What do you think?
Rate this book
Gold Valley #1
Smooth-Talking Cowboy
Welcome to Gold Valley, Oregon, where a rough-and-tumble rancher and the girl next door are about to learn that opposites attract
Olivia Logan has a plan: win back her ex by making him see what he’s missing. But first she needs to find a man who’s willing to play along. With his laid-back cowboy charm and knack for getting under her skin, Luke Hollister is an unlikely hero—but he wants her help convincing her father to sell him land, which means he needs her as much as she needs him.
Luke likes his life—and his women—uncomplicated. So why does good girl Olivia heat his blood like no one else? She’s always been off-limits, but the more time they spend as Gold Valley’s hottest new “couple,” the more real it’s starting to feel. Luke was supposed to help her win back another man…not keep her in his arms. But now that he has her there, he’s not sure he’ll ever let go.
Olivia Logan has a plan: win back her ex by making him see what he’s missing. But first she needs to find a man who’s willing to play along. With his laid-back cowboy charm and knack for getting under her skin, Luke Hollister is an unlikely hero—but he wants her help convincing her father to sell him land, which means he needs her as much as she needs him.
Luke likes his life—and his women—uncomplicated. So why does good girl Olivia heat his blood like no one else? She’s always been off-limits, but the more time they spend as Gold Valley’s hottest new “couple,” the more real it’s starting to feel. Luke was supposed to help her win back another man…not keep her in his arms. But now that he has her there, he’s not sure he’ll ever let go.
329 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 20, 2018
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,025 books2,642 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
July 8, 2020
4 Opposites Not So Opposite! Stars
* * * *Spoiler Free
Maisey Yates is the real deal. When she writes about Cowboys, they jump off the page with all the authenticity of a flesh and blood man. She understands how to show the depth in a man who may not seem like a deep thinker... but remembers still waters run deep. Her skill in presenting all of this rings true, touches the heartstrings while also providing the right amount of conflict.
We have Luke and Olivia. From first glance, they wouldn't seem to be a match in any way.
Luke was from a family that was a wreck. When he was able to escape it, he answered an ad to work on a ranch in Gold Valley. The owner saw this raw angry 18-year-old and gave him a chance. Luke grabbed that chance and ran with it... Being the best on the ranch; the hardest worker, the one who stayed when the Rancher's sons left... Luke was the heart and soul of it and now the sons are back turning a solid rustic western tour experience into something else... something more upscale. Luke is not feeling it...and the pull to have something of his own is getting stronger.
No one knew Luke's background. He kept it to himself. His loss of his mother killed him. She was the only goodness in his life and she made sacrifices to make sure he would have a chance... and the sacrifice she made weighed heavy on him. But maybe now was the time to put to use all the good she left behind to show her he understood. There was land he was interested in... and now was the time to go for it. The owner had been sitting on it for a very long time...But Luke felt if presented in the right way, the owner might hear him out.
Olivia made a bad decision. She didn't mean to... but the outcome was not what she thought would happen and now she was stuck with it. Her newly Ex Bennett didn't like being pressured to "Put a Ring On It" and told her so...So that was that...But it still hurt like hell. They had been together forever it seemed and it was the next natural step to take...but for some reason, he wasn't ready. Olivia thought by laying it out there, he would see what he was missing...Unfortunately, it seems she is the only one who is feeling the loss.
Now Olivia is a planner, a careful person always trying to do the right thing. She was a twin and right from the start she and sister were close... just like most twins. But then as they started to age, her sister was the risk-taker, the one who liked to break all the rules. Olivia felt her sister slipping away from her... and it hurt. She wasn't comfortable doing all the things her sister would go off and do with her new friends...And the parents would pressure Olivia to "Be Good" always...It ended up causing the twins to become distant... and that hurt Olivia.
The sister ran with the drug/dropout crowd at high school and after a situation, the sister was sent away. The parents thought they were doing the right thing... protecting Olivia and helping her sister...But that wasn't to be... the sister became more involved with drugs and Olivia became the poster child of control, ridged and always doing the right thing. Olivia's reputation is kind of being stuck up. She never drinks. Her biggest deal is playing darts... she is perfect never missing a bullseye.
So these two...From the start, Luke loved pushing this girl/woman's buttons. He could get her flustered so easily... and she would sputter and lash back... it was a hoot to see her get all worked up. Luke watched as Bennett, one of the rancher's sons, started hanging out with Olivia. He knew the deal. Luke would never be the man for a woman like her. He likes to have his flings and then move on. All of his connections liked him, even after their times were over. Luke lived in the moment and that made Olivia crazy... How could anyone do that...
The perfect confrontation happens; Olivia is stuck on the road with a flat tire. In the past, she would call Bennett and he would come to her rescue. Now, because she made that fateful ultimatum, she can't call him. As she tries to decide what to do, a beat-up red truck comes down the same road. She knows whose it belongs to and shutters...Really... It has to be Luke...
But then he passes by and doesn't stop... WHAT!!!!
Olivia cannot believe it... and is pouting nonstop... annoyed he didn't stop and annoyed she wanted him to...But then she sees the cloud of dust with the red truck turned around coming back to her.
Luke pulls up and says he couldn't let her just wait by the side of the road. Offers to take her to the winery where she works and will handle the car after. He opens the passenger door of the truck and Olivia holds her breath and climbs in...
These two cannot be together without Luke pushing Olivia's buttons and it gets her all stirred up. She really doesn't understand it at all. The day goes by for Olivia with her replaying everything that happened with Luke. She is very confused.
Somehow Luke and Olivia find themselves at the same bar in town. Luke is with the brothers at a table and Olivia is at the bar, nursing her Diet Coke. Luke walks over to the bar and stands next to Olivia. Olivia decides to be a grownup and offers to thank Luke for the ride/car fixin' with buying him a shot. Luke takes her up on it and thanks her by whispering in her ear Bennett is looking at them and is not happy. Olivia turns to look into Luke's eyes and sees a glint and dare...
This leads to another conversation at another time...Luke talks about how he has wanted to buy her father's land for some time now... He wants to ranch, have cattle, and really work the land. He knows how and is dedicated to making it a go. Olivia knows her dad is tough... and doesn't promise anything but says she will see if she can get him a meeting...Luke says cool and he will do her a solid by taking her to the bar as a Date...to help her get Bennett back...
This is the hook but Maisey Yates gives us so much more. She gives us a woman who has be manipulated without even knowing it and now she is going to make her own decisions. She takes Luke's hand when offered and discovers the woman she actually is. Luke thinks he is just doing a solid for Maisey... but in the end, these two learn they are the solid they both need. Their connection is lovely and they are a force to be reckoned with.
I told you, Maisey Yates is the real deal. You want authentic romance, sexy times, and all of it with a real cowboy... not Mythical one...Then this is it.
A gifted copy was provided by HQN via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * *Spoiler Free
Maisey Yates is the real deal. When she writes about Cowboys, they jump off the page with all the authenticity of a flesh and blood man. She understands how to show the depth in a man who may not seem like a deep thinker... but remembers still waters run deep. Her skill in presenting all of this rings true, touches the heartstrings while also providing the right amount of conflict.
We have Luke and Olivia. From first glance, they wouldn't seem to be a match in any way.
Luke was from a family that was a wreck. When he was able to escape it, he answered an ad to work on a ranch in Gold Valley. The owner saw this raw angry 18-year-old and gave him a chance. Luke grabbed that chance and ran with it... Being the best on the ranch; the hardest worker, the one who stayed when the Rancher's sons left... Luke was the heart and soul of it and now the sons are back turning a solid rustic western tour experience into something else... something more upscale. Luke is not feeling it...and the pull to have something of his own is getting stronger.
No one knew Luke's background. He kept it to himself. His loss of his mother killed him. She was the only goodness in his life and she made sacrifices to make sure he would have a chance... and the sacrifice she made weighed heavy on him. But maybe now was the time to put to use all the good she left behind to show her he understood. There was land he was interested in... and now was the time to go for it. The owner had been sitting on it for a very long time...But Luke felt if presented in the right way, the owner might hear him out.
Olivia made a bad decision. She didn't mean to... but the outcome was not what she thought would happen and now she was stuck with it. Her newly Ex Bennett didn't like being pressured to "Put a Ring On It" and told her so...So that was that...But it still hurt like hell. They had been together forever it seemed and it was the next natural step to take...but for some reason, he wasn't ready. Olivia thought by laying it out there, he would see what he was missing...Unfortunately, it seems she is the only one who is feeling the loss.
Now Olivia is a planner, a careful person always trying to do the right thing. She was a twin and right from the start she and sister were close... just like most twins. But then as they started to age, her sister was the risk-taker, the one who liked to break all the rules. Olivia felt her sister slipping away from her... and it hurt. She wasn't comfortable doing all the things her sister would go off and do with her new friends...And the parents would pressure Olivia to "Be Good" always...It ended up causing the twins to become distant... and that hurt Olivia.
The sister ran with the drug/dropout crowd at high school and after a situation, the sister was sent away. The parents thought they were doing the right thing... protecting Olivia and helping her sister...But that wasn't to be... the sister became more involved with drugs and Olivia became the poster child of control, ridged and always doing the right thing. Olivia's reputation is kind of being stuck up. She never drinks. Her biggest deal is playing darts... she is perfect never missing a bullseye.
