The Last Real Cowboy

Caitlin Crews

Jan 2020 · Cold River Ranch Book 3 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

USA Today bestselling author Caitlin Crews returns to the Cold River Ranch series with The Last Real Cowboy!

In Cold River, sometimes forbidden love is the sweetest of them all...

Perennial good girl Amanda Kittredge knows that her longtime crush on Brady Everett was never really supposed to go anywhere. But when Brady comes home during Amanda’s first attempt at independence, well, who better to teach her about rebellion than her older brother’s bad-boy best friend?

Brady’s plans did not include being forced to work the family homestead for a year—and yet, here he is. And, to make matters worse, his best friend’s innocent little sister is making a menace of herself in the most grown-up, tempting ways. When Amanda begs Brady to teach her about men, he knows he should refuse. But could Brady’s greatest temptation be his salvation?

“Loaded with charming characters [and] wit....will win the heart of any romance fan.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A True Cowboy Christmas

Ratings and reviews

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review** The Last Real Cowboy is the third book in the Cold River Ranch series and this is the youngest Everett brother, Brady's book. I was excited to see what Crews penned for him after getting to know him a little bit in his brother's books. Amanda Kittredge is the only girl in the Kittredge clan and she's got four older brothers who love to remind her that she's the little sister. She's always been a bit sheltered because of how overprotective her brothers are. She's never really dated because everyone in their small town didn't want to tangle with her brothers in order to take her on a date. Amanda has had enough and at 22, she decides it's time to move out of her parents house, get a job and make her own life. If that means making mistakes, then that's fine. She wants to experience things she hasn't in the past. Brady Everett is the one Everett brother who chose to go to college and not work on his family's homestead. When his father died and he was left 1/3 of the land, he came back with the promise to stay for a year and then get back to his own life in Denver. He's always been the one that his brothers looked down on the ideas he has for the land are not taken seriously which frustrates him. When he's approached by his best friend's little sister, Amanda, who is looking to be educated on being with a man as part of her experimentation, he knows he should say no and get as far away from the situation as he can, yet he does the exact opposite. With an agreement that what happens between them stay a secret, the two spend time together and Brady ends up showing Amanda everything she asked for and more. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. For me it was a little bit slow to start, but once it got rolling, it had a good cadence. I really appreciated how Amanda stood up to people as we got along in the book. For someone that people always looked at as the "child" she proved that she was anything but, and she also proved that she was willing to go to bat for those she loves. Brady was also great as I felt he grew as the book went along in several ways. This was another great book to add to this already entertaining series!

The Last Real Cowboy is the concluding story in Caitlin Crews Cold River Ranch series, and tells the story of the youngest Everett sibling Brady, who has grown up to see the land his family works in Cold River as an albatross around their necks and youngest Kittredge sibling Amanda, who is sick of being treated as though she's still twelve years old, and in a bid for independence moves out of her family home into an apartment above a seedy bar, that her brothers and Brady are known to frequent; and it doesn't take long for Brady to get the message that Amanda is all grown up. But with an age gap of ten years and four overbearing and disapproving brothers, their path to a happy ending is a little rocky to say the least. But it was also sweet and pleasing to read, and with a charming small town setting, plenty of family ties, and a touch of angst I was easily engaged. **I was kindly provided with an ARC via St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review**

This is the story of Amanda, the only girl in the Kittredge family, and Brady, the youngest member of the Everett siblings. Each one struggles to find their place in their respective families and the community. Amanda has had a crush on Brady for years while Brady regarded her as her best friend's baby sister. Things are about to change! I found The Last Real Cowboy entertaining, with a strong plot and great characters. However, there were times when I found the verbiage somewhat stilted, where a paragraph was made of numerous phrases, instead of complete sentences. Also, I found myself scanning entire paragraphs because the information they contained was superfluous and unnecessary. With that said, I rate this novel a 4 star book and worth reading!

About the author

USA Today bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Caitlin Crews has written over one hundred books, including Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Dare, and Cold River cowboys. She’s won fans with the romance, women’s fiction, chick lit, and work-for-hire young adult novels she’s written as Megan Crane (including the futuristic, dystopian Viking romance Edge series). These days her focus is on contemporary romance in all its forms, from small town heat to international glamor, cowboys to bikers to military men and beyond. She’s taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, gives assorted workshops on the writing process, and attempts to make use of the MA and PhD in English Literature she received from the University of York in York, England. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with a husband who draws comics and animation storyboards, and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.