It had it's moments:
Whilst 3rd in a series, this book can definitely be read as a standalone. I had not read the prior books and was able to fill in the gaps easily enough. It was a fairly light and easy read although I did find it a bit too wordy with not that much action.
Both Brady and Amanda feel as though they have been invisible to those around them and are desperate to find a place of belonging within their families. Brady often regressed and displayed childish behavior when with his family and his father's past actions had really done a number on these brothers. I found I was a little confused by his behavior at times but he did mature some by the end of the book. Brady and Amanda had an unconventional relationship and I personally would have preferred more romance, respect and wooing. However it was still a novel premise and an entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I do love a good romance, especially when it is a little forbidden because, the heart wants what the heart wants, right? THE LAST REAL COWBOY by Caitlin Crews has that forbidden thing down pat, maybe a little too much for the twenty-first century.

Amanda was the sheltered only daughter/sister and at twenty-two, takes a stand, she was moving out, going to find love and make mistakes, on her own. No more overbearing, over-controlling brothers, no more men afraid to date her. She is all grown up and people are still not recognizing she isn’t a kid anymore, not even Brady, ten years her senior, best friends with one of her brothers and rebel in his own household. So why was she surprised when Brady became her surrogate brother and quashed every attempt she made to be “all grown up?” Was there something more he was feeling besides brotherly love or the “teacher” she asked him to be?

I know I’m in the minority here, but the sparks between Brady and Amanda just didn’t hit me as electric, they didn’t sizzle. Amanda’s maturity level was pretty low for her age, but fit perfectly with the sheltered life she led. Hello? This isn’t the dark ages and while it was perfectly okay for her brothers to shop around for love, she couldn’t? There ARE fabulous parts to this tale, but on the whole, I just felt it missed the mark for me and was a so-so read with characters that overreacted, more like apes than cowboys.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Publishing Group! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Cold River Ranch - Book 3
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 28, 2020)
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Cowboy Romance
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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This is the third story in this series. It is about the youngest brother Brady and his friend’s sister Amanda. Brady agreed to come home for a year to help work the ranch after his dad died. Gray and Ty are his brothers. Gray and Brady butt heads the most because they have different options on how to.run the ranch. Brady finally notices Amanda with she started a job at the local bar called “The Coyote” Amanda is doing a small rebellion against her family because they keep treating her like she is a child instead of a woman of 22. So she moved out to an apartment above The Coyote and got a job there. Brady was asked by his friend to look out for her while she is at he bar. Things starting to heat up between the two of them. What happens next??? You need to read the book. I thought it was a cute story, and was glad I read it.

Amanda is a wild country flame burning out of control, she needed the right attention and the only way she was going to get it, is to take her stance. Brady the unsuspecting cowboy got himself scorched by this wild flame and the poor guy lost all control of himself since then. An explosive tantalizing and sexy read.

I really enjoyed this super quick read that was rebellion romance at its core. Love a good girl breaking the rules then finding what she thought she was missing wasn't really it.

Amanda is tired of the whole town thinking of her as a child. Her four overbearing older brothers have made it impossible for her to date anyone even though she's 22. She decides to move out of the family home on the ranch. Working at the local dive bar and living in the apartment over it sends her brothers into a tailspin and her brother Riley's best friend, Brady, reluctantly agrees to keep an eye on her. He doesn't know when Amanda went from being his best friend's little sister to a hot bartender in a tight tank top but he doesn't like it. Amanda has always had a crush on Brady so she's determined to get his attention as a woman. I really enjoyed the latest book in the Cold River Ranch series!

Amanda Kittredge has always been seen as the little Kittredge girl.
But when her brothers best friend and her longtime crush, Brady Everett doesn't even seem to realize she's graduated from high school, Amanda makes the decision to show him and all of Cold River that she's an adult capable of making her own decisions. Preferably reckless ones so that she can look back on a life well-lived and full of lessons learned.
No one is more surprised than Amanda when one of those lessons include sleeping with Brady Everett - all in the name of learning about men.
The last thing Brady expected when his best friend asked him to keep an eye on Amanda was that he would find himself involved with her. But she is a temptation he cannot deny.
As Amanda and Brady spend more time together, they forge a connection that becomes difficult to break.
I loved this book and read it in one setting. Amanda and Brady have amazing chemistry and it was great to see Brady go from oblivious to in love.
If you're looking for a romance I strongly recommend this book.

What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

I fell in love with this series while reading the first book in this series. Each book has been just as amazing as the first one. I love the characters, I love the brothers, I love the story line, I just love everything about this series. This third book is about Amanda and Brady. For me I think that both these characters are under estimated by their siblings. This is one of the reasons that the chemistry between these two was off the charts hot. From the moment I picked up this book I was drawn in to the story line. I thought that Amanda had so much spunk and courage and that she had meant her match in Brady. I thought that Brady honestly just wanted to feel like he was being respected and heard when he talked. I am so sad that this book is over but I am really hoping that perhaps Amanda's brothers might get their own book or better yet that Gray's daughter Becca gets her own book. Honestly pick up this book or better yet pick up all three because you will not be disappointed at all. They are all amazing reads from start to finish. Thanks NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Last Real Cowboy
Author: Caitlin Crews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Last Real Cowboy" by Caitlin Crews

My Rationalization:

What an enjoyable romantic cowboy read featuring Amanda Kittredge and Brady Everett with the setting in a small town in Colorado. The author gives the reader a beautiful read of one 'breaking out of the chains of family expectations and making their own story.' You will read a story that is not only moving, but charming, emotional story with humor, compassion, twists, turns, overprotective brothers, abusive parent, and let's not leave out the romance and finally, in the end, this couple gets there HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, where all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Last Real Cowboy is book 3 in a series and to really understand the background, I recommend reading the previous two books. It could be read as a standalone but I don't think the reader would get nearly as much out of it.