So these two...From the start, Luke loved pushing this girl/woman's buttons. He could get her flustered so easily... and she would sputter and lash back... it was a hoot to see her get all worked up. Luke watched as Bennett, one of the rancher's sons, started hanging out with Olivia. He knew the deal. Luke would never be the man for a woman like her. He likes to have his flings and then move on. All of his connections liked him, even after their times were over. Luke lived in the moment and that made Olivia crazy... How could anyone do that...
The perfect confrontation happens; Olivia is stuck on the road with a flat tire. In the past, she would call Bennett and he would come to her rescue. Now, because she made that fateful ultimatum, she can't call him. As she tries to decide what to do, a beat-up red truck comes down the same road. She knows whose it belongs to and shutters...Really... It has to be Luke...
But then he passes by and doesn't stop... WHAT!!!!
Olivia cannot believe it... and is pouting nonstop... annoyed he didn't stop and annoyed she wanted him to...But then she sees the cloud of dust with the red truck turned around coming back to her.
Luke pulls up and says he couldn't let her just wait by the side of the road. Offers to take her to the winery where she works and will handle the car after. He opens the passenger door of the truck and Olivia holds her breath and climbs in...
These two cannot be together without Luke pushing Olivia's buttons and it gets her all stirred up. She really doesn't understand it at all. The day goes by for Olivia with her replaying everything that happened with Luke. She is very confused.
Somehow Luke and Olivia find themselves at the same bar in town. Luke is with the brothers at a table and Olivia is at the bar, nursing her Diet Coke. Luke walks over to the bar and stands next to Olivia. Olivia decides to be a grownup and offers to thank Luke for the ride/car fixin' with buying him a shot. Luke takes her up on it and thanks her by whispering in her ear Bennett is looking at them and is not happy. Olivia turns to look into Luke's eyes and sees a glint and dare...
This leads to another conversation at another time...Luke talks about how he has wanted to buy her father's land for some time now... He wants to ranch, have cattle, and really work the land. He knows how and is dedicated to making it a go. Olivia knows her dad is tough... and doesn't promise anything but says she will see if she can get him a meeting...Luke says cool and he will do her a solid by taking her to the bar as a Date...to help her get Bennett back...
This is the hook but Maisey Yates gives us so much more. She gives us a woman who has be manipulated without even knowing it and now she is going to make her own decisions. She takes Luke's hand when offered and discovers the woman she actually is. Luke thinks he is just doing a solid for Maisey... but in the end, these two learn they are the solid they both need. Their connection is lovely and they are a force to be reckoned with.
I told you, Maisey Yates is the real deal. You want authentic romance, sexy times, and all of it with a real cowboy... not Mythical one...Then this is it.
A gifted copy was provided by HQN via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
June 9, 2022
I read last couple of the Gold Valley series book, and loved them. I decided to read the first books in the series. Yes, I do not always read all of a book series. I found this book not has good as the others. I found this book just ok. I do not feel there is as much character development in this book.
February 14, 2024
A question to my lady-friends: Do your breasts swell in the throes of passion? I have personally never heard this from any woman, including my wife, but I figured it might just be some secret thing women experience during acts of love-making that they don’t talk about. Or it could be something only a few women experience, which begs the questions: do swollen breasts hurt? Do they feel good? Does it increase your cup size considerably? So many damn questions...
All of which are the result of me attempting to read a romance novel, a genre that I admittedly have actively tried to avoid reading throughout my 45 years of life. I have read two novels strictly categorized as “romance”; one of them was “written” by Fabio, so I’m not sure if that counts. I have read a book by Nicholas Sparks, but I don’t necessarily consider that romance. I personally categorize it as sentimental crap, but that’s just me. (Apologies to my friends who are Nicholas Sparks fans.) I’ve also read “Fifty Shades of Grey”, but no one can convince me that that book is anything but an exercise in stupidity. There’s no romance about it, and it’s hardly decent porn.
So, to be fair, my track record with reading romance novels hasn’t been stellar, and the few that I have read probably aren’t good representations of the genre. In an attempt to be more egalitarian in my genre choices, I have chosen 2018---completely arbitrarily---to be the year that I read more romance novels, for no reason whatsoever other than to say that I have.
My first attempt is a book entitled “Smooth-Talking Cowboy” by Maisey Yates, a best-selling author within the genre (more than 50 titles to her credit, according to her bio) and, apparently, the queen of the “cowboy romance”. There are, I discovered, many subgenres within the romance genre: supernatural, historical, contemporary, romance-mystery, romance-sci-fi, romance involving single moms, romance involving single dads, romance involving pirates, romance involving dinosaurs, romance involving electronic devices, etc. (Okay, I made up the last two, but being a connoisseur of porn, I have no doubt that those are markets that are waiting to be tapped, if they haven’t already.)
“Smooth-Talking Cowboy” is one of several books within Yates’s Gold Valley series, which takes place in a small (but apparently affluent) town in Oregon, in which everyone seems to know just about everyone else, and deep dark secrets (especially ones of a sexual nature) never seem to stay hidden for long.
The titular cowboy in this book is Luke Hollister, a self-admitted “bad boy” with a history of wooing women with his, you know, smooth talk.
Olivia Logan is a virginal young thing who has just broken up with her boyfriend, Bennett Dodge. She’s mad because he hasn’t proposed to her yet, and she thought breaking up with him would be a wake-up call to his undoubted love for her. It wasn’t.
In a crazy attempt to get a rise out of Bennett by making him jealous, she devises an idea that involves a fake date with Luke, so that Bennett would see her in town with another man, get angry as hell, and come crawling back to her. She, of course, didn’t count on falling in love with Luke.
Okay, so far, it sounds like a run-of-the-mill romantic plot, one that we’ve seen countless times. And it is.
To say that “Smooth-Talking Cowboy” is formulaic is unnecessary and probably insulting. Of course it is. I’m pretty sure all romance novels follow a by-the-numbers plot formula. (Then again, so do most murder mysteries, horror novels, and science fiction novels.) Yates just happens to be pretty good at it. It’s obvious, sure, but Yates fills in the gaps with a lot of surprisingly intelligent and self-reflective material. She’s not afraid to poke fun at the genre either.
There’s a lot of introspective soul-searching and relationship-talking-about that is probably why Yates has become so popular and has earned her best-selling status. It’s great for romance lovers.
Its not so great, however, for lovers of porn, like myself. Not to say that the sex scenes weren’t pretty erotic and fun, but my biggest gripe about them is that Yates seems to have an aversion to talking honestly about the sex act. The words “cock”, “penis”, “pussy”, “vagina”, “cum”, “semen”, ejaculate”, etc. are never used, and that’s probably by design. It is most likely an unspoken (or totally spoken, I have no idea) rule in romance novels not to be grittily graphic. The scenes are soft-core at most.
But I’m comparing apples to strap-ons here, I realize, which is unfair.
Yates won me over with her smooth-talking romance writer ways, and while it’s not my cup of hard-core pornographic tea, I still enjoyed it, which is saying a lot considering my life-long aversion to reading romance novels, including all of my preconceived notions and prejudices about the genre.
I still don’t get the “breast-swelling” thing, but I Googled it, and it turns out it’s a real thing. Here’s an article about it. Enjoy: (https://www.boldsky.com/insync/pulse/...)
All of which are the result of me attempting to read a romance novel, a genre that I admittedly have actively tried to avoid reading throughout my 45 years of life. I have read two novels strictly categorized as “romance”; one of them was “written” by Fabio, so I’m not sure if that counts. I have read a book by Nicholas Sparks, but I don’t necessarily consider that romance. I personally categorize it as sentimental crap, but that’s just me. (Apologies to my friends who are Nicholas Sparks fans.) I’ve also read “Fifty Shades of Grey”, but no one can convince me that that book is anything but an exercise in stupidity. There’s no romance about it, and it’s hardly decent porn.
So, to be fair, my track record with reading romance novels hasn’t been stellar, and the few that I have read probably aren’t good representations of the genre. In an attempt to be more egalitarian in my genre choices, I have chosen 2018---completely arbitrarily---to be the year that I read more romance novels, for no reason whatsoever other than to say that I have.
My first attempt is a book entitled “Smooth-Talking Cowboy” by Maisey Yates, a best-selling author within the genre (more than 50 titles to her credit, according to her bio) and, apparently, the queen of the “cowboy romance”. There are, I discovered, many subgenres within the romance genre: supernatural, historical, contemporary, romance-mystery, romance-sci-fi, romance involving single moms, romance involving single dads, romance involving pirates, romance involving dinosaurs, romance involving electronic devices, etc. (Okay, I made up the last two, but being a connoisseur of porn, I have no doubt that those are markets that are waiting to be tapped, if they haven’t already.)
“Smooth-Talking Cowboy” is one of several books within Yates’s Gold Valley series, which takes place in a small (but apparently affluent) town in Oregon, in which everyone seems to know just about everyone else, and deep dark secrets (especially ones of a sexual nature) never seem to stay hidden for long.
The titular cowboy in this book is Luke Hollister, a self-admitted “bad boy” with a history of wooing women with his, you know, smooth talk.
Olivia Logan is a virginal young thing who has just broken up with her boyfriend, Bennett Dodge. She’s mad because he hasn’t proposed to her yet, and she thought breaking up with him would be a wake-up call to his undoubted love for her. It wasn’t.
