THE HOLIDAY HEARTBREAKER – Maisey Yates
Four Corners Ranch, Book 5
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-60079-0
September 26, 2023
Contemporary Romance

Four Corners Ranch, Oregon – Present Day

Elizabeth Colfax is starting a new life with her son, Benny, on a remote ranch in Oregon. She and her now ex divorced years ago but she feels like there is nothing left for her in Portland. Plus, the chance to work as a horse therapist was an offer she couldn’t refuse. The McCloud family, who run the therapy organization, have been good to her as the job includes a cabin on their property. Arriving with Benny to move in, Elizabeth is greeted by Brody McCloud. From the moment she first met him, she had been aware of him. Not that she is looking to get involved with him, especially since she hasn’t had sex in six years. 

Brody is intrigued by Elizabeth, though he can’t quite explain why. She doesn’t seem to be what he expected of her, though he didn’t know until she arrived that she had a son. Brody hits it off with Benny, who calls him a Pirate Cowboy. But Elizabeth is more reserved and seems out of place on the ranch. While any of his brothers can help show Elizabeth around the ranch and get her up to speed on the horses, it is Brody who volunteers for the job. He is the one-night-stand kind of guy, and he immediately recognizes that Elizabeth isn’t his kind of woman. Yet, how can he deny the attraction he has for her? Should he risk ruining their business relationship if they decide to scratch the itch?

Elizabeth was raised in foster care and started dating Carter Colfax when they were in high school. After her favorite foster mother died, Elizabeth felt lost and pressured Carter to marry her, which he did. They had Benny within a year, but the marriage didn’t last after he fell in love with another woman and had children with her. Elizabeth feels that taking the job with the McClouds will be a fresh start for her and Benny. Being around Brody makes her feel uncomfortable, though it takes a while for her to realize that it is because she’s attracted to him. As a single mom responsible for a child, the last thing she wants is to bring a man into her bed, especially one who won’t last. Yet there is no denying the attraction.

Realizing that Elizabeth should be off limits, Brody tries to be pleasant around her and Benny. But the more he gets to know her, the more he wants her. It doesn’t help that she is always there as part of the ranch. Trying to avoid her and hanging out in bars only makes him long for her presence. Brody tries being a friend, especially since Benny is a good kid who is trying to adjust to a new school and friends. But in the process, Brody gets to know Elizabeth that much better. When they are given the opportunity to be alone, will they give in to the passion that sizzles between them? Is there a future for them?

Four Corners is like a small town itself as there are four ranches where lots of people get together for town halls, making rules, and supporting a one-room school. The McCloud family is one of the four families and readers have already met Brody’s brothers in prior books in the Four Corners Ranch series. For a complete list of books, visit http://www.maiseyyates.com/series/four-corners-ranch/. 

Their attraction burns hotter than the flame of a burning candle, but Elizabeth and Brody feel like they have too much baggage to make a relationship work. In THE HOLIDAY HEARTBREAKER, they have a few obstacles to overcome before they realize how much they care for each other. A book you won’t want to miss, be sure to pick it up.

Patti Fischer