“Fans of Robyn Carr and RaeAnne Thayne will enjoy [Yates’s] small-town romance.”–Booklist Will this brooding Gold Valley cowboy find redemption this Christmas? Cowgirl Rose Daniels is determined to play matchmaker to ensure her beloved sister will meet someone under the mistletoe. She enlists the reluctant help of family friend Logan Heath, but his insistence that she doesn’t understand … insistence that she doesn’t understand chemistry is exasperating. Until they share one electrifying moment that shows her exactly what chemistry is all about, and it becomes outrageously, irresistibly intriguing…
Logan hates the holidays. They are a painful reminder of the family he lost and a time of year he always wants to spend on his own. But Rose refuses to let him. Logan’s worked for years to keep his attraction to her under wraps–she’s his best friend’s youngest sister and she couldn’t be more off-limits. He’s the last cowboy that innocent Rose should ever kiss, but this Christmas, maybe Logan will become the only cowboy she’ll ever want.
Don’t miss Maisey Yates next book, Confessions from the Quilting Circle! An emotional and powerful look at the secrets that divide a family, and the love that can heal it.
Read the entire Gold Valley series:
1. Smooth-Talking Cowboy
2. Untamed Cowboy
3. Good Time Cowboy
4. A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas
5. Unbroken Cowboy
6. Cowboy to the Core
7. Lone Wolf Cowboy
8. Cowboy Christmas Redemption
9. The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch
10. The Hero of Hope Springs
11. The Last Christmas Cowboy
more
Rose is the youngest of the Danials siblings and she feels like she owes them for taking care of her after their parents death. She comes up with an idea to set up her last signal sister as a way to repay the debt she feels like she owes her. Logan’s mom was best friend’s with the Danial’s mother and also killed in the plane crash. Logan carries a lot of secrets with him from his guilt over his moms’s death to who is father is. The one thing he can’t seem to shake is the fact that Rose isn’t a little girl anymore. I love best friend/ little sister books. I was not expecting the twist in the middle but I guess I should have seen it coming. Can’t wait what is in store for Iris.
This story about love, life, family, grief, and finding your soulmate hits all the feels and senses, it enthralls and entertains.
The author writes about the emotions so vividly I noticed myself gripping to each twist and nodding with an agreement; ‘that is exactly how it feels’ while inhaling each word.
I loved the connection between Rose Daniels and Logan Heath. They had known each other all their lives, they grew up together, they faced the ultimate loss together, they had worked side by side for years, they knew each other as no one else could even imagine. And now, in a new way that rocked their whole existence.
At first, the ‘she is virgin and he is ladies man’ theme made me sigh deeply but with Rose and Logan’s story it fit, it was such a natural part of her assistance and her personality and part of her growing experience, that I soon got over it.
A sensual and emotional tale of loving and living in a large extended family, with palpable deep feels and a-ha-moments, growing and thriving while falling in love, finding your place in life, and flourishing with the newfound happiness… Yet another tale from Maisey Yates that left me completely enamored with the characters and world she creates!
~ Four Spoons with the teaspoon on the side
This was your typical love story between a little sister and her brother’s best friend plot. We all have seen them in movies or read about them. The forbidden love of a younger sibling falling for older siblings’ best friend. However, it was still a wonderful story.
Rose is our heroine who is looking to play matchmaker so she enlists the help of Logan her older brother’s best friend. Some she trusts and has known forever. She has viewed him as a brother for years.
Things change though as she begins to learn what true chemistry is between a man and woman. This soon leads her to see Logan in a whole new light. Logan trying to be the better person pushes her away. Soon however he can no longer resist.
I loved the chemistry between the characters. It was fun watching their relationship change. I also loved that Rose gave her heart to someone so good.
I will say this was the 11th book in this series however I read it with no issues. I am however hooked on Maisey Yates’s writing so will be returning to read the previous books.
Delightful Best Friend’s Younger Sister Christmas Story!
Logan and Rose have known each other all their lives, even helped raise each other in ways, but now they can’t deny what’s been bubbling under the surface. A little Christmas mischief and magic will lead these two to true love.
I loved the family story almost as much as Logan and Rose. And I will definitely be back for Iris’ story!
While this is the eleventh book in the Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates, there isn’t too much of a procession of previous characters, and there isn’t really an overarching series plot arc to follow either, so I don’t think it’ll really matter if you haven’t read any of the other books in the series – I haven’t, and I followed along pretty well.
This book shares quite a few plot beats with Jane Austen’s Emma, particularly in the first half, as Rose tries to matchmake, only to find herself the target of affections both desired and otherwise. Logan is the Knightley figure, the older not-actually-related friend who she has always considered a brother – until she suddenly starts looking at him differently. Ten years older, having known her since she was six, Logan has been valiantly suppressing his interest in Rose since she came of age, but she brings things to a head between them and he can’t resist.
