McKenna is a woman who is trying to find her birth father, thanks to the birth certificate she was given when she aged out of the foster care system. Exhausted, she finds a cabin that seems abandoned and curls up to get away from the cold. It is there that Grant finds her, as the cabin is on his ranchland.
Grant is famous (TV interviews, newspapers) for marrying a dying young woman, whom he loved very much. After she dies he swears he will never marry again and the loss was so painful. After finding McKenna Grant’s heart is slowly awakened to possibilities and hope, but he still can’t overcome his grief of the loss of his first wife. Grant takes her in to help her heal, which starts a chain of events that leads to hope, and eventually to love, something neither McKenna nor Grant expected.
This is a wonderful Christmas season story that will melt your heart. I have not read the first books in the Gold Valley series, but this one can stand alone, so I recommend it to anyone who loves a romance with a strong HEA. Meantime, since I loved this book and characters so much I will go back and read the first three books.

Great story of two people who have had a tough time in life but manage to survive and thrive. McKenna is a product of the foster system and homeless and Grant is barely living after the loss of his wife. These two come together in a realistic romance that is heart warming and uplifting.

I love this series and I looked forward to Grant's story and I was right about thinking it was going to be an emotional one. I loved him and all his broodiness. I loved McKenna, as well, she was prickly and soft all at the same time. This was a great story about finding love and being able to hold onto it. I can't wait for the next book.

Though this is listed as a Gold Valley series book, it takes place in the same community that the Copper Ridge books do so you may "see" familiar faces. I've just started on my Christmas reads and this has been one of my favorites so far.
Grant is a member of the walking wounded and it's fascinating watching him gradually come back to life while helping homeless McKenna adjust to life in what has become one of my favorite areas, Copper Ridge. As always with Yates books, the underlying story is family and this one will tug at your heartstrings on multiple levels.

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**

Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed and wondered how either you would review it or discuss it with someone else?  A Tall,Dark Cowboy Christmas was like that for me.  There are a few reasons for that which I will explore with you.

First, the fun reason.  Readers of the Gold Valley series have likely been anticipating Grant's book.  We've gotten so many glimpses of him and know his painful background so of course we think we know all there is to know about Grant.  For those of you that haven't read any of the books in the series yet, Grant married his highschool sweetheart knowing she had a terminal illness, and due to some unwanted media attention he can't ever escape the imagine of the saintly widower.  Even in the moments where he is able to forget the pain of losing his wife, the well meaning members of the town bring it back up. So like I said, we've heard and seen so much of Grant in the other books that we assume we know all there is to know about him.  Well let me tell you, there was a huge reveal in this book and it's a doozy that I never saw coming.  Here's the bummer, I can't tell you about it here even though I REALLY want to.  While I'm not always anti-spoilers when it comes to reviews, I feel like in this case it's something each reader should come across as the story unfolds.  What I will tell you, is Grant is an even more amazing man than his backstory would lead you to believe.  When you read this book, I'd love to discuss it with you so feel free to pop on over to Twitter and chat with me about it.  (I'm @NE_rom)reader for those of you that don't already know).

Now for the not so fun reason this review is hard to write.  You see McKenna's backstory had some elements that mirrored events in my own life.  While that wasn't readily apparent from the blurb, looking back I realize I should have seen it coming as the story progressed.  You see, McKenna is searching for the paternal side of her family.  They have no idea she exists, so she's understandably nervous about how they will react whens he approaches them.  I happened to be reading the scene where this reunion took place one morning before getting out of bed to get ready for work and to say that it would rip my heart out unexpectedly would be an understatement.  When Hank turns McKenna away, I was devastated.  I've lived that moment, although without someone trying to hand me a check to soften the blow.  I thought I had worked through all of that, but when I read that scene it seemed to pick a scab I didn't think was still there and I'll have to figure out what to do with that wound now that it's feeling raw again.  While it was painful to experience along with McKenna, i think the fact it had such an emotional impact on me as a reader speaks to how well the author described both the event and the associated feelings that McKenna was experiencing.  Luckily for McKenna, thank you romance, she found her HEA so all is well that ends well in Gold Valley.  If only real life followed the same pattern.

If you're a fan of cowboy romance or holiday romances make sure to pick up A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas.  You won't be disappointed.

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.

Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas by Maisey Yates is a book that grabbed my whole heart and soul. A young woman is sent off to live in the fosters homes at the age of two. From there, she goes back and forth with no one loving her. She has no family. Just as she leaves the foster system, they give her a birth certificate. One that led her to her birth father. Now, she has the opportunity of a lifetime. Meet her family. But she's afraid. Then, upon her way there, she sleeps in a broken down cabin where a tall, dark cowboy found her. 

Grant Dodge has lost his mother. And then his young wife. She died of cancer. His heart has never been the same. Until he found a young tiny woman sleeping away in a cabin. That's when his world got turned upside down. Utter chaos, complicated, and hot sex...make Grant feel again. Things he never wanted to feel yet he does. All because of McKenna. A lost woman searching for family. 

Maisey Yates created a beautifully written novel about family, hope, and love. Letting go of the past is harder to than others say. Grief, loss, and unexpected love found its way into my heart. I cried. Their loss and pain felt like it was my own. The characters were downright charming. Irresistible banters and plenty of humor to keep my interest. Overall, this sexy contemporary is a must read for all.

Grant Dodge is one of the Dodge Brothers of Gold Valley. He's the man who is famous for marrying a dying woman. His 15 minutes of fame has spread to years and years of people remembering him as a man to be pitied. And even though he says he hates being pitied, he pities himself even though he doesn't admit it.

McKenna came to Gold Valley because she has nothing except for a birth certificate that links her to another Gold Valley family. And when I say nothing, I mean she is destitute and has no family. The Dodge family hires her and provides a place to live, which frequently puts her in contact with Grant. To Grant's surprise, he wants her. They both agree that there is no future in a relationship, but McKenna comes to realize that she truly cares for Grant and wants more.

Grant - not so much. Why? Because he feels sorry for himself and doesn't want to go through losing another loved one. This didn't work for me as a reader because, "Dude, it's been years since you lost your wife." And not ONE TIME did anyone in the book say this to Grant. Not even once. When Grant gets up in McKenna's story and tell her basically that at least she had her health, I wanted to get right up in him and tell him that not everyone who is healthy has a happy life. Sadly, Grant had little empathy for anyone but himself and his deceased wife. Can you tell I'm impatient with this character? If not, let me just say it: I lost all patience with Grant Dodge.

Now that my rant is over, I'll go over the good parts. McKenna has a happy ending and somehow doesn't need counseling from everything that she has experienced in life. I can't wait for the next Dodge to have her story published. I'm looking forward to the story spreading to a new family in Gold Valley, because I love reading about Gold Valley. And last but not least, Grant finally snaps out of it and helps provide the happily-ever-after ending that I demand.

There is an enjoyable novel in here, but Yates really needs an editor. Her female character, McKenna, had a truly rotten childhood being shunted around from foster home to foster home and then being cast out of the system with a garbage bag of clothes at the age of 18. She had some bad relations with guys, but nothing violent, just loveless. But she goes on and on all the time talking about what a pitiful life she’s had, not that she’s complaining or anything. Then read a few more pages and she’s back on the subject.

The hero, Grant, also had a miserable past to make him bitter and grumpy. His mother died when he was a kid and his dad couldn’t cope with raising his kids. He married his high school sweetheart and then had to nurse her through eight years while she died of cancer. And everyone knows his story so he’s constantly being confronted with everyone’s sympathy. He’s empty and unhappy and just surviving. And he talks or thinks about his misery almost as much as McKenna does.

These are two interesting characters whose romance could have been very interesting and powerful if the author had just cut out about 50% of their internal monologues and conversations about their past misery. Tell us about it a few times and then show us how they’re moving on and building a relationship instead of dwelling on the same points over and over again.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Yates continues the Dodge brothers story focusing on Grant Dodge. He is a famous, well-known widow who can't seem to move on with his life. McKenna Tate is a force to be reckoned with and she soon awakens Grant Dodge. The emotions and the storyline are very moving. Grant's inability to move on after 8 years is slightly unbelievable. I truly liked McKenna's character and I would have enjoyed reading more about her interactions with her family. Great book, but with most of this series the ending is a little rushed and a slight let down.

I love the Dodge family! I also love Maisey Yates books. She is becoming my go to when I need something light and fluffy. It is so good. I love Grant and McKenzie's story and how you get to watch them each heal and find a home with each other. A real feel-good story. :)

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!

This book started off good for me and then descended. The while saga of these books just seem to repeat with lost children of phiilandering men. I liked the heroine. It was an interesting twist for the man to be the virgin but it didn't play out as plausible