A first kiss leads to a second chance for this returning cowboy…
For thirteen years, Arizona King has tried to forget Micah Stone, the man who broke her heart. She was eighteen the night they confessed their feelings for each other. The next morning, he was gone. Maybe she was too young, too inexperienced—after all, he was twelve years older and fresh out of a serious relationship. Arizona vowed to never be so vulnerable again. But that promise proves hard to keep when Micah suddenly returns to Four Corners Ranch, looking for his son…
Soon it becomes clear those feelings never burned out for either of them. Still, after all this time, Arizona’s carrying more scars than she lets on… Should she give this headstrong cowboy a second chance—or will he turn tail once more and leave for good?
New 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.
Her Wayward Cowboy by Maisey Yates is a novella that I found at the end of Cowboy Wild. This was the first foray I read that opened another one of the families at The Four Corners Ranch, the Kings. Arizona King was just 18 when she realized that she had strong feelings for one of the hired hands. Micah Stone realized he too had strong feelings for her as well, but then he had to leave.
Arizona King made some poor choices but managed to survive his leaving, but became very bitter and mean. Until one day a kid drove in looking for a job, a kid that looked like Micah Stone and right behind him came Micah Stone himself. Arizona and Micah - do they have another chance at love or is Arizona too embittered to take that leap of faith?
This was a quick read being a novella. I didn’t like Arizona, but I felt so sorry for her loss and wanted her to get her happily ever after. Micah is another hot cowboy. (Thanks Maisey!) Her Wayward Cowboy by Maisey Yates was a good read.
This series has had a lot of novellas which, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed more than the full-length stories. This one started strong and I found the idea of how Arizona and Micah meet up again interesting. They have a ton of chemistry, too. But I felt a lot was left on the table by making this a novella instead of a full-length book.
Here’s my biggest problem…lately I’ve felt this author has spent too much time in the heads of her characters. It’s isolating to read about their every thought and feeling yet not read about their interactions with those around them. For every one page of dialogue or time spent with others, there are 10 pages of self-reflection. At least that’s how it seems to me. That is one of the reasons I’ve been enjoying the novellas more. I feel I’m still getting the Maisey Yates chemistry and emotions without it getting too wordy or going off the rails. There was a point in this very short book where I actually was getting concerned about Arizona being too in her head, and that’s annoying when there isn’t a lot of time to throw these characters together.
Once Arizona and Micah get to spend some one on one time together it was plain to see they would be a great couple. Arizona’s interactions with Micah’s son were also top-notch. That’s where I felt things were left undone. I wanted more of that connection. I wanted Micah to see how wonderful Arizona was with his son and to see Arizona’s nurturing side come out a bit more. But it was like they connected and aired their grievances and, bing bam boom, the end.
I’ve said before I have no problem with insta-love, especially in a novella. There is only so much time to get from A to B. Yet I feel this was rushed. I still will give it a solid rating because when the characters were interacting, the connections were spot on.
Cowboy Wild by Maisey Yates Four Corners Ranch #3 Her Wayward Cowboy Four Corners Ranch #2.5 Related series Copper Ridge 417-page Kindle Ebook main story ends at 321, novella starts at 323
Genre: Western Romance
Featuring: Ranch, Oregon, Horses, Like A Brother Trope, Mentor Trope, Sex - Detailed, Long Chapters, Forbidden Love Trope, Bonus Novella: Her Wayward Cowboy: Single Father, Dual Timelines, Second Chance Trope, Texas, Book Preview - The Rough Rider Ch. One Page 395
Rating as a movie: NC-17 for strong sexual content
My ratings: Cowboy Wild ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🤠 🐎 Her Wayward Cowboy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️😣🤠
My thoughts: 🔖Page 25 of 321/417 Ch. 2 - This is weird. 🔖235 Ch. 15 - I was thinking about quitting the series after this one but it has changed my mind. Even though it has a lot of the same themes on repeat, this one has good tension.
Cowboy Wild - I don't know why the epilogues always go a few books ahead. I could guess who the friend ended up with. I appreciate the music mentioned and the banter of the characters. There were some inconsistencies so not quite 5-star.
