Maisey Yates guttered me, made me late for work, shattered my little heart, gave me joy, made me cry all while I rode the journey as wild as any rollercoaster. You will love this book as the main male character Caleb is the ultimate cowboy with the biggest heart, a heart that has been broken for some time. A heart that has been hiding it's true feeling for even longer.

I have not had the pleasure of reading Maisey Yates books before so I have not read any of the other books in this series so I was unaware of any of the characters and events before starting me read. So I would recommend this book even as a stand-alone read. But now that I have read this book I would love to go back and read more as I really enjoyed the writer's style even though at the time I wished there was a bit more dialogue not as much internal dialogue between the character giving their point of view.

Can a Christmas List come true for a single mother with a broken heart?

Ellie Bell and Caleb Dalton have been the best of friends for many years but in the last four years, they have been the others strength through some of the most difficult days of their lives. Can their grief and guilt be overcome to see what the future may hold for them in the future?

Together or separately?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book to which I have given my honest and voluntary review. A Christmas story full of so much more than just love and the festive season.

This is book 8 in the Gold Valley series and that may affect my review.
I had an issue with this book, I had a disconnect with it, for the first half of the book I had a hard time. I felt like it was lacking something in the beginning. I think the only thing that I liked about this book was that it at a hot cowboy in it who happened to be a complete sweetheart.
When I got to the second half, I enjoyed this book a little more.
Caleb had been in love with Elli since the moment it met her. I loved how he opened and started to face his struggles. For me Caleb stole my heart with how sweet it was. He was the highlight of the book for me.
After Elli’s husband died in the beginning, she couldn’t notice that Caleb has feelings for her. The physical attraction was there but the feelings weren’t there. Until she starts to notice that’s when things start to change.
This is an emotional story of loss and acceptance. And the ending was worth the wait.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and this newest addition to Maisy Yates' Gold Valley series brings all the feels. Though Caleb and Ellie have been best friends for years, the mass of intermingled emotional baggage they both carry has kept them from moving beyond friendship. Until Ellie finally decides to move forward with her life...and Caleb isn't about to let her move on with anyone but him. It makes for a complex, emotional journey that made me laugh, cry, and tingle in all the best ways.

Yates does a great job of bringing her characters to life and immersing me in their journey. I could feel all the doubts, desire, and guilt that Caleb and Ellie have to wade through. My heart ached for the pain caused by the secrets Caleb has kept from his family, and Ellie, and rejoiced in the forgiveness and acceptance that follow when he finally shares them.

Ellie and Caleb have been tested by the flames of emotional fire, from which they emerged stronger and wiser, with a solid foundation of friendship and love. I turned the final page of their story confident in the strength of their bond and their future happiness as a family.

I can't wait to return to Gold Valley for more Dalton family stories!

4.5 Stars
*Posted with author Q&A at The Romance Dish.
*Advance review copy received from publisher.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I was a little worried because I hadn't read the other books in the series, but Yates gives you enough backstory that you can follow along pretty easily. Caleb has been in love with Ellie ever since his brother in heart brought her home. When Clint dies, Caleb steps in and is there for Ellie and her daughter, Amelia. When he finds out Ellie is ready to get back out there, he sees his chance and he pounces. For a book that has a lot of heart, the love scenes were very hot - almost unexpectedly so. There were more than a few moments that had me tearing up because either they were so sweet or heartbreaking.

I took off a star because there is a LOT of inner monologue and I found myself almost skimming at points.

All in all, a lovely story that gets you in the Christmas mood with the help of an adorable little girl.

What do you do when you are in love with your best friend's widow? How do you get past the fact that you have loved her since the first time you met her? Ellie Bell's husband, Clint, has been gone for five years. He was killed fighting a wildfire before he even knew he was going to be a dad. Caleb Dalton was his stand in for so many things. He held Ellie when she was sad and while she grieved, he was there for the birth of her child Amelia, and he has been a surrogate father for Amelia ever since. To Ellie, he is her best friend, but Dalton wants more. When Ellie decides she is ready to move on and comes up with a list of things she wants to do by Christmas, Caleb sees red. He does not want to see her in someone else's arms. When Ellie tries to dance and kiss a stranger, she realizes she can't. The only person she trusts to help her move on in her love life is Caleb.

