I have a feeling this is going to be one of those love it or hate it with very little middle ground books. I loved it. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of my all-time favorite Maisey Yates books.

Yates is no stranger to emotional depth but in Unbridled Cowboy she really amps it up. There was laughter but, oh my, there were so many heart-tugging moments and, yes, tears were shed. Even reading it through a second time, when I knew what was coming, I still cried. I was completely immersed in these characters' emotions, feeling every bit of pain, anger, despair, and joy with them. If they were wrung out by the end, I was even more so but what a satisfying journey it was.

I felt a strong, emotional connection with both Evelyn and Sawyer. Yates gave me these complex, multi-layered characters whose lives intersected in such an old-fashioned, pragmatic way that, given what had happened to them, I could totally see happening. But then she added those pesky emotions to their situation, along with sizzling desire, and began slowly peeling away the layers. I loved the process each went through, internally and together, the introspection and gradual realization of where they had been and where they wanted to go. It was almost like a rebirth.

I'm excited about the Four Corners Ranch and the four families bound to the land. I don't know how many total books Yates plans to set there but I'm already intrigued by many of the secondary characters and hopeful they will all have stories of their own. And I'm looking forward to watching Sawyer's and Evelyn's relationship continue to deepen and flourish in the background of future books.

*Advance copy received for fair and unbiased review

Unbridled Cowboy, by Maisey Yates, is a modern version of a mail-order bride romance, with a twist of cowboy lovin’.
I LOVED this book!
It had everything—cowboys, a baby, and, my favorite, the mail-order bride trope.
I loved the writing-how the romance progressed realistically, the characterization(Evelyn and Sawyer are great together), and little baby June was written adorably.
I would recommend this one to any lover of cowboy romance, and perhaps even to those who typically only stick to historical romance—this is a great book to try as your expand your reading pool.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unbridled Cowboy is surprisingly low angst, especially with it being around 400 pages. I guess I expected more tension between Evelyn and Sawyer, but maybe that's what works for this pair. Sawyer is like granite when it comes to his feelings, and Evelyn is patient as she steadily chips away at the wall he's built to protect his heart. This is a mail-order bride romance, but the theme (in my opinion) is about finding your one and the blessings you find when you come through the turmoil. Evelyn didn't need to be a mail-order bride, and running away isn't an answer, but the story feels like every step these two took toward each other was necessary for the journey. I do think it's a little longer than it needed to be, but this series start has me interested to see what's next for Four Corners Ranch.

This is a wonderful feel-good romance that is quintessentially what one expects from a Harlequinn romance.  The last think Sawyer Garret wants to do is emulate his father but when circumstances cause him to become a father to a child unwanted by her mother, he is determined to change the way his child his brought up.  With fond memories of being raised by his grandmother who was a mail order bride he adopts the modern equivalent of a mail order bride. Enter Evelyn Moore who has visions of oat milk and modern conveniences within walking distance of her New York city apartment to this remote corner of Oregon. Can these two people who are deeply scarred by their upbringing find a common path to love and parenting?
Evelyn might not be sure of Sawyer Garret or living in this remote corner of Oregon, but it's love at first sight with June Bug the tiny baby that she's here to be mother to. Despite walking away from her marriage at the 11th hour the chemistry with Sawyer is also off the charts. Why won't Sawyer scratch that itch... Soon she finds herself going to pick fresh produce at one of the 4 ranches here at four corners and making friends in unexpected places as she learns how to make the meat loaf she swore never to make and rediscovering her love for dance. 
Sawyer on the other hand is a much tougher nut to crack. He's determined to resist the chemistry and make it all about being a good parent to June Bug and giving her the type of family that he never had for himself or could create for his brother and sister.  As it turns out he's a marshmallow beneath that tough as nails exterior and love and patience will finally lance the poison and free him to be the husband and father he can be. I love the ah ha moments when Evelyn has a meaningful conversation with her mother to find how easy it is to be a dysfunctional parent as well as how easy it is to forgive and forget and forge forward.
The rest of the cowboys and cowgirls at Four Corners make for a great supporting cast. I can't wait to see them all finally succumb to love and change the destiny in their part of the world.

