I really enjoyed this book. The characters had been through so much trauma, but it didn't feel angsty. Their actions and feelings were realistic and understandable. Even when it became clear just how self-centered and oblivious Ellie was, I could understand how her past had led her to be so insular. The fact that the romance and HEA wasn't simple was so true to these characters and their stories. They both had to learn how to transition from merely existing and working to put one foot in front of the other, to actually moving forward with their lives. And Caleb was so great with Amelia!

Caleb has loved Ellie for at least 10 years and her daughter for 4 years. It was love at first sight for him, but unfortunately Ellie was in love with his good friend and brother-from-another, Clint. However, Clint dies in an accident before his daughter is born and Caleb steps in as Ellie's friend and protector. Caleb has always felt inferior to everyone due to his learning disabilities and doesn't feel that he is good enough for Ellie, but he also cannot see her being with anyone who isn't him.
Ellie has been alone for 4 years and isn't real crazy about her maturing, post childbirth body, but she is lonely and is craving the physical touch of a man. Ellie decides to make a Christmas wish list and with the help of her friend, Vanessa, she is going to try to find a man to sleep with her. Caleb gets a hint of what is going on and shows up at the bar and sees red. He dances with Ellie and then confronts her about what she is doing and she finally says that maybe it should be him that fulfills her list. Once he sees what all she has listed, he knows that this is going to be a huge test of his patience, his love, and his libido.
In order for Ellie and Caleb to find their HEA, they must both confront and overcome the shadows in their past. I really loved this book and look forward to reading more by Ms. Yates.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Complementary book given for honest review.

Maisey Yates blew me away with yet another book.

Caleb has been in love with Ellie from the moment he first laid eyes on her. He became her best friend as he was her husband’s best friend. A tragic accident caused her husband’s death. For years Caleb has stood by her and been their for her. She is ready now. She is ready for love and only Caleb can fit the spot. Their love is intense. It is powerful and it is everlasting.

She’s his best friend’s widow, but Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell and her daughter Amelia for years, so when he discovers that she has a Christmas wish list – he’s throwing his hat into the ring. Ellie’s finally decided that it’s time to make some changes, but she never expects the biggest change to the heart-stopping she shares with Caleb.

This holiday romance is a very moving and sweet romance that produces a few tears as Caleb and Ellie figure out how to untangle their friendship and move it into a happily ever after. This hero and heroine are strong and easily capture the hearts of the readers as all of the emotional turmoil flows from the pages and readers can’t help but feel that Caleb and Ellie along with Amelia would make a great family, especially at such a special time of the year.

The plot proceeds at a steady pace and keeps readers engaged with this topsy turvy romance that has a couple struggling over some turbulent issues over moving forward when they have lost someone so close to them. The holiday setting and of course the growing Dalton family adds to the wonderful spirit of reaching for a happily ever after that warms the heart and captivates readers from the very beginning.

4 1/2 STARS!

COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION is book eight in the ever-delightful Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates and centers around a widowed single mom and her best friend cowboy in a friends to lovers/forbidden love romance. This series is rich in character development, and as we are getting the love story of the main couple, we are often getting updates on some of our favorite couples from previous books as well.

Caleb's family has been going through some drama for a few books now, so he was quick to catch my eye as his story started to unfold and feel familiar from the previous tidbits we had learned about it all. He's been looking out for Ellie for years now, and when he learns she's ready to move forward with her life, he wants to be right beside her as she does.

Ellie pulled at our heartstrings from the start. Since losing her husband five years ago, she's been pouring her heart and soul into raising their daughter Amelia, with lots of help from her husband's (and now her own) best friend. When she starts to look at Caleb in a whole new way, she's not sure what to make of it.

I strongly recommend this book and this entire series for anyone loving a small town romance that is heavy on family and friend connections. The angst is spot on, and the happily ever after always feel heartwarmingly real.

Ellie and Caleb’s story was so emotional and beautifully written. That’s not to say I didn’t lose patience with each of them at various times throughout the book, because I definitely did!
This was not a simple friends to lovers tale, since it was complicated by Ellie being the widow of Caleb’s best friend. That’s a hard enough hurdle to jump over. But when you factor in years of unrequited love, secrets being kept by Caleb himself, by Caleb and Ellie from Clint, when he was alive, and also by Ellie herself...it’s a big pot of messiness.
I don’t think Caleb gave himself enough credit for being a really great, stand-up guy. He’s living too much in the past. But Ellie is, too, and she’s playing it safe, which really isn’t her, when you pull back the curtain on her.
More than a few tears were shed, but some laughs were to be had, too, by this reader. Another solid addition to the Gold Valley series, as well as to Yates’ catalogue in general. Great job!