In a crazy attempt to get a rise out of Bennett by making him jealous, she devises an idea that involves a fake date with Luke, so that Bennett would see her in town with another man, get angry as hell, and come crawling back to her. She, of course, didn’t count on falling in love with Luke.
Okay, so far, it sounds like a run-of-the-mill romantic plot, one that we’ve seen countless times. And it is.
To say that “Smooth-Talking Cowboy” is formulaic is unnecessary and probably insulting. Of course it is. I’m pretty sure all romance novels follow a by-the-numbers plot formula. (Then again, so do most murder mysteries, horror novels, and science fiction novels.) Yates just happens to be pretty good at it. It’s obvious, sure, but Yates fills in the gaps with a lot of surprisingly intelligent and self-reflective material. She’s not afraid to poke fun at the genre either.
There’s a lot of introspective soul-searching and relationship-talking-about that is probably why Yates has become so popular and has earned her best-selling status. It’s great for romance lovers.
Its not so great, however, for lovers of porn, like myself. Not to say that the sex scenes weren’t pretty erotic and fun, but my biggest gripe about them is that Yates seems to have an aversion to talking honestly about the sex act. The words “cock”, “penis”, “pussy”, “vagina”, “cum”, “semen”, ejaculate”, etc. are never used, and that’s probably by design. It is most likely an unspoken (or totally spoken, I have no idea) rule in romance novels not to be grittily graphic. The scenes are soft-core at most.
But I’m comparing apples to strap-ons here, I realize, which is unfair.
Yates won me over with her smooth-talking romance writer ways, and while it’s not my cup of hard-core pornographic tea, I still enjoyed it, which is saying a lot considering my life-long aversion to reading romance novels, including all of my preconceived notions and prejudices about the genre.
I still don’t get the “breast-swelling” thing, but I Googled it, and it turns out it’s a real thing. Here’s an article about it. Enjoy: (https://www.boldsky.com/insync/pulse/...)
March 1, 2018
4.5 Stars
Olivia Logan is smarting from her break-up with Bennett Dodge, the man she always thought she’d marry. He didn’t propose, and she broke it off with him, but Bennett doesn’t seem very upset, and Olivia’s worried she made a mistake. Having a few run-ins with Luke Hollister, the smug, handsome cowboy who’s always guaranteed to irritate her, makes Bennett sit up and take notice and so they hatch a mutually beneficial plan to make him jealous.
Olivia’s come off as a prissy, uptight character in the last few books, and her relationship with Bennett seemed completely without chemistry. The first 20% or so of the book I was wondering if I’d ever warm up to Olivia, but then the reasons she was so controlled and cold started coming out, and I completely understood. Luke ruffles her feathers whenever they’re together and her carefully controlled composure unravels, brining out a desires and passion she never knew she had and it terrifies her!
Luke seemed totally opposite, carefree, happy, the consummate player, but he also set himself apart and controlled the relationships he’s had over the years for his own reasons. Everyone likes him, and Luke has no problem charming the pants off any woman, except for Olivia, and he loves riling her! Their “fake” dates spark real feelings quickly, and Luke feels a fierce possessiveness for Olivia he’s never felt with any other woman.
One of the many things I love about Maisy Yates’ romances it the depth and layers of her characters. Olivia seemed like such a stuck-up prude at first, but the some of her layers are peeled back to show why she acted that way, and while she’s pretty straight laced, Olivia’s a warm-blooded woman underneath it all, with a whole big heart ready to love. Same with Luke; he just seems kind like a love-them-and-leave-them sort of guy, just out for a good time, but he’s so much more than that and it takes their pairing to start uncovering the real Luke and Olivia, and oh my, was it steamy!
Maisey Yates was a new to me author last year and since then I’ve picked up several of her romances and have not been disappointed! At first glance her stories seem like light, fun-loving romances, but there’s a depth to them that make them so much more satisfying and heartfelt. Smooth-Talking Cowboy is related to the Copper Ridge series, and the first book in the Golden Valley series, but it’s not necessary to read any of the prior books to enjoy it.
A copy was kindly provided by HQN Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
Olivia Logan is smarting from her break-up with Bennett Dodge, the man she always thought she’d marry. He didn’t propose, and she broke it off with him, but Bennett doesn’t seem very upset, and Olivia’s worried she made a mistake. Having a few run-ins with Luke Hollister, the smug, handsome cowboy who’s always guaranteed to irritate her, makes Bennett sit up and take notice and so they hatch a mutually beneficial plan to make him jealous.
Olivia’s come off as a prissy, uptight character in the last few books, and her relationship with Bennett seemed completely without chemistry. The first 20% or so of the book I was wondering if I’d ever warm up to Olivia, but then the reasons she was so controlled and cold started coming out, and I completely understood. Luke ruffles her feathers whenever they’re together and her carefully controlled composure unravels, brining out a desires and passion she never knew she had and it terrifies her!
Luke seemed totally opposite, carefree, happy, the consummate player, but he also set himself apart and controlled the relationships he’s had over the years for his own reasons. Everyone likes him, and Luke has no problem charming the pants off any woman, except for Olivia, and he loves riling her! Their “fake” dates spark real feelings quickly, and Luke feels a fierce possessiveness for Olivia he’s never felt with any other woman.
One of the many things I love about Maisy Yates’ romances it the depth and layers of her characters. Olivia seemed like such a stuck-up prude at first, but the some of her layers are peeled back to show why she acted that way, and while she’s pretty straight laced, Olivia’s a warm-blooded woman underneath it all, with a whole big heart ready to love. Same with Luke; he just seems kind like a love-them-and-leave-them sort of guy, just out for a good time, but he’s so much more than that and it takes their pairing to start uncovering the real Luke and Olivia, and oh my, was it steamy!
Maisey Yates was a new to me author last year and since then I’ve picked up several of her romances and have not been disappointed! At first glance her stories seem like light, fun-loving romances, but there’s a depth to them that make them so much more satisfying and heartfelt. Smooth-Talking Cowboy is related to the Copper Ridge series, and the first book in the Golden Valley series, but it’s not necessary to read any of the prior books to enjoy it.
A copy was kindly provided by HQN Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
February 21, 2019
I had a delightful time listening to Smooth-Talking Cowboy. I’m so happy I picked up the Gold Valley series. The series reminded me a little of The Original Heartbreakers series by Gena Showalter. Both series have this home town feel and I love that feeling.
Olivia and Luke were just too much. Olivia is prim and proper following the path her parents laid out for her. Luke is loyal, willing to work hard. All he wants is to buy land, build a house, and raise cattle.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is enemy to lovers storyline. These two were a lot of fun together. I was rooting for them. They both had some personal issues they needed to work out while dealing with their fiery chemistry. I liked how Luke kept getting on Olivia’s nerves in a good fun way. It was spectacular watching Luke process the loss of his mother, leaving the only job he’s ever had, and learning to love.
I really enjoyed the secondary characters and their are a lot of them to enjoy.
Audio: Narrator Suzanne Elise Freeman did a wonderful job with her narration. I wasn’t a fan of the male voices, but the more I listened the more they grew on me.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy was a wonderful listen. I did have my ups and downs at the start of this novel, but ended up really enjoying. The heart to heart talks near the end had tears welling up in my eyes. I’d recommend the audiobook or reading the Gold Valley series. Can’t wait to pick up the next installment.
Rated: 4 Stars
Narration: 3.5 Stars
Olivia and Luke were just too much. Olivia is prim and proper following the path her parents laid out for her. Luke is loyal, willing to work hard. All he wants is to buy land, build a house, and raise cattle.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is enemy to lovers storyline. These two were a lot of fun together. I was rooting for them. They both had some personal issues they needed to work out while dealing with their fiery chemistry. I liked how Luke kept getting on Olivia’s nerves in a good fun way. It was spectacular watching Luke process the loss of his mother, leaving the only job he’s ever had, and learning to love.
I really enjoyed the secondary characters and their are a lot of them to enjoy.
Audio: Narrator Suzanne Elise Freeman did a wonderful job with her narration. I wasn’t a fan of the male voices, but the more I listened the more they grew on me.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy was a wonderful listen. I did have my ups and downs at the start of this novel, but ended up really enjoying. The heart to heart talks near the end had tears welling up in my eyes. I’d recommend the audiobook or reading the Gold Valley series. Can’t wait to pick up the next installment.
Rated: 4 Stars
Narration: 3.5 Stars
April 5, 2019
Rating 3.5
ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review!
Olivia has always strived to be the perfect daughter. She's done what she believes her parents wanted and made them happy. Even to the extent of dating the man that would make them happy. Well Olivia is getting a little tired that her boyfriend of one year has proposed yet. Well she thinks she might need to take matters into her own hands. And low and behold Luke seems to appear at just the perfect time.
Luke, a hard working cowboy. He's striving to fulfill his dream of land and building his own home on it. He's one that enjoy's life and doesn't always follow the rules. He's a good friend and loyal too. So when he finds Olivia with a flat tire one the side of the road one day he finds himself lured into helping her with plot. Olivia asks him to help her by pretending that they are now dating to make her now ex jealous. So Luke being the nice guy that he is decides why not.
Well here are two opposites who couldn't stand each other now find themselves attracted and drawn to each other. As their charade and ploy plays out, things begin to change and shift between them. They new there was something there, sparks and chemistry but now it has to be confronted and explored. As they begin to make the relationship real and work on trust, communication they find themselves in love.