Unbridled Cowboy is the first book in Maisey Yates's Four Corners series, is a modern day mail-ordered bride story; and this story had me believing it could actually happen. This deeply moving, beautifully written and heart-wrenching tale deals with two very different people, from very different walks of life, who have both been scarred and wounded by events in their lives, and who are brought together by their shared love and devotion to Sawyer's newborn daughter, June Bug. The reasons for why Evelyn decided to pack up and leave NYC for Four Corners Ranch, and the reasons why Sawyer is convinced that love is not ever something he'll experience are way too much. I enjoyed Evelyn's patient handling of Sawyer's quietness and his no nonsense approach to life's decisions. I enjoyed their back and forth as they learned to balance the day-to-day demands of life on a ranch with the heart-to-heart talks they needed to build a strong foundation together. I can't wait to see them in future books, and really can't wait to see Wolf, Hunter, and Elsie find their matches too.

Then there’s the novella at the end. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but the Beast has three half-feral children instead of an enchanted castle and Belle has to bring her own library with her. Also set in the Four Corners Ranch universe, it had me smiling from start to finish; and fanning myself at times as well.

Ms. Yates wrote a wonderful, intense, emotional and steamy story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with soul-searching, angst, characters whose personal stories will tug at your heartstrings, sizzling chemistry, and an amazing cast of secondary characters as Sawyer, Evelyn and June Bug find their happily ever after. There were many wonderful characters introduced in this story and hopefully they will get their story and chance to fall in love as the series progresses. I highly recommend Unbridled Cowboy to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

3.5 stars

My thoughts are all over the place with this book. Both Evelyn and Sawyer and phenomenal characters. They show it in different ways, but they’re both caring, thoughtful, and honorable. Yet neither has had anyone to lean on for most of their lives. For Evelyn, it’s partly because she kept a lot to herself, but it’s also because she always felt the weight of expectations from others. For Sawyer, he had to grow up when he was far too young and took a lot of responsibility on himself. Always feeling as though he had to be the caregiver, he never stopped to wonder who was caring for him or to even ask for that care from his siblings, neighbors or friends.

Moving across the country and meeting Sawyer and his daughter really helps Evelyn work through a lot of her issues. While there is a lot that happened to her that is not her fault, she had to look at her reactions to those things and really take accountability. She was on her way to finding true happiness and just knew that Sawyer could find his happiness, too. But Sawyer is a tough nut to crack and he’s much more afraid to look within or to change the status quo. Meaning, this story has a lot of emotional turns for the characters and reader to go though.

There are times in this book I felt it got way too wordy. I found my mind wandering a bit when one of the characters would be in a pages long self-reflection. Of course, we need that self-reflection in order for them to grow as individuals and as a couple, but it was too much at times. I found myself skimming far too often.

That being said, there are some amazing conversations between Evelyn and Sawyer. He speaks his mind and what he believes is his truth without fancy sentiment. Amazingly enough, that alone makes the words he says hold so much more meaning. He’s a plain talker and would be the first to say he’s not a romantic, but his manner of saying what is what ends up being far more romantic than any poetic words.

This is the first full length book in this series. I’ve read and enjoyed the previous three novellas and I’m excited about the concept of this group of ranchers and how they interact. This book may not have been my favorite, but I still enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Monday, May 23, 2022
Unbridled Cowboy - Harlequin 2022 Romance Tour

Unbridled Cowboy by Maisey Yates


Sawyer Garrett lives and works on his family ranch along with his siblings. When Sawyer unexpectedly becomes a single father to his infant daughter, he sees only one way to give his daughter the life she deserves. Sawyer must find a wife! He has pain from his past and how he grew up and does not want that for his daughter. He decides to find a wife just like his grandfather did years ago. He puts an ad in the paper. He is not looking for love, he wants someone to commit to raising his daughter with him. Can Sawyer guard his heart and not fall in love?

Evelyn Moore has nothing left after finding her fiancé in the arms of her best friend. She needs a change, and she needs it badly. When she comes across an ad for a cowboy seeking a wife, this may be just what she needs to make a new start. She has always wanted a family, and maybe this is the only way she will ever have one. Can she love little baby June enough to stay on the ranch?

What a sweet story by Maisey Yates. I loved getting to know Sawyer and Evelyn which were fantastic characters, but adorable baby June steals the show. I enjoyed the old-fashioned twist to the story of a mail order bride and the history of Sawyers family along with getting to know some of the characters on the neighboring ranches. I am hoping that this brings us a few new book series by Ms. Yates. I was gifted a copy of the book by Harlequin Publishing for my voluntary review. If you are looking for a heartwarming tale of love and family, this one is for you!

Marriage is a business deal...

