I've been super into Cowboy romance lately and Unbroken Cowboy was a really nice read. Very, very swoony. and unexpectedly funny!

Returning to Gold Valley is always fun! I always thought Bea was a background character in the series until I read this book. In Unbroken Cowboy Maisey Yates peels back the layers and introduces us to aspects of Bea's character that we never knew. She provides the background to understand her quirky habits and independent strength. Her whole life suffered a life-altering change when she was 16 and found out the man who raised her was not her biological father. Her sister and brother had a different father than she did, which explained why she always felt separate from the rest of her family.

Dane never treated her with kid gloves and was always honest and straightforward with her. He treated her like a sister growing up and when her brother married his sister they were like family. Except Dane never really felt like a brother to her and she kept her feelings secret for so long, just to be close to him.

Bea and Dane are thrown together by circumstance after a career ending injury for him in the bull riding arena. He returns home to recuperate and Bea cares for him without pulling any punches. Their honesty and openness about their lives up to this point reveals their wounded souls but somehow the relationship works and they each realize the uniqueness of the other. They have a lot to overcome to proceed with their relationship and the story makes you cheer for them!

A great read in the series, but also can be read as a standalone story. Give it a try! I was provided a free ARC eBook from Harlequin and Net Galley in exchange for my honest comments.

This was a quick, easy and highly enjoyable read. I was anticipating Bea and Dane’s story—her unrequited love has popped up a time or two in previous books, and his accident in Lindy’s story had me on the edge of my seat—and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

I love Bea! Her soft-but-strong animal loving heart was relatable, and her broken pieces enough to make this reviewer ache. And as for Dane... well, a grumpy, banged-up cowboy is sometimes just the ticket. I enjoyed seeing him come to terms with the loss of his future and how it colored his interactions with Bea.

But the true winner here is Evan. I love him. He was unexpected, amusing and definitely the best thing about a very, very good book!

Maisey Yates writes complete, lovable characters who are multifaceted. I really enjoyed Unbroken Cowboy and she did a great job of telling a story that shows that love does not always come easily. I enjoyed her characters and it left me wanting MORE! Luckily, this is part of a series so there is more where that came from!

This series is hit or miss for me. The ones that miss are the virgin heroines with the much older man. I don't enjoy that dynamic and the heroine always come off as inept. The hero never got over being a stubborn ass and it was hard to find him endearing. I did like all the animals in the book

Bea has loved Dane forever. Longtime readers of Maisey Yates has seen this truth through other books, and we finally get Bea's story.

But Bea's story has Dane being a pretty unlikeable guy. Yes, he's been like that since he was injured in another story, but I thought there would be some redeeming factor when the story was going to center on him. Don't despair though, because Bea gets fed up. Hooray! From that point on, I quit wanting to tell her to move on and instead, sat back and cheered! It's about time she stood up for herself!

Fortunately, Dane shapes up. Bea gets the happy ending she deserves!

I loved this book! It was fast paced, constantly had my attention, and I did not want to put it down for the life of me. The love story was absolutely beautiful and moved me. It was one of my favorite books by her actually.

I routed for Dane so much. I wanted nothing more than for him to heal both physically and emotionally and just be happy. I loved the progression of his character, not only throughout this book, but throughout this whole series. He went from being this playboy that would flirt with anything, to this sweetheart that wanted nothing more than Bea.

I went into this book wanting someone to love Bea the way she deserves to be loved. She is one of the sweetest people on the planet and her character just melted my heart. I completely understood how protective people were of her because her heart just seemed so easy to break because it was so open. I am so happy that Dane and her ended up together. They were the two unlikeliest of people to be matched yet they fit so perfectly for each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I have been waiting for their story for a long time and it lived up to all of my expectations and then some! I can’t wait for the next book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book, yet another great book by Maisey. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Love maisey Yates!! This has to be my favorite series!!! Her books are always a way I can escape from the world. Even though sometimes I read them in one day.

SUMMARY. Beatrix has had a crush on Dane for over a decade. His sister used to be married to her brother, but that marriage fell apart when the brother cheated and basically showed his true asshole colors. Dane is 9 years older and for a long time, has been more myth than reality for Bea. He's been on the rodeo circuit, so not in town that much, and while she has a great deal of admiration for him and all that he's accomplished, he's also been a safe person to fantasize about because there was never any chance of something happening between them. He has always seen her as basically a younger sister, and she can't get up the courage to try and challenge that view he has.

For the last 8 months, they've been living in close proximity to one another while he's been recovering from an extremely horrific rodeo accident. He's been grumpy and stubborn and all-around super unhappy about his situation, but Bea, being the sweet, caring person she is, has been there supporting him, taking care of him, etc.—like she does with all the wounded animals she comes across. Thanks to one of said animals—Evan, the raccoon—Dane's eyes are opened to how very unsisterly Dane feels towards Bea when he sees her one day in a soaked, and essentially transparent, dress. Because it turns out that Bea is actually a woman and not a young girl anymore. And turns out she has an amazing body. And turns out that she's aware of the same tension that he is. And turns out that maybe this sweet woman, who is always taking care of everyone else, needs some taking care of herself and he's the one to do it.