Enjoyable western romance and loved the small town feel of Gold Valley.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review!
Olivia has always strived to be the perfect daughter. She's done what she believes her parents wanted and made them happy. Even to the extent of dating the man that would make them happy. Well Olivia is getting a little tired that her boyfriend of one year has proposed yet. Well she thinks she might need to take matters into her own hands. And low and behold Luke seems to appear at just the perfect time.
Luke, a hard working cowboy. He's striving to fulfill his dream of land and building his own home on it. He's one that enjoy's life and doesn't always follow the rules. He's a good friend and loyal too. So when he finds Olivia with a flat tire one the side of the road one day he finds himself lured into helping her with plot. Olivia asks him to help her by pretending that they are now dating to make her now ex jealous. So Luke being the nice guy that he is decides why not.
Well here are two opposites who couldn't stand each other now find themselves attracted and drawn to each other. As their charade and ploy plays out, things begin to change and shift between them. They new there was something there, sparks and chemistry but now it has to be confronted and explored. As they begin to make the relationship real and work on trust, communication they find themselves in love.
Enjoyable western romance and loved the small town feel of Gold Valley.
September 26, 2018
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is the first book in the Golden Valley series by American author, Maisey Yates. Olivia Logan has broken off with her boyfriend, Bennett Dodge because he refuses to set a date. But she wants him back, so his friend Luke Hollister suggests Olivia pretend to have a relationship with him, to make Bennett jealous. And that sort of works, except that when Luke kisses her, the fireworks make her wonder if she what she feels for Bennett was ever real. Luke has wanted Olivia for years, but when she grew up, she became Bennett’s girl. Now he has the chance to kiss her, will he be able to hold back? The characters are OK and the story is sexy and sweet if predictable, but some editing to trim the excessive descriptions and repetition would make this a better read.
December 30, 2017
The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites, so I was pretty excited to see what Maisey was going to do with it.
I had liked Olivia from the snippets of her we got in the previous series. It was good to see that there was something more to her somewhat stiff and proper appearance. I loved her backstory and enjoyed seeing her loosening up even more. Luke is charming and of course there’s a story for him as well. Together they have excellent chemistry and the button pushing kept me amused.
Plot wise, it wasn’t as angsty or miscommunication-y as I was expecting. Of course there’s the push off conflict, but it was resolved quickly and so satisfyingly. And the epilogue was adorable.
Overall, it was a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to see who gets books, but I’m hoping Lindy and Wyatt set up next.
**Huge thanks to HQN Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I had liked Olivia from the snippets of her we got in the previous series. It was good to see that there was something more to her somewhat stiff and proper appearance. I loved her backstory and enjoyed seeing her loosening up even more. Luke is charming and of course there’s a story for him as well. Together they have excellent chemistry and the button pushing kept me amused.
Plot wise, it wasn’t as angsty or miscommunication-y as I was expecting. Of course there’s the push off conflict, but it was resolved quickly and so satisfyingly. And the epilogue was adorable.
Overall, it was a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to see who gets books, but I’m hoping Lindy and Wyatt set up next.
**Huge thanks to HQN Books for providing the arc free of charge**
February 12, 2018
Smooth-Talking Cowboy was a fantastic romance between a woman who always does the right thing and the man who brings out her wild side.
Olivia Logan has always been seen as a good girl who would never cause a scandal in her life. So when she's spotted out with bad boy Luke Hollister, no one knows what to think. Olivia however is determined to win back her ex and believes making him realize what he's missing is the first step. Luke is more than willing to play along as he has his eye on a property owned by Olivia's father and needs her to put in a good word for him. Olivia and Luke never expected anything to come from their fake courtship, however they're both soon falling hard and left to decide if there's anything real between them.
Olivia has spent her entire life trying to please her parents, never wanting to do the wrong thing for fear of causing them more grief due to her twin sister Vanessa's behavior. When they were teenagers, Vanessa went a bit wild which caused her parents to focus their attention on Olivia to keep her from acting out as well. Olivia was held to a much higher standard than her sister which did cause me to dislike Olivia's parents as that was in no way fair. Olivia developed a number of issues because of it and as a result didn't really do anything with her life.
Luke has lived in Gold Valley since he was sixteen and has only worked on the Dodge ranch in the twenty years since then. As the ranch is now going in a different direction after one of the Dodge children took over, Luke has become more interested in the idea of owning his own ranch. While Luke is close to the Dodge family, he has always felt like a bit of an outsider despite knowing them for two decades. Luke does have a bit of a tragic past which is what has led to his issues with women, but based on his experience I find that totally understandable.
Olivia and Luke have always had a bit of an antagonistic relationship. I loved all of their banter and watching them snipe at each other. Luke is the one person who voices the thoughts Olivia tells herself she doesn't have which leads to her avoiding him when possible. Luke though really helped Olivia open up and realize that it's ok for her to want more from life. The fake dating trope is one of my favorites and I adored when their fake relationship started. Watching them fight their feelings for each other was wonderful and it was great when they finally gave in. The two have tons of chemistry and their physical scenes are incredibly hot.
There aren't too many side characters in Smooth-Talking Cowboy, but I mostly enjoyed the ones we did see. Olivia's coworkers from the winery appear and it was so nice seeing some of the characters from the Copper Ridge series again. We also see a lot of the Dodge siblings, which includes Olivia's ex Bennett, as Luke works on the Dodge ranch. I wasn't a huge fan of the Dodge family as I didn't like the way they treated Luke, but over the course of the book they did become slightly better.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy ended up being a great first full-length book in her new Gold Valley series and I look forward to reading more books set in this town in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Olivia Logan has always been seen as a good girl who would never cause a scandal in her life. So when she's spotted out with bad boy Luke Hollister, no one knows what to think. Olivia however is determined to win back her ex and believes making him realize what he's missing is the first step. Luke is more than willing to play along as he has his eye on a property owned by Olivia's father and needs her to put in a good word for him. Olivia and Luke never expected anything to come from their fake courtship, however they're both soon falling hard and left to decide if there's anything real between them.
Olivia has spent her entire life trying to please her parents, never wanting to do the wrong thing for fear of causing them more grief due to her twin sister Vanessa's behavior. When they were teenagers, Vanessa went a bit wild which caused her parents to focus their attention on Olivia to keep her from acting out as well. Olivia was held to a much higher standard than her sister which did cause me to dislike Olivia's parents as that was in no way fair. Olivia developed a number of issues because of it and as a result didn't really do anything with her life.
Luke has lived in Gold Valley since he was sixteen and has only worked on the Dodge ranch in the twenty years since then. As the ranch is now going in a different direction after one of the Dodge children took over, Luke has become more interested in the idea of owning his own ranch. While Luke is close to the Dodge family, he has always felt like a bit of an outsider despite knowing them for two decades. Luke does have a bit of a tragic past which is what has led to his issues with women, but based on his experience I find that totally understandable.
Olivia and Luke have always had a bit of an antagonistic relationship. I loved all of their banter and watching them snipe at each other. Luke is the one person who voices the thoughts Olivia tells herself she doesn't have which leads to her avoiding him when possible. Luke though really helped Olivia open up and realize that it's ok for her to want more from life. The fake dating trope is one of my favorites and I adored when their fake relationship started. Watching them fight their feelings for each other was wonderful and it was great when they finally gave in. The two have tons of chemistry and their physical scenes are incredibly hot.
There aren't too many side characters in Smooth-Talking Cowboy, but I mostly enjoyed the ones we did see. Olivia's coworkers from the winery appear and it was so nice seeing some of the characters from the Copper Ridge series again. We also see a lot of the Dodge siblings, which includes Olivia's ex Bennett, as Luke works on the Dodge ranch. I wasn't a huge fan of the Dodge family as I didn't like the way they treated Luke, but over the course of the book they did become slightly better.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy ended up being a great first full-length book in her new Gold Valley series and I look forward to reading more books set in this town in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
April 2, 2023
He didn't want to protect her, no. He wanted to strip her bare. Wanted to see what was beneath all that reserve of hers. Wanted to see Olivia. The woman she was, not the woman she showed the world.4.5 stars. One of my favorite romances of the year, hands-down; stayed up all night reading it. So much to say and sooo many things I want to quote and excerpt. I always find that the reviews that are the hardest for me to write are the ones where I really adored the book ... and that's definitely true again here! I feel like bursting and gushing and don't know where to start, so it leaves me scrambling lol.
Both leading characters were fantastic and have secured spots on my favorite heroes, heroines, and couples lists. They were very complex, but in a way that felt authentic, not forced. Both Luke and Olivia play a stereotypical role—him, the easy-going charmer, her, the uptight good girl. Their respective histories and past experiences have shaped them into showing that side of themselves, and while this is (obviously) so often the case, Yates did it so well and authentically.
It makes sense that Olivia has boxed herself into this role, because of what she went through with her twin sister and the family dynamic; she won't let herself feel, won't let herself go, is terrified of experiencing too much, of being overcome. At first I was a bit wary, because she comes off a bit priggish—I knew from the book summary that she was a "good girl," but that can manifest in a lot of ways. Here, it means that she is straightlaced, uptight, restrained to a point that is beyond-healthy, constantly focused on projecting a certain image and following a predetermined path.