Sawyer is 34, has a brand new infant daughter and no relationship with the baby mama. So, he decides to advertise for a wife on a website. Its will be a business deal only, cuz he is terrible at relationships.
Enter Evelyn who agrees to his terms at first but quickly wants way more than a business deal. Steamy.

Sensuous, heartwarming romance

Sawyer's baby mama doesn't want to be a mom, and he doesn't want to raise his daughter as a single dad, so he takes a very business-like approach to finding a mother for his little June Bug, someone who would be more permanent than just a nanny.

After finding her fiancé in bed with her best friend, Evelyn is at a crossroads, as well. Moving thousands of miles to a ranch in the country to marry a stranger and raise his daughter doesn't seem like the craziest idea to this city girl.

Good thing they're both so danged attracted to each other, because that kind of chemistry can be a good start for a whole lot of emotional investment.

I enjoyed Evelyn's patient handling of Sawyer's reticence and his no nonsense approach to life's decisions. I enjoyed their back and forth as they learned to balance the day-to-day demands of life on a ranch with the heart-to-heart talks they needed to build a strong foundation together.

The HEA was wonderful and even hinted at a couple other romances that I hope will be revealed in future books in this series. This author is known for her deeply introspective inner monologues and I was consistently charmed by the hearts of both of these main characters. Romances by Maisey Yates are always an unqualified recommendation from me. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

UNBRIDLED COYBOY (Four Corners Ranch Book #1) by Maisey Yates is an emotionally charged first book in a new contemporary cowboy romance series set in Oregon. A single dad cowboy is looking for a mail-order bride.

Cowboy Sawyer Garrett had no intention of ever settling down, but then he found out he was going to become a father. He takes full responsibility for baby, June Bug, but he also wants to find a woman to be her mother. He and his siblings did not grow up with a mother’s love, but he is determined to make it happen for June. He puts out an ad for a mother on-line.

Evelyn Moore is about to be married in two weeks when she walks in on her fiancé and co-owner/best-friend having sex on her desk. She sees Sawyer’s ad and falls for baby June immediately. She uproots her life in NYC and moves to the ranch to be June’s mother and is shocked by her attraction to her to-be husband who believes he can have a marriage based on respect, not emotions. Evelyn knows Sawyer is a good man and she is determined to show him is worthy of giving and receiving love.

Evelyn is a heroine I cared about immediately and I really loved how she took responsibility for her own emotional responses and life. She was mistreated in the past, but she respected Sawyer for all his decisions and his care of his ranch and family so she wanted to help him to believe he was worthy of love and could love. Sawyer is quiet, responsible, and stoic. The gentle way Evelyn discovers his secrets and leads him to let go emotionally was well written. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but not gratuitous. I especially loved how Sawyer at times knew that Evelyn had plans and he enjoyed disrupting them.

I enjoyed meeting Sawyer’s siblings and the characters from the other three ranches. I really loved the setting for this story. Even though it is contemporary, the ranches are still run and in a location that makes them feel as if they are from the past, but the characters are very present day. The whole series was set up very well for more stories to follow.

I highly recommend this cowboy romance and I am anxiously awaiting more books in this series.

3.75-4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What a great read! Another lovely romance by Maisey Yates, and doesn't she just make me love Oregonian cowboys with every book she writes! Sawyer Garrett is a hard man and a man who goes after what he wants, and what he wants is a mother for his unexpected baby, June Bug. The birth mother has no interest and he's committed that June Bug won't grow up abandoned by her mother, like he was, or discarded by her father, also like he was. So he wants to find a woman who will stick and will commit to being June's mother.

Along comes Evelyn Moore, who sees the ad and the article about it when she's eating ice cream on her coach with a romantic movie on in the background, crying her woes out in her lonely apartment. She's just days from having walked in on her supposed best friend and business partner having sex with her soon-to-be husband (as in, 2 weeks away), so she's feeling a bit like everything in her life needs to drastically change, and a change in scenery is just the beginning.

Sawyer and Evelyn have off the charts sexual tension between them from the start, which troubles Sawyer a little, because he wants the relationship to be about June and doesn't want passion to cloud the issue. But little does he know that sexual tension is only the beginning of what will be between them!

I have to say, the ending felt kind of abrupt and I would have liked a bit more détente. I liked the relationship development between Sawyer and Evelyn, but would have liked there to have been more than just a few hours between when it all comes to a head and when it's resolved. I just feel like Sawyer had to sit with it for a little longer than that maybe, and would have liked seeing an exchange between him and his siblings (or one of them) about how he loved them, as opposed to just seeing it in passing in the epilogue (though I'm very thankful for the epilogue! lots of goodness packed in there!).