For her part, Bea knows this can never be anything serious, and she sets herself up from the beginning to not be disappointed and not get attached. They both have abandonment issues that complicate their relationship and play into the fears they have about each other and about their relationship. Dane feels like his life is completely being turned upside down by Bea and all that she's opened his eyes up to—and he likes it. But Bea feels like everything is happening way too fast, and after spending so much time hiding in the shadows, is she ready to put herself out there and risk everything on a man who's always been a wanderer, known for playing the field, and who only noticed her once he got stuck in his hometown for months on end?

REVIEW. I really enjoyed this book. It's my first by Maisey Yates and I will definitely be checking out others, including the previous books in the series. I'm really looking forward to the next book, which features Jamie and Gabe.

I really liked both Bea and Dane. They could have been caricatures or stereotypes, but Yates gave them added depth that I really appreciated—especially Bea. It's easy to make wallflower types seem the same, but Beatrix was an interesting mix of strength and vulnerability. She's more comfortable in the shadows, not sharing too much of herself or putting herself out there a lot, but although she does struggle with insecurity and fears, there's actually a lot of strength to her. She's quiet about it, but she's determined, and when she wants something she goes after it. She doesn't let others get in her way, even if it's her family or her horrible parents who basically made her feel unloved and unwanted her whole life. She keeps people at a distance, but it's really interesting the way this is portrayed and why she acts the way she does.

Dane wasn't as interesting for me, and although I really, really liked him, I think it's because his transformation felt a little too sudden for me. Not the fact that his eyes are opened to Bea—I get that; people can occupy a specific place in your life and it takes a small but significant thing to jolt you awake and realize that there are all these other possibilities. But the transformation of his priorities, how he felt about and was dealing with his life, his feelings towards her and relationships—don't get me wrong, it was all wonderful and dreamy (especially that last part), but I think it lacked some development and depth. It seemed to happen with the flick of a switch almost, as soon as they got together, and I had a bit of trouble with that. I wish we had seen more of how their relationship slowly seeped into him and changed how he saw things and acted. Had it been more gradual, it would have felt more authentic to me.

In the end, the main struggle for their relationship are the hangups they both have from earlier things that have happened in their lives, and while Yates tries to make it equal between the two of them, I really think it was Bea that was holding things up and wish the focus had been there, rather than trying to balance it between the two of them. Her fears are completely understandable, given her history and how she is used to interacting with the world, how she thinks she brings value and how she believes people perceive her, so in that sense, Yates really did a fantastic job both of making that believable and a core part of her, and depicting it so well.

OVERALL. A super sweet romance. There's not very much angst, which I always appreciate, and the main drivers are the two characters and their relationship development (which is also where most of the landmines lie). Although this is part of a series and the couples from previous books feature pretty heavily, I read it as a stand-alone and was able to fully enjoy it. I thought the pairing of Dane and Beatrix was well done and found both of them very sympathetic, and I was cheering them on the whole way through. There was just a little something lacking that prevented it from having a higher rating, but I would definitely recommend it and am glad I read it.

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

I had trouble getting past Beatrix's name. Her abd Dane work so well together. They are so busy trying to ignore each other, they make it obvious to everyone else of course.i laughed so many times at this book. I say the raccoon is my favorite character, though.

Beautiful story about how our lives can change in the blink of an eye. Sometimes we need to share our burdens with the people that love us.

Dane was badly injured bull riding. He has dreams of returning to the ring but his body is not cooperating. Bea has been watching out for her best friend as much as he will let her. She has loved Dane from afar for years under the guise of friendship. Bea wants to start a new chapter in her life if she is brave enough to take a chance. They will help each other realize their dreams and make new ones.

This is part of a heartwarming series where the men and women have know since childhood. They are discovering that everything they thought they knew about each other may not be the full story after all. All of the friends look out for one another and push each other to succeed.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the Harlequin.

Small town contemporaries are one of my favorite types of romance novels. Yates is one of my HEA authors. I feel like they generally have the right amount of drama balanced with the right amount of small town life to be satisfying. (These are also great additions to our paperback collection at our library ... they circ really well!)

This volume has a pet raccoon. Evan the raccoon for the win.

In this volume, we finally get to see Dane and Bea play out. I think besides Jamie, I have been waiting to see Dane and Bea figure shit out with each other seemingly forever (because there story has been going on in the background for a while now). Story-wise, things could have been a little more flushed out and developed to justify the relationship climax. But as per usual, I devoured this in one sitting and am on the edge of my seat waiting for Jamie's story next.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. This is the first Maisey Yates book I have read and it won't be the last. Beatrix's quirky character was fascinatingly adorable contrasted with the grumpy injured-rodeo star Dane. Interesting cast of supporting characters. Even though this book is part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone. Very fast reading.

