Good Time Cowboy
(Gold Valley, Book 3)
Maisey Yates
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
HQN
August 21, 2018
Contemporary Fiction,
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Romance
Note
I received a copy of this book from
TLC Book Tours in return for my honest review.
TLC Book Tours in return for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.
This book includes a bonus novella by Yates, titled
"Hard Riding Cowboy", which I will be
reviewing separately.
This book includes a bonus novella by Yates, titled
"Hard Riding Cowboy", which I will be
reviewing separately.
It's been a while since I last read a good cowboy romance, so I was really looking forward to this one. The cover certainly looked appealing! (Especially with such a good-looking dude on it!) So I dove in with great enthusiasm.
The protagonists, Lindy Parker and Wyatt Dodge, are two scrappers who have literally pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Lindy has done her utmost to overcome the label of "trailer trash", as well as the bad memories from her first marriage, which, paradoxically, has given her a new passion: "Grassroots", a winery, which has become her new life. Wyatt has his ranch, "Get Out of Dodge", passed on to him by his father, which he feels is a test of his ability to assume responsibility, a challenge not to disappoint his father. He, too, has bad memories of a relationship through which he feels he betrayed someone he loved very dearly.
Both of these people have been broken by events in their past, suffering greatly in the process. And both have seized life anew, with the determination to go beyond their individual histories into a brand new future. However, they have not remained unscathed, so they have each erected barriers that will actually make it difficult for each of them to find new love and happiness.
So this is the story of how those barriers finally crumble, how they gradually learn to trust and love again. It's also the story of how they learn to love themselves, just as they are.
Yates, through her wonderful prose, lets us into the heads of these two characters, and we see their gradual ascent out of their painful pasts, as together, they confront their issues. There's a lot of psychological detail about these two, something that not everyone might like, but which I enjoyed immensely! Yates has a profound knowledge of the human psyche, and it really shows. She gets right in there, letting her readers see and feel how these two characters think, how things affect them, how their psychological defenses get in the way of finding true love, and finally, beautifully, how they abandon these defenses, becoming totally vulnerable toward each other. I could not help shedding a few tears at certain points, although Yates was never maudlin in her descriptions. Instead, she spoke truth -- the truth of the inner self.
Lindy and Wyatt have decided to become partners; he will provide guest lodging at his ranch, while she will provide the wine and food for his guests. Throughout this partnership, they will bicker and throw down challenges to each other. But flowing hotly underneath their verbal sparring is a passion that will not be denied. And so they end up becoming lovers, much as each of them would like to avoid it. That's the fun of the whole thing!
Wyatt likes to irritate Lindy, although in a rather playful way. He tells her she's too "bound by the rules", and needs to loosen up. Lindy, on the other hand, knows that Wyatt is trying to hide a gentle, loving nature with his devil-may-care attitude, and his reputation as a womanizer. So this is an "enemies to lovers" romance, which is a well-known trope used in romance novels. It's also one I never get tired of, and totally love!
Rounding out the cast of characters are Lindy's beloved brother, Dane, who, like Wyatt before him, is a bull rider, Lindy's ex-sisters-in-law, who have sided with Lindy against their own brother, Damien, who is a real scumbag, and Lindy's ex-husband; Wyatt's father, who is trying to make amends for neglecting Wyatt in the past, and Lindy's mother, who also neglected her daughter, and is starting to mend her ways, as well.
This is a novel that will appeal to romantic idealists (like me!), and will provide hours of totally riveting reading, as the romance progresses, and the reader is treated to all the psychological nuances of this turbulent, but wonderful, relationship. In spite of this turbulence, there's not a hint of abuse, nor any romanticizing of abuse, in this story. There are romantic authors who do engage in such storytelling, and I totally avoid them. Instead of any such romanticizing, the reader will find pages and pages of great, witty dialogue, as well as those hit-the-nail-on-the-head psychological insights that give depth to the story.
I do have one quibble with this novel, which is the reason for the four stars: at a crucial point in the story, Lindy chooses to spend time with her boyfriend, rather than with her brother, who is going through a life-threatening trauma. This really bothered me, to be quite honest.
In spite of this, I still recommend Good Time Cowboy as a great romantic read! Pick it up the next time you want to disappear from your own world, and enter one in which happily-ever-afters are won after the necessary inner work is done, after insights and revelations are acknowledged, and opposing viewpoints are sealed with a kiss!
Yates has found a new fan! I will certainly be reading more of her books!
