Emotionally tortured cowboy and sheltered best friend's virgin little sister are some of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately, Brady and Amanda's secret relationship, while at times sweet and steamy, suffered from too much internal monologue and not enough doing.

For a sheltered virgin, Amanda was remarkably determined and feisty in the face of four overly protective brothers who lost their collective minds when she took a bartending job in a seedy local bar. I loved that Amanda not only stood up to her brothers but also constantly called Brady out for his patronizing big brotherly protector shtick.

The problem was that Brady was stuck in his own head for most of the story. Brady was so busy internalizing about his dead father's emotional abuse and his two brothers' inability to take him seriously that he hardly had time to realize that Amanda was a fully grown, fully desirable woman waiting for him.

Amanda was basically infantilized by everyone from her brothers to Brady himself. It was frankly gross that everyone commented about how Brady had changed Amanda's diapers. Her brothers' determination to keep her sheltered bordered on obsessive, particularly her brother Riley (Brady's best friend). Riley kept accusing Brady of betraying him, which was just too melodramatic for me.

In the end, Brady's old fashioned goal to "court" Amanda was cute and sweet, if not patronizing since Amanda saw no need to be courted. Likewise, Brady's campaign to get her brothers' blessings was well-intentioned but again, unnecessary. The only grand gesture that really mattered, imo, was his actual private ILY declaration to Amanda.

3 stars
This was a take on older Cowboy finally seeing younger gal as a woman. I have no problem with age gaps but when it keeps being mentioned and referenced when the 10 years was greater when she was younger than now... It just is hard to ignore.

The story had some positive moments, it's strong cowboy falling hard so i enjoyed that.

I really wanted to love this story. I typically like the brother's best friend trope, and age-gaps don't necessarily bother me, but the way this one was written just wasn't for me. Brady thinks Amanda is in high-school at the beginning of the book (she's 22, he's 32), and several references are made to how he used to change her diapers and still thinks of her as "that little Kittredge girl". He starts to think of her differently when she's bartending and wearing revealing clothing. But even then, he fights the attraction, not just because she's his best friends little sister, but because he still thinks of her as a teenager. Again, not my personal preference but I know lots of people who loved this book.

Despite the age gap cringe, there was also a lot of patriarchy nonsense too. I like the whole protective cowboy thing, but this went a little far. Brady basically told her to go home and if she wouldn't, he would pick her up and carry her there himself. All because he didn't want her to go to a bar and have a drink. Granted, it was a somewhat seedy bar but that whole approach makes me cringe.

I had a hard time liking these characters and this story line. I don't think it helped that this was the first book of the series that I read, maybe if I had been in their world longer I would've enjoyed it more?

Again, this book was not my cup of tea but I do see lots of 4 and 5 star reviews, so if it sounds like your style, I hope this review doesn't keep you from reading it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

“The Last Real Cowboy” by Caitlin Crews
A page turner for sure. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley requesting an honest review. I honestly truly enjoyed my time within this story. A bit spicy but not too spicy as the spice is a real part and parcel of the story. It is a contemporary romance and part of the author’s ‘Cold River Ranch’ series. I do believe I have read all the stories of this series thus I know some of the back-stories of some of the other characters. But you could read this as a stand-alone and still find this story a true page-turner just as I did. Happy Reading ! !

This was a really cute book. I adored the chemistry between Amanda and Brady. What I loved most though was how she went to bat for him and showed that she loved hard just as she had been raised to do. Perfect cowboy read.

The Last Real Cowboy is the third book in the Cold River Ranch series.
This one is more of a 2.5 stars book for me.
This follows the best friends little sister trope and a supposed big age gap (10 years). We have a guy, Brady, who is the youngest of three brothers and that has had to deal with daddy issues. He is very close friends with Amanda's brothers, hence the trope. She is a 22 year old young woman who has dealt with a very over protective family and finally decides to leave home and find a job at a seedy bar. She's in search of independence and of one night stands. Yes, she's in desperate need to be more experienced. It is when she approaches Brady, who she has had a crush on forever, and lets him know that she has chosen him to teach her all these experiences she wants.
I had very mixed feelings throughout the book. We are constantly told that Brady sees her as a girl and is constantly remembering of how she was when she was little. Amanda is also always making references of how she is now a woman and not a child. Though at times she does seem a little too immature. Also, I really don't think that Brady was emotionally stable to deal with this kind of relationship. He is having to deal with his feelings about his deceased father and his two brothers, at the same time that he is keeping his relationship with Amanda secret.
Overall the comments made about the age difference and how Brady at times felt bad for being sexually attracted to someone he changed diapers made for a not very likable read. It felt cringey at times.

Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC through NetGalley for an honest opinion.

A beautiful story. Two strong-willed people who have known each other all their life try to live their own independent life in a small town where everybody knows everyone's business. She makes him a proposition he can't refuse. Add a bit of secrecy and voilà, things are happening. Very entertaining !

I am in the minority group here. I didn't like Amanda and felt that she needed to mature. Yes she was sheltered but she is now 22. and I am glad she decided it was time for a change, but I didn't feel she and Brady had that chemistry. Brady grossed me out, here he is thinking that Amanda was underage yet wanted her,ew. I never did get the best friend brother thing so we can't have a relationship but it must happen since so many, I mean so many authors seem to write about this. All in all there were times the story was not bad, but would I recommend probably not there are other good books out there.

I guess you could also call this story “Last Brother Standing” as it is about Brady Everett – the last brother to find his HEA – and what it is like for him to return to small town living. It opens with Amanda Kittredge lamenting her small-town life, that she loves, but it just seems everyone knows your bizness. She is at a potluck and the guy she has been crushing on her entire life is oblivious to her…because he is her older brothers’ BFF. And as we all know, due to the bro-code, she is off limits to him. Still doesn’t make it any easier for her to deal with.

Of course, to Brady, she is still the young sister of his best friend, and he should NOT be noticing that she’s all grown up. And that’s when the fun starts – Brady is goin’ down!

Good story of how Amanda breaks away – but not too far – from her over-protective family and starts living life on her own terms, much to the dismay of her brothers. When they turn to Brady to watch over her so she won’t know (yeah, right!), he falls head over heels for Amanda…and fights it every step of the way.

Good story, Amanda’s family is great and there is a lot of turmoil for Brady. He finally gets to understand his brothers, Amanda’s brothers, and his hometown. My favorite brother!

The Last Real Cowboy by Caitlin Crews is book three in her Cold River Ranch series. The book could be read as a stand alone, for best redaing experience I recommend to read the books in order.

Brady Everett is the bane of Amanda Kittredge's existence. She has 4 older brothers, overprotective older brothers and knows how to handle them. But Brady steals her last nerve.
The stoiry is set in Cold River, Colorado.
It's a slow burn romance, with characters that are good people. A small town romance, well written, a lovely story with lovable characters. I liked the storyline, the writing and the characters.
4,.5 sweet stars.

I loved this book. “Caitlin Crews” is one of my favourite authors and for good reason - she’s once again written a story that has snappy dialogue, compelling characters, sizzling sexual tension and an intriguing storyline. Just ticked all of my boxes and I’m sure it will do with all book lovers out there. So what are you waiting for, go grab your copy ASAP. Happy reading!!

After reading this cowboy trilogy, Caitlin Crews is one of my unicorn authors because of her unbridled talent in weaving together in-depth characters with intricate story lines. It's easy to feel as if these characters are not fictional. They FEEL real because of all their peccadilloes and pitfalls. They also defy expectations and stereotypes. Brady may be the typical younger sibling who wants to break away from his family to do something different, and Amanda may be the typical younger sister to overbearing older brothers, but their journeys are unique as they are because of Crews' ability to open the doors wide open to the hearts and minds of her characters. Were it not for this, her cowboy trilogy might be just another cowboy romance: fun yet forgettable. Instead, the Amanda and Brady have a way of sticking around in the reader's imagination long after the last chapter--paving the way, of course, for Crews' next cowboy series all about Amanda's overbearing older brothers.

A fast and entertaining read that kept me hooked till the end. I liked the well written cast of characters, the plot and the setting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Nice end for this trilogy that kept me ok entrateined. I will keep on reading Mrs. Crews!

Buon finale per questa trilogia che mi ha divertito senza essere troppo banale.

Thanks Netgalley for the preview!

Here’s the thing... a 10-year age gap can either feel insignificant or insurmountable, and this is one of those books where it’s glaringly obvious. For example, Brady literally thinks Amanda is still a high school student at the start of the book, even though she’s 22. The major differences in their maturity and past experience play a significant role in the story, and those who like an age gap romance might enjoy that, but it was a struggle for me. The writing itself is solid and fans of the series will enjoy catching up with characters from past books, but while I enjoyed aspects of the story, I couldn’t grow to love these two as a couple.

