Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Book Review: Lone Wolf Cowboy (Gold Valley #7)

You have NO IDEA how happy I was to open my book mail and find this gem in it because I asked my local library if they were getting this and they looked at me like I had a third eye, so that meant I was on my own! Lucky for you, it comes out TODAY. So order it and tell me what you think.

Lone Wolf Cowboy (Gold Valley #7) - Maisey Yates

As a former EMT and a wildland firefighter, there's no one Jacob Dalton can't rescue--except himself. Since his best friend's tragic death, Jacob has isolated himself...until Vanessa Logan returns to Gold Valley. He saved her life during a medical call years ago, and he's never forgotten her. The instant jolt of heat between them takes him by surprise, but he knows that giving in to it would only end in disaster...

For Vanessa, returning home was about healing, not about exploring her attraction with Jacob. He is the guardian angel from her past--with strong, capable hands and an irresistible mouth. A temptation she knows she can't afford. Until the chemistry between them explodes, and unites them in a way they could never have imagined.


Full disclosure, I have not read every book in the Gold Valley series, I think I've read three others and this one makes four. I could be wrong because I get this confused with the Copper Ridge series and I also sometimes put my pants on backwards so honestly, I'm always really very confused. Anyways, what I'm telling you is that you do NOT need to read these in order, it's totally fine. You will be fine. (Can I just say though? If Caleb is not the next story I will be very unhappy.)

Anyhoodles.

In this book we have Vanessa coming back to Gold Valley after leaving several years ago. She was a wild teenager, fell into drugs and alcohol and experienced some really awful things, but after court ordered rehab she realized she had different options. She sobered up, became an art teacher, and took a chance on a job back in Gold Valley teaching art to troubled youth, which seems like a natural calling for her. Then we have Jacob who has a past full of demons which make him feel like isolating himself is better for everyone else but also a kind of punishment for himself. They meet, they hit it off, she gets pregnant, crap hits the fan. That's the gist of it. Basically.

OK, I'm giving this one a 4 and I'm teetering on a 3.5/3 only because I really wanted more of a boom. Something that puts her sobriety at risk. I expected a lot of things to happen in here that didn't (which I'm not telling you some of my ideas because then you know what doesn't happen and that kind of ruins it) and I'm on the fence on whether that's a let down or a bravo- thank you for going around the usual trope and doing something different. Kind of like we all want change until it happens and then we want what we know and are comfortable with. Ultimately though, I did enjoy this one. I really liked Vanessa, she was mindful and conscious of her strengths and weaknesses, she isn't the damsel in distress (which Maisey Yates does a great job of- the women in her books typically aren't looking for a knight on a white horse), and she knows what she wants and what she deserves. Even Jacob, who got a little dicey at the end there, was pretty good because he wasn't the overbearing alpha male but he also doesn't let people walk over him, he has a cool and calm confidence.

I wanted to share a couple of parts of the book I enjoyed:

"She was probably making sure Vanessa knew she had something for her to drink. Which often as a nondrinker Vanessa found to be an issue. Some people didn't seem to understand the concept of drinking for hydration, and not for altered consciousness." 

"'None of us knows what we're doing,' Ellie said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I don't. I look at Amelia sometimes and I... I still can't believe I'm her mother. Some days I'm so bone tired I swear I'm a ninety-year-old woman. Other days I look around and think... how am I mom? And a teacher? And a widow? How am I all these things when I still feel like a high school girl who hasn't figured any of life out at all."
Overall, this was a good book. Fast read, a couple of steamy scenes, a good set of main characters, and a story to root for. If you're looking for a new series to get into, consider this one because I don't think you're going to be disappointed.

   
Thank you Harper Collins and HQN books for the ARC in exchange for review, all thoughts are my own and I will ramble on and on about a book if you saw me in person but I keep it short(ish) and sweet here because you have the attention span of a squirrel. Also, this post contains affiliate links and that helps keep my snack drawer stocked but also keeps this blog going, but let's be honest- the snacks are more important. 

Happy reading!

2 comments:

Beth (Coffee Until Cocktails) said...

This sounds like a good read and definitely one you could pick up without reading the others in the series. The characters sounds really interesting to me also. I will have to add it to my list.

Katie said...

This sounds good! I'm not great about reading novels, I always go for a non-fiction book but I'm trying to find more books that help me just relax and enjoy a good story!