Cowboy Christmas Redemption (A Gold Valley Novel)
Author : Maisey Yates
352 pages
3⭐⭐⭐

Description:
As snowflakes fall in Gold Valley, Oregon, will this rugged cowboy finally win the woman of his dreams?
Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him.Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?
📕MY REVIEW 📕
This is my first time reading anything by this author. Even though this is book 8 in the series I was able to read it and not be lost. I really enjoyed the characters of Caleb and Ellie and there is clearly a ton of history there. The one thing that got on my nerves was the fact the author said some of the same things over and over and over. Once was enough thank you . By the time I reached the half way point of this story I was about ready to give up because of so much repeating. It was just plain annoying. The story itself was full of emotion. The back and forth between Caleb and Ellie was a little frustrating and took up the whole plot. The sex scenes were very explicit so beware of you don't like that in your romance books.
It is a Christmas Read but not the light happy reading you would expect with most Christmas Romance. If anything this story seemed to make me depressed. I was hoping for alot more happiness. The ending will make you cry so have your tissues ready. Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.
#CowboyChristmasRedemption #NetGalley

Maisey Yates is the queen of sexy cowboy romance and her latest Gold Valley novel, Cowboy Christmas Redemption, is a heartfelt, dramatic, steamy and sensuous read guaranteed to keep readers spellbound from start to finish.

Cowboy Caleb Dalton cannot remember a time when he wasn’t head over heels in love with single mom Ellie Bell. However, Caleb is well aware of the fact that he cannot act upon his attraction towards Ellie because she is his best friend’s widow and is therefore off limits. Caleb knows that he should give Ellie and her adorable daughter as wide a berth as possible – but that is far easier said than done! Caleb simply cannot stop himself from loving Ellie from afar and with Christmas fast approaching, it looks like his wish of kissing her under the mistletoe might come true when he finds Ellie’s Christmas wish list – and top of the list is a kiss from a cowboy. If anyone is going to be kissing Ellie, it is going to be him and he will not let anyone stand in the way of him being with the woman he loves with all of his heart this Christmas.

Ellie has had a rough few years and Christmas has always been a time which she dreaded as it is a stark reminder of just what is missing from her life. However, Ellie vows to make some changes this year. The time has come to forge forward and to start living anew – but she never imagined that the biggest change of all would be sharing a heart-stopping kiss with Caleb Dalton under the mistletoe!

For almost five years, Caleb has been Ellie’s rock, her best friend and a shoulder to cry on. This kiss changes everything between the two of them yet Ellie and Caleb know that there is simply no going back now. Will Caleb, Ellie and little Amelia be a family this Christmas? Or will things end up going back to the way they were after the holidays are over?

A delightful love story that is full of emotion, warmth, pathos and heart, Cowboy Christmas Redemption is a delicious and engrossing romantic read that has it all from a sexy cowboy hero who will make you swoon to a fabulous heroine and plenty of sex, drama and desire to keep you reading all through the night.

A stellar contemporary romance that will brighten up your holiday, don’t miss Maisey Yates’ latest stand-alone Gold Valley novel, Cowboy Christmas Redemption

If you are looking for a cowboy romance set during Christmas, this one absolutely needs to me on your list. I mean, it’s set partially on a Christmas tree farm! I picked it up last week as an easy romance in between my more heavy ones, and I ended up unable to put it down. As a CW, there’s a LOT of discussions about grief that happen in the story. Ellie Bell lost her husband tragically five years ago, she was newly pregnant and they had just started their lives together. She hasn’t dated since, until she finally decides it’s time to stop living in the past. Her husband’s best friend, Caleb Dalton, has been in love with Ellie for years. But he’s still working through his own grief and guilt about losing his friend. He’s put her into the off-limits category knowing he could never risk their friendship to start a romantic relationship.

Y’all know I love me some messy characters who can’t seem to get it together, this story could have been a bit shorter if they just talked about their feelings. But I didn’t care! I LOVED going along on this ride of watching them work through their complicated history and relationship.

