Escape with this sparkling romance by New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates! Will Gold Valley’s most honorable cowboy finally claim the woman he’s always wanted?For as long as brooding cowboy Ryder Daniels has known Sammy Marshall, she has been his sunshine. Her free spirit and bright smile saved him after the devastating loss of his parents and gave him the strength to care for his … parents and gave him the strength to care for his orphaned family. Only Ryder knows how vulnerable Sammy is, so he’s kept his attraction for his best friend under wraps for years. But what Sammy’s asking for now might be a step too far…
Something has been missing from Sammy’s life, and she thinks she knows what it is. Deciding she wants a baby is easy; realizing she wants her best friend to be the father is…complicated. Especially when a new heat between them sparks to life! When Sammy discovers she’s pregnant, Ryder makes it clear he wants it all. But having suffered the fallout of her parents’ disastrous relationship, Sammy is wary of letting Ryder too close. This cowboy will have to prove he’s proposing out of more than just honor…
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
Sammy Marshall has always been the bright spot in his life, she is always there with a smile to make his day better. She has seen him through some of the darkest times of his life and because of her care and lovable personality it was easy for him to secretly fall for her in the last few years. But he has always thought he wasn’t a good fit for her, that he should just stick to being her friend.
But now his special little savior is asking for a favor, one that has the power to change everything between them if they let it. She wants a baby and she wants him to father it, but he wants something else from her entirely, he wants it all. But she isn’t so sure she can give him what he wants…
The Hero of Hope Springs is a heart-string tugging tale that will take you into the lives of best friends Sammy and Ryder. These two have been through a lot together, but always just as friends. When Sammy proposes the idea for Ryder to father her child it takes thing between them to a whole new level, one that has Ryder wanting to give her his last name. But she isn’t sold on the idea of love and marriage, she watched her parents fallout and it did a number on her, and is definitely not something she wants to put her own child through. But little by little Ryder helps her to see what they could be, and suddenly the subject of happily ever after doesn’t seem to scary. I loved watching these two find their way into each other’s hearts, it took some patience and time, but once the love took hold between them it was nothing but happiness. I’ve got to say this is a new favorite from Ms. Yates for me, it was such a touching and emotionally rich story, it left my heart is so darn happy! Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
Complements The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch and all the other Gold Valley tales.
Ryder knows what it is to have to step up for family. When his parents were killed he took over raising his siblings, cousins, and a family friend. Not long after Sammy became a part of their group too. Running from her father, Sammy thought Hope Springs was the best place to be. Ryder and Sammy have been friends ever since, but now she wants more. Mainly a baby. I loved Ryder and Sammy. Sammy is a free spirit that had to grow up fast, and Ryder gave up his dreams fo his family. I loved their back and forth. The journey from friends to more was perfect for them.
An emotional and touching love story of two friends in a crossroads of life, struggling with their past tragedies, with the losses they have faced and with the passion they feel for each other.
It is easy to adore and admire Ryder Daniels, the head of a family, who put everything else aside as a young man, to take care of the family when needed. He is loyal, kind, considerate, stubborn, strong, and generous, he would do anything to protect his family. His best friend of 17 years, the light of his life, the sun on his sky, Sammy Marshall, thought him how to smile again, and now she is showing him how to feel again…
While Ryder was so easy to love and admire, Sammy took some effort to understand. The place of trauma Sammy comes from, where she grew up in, the physical, mental, and emotional abuse she had faced, it is unimaginable and thus hard to grasp. As the story unfolds and the damage to Sammy’s soul is unveiled, it is heartwrenching to feel an ouch of the immeasurable pain she has had to carry with her most of her life.
This story went directly to my feels. At first, it was all fun and banter and cute and ardent. And then it got real and raw, there were heartache and agony, and the angst was high even when everything seemed so lovely and tender and sweet cause there were still major pieces of the puzzle missing.
