A wonderful conclusion to the Everett brothers' stories and a nice introduction to the Kittredges.

I really liked that Brady's journey was also about finding his place in the family and facing his family issues. That was as big a part of the story him falling in love with Amanda.

Amanda, like the other heroines in the series, has a strength about her. She is going after what she wants, and in this case it's her older brothers' best friend Brady. She's independent and looking to spread her wings away from her brothers trying to control her life.

The middle of the book felt a little bit long, but overall their story was great. Brady and Amanda were sweet together and I liked getting to know her brothers. I can't wait to read their stories!

This is book 3 in the Cold River Ranch series by Caitlin Crews and I want to say that I am glad that I am finished with this book. This has to be my least favorite installment because their characters were not written very well. Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, let me tell you about the story first before I give you the lowdown about this story. Brady Everett is the youngest of the bunch and after their father passes away, Brady is back to pick up the pieces. Brady has agreed to work on the ranch for a year before deciding what to do with his share of the Everett land. One of the major disadvantages of living in a small town is not being seen as a twelve year old when you are 22! Amanda just wants to be seen as adult and to be independent away from her overbearing brothers and their protective grasp. Amanda has been watching Brady since forever and she just wants him to see her as a woman. Will Brady ever see her as a woman and not his best friend's pesky little sister?

Amanda is a virgin and she only wants one man to have it and that is Brady. Brady knows that this is a bad idea, but he can't resist this feisty, beautiful girl who has grown into a full fledge woman. While Brady and Amanda heat up the sheets, Brady's brothers are building their families and treats Brady like an outsider. Riley, Amanda older brother, asked Brady to look out for Amanda after she decides to move out on her own to have independence and she also gets a job at a risky bar in town. Feelings start to form and Brady is genuinely afraid that he will end up like his father, not able to hold on to a relationship and a violent drunk. The entirety of the book is them messing around while Amanda develops genuine feelings and while Brady fights his inner demons.

The overall story was okay and it really did not make me feel anything. There was so much monologue and I honestly had no idea what the characters looked like. I felt like I barely knew the characters and I was not rooting for them at all, which is horrible for the main couple in the story. This installment, like the others, are solely dedicated to the father, even though we never met him. I did not feel the chemistry between the characters and I was more intrigued by Riley and his ex wife more than anything else. I feel that Amanda had more character development than Brady and she was strong and I loved how she stood up to her brothers and Brady's as well. Brady as the hero did not carry this story, which is unfortunate. The ending felt a little rushed and I was glad when I was finished with the story.


As I said before, this story was okay and I wouldn't rush to read it. I will give this story 3 stars at best. I was more interested in Riley's love story than Brady and Amanda's. I believe that their story will be soon released and I will take a chance and read their story because it intrigued me.

Really enjoyed this book. I actually read a later book in the series first then came back to this one. They both read well as a standalone. I'm finding this author's characterisation very thorough and meaningful, and am enjoying her writing very much. I'll continue reading books in this series.

I thought this was a good read! The writing flowed well, and I liked Brady and Amanda together. I couldn't imagine being in Amanda's situation. It was frustrating reading it, so living it would be crazy. Her brothers (not even her parents) were the most overbearing people ever. Treating her at 22 like she was 13. I cheered for her along the way, because I loved that she was gaining her independence. Brady was fighting a lot of demons, and didn't feel like he deserved a happily ever after. His brothers didn't help any, and it was sad to see them treat Brady the way they did. When Amanda comes to his defense in the middle of all his family, I was SO happy. It was about time they got their eyes opened. I was also a little disappointed in Abby during that argument. She acted like Brady and Amanda were horrible people, and that Amanda didn't know what she was talking about. It was nice to finally see everything come to a head, and the brothers get to move on. After that I did get frustrated with Brady. I get that he was trying to help their situation, but it was hurtful to Amanda, and he NEVER asked her what she wanted to do. There are 2 people in a relationship, and it's not fair for one person to make all the decisions. They do eventually get to their HEA, and the ending was sweet.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Amanda and Brady go head to head in regards to how he thinks she should handle herself. Of course she has her own opinions how her grownup self should behave. Moving out of her parents house and being fully independent definitely helps get the word to her brothers and one brother's bff this little sister is all grown up.