The story follows Amanda, a 22-year-old whose overbearing brothers have prevented her from forming any sort of relationships with guys in the past. She’s tired of living such a sheltered life and is ready to prove that she’s an adult. One thing that she’s eager to change? The fact that she’s a virgin - and she knows just the guy to change that for her. Brady is good friends with her brothers, and while Amanda has been crushing on him for years, he’s never seen her as anything but the girl whose diapers he once changed. As Amanda begins to make changes in her life, denying that she is now a full grown woman becomes impossible.

After reading the last book in the series, I was intrigued to give this one a try. That book had plenty of things that drove me crazy, but the storyline was so gripping that I couldn’t walk away from it. Unfortunately, this book didn’t elicit the same reaction from me. I found Amanda to be so childish, especially towards the beginning of the book, and Brady is kind of a jerk. He’s controlling and treats Amanda like a child, so the thought of a romantic connection between them wasn’t particularly enticing. Combine that with the sex-based relationship between them, and the chemistry felt cold to me. I appreciated the quality of the writing and don’t in any way think this is a bad book, but it just wasn’t for me. I received an ARC via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review of this emotional romance.

This is the first book by Caitlin Crews that I have read. I wish that I had read the first few in the series, because I felt like I was missing some plot points that had to do with the main characters’ families. Nonetheless, I read the whole book and made do. It was well written and I thought the characters were very well developed. I did find it slightly long-winded at times, which is why I am giving it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

This is my first read from this author, and although the premise for the story is a good one, I just found it to be a very slow developing book and way too long. I usually love long books, but it's got to have a storyline that moves and keeps the reader engaged. Unfortunately, this book just gets bogged down with Amanda's lust for Brady, and Brady's slow moving for Amanda, and when they finally do get together, it's nothing special. I'm usually done with a book within a couple of days, but I know I'm in trouble when I don't rush to pick up a book that I want to finish, this was that book. I don't think not having read the first two installments was the issue, if the book had some key scenes in it to keep the reader engaged, it would have been easier to finish.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book..

I love cowboys and this book had it in spades. I liked everything about this hot and sexy book. Great story and the scenes with the characters were amazing.

Crews has developed and created an amazing character in Brady. I was excited to see what she was going to bring to the table for him. And bring to the table she certainly did. He is an awesome character! I just love him!

Amanda is young. Very young. And he is best friends with her brother. This tends to be a problem since Amanda is also a virgin. I know you know where I am going with this one!

This story gave me so many feels. The trust issue was huge with Brady but he and Amanda were just so amazing together. The compelling nature of their relationship was steaming hot and the intensity was just pulling them together.

But small towns and family feuds were just a few issues that stood in their way. However, love will find a way and it was so swoon worthy! Sigh.

Nothing like a cowboy and sweet love to put you in a great mood with a happy heart and Crews knows how to make that happen! And that cover… Oh yummmm!

For a fabulous and passionate read, check out The Last Real Cowboy by Caitlin Crews and the rest of the books in the series. All are easily read as a stand-alone.

Amanda and Brady are the youngest members in their families. The families have been ranchers in the same area for generations. Brady is the best friend of Riley, one of Amanda's brothers. Amanda grew up with Brady around and acting just like one of her brothers.

She has had a crush on him forever. He treats her like she is in high school when she is actually 22 years old.

I wanted to love this story. I simply could not do that.

It may have been just my frame of mind. I am not sure. What I am sure of, neither Amanda nor Brady drew me into their stories.

I wanted to really like Amanda. She is smart and funny and brave. She wanted to be treated like an adult but at times continued to act like an entitled brat. I hoped for the best for her. Her older brothers and her parents treat her as though she is incapable of being a grown person.

Brady is 10 years older than Amanda and continually tells her she is a baby to him. In reality, he continually lusts after her. His place in his family had always been the bottom of the relationship ladder and still is. His older brothers apparently have never looked at him as an equal.

I might have enjoyed the book more if there had been more conversations and people relating to one another. It seemed to me to be weighted down by inner thoughts.

Ms Crews is a talented writer. She does wonders creating atmosphere and place Her characters are interesting. I was looking forward to loving this story. It simply did not do it for me.

I have not read the first two books in the series, and it is possible that background was what was missing for me. I will look for another story by Ms Crews, because her talent is too good to ignore.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.