Review by Ronny

Series Name: Four Corners Ranch, # 4 

The Rough Rider is an emotional and heartfelt cowboy romance that was fun to read.

Favourite Quote: 

He was kissing her like he was starving. Consuming her.

Book Synopsis: 

When Alaina finds herself pregnant and alone, she knows she’s in a tight spot. Small towns like hers tend to raise eyebrows at unwed mothers and she knows the vicious gossip mill will soon be churning. Thankfully, her ruggedly stoic childhood protector, Gus McCloud, knows a thing or two about guarding secrets. Offering Alaina a marriage on paper is the least he can do.

As a hardworking rancher, Gus is well equipped to provide for Alaina and her baby. And despite plans for a solitary life, he wants to. He knows what it’s like to be an outsider, especially after a traumatic childhood left him with scars inside and out. Alaina has long dreamed of a fairy-tale romance, but as the growing fire between her and Gus starts feeling real enough to burn, she questions what that means. Maybe her fake marriage to Gus is the real love she’s been missing all along.

Review:

I know Maisy Yates is one of the top queens in the cowboy romance world, and it seemed like a real shame that I hadn’t read one of her books yet. Also, our book club’s March theme was cowboy romances, so I knew it was time to pick up a Maisy book. Now, I chose this book solely because it was on sale on my Kobo and figured it would be ok to jump in the middle of the series, guessing that every book would read as a stand-alone (which it does). I have some real mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to like it, and part of me did, but not as much as I’d hoped. I will also say this book will probably not be for everyone. I know accidental pregnancy is not a fan favourite in the bookworm world, and some of the focus on the age gap between the two main characters was a bit off.

This is a romance that really focuses on the emotional and internal growth of its characters. There are things happening outside the relationship bubble around Alaina and Gus, but it felt like those events are setting up future books or being used as guest appearances for the main characters from previous books. I guess what I am trying to say is that this book is character-driven, focusing on Alaina and Gus’s internal growth, both as a couple and individually. These two main characters have some pretty heavy emotional baggage, and Gus has some horrific childhood trauma that has left him both physically and mentally scared. Gus’s character feels like the author took that broken hero vibe and turned it up to the max. I am a sucker for a broken hero, especially in a historical or mafia romance. I tend not to be too fond of them in contemporary romances, so I was interested to see if I would like a broken cowboy, and my answer is kind of. I liked Gus’s character, and at the end of the day, this book is really about Gus learning to let go of the past horrors and allow himself to be loved and to love. Gus truly believes that he is not deserving of a family because he believes that he will become like his abusive father. Gus’s journey really tugs at the heartstrings and gives this book tremendous depth. I liked Gus and his story. His growth in this book felt real and was not smooth. It was a real rollercoaster ride.

Now, I don’t mind an accidental pregnancy romance. I usually find it adds a lot of fun and potentially crazy drama to the plot. My problem with the pregnancy plotline in this book was that it felt like it would be part of the story one moment and then completely forgotten the next. It was weird and left me feeling a little disjointed with the plot at times. Alaina’s unexpected pregnancy and her not wanting to have a baby out of wedlock were the main motivators for her and Gus agreeing to a marriage of convenience. I don’t know how I feel about Alaina’s reasoning and her fears about being an unwed mother; they seem slightly dated. I get that there still may be a stigma around being a single parent, but her fears just seemed a little extreme to me. I think it would have been better if the author had gone with Alaina having fears about supporting a child financially, or maybe needing access to health insurance. Fears that fit with our time.

My other major problem with this book is the uncomfortable focus Gus seemed to have on the age gap between him and Alaina. Once again, I don’t mind an age gap romance. As long as everyone is a consenting adult, and the author handles the age gap correctly, it can make for a great romance read. My problem is that Gus kept on thinking and saying that Alaina is a child or that she is way too young. It kept coming up again and again that he didn’t find her attractive and didn’t want to sleep with her until she was legally an adult. But he was still drawn to her before that. It was slightly creepy and weird. Honestly, the author should not have focused on the age gap as much as she did. Sure, bring it up once and then let it go. But by bringing it up again and again, it just made the whole situation uncomfortable.

Let’s talk romance. I enjoyed the romance, once you set aside all the age gap focus. Alaina is sassy and doesn’t take Gus’s crap. I loved that she stood up to Gus when he was being a stubborn idiot. Their romance isn’t easy breezy because of all the emotional baggage they both have; there are lots of ups and downs, some miscommunications, and walls that have to be destroyed. Overall, I liked these two together. It was sweet to watch Gus try to navigate how to woo Alaina. There was just the right amount of spice, and overall, the romance was swoony.

The Rough Rider was a hit and miss for me, but I would definitely try another Maisy Yates book.