Review: Last Chance Rebel by Maisey Yates

Title: Last Chance Rebel by Maisey Yates
Copper Ridge Series Book Six
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The prodigal son of Copper Ridge, Oregon, has finally come home

The man who ruined Rebecca Bear’s life just strolled back into it with one heck of an offer. Years ago, Gage West’s recklessness left Rebecca scarred inside and out. Now he wants to make amends by gifting her the building that houses her souvenir store. Rebecca won’t take Gage’s charity, but she’s willing to make a deal with the sexy, reclusive cowboy. Yet keeping her enemy close is growing dangerously appealing…

He’s the wild West brother, the bad seed of Copper Ridge. That’s why Gage needs the absolution Rebecca offers. He just didn’t expect to need her. After years of regretting his past, he knows where his future lies—with this strong, irresistible woman who could make a black sheep come home to stay…

Review:

The sixth installment in Maisey Yates’ Copper Ridge series, Last Chance Rebel is an enemy to lovers romance that is full of unresolved issues.  Like the other books in the series, it can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the previous novels as well.

Rebecca Bear has overcome a lot of adversity in her life but she is still incredibly angry about the accident that irrevocably changed her life seventeen years ago.  In the years following the accident, she endured multiple surgeries and painful rehabilitation and Rebecca continues to carry both the emotional and physical scars of those difficult years.  Needless to say, she harbors a ton of animosity toward the person responsible so when Gage West comes strolling into her store, she does not welcome him with open arms.  Rebecca lets him know in no uncertain terms that she will never forgive him for destroying her life and her family.

Seventeen years ago, Gage took the easy way out and let his father pay off Rebecca’s family to keep his involvement in the accident quiet.  He immediately left town  and he has lived an itinerant life ever since.  Returning to Copper Ridge to take care of his father’s business while he is recuperating from a stroke, Gage knows it is time to make amends for the mistakes of his past. He is not looking for forgiveness or atonement and he tries to remain free of emotional entanglements as he works to repair his relationships with his siblings.  A lot of his actions feel a little hollow since Gage tries to distance himself from everyone and he does not take anyone’s feelings into account as he moves forward with his plans.

The relationship between Gage and Rebecca is angst-ridden and their interactions are volatile and incredibly negative.  Rebecca has a GIANT chip on her shoulder and she makes no effort to hide her dislike and disdain for Gage.  Her feelings are understandable but she places a lot of blame on Gage’s shoulders for things that are really not his fault.  Gage is determined to make amends while Rebecca is unbelievably prickly which leads to rather dramatic outbursts.  With so much anger simmering between them, Rebecca’s sudden decision to sleep with Gage is very hard to believe.  Their sex scenes are quite passionate and their encounters are incendiary.  Their romance has a definite insta-love quality to it since they literally fall in love with each other in a span of a few days.  Both characters undergo tremendous growth as they work through their individual issues, but with everything happening in such a short amount of time, the resolution is just a little hard to believe.

Although Last Chance Rebel is not my favorite novel in the series, it is an enjoyable addition to Maisey Yates’ Copper Ridge series.  Longtime fans will enjoy catching up with characters from previous books and readers will be impatiently awaiting the release of the next novel in the series.