First, I have to say that I have not read any other books in this series, I think I need to go back and find out what happened before. I still enjoyed this story, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had the background. Ellie is a vulnerable woman with some baggage and flaws. She loved her husband and there is guilt when she thinks about moving on. She also sees her daughter, Amelia, and thinks she needs to move on for her. She loves Caleb, but again feels guilty. She doesn't think she deserves to be happy. Caleb is also carrying a pile of baggage. He has always felt less than Clint and that he was always second best. He also feels guilty that he loved Ellie while she was married to Clint. Amelia is adorable. She loves her mom and Caleb very much. She never knew her father so there is no confusion there, she loves Caleb and is not afraid to tell anyone that. When Caleb and Ellie begin a physical relationship, it is supposed to be no-strings, but you know that is not going to work out. When they finally open up to each other, it is beautiful Maisey Yates does a wonderful job with the sharing of emotions and my heart broke listening to them baring their souls to each other. Of course their path is rocky, there is some angst, a few hurdles, but some family members do their best to smooth the pathway for them and their advice is right on. I loved how the story ended and the epilogue is wonderful and ties the story up nicely. This was an enjoyable story, with a couple of sex scenes that were quite vivid, so it that is not your thing, you can skim over them. A quick read with a HEA for any contemporary romance lover.

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

Cowboy Christmas Redemption, by Maisey Yates, became available at booksellers on 9-24-19. Part of Ms Yates Gold Valley series it works quite well as a stand-alone story. I've given only 3 stars as there were parts of the plot that didn't ring true. For me, a little unbelievable but there's so much more that I flew through the tale. I became invested in the characters, and that's always the sign of a good story.

Ellie Bell is a widow with a small daughter. Her husband was a part of the Dalton family and they took her into the fold too. They're all still close, which is nice for the sake of Amelia, she has loads of people who care for her. Her struggles seem real, her insecurities real. Her rough childhood makes her appreciate the Dalton's and she doesn't want to endanger that in any way. She's begun to think about moving on, she's mourned enough. I felt that too, it's hard to be brave.

Caleb Dalton is the character I had trouble with. On one hand he's a great, thoughtful guy, but on the other hand he's screwed up pretty bad. He's held onto guilt, his sense of duty, and his love for Ellie for way too long. He tortures himself like there's a penance he has to pay forever. He's unlikable until he snaps out of it and acts like a man, not a mouse.

All in all I liked the book and it ended well. Happy Christmas reading.

#Netgalley #MaiseyYates #CowboyChristmasRedemption #GoldValley #HQNBooks

My thoughts
Would I recommend it? yes
Would I read more of this series ? yes
Would I read more by this author? yes
This is the second time I've read something by this author and this time I around I actually liked it a bit more then I did the first one I read which was Lone Wolf Cowboy , the story seem to flow a lot better , and I didn't have any trouble getting into the story like I did with Long Wolf Cowboy, plus I seemed to like these characters better then the ones in Lone Wolf Cowboy , I loved how Caleb and Ellie just seemed to fit, and as for the story it's a very sweet holiday story that is very moving , will capture the hearts of the readers page by page, with that said I want to thank Harlequin for letting me read and review it as well as Netgalley

Another fantastic book by Maisey Yates - Caleb has been tormented over his feelings for Ellie. But when he finds out about her Christmas List he decides he is the man for the job!

This story was great at the onset but then it felt plagued with too much repetitive internal dialogue. It was the only reason why I couldn't give it more stars.

There were so many reasons to love this book. It had a hot cowboy in it who was just a sweetheart. Has a Christmas theme which everyone loves because it’s a feel-good season anyway. And it’s a romance novel. We all love a little bit of romance in our life.