Four Corners is a wonderful world to be introduced to and I'm excited about this new series; can already see some of the characters that are going to be paired off together and looking forward to it! Though where was Nelly and Tag's story?? They're already together in the book and I want to read their story (turns out it's in the novella The Cowboy She Loves to Hate , which I have immediately purchased and can't wait to read!). Love these four families and the community they've built with one another.

As often is the case, the book had a short novella at the end, Once Upon a Cowboy, and Belle and Adam's story in it was very sweet. Belle has come to be his live-in nanny and housekeeper, Adam has no idea why she's there (because it was actually his ex-mother-in-law who arranged it for him and his three kids), so they start off on rocky ground. They decide to give it a month trial period and in little to no time, Belle is fully enmeshed in Adam and his kids' lives ... but will they risk rocking the boat and seeing if there can be more to their relationship? I'm sure you can't guess the answer! Lol. Very sweet, I liked it a lot.

UNBRIDLED COWBOY – Maisey Yates
Four Corners Ranch, Book 1
HQN
ISB: 978-1-335-50321-3
May 24, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Four Corners, Oregon – Present Day

Left to raise his infant daughter, June Bug, on his own, rancher Sawyer Garrett decides to find a mail-order bride just like his late grandfather had done years ago. He gets a few responses, and though he wonders how serious they are, one catches his eye: New Yorker Evelyn Moore. She seems sincere, so Sawyer invites her to stay with him and Bug (that’s the nickname he calls the baby) for two weeks to see how it works out. The woman who arrives is nothing like what Sawyer expected. She’s beautiful, smart, and someone he can see taking to his bed with pleasure.

Evelyn had to leave New York City life behind after discovering her now ex-fiancé having sex on a desk with one of her business partners. She ditches the wedding and her company, welcoming the chance to start fresh in Oregon. It’s certainly more remote than Evelyn expected, but the biggest surprise is Sawyer. Not only is he attractive, but he adores his little baby girl. It isn’t too long before Evelyn adjusts to living remotely, such as not finding her favorite ingredients, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and catching the eye of her host. It’s clear that Evelyn and Sawyer are perfect for each other, but will they fall in love? Evelyn just had her heart broken by one man and Sawyer doesn’t believe in love after watching his father break the hearts of many women.

It's apparent to readers when Evelyn and Sawyer meet that they are one step from falling in bed with each other. Of course, they will have to get to know one another, which is easy to do since they’re living under the same roof. The two weeks that Evelyn is there will give each a chance to see how it works out. After a few bumps, things are going smoothly for them in UNBRIDLED COWBOY. It is their feelings about love that has them treading carefully. Evelyn thought she had the perfect life in New York but now it’s down the drain. Sawyer’s baby mama didn’t want June Bug and he didn’t hesitate to claim his child. He now just needs a mother for her.

UNBRIDLED COWBOY is the first book in the Four Corners Ranch series. The area where the ranch is located is remote, with several ranches bordering the one where Sawyer, his brother Hunter, and their sister Elsie ranch. The other ranch families are close and have formed an unincorporated town where they meet to discuss any local issues and to visit. It takes a little acclimation for Evelyn to get going but once she does, she soon has a few friends in the area. The attraction between Evelyn and Sawyer can’t be denied by either and they’re soon hitting the sheets. Does this mean the marriage is going to happen?

If you love an enjoyable and heartwarming tale where you get to watch two people made for each other fall in love, then UNBRIDLED COWBOY is the perfect read. Be sure to grab a copy when it becomes available on May 24th.

Patti Fischer

I was eager to get in on the first book of Maisey Yates' new Four Corners Ranch series, and intrigued by the fact that it was a contemporary mail-order bride romance, having enjoyed many historical mail-order bride romances over the the years, and, to put it bluntly, Ms. Yates knocked my socks off with this one and it gets an enthusiastic 5-star rating from this reader.

Sawyer Garrett is a rather stoic rancher whose short, no-strings hook-up ended up in an accidental pregnancy. When informed that he's about to become a father and that his hook-up will carry the pregnancy to term but doesn't want anything to do with the baby, he decides to be a better father to his child than his father was to him. Apparently, the men at Four Corners Ranch have had really bad luck when in comes finding women who want to stay, but Sawyer's grandfather placed an ad for a mail-order bride after his first wife left him, and the second wife stayed, and was more of a mother to Sawyer than his own had been, so he places an ad for a woman to become a mother to his baby daughter. He's not looking for love or romance, just stability and staying power, but sometimes love finds us when we least expect or want it.