This beautiful story of love and life, friendship,x1b and family, finding your true north and daring to take the journey towards it was an intense, fervent, spirited tale that took me for a wild ride and pulled all the feels to the surface. A book hangover? Oh yes, in the best possible way. I think part of Sammy and Ryder will live in my heart from now on…
~ Five Spoons!
This is a great new series. Always a joy to get lost in a Maisey Yates book.
Who are Ryder Daniels and Sammy Marshall? Who are Colt, Jake, West, Pansy, Iris, and Rose? I like Logan a lot! We get to know a lot more about Sammy in this story, her background, and how she truly ended up at Hope Springs. What is it that she talks to Ryder about? Why and what caused her to get to this conclusion or decision of what she wants to do? Things suddenly took a strange/interesting turn of events 30% of the way into this story. This was due to some specific comments from Ryder. Wow, this was a roller coaster of a read!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT from Netgalley FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
If you’ve been following my book reviews for any length of time, you know I’m a huge fan of Maisey Yates. I was ecstatic when I was offered an ARC of this book, along with a chance to participate in a blog tour. This story is deeply emotional and it even made me cry. (I swear, she always makes me cry.) But I’ll have to be honest and say it’s one of my least favorite books by this author to date. A key element was missing, and that is laughter. While this author always makes me cry, she also always makes me laugh. At least up until now.
Trust me, I know not everything has to have humor. This story is actually very important and poignant. We met this family in the last book, The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch, and I knew these characters would have a lot to say, and it wouldn’t all be comfortable. I was looking forward to the story of Sammy and Ryder. I can’t even say I was disappointed in their story, because I’m not. In fact, I know there are a lot of readers who are going to find this to be a 5 star story. I just couldn’t connect fully with the story or the characters.
When Ryder and Sammy are together and actually talking to one another, not in their own heads, I was all in. They gave me butterflies and heartache and joy. I love their connection and their history. These two know each other so much better than most couples who have been married for 50 years. They’ve been through a lot and have always stood with each other, good times and bad. To me, they spent way too much time in their thinking. Looking back, I realize there is a shockingly small amount of dialogue in this book. Not just between Sammy and Ryder, but overall. They’ve always played confidant for each other. And when they couldn’t talk to one another, Ryder’s siblings are always there for them both. But due to their situation, neither are comfortable talking to the family about their relationship. This leaves a gaping hole in the story because it leaves them to talk to themselves, over and over and over. Rehashing the same issues because they aren’t getting any feedback. In fact, one of my favorite parts of this story is a conversation between Ryder and West. That really cemented it for me that I was missing the interactions and dialogue between characters.
Look, I appreciate what the author is doing with this story and these characters. It just didn’t work for me. It’s still a wonderful tale and there’s no doubt in my mind these characters are meant to be together. I look forward to seeing them play a part in the future books that will follow the Daniels family in Gold Valley. I think, now that they’ve found their HEA, they will be free to be more themselves in the coming stories instead of holding all of their feelings inside.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Friends to lovers … and more! With book ten in her beloved Gold Valley series Maisey Yates delights her reader with the story we’ve all been waiting for. Ryder Daniels! He gave up his dreams and stepped up to take care of his siblings and friends when tragedy struck years ago and now it’s time for him to finally get his share of happiness. I enjoyed them getting together, but they felt a little flat in their emotions and dialogue and I found myself wanting a little more. I’m a big fan of the series, so I hope to see them again in the future.
Ryder Daniels has been a favorite character ever since the Daniels family stepped on the screen in this series and seeing him get to claim the woman he’s been in love with for years as his very own is really sweet. I always enjoy his connection with his family.
Sammy Marshall is sass all the way around and it was fulfilling to learn more of her past.
I recommend this book and the series as a whole to anyone who enjoys a close knit family always weighing in on each others lives as each member finds their own happily ever after.