Does mean that Brady has to like it though. Nor does he seem to like the new feelings that seem to be stirring where Amanda is concerned.

This book will have you in a fit of giggles all the while fanning yourself.

This was a good book. Characters and plot well developed . A New to me author. I Am Looking forward to reading more by Caitlin Crews .

Unfortunately, I just couldn't really fall in love with this book the way I was hoping to. I haven't read the first two books in the series so I can't comparise them to one another. This was also my first read by this author.

The promise of the story is something I really like, but the execution aka writing just wasn't my thing I guess. It felt repetitive at times and a bit chaotic. A lot of the time, I also didn't really like most of the characters, which is normally something I really need; loveable characters. So for me, the promise of this book was good and interesting but the execution just wasn't entirely my thing and I just wasn't able to really lose myself in this book and love it.

I did like it how Amanda, the MC, decided she was finally going to decided how she wanted to live and stayed strong in her beliefs. I thought Brady on his own was a really interesting character, but I just didn't like it how it started with him also not listening to Amanda and wanting to decide what she would and wouldn't do - especially seeing he should know how it feels with the family situation of himself; how he's the younger one, the one who went away for a while and did things differently than his family wanted, for which they treat him poorly. I just didn't feel like he was a good match for her at first because he basically thought and acted the same way that Amanda's family did; she's not old and wise enough to decide things for her own which bummed me out. Of course, things change... but the 'taste' of that first part in the book just lingered with me I guess.

There were some small parts I enjoyed, but overall this just wasn't what I was hoping to get out of this reading experience. If you're interested in this synopsis I'd definitely recommend to check it out and maybe pick it up, seeing every reader experiences a book differently. I've come across many many positive reviews for this one, so I'd suggest you'd find out for yourself how you're going to feel about it!

<i>I received an ARC of this book by the published & Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.</i>

Cowboy, very sheltered female lead.

Amanda is very, very sheltered, almost unrealistically so. She has caused on the much older Brady forever.
Brady is the one that left town, but is now forced back. He's kind of arrogant and a bit shallow. He
was often very frustrating, but at times, so was Amanda, who at 22, has never been kissed and well, Brady is going to remedy more than that.

Verdict? The author captures the small town life well, but I needed more depth to the leads.
3.5

Overall I did like the book, but I felt it was a little long and drawn out. It seemed like the main characters whined more than necessary. It took me a few tries to get into the book.

ARC Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I liked this book. This author is one that I enjoy if I'm reviewing an advance copy or if there's a book free on a mailing list or something, but not one that I'd make a point to pay for. If her works were on Kindle Unlimited, I'd read all of them, but there are few authors I pay outright for because there's just so much good content that I don't have to. But overall I really enjoyed it!

I loved the first book in this trilogy, A True Cowboy Christmas, and I enjoyed the second, Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy, but I have bailed on the third at 21% because of this from the hero:

"I don't care what you wear." And he was deeply disconcerted to discover that even as he said that, it was not true. On any level. "I would defend anything you wore, anywhere you wanted to wear it. But when I was finished defending it, Amanda, I might ask you what you were thinking. Because there's a certain expectation about the kind of woman who wants to tend bar in a place like this. And wearing shirts that require half of your bra to hang out is as good as announcing you're one of them."

A hero who giveth with one hand and who taketh with another; who comes close to being a good guy and then, turns slutshamer. And a who plays at grit in a truly immature way. I couldn't stand either of them.