The woman who answers his ad is Evelyn Moore, a highly successful entrepreneur in NYC. She's been engaged to Andrew for a decade, and the wedding is only weeks away when she discovers him having sex on her office desk with a woman who is both one of her business partners and someone she's considered one of her closest friends since college. She simply walks out of her office, feeling stunned, betrayed, angry, and hurt, and she has no plans to go back. What she's always wanted is a family and children, and when she sees Sawyer's ad, she contacts him, arranges to fly out and is about to venture into the unknown with a man and a lifestyle she knows nothing about.

But that's just the start of this deeply moving, beautifully written and heart-wrenching tale about two very different people, from very different walks of life, who've both been wounded and scarred by the events in their lives, hidden it well, and who are brought together by their shared love and devotion to Sawyer's newborn daughter, June Bug.

If you're looking for a novel filled with serious character development, angst, and well-drawn characters who both need to do some serious soul-searching and healing, this is that novel. It kept me reading until 4:30 a.m., because I simply couldn't put it down, and I think it will have the same effect on you. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

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

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.

This another great book by Maisey Yates. The two main characters are Evelyn and Sawyer. Evelyn lives in New York and Sawyer lives in Oregon. Evelyn breaks up with her fiancé and see an ad that Sawyer put on the internet, requesting a woman to marry and be a mother to his newborn. She sends an email answering the ad, Sawyer asks she come out and try in for a couple of weeks. She does. It is what she needs she falls in love with baby at first site. There is an attraction between Evelyn and Sawyer. They each have problems but together they work them out and fall in love.

Looking for love, acceptance, respect is natural. Having none of that as an only child is bound to create issues, many that extend deep into adulthood. Such is the case with Evelyn. In UNBRIDLED COWBOY we are exposed to just how deeply her self-esteem suffered at many times in her life. She couldn’t live up to her mother’s expectations. She gave up and ran away when things got dicey. Luckily Evelyn eventually handled her issues with overachieving. She created a company with two best friends. She had a man in her life for ten years who she was slated to wed in just weeks.

But Evelyn’s world was tumbling down in front of her, as she says like a Jenga game gone amok. This time Evelyn did more than just run, she answered an ad for a mail order bride. Certainly you think you are reading this wrong. Those brides disappeared many years ago. This isn’t the old west where men come to tame the land. In fact the man who put out the ad is a successful rancher.

But Sawyer needed a bride quickly. He just got custody of his newborn daughter June Bug. Bug needs a mother. And that is what Sawyer is going to get.

Sawyer’s friends and siblings are worried about what kind of woman would answer that ad and in walks Evelyn. Stunning, classy, definitely out of her comfort zone. But Evelyn needs a new start, specifically where no one is going to judge her. It seems like such a good idea. Both parties get what they need.

But then hearts get involved and things get messy.

Such a brilliant title. UNBRIDLED COWBOY. When you think about being unbridled it means you are no longer being controlled by restraints. Usually used in conjunction with horses. But equally meaningful when it comes to people. What Maisey Yates did here in UNBRIDLED COWBOY is brilliant. She created two characters controlled by their past. Each went into this marriage with some harsh realities that were strangling them. In UNBRIDLED COWBOY Maisey Yates shares the story of these two that have a chance for more, for everything - but that is going to take courage. Evelyn and Sawyer are probably the two strongest characters I’ve ever met. This is their story. Maisie Yates wrote UNBRIDLED COWBOY with panache. Enjoy.

I was actually expecting something more dramatically full of misunderstandings before arriving at the final clarification, but the truth is that Evelyn and Sawyer had it easy from the beginning and I was a bit bored. Apart from that, the book suffers like all the first novels in a series, from the difficulty of introducing all the other characters that will come along and the effort to make them interesting. We'll see....

In realtá mi aspettavo qualcosa di piú drammaticamente pieno di incomprensioni prima di arrivare al chiarimento finale, ma la veritá é che Evelyn e Sawyer hanno avuto tutto facile sin dall'inizio e mi hanno un po' annoiato. A parte questo, il libro soffre come tutti i primi romanzi di una serie, della difficoltá di presentare tutti gli altri personaggi che arriveranno e dello sforzo di renderli interessanti. Staremo a vedere....

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.