There’s a refreshingly different take at the black moment here – I could absolutely predict what Logan was going to do, telling Rose that he didn’t love her to try and push her away ‘for her own good’ but Rose’s reaction was fabulous. Instead of taking his words at face value and running away to cry into her pillow, she stood there and told him she saw through his nonsense, verbally dissected him with devastating accuracy and basically told him that if he managed to pull his head out of his rear end, he knew where to find her. It was brilliant, and perfectly fitting with Rose’s take-no-prisoners, straightforward character.
I was disappointed that Logan seemed to then need to also have a conversation with Rose’s older brother Ryder in order to get his head straight. Rose told him the truth about himself, and he needed to be self-honest enough to admit and accept it without needing affirmation from another man. It made me think less of Logan as a character – and I admit that the ten-year age difference between him and Rose already had me feeling pretty put off him. Rose’s naivety also felt overdone – this is a girl who is the archetypal tomboy, yes, the girl who works as a ranch hand – but she’s also a girl who went to a mainstream American high school, a pretty girl who, apparently, was never asked out by boys. I just felt my suspension of disbelief straining a bit at that one, I’m afraid. Rose isn’t stupid and she’s not all that sheltered, so her ignorance of anything to do with the opposite sex – at all – just didn’t feel realistic.
There was plenty to enjoy here despite the book playing off some tropes I’m not keen on – Friends to Lovers and Older Brother’s Best Friend, for example. The Austen references were cleverly done and not heavy-handed, and I definitely liked the subversion of the black moment with Rose’s directness in calling Logan on his own character failings. The way she put the problem back on him to deal with was absolutely delightful. Overall, I’ll give it four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY (A Gold Valley Novel Book #11) by Maisey Yates is the latest contemporary cowboy romance in the Gold Valley series. I always enjoy going back to this series and catching up with the Daniels of Hope Springs Ranch as each deals differently with the tragedy of their pasts and finds their forever love and HEA. This book can easily be read as a standalone.
Rose Daniels is determined to find her oldest sister, Iris, someone to love this Christmas season. She feels Iris gave up a life of her own to help raise her when their parents died. As her scheme evolves, her friend and coworker, Logan warns her she does not understand what she is doing and Iris is going to get hurt. Rose is impulsive and naive and has never been in love, so when her plan takes an unexpected turn, she wants Logan to be the person to teach her what she does not know.
Logan Heath is ten years older that the youngest Daniel and his best friend’s sister. He has kept his attraction to Rose a secret, but now she wants him to teach her about chemistry and he cannot stop after one innocent kiss. Logan has always avoided anything to do with Christmas and believes he cannot love. He feels Rose can do much better even as the two become secret lovers.
Rose wants Logan forever, but can Logan get past the hurt and misunderstandings of his past and let love into his heart this Christmas?
I loved the intimate emotional changes of the hero and heroine in this story. Rose blooms as she confronts her feelings about her deceased parents, her siblings and her newly found womanhood and even as it took Logan longer, his emotional growth was just as important for the HEA. There are explicit sex scenes, but they never felt gratuitous. I enjoyed catching up with all the siblings’ lives. The subplot Christmas wedding of West and Pansy brings the Daltons into the picture and reveals a portion of Logan’s painful past to everyone. All of the secondary characters are fully fleshed, but this story is mainly focused on Logan’s and Rose’s emotional growth and coming together.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to returning to Hope Springs Ranch for Iris’ story.
The series has been concentrating on the residents of Hope Spring ranch, but Hank Dalton’s illegitimate offspring are still coming out of the woodwork. The last Christmas cowboy is Logan Heath, who has hated Christmas since his mother died in the plane accident with the Daniels adults seventeen years ago. Although he has been living at the ranch ever since and is considered part of the family and Ryder’s best friend, he has a couple secrets that he has been keeping, secrets that have been holding him back from.
He has grown up, worked on and owns part of the ranch, but about 5 years ago, his feelings about the youngest Daniels, Rose, changed when she became eighteen. He has pushed those feelings down as well, especially because of the ten years difference in their ages. They both love the work that they do on the ranch and work together as a team. But Rose is starting to push Logan, to a point were he can not hold back much longer, which could lead to consequences that would affect them all.