I wanted to like “The Hero of Hope Springs” by Maisey Yates a lot more than I actually did. I’m generally a fan of grumpy heroes and friends-to-lovers stories, so based on the synopsis, I thought for sure this book would be a perfect choice for me. I realized in advance that it was part of a series, but it was marketed as a standalone, so I didn’t think it would be too much of a problem that I hadn’t read any of the previous books. Instead, it felt like I had jumped into the middle of a story with more characters than I could easily keep straight at first. There seemed to be details missing that may have been provided in previous books, too. For example, the author never explained exactly what had happened to the male lead, Ryder’s, parents. We know they died when he was only 18 and Ryder became his younger siblings’ guardian, but how exactly did they die? Did his aunt and uncle die at the same time? If not, how did he also become his cousins’ guardian? These events obviously had a huge impact on Ryder’s life, but I didn’t fully understand the chain of events that led to his present-day circumstances.
I also felt like I had missed something between Ryder and the female lead, Sammy, because for supposed best friends, they didn’t much seem to like each other most of the time. I can’t say for sure, but perhaps it was because the book launched directly into the conflict between them and we didn’t have a chance to see them interact naturally first. On multiple occasions, Ryder described Sammy as his “sunshine,” but he never seemed to be happy when he was around her; there was nothing playful or lighthearted about their relationship, aside from Sammy’s weird obsession with sugar cubes. As a result, their relationship and the book itself seemed very intense and more angsty than it needed to be.
It took me a while to warm up to Ryder because he was just so set in his ways and stayed stuck in grumpy alpha hero mode for so long. He was obviously a good person and loved his family fiercely, but for the longest time, he had to have everything his way or no way at all. He eventually learned to compromise and he also let go of a lot of the grief he’d been carrying related to his parents’ deaths, which made him seem like a completely different, much more likeable person. Unfortunately, I did not warm up to Sammy, even though I felt bad for her because of what she went through with her parents when she was a child. She was so flighty and immature, which made it easy for me to understand why everyone around her thought her plan to have a baby was a bad idea.
I wasn’t really a fan of the book’s writing style either. The story seemed to drag in several places because there were so many internal monologues. Both Ryder and Sammy had a lot of old hurts to work through so I understand that some introspection was necessary for character growth, but there was so much of that in this book that it became repetitive. I ended up skimming through a lot of it just so I could get to the end faster. In addition, it made some of the conversations confusing because there would be a line of dialogue followed by a lengthy internal monologue before another character would finally answer. Half the time I had forgotten what they were responding to and had to go back and find the previous line of dialogue again!
Overall, l don’t think I can recommend “The Hero of Hope Springs” for anyone except existing fans of the Gold Valley series, who are already invested in these characters from previous stories and want to see them get their HEA. Based on some of the other reviews I’ve read, this book may not be the best example of the author’s usual writing style or tone. For that reason, I will probably give Ms. Yates another chance in the future and hope that I connect with that book more than I did this one.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The theme is one of my favorites – friends to lovers. Ryder and Sammy have been friends for seventeen years. Ryder was her refuge from her abusive father, and Sammy brought light to the darkness of his life after his parents’ deaths. Their friendship gets complicated when Sammy decides she wants to have a baby and asks Ryder to be the father.
Both Ryder and Sammy have some deep-seated issues working against a successful relationship. Ryder gave up all his plans for the future when his parents died so that he could care for his younger siblings, cousins, and friend. He instantly became a father to them all, plus having to run the ranch. The responsibility was overwhelming, but he stepped up and did it. However, as the years went on, Ryder decided that marriage and children weren’t for him. He’d done his bit and wasn’t interested in starting again. Looking even deeper, Ryder saw that opening himself up to love would open him up to the same devastating feelings of loss if/when something were to happen.
Sammy is all about maintaining control over her life. She says what she wants to say, not caring if it shocks those around her. In her interactions with men, she always holds part of herself back. She’s proud of her independence but doesn’t see that she has allowed her past to control her present. Sammy’s latest confrontation with her mother makes her realize that she wants more from her life, and she thinks that having a baby will fill that hole.
