Title: Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Copper Ridge Series Book Two
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
There are lines best friends shouldn’t cross, but in Copper Ridge, Oregon, the temptation might be too much…
If practice makes perfect, Connor Garrett should be world champion of being alone. Since losing his wife he’s concentrated exclusively on his family’s ranch. Until Felicity Foster needs a place to stay and Connor invites her to move in temporarily. That’s what friends do. What friends don’t do? Start fantasizing about each other in their underwear. Or out of it…
Since high school, Liss has kept her raging crush in check. But helping Connor rebuild his life only reinforces how much she longs to be a part of it. One explosive encounter, and she’ll discover that getting what you always wanted can feel better than you ever dreamed…
There are lines best friends shouldn’t cross, but in Copper Ridge, Oregon, the temptation might be too much…
If practice makes perfect, Connor Garrett should be world champion of being alone. Since losing his wife he’s concentrated exclusively on his family’s ranch. Until Felicity Foster needs a place to stay and Connor invites her to move in temporarily. That’s what friends do. What friends don’t do? Start fantasizing about each other in their underwear. Or out of it…
Since high school, Liss has kept her raging crush in check. But helping Connor rebuild his life only reinforces how much she longs to be a part of it. One explosive encounter, and she’ll discover that getting what you always wanted can feel better than you ever dreamed…
Review:
Brokedown Cowboy is the absolutely phenomenal second installment in Maisey Yates’ fabulous Copper Ridge series. This divine friends to lovers romance features tortured and grieving widower Connor Garrett and his sassy, caring best friend, Felicity “Liss” Foster.
Ever since his wife’s death three years earlier, Connor has just been going through the motions. He still puts in a hard day’s work on the family ranch, but he has isolated himself from his friends and family. He drinks too much in an effort to numb his pain and he is angry, bitter and depressed. Connor does not want to move past his sorrow and although he knows his friends and family are worried about him, he remains deeply mired in his grief.
Liss has been friends with Connor since they were teenagers and she has been secretly in love with him just as long. She pushed aside her feelings for him after his marriage and managed a couple lackluster relationships of her own. She has remained a integral part of Connor’s life and she continues to push him to stop drinking and take better care of himself. Their friendship is comfortable and close enough to withstand his moodiness and when Liss needs a place to stay after her landlady sells her rental house, Connor offers to let her move in with him until she can find a place of her own.
Not surprisingly, their new living situation is a little awkward for both Liss and Connor. Their close proximity brings a few surprises for each of them. Liss has managed to keep her desire for Connor in check, but that is much harder to do once she is living with him. She is also coming to the realization that her feelings for him are not as platonic she would like them to be. This coincides with the sudden resurgence of Connor’s long dormant libido and he is absolutely blindsided by his sudden attraction to Liss. Once they realize their attraction is mutual, they indulge in some seriously hot, non-committed sex. But Connor is very uneasy with the changes he is undergoing and he briefly pulls away only to later agree to continue their unorthodox arrangement with a few stipulations. Their new agreement works well for a while, but Connor continues to try to maintain an emotional distance and Liss begins to realize that she wants (and deserves) more than he may ever be able to give her.
Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates is more than a love story. It is also a beautiful novel of healing for both Connor and Liss. Their longstanding friendship provides a wonderful foundation for their transition to lovers and their relationship is both sweet and scorching hot. Although it takes time for Connor to work through his problems, this makes his transformation much more realistic. While it is not obvious at first, Liss also has a few issues to deal with and it is very gratifying watching finally stand up for herself. It is a marvelous addition to the Copper Ridge series and while the novel can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.
