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?
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
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.
“He wanted… He wanted to be enough. He wanted to be more. He‘s never wanted it so much in all his life.“
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.
“I want to go fast, and I want to go slow. I want soft and hard, and I want you to beg for it, do you understand me?”
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.
“Because no one was as aware of another human being as Caleb Dalton was of Ellie Bell.“
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.
OnceUpon_A_BookDream 