Her Wayward Cowboy - This story was enjoyable but I couldn't figure out which fairytale was used, maybe none. 13 was a bit too young and unbelievable.
I was not expecting to like these stories to be this good. I'm going to continue, maybe one book a week or something.
Recommend to others: Yes, this was one of the better stories in the series.
Four Corners Ranch Her First Christmas Cowboy (2021) The Cowboy She Loves to Hate (2021) Once Upon a Cowboy (2022) 1. Unbridled Cowboy (2022) Her Cowboy Prince Charming (2022) 2. Merry Christmas Cowboy (2022) aka Merry Christmas Cowboy / Her Cowboy Prince Charming Her Wayward Cowboy (2023) 3. Cowboy Wild (2023) 4. The Rough Rider (2023) Wild Night Cowboy (2023) 5. The Holiday Heartbreaker (2023) 6. The Troublemaker (2023) The Rival (2024)
As with all these in between novellas of the main series, this was just way too short and would have been a whole lot better if it was longer. I liked the setup and the tropes, but I just felt like it was incomplete especially at the end. There needed to be a little more. It wasn’t exactly it felt rushed just that it was missing even though it did reach an HEA. I don’t know if I bought it though. I didn’t feel like they were at the love stage at that point.
However I did appreciate the introduction of the King family and more of the characters in the world that will be getting their own books in the future. I liked having all those background and setup to anticipate what is to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really enjoyed Her Wayward Cowboy. Arizona King has not been happy for many years. Thirteen years to be exact. Fans of Four Corners Ranch find out why in this quick read novella.
When I was reading the story, and understanding where she was coming from all I kept wishing for was her to have a happily ever after. If anyone deserves one it is Arizona.
Adding to the story is Daniel Stone. He is an absolute Hoot. He comes to the King Ranch searching for what his father has talked about for as long as he can remember. For Arizona it was like traveling back in time. She brought back to the present when Micah shocks his son by coming up behind him.
The question is will he be a happy or sad shock for Arizona.
Novellas are hard to review in my opinion because they always end too soon and things wrap up to soon. Arizona King fell in love with an older man at 18 and it all went to pot when he suddenly left. 14 years later she is as mean as a snake and let the scars on her body also scar her heart. Now Micah is back and maybe she can let her guard down. Its hard to keep all that hate inside and she wanted so badly to heal.. Micah wants that too.
Part of the Four Corners Ranch series in which Arizona King has to overcome the scars on her heart and on her body in order to confront what she has hidden for too many years. Who breaks her open? The son of the man she's loved since her teens begins the process, but then Micah completes the process when he succumbs to Arizona's demand that they have sex and she ends up being made love to in ways she never could imagine.
How all this ends gives hope to all who seek second chances.
I always rate books with stars but very rarely write a review. I am writing a review this time because this was an intense book and way too short! The main characters - Arizona and Micah - were intense personalities and I wanted/needed more info on how they developed. I wanted to see how they lived together and how Arizona's family reacted to their relationship.
I tend not to rate novellas. Too short to really review. This one was fine. One member of the 4 ranch commune fell in love with a ranch hand at 18 but he had to leave suddenly, without telling her why. Being the self destructive teen she was, things happened. Due to lousy parenting, she kept everything locked up inside and basically turned mean to everyone around her.
Arizona King fell in love with Micah Stone when she was too young for him. She almost dies in a car accident of her own doing. All of a sudden Micah’s son, Daniel, shows up on the ranch wanting a job. Micah comes after him and soon the attraction is still there.
This was a well written short story. A quick little read where everything seems to finally click into place, even after 13 years of pain and spiraling into your own madness from being unable to voice yourself and your story.
I love reading Maisey Yates, she is an awesome author. And she writes what I love to read. Cowboys She pulls you into her story and doesn’t let you go till the end. I highly recommend this book.
I love second chance romances… and this novella delivers a unique story with a broken, distant heroine who wants the man who left all those years ago to restore her to herself.
Thoroughly enjoyed this short story about Arizona and Micah. It took 14 years for them to be reunited and the chemistry as just as strong between them.