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is the eighth book in the Gold Valley Series. We are brought back to the Dalton Family and their ranch. Recently, they have ventured into opening a school for young men, who are living with foster families and need a different type of education. Caleb has been helping out on the ranch and with the adolescents. He also has been helping Ellie Bell and her daughter Amelia.

Ellie is a widow. Her husband was Caleb’s best friend and died fighting wildfires. Caleb feels guilty for all sorts of reasons, not the least of the reasons is that he always lusted after Ellie. Ellie is ready to move on, but has all sorts of hang ups and has made a list of Christmas Wishes. Caleb is also ready to move on but not necessarily in her direction.

WOW - Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is a hot story between Caleb and Ellie!
As always, the story is well written by Maisey Yates. Ellie had way too much angst for me, but I have never been a widow. Caleb’s levels of guilt were finally revealed so they can move forward. Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates was a fast read and a fun story.

Caleb is looking to separate himself a bit from Ellie, a single mother who he's had his eye on but shes his best friends widow. Ellie is finally ready to make some changes and comes up with her Christmas's list and really anyone would do to help tick the things off the boxes. But it would be better to have someone who she already cares for to help her out and that's where Caleb comes in. Thing is its hard to separate their feelings of friendship into something more with a list like theirs. There is so much things getting in the way if they start something with each other.

This is a story about heartbreak, healing and learning to grow from past troubles. Ellie is still reeling from the death of her husband and with a past like hers she was so worried about what her life would be like if she ever tried to start something with someone else after what she went though. Then there's Caleb with his own set of issues and guilt and hes still having trouble separating his feelings for his friend. For a long time he's never done anything about his feelings because clearly Ellie and his friend had plenty of love and he would do nothing to ruin that. There is so much issues that are going around between the two and they both need to let things out in the open, and figure out how to get past that. Then there is the list, Ellie's list to getting back out there - sort of. Clearly feelings are going to get in the way but it was still fun to read about. As for the Christmas spirit of the book, while there are a few little details that go on with this book that would take place at Christmas time I wouldn't stay it screamed Christmas. While it was cute to read it didn't get me into the Christmas spirit but it was still a great book to read in general. If you are looking for a book with subtle Christmas themes going on you might want to put this book on your holiday tbr list but in general it is a pretty great book I really enjoyed it.

Caleb Dalton fell in love with Ellie Bell the day he met her. Too bad she was always fated to marry his best friend, the eminently better man. But her husband died fighting fires and now Caleb is Ellie's rock and his family is helping her to raise the daughter her husband barely knew she was carrying. Without him, Ellie would have been lost. But now she's finally starting to come back to life, to feel as if she deserves something more. She's got a new job and she's ready to start dating. Or at least have sex. It comes as a huge surprise when Caleb is the one man who makes he feel lust. And while Ellie is coming to terms with falling in love with her husband's best friend, Caleb still has some things to work through.
I didn't love the last Big Misunderstanding - I didn't feel like it was consistent with Caleb's arc- but overall a nice Christmas read.

Four stars
This book came out September 24th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my love

habituellement, je ne commence pas si tôt à lire les romances de Noël mais je l'avoue, là, j'ai craqué en lisant le résumé... j'aime bien quand ce sont des amis qui deviennent des amants et donc plus. Là, vous rajoutez une adorable petite fille de 4 ans au milieu et c'est choupinou à souhait. Mais c'est une romance contemporaine alors, attendez-vous à des scènes sexy aussi. Là encore, comme toute auteure anglo-saxonne qui se respecte, ce roman se situe dans une série et nous découvrons des personnages dont on a envie d'aller lire l'histoire, comme notamment celle du frère et de la belle-soeur du héros, par exemple.
"Cowboy Christmas Redemption" a été écrit par Maisey Yates (elle est traduit chez Harlequin France aussi dans les collections Azur et Passion, j'ai regardé ^^ ) : il est donc sorti ce jour, le 24 septembre en VO chez Harlequin US et je remercie Give Me Books Promotions pour l'envoi de ce roman en ARC (service presse VO) et leur confiance.