Oh and this one is pretty darn steamy! It’s totally open-door and the chemistry between Ellie and Caleb once they finally give in to their feelings is so good. I feel like both Ellie and Caleb were really well written, as is the rest of the Dalton clan. I only know Ellie and Caleb from the few books in this series I’ve read, but it was so satisfying to finally have their story and see their growth. I loved them as individual characters, but together they were excellent.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption is hands down my favorite Maisey Yates book that I’ve read. It’s emotional and heartwarming, the characters and their grief feels real. I think you can totally read it as a stand-alone! Cowboy Christmas Redemption was a 4.5 star read for me! (Upgraded to 5 for netgalley)

Next up in the Gold Valley Series is Cowboy Christmas Redemption. Though you don’t need to read the book prior to this one, I do think is helps to provide more of the overarching story. Cowboy Christmas Redemption is the story of Ellie Bell and Caleb Dalton. Ellie is the widow of Clint, who died in a helicopter crash. And Caleb, Clint’s best friend, has been beside Ellie in the years since Clint died. However, he has been in love with Ellie since he first met her years ago as Clint’s new girlfriend. He has put all that aside for years, even while she was grieving. But as Ellie starts to put aside her grief, they begin to see each other in new ways.

Despite a few issues with the story, I found myself breezing through this one easily and kept wanting to come back to their story. I struggled with how much interior dialogue this book gave us. They were both so ANGSTY. After awhile I was just like STOP AND JUST LOVE EACH OTHER. And the descriptions of their love for each other and their feelings just didn’t resonate with me. But I guess I also haven’t experienced deep loss. Regardless, the chemistry in this book was palpable and there were some pretty 🔥🔥🔥 scenes. This book is definitely more open door. Medium amount of Christmas. Just enough to make it Christmassy, but also readable all year around! And the ending was so sweet! Worth a read despite a couple issues I had!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates was a very moving read. Intense, heartbreaking. Beautiful.

I loved the dynamics in Ellie’s and Caleb’s relationship. They’ve been friends for a long time, but Caleb has been in love with Ellie since the first moment he met her. She was with his best friend Clint, though, so he never tried to cross that line. Ellie definitely noticed Caleb was attractive, but she never let herself see him as anything more than her friend. Despite these initially unrequited feelings, Ellie and Caleb become really close. I genuinely loved their friendship. Before they’re ever together, they’re already so devoted to each other. They’ve been through so much together, including Clint’s death and the birth of her daughter, Amelia, which Caleb was present for. When Clint dies, Caleb steps up to make sure Ellie and Amelia are okay, never trying to push the boundaries of their friendship.

But, when Ellie decides she’s ready to ‘get back out there’ and build a new life for herself – including exploring romance – Caleb decides its time to stop holding himself back.

The chemistry between Ellie and Caleb was just as intense as their emotional bond, and it made for such a vivid, beautifully realistic relationship. The transition from friends-to-lovers was written perfectly as Ellie and Caleb fumbled about trying to find their way. I loved seeing Ellie fall in love with Caleb, and Caleb’s determination to be the best man he could be for Ellie and Amelia just made my heart ache from sweetness. Their journey is angsty and exquisite, and I adored every moment of it.

If you like beautiful romances that make you feel a taste of every emotion under the rainbow, Cowboy Christmas Redemption is for you. Ellie and Caleb will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book.

*I was provided an eARC copy of this book by Harlequin and Netgalley (thank-you!). All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.*

Caleb and Ellie’s love story in Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates, book 8 in A Gold Valley series, was an emotional, sexy, and enjoyable tale. Since the day he met her, Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell; despite her dating, and then marrying his best friend Clint. Now a widow and single mom, Ellie thinks of Caleb as her best friend and rock. She has always been oblivious to his feelings and interest in her; which was difficult for me to visualize and understand. Caleb has always been hands-off with Ellie so when he discovers that she has a Christmas wish list including a kiss under the mistletoe, he knows he’s in. He’s not going to let anyone else get close to her and take another chance at losing her. He is the only one who will be kissing Ellie as well as sharing the magic of Christmas with her and her daughter. Now if only Caleb can prove that he’s the one to complete and fulfill Ellie and her daughter’s lives.