MY RATING: The protagonists, Lindy Parker and Wyatt Dodge, are two scrappers who have literally pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Lindy has done her utmost to overcome the label of "trailer trash", as well as the bad memories from her first marriage, which, paradoxically, has given her a new passion: "Grassroots", a winery, which has become her new life. Wyatt has his ranch, "Get Out of Dodge", passed on to him by his father, which he feels is a test of his ability to assume responsibility, a challenge not to disappoint his father. He, too, has bad memories of a relationship through which he feels he betrayed someone he loved very dearly.
Both of these people have been broken by events in their past, suffering greatly in the process. And both have seized life anew, with the determination to go beyond their individual histories into a brand new future. However, they have not remained unscathed, so they have each erected barriers that will actually make it difficult for each of them to find new love and happiness.
So this is the story of how those barriers finally crumble, how they gradually learn to trust and love again. It's also the story of how they learn to love themselves, just as they are.
Yates, through her wonderful prose, lets us into the heads of these two characters, and we see their gradual ascent out of their painful pasts, as together, they confront their issues. There's a lot of psychological detail about these two, something that not everyone might like, but which I enjoyed immensely! Yates has a profound knowledge of the human psyche, and it really shows. She gets right in there, letting her readers see and feel how these two characters think, how things affect them, how their psychological defenses get in the way of finding true love, and finally, beautifully, how they abandon these defenses, becoming totally vulnerable toward each other. I could not help shedding a few tears at certain points, although Yates was never maudlin in her descriptions. Instead, she spoke truth -- the truth of the inner self.
Lindy and Wyatt have decided to become partners; he will provide guest lodging at his ranch, while she will provide the wine and food for his guests. Throughout this partnership, they will bicker and throw down challenges to each other. But flowing hotly underneath their verbal sparring is a passion that will not be denied. And so they end up becoming lovers, much as each of them would like to avoid it. That's the fun of the whole thing!
Wyatt likes to irritate Lindy, although in a rather playful way. He tells her she's too "bound by the rules", and needs to loosen up. Lindy, on the other hand, knows that Wyatt is trying to hide a gentle, loving nature with his devil-may-care attitude, and his reputation as a womanizer. So this is an "enemies to lovers" romance, which is a well-known trope used in romance novels. It's also one I never get tired of, and totally love!
Rounding out the cast of characters are Lindy's beloved brother, Dane, who, like Wyatt before him, is a bull rider, Lindy's ex-sisters-in-law, who have sided with Lindy against their own brother, Damien, who is a real scumbag, and Lindy's ex-husband; Wyatt's father, who is trying to make amends for neglecting Wyatt in the past, and Lindy's mother, who also neglected her daughter, and is starting to mend her ways, as well.
This is a novel that will appeal to romantic idealists (like me!), and will provide hours of totally riveting reading, as the romance progresses, and the reader is treated to all the psychological nuances of this turbulent, but wonderful, relationship. In spite of this turbulence, there's not a hint of abuse, nor any romanticizing of abuse, in this story. There are romantic authors who do engage in such storytelling, and I totally avoid them. Instead of any such romanticizing, the reader will find pages and pages of great, witty dialogue, as well as those hit-the-nail-on-the-head psychological insights that give depth to the story.
I do have one quibble with this novel, which is the reason for the four stars: at a crucial point in the story, Lindy chooses to spend time with her boyfriend, rather than with her brother, who is going through a life-threatening trauma. This really bothered me, to be quite honest.
In spite of this, I still recommend Good Time Cowboy as a great romantic read! Pick it up the next time you want to disappear from your own world, and enter one in which happily-ever-afters are won after the necessary inner work is done, after insights and revelations are acknowledged, and opposing viewpoints are sealed with a kiss!
Yates has found a new fan! I will certainly be reading more of her books!
Purchase Links
***This giveaway is sponsored by TLC Book Tours,
so the prize will be awarded by them.***
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in
rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled
jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the
epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee
maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.
In 2009, at the age of twenty-three, Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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.
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I'm not sure if I ever read a cowboy romance. I've read so many books in my life that I can't even remember. lol But I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for this one. It sounds great!
ReplyDeleteHi, Steph!
DeleteI don't read a lot of cowboy romances myself, but, from time to time, I do enjoy them! I'm in the same boat you're in, because I can't remember all the books I've ever read, either! Lol.
Yeah, I HIGHLY recommend this novel! It IS great!! I'm SURE you'll enjoy it!!
Thanks for the nice comment!! <3 :)
Yes, I heard of this Author and am looking forward to reading her books. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, Linda!
DeleteGlad you've heard of this author, and are interested in her books!
You're very welcome for the giveaway! Good luck, and thanks for participating! <3 :)
Thanks for being on the tour!
ReplyDelete- Heather J @ TLC Book Tours
Hi, Heather!
DeleteYou're very welcome! I ALWAYS love participating in your tours!!
Thanks for the comment!! <3 :)