Mon avis :
J'ai bien aimé cette romance car elle est très dans l'air du temps : elle met en scène des amis-amants qui deviennent plus mais parce que le héros est atteint de dyslexie et qu'on nous explique combien il a dû se battre pour en arriver là où il en est.
Nous faisons donc connaissance de Caleb, un cow-boy qui est l'ami et le soutien d'Ellie depuis qu'elle a perdu son mari et meilleur ami du jeune homme, pompier volontaire, lors d'un tragique incendie. Mais ce que l'on découvre, c'est que dès qu'il l'a aperçue, il est tombée amoureux d'elle : bien évidemment, parce qu'il considérait Clint comme son frère (ils ont grandi ensemble) il s'est obligé à repousser ses sentiments et ensuite, après le décès de ce dernier, il l'a épaulée à chaque instant, depuis la naissance de sa fille où il était présente et qu'il adore. Mais lorsque commence le roman, il a pris une décision : il a racheté une exploitation de sapins et sera donc moins disponible pour elle (en fait, il pense n'avoir aucune chance avec elle et décide de s'éloigner, un peu) mais ce choix va avoir des conséquences inattendues puisque Ellie va se dire qu'elle doit aussi aller de l'avant et essayer de refaire sa vie : elle va faire une liste de Noël de choses à faire (très typique) et parmi celle-ci, il y a embrasser un homme et même plus. Or, le soir, où elle se rend dans un bar pour s'amuser, Caleb se trouve là, il l'invite à danser et elle va alors réaliser qu'elle souhaite vivre ses nouvelles émotions avec lui. Mais Caleb est un homme fier, il refuse qu'elle l'utilise (secrètement, il souhaite tout simplement qu'elle l'aime et leur donne une chance) et une chose en entraînant une autre, ils vont s'embrasser et là, tout va changer! Mais rien ne sera simple... entre la fierté (légitime) de Caleb et son désir de vie avec elle et la peur de s'engager pour la jeune femme (de plus, elle a peur de ses sentiments intenses pour lui, bien plus forts que pour son premier mari (ils étaient très jeunes) rien ne sera plus pareil : arriveront-ils à trouver le bonheur?

Caleb est l'archétype du cowboy : un homme simple, rugueux, brut et intense. En même temps, il incarne les valeurs de l'Amérique profonde : honneur, fidélité, respect de la famille, des amis etc... Depuis qu'il a rencontré Ellie, il lutte contre ses sentiments et ce n'est pas simple : tout d'abord parce qu'elle est la petite amie, puis la femme de son meilleur ami mais aussi parce que c'est la seule qui a compris pourquoi il n'arrivait pas à apprendre et qu'il était incompris par beaucoup et notamment par son père : c'est elle qui lui a diagnostiqué sa dyslexie et l'a aidé à à avancer. La perte de Clint les a rapprochés mais pour Caleb, alors, il n'était plus que question de quoi que ce soit, elle était la veuve de son meilleur ami. Mais les choses vont changer quand il décide d'acheter cette exploitation et il va se montrer telle qu'il est intense... mais tellement respectueux. Il essaie de la persuader de prendre son temps mais la jeune femme, bien que non-prête, va précipiter les choses et là... saura-t-elle l'accepter tel qu'il est? il est très différent de son premier mari et ça va lui faire peur. C'est un amour avec sa petite fille qui le veut pour père (que ces scènes sont touchantes) : bref, le type bien ! maladroit parfois mais vraiment un homme bien.

Quant à Ellie, elle a été marquée par une succession d'épreuves et elle va prendre peur de l'intensité des émotions que fait naître son meilleur ami en elle : en 'embrassant, tout change de nouveau et elle n'est pas prête à faire face ce que cela implique. C'est une jeune femme remarquable, qui n'a vécu que pour sa fille, Amelia, après le décès brutal de son mari, elle s'est reposé sur Caleb et sa famille (elle est une sorte de fille pour eux) et elle est impliquée dans les histoires familiales. Elle leur confie la garde de sa petite fille mais quand la décision de Caleb bouleverse tout, elle n'était pas prête : elle essaie de se raccrocher à ses souvenirs avec Clint, elle pense revivre le même type d'histoire, douce et simple mais Caleb est intense et elle a besoin de prendre conscience qu'elle n'est plus la même femme que lorsqu'elle avait épousé son premier mari et qu'elle pourra être la compagne parfaite de son ami et ce chemin n'est pas simple...

J'ai adoré les personnages secondaires : les frères directs de Caleb qui sont un soutien sans faille mais aussi ses demi-frères et soeurs qui apparaissent (on apprend que leur père a eu des liaisons et des enfants en sont nés, bien qu'il ne l'ait appris que lorsqu'ils ont été adultes) et sont les personnages à venir (ou des tomes passés : je vous le dis, typique des séries anglo-saxonnes : je suivrai les prochaines sorties et essaierai de trouver du temps (hum ^^ ) pour les précédents.