Ms. Yates wrote a fun, flirty, sexy sports romance that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with emotions, sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters giving Caleb and Elle a chance to at love, and the chance to be a family for. I highly recommend Cowboy Christmas Redemption to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

When Clint passes away, Caleb is determined to be there for his best friend's window, Ellie and her daughter, Amelia. Caleb has always had feelings for Ellie but he is holding himself back because of his respect for Clint. When Ellie decides she is ready to move on, there is NO WAY another man is going to win her. He just will NOT stand for it!

Well! Caleb just stole my heart. He is strong and kind! The best type of cowboy there is! When he and Ellie FINALLY get together...it is no holds barred! I fell in love with both of these characters. They both struggle through their grief and with the help of each other, they find their way to true love. It's not all peaches and cream...there are a few obstacles in the way. But that is just the tantalizing part of the story!

Don't miss this sweet, tear jerker!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Okay so first things first Thank you to Harlequin for providing an ARC of the book.

Now here is what I thought of the book, see I was really expecting to love this book, I am a sucker for Christmas romance movies and I am always in the mood for a great romance. I was so excited to read a book by a new author and the premise really interested me.
Unfortunately, it ended up not being my cup of tea.
The writing style wasn't bad, though it wasn't great either. The story was annoying to me in ways I didn't expect, while also being so repetitive. Let me explain, there is only so many times a character can have the same inner dialogue before it feels like the author lacked material to write a book of this length (and it isn't a long book).
While the ending wasn't as bad as I expected, I still had to skim most of the book to be able to get through it.
In the end I didn't have a great time, it took me days to get through a novel that with such length should've taken me hours. Unfortunately, for me it was a bad execution of what could've been a really enjoyable read.
And so, I have to give this

2/5 stars.

-Bookarina

Guilt, unrequited love, grief, family drama - all of that boils down to angst, lots and lots of angst. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing except when you have angst just for the sake of angst, and after a while, this started to feel that way. Nevertheless, we do have a sexy cowboy to swoon over, and Caleb is such a sweetheart. He's a little bit too guilt-ridden in my opinion, which holds him back, but he's still lovable, and it's hard not to want to see him get his happy ever after. Ellie made me a bit crazy with her back and forth. I get her reasons for being so gunshy, but the repetition of her inner monologue caused a few eye-rolls for me. The conclusion was the saving grace in Cowboy Christmas Redemption, and I have to hand it to Maisey Yates - that scene between our couple, once they have their epiphany, warms you all the way to your toes. In the end, this one had things I liked and things I didn't, but the story was definitely worth the read, and that conclusion leaves you with all the warm fuzzies a Christmas romance should.

The romance in this book is a beautiful, heartwarming, sexy, seriously hot tear jerker. When I started this book I had no idea of the roller coaster of emotions I was about to go on. The heartbreak that both Ellie and Caleb have gone through losing Ellie’s husband Clint five years ago is still something that they are both actively dealing with. Ellie is trying to figure out how to move forward in life since she has spent the last five years frozen in her grief. Caleb is grappling with the guilt he has been carrying since the first moment Caleb met Ellie and fell in instant love with her when Clint brought her to a family party.

Reading about Ellie confronting her grief and also her guilt about moving on and loving someone else gave me all the feels. She is also dealing with a lot of trauma from her crappy childhood with a mom that made her feel like she wasn’t worthy of love. My heart was so broken for Ellie and all of the pain and confusion that she was feeling. She really had a journey to go through to find her way to completely opening up her heart and Caleb was right there helping her along. They are hot and spicy together in the bedroom and I loved seeing them find their way to each other.

Caleb is also dealing with his own trauma with some family baggage and a not great relationship with his dad. There was an aspect of his story that centered around Ellie showing him that he had a learning disability his whole life that no one ever diagnosed or cared to find out why he was struggling so much in school. This part really resonated with me because my oldest has a language based delay and it was a nightmare getting the school to help. (Thankfully he has gotten help and is doing really well now!) But this book really touched me when it was talking about how not getting the help can affect your whole life. I also really felt for Caleb when he was trying to come to terms with his complicated relationship with Clint. He unconditionally loved Clint but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t have any negative feelings toward Clint and his place in Caleb’s family. The best part of Caleb is his absolute devotion to and for Ellie and her daughter Amelia. I don’t think I have ever read a book with a man more dedicated to the woman he loves than Caleb.