For anyone reading my reviews, the Maisey Yates/5 star reviews may seem to be a common theme. Not true. While all her books are deliciously written, each one is created with a unique storyline. Maiseys stories deserve to be read and explored, taken in while curled up with a warm blanket and a cup of tea. She has a magical talent that will capture anyone who picks up any of her books. Please read Maisey Yates because its not fair that as someone who already loves her stories I get to keep all the hot cowboys and romance to myself.....

Wow, that was a lot. The beginning was a little slow, and then BAM so much was going on I couldn't keep up. The drama is real in this one. All that being said, I LOVED Bea, even when she let her past kick her in the butt. Plus cowboys, yum. This story is full of emotions, and made me really wish I had read the side character's books! If you like dramatic romance reads, you'll like this one.

Bea has always been different than the other people in her life preferring to spend time taking care of hurt and abandoned animals than with people. When Dane gets hurt badly bull riding in the rodeo she is happy to take care of him too since she's had a crush on him forever. Dane is going through hell trying to recover and realizing that his career is over. Can these two people get together and create a new life or will their pasts keep them apart. Enjoyable romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Synopsis
Beatrix Leighton has loved her former brother-in-law, Dane Parker, for as long as she's known him whether he deserved it or not. But Dane, rodeo superstar extraordinaire, sees tender-hearted, animal-rescuing Bea as nothing more than a little sister. So that pretty much sucks. But when Dane is very seriously hurt in a rodeo accident his whole self-identity is suddenly in flux. Forced to be still for the first time in his life, Dane starts to see Bea is completely new (sexy) light...romance ensues.


My Thoughts
Ahhhh, grumpy cowboys coming to terms with their feelings and the women who love them...

I think Maisey Yates is such a skilled writer. Her characters have depth for days and she uses figurative language in a way that always surprises me because I'd never think of expressing something that way but I am always like yes, that's exactly what that's like! I really enjoyed Unbroken Cowboy. Lots of angst and sulking and I am always a fan of a hero realizing he's had something amazing in front of him for years but has been too stupid to notice.

I will say that there were times both of these characters annoyed me. I don't want to spoil anything and I won't but a few times I was muttering 'stop being so stupid' under my breath and rolling my eyes. Dane and Bea both have issues and baggage and both insist on getting in the way of their own HEA again and again. But...this is romance! What can you do but sit back and enjoy the angst?

Unbroken Cowboy is scheduled to release on April 23, 2019 and it's another great one from Maisey Yates. It's a standalone novel but part of the Gold Valley series. I'm still making my way in a random/backwards order through this swoony series but if you're new to Maisey Yates maybe you want to start a the beginning with Cowboy Christmas Blues. Or not. You do you.

A fairly simple, formulaic romance. Not great, not terrible. The two main characters never seemed like a good match overall, but it was all right. I felt like the author developed some serious issues for Bea and never really resolved them properly. Issues like Bea has don't resolve over just a couple of days.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unbroken Cowboy really threw me for a loop in the best way.  You see, after meeting Beatrix in multiple Gold Valley books I had a very clear picture of who she was.  I didn't view her as an adult like I should have given her friends, rather more as a very naive teenager.  It wasn't even about her age as much as her naive and childlike demeanor that made me see her that way.  Because of that I wasn't sure how the author was going to pull off a pairing with Dane who has clearly been a playboy rodeo cowboy.  I shouldn't have doubted her, she pulled it off beautifully.

Beatrix who has always seemed extremely simple and loving has been hiding a spine of steel from everyone, even those closest to her.  After all, living this way has allowed her to hide her vulnerable heart from any further heartbreak after she experienced a devastating loss as a teenager.  The image of the naive and fragile girl that she presented to even her closes friends have led them to believe that she is someone who needs to be protected, even from herself.   So when Bea finally sets her sights on heating up her relationship with Dane, her friends are certain that heartbreak lies ahead.

Dane's life is no longer what he wants it to be.  After a bull-riding accident almost kills him, he has been laid up for months being babied by everyone he comes in contact with.   To say he's a bit of an ass as a result would be an understatement.  Dane has spent so much of his life chasing being a rodeo star that he no longer knows who he is, all he knows is that he is now stuck in a life he didn't want.

When Dane inadvertently gets a glimpse of Bea's body combined with the real her, he realizes how wrong everyone including himself has been about Bea.  She's determined and rather than battling those around her to make them see her points, she flows around any obstacles she encounters like water. Forceful and fluid the reality is that Bea always ends up accomplishing what she sets her mind to.  Dane quickly realizes that this new life with Bea is almost exactly what he has always needed, if only he can get her to accept one minor tweak with him returning to work in the rodeo circuit as an agent.

Can Bea trust that she will be enough for Dane in the long run when he entire childhood showed her that marriages are anything but permanent?  Or will she walk away breaking not just her own heart, but Dane's as well in order to stay safe?  Pick up your copy of Unbroken Cowboy to find out.