I was kind of surprised that she made it onto my Favorite Heroines list, but you feel for her so much as you get to know her, and she undergoes a really wonderful transformation. I loved seeing her come into her own and let herself go after what she wanted—after first allowing herself to acknowledge what it was, in fact, that she did want. You want to see her let go, you want to see her let go of the judgment and the restrictions she has placed on herself and others, and the character development that she undergoes is fabulously portrayed and wholly believable.
When it comes to Luke, it makes sense that he has worked so hard to not let himself be too affected or attached to anyone. He grew up with a single mother who constantly struggled with depression, and when he was 16, she died by suicide, leaving him alone in the world. I was predisposed to feel for Luke as soon as I discovered this piece of his story, because I have battled depression myself. I so appreciated that Yates was able to incorporate this aspect into his character, without making his mom be a selfish bad guy. So often this happens, especially to justify the feelings of the character left behind, and it is so SO wrong. I really admired Luke's ability to keep inside himself both his love for her, as well as his feelings of loss and anger over her death. It left a huge mark on him and shaped him into who he is, traumatizing him in ways that are tied to relationship obstacles in the book, and that's totally legitimate, but it never felt like the mom was being vilified.
I loved his passion for the land and his devotion to the ranch and the Dodge family. And of course absolutely adored his feelings for Olivia, which have been there for years, but which he has always ignored. He seemed to understand her, and the puzzle that she was, even if not necessarily knowing the reason why. He liked her because of her contradictions and complexity, and so his feelings ring as as so true and honest, because of this; he doesn't have an idealized image of her, he sees her just as she is, and he wants more of it. I love that he never pursued her prior to when the story takes place though, and in fact has always sought to annoy her a bit—and succeeded tremendously!
Everyone likes Luke ... except for Olivia; and Olivia is polite to everyone ... except Luke. There is something about him that has always bothered her, because his behavior towards her and that simmering connection has been there for so long.
Everyone likes Luke ... except for Olivia; and Olivia is polite to everyone ... except Luke. There is something about him that has always bothered her, which she doesn’t realize is attraction until into the book. Luke has yearned for her from afar for years, though always pushed it down and been antagonistic towards her. The dynamic between them is so fun to watch and see evolve, from the beginning when he's always needling her and she's standoffish with him (and you can already sense this underlying simmering connection), to them coming together and being so open and vulnerable with one another.
COUPLE NOTES:
· The eBook version I read is an anthology and has one of Yates's Copper Ridge stories included—which I didn't realize though, so when the natural progression of the story was happening and we were only at 50% and then 60%, I was soooo confused.
· Much bigger age difference than you normally find in CRs: 11 years (she's 25, he's 36).
· For those who despise love triangles in romance books, don't be put off by that here and the Bennett factor; I'm just like you, but was not bothered by it, because the feelings aren't messy in that sense—I'll leave it at that.
The chemistry between them was HOT HOT HOT! Wow does Yates know how to write sexual tension that practically leaps off the page. However, to note, that is NOT all there is between them (which is something that drives me nuts and I always pick up on). They are explosive together physically and that's how the barriers come down between them and their relationship starts to shift, but there's far more to their romance and connection than that. They ... just fit. So well. This romance is both a story of opposites attract and of kindred spirits, which seems contradictory, but is 100% true nonetheless.
The man who made her feel safe, but not overprotected, all at the same time. The man who made her feel like she was something precious and special, to be treasured, but also to be lavished with passion. Luke seemed to understand that she was a controlling, controlled, crazy person. And he seemed to not mind it so much.*This review is of the published version because apparently at some point (long after publication) I forgot that I already had this as an ARC (so typical of me), and bought the eBook. However, I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher, so still want to call that out.
April 15, 2018
Have some Kleenex ready ladies, this book had me in tears. I highly recommend it if you love cowboys!
February 28, 2018
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is the beginning of a new series that should please the readers who enjoyed Maisey Yates's series Copper Ridge. It's in the same vein, with her now familiar to me awesome writing style full of emotions and yeah, the exciting banters are still there, mix with a lot of bickering this time.
We already met the heroine in the latest books in the Copper Ridge series, where we witnessed her break-up with her boyfriend. She's the one who broke up with him because he wasn't ready to marry her after one year. At this point, it's best you know that for Olivia Logan, life is planned and it should goes according to it. Her family dynamics's put pressure on her which translates into her need for control, doing what's right and yes, her somewhat stuck-up attitude. But the plan will only go off the rails from the moment she's rescue after a flat tire by a cocky cowboy she knows well. Luke Hollister have seem to enjoyed driving her crazy since she was a teenager and he's been a pain in her ass ever since. If there was an Olympic discipline in arguing, they would win the gold medal. Luke is the only one who realize what's the tension and the awareness is really about, but she's always been off limits to him. First, because he's a decade older and then, she convinced herself his friend Bennett was the man she would marry. When they embark on a plan to make Bennett jealous, it's only supposed to be a distraction, but you only get yourself burned if you try to fake real feelings.
So Olivia and Luke was far from perfect. She was too self-righteous and he acted like a careless guy who won't bother if it require an effort. And the fact that he accepted so easily, in some ways, to trick his friend and that she prefered to play games instead of simply talking with Bennett made me worry for the first part of the book that I wouldn't enjoy this book. But then again, it's not the first time I'm saying that this author make details works for me that usually wouldn't. And really, it was so fun to see Olivia and Luke get under each other skin. The sexual tension was tangible and I think that real love brought out the best in both of them, opened their eyes to all the things they were missing with their previous mindset. Have to say I'm not a fan of the nickname kiddo in a romance context. There was nothing cringe-worthy about it but I just don't like it. I'm excited for the rest of the series because we met the next heros ; the Dodge's brothers and I hope I'm right to presume that Wyatt will be pair with Lindy, Olivia's boss, who gave her wise advices by the way.
An other emotional journey well done by Maisey Yates.
We already met the heroine in the latest books in the Copper Ridge series, where we witnessed her break-up with her boyfriend. She's the one who broke up with him because he wasn't ready to marry her after one year. At this point, it's best you know that for Olivia Logan, life is planned and it should goes according to it. Her family dynamics's put pressure on her which translates into her need for control, doing what's right and yes, her somewhat stuck-up attitude. But the plan will only go off the rails from the moment she's rescue after a flat tire by a cocky cowboy she knows well. Luke Hollister have seem to enjoyed driving her crazy since she was a teenager and he's been a pain in her ass ever since. If there was an Olympic discipline in arguing, they would win the gold medal. Luke is the only one who realize what's the tension and the awareness is really about, but she's always been off limits to him. First, because he's a decade older and then, she convinced herself his friend Bennett was the man she would marry. When they embark on a plan to make Bennett jealous, it's only supposed to be a distraction, but you only get yourself burned if you try to fake real feelings.
So Olivia and Luke was far from perfect. She was too self-righteous and he acted like a careless guy who won't bother if it require an effort. And the fact that he accepted so easily, in some ways, to trick his friend and that she prefered to play games instead of simply talking with Bennett made me worry for the first part of the book that I wouldn't enjoy this book. But then again, it's not the first time I'm saying that this author make details works for me that usually wouldn't. And really, it was so fun to see Olivia and Luke get under each other skin. The sexual tension was tangible and I think that real love brought out the best in both of them, opened their eyes to all the things they were missing with their previous mindset. Have to say I'm not a fan of the nickname kiddo in a romance context. There was nothing cringe-worthy about it but I just don't like it. I'm excited for the rest of the series because we met the next heros ; the Dodge's brothers and I hope I'm right to presume that Wyatt will be pair with Lindy, Olivia's boss, who gave her wise advices by the way.
An other emotional journey well done by Maisey Yates.
February 23, 2018
I really enjoy Maisey Yates books. You can call me a fan girl - I'll take it. I consider her my comfort read author and she always delivers for me. Smooth-Talking Cowboy is the first in her Gold Valley series, a neighboring town to her Copper Ridge series. More cowboys and small town fun - and I'm still enjoying.
Olivia, or Liv, has been dating Bennett for a year. They grew up together, and when they started dating, it didn't shock anyone. But - when Bennett did not propose to Liv over Christmas, as she expected, she broke up with him, fully expecting him to realize his mistake and beg her back. But he doesn't. This makes Liv upset and sad. Liv likes her life orderly. She is very prim and proper and likes everything in her control. Growing up, her twin sister was wild, and eventually got into heavy drugs and ran away. This put enormous strain on her parents, so Liv did everything she could to be the perfect daughter and not cause problems. This has carried forward as an adult - always trying to be perfect. It would have been perfect to have a Christmas proposal, and she didn't get that and it has thrown her life into a bit of a tail spin.
When she gets a flat tire one day on her way to work at the local winery, none other than Luke is the one that drives by and helps her out. Luke is one of Bennett's best friends. Luke lost a lot in his childhood, and found himself wandering around at the age of sixteen. He made it to the "Get Out of Dodge" ranch where he fell in love with ranching and hard work. Grant, Wyatt and Bennett (brothers) took him in and considered him family. Luke is one of those gruff cowboys - wears his hat low, rolls up his sleeves, and probably cares more about cattle than people. He has secretly loved Liv since he was eighteen, but she was always hooked to Bennett's side. So now they are broken up, she starts to get under his skin more.
