Review: Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Smooth-Talking Cowboy (Gold Valley #1) by Maisey Yates
Publication date: February 20th 2018
Publisher: HQN Books
My rating: 4.5 Stars
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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.

My Thoughts:

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. 

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