Review - - The Holiday Heartbreaker

The Holiday Heartbreaker

by Maisey Yates

Four Corners Ranch - Book 5

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

A fresh start is all she wants this Christmas, but maybe a cowboy is all she needs…

It’s not the holiday season she’d envisioned. But moving back home with her son, Benny, is all single mom Elizabeth Colfax can do after her ex-husband’s infidelity left their life in pieces. A fresh start at Four Corners Ranch means Elizabeth’s dream career in equine therapy can become a reality, allowing her to share her love of horses with Benny. If only it didn’t also mean butting heads with Brody McCloud, the frustratingly attractive cowboy who sets sparks off inside her.

Brody doesn’t do complicated, and Elizabeth’s got more baggage than an airport. But there’s something about the woman that’s always gotten under his skin in a very welcome way. As the simmering tension between them grows harder to ignore, they’ll have to decide if their undeniable attraction can outweigh a shared loss of faith in forever. Maybe this Christmas, they can find a family worth fighting for.

PJ's Thoughts:

Maisey Yates never fails to take me through an emotional gauntlet, depositing me, smiling and satisfied, on the other side. Each book in the Four Corners Ranch series has been a heart-tugging journey but this one, The Holiday Heartbreaker, is my favorite. 

Brody and Elizabeth have so many intriguing layers. As the cover blurb says, she has "more baggage than an airport" but, honestly, he probably has more. Each of them has good reason not to trust love. Neither of them is looking for love. But love has a way of finding people when they least expect it, as is the case for these two. I like the way Yates gradually moves their relationship forward, giving each of them the necessary time to address internal issues inhibiting individual growth, which with these two is critical to a lasting relationship. The chemistry between them sizzles, once they give in to it, but the friendship that evolves is just as important. Openness, vulnerability, and trust between these two are critical. 

Brody's evolving relationship with Benny, Elizabeth's eight-year-old son, is one of my favorite parts of the book. It made my heart so happy to watch Brody, a man who grew up in an emotionally and physically abusive family, use so much care with Benny. I love the relationship they forged. And the pirate cowboy scene near the end? Oh yeah, totally melted my heart. 

If you're a fan of the Four Corners Ranch series, you'll undoubtedly enjoy catching up with couples from earlier books but for those of you new to this series, you should be able to jump in here and enjoy Brody and Elizabeth's journey to love. Fair warning though: once you meet the others and learn a bit about their journeys, don't be surprise if you snap up their books too.