Luke wants to buy property for sale by Liv's father - but her father is very picky about who he will sell it to. Liv wants to make Bennett jealous - so they come up with a plan. Luke will pretend to date Liv, if Liv puts in a good word to her dad so Luke can buy the property. Guess what happens?? Liv and Luke fall in love along the way.
I really enjoyed this romance - there is really good sexual tension...
“I don’t,” she said, sniffing loudly. “I don’t believe in indulgence for the sake of it.”
He reached out and grabbed hold of the fork, taking a large slice off the cinnamon roll and putting the bite in his mouth slowly. So very slowly. It was gratuitous. It forced her to watch the motion of his lips, the play of his throat as he swallowed.
“I do,” he said finally. “Whiskey and cinnamon rolls. I do it because it feels good.”
“Not me,” she whispered. She wouldn’t have been able to make her voice louder now if she wanted to.
“Try it,” he said, his voice holding more temptation than all the butter in the cinnamon roll ever could. “You might find it’s not as scary as you think.”
...dirty sex and a great grovel scene at the end.
“I was wrong, Liv. I was flat-out wrong. I want the chance to explain myself.” Hank honked his horn again. Luke hit the side of his truck with his open palm and hung his head out the window again. “Hank! I’m declaring my love here. Don’t make a scene.”
Come on, Hank!
I'm weak for cowboys that have sexy forearms, who drive big trucks, and have lots of stubble. Weak, I tell you!!! Luke knows exactly how to push Liv' buttons so that he gets that judgmental "sniff" out of Liv - and it drives her insane.
“I’m not stuck-up,” she said, bristling.
He shifted in his seat and her eyes were drawn to where his hand was wrapped around his glass. He had strong hands. A working man’s hands. Callused and rough, vaguely dirty around the fingernails even when they were clean.
She imagined that they’d be rough to the touch.
That they would scrape against her skin.
If she were to shake hands with him, or something. Because there were no circumstances otherwise under which they would ever touch.
She looked away.
“Okay, Olivia.” His tone was so maddeningly placating it made her want to punch him.
Liv eventually realizes that she loves the thought of Bennett - but not Bennett himself. Then she is faced with Luke - who brings out passion in her that she didn't know existed.
There are a few things that may not work for all though. I'll just lay them out. First, Luke has slept with a gazillion women and Liv is a virgin. I know - been there done that.
Luke calls Liv "Kiddo" throughout the entire book. Thinking in my personal life, if my husband called me Kiddo, I'd be like - WTF??? But then I think of some of the other nicknames he calls me and maybe we are all weird and Kiddo is okay. But to me, Kiddo lends into the - Luke is the more experienced and Liv is the naive one - and I don't know. Take it as you will.
I'm already in love with Wyatt, Grant and Bennett. I'm ready for their books!
Grade: B
Olivia, or Liv, has been dating Bennett for a year. They grew up together, and when they started dating, it didn't shock anyone. But - when Bennett did not propose to Liv over Christmas, as she expected, she broke up with him, fully expecting him to realize his mistake and beg her back. But he doesn't. This makes Liv upset and sad. Liv likes her life orderly. She is very prim and proper and likes everything in her control. Growing up, her twin sister was wild, and eventually got into heavy drugs and ran away. This put enormous strain on her parents, so Liv did everything she could to be the perfect daughter and not cause problems. This has carried forward as an adult - always trying to be perfect. It would have been perfect to have a Christmas proposal, and she didn't get that and it has thrown her life into a bit of a tail spin.
When she gets a flat tire one day on her way to work at the local winery, none other than Luke is the one that drives by and helps her out. Luke is one of Bennett's best friends. Luke lost a lot in his childhood, and found himself wandering around at the age of sixteen. He made it to the "Get Out of Dodge" ranch where he fell in love with ranching and hard work. Grant, Wyatt and Bennett (brothers) took him in and considered him family. Luke is one of those gruff cowboys - wears his hat low, rolls up his sleeves, and probably cares more about cattle than people. He has secretly loved Liv since he was eighteen, but she was always hooked to Bennett's side. So now they are broken up, she starts to get under his skin more.
Luke wants to buy property for sale by Liv's father - but her father is very picky about who he will sell it to. Liv wants to make Bennett jealous - so they come up with a plan. Luke will pretend to date Liv, if Liv puts in a good word to her dad so Luke can buy the property. Guess what happens?? Liv and Luke fall in love along the way.
I really enjoyed this romance - there is really good sexual tension...
“I don’t,” she said, sniffing loudly. “I don’t believe in indulgence for the sake of it.”
He reached out and grabbed hold of the fork, taking a large slice off the cinnamon roll and putting the bite in his mouth slowly. So very slowly. It was gratuitous. It forced her to watch the motion of his lips, the play of his throat as he swallowed.
“I do,” he said finally. “Whiskey and cinnamon rolls. I do it because it feels good.”
“Not me,” she whispered. She wouldn’t have been able to make her voice louder now if she wanted to.
“Try it,” he said, his voice holding more temptation than all the butter in the cinnamon roll ever could. “You might find it’s not as scary as you think.”
...dirty sex and a great grovel scene at the end.
“I was wrong, Liv. I was flat-out wrong. I want the chance to explain myself.” Hank honked his horn again. Luke hit the side of his truck with his open palm and hung his head out the window again. “Hank! I’m declaring my love here. Don’t make a scene.”
Come on, Hank!
I'm weak for cowboys that have sexy forearms, who drive big trucks, and have lots of stubble. Weak, I tell you!!! Luke knows exactly how to push Liv' buttons so that he gets that judgmental "sniff" out of Liv - and it drives her insane.
“I’m not stuck-up,” she said, bristling.
He shifted in his seat and her eyes were drawn to where his hand was wrapped around his glass. He had strong hands. A working man’s hands. Callused and rough, vaguely dirty around the fingernails even when they were clean.
She imagined that they’d be rough to the touch.
That they would scrape against her skin.
If she were to shake hands with him, or something. Because there were no circumstances otherwise under which they would ever touch.
She looked away.
“Okay, Olivia.” His tone was so maddeningly placating it made her want to punch him.
Liv eventually realizes that she loves the thought of Bennett - but not Bennett himself. Then she is faced with Luke - who brings out passion in her that she didn't know existed.
There are a few things that may not work for all though. I'll just lay them out. First, Luke has slept with a gazillion women and Liv is a virgin. I know - been there done that.
Luke calls Liv "Kiddo" throughout the entire book. Thinking in my personal life, if my husband called me Kiddo, I'd be like - WTF??? But then I think of some of the other nicknames he calls me and maybe we are all weird and Kiddo is okay. But to me, Kiddo lends into the - Luke is the more experienced and Liv is the naive one - and I don't know. Take it as you will.
I'm already in love with Wyatt, Grant and Bennett. I'm ready for their books!
Grade: B
February 6, 2021
Ach god darn it...this was going to be a 4 star and then at 50% it kinda crashed and burned.(Which incidentally should be 85% because the book finishes at 65%)
What I liked -the chemistry between these two were good -complete opposites -an arrangement at play to pretend they were dating.
The pacing felt good, story was building nicely and then it went from a cool cowboy to a complete cheesefest of I love you I have loved you all along ...its always been you etc.
What I liked -the chemistry between these two were good -complete opposites -an arrangement at play to pretend they were dating.
The pacing felt good, story was building nicely and then it went from a cool cowboy to a complete cheesefest of I love you I have loved you all along ...its always been you etc.
February 20, 2018
Luke is a rough and tumble cowboy who wants nothing than to buy land, build a house, and raise cattle. He is loyal to the core and willing to work from dawn to dusk, his body is a testament to how hard he works. Getting sucked into helping a friend try to get back at her ex-boyfriend, Luke learns he is in love with her. Watching Luke process the loss of his mother, leaving the only job he has ever had and learning how to love was quite spectacular.
Olivia has never, ever ventured off the path her parents created for her. From living in the cottage her mother decorated to dating men her father chose for her, Olivia lived that life. When her boyfriend doesn’t propose, she pulls out all the stops to make him see the error of his ways. Using Luke to help her cause, Olivia experiences many firsts. Her heart takes no time in falling in love with Luke, only to be pushed away.
Luke and Olivia had sparks flying from the first page, it is an enemy to lovers story that had me wishing for more. The chemistry is off the charts, it carries throughout their relationship, they love hard and they fight hard. Seeing the two of them learn to explore their feelings and become stronger individuals made them a better lovers and a more mature couple. Ms. Yates keeps the story moving along so smoothly, the readers attention is easily kept from page one through the epilogue. The secondary characters add so much to the story; yet leaves us yearning to know more about them. Smooth Talking Cowboy is a western romance that could easily cross genres and make Gold Valley a visit for all romance lovers!
November 26, 2017
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (live on the blog 2/20/18)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hQhBd1
Hands down. You need some Yates in your life! Honest to goodness. The woman knows how to deliver one lickable cowboy.
The Gist: The only thing worse than being stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire? Being rescued by the man who drives you batshit insane and gets under your skin like no one else.
Trying times, yall. Trying times. But seeing as Olivia needs a hot guy to make her ex jealous and Luke needs help in buying a property he wants... a bargain is made. They'll both get what they want if they can survive 'dating' one another for just a little while.