This is Brady and Amanda's story. Brady is the youngest Everett son, the one who went to college and stayed away for awhile. He is treated quite poorly by his brothers. In the previous book (Ty's story), I didn't see just how poorly he was received but it was definitely alluded to in the first. He is treated as being too young to understand anything about the ranch. And too smart for his own good. Amanda has a very similar struggle in that her family treats her as still a child despite being 22 years old. Her brothers seem to want to keep her at home and completely under their thumb. Her parents are very detached and come across as uncaring and cold (if we get her brothers' stories, I would love to get more insight into this).

Brady and Amanda come together in secret (and a bit reluctantly on Brady's part) after Amanda finally takes a stand on her freedom. Then comes the family turmoil...in both families.

It is a bit of a rocky start but in the end Amanda is a strong woman and Brady is definitely the cowboy alpha. After reading the first two in this series, I was thrilled that Brady finally put their abusive father to rest and out of their everyday lives. I believe this is Crews' best couple and story in the series.

I loved Brady and Amanda💚💙
Third book in the Cold River Ranch series, a stand alone with an HEA that is just so Cowboy!
It also finally connects the Kittredges and the Everetts after hundreds of years of the families settling in the Cold River basin in Colorado.
The scenes were beautiful, the storyline was fast and well done. The dialogues between Brady and Amanda were epic, going from zero to sixty in any which direction. Amanda was a firecracker, though a bit naive, she stood her ground. Brady, bless his heart, was trying to win a losing battle when the hearts are involved, he just didn't know it. The sexy bits were so sweet, yet so hot, making you sigh. The humor was well placed, popping up anytime.
I felt every last emotion; happiness, frustration, anger, heat, sadness, but best of all, the love and respect that came out between these two, the brothers, the families, the town--all goodness. Excellent read!
"Amanda" by Waylon Jennings "Amanda, light of my life. Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife" played in my head while reading this, because Brady really was the gentleman.
Received an ARC thru Netgalley and am leaving my honest opinions voluntarily.

The Last Real Cowboy is the third book in Caitlyn Crews Cold River Ranch series, and unfortunately, I missed book two, so I have some catching up to do to fill in the gaps. But, while I thoroughly enjoyed book one, this story had moments that just didn’t sit well, as I found Brady’s treatment of Amanda was often course and unnecessary. That said, at 22 I had three children, so she was old enough to make informed decisions and chose not to be Brady’s dirty little secret. I know from the first book that the Everett brothers have not had an easy life, and this has undoubtedly impacted of their outlook and personas; however, for me this story lacked true romance and the chemistry required for a genuine relationship. Hopefully the next book will pick up the pieces missing in this one.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Cold River Ranch
Standalone
HEA

The 10 year age difference, 22 and 32, just didn't work for me.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.

This is my first book in this series i enjoyed the characters and storyline. Will have to check out the others in this series.

The third installment in this series seems to concentrate on the age gap between the main characters, but ten years difference is just another number. It's the overbearing brothers who complicate matters, when they refuse to admit that their baby sister is all grown up.

Brady's upbringing and his older brothers attitude towards him have left him with all kinds of insecurities. He is successful in his own way, but finding the place where he really belongs is the biggest hurdle. The ghosts of the past haunt him and give him the feeling that he isn't worthy.

Amanda, now twenty two is fed up being treated like a child. She makes the big decision of finding her own independence without being stifled by her brothers. She intends to go all out, and who better than having Brady as her teacher? Except that he is her brother's best friend.

Amanda has dreamt to be noticed by Brady as a woman rather than her brother's little sister. When he finally does notice her, he is apprehensive about losing her brothers' friendship. Temptation gets the better of him, only there are feelings too. Given the circumstances, it's a sticky affair. Brady's fears are his worst enemies though.

Brady plays the older guy's card to deter Amanda. Who is he kidding? The development of their romance which started off as life lessons turns out to be complex, but gratifying. Winning the respect of their families makes everything worthwhile. They fit well together, and bring out the best in each other.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

It was sort of hard to get into at first, but it paid off in the end. At parts I was frustrated with both characters and sometimes I felt like she might be too old for him. All that to say I wasnt always sold 100% on them even being together but was eventually happy with the outcome. Nice lighthearted read.

Cute story. Amanda seemed almost too grown up for a 22 year old, but I liked her spunk. She and Brady together were terrific.

Nice distracting little read for a commute or sitting around somewhere. I thought they could have gotten their acts together a little bit earlier in the book, but it was worth waiting for.

I stopped at 25%, I just didn't get pulled into the story. I also didn't like him referring to her as a girl, there were only 10 years between them and she was 22!