In this book, Maisey Yates reveals more about the family living at the ranch. Rose is dealing with feelings that she has had when she was dependent on everyone to take care of her and wants to “give back” with a scheme that goes awry, affecting both Iris and Logan, making all three characters more solid. However, I found Rose, at 23, to be a bit too naive in this day and age for someone who works on a ranch. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful addition to the series. I look forwarding to seeing what will happen with Iris, Jake and Colt. Too bad that the author didn’t provide Jane Heath’s cookie recipe at the end of the book.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Who is Rose Daniels? Where does she work? I love how much Rose loves and appreciates iris! For a while, I thought this book would be focused in one direction, but it truly went in another direction. Who is Elliott? What do we learn about Iris, Rose, Elliott, and Logan in this story? Man alive, this story ended up with me in tears several times as characters dealt with death and their pasts and feelings. Watching Logan play the ‘what if’ and blame game with himself almost killed me. Watching the hard truths he needed to fae come at him from multiple directions made it hard. I shed tears because I know how he felt about the loss of his mother, through the loss of my own father.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT from Netgalley FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
When thinking of Hope Springs, this is the story I wanted to read the most. It’s a tricky thing when dealing with a romance between characters who have known each other their whole lives with a significant age difference. As usual, Maisey Yates handles her characters with care and tact.
Logan has seemed, to me, to be a solid and supportive presence on the ranch. He’s part of the family, but also on the outside. Yet, everyone looks to him as a sort of old reliable. Not to say he’s boring. He’s definitely not. He loves the land and ranching, and he always does what needs doing…even if that’s holding his emotions in check when it comes to his best friend’s little sister, Rose.
While Logan is steady and reliable, Rose is impetuous and reliable. Those two things may seem incongruous to one another, but they’re not. She’s a hard worker and is always there to jump in and help, even with chores she doesn’t find very appealing. But she always speaks what’s on her mind and doesn’t necessarily think about the ramifications of her words. Sometimes Rose can be wise beyond her years. She’s had a rough start losing her parents so young and be raised by her siblings. Other times, her age and naiveté shine through that tough exterior.
Something I didn’t expect from this story was the connection I felt to Rose’s sister, Iris. I wouldn’t say I have disliked Iris in past books, I will admit she didn’t endear herself to me. Getting to see a more vulnerable side to her after Rose makes a mess of things really turned me into a cheerleader for this women. Besides the obvious emotions between Rose and Logan, the most touching scenes in this story involved Iris. That woman needs her HEA STAT!
Things play out in this story as one would imagine on some levels, but there are some surprises along the way. And regardless of if I knew something would happen or not, I greatly enjoyed the journey. Rose and Logan have wonderful chemistry, and not just once they take their relationship to a physical level. When Logan expresses his disappointment in Rose for something she says, I felt that in my gut. These two are connected in a way that is not just about love and sex. They were friends far before either of them thought of the other in a romantic way. They rely on each other heavily at work. They are a well-oiled machine. It was a joy to read about and feel all aspects of their connection.
I have to say, I’m very curious about the rodeo cousins. We’ve only gotten to know them on a very superficial level, yet I’m sure they will both have a lot to say eventually.
An unlikely match! With book eleven in her much-loved Gold Valley series Maisey Yates brings us baby sister Rose’s story and it’s a sweet love connection. It lagged a bit in the beginning when Rose was showing a bit of her childish ways, but it picked up throughout and became quite enjoyable.
Rose Daniels grew up a lot in this book and it was for the better. She started out being a bit childish, but as her relationship with Logan progressed, she started to see the things she has buried her head in the sand about over the years.
Logan Heath has been a sweetheart for as long as he’s been popping up in the Daniel’s family books and this was no exception. I enjoyed watching him get the love he’s been missing and the watching the connection he’s been feeling for years come to life.
I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a small town romance centering around a close-knit family who suffered heartache and trauma at a young age. Watching them heal and find love and happiness is heartwarming.
Overall, this book was a good read, but I had trouble connecting with Rose. She’s very naive and innocent, and she waffles better thinking she’s not ready for a relationship at 23, but also thinking she’s worldly because she works the ranch and has suffered tragedy.
I very much liked Logan, because he’s both protective of Rose but also tells her the truth, especially about her plot to find a guy for her older sister Iris. And frankly, the taciturn, wounded hero is a favorite of mine.
There’s a lot of inner monologues, especially from Rose, that I had to flip through after a while. She’s not very deep, so to me her musings brought nothing to the storyline. I didn’t need to know more than once that she feels guilty that her family has had to care for her for all these years. Logan’s anti-Christmas revelation, on the other hand, was quick and to the point.
Not my favorite of the series, but still a good holiday read.
The Last Christmas Cowboy is the eleventh book in Maisey Yates’ Gold Valley series, a series I’ve been addicted to since it began, and Ms. Yates has pulled out all the emotional stops in this novel, which is, perhaps, the most angst-laden novel in the series so far, and which had me in tears more than once. It gets a tearful yet happy 5 stars from this reader.