Luke and Olivia were too much. Yall, they were a handful! Olivia's all prim and proper and never steps a toe out of line. Luke's a do-what-feels-good kinda guy with a passion for tweaking her nerves. They kept me smiling and rooting for them as they worked through some personal issues and some lusty wanna-strip-you-naked issues. Not to mention the eye-rolling-you-drive-me-crazy issues.
I liked watching her get a little naughty with him. Seeing Luke finally go after what he wanted. Seeing them both figure out that other people's choices weren't their fault and didn't reflect on who they were.
And the sex scenes. Woo! Steamy, passionate, curl your toes good. All that bickering and teasing sure makes for some fabulous foreplay. Mmhm.
All in all, total book noms. Smooth-talking Cowboy had me in a swoon. You really can't go wrong with Yates.
February 18, 2018
First of all, I would like to say that my copy of this book had two stories and I am very happy for that. If I had paid for the book (I got an ARC people, I am not a pirate) I would have loved getting two stories for the price of one! I have to admit that due to lack of time I haven't read the second story, but I had mostly good feelings about the main story. Second, this book is connected with a previous series and Olivia appears there, but there is no need to have read it in order to enjoy this one. I haven't and I had no problem getting into this book.
The weird thing about me and this book was the way I liked the characters. In the beginning, I was a little worried that we would have a lot of drama with Olivia's feelings for Bennett and I wasn't very happy with her and her "love" for him. I liked Luke and the way he was courting her. Then Luke who was the good guy changed (nothing drastic don't worry) and started singing another tune which seemed out of place and character. I felt like this change was just a plot to create friction and drama. In the meantime, I had begun liking Olivia more and more because she had started to grow as a character and she was becoming a person I could relate to. She went from the "a little annoying heroine" to a person I actually liked. Good for her and the book!
Despite my hot and cold feelings for the characters I liked the story and I would recommend the book. I can't wait to see what the author plans to do with the other characters we saw in this story.
The weird thing about me and this book was the way I liked the characters. In the beginning, I was a little worried that we would have a lot of drama with Olivia's feelings for Bennett and I wasn't very happy with her and her "love" for him. I liked Luke and the way he was courting her. Then Luke who was the good guy changed (nothing drastic don't worry) and started singing another tune which seemed out of place and character. I felt like this change was just a plot to create friction and drama. In the meantime, I had begun liking Olivia more and more because she had started to grow as a character and she was becoming a person I could relate to. She went from the "a little annoying heroine" to a person I actually liked. Good for her and the book!
Despite my hot and cold feelings for the characters I liked the story and I would recommend the book. I can't wait to see what the author plans to do with the other characters we saw in this story.
July 30, 2018
Why did I read this? Someone needs to take control of my kindle account asap!
Its probably not a BAD book just not something I expected/wanted. It was kind of entertaining but mostly just annoying. The fact that it was written in both point of views made me hate both characters equally so thats fair.
Its probably not a BAD book just not something I expected/wanted. It was kind of entertaining but mostly just annoying. The fact that it was written in both point of views made me hate both characters equally so thats fair.
September 8, 2018
3.5 stars
July 18, 2018
Wooow...i love LUKE so much its ridiculous <3
After finishing this book I can officially say I’m addicted to Maisey Yates books. To say that I love this couple or better yet Luke Hollister is such a understatement of the year (and yes I know it's ONLY February)…It was just that good.
I'm a sucker for HEA for everyone who ends up with someone who they loved for a loooong time without even realizing it.
To tell you the truth I wasn't a fan of Olivia and her obsession with getting engaged in the previous book in this series. It seemed rather strange to push someone when you can feel they are not ready to devote themselves to you for a life time. And as we get to know her more we finally understand what is behind that rush. Her attraction to Luke has made her see all her past mistakes and decisions and when she finally decides to let her guard down – magic happens.
She wanted to be this woman. This woman who had Luke Hollister, at least for now, body and soul. That was the woman she wanted to be. Hers. His.
Now let's talk about Luke - that man can have me and my heart and everything else any damn time he pleases. I fricking love everything about him. The way he’s loyal to his friends, how he denied his attraction for Olivia even if at time he didn’t know that he was doing just that. And when he got the chance to be the first man to have her he jump on the opportunity even when he felt she deserves someone better than him.
But he wanted her. Wanted her more than he wanted to take his next breath, and considering the wanted to live for a good while longer, that was pretty dammed bad.
And when they finally admitted they wanted and love one another – PURE MAGIC <3
»You're not just a pretty girl. There are millions of pretty girls. But there's only one you. and you have had me, had my heart, for a hell of a long time.«
»I've loved you for years, woman. I'm just finally awake. Marry me. So that I don't lose you again. Marry me, Olivia, be my roots. Be my family. Be my home.«
So if I could I would give this book 10* but since I can’t (bummer) I’m giving it (I think maybe my easiest)5* <3
After finishing this book I can officially say I’m addicted to Maisey Yates books. To say that I love this couple or better yet Luke Hollister is such a understatement of the year (and yes I know it's ONLY February)…It was just that good.
I'm a sucker for HEA for everyone who ends up with someone who they loved for a loooong time without even realizing it.
To tell you the truth I wasn't a fan of Olivia and her obsession with getting engaged in the previous book in this series. It seemed rather strange to push someone when you can feel they are not ready to devote themselves to you for a life time. And as we get to know her more we finally understand what is behind that rush. Her attraction to Luke has made her see all her past mistakes and decisions and when she finally decides to let her guard down – magic happens.
She wanted to be this woman. This woman who had Luke Hollister, at least for now, body and soul. That was the woman she wanted to be. Hers. His.
Now let's talk about Luke - that man can have me and my heart and everything else any damn time he pleases. I fricking love everything about him. The way he’s loyal to his friends, how he denied his attraction for Olivia even if at time he didn’t know that he was doing just that. And when he got the chance to be the first man to have her he jump on the opportunity even when he felt she deserves someone better than him.
But he wanted her. Wanted her more than he wanted to take his next breath, and considering the wanted to live for a good while longer, that was pretty dammed bad.
And when they finally admitted they wanted and love one another – PURE MAGIC <3
»You're not just a pretty girl. There are millions of pretty girls. But there's only one you. and you have had me, had my heart, for a hell of a long time.«
»I've loved you for years, woman. I'm just finally awake. Marry me. So that I don't lose you again. Marry me, Olivia, be my roots. Be my family. Be my home.«
So if I could I would give this book 10* but since I can’t (bummer) I’m giving it (I think maybe my easiest)5* <3
January 28, 2019
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I finished my first cowboy romance, and I liked it. This was fun and satisfying friends-to-lovers romance. The push and pull got to me at one point, and Luke's reasoning for it made me nuts, but I liked seeing them final give in and acknowledge their feelings. Luke and Olivia also had a lot of baggage to unpack, and I was glad Yates took the time to address this and let it happen. I always like when time is taken to mend those broken fences. The ending was exactly what I want in a romance. It absolutely left me with a smile on my face.
I will definitely be reading more books in this series.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
I finished my first cowboy romance, and I liked it. This was fun and satisfying friends-to-lovers romance. The push and pull got to me at one point, and Luke's reasoning for it made me nuts, but I liked seeing them final give in and acknowledge their feelings. Luke and Olivia also had a lot of baggage to unpack, and I was glad Yates took the time to address this and let it happen. I always like when time is taken to mend those broken fences. The ending was exactly what I want in a romance. It absolutely left me with a smile on my face.
I will definitely be reading more books in this series.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
June 24, 2018
Good book about two people who seem to be opposites, but turn out to be a lot more alike than they knew. Olivia Logan is Gold Valley's good girl. Unlike her twin sister, Olivia doesn't drink, do drugs, or sleep around. She is always in control of her feelings and has a plan for her life. Part of that plan is marrying Bennett Dodge, whom she has known all her life, and dated for a year. But when Bennett didn't propose, Olivia broke up with him, hoping he'd then see what he was missing. She's dismayed to discover that it hasn't worked out that way, and decides that making him jealous is the next step. The only possible choice for that is Luke Hollister.
Luke is Gold Valley's Romeo. He is good-looking, charming, and known for his flirty ways. Luke came to Gold Valley at the age of sixteen, after his mother's death, looking for a different life. He has put his heart and soul into the Get Out of Dodge ranch, but with the ranch's current focus on being an upscale dude ranch, he figures the time is right for him to branch out on his own. The land that he wants belongs to Olivia's dad, and he wants her help convincing him to sell it to Luke.
The sparks between Olivia and Luke were obvious from the start. Olivia has known him for most of her life, and ever since she became an adult, he has succeeded in getting under her skin. I had some trouble warming up to her because she seemed to be such an uptight, judgmental, and manipulative woman. I especially didn't like the way that she looked down on Luke because of his beat-up truck and his rough hands. I also didn't like the ways that she had tried to force Bennett's hand. Though he goes along with her plan for his own reasons, Luke is a pretty straightforward guy. He makes no secret of the fact that he doesn't do commitments, and he treats the ladies well while they are together. I did get the feeling that he rather enjoyed the idea of pulling on Bennett's chain a bit.