C'est donc une histoire de seconde chance, d'amis-amants mais pas que : comme son titre l'indique, c'est aussi une histoire de rédemption comme si Caleb ,après avoir tant souffert et s'être mis en retrait, obtenait enfin ce qu'il méritait : l'amour de la femme qu'il aime. Quant à Ellie, on pourrait dire la même chose car le chemin fut long et douloureux pour avoir le bonheur auquel elle avait le droit. Bref, c'est une superbe romance de Noël : moderne, sexy et pleine d'espoir : tout ce que j'aime en somme ^^ Donc, si vous lisez en VO, ne passez pas à côté ;)

4 Christmas Kisses Stars
When I want a Western/Cowboy story I go straight for Maisey Yates. She is the go-to writer.
This is the standard tale of the man's best friend passes leaving the wife to continue on. She has a beautiful little daughter and after a few years of healing, she is ready to see what life has for her.

Now the man life may have in mind was her husband's best friend. He has always been there and had to stop thinking about all the thoughts he wanted because...

Best friend's wife...

Also, they have been supporting each other.

Well, Christmas has come, and with it Christmas wishes...Could these two actually realize they are meant to be together...

Only a Christmas Kisss will make it happen.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates
A Gold Valley (can be read as a standalone)

5 Stars

Amazing! Love the characters! Very well written!

"She could remember it so keenly. That deep, desperate need to be loved. And that the tree-- homely and broken and bedecked with homemade ornaments-- felt like a piece of her heart."

Absolutely loved this! Very highly recommend.

Wonderful addition to the series! This was the perfect feel good Christmas romance. I was looking forward to Caleb and Ellie's story, and it didn't disappoint.

Caleb and Ellie have been dancing around a mutual attraction but also mutual respect for each other for years. Caleb is Ellie’s best friend since the loss of her husband Clint, Caleb’s friend, back before Amelia was even born. The loss hit him hard, and making it up to Clint by being there for Ellie, was the only way he felt he could continue.

Ellie didn’t know how she would be able to survive without Clint, but being able to lean on Caleb and his family has been her saving grace. She has starting to see Caleb in a different light recently though and thinks maybe it is time to move on with her life away from the memory of Clint.

After a late night proposition, Caleb and Ellie turn a corner in their relationship that has them both worried they might lose their friendship. He wants to get away from the family business and home, to start a Christmas tree farm and renovate his newly purchased home. She was happy for him but quickly realized she was being selfish by wanting him to stay close to her and Amelia. She wants to move their relationship forward while keeping a foot in the present. Can they take the next step together with confidence?

As usual Maisey Yates provides not only a wonderful love story but an emotional roller coaster of feelings, causing us to look deep within ourselves while the main characters travel their own roads of self discovery. Caleb and Ellie, though seemingly confident on the outside, had deep seeded doubts lingering inside. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy provided from the publisher without expectations. I continue to love Gold Valley, and wait for the next installment in the series.

Book 8 in Maisey Yates’s Gold Valley series, this is as much a story of three people coming together to form a family as it is a romance—and a brilliantly written romance it is, too. Ellie Bell has relied heavily on Caleb Dalton since the death of her husband, Clint (who was Caleb’s best friend). Caleb was there for Ellie through her grief and the birth of her daughter, Amelia. Years later, Caleb is still a constant source of friendship to Ellie, and is a father figure to Amelia. When Ellie decides she’s ready to move forward with her life and have a sexual relationship with a man, Caleb steps up to the plate. Ellie and Caleb’s romantic journey is full of intense emotion, and all the more beautiful because of it. Ellie must wade through lingering issues resulting from her mother’s neglect, and Caleb must come to terms with his belief that Clint was the better, more deserving man. Ellie’s status as a widowed single mother and Amelia’s need for a father are well-managed in Yates’s hands. There is more than one scene between Caleb and Amelia that will certainly tug at readers’ heartstrings. This story is a fantastic blend of family, second chances, and holding on to hope—one of Yates’s best novels yet.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

(Posted on theflemingreaders.blogspot,com on 9-24-19)

An emotional and sweet Christmas romance from Maisey Yates!

Caleb has been there for Ellie and her daughter Amelia since her husband, his best friend, died in a tragic accident. He has deep feelings for her and decides to step up once he realizes Ellie may be ready to move on.

Their story is handled with care and realistically. A difficult situation like this wouldn't make the transition from friends/support to more easy, and that is reflected in both Ellie and Caleb's actions as the story progresses. The author did a really nice job with the pacing of the plot and growth of the characters, too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as I have with others from Maisey Yates. I can't wait to read more stories from Gold Valley!

