A Real Cowboy Hero
Guest Post by Bestselling Author Maisey Yates
I’m a big fan of the cowboy hero (of course, that isn’t a secret!). What is it about them that’s so appealing? I mean, what isn’t? I love the idea of a man who plays by his own rules. A man who works hard, loves the land…is good with his hands. Sure, he might not be the most in touch with his feelings, he might be a little bit old-fashioned, but the cowboy hero is always going to be true to his woman.
That’s definitely my idea of the cowboy hero in fiction. Of course, we know real life isn’t always as spectacular as fiction. Given that, you can imagine my delight when the heroic actions of a real life Oregon cowboy made worldwide news a couple of months ago!
When a robber tried to make off with a bicycle at a Walmart in Oregon, a cowboy stepped in. Hearing that someone was making off with a bike, the cowboy saddled up and LASSOED the thief from the back of his horse before he could get away.
Since I write cowboys in Oregon, I think the article got sent to me about 50 times over social media by people who thought of me and my heroes when they read about it. I thought it was pretty amazing to have something so close to home go viral like that, but then I figured that was the end of it.
But a few weeks later I went to a local baseball game, and who was there throwing the first pitch, but our heroic cowboy!
Well, I couldn’t let the chance to meet this real life cowboy hero pass me by.
I made my way down to where he was sitting and awkwardly introduced myself (I don’t do anything in a non-awkward manner, that’s just a fact). Now, my husband was there too, but you know, for you, dear readers, I will disclose that when I shook the cowboy’s hand I took note they were strong. Rough and calloused from much hard work outdoors. This is the kind of detail I take the time to observe for you, because I’m a giver. 🙂
His name was Robert, (and he gave me permission to share this story) and he was definitely a gentleman. We all know that heroes exist in the real world, and not just in the pages of romance novels. But it is pretty unusual to meet a hero who lassoed a thief and prevented a robbery. All while wearing a cowboy hat.
About the author:
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.
About Last Chance Rebel:
The prodigal son of Copper Ridge, Oregon, has finally come home…
The man who ruined Rebecca Bear’s life just strolled back into it with one heck of an offer. Years ago, Gage West’s recklessness left Rebecca scarred inside and out. Now he wants to make amends by gifting her the building that houses her souvenir store. Rebecca won’t take Gage’s charity, but she’s willing to make a deal with the sexy, reclusive cowboy. Yet keeping her enemy close is growing dangerously appealing…
He’s the wild West brother, the bad seed of Copper Ridge. That’s why Gage needs the absolution Rebecca offers. He just didn’t expect to need her. After years of regretting his past, he knows where his future lies—with this strong, irresistible woman who could make a black sheep come home to stay…
Review:
Last Chance Rebel has a very different feel to it from the rest of the series, though–it’s darker, more somber, and tougher to get into at first. Rebecca is one of the prickliest heroines I’ve ever read (awesome name aside, of course–;)), definitely the prickliest Maisey Yates heroine I’ve read to this point. She’s got some major issues (deserved, for the most part) and is very, very bitter toward Gage for a big chunk of the book–but she gradually becomes less prickly, less bitter, and before I knew it she actually had me sitting firmly in her corner. I loved that she took responsibility for herself and realized on her own that holding on to grudges and resentment was only hurting her. She didn’t need anyone else to “fix” her–which she was saying from the beginning, but by the end, we realized it was true.
Gage is a gruff hero, determined for a lot of the book to cast himself in the role of villain even while he’s trying desperately to fix everything he thinks he’s responsible for–and a whole lot he isn’t. Rebecca might have been carrying the physical scars of their first encounter all those years ago, but his mental ones were just as damaging. He’s the one who I wanted to shake some sense into by the end of the story–fortunately, Rebecca did it for me, and what she started his younger brother Colton helped finish. Once he finally got his stubborn butt on board, together they came up with a fantastic epilogue.
Even when they were fighting their attraction with everything they had, Gage and Rebecca had fantastic chemistry together that made reading much of the darker stuff easier to bear. I loved them together, and was ready to set off a few fireworks myself for them by the end.
How soon will book #7 be out? 😉
Rating: 4 /12 stars / A-
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
Since I loved the H/h from book one in this book, I’m sure I will 🙂
Happy to take part!