Neither Olivia nor Luke expected that their fake relationship would feel very real very quickly. Olivia was very inexperienced, with Bennett having been her only relationship, and that was pretty lukewarm. It was interesting to note that she complained about the way Luke's attitude made her "itch" when it wasn't really an itch at all, she just didn't see it for what it was. Luke seemed to get a lot of joy out of provoking Olivia whenever he could, just to get a rise out of her. Their banter and sniping were fun to watch. I really enjoyed the dart game, and Luke's attempts to distract her (reminded me of the shooting scene in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves). I liked seeing how Luke's attention made Olivia see the truth about her feelings for Bennett.
There were a couple of really terrific scenes where Luke and Olivia shared the painful parts of their pasts which had made them the people they were today. With Luke's help, Olivia finally started to realize that her sister's choices were her own and that Olivia didn't need to bury her true self in an attempt to make up for Vanessa's actions. I also liked that Luke was able to tell Olivia about his mother and what his life had been like, and why he doesn't do commitments. I really liked seeing how both Olivia and Luke changed as they grew closer. I ached for Olivia when she realized how much she loved Luke and told him so, only to have him pull back coldly and cruelly. I ached for Luke, too, because the thought of Olivia's love scared him so badly. An eye-opening lecture came from an unexpected source. I loved Luke's big moment at the end. He had a pretty amazing and heartfelt groveling session as he made things right with Olivia, topped off with a really romantic scene at his new ranch. The epilogue was sweet, too.
Luke is Gold Valley's Romeo. He is good-looking, charming, and known for his flirty ways. Luke came to Gold Valley at the age of sixteen, after his mother's death, looking for a different life. He has put his heart and soul into the Get Out of Dodge ranch, but with the ranch's current focus on being an upscale dude ranch, he figures the time is right for him to branch out on his own. The land that he wants belongs to Olivia's dad, and he wants her help convincing him to sell it to Luke.
The sparks between Olivia and Luke were obvious from the start. Olivia has known him for most of her life, and ever since she became an adult, he has succeeded in getting under her skin. I had some trouble warming up to her because she seemed to be such an uptight, judgmental, and manipulative woman. I especially didn't like the way that she looked down on Luke because of his beat-up truck and his rough hands. I also didn't like the ways that she had tried to force Bennett's hand. Though he goes along with her plan for his own reasons, Luke is a pretty straightforward guy. He makes no secret of the fact that he doesn't do commitments, and he treats the ladies well while they are together. I did get the feeling that he rather enjoyed the idea of pulling on Bennett's chain a bit.
Neither Olivia nor Luke expected that their fake relationship would feel very real very quickly. Olivia was very inexperienced, with Bennett having been her only relationship, and that was pretty lukewarm. It was interesting to note that she complained about the way Luke's attitude made her "itch" when it wasn't really an itch at all, she just didn't see it for what it was. Luke seemed to get a lot of joy out of provoking Olivia whenever he could, just to get a rise out of her. Their banter and sniping were fun to watch. I really enjoyed the dart game, and Luke's attempts to distract her (reminded me of the shooting scene in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves). I liked seeing how Luke's attention made Olivia see the truth about her feelings for Bennett.
There were a couple of really terrific scenes where Luke and Olivia shared the painful parts of their pasts which had made them the people they were today. With Luke's help, Olivia finally started to realize that her sister's choices were her own and that Olivia didn't need to bury her true self in an attempt to make up for Vanessa's actions. I also liked that Luke was able to tell Olivia about his mother and what his life had been like, and why he doesn't do commitments. I really liked seeing how both Olivia and Luke changed as they grew closer. I ached for Olivia when she realized how much she loved Luke and told him so, only to have him pull back coldly and cruelly. I ached for Luke, too, because the thought of Olivia's love scared him so badly. An eye-opening lecture came from an unexpected source. I loved Luke's big moment at the end. He had a pretty amazing and heartfelt groveling session as he made things right with Olivia, topped off with a really romantic scene at his new ranch. The epilogue was sweet, too.
February 22, 2018
***ARC Provided by the Author and InkSlinger PR***
3.5 Stars
This is my first title by Maisey Yates, and I definitely enjoyed it. I liked her writing style and I loved the way the characters seemed to take on a life of their own.
Luke and Olivia have known one another forever, but she has decided he is not the perfect one for her, and that she wants the man her father, and the town thinks she should be with. She has this life planned out, she knows what she thinks she wants, and is adorably frustrated when life fails to follow her plans. Luke is one of those things that are NOT in Olivia's life plan. He is totally wrong for her...or so she thinks. And, as there is nothing between them, playing that they are dating to make Bennett jealous is a no risk solution to the problem.
Right?
Wrong.
The story itself isn't all that original...but the way it is told definitely is. I related to the characters, they seemed like the kind of people you meet, and know, in real life. I feel like I could go to the bar with Luke and hang out at the winery with Olivia.
There were parts that I thought the secondary characters had a little too much of the story line, but that is not uncommon in the first book of the series, and it is not something that ruined the story.
I am looking forward to the next titles in the series.
***This and other reviews featured on our blog Booked All Night http://bookedallnightblog.com/***
3.5 Stars
This is my first title by Maisey Yates, and I definitely enjoyed it. I liked her writing style and I loved the way the characters seemed to take on a life of their own.
Luke and Olivia have known one another forever, but she has decided he is not the perfect one for her, and that she wants the man her father, and the town thinks she should be with. She has this life planned out, she knows what she thinks she wants, and is adorably frustrated when life fails to follow her plans. Luke is one of those things that are NOT in Olivia's life plan. He is totally wrong for her...or so she thinks. And, as there is nothing between them, playing that they are dating to make Bennett jealous is a no risk solution to the problem.
Right?
Wrong.
The story itself isn't all that original...but the way it is told definitely is. I related to the characters, they seemed like the kind of people you meet, and know, in real life. I feel like I could go to the bar with Luke and hang out at the winery with Olivia.
There were parts that I thought the secondary characters had a little too much of the story line, but that is not uncommon in the first book of the series, and it is not something that ruined the story.
I am looking forward to the next titles in the series.
***This and other reviews featured on our blog Booked All Night http://bookedallnightblog.com/***
March 4, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of the book.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is my first Maisey Yates book and while it took me a while to get into to it (I found myself putting it down repeatedly up until I got about 20% in), once I was into it, I was committed and couldn't put it down. Olivia was sort of a prickly character and until you get to know more about her past, it was difficult to like her. But once she opens up, it's really easy to cheer for her. I really liked Luke and it was really enjoyable watching him evolve and come into his own. They make such a sweet couple and are really proof that opposites attract and that you can know someone for years without really knowing them. It's a great story of nature vs nurture, a cautionary tale of what can happen when you let grief, loss, and fear run your life, and the beauty of embracing yourself and love. I loved how nuanced and layered all of the characters were and I'm really excited to see what's coming next in the Gold Valley series and will definitely be reading her Copper Ridge series as well. 3.75 out of 5 wine glasses.
Smooth-Talking Cowboy is my first Maisey Yates book and while it took me a while to get into to it (I found myself putting it down repeatedly up until I got about 20% in), once I was into it, I was committed and couldn't put it down. Olivia was sort of a prickly character and until you get to know more about her past, it was difficult to like her. But once she opens up, it's really easy to cheer for her. I really liked Luke and it was really enjoyable watching him evolve and come into his own. They make such a sweet couple and are really proof that opposites attract and that you can know someone for years without really knowing them. It's a great story of nature vs nurture, a cautionary tale of what can happen when you let grief, loss, and fear run your life, and the beauty of embracing yourself and love. I loved how nuanced and layered all of the characters were and I'm really excited to see what's coming next in the Gold Valley series and will definitely be reading her Copper Ridge series as well. 3.75 out of 5 wine glasses.
February 9, 2018
Smooth-Talking Cowboy got off to a bit of a slow start. It took a few chapters for me to really get enamored with the book.
This is the story of Olivia and Luke. They ooze chemistry and fire from the first time we see them on the page together. There is an underlying connection between the two, no matter how much they claim their fake relationship is about something else. Its a spark the reader can feel.
I fell in love easily with Luke. He's gruff and standoffish, but lets little pieces of himself be seen without realizing it. He tries to go with the flow more than move it. He was a great balance to Olivia's stiffness. Olivia was hard to enjoy at first. She keeps herself safe behind an iron wall. Luke chipped away at it and as the pieces began to fall, it was easy to see what Luke saw before everyone else.
Overall, Smooth Talking Cowboy was a decent read. It was slow moving, but developed well. This book is the first in a new series and set up a lot. I'm excited to see what comes from this series next.
This is the story of Olivia and Luke. They ooze chemistry and fire from the first time we see them on the page together. There is an underlying connection between the two, no matter how much they claim their fake relationship is about something else. Its a spark the reader can feel.
I fell in love easily with Luke. He's gruff and standoffish, but lets little pieces of himself be seen without realizing it. He tries to go with the flow more than move it. He was a great balance to Olivia's stiffness. Olivia was hard to enjoy at first. She keeps herself safe behind an iron wall. Luke chipped away at it and as the pieces began to fall, it was easy to see what Luke saw before everyone else.
Overall, Smooth Talking Cowboy was a decent read. It was slow moving, but developed well. This book is the first in a new series and set up a lot. I'm excited to see what comes from this series next.
February 4, 2019
I like them together. And i loved ,,kiddo”
January 24, 2022
I listened to this book in audiobook format.
July 17, 2022
Sorry terrible writing. If I had to read "grit my teeth" one more time. Aaaahhh. The first chapter seemed so cute. DNF
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews