WILD RIDE COWBOY – Maisey Yates
Copper Ridge: The Donnelly's , Book 3
HQN
ISBN: 978-0-373-80364-4
September 2017
Contemporary Romance

Copper Ridge, Oregon – Present Day

Alex Donnelly returned to Copper Ridge in order to satisfy the will of his late grandfather to work with his four brothers on their ranch, but he also has another reason: to check in on his late friend's sister. Clara Campbell is all alone after losing first her parents, then her brother, and is running a ranch with no help. After leaving the military and wandering from place to place, Alex arrives in Copper Ridge but hasn't yet told Clara that her brother Jason's will also left the ranch to him to run for a year as Jason felt she was too young. Clara is twenty-one, but has the prickly pear personality of a much older person. They run into each other at a new coffeehouse, where Clara is “stalking” the owner because she fancies him. However, Clara is only pretending to like coffee. Her tastes run more to sugary hot chocolate and spaghettiOs. She's also resistant to Alex taking over the ranch after he informs her about the will's contents. But Alex hasn't yet told Clara that Jason died protecting him. It's still painful for him as he feels it's his fault Jason died.

Clara lost both her parents before she turned eighteen, but once she became an adult, her brother Jason, who returned home temporarily, rejoined the military, only to die two years later. Alex intimidates her because he's always gruff and unfriendly towards her. Now that he's there to work the ranch, she's forced to be around him. Alex and Clara may have different ideas on how to run the ranch, but they both want it to succeed. Every day he's there, and it stirs up feelings for each other that they didn't expect to happen. But Alex is older and more experienced than the virginal Clara. Is Clara going to be the temptation Alex will be unable to resist? What about when he walks away in a year…will her heart be broken?

Clara and Alex are in an untenable position right now. Neither wants to work with the other, but they have no choice according to the terms of Jason's will. Clara might be young, but she's learned to grow up…sort of. She doesn't drink coffee or tea, only sugary drinks. She is a picky food eater who can't cook and lives on junk food and spaghettiOs. Alex enters her life and is amused at her food choices, especially since she's made it clear she's interested in the coffeehouse owner who is into healthy foods. It's no surprise that Clara and Alex clash, but hate soon turns to lust. Alex feels he's betraying his friend's memory if he shows an interest in Clara, but does he have a choice when she's so tempting?

Alex's father was basically a no-gooder who had four sons by three different women. The “boys” grandfather died and his will stipulates they must share the ranch at Copper Ridge. Alex would rather be elsewhere, but he also has the responsibility of Clara. Once he's fulfilled the terms of both of his commitments, he's going to be on his way again. However, the chemistry between Clara and Alex sizzles too hotly to be ignored. Once he's had a taste of her, can he walk away? What about his claim that she needs to spread her wings before she can settle down?

WILD RIDE COWBOY is part of the Copper Ridge: The Donnelly's series by Maisey Yates, and readers get glimpses of Alex's brothers and their fiancée's (excluding the still single Liam, whose tale is up next). However, WILD RIDE COWBOY can easily be read as a standalone without any difficulty.

It's a sexy wild ride for Clara and Alex in WILD RIDE COWBOY that turns out to be an exciting journey for both that readers will love.

Patti Fischer