This is Rose and Logan’s story. We’ve met Rose before, and because of the family situations at Hope Springs Ranch, every character in this novel was brought together by tragedy. Rose was just a small child when their parents died in a plane crash en route to an Alaskan vacation. Her older siblings, Ryder and Iris, raised her, and she has always felt that she could never pay them back for the sacrifices they made on her behalf, but in this novel, she focuses her attention on Iris, realizing how alone she has always been, and so Rose decides to find her a good man to date, ignoring the fact that she herself hasn’t dated either, and at the age of 23, has been spending all her time and energies helping Logan with all the chores running a ranch requires.
Logan Heath is one of the most intriguing and troubled characters on the ranch. His father, Hank Dalton, was a rodeo star, a notorious love ’em and leave ’em cowboy, who practically had a woman in every town, and who didn’t seem at all concerned about birth control and condoms. As this series has progressed, some of his illegitimate offspring have begun to turn up in Gold Valley. Hank’s wife usually paid off the women who showed up on their doorstep pregnant with Hank’s babies, which is exactly what happened to Logan’s mother, who loved Hank and had no idea he was married when she slept with him. That piece of news devastated her, the money she took from Hank’s wife to support herself and her unborn child haunted her, and left her alone to raise Logan as a single parent. Her untimely death occurred when Logan was 16, and because he always felt like a burden to his brokenhearted, struggling mother, whom he loved with all his heart, and whose death he blamed himself for, he grew to hate Hank for his mother’s broken heart and for ignoring him.
After his mother’s death, he came to live at Hope Springs ranch at age 16, becoming a co-owner, and working along with his best friend Ryder. He was a decade older than Ryder’s little sister, Rose, whom he treated like his little sister for years, at least until 5 years ago, when Rose was 18, a beautiful young woman who loved the ranch as much as Logan did, and was the one who worked most closely with him. Suddenly, he came to desire Rose, but felt he didn’t deserve her, and was, afraid of Ryder’s reaction if he ever touched Ryder’s baby sister. But Rose is no longer a child, and she wants to learn about men, has always had a thing for Logan, and when she finally decides to do something about it, in the form of a bet, she loses, and they soon become more than friends, although Logan believes that relationships and family are not for him. His late mother was his only family, and he doesn’t feel he will ever want another one. He’s about learn a lot of truths about Rose, Ryder, his kinship with their family, and even his own.
While there isn’t a lot of forward momentum or action in this novel, it is perhaps the most deeply intimate novel in the series. Written in alternating narration, a literary device I’ve come to love, we get a chance to walk around inside the minds and hearts of Logan and Rose– get to understand their motivations, their brokenness, their emotional pain, and their most private feelings, and, because Maisey Yates is so incredibly good at what she does, we even get to examine our own issues, our own fears, and our own life choices.
While this novel can be read as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading this series in the order it was written to fully understand the family dynamic, how they’ve survived and overcome stumbling blocks, family tragedy, and to marvel at the skill with which Ms. Yates has drawn us into their lives, their trials and tribulations on their way to love and happiness. In this reader’s opinion, this novel is perhaps the best one in this series, and I can’t wait to read Iris’ story, which apparently will be next. Quite simply, this was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
Deeply emotional, family-focused romance
After watching two of her siblings find their soul mates, Rose is determined to help her remaining single sibling, Iris, find her match. Helping her is Logan, the decade-older cowboy that she works alongside every day. Only Logan has his own demons, not the least of which is his entirely inappropriate attraction to the too-young Rose, an attraction that is insanely complicated by her investigation into what makes for a good match and how to find the perfect suitor for Iris.
This story goes so much deeper than just the storyline details. Rose’s reasons for wanting to see Iris settled, Logan’s reasons for denying the obvious attraction between himself and Rose, Iris’s feelings about being set up, Rose’s tender balance between wanting a mature relationship with Logan and her need to explore more of her world before settling down, all of these issues are fairly addressed and interwoven into a complex, compelling story about what makes up a family and how those dynamics can change over time.
The depiction of Logan’s battle between his self-restraint and his desire was exquisitely portrayed. You could almost see the devil and the angel on his shoulders, arguing each side. But once this man’s restraint is unleashed, whew! Things get very hot, very quickly! These two are truly meant for each other, and watching them fall in love was pure joy.
I loved the way Ryder, Logan’s best friend and Rose’s older brother, handled the entire situation when it came to his attention. The stunning issue of Logan’s long-buried family history added a whole new dimension to all the relationships, and getting to see the entire Daniels family was absolutely delightful. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.