The development of the relationship between Sammy and Ryder was volatile. It quickly becomes apparent that Ryder has been attracted to Sammy almost since the beginning. He’s an honorable man and has kept his attraction buried rather than take advantage of her. His protectiveness and a bit of jealousy pop up when she starts talking about finding a father for her baby. Sammy doesn’t take well to Ryder’s comments and challenges him to do the job himself. She didn’t expect the combustibility of the first time he kissed her and freaked out at the loss of control she experienced. Over the next few weeks, the physical connection between them grew, but both of them fought against admitting their feelings for each other. Their confrontation after Ryder finally confessed his feelings was heart-wrenching. Sammy was terrified that he mistook obligation for love and could only envision a repeat of her parents’ marriage. I ached for her as she ran from those fears and rooted for her to face them and overcome them. I hurt for Ryder too, because he finally knew that he wanted it all, only to have Sammy turn down his love. He also had some self-examining to do and was a bit surprised at what he learned about himself. Once they each faced those issues, they were ready to embrace their feelings fully. The ending was good, but I would have liked to get through the baby’s birth.
The problem that brought the book from 4 stars to 3 stars was the amount of page-space spent inside Ryder and Sammy’s heads. I think their interactions would fill maybe three or four chapters. It felt as though most of the rest was spent inside their heads. And most of that was thinking the same things over and over and over. By the last third of the book, I found myself starting to skim whenever this happened. I may have missed some things because of it, but it was too repetitive to hold my interest.
I’m blown away by this deeply emotional friends-to-lovers romance!
Sammy and Ryder have been best friends for so long, so much a part of the same pseudo-family formed from tragedy, that they really can’t see the forest for the trees. Until Sammy gets the idea that she’s ready to have a baby, and now Ryder has to confront his long-buried feelings for her.
This easy-going romance delves deep into these characters’ hearts and souls, shaking the very foundation of their friendship, laying bare all their hidden biases and emotional crutches. The powerful chemistry between them has been there all along, but their seemingly incompatible approaches to life kept either of them from considering more.
Ryder is drowning in a sea of responsibility, while Sammy has to confront her own past, including her father’s lies, and ask herself some tough questions. The story focuses on the emotional fallout from their foray into a physical relationship, and as such was exquisitely fascinating and breathtakingly intimate. In the end, their HEA is summed up perfectly:
“I guess we were just what each other needed,” she said softly. “I needed to hide in your shadow, and you needed some light.”
It took a while to get into this story, but once I did, I was completely absorbed and couldn’t put it down. I can’t remember the last time I was so captivated by such a character- and emotion-driven story. There’s not much outside activity going on, but there doesn’t need to be. The struggles that both Sammy and Ryder are going through are more than enough to make this story an absolute gut-wrenching but ultimately romantic journey of the heart.
I highly recommend it for the sheer passion alone. These are two people whose love was a long time coming, and well worth the wait. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The Hero of Hope Springs
A Gold Valley Novel Series #10.5
Maisey Yates
https://www.facebook.com/MaiseyYates.Author/
Release date 07/21/2020
Publisher HLQ Books
Blurb :
Will Gold Valley’s most honorable cowboy finally claim the woman he’s always wanted? For as long as brooding cowboy Ryder Daniels has known Sammy Marshall, she has been his sunshine. Her free spirit and bright smile saved him after the devastating loss of his parents and gave him the strength to care for his orphaned family. Only Ryder knows how vulnerable Sammy is, so he’s kept his attraction for his best friend under wraps for years. But what Sammy’s asking for now might be a step too far…
Something has been missing from Sammy’s life, and she thinks she knows what it is. Deciding she wants a baby is easy; realizing she wants her best friend to be the father is…complicated. Especially when a new heat between them sparks to life! When Sammy discovers she’s pregnant, Ryder makes it clear he wants it all. But having suffered the fallout of her parents’ disastrous relationship, Sammy is wary of letting Ryder too close. This cowboy will have to prove he’s proposing out of more than just honor…
My review :
Will her new venture be more than a lark to fill the empty hole inside her.