I’ve been waiting for Ellie and Caleb to find their way to each other, romantically speaking, they already have the friendship part down just fine. Finally, COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION brings us a love story long in the making, at least on Caleb’s side, and the chance to find happiness after loss.

Ellie is ready to dip her toes into the dating scene. It’s time, she just has to convince herself, for real, that she’s okay with that decision. She never saw Caleb’s true love for her, she saw friendship, a man who would stand for her, and her daughter Amelia, in so many ways but she didn’t see the possibility of more – right until he kissed her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever encountered with lots of sizzling involved. Now she has to explore her own feelings for Caleb and perhaps come to realize that there has always been more than friendship she was simply blind to it. She’s also running a bit scared and at times, says things that end up hurting the man she’s seeing with new eyes. Christmas is a time for miracles, maybe there’s one in Santa’s pack for Ellie, Amelia, and Caleb this year.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION is full of emotions, all sorts of emotions. There were times that within a heartbeat I’d feel joy and despair. Caleb has come so far in dealing with the past, to see him reach for a romantic relationship with Ellie was right for them at this time. Often, Ellie’s seemingly unawareness of how her words or actions were affecting Caleb felt so wrong – even with explanations. Watching them come to a happy ending was not a smooth road but one filled with potholes and roadblocks until they fought beyond them. I had a blast with this story, it answered questions and fulfilled promises for me – and that’s what a long-awaited story should do.

If you love a really good romance, a past to go beyond, lots of loving friends and family, one adorable little girl and a man, a woman who finally acknowledge that it’s okay to love each other – then you’ll want to grab this book today.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Although Ellie did not have a happy childhood she had created a happy life for herself with her husband Clint and was expecting their child when he passed away in a tragic accident. Engulfed by grief Clint’s best friend Caleb was her support system and has become her best friend. Five years later she has decided it is time to start living and has created a list of things that she believes will allow her to do that.

Caleb fell in love with Ellie the moment he saw her, but he knew that she was off-limits because of his friendship with Clint. Believing that friends is all they will be he has decided he needs to put a little distance between he and Ellie and that starts with buying a ranch grows Christmas Trees which will evolve into a cattle ranch. When Ellie wants him to help him with his list their relationship will never be the same.

Both these characters are damaged by their pasts as because of their pasts they both feel that they are not enough. Ellie has an idea of what she believes that love should be but reconciling it with the feelings she has for Caleb she is torn while Caleb has always felt like he was second best and believes that it is all he will ever be. It is always fun to return to Gold Valley and this book is no exception.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is a holiday romance that leans more towards the heavy side of emotions. Yes there's more than a few lighthearted happy scenes, but most of the story is full of intense passion and immense grief.


Caleb Dalton has been in love with Ellie since he laid eyes on her. Unfortunately she was already with his best friend, and he buried those feelings as he watched them get married, and get pregnant. Kept them buried when his best friend died, and he became Ellie's support, and they became best friends themselves. This Christmas Ellie is ready for a change and Caleb steps in to help her start living again because he can't stomach the thought of her with any other man. However, Ellie is more than a little afraid of her intense feelings blooming towards Caleb and Caleb doesn't feel worthy of being forever for Ellie. Hearts are broken and mended before they can be happy and in love as the people they have grown into.


This book was an intense one. When Caleb decides to give Ellie what she needs physically it is steamy, sensual and panty melting. He knows what he's doing in the bedroom, and he gives Ellie all he has to give. Their passion and chemistry is explosive. They both had some emotional damage from their upbringings and their fears and insecurities were realistic. Their situation was all sorts of tangled and it was painful to read them wade through their emotions. I thought I would bond with Ellie in some way, being a mother myself, but her self centered / childish behavior at times really got to me. More than once she did or said things without thinking of how it would make Caleb feel. Caleb on the other hand I couldn't get enough of and loved his character so much.


Cowboy Christmas Redemption is an emotional story about two people tied together and shaped by loss and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to my next Maisey Yates read.

This was an enjoyable, if slightly too introspective, read. I've been looking forward to Ellie and Caleb's story since Maisey Yates moved us from Copper Ridge to Gold Valley and it became apparent that there was something between them, and this was a reward pay-off for my patience. At times a little slow—Cowboy Christmas Redemption was weighed down by its subject—and not really benefiting from the Christmas-setting, it certainly could have used more dialogue. But then, that's the nature of grief for some—the need to look inward and fight loss.

All in all, another solid addition to this series, and offering plenty of oh so swoony cowboy moments, of which there can never be too many, IMHO.