And while this book should’ve hit all of my top marks, I had a few issues with it.

One of the main issues is it’s actually a continuation in a series and I felt very lost in the first several chapters. It seemed very choppy and I honestly didn’t know who anybody was.

But then I got with the groove and absolutely fell in love with Caleb. He’s been in love with Ellie since the first time he saw her but she belong to someone else.

Then tragedy struck and he was there for her every bit of the way.

He has guilt. She has fond memories. And the author included immense amounts of internal chatter, many parts of repetition, and not enough revelation and resolution to their love quandary. Heck, it felt like they hardly had much personal interaction as there was so much other chatter.

I was getting very frustrated.

The best part of this story is definitely Caleb. How can you resist a man with a heart of gold? Do guys like this really exist?

And the ending… Oh my gosh! That did get a few tears from me.

While the story is not all sunshine and rainbows, it does finally have a happily ever after and for that I am grateful.

Hot Cowboys and Christmas? Yes, definitely. That always makes it right in my book.

This one was very good. There was a lot of inner thoughts put out there for the reader as this deals with some past death. I never read the other books in the series but I didn't feel lost at all. I will say that I will be going back to read the others soon. It is another HEA in this one with two characters brought together and bound by death. I do wish that it would have had a little more HEA in it although we do get a fair amount. I can't wait for another one.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is book 8 in the Gold Valley Series. This is the story of
Ellie Bell and Caleb Dalton. I do feel this can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Caleb has been in love with Ellie for years but she had been his best friends wife, so totally off limits to him. Then Clint the best friend and Ellie's husband died but that was several years ago. Caleb still felt she was off limits and even that the guilt of making it know how he feels for her made him stop. But now Ellie is ready to move on and give her daughter Amelia a happy Christmas. To do that Ellie feels she needs to get back into the world and find that connection with someone. Of course Caleb wants to be that someone and starts to move forward to make that happen.
This was a Sweet Romance Read.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption is the eighth novel in Maisey Yates' Gold Valley series, and I've been eagerly awaiting Caleb and Eillie's story and it was certainly worth waiting for, since Maisey Yates pulls out all the stops in this one, it's deeply felt, highly emotional, hot, sexy, and dramatic, and it gets 5+++ stars from this reader.

For Caleb Dalton, it was love at first sight the moment he first set eyes on Ellie Bell, more than 10 years earlier. The problem was that she was engaged to marry his best friend, Clint, whom he'd befriended early on and whom he considered his brother, and Caleb had scruples, so he stuffed his feelings, was best man at their wedding, and stayed a loyal friend throughout their marriage, although he deeply wished that he'd been the one to see her first.

Caleb and Clint were both firefighters, and 5 years earlier, Clint died in a freak helicopter crash, one that was carrying him and other firefighters to the scene of a raging forest fire. Ellie, who was, at the time, pregnant with their first child, was devastated and drowning in grief. It was Caleb who remained her stalwart companion, her friend and protector. He was there when Ellie gave birth to her daughter, Amelia, and Caleb was always there for both of them. Ellie, still grieving the loss of her beloved husband, was the only one who didn't see that Caleb was in love with her, but his family sure knew.

When Ellie got to the point of wanting more than just widowhood and motherhood, and was willing to do more than grieve, she made a Christmas wish list that included things like dancing, dating, a kiss under the mistletoe, making out by the fireplace and sex--but with whom? Completely oblivious to Caleb's feelings for her, she models some sexy dresses for him when he stops by unexpectedly, and the short, skintight red one was Caleb's favorite. When he learns that she and Caleb's sister-in-law, Vanessa, have headed into town to fulfill wish #1, Caleb finds her in that red dress and in the arms of another man, and drags her out of his arms and into the street. Ellie wasn't at all attracted to her dance partner, but realizes that she's not a one-night-stand kind of gal, and eventually asks Caleb to fulfill her wish list, he's her best friend, after all, and she trusts him, but Caleb goes ballistic at her request. He doesn't want to just scratch her itch, he wants her forever, and understands that Ellie isn't thinking long term with him and makes it clear that if they do this, it will be by his rules, not hers, and the heat these two "friends" generate is incendiary.