I discovered the Daniels siblings and relatives in The Bad Boy Redemption Ranch and they are all an intriguing bunch, each with a past and many scars hidden from view but lingering in their many doings.
Ryder is the down to earth boy changed man when he became the adult reference for his younger siblings and cousins. He had to set aside his own dreams and hopes to keep them all banded together. He succeeded in it, now, all grown up and having set their own path.
Sammy entered his life as a wisp, she brought back smile and light in his dim life, she became the sunshine he desperately needed to move forward. An anchor.
And while he would have loved to be more than her best friend, he never let anything out about his feelings, watching her from afar flitting from one man to another, a free spirit, like she wanted everyone to believe her to be.
Sammy is the wandering soul, or so she thought.
The young girl in her believed by getting close to the boys around her, she would grasp the affection she was lacking at home, but at the same time she holds back, unable to let go, afraid to put her fate in one another hands. Why sex moved to become a weapon, her mean to make men weaker even if for a short time. Thus she thought she had things all mapped out by only choosing safe guys.
Her whole life she has been misguided, mistaking sex for a band aid, a way to get closer to people for a bit of warmth when she in fact kept them at arm’s length. While the only man for her is the one she is the closest but also refuses to see as someone else than her friend.
They lied to themselves for 17 years, she voluntarily blind around him when he buried his lust. So when on a lark she decides she wants a baby, a very irresponsible decision from her side, she stirs up a hornet’s net, when masks fall down.
I loved Ryder, he is not perfect and he makes mistakes, but even if at time he refuses to acknowledge his true feelings, he is not a coward like Sammy, who has ran away her whole life. Playing the free soul, giving advices when she can’t even face her own issues, nor follow what she would counsel.
Sure, she should have had some counseling to help her but even when she had found herself a new family who took her in as she was, she was always the one bolting away.
4 stars.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher HLQ Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/663539924235182/?d=n
If you’re a fan of Masey Yates’s cowboys, then this latest installment of the Gold Valley series is not going to disappoint. The hero and heroine are wonderfully flawed and broken, but together they become whole. Of course, it takes them a while to realize that and through the ups and downs of their relationship, Ms. Yates does what she does so very well. She connects you with the characters on such a deep level that you laugh, you cry, but most of all you want the book to never end. When it does, you are happy but exhausted, and so very ready for the next book in the series. The supporting cast of characters is amazing and I hope they all get their own books and their own HEAs.
Maisey Yates wrote an intense, emotional, amazing love story in The Hero of Hope Springs, part of her Gold Valley series. For as long as Ryder Daniels has known free spirit Sammy Marshall she has been his sunshine. She and her bright smile has saved him after losing his parent and has given him the strength to take care of his orphaned family. It was a lot, especially emotionally, for an eighteen year old, ready to fly from the nest, to deal with. Only Ryder knows that the person Sammy appears to be is an act; she is vulnerable and broken. He has kept his attraction for his best friend a secret for years. Sammy loves living a bohemian, arty life style and came to Hope Springs to escape the abuse from her father and lack of protection and love from her mother. There she found a home and a family that loved her. Yet, all this time, Sammy believes something is missing from her life and asks Ryder to help her. She soon learns that asking Ryder to father a child with her is complicated; especially when the heat between them ignites a spark, setting off fireworks. Not to mention the sizzling chemistry and electricity pouring off them. As potent as Ryder is, you know he will get Sammy pregnant the first time, before she decides to change her mind; which of course happens. Discovering Sammy is pregnant, Ryder informs her he want it all. The fallout from her parents’ abusive relationship, Sammy is fearful of letting Ryder to close. Ryder is going to need a few grand gestures to convince Sammy that he’s not proposing because he feels honor bound. Sammy is going to need to learn to trust herself, her feelings, and Ryder.