I don’t usually read cowboy romances but this one drew me in and kept my attention from the start. Laughs and tears throughout, Amanda and Brady kept me riveted. I received and advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley

Its book 3 in the series and it is about the last brother Brady. Amanda is his friends' sister. She is sheltered and always treated as a kid. So at 22, she wants to break all the rules and live her own life. Brady also has his demons with the way his father treated him and he is also the youngest who is not taken seriously by his brothers. Both had a wide age gap and though Amanda had a crush on Brady, it took some time for Brady to acknowledge his feelings.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

The Last Real Cowboy by Caitlin Crews
Subgenre: contemporary western
Release date: 28 Jan 2020
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 382 pages
RRP: $8.88 (ebook); $14.99 (print)
Reluctance is his strongest emotion at being with his brothers, and with her.
Brady Everett is on the family property somewhat reluctantly, as part of a condition of his father’s will. He had made another life for himself in the big city after he went to college, to find something more for himself than ranch life. In the nine months he has been with his brothers, he finds that he continually butts heads with his older brother in particular, as his brother continually puts down his ideas to better develop the property. Brady seems to be at a loose end and wants to go back to his old life. Then Brady is asked to look out for best friend’s young sister. The girl for whom he used to change her diapers when she was a baby.
Amanda Kittredge is somewhat despondent. No one believes that she needs space to breathe. To be herself. Space from her very overprotective brothers. The same brothers who turn up to Coyote, the down and dirty bar, where she has a new job. Oh, and she now lives above the bar. She tells them to get out of her space, but they ask Brady to look out for their sister. But Amanda wants Brady.
As Brady and Amanda have more interaction when he turns up at the bar, Brady starts to fight his attraction to Amanda. Amanda has been in love with Brady since she was a young girl. She doesn’t know how to progress her love but wants to be loved like other women in the town have love.
Brady wants a fling with Amanda, but he doesn’t want anyone to know, particularly his best friend. Amanda is not very happy when Brady wants a silent fling and for it not to be open. When the pair’s relationship is discovered, Brady cops much of the criticism for the relationship, him being much older than Amanda.
How Brady deals with the fallout speaks well of his character. He does beat himself over what he believes he has done but he makes a considered effort to change people’s opinion of him and to be the best person he can be for Amanda. His actions are very sweet and endearing. It is the actions that speak louder than words.
I have liked this series of the three men who have been impacted by their wildly erratic father. The men are actually able to discuss their feelings and issues with their father. Brady had always felt that he suffered the most, so he made the decision to go to college and make something of himself.
Reviewed by Heather
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

The Last Real Cowboy is the first from the Cold River Ranch series I have read, and I loved it. I enjoyed reading and following Amanda and Brady's story and look forward to reading more from this author.

Amanda is the baby in the family and the way she treated her brothers is too much. It was understandable that she wanted to get out of their roof and be independent. I like the she tried bartending and living on her own.

Brady who volunteered to teach Amanda about boys and relationships, what are you even thinking?

At first, I like how they pretend that in a relationship but eventually they really fell in love. I feel so sorry for Amanda.

Another story from Caitlin Crews that I enjoyed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

Perennial good girl Amanda Kittredge knows that her longtime crush on Brady Everett was never really supposed to go anywhere. But when Brady comes home during Amanda’s first attempt at independence, well, who better to teach her about rebellion than her older brother’s bad-boy best friend? Brady’s plans did not include being forced to work the family homestead for a year—and yet, here he is. And, to make matters worse, his best friend’s innocent little sister is making a menace of herself in the most grown-up, tempting ways. When Amanda begs Brady to teach her about men, he knows he should refuse. But could Brady’s greatest temptation be his salvation?
This book was ok. I had a real hard time with the characters and the overused trope. I was hoping for more, but just didn’t get it.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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

If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first
A True Cowboy Christmas (Cold River Ranch, #1)
Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy (Cold River Ranch, #2)

This is Amanda and Brady’s story. Amanda has had a crush on Brandy but knows it will never go anywhere. But what happens when you get a chance maybe a right now? When he comes home to take care of the ranch, she has her chance and goes for it. Brady knows Amanda is off limits as she is his best friends’ little sister. But when she asks him about men and if he can teach her about them, he knows he is screwed. He is oh so temped, but will this all blow up in there faces or will it lead when neither of them expected?

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.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Amanda’s determination to get what she wants, which is Brady. I love the brothers best friend trope. Great setting and story line.

Take life in a small town, on a ranch, lots of cowboys, fill it with all things that make families, no matter the circumstances, families, then add in a well written, highly descriptive scenery, a sweet and steamy romance and you have THE LAST REAL COWBOY.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

complete review: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=70529