenseful and heart felt read. Readers can expect tears and smiles as well as a whole range of emotions to be felt throughout this romance because the author brings these characters to brilliant life and the small town and loyal family adds a heartwarming counter balance to all the tragedy that fills this couple’s past in this poignant heart tugging, holiday romance.
This cowboy romance is one powerfully emotional romance that captures readers by the heart and refuses to let go. Strong, convincing characters make it easy for readers to become completely caught up in their lives and all the intense emotions that flows from the pages. The romance seems to be doomed from the way these two fight against the magnetic and sizzling chemistry that flows between these two and readers can practically feel that energy.
This wounded couple’s journey to happily ever after is a steady paced, suspenseful and heart felt read. Readers can expect tears and smiles as well as a whole range of emotions to be felt throughout this romance because the author brings these characters to brilliant life and the small town and loyal family adds a heartwarming counter balance to all the tragedy that fills this couple’s past in this poignant heart tugging, holiday romance.
June 28, 2019
Hot, but sweet. I really loved the developing romance between the two characters. I loved how spunky and honest McKenna was, that even as she would try to convince others she was a tough, uncaring person, she knew the truth about herself. And I loved how she didn't let Grant get away with his bullcrap either. Each time he tried to push her away by being a butthead, she called him on it and just brought things into the open.
I think one of my favorite scenes was
Lovely story overall. I'm definitely going to be reading the others in this series.
I think one of my favorite scenes was
Lovely story overall. I'm definitely going to be reading the others in this series.
November 20, 2018
"A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas" was a great Christmas-themed romance that follows two unlikely people on their journey to love. Grant Dodge has been wallowing in loneliness. He frequently drinks himself to sleep at night and is generally very grouchy. He married his high school sweetheart when they were 18, and they had a rough marriage- not because of fighting or anything like that, but because she had terminal cancer. After 8 years of caring for her, he lost her to the disease. It's been 8 years since then, but in a small town, he feels everyone's pity and expectations for him. Thus, he hasn't been with anyone since she died.
One night, he finds a woman sleeping on the floor of one of the cabins on the ranch. McKenna is newly homeless, on a search for her family. She was given up by her mother when she was 2 and heavily suffers from abandonment issues- that being said, she is pretty mature, logical, and knowledgeable about her own issues. She found out her father lives in Gold Valley and spent all her money getting into town. She plans to look for a job and figure out a way to introduce herself to him and her half-brothers living there. When Grant takes McKenna to his brother, he offers her a job doing odds and ends around the ranch with room and board- beautiful generosity of a job and a place to stay.
As McKenna and Grant begin working together, their feelings grow. However, neither wants to admit to what is growing between them, and they each must go through their own journeys to understand where they want to go and what they want from life. The book has some really steamy scenes, some really romantic scenes, and some really heart-warming scenes. I found it to be really engaging and fast, enjoying every minute.
I did have some minor concerns, such as about Grant's drinking which is argued in the first several pages how it is not alcoholism, but seems like it. This does fade to the background as time goes on. Any concerns were minor, and overall, I really enjoyed Grant/McKenna and their romance. It's also a great Christmas read with all the holiday feelings. I highly recommend for lovers of cowboy romances!
Please note that I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
One night, he finds a woman sleeping on the floor of one of the cabins on the ranch. McKenna is newly homeless, on a search for her family. She was given up by her mother when she was 2 and heavily suffers from abandonment issues- that being said, she is pretty mature, logical, and knowledgeable about her own issues. She found out her father lives in Gold Valley and spent all her money getting into town. She plans to look for a job and figure out a way to introduce herself to him and her half-brothers living there. When Grant takes McKenna to his brother, he offers her a job doing odds and ends around the ranch with room and board- beautiful generosity of a job and a place to stay.
As McKenna and Grant begin working together, their feelings grow. However, neither wants to admit to what is growing between them, and they each must go through their own journeys to understand where they want to go and what they want from life. The book has some really steamy scenes, some really romantic scenes, and some really heart-warming scenes. I found it to be really engaging and fast, enjoying every minute.
I did have some minor concerns, such as about Grant's drinking which is argued in the first several pages how it is not alcoholism, but seems like it. This does fade to the background as time goes on. Any concerns were minor, and overall, I really enjoyed Grant/McKenna and their romance. It's also a great Christmas read with all the holiday feelings. I highly recommend for lovers of cowboy romances!
Please note that I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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