Ms. Yates wrote a wonderful, intense, emotional and sizzling story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with magnetism, chemistry, and charming characters giving Ryder and Sammy a chance to find that happily ever after. I highly recommend The Hero of Hope Springs to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I enjoyed this read. However there were a few things that simply rubbed me the wrong way. Overall though, I liked the story and characters. If you have read other books in this series Ryder and Sammy will be familiar to you. I was super excited for their romance because I liked them and strongly felt they belonged together. Add in their painful, complex pasts and their long-term shared history and quite honestly it seemed like a easy homerun. For me though, this book came up just a little short of the perfection I imagined. Don’t get me wrong. The characters were still amazing, the emotions were deep, the storyline was well written and engaging and plenty of feels are generated along the way. I just wasn’t 100% committed to or happy with how it all came together. Still, I felt that this was a very good read and a solid entry in this great series. Of my own accord I am choosing to post a sincere review.
The Hero of Hope Springs is the tenth novel in Maisey Yates’ Gold Valley series, a series I’ve been following and thoroughly enjoying since it’s inception, and again, Maisey Yates has given us two sympathetic and angst-filled characters, and their story and complicated relationship kept me awake until I finished reading it at 5:00 a.m.. Since I did have a few issues with this novel, which I’ll get to, it nevertheless was an addictive read, and it gets a 4-star rating from this reader.
In this novel the focus is on Ryder Daniels, who lost his parents at age 18, gave up his plans to attend college and pursue his dream of a football career, and instead, as the eldest, took the reins and responsibility of raising his younger siblings as head of the Daniels family. If you’ve been following this series, you’ll also know about Sammy Marshall, an abused and ignored young girl who Ryder found hiding in his barn 17 years earlier, and who eventually moved out of her abusive home and onto the ranch, and has been living in her trailer as an almost member of the Daniels family ever since. Ryder has made peace with what he gave up when he became head of the Daniels family, enjoys knowing that he raised his siblings well, and is proud of the way his hard work and dedication have resulted in a thriving ranch and a well-adjusted, cohesive family. Losing his loving parents was devastating, and aside from going out of town periodically for brief hook-ups with virtual strangers, Ryder has decided that love and marriage aren’t for him because he’s already raised a family, and he learned the hard way at such a young age that losing those you love is simply too painful–but then there’s Sammy and a old-fashioned romance trope I wasn’t expecting.
Sammy has always seemed like a free and independent spirit, and Ryder has been her closest and dearest friend and savior since she was in her teens. Now, at 33, she makes a living with her handmade jewelry, and has had a number of not terribly satisfying relationships. She feels an undefinable need for something more in her life, something to fulfill her need for a loving family that is hers alone, and she eventually identifies that desire as her need to have a baby. She’s not enthused about in vitro fertilization, nor is she seeing anyone in particular that she’d want to father her child, but once Ryder sees her after an evening of flirting and dancing at the local watering hole, she finally tells him her plan and eventually gets him to agree to father her child the old-fashioned way, and that’s where the real trouble begins.
While I very much liked both of the main characters in this well-written novel, the notion of any modern, free-spirited woman believing that giving birth to a child will fulfill her in some way isn’t a notion I happen to share, and, for a free-spirit like Sammy, I found it rather incongruous. I also found Ryder’s insistence on marriage prior to agreeing with Sammy’s plan very old-fashioned as well, but at least it was the responsible thing to suggest, and Ryder is all about taking responsibility. In this era where being an unwed baby-mama has come to be an accepted norm, is Sammy’s request all that unusual? Or is something else really what is driving her?
Sammy has been Ryder’s ray of sunshine and his unspoken fantasy for the past 17 years, but will fathering her child bring these two closer together or tear them apart? Will these two characters ever come to grips with their unstated needs and motivations? Since I don’t do spoilers, you’ll have to read this engaging and emotional novel for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Whether you agree with Sammy’s plan or not, there are some surprising turns ahead and it’s another darn good read that I’m happy to recommend.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.