Ellie thinks love is just fun and laughs because what her marriage to Clint was like. She's not even close to ready for Caleb's intensity, his sexual prowess, or his passion. Ellie had a horrible childhood with a mother who was so busy chasing men that she had no time for Ellie, and Clint too, had a rough childhood, which is why the Dalton family practically adopted him when Caleb brought him home. What Ellie is slow to learn is that although Caleb's family had problems, they all loved one another and still do. She doesn't trust the kind of intensity Caleb finally lets her see, and she's afraid of becoming just like her mother. And then, there's her 4-year-old daughter, adorable Amelia, who loves Caleb and even asks him to be her daddy. Get out the tissues, because if the emotions in this novel don't move you to tears (more than once in my case), or make you turn on your air conditioner or electric fan, I'll be shocked, because this story certainly got to me on every level imaginable, and was as gripping a read as I've come across in some time.

While this novel works just fine as a standalone, I highly encourage you to read these novels in the order written to fully appreciate this amazingly vivid place Ms. Yates has created in Gold Valley. If you're looking for a novel with lots of angst, family drama, relationship drama, characters who you come to feel you've known forever, steamy sex, and admiration for just what a decent, complex man Caleb Dalton is, you'll find that and more in this heartfelt, deeply moving friends-to-lovers romance that I found impossible to put down. In this reader's opinion, it's the best novel in the series so far, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Ellie has lost her husband and is doing the best she can raising her daughter Amelia alone in the home that her and her late husband built. She has friends close by who have become her family. She will forever grateful to the Dalton family, especially Caleb. Christmas is also on its way and this year maybe it’s time to celebrate for Amelia. Ellie decides to start a Christmas wish list to help her feel like a woman again, not just a mother. Will this help her move on?
Caleb Dalton was Ellie’s husband’s best friend. After his passing, Caleb stepped up and vowed to take care of Ellie and her daughter, no matter what. Caleb and Ellie have relied on each other and in doing so have become the best of friends. When Caleb hears about Ellie’s Christmas wish list, he starts getting jealous that she wants some stranger to take her to bed. If anyone is going to fulfill her wish list, it will be Caleb himself.
As Ellie and Caleb start being friends with benefits, Caleb decides he can’t just be her friend any longer. He has loved Ellie since her first laid eyes on her. Can he convince her that he is the only one for her? Will Ellie be able to lay her husband’s memory to rest and finally be able to find love again?
This novel by Maisey Yates is the eight book in the Gold Valley series, yet it was the first one I had read. It can easily be read as a standalone novel, yet the more I read, the more I wanted to go back to book one to hear the stories of the other characters in the book. This was such a heartwarming story of love, loss and friendship. A great book to snuggle up with by the fire. Thank you to Harlequin-Mira, Maisey Yates and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review. It was a fabulous read.

While the author does provide some backstory, so this could be read as a standalone, without one of those "List of Characters" or "Book family Tree" I would not recommend it. There are too many characters and baggage from the previous books. However, those of us who have read at least the last four of them, knew that eventually Caleb Dalton and Ellie Bell would get their HEA.

Caleb has been in love with Ellie, since the first time he saw her, but she was already with his best friend, Clint. So he shoved his feelings down deep and decided that love and marriage would never be for him. Ellie's mother had made her believe that she was never good enough to be loved and cared for, so she had her own plan of becoming a teacher and taking care of herself, but that was before she met Clint, who loved her and made her life fun. They were responsible, building a little nest egg, bought a house and she was pregnant with their child, when he was killed in a helicopter crash while firefighting The Daltons were all devastated, as they had figuratively adopted him into their family. Jacob blamed himself, as Clint had taken his place, and Caleb became her best friend, telling her that she was a widow, being there at the birth of her daughter, fixing what needed fixing and because of a secret, he felt guilty of his feeling about her and didn't think he was good enough to take Clint's place. It was Ellie, however, who diagnosed his dyslexia.

