In this sexy, sweet prequel novella to her new series, USA TODAY bestselling author Maisey Yates welcomes readers to the charming small town of Copper Ridge, Oregon, where it’s never too late for second chances.
There’s not much about his teenage years that Jake Caldwell can be proud of. Except maybe for keeping his hands off cute, kindhearted Cassie Ventimiglia. She was the only one who saw him as more than a tattooed rebel who couldn’t wait to leave the ranching life behind. Now he’s back in Copper Ridge to sell his father’s property—and staying right above Cassie’s coffee shop. And out of nowhere, the girl he’s never forgotten is offering a whole lot more than fresh-baked muffins…
Jake’s dark, smoldering appeal hasn’t changed one bit. But Cassie has. Following everyone else’s rules didn’t quite work out. Time to ask for what she’s always wanted…and what Jake’s more than happy to give: a wild, hot romance that could make a one-time bad boy realize he’s back for good.
Don’t miss Part Time Cowboy, the first in the Copper Ridge series, from HQN Books!
Coming April 1
The prequel to Yates latest trilogy is a sweet, second-chance love story.
Both hero and heroine knew each other in high school. The one night things could’ve went further our hero, Jake, left the small town of Copper Ridge to escape a bad father and being a failure. Now he’s back to wrap affairs with his father’s passing, and those affairs are tangled up with strong-willed Cassie. Could this situation get any sweeter? Nope.
This story had less humor than what I’m used to from a Yates contemporary, plenty of emotion, and lots of smexy. Cassie and Jake are straight up hot as they navigate the possibilities that they weren’t able to explore years ago. The result is two people who can’t get enough of each other, but the bedroom isn’t capable of battling every demon.
Jake is the tortured hero, back to face his past, including the father who didn’t think much of him. He’s got a lot of pent up anger and frustration. His reasoning and motivations are easy to grasp. Of course, he doesn’t expect to have to deal with Cassie on top of it. It’s like icing and unwanted pounds—you want to eat one without gaining the other.
Cassie is fighting her own issues. She’s a struggling business owner (love this) and a divorcee. Not in the market for relationship, Jake’s re-appearance is a chance to prove she’s still got it. It’s also an opportunity to find out what this bad, motorcycle-riding, boy plans to do with the building her coffee shop operates out of, since his father owned it before his death.
It’s a quick, clip of a story that introduces all the major players in the remaining books of the series, as well as gives a quick look at the idyllic, small town of Copper Ridge, Oregon. I’ll admit that when I got to the end I really wanted more. I felt like there’d been room to explore Jake and Cassie’s personalities further and time to let the romance blossom completely. Not a whole book per se, but at least another twenty pages. I get the purpose for prequels and this story does its job, I want to read the series, but it felt like something was missing.
Overall, if you enjoy Victoria Dahl, then the Copper Ridge series is one you’ll want to read.