Ellie is a single mom and dreads the holidays since her husband had passed away years ago. His best friend, Caleb, has been at Ellie's side from the beginning. Always helping around her house and babysitting. We find out Caleb has loved Ellie for many years but doesn't let on. Ellie's Christmas list is to have a kiss under the mistletoe and Caleb has decided he should be the one. He always felt he should not let his feelings be known as her husband was his best friend and he feels it would be wrong. But when Ellie starts to decide to date it throws Caleb for a spin and he is going to make his move.
This was a great romance and I received this ARC from Harlequin and NetGalley.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION (Gold Valley Book 8) by Maisey Yates is a new Christmas cowboy contemporary romance in the Gold Valley series. Even though this is the eighth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

Ellie Bell is not ready for another Christmas without her husband. Clint died four and a half years ago in a tragic accident and never got to meet his daughter, Amelia. His best friend has been there for Ellie, but she feels it is time to make some changes. She writes a Christmas wish list.

Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell for years and made it his mission to always be there for her when she needed him, but he has always believed she was off-limits. When Clint died, Caleb was there to morn with her, be present for the birth of Amelia, be her best friend and her rock. When Ellie shows Caleb her Christmas wish list, he knows he is the only one to fulfill her wishes.

This Christmas, can Caleb prove he is the man for Ellie’s and Amelia’s future? And is Ellie ready to stop mourning and willing to give herself completely to a new and different love?

This is a Christmas romance that delves into emotional and deep relationship issues. Caleb and Ellie both have had troubled childhoods. Caleb was never diagnosed with his dyslexia and Ellie was never loved by her single mother. When Ellie loved and married Clint, it was an easy love without issues. Caleb offers a more mature and deeper love that demands more than Ellie thinks she is capable of giving. She is afraid. The back and forth between Caleb and Ellie felt realistic based on their pasts, but it was also frustrating and a major portion of the plot. I do wish their final coming together would have been less abrupt. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but not gratuitous. The HEA makes the frustration and wait worthwhile and will make you cry, so have those tissues ready.

Overall, an enjoyable Christmas HEA, but not a light and fluffy Christmas read.

Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him. Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?
I’ve read stories from this author and have enjoyed each book. This one was no different. I enjoyed following both main characters through their journey. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Caleb Dalton has kept something very close to the vest for quite a long time. He is in love with single mom Ellie Bell and her adorable little girl Amelia. He knows this is a line he can never cross because the now-widowed Ellie was married to his best friend. Caleb knows this is off-limits, but he has always been there for both of them and that will never change.

Ellie does not have any designs on Caleb, but she does have a doozy of a Christmas wish. She wants a kiss under the mistletoe. Of course, Caleb is planning to oblige. And only him. This is something that Ellie needs. Holidays have always been brutal for her, because of how and when she lost her husband. But, living in the past is something she can no longer do. If not for herself, at least for Amelia.

Will this five-year wait be worth it for Caleb and Ellie? Will this one special kiss make Ellie admit something that she herself may have hidden away very deeply? Lastly, will this kiss cost her the love and kindness of her best friend?

Do not miss this Christmas story. It is so sweet. So wonderful. So heartwarming. This is a family that I loved seeing come together. Kudos to Maisey Yates for writing such an effective story.

Many thanks to Harlequin and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Captivating, romantic, and steamy all rolled into one, COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION by Maisey Yates is a beautiful story of loss and finding love again.

Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell from the first minute he saw her but she was married to his best friend so he repressed his feelings as much as he possibly could. But when Clint died over four years ago, Caleb stepped in as Ellie's best friend and protector for both her and her little girl Amelia. Clint was the best man he knew and Caleb knew that Clint would want him to be there for them as much as he could. But with things changing at the home ranch and that underlying feeling that he is just never enough for anyone, Caleb buys his own land and wants to set his own path for the future which leaves Ellie a little unsettled. She wants things to change for her own life too - she yearns to feel like a woman again not just a mom or a widow. She wants to dance and be kissed by someone who wants her, something fun and uncomplicated but Caleb isn't having any of that. He hid his feelings for her out of respect for what she and Clint had but there is no way he is going to watch Ellie be with someone else when she could be with him. And together their chemistry and attraction is explosive. This is so much more than a harmless kiss under the mistletoe and neither of them know how to handle it. Caleb feels like he is not good enough to step into Ellie and Amelia's life while Ellie knows the dangers of an all-consuming love having watched her mother throw her life away chasing love. As Christmas dawns, will Caleb and Ellie take a chance on love and a future together?

I loved every element of this heartwarming story of moving on and taking a chance at love. Caleb is a wonderful character and it broke my heart to watch him doubting himself and his character when he is such a good man. Ellie had a gentle love with Clint that gave her security and her lovely little girl but I could understand her fear at letting herself fall so completely in love with someone who stirs her soul so deeply. Watching her grieve and try to build a happier life for herself and her daughter was a wonderful thing to watch. The setting is stunning and really painted a picture for everything that was about to happen.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION by Maisey Yates is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone - but after reading this book, I'm off on a shopping trip for the Gold Valley series. An excellent story that is sure to melt your heart as well as make you blush!

Finding Your Heart at Christmas

Ellie Bell has been a widow for several years. It’s been difficult raising her daughter, Amelia, alone, but this year the mist of grief is lifting. She wants to make a real Christmas for her daughter. She also wants to move on. She wants to kiss a man under the mistletoe, dance, and have fun.

Caleb Dalton has been Ellie’s salvation. He was Clint, her husband’s best friend, and although Ellie doesn’t know it, he’s always loved her. As Christmas approaches, Caleb is also thinking of moving on. He’s bought a ranch of his own. If he moves there he won’t be as close and suddenly Ellie realizes how much she depends on him and will miss him. The scene is set for Christmas magic and acknowledging love.

This book is part of a series about the Daltons. The characters have a long history with each other which forms part of the background in the early chapters. It’s not difficult to catch up, but it takes a bit to keep the backstory straight.

Ellie and Caleb are struggling with acknowledging how they feel for each other and that they’ve felt this way for a long time. I was glad to see them finally getting together. However, one of my favorite characters is Amelia. She’s such a happy little girl. You want to have Caleb and Ellie get together so she can have her perfect family.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

December has arrived and the Holiday season is in full swing. Here in Maine, the ground is covered in snow, the fireplace is roaring and cozy reading is officially the name of the game. I am a sucker for curling up on my couch under a blanket and devouring romance books. Who doesn’t want to end their day (or start it) reading a story filled with all consuming passion, earth shattering desire and smoking hot chemistry between characters. Throw in a happily ever after, and life is pretty darn good!

Gold Valley, Oregon is the place to be this December. Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is the latest book in her Gold Valley Series. Here is the scoop. Caleb Dalton (AKA ...sexy cowboy) is in love with single mom, Ellie Bell. There is of course one major roadblock standing in the way of this romance. Ellie is the widow of Caleb’s best friend (I am serious)). However, when Caleb finds out that Ellie is finally in the market for love again, he decides to put his guilt aside and try to make all of Ellie’s Christmas wishes come true. Will Ellie and Caleb fall in love? Will they both have a Christmas to remember? I think you need to read this to find out.

What I love about Yates’ new book is that it is the ultimate feel good holiday romance. Though the plot may be simple, her details are scrumptious. I kid you not, the steam between Caleb and Ellie is seeping from the pages of this book. Their appetite for one another is ravenous when they are in close quarters (you can totally feel the heat). Let me be clear though. This is not a fifty shades of whips and chains kind of romance. This is standing in the snow with rugged hands on your face while finger tips are tangled in your hair while deeply kissing you kind of romance (ok...sometimes hands are grabbing other things too, but I’ll let Maisey Yates tell you that part). Putting all the sweltering heat aside, Yates’ book is really just a good old fashioned love story. Small town holiday charm, characters that are easy to root for and a Christmas wish come true is all we really need.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption is not the first in Yates’ Gold Valley Series. There are actually quite a few books and novellas that precede this book. With that said, this is the first book I have read in the series. Rest assured, it reads very well as a stand alone novel. Of course, be prepared to want to backtrack when you are done. Now that I have a taste of Gold Valley, I am really looking forward to visiting again. Readers…..let loose and have some fun with this book. Feel hope, feel weak at the knees, feel sexy and most of all……….feel love! I hope you enjoy this romantic holiday treat.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is a romance that made me laugh, cry, and root for the characters. Ellie is different than most female characters. She has lost a loved one, gave birth to their child alone, and has been chaste ever since. Then, she grows attached to a stud like Caleb. He's always been there for both her and her daughter. But Caleb wants Ellie in everyway. Not just sex. And when she tortures him to the point of exploding plus, ask him that one question...Caleb refuses at first. He wants her but not like the way Ellie wants/asks him to be. He wants it all. However, guilt eats him up. Caleb believes all he and Ellie should be is just friends. But their attraction grows stronger each day. Putting some distance between them still doesn't put out their flames.

This was a hot read from the beginning. I loved it! Good looking cowboys, alpha males, and sweet women to round them out, make for a good read. Maisey Yates has created an exciting fast-burn romance. I could not read fast enough. Then, I felt sad because I finished too fast. Heartfelt and sexy-Cowboy Christmas Redemption is a must read for all.

It’s easy to see how Caleb would feel too guilty to make a move on Clint’s widow even though he’s been dead for over four years, since he had feelings for Ellie while Clint was alive, and they were married. He never acted on them, but he did pine for Ellie. Even before Ellie, Caleb held a mixture of conflicting emotions towards Clint. He loved Clint like a brother but was also jealous of him over the way his father would compare the two and find Caleb lacking.

After Clint’s death Caleb made it his mission to be there for Ellie and her daughter Amelia, he was even there for her birth, and all these years he’s held himself back from showing his true feelings of desire and love towards Ellie because he never thought she’d see him as anything other than a friend and she’s never even shown interest in any man at all. But when Ellie makes it clear she wants to move on with her life romantically, Caleb can’t bear for it to be any other man but him. He held himself back because it was Clint, but he’ll be damned if he steps aside for any other man.

Ellie wants lightness, and fun back in her life after grieving for Clint so long it’s not fair for her or her daughter to live with a cloud of sadness hanging over them so she makes a Christmas list to help them move on and put more joy into their lives. Part of the list is only for Ellie, though: going out dancing with a man, kissing by the fire, and yes, sex, but as she sets out to accomplish the items on her list, it becomes apparent that not just any cowboy will do. Caleb Dalton becomes integral to fulfilling her needs and desires, and it scares her to feel this intense, almost obsessive kind of want that bubbles up inside her.

I loved how Ellie and Caleb essentially already loved each other, but when Ellie decided to live for the present and future instead of mourning the past, it changed the way she looked at him. Once the veil of “just friends” was taken down it awakened a powerful desire! Ellie always thought Caleb was incredibly handsome, but never let her brain venture further, but once the roadblocks were taken away, their attraction was electric! Caleb always kept his passion for Ellie leashed, but once she made it clear she wanted more, all bets were off, he was through being her “safe, easy friend”, and oh, the results were hot!

Unrequited love is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I’ve been looking forward to Caleb and Ellie’s story for quite some time! It wasn’t without some bumps along the way, but anyone with eyes knew these two belonged together! I think they both got their Christmas wishes and then some by the end!

Secret love soon became real when friendship transformed to love.

Caleb loved Ellie from the beginning, she married his best friend who died. Ellie wanted to start living again. A kiss under the mistletoe among other things was what she asked Santa. Caleb was soon caught in her plan until love blossomed in Ellie too.

My first book by Maisey Yates, I loved Caleb. I had never seen a man so helpless in the situation, loving what he couldn’t have. Then came his chance and he gave it his all. The chemistry between the two was unexpected.

The writing made their love story work, there were a few places where it veered, bit overall the vibe of friendship turning awkward then to lust and love was well done. The emotional connection was well shown as they were best friends. I liked seeing it change to love in Ellie.

Overall, a cute story of romance and love.