Five years later, Caleb is still in love with her, but would never do anything about it, and buys a Christmas Tree Farm, so he can have something of his own. Ellie realizes that she also needs to move on, so draws up a Christmas Wish list, which includes dancing, kisses and sex, and wants Caleb's help, not realizing how much pain she is causing him. Lots of Dalton family drama adds to the story. Will Ellie wake up and see what she has with Caleb, or sentence them both to years of loneliness?

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

4 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, pain, secrets, and heartbreak.

This is Ellie and Caleb’s story. Caleb has always loved Ellie from afar. She was married to his best friend. When they lost him, they grew close but he never overstepped. He wanted Ellie but never wanted to push her into something. When she comes to him and wants him to help her get back into dating, he wants to be he wants her for himself but what she is asking just might tear them apart. She wants his help, but she never considered forever. Can she try at a forever or is she about to lose her best friend forever?

I loved these characters and the side characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

BLURB:

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?

THOUGHTS:
I was not expecting this one, She’s his best friend’s widow, Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell and her daughter Amelia for years,
"He wanted... He wanted to be enough. He wanted to be more. He's never wanted it so much in all his life."
This book was an intense one, maybe to intense for christmas. I liked it.

Patient, devoted readers of this series have finally been gifted with Caleb and Ellie’s story, just in time for the Christmas holidays. Caleb has secretly loved Ellie since he was a teen, even after he learns that she is marrying his best friend, Clint. In the five years since Clint’s death, Caleb has been Ellie’s best friend and her rock, helping her and her daughter, Amelia, in any way he can. Their shared grief and his guilt over his feelings for Ellie have kept him from acting on them until the day she shares her Christmas wishlist. She’s finally decided that she needs to put her grief aside and find a man for her 5 steps to sex. When she asks him to be her first because she feels safe with him, the last thing she expects is to unleash a ravenous animal who is anything but nice and easy. Once the beast is out of the cage, there’s no going back to the comfortable friendship, but can she allow herself to love when the only times she did, she lost? Will Caleb ever feel he can measure up to a good man like Clint? The path to love for the two of them is emotion-packed and sexually-charged, and what a wild ride it is. So worth the wait!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQN through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Caleb and Ellie both loved the same man; Caleb was his best friend and Ellie married him. But then that man died and Caleb has spent years being there for Ellie. But now, it’s time for a change. Caleb is determined that life is going to get out of the rut he is in. He buys land to ranch, and he’s making it plain to Ellie that he wants her.

Sweet Christmas book. The struggle to get them together seemed a bit drawn out, but I enjoyed the story as much as I always do with any Maisey Yates book.

Caleb’s been in love with Ellie for years, ever since his best friend Clint introduced them. But Ellie was Clint’s girlfriend at the time. Then later fiancée, and finally wife. When Clint died in a tragic accident, Ellie was pregnant with their first child and they had just purchased a house. Caleb stepped up and helped Ellie when she needed it most and put his feelings aside.
It’s been years now and Caleb and Ellie are best friends, but Caleb is still in love with her. When he finds out about her Christmas List, he’s shocked. It’s not full of purchases she wants, things you can buy in a store. She wants to be kissed again, to have sex again.
Ellie’s been single since the death of the man she loved, the father of her child. She didn’t want her daughter to go through the same things growing that she did. She’s the product of a single mother who had a revolving door of men filling her life. Her mom flitted from man to man, trying to find someone to love her. It left Ellie with serious issues and made her wary of men. She’d only ever truly opened herself up to her husband and he’s now been gone four years.
This is a slow burn story. It sends you on an emotional rollercoaster that’s hard to recover from. You root for Ellie and Caleb from page 1 and wait patiently for them to happen. They are perfect for each other and you see it from the beginning. The writing is good, the characters are loveable, the storyline sweet.
This is book eight in the Gold Valley series, but the first I’ve read from it.
**I received an ARC of this story and this is my honest review