Unbridled Cowboy: A Christmas Romance Novel

Maisey Yates

May 2022 · Four Corners Ranch Book 1 · Sold by HQN Books

About this ebook

“Intense and filled with heartbreak, warmth, overcoming the past, and finding a meant-to-be love. Yates has a special way of drawing readers into her complicated families.”—Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

Welcome to Four Corners Ranch, where the West is still wild…and when a cowboy needs a wife, he decides to find her the old-fashioned way.

Cowboy Sawyer Garrett has no intention of settling down. But when he becomes a single dad to tiny baby June, stepping up to the responsibility is nonnegotiable. And so is finding a woman to be a mother to his infant daughter. So he decides to do it the way the pioneers did: by putting out an ad for a mail-order bride.

Evelyn Moore can’t believe she’s agreed to uproot her city life to marry a stranger in Oregon. But having escaped one near-disastrous marriage, she’s desperate for change. Her love for baby June is instant. Her feelings for Sawyer are…more complicated. Her gruff cowboy husband ignites thrilling desire in her, but Sawyer is determined to keep their marriage all about the baby. But what happens if Evelyn wants it all?

In bonus novella Once Upon a Cowboy, can single dad Adam give Belle the fairy tale she's always dreamed of?

Don't miss Maisey Yates' next holiday novel, Merry Christmas Cowboy!

Ratings and reviews

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 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.

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.

About the author

Maisey Yates is the New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred romance novels. An avid knitter with a dangerous yarn addiction and an aversion to housework, Maisey lives with her husband and three kids in rural Oregon. She believes the trek she makes to her coffee maker each morning is a true example of her pioneer spirit. Find out more about Maisey’s books on her website: www.maiseyyates.com, or fine her on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok by searching her name.