REVIEW: The Heartbreaker of Echo Pass by Maisey Yates

The Heartbreaker of Echo Pass by Maisey Yates finds Iris Daniels determined to finally do something for herself. Since losing both her parents when she was a teenager, she, along with her older brother, raised their younger siblings, two cousins, and a family friend. Now everyone is getting married and starting their own families, leaving Iris feeling like an outsider looking in. She finally decides to follow her own dreams of owning a bakery, but to do that, she needs to rent a space that she can’t really afford. She decides to try to barter with the owner, Griffin Chance.

Griffin has been secluding himself after the deaths of his wife and daughter a few years earlier. When Iris arrives at his doorstep with a tray of cookies and an offer to help clean up his cabin and cook for him in exchange for a lower rent, he accepts. He’s drawn to the shy but determined woman, and for the first time in years, he finds himself being drawn out of his shell.

Iris wants the happiness her siblings have found, but she’s afraid of coming in second to Griffin’s deceased wife. Griffin is afraid to fall in love and suffer the same loss again. Will the pair be able to overcome their fears and give love a chance?

This is the twelfth book in the Gold Valley series. While it can be read as a standalone, I’d recommend at least having read The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch (book nine), The Hero of Hope Springs (book ten), and The Last Christmas Cowboy (book eleven), which are about Iris’s older brother and her two sisters. Iris is in these books as well, and reading them will provide a better understanding of the family dynamics.

Both Iris and Griffin are sympathetic characters, written in a way that will make readers feel for both of them. Both have experienced heartache and tragedy, and the pain and emotions they deal with are real. I enjoyed watching Iris pull Griffin out of his isolation, and to see Griffin give Iris the confidence she needed to stand on her own two feet and go after her dreams.

The Heartbreaker of Echo Pass deals with many complex emotions, including grief and guilt, along with the complexities of family dynamics. It’s an emotional tale filled with hope, love, and second chances that readers are sure to enjoy.

Book Info:

Publication: June 29, 2021 | HQN | Gold Valley #12

Shy Iris Daniels is on a mission to shake up her life. She’s sick of being underestimated, and she’s got a new business plan to prove it. The one thing she didn’t factor in is her new landlord, Griffin Chance. The gruff mountain man isn’t what she expected, but Iris recognizes the pain in his eyes. Yet the attraction he ignites is much more unfamiliar…and might be the perfect chance for Iris to embrace the adventure she yearns for.

Griffin Chance knows firsthand how senseless the cards dealt in life can be. He wouldn’t have isolated himself on a remote mountain ridge if he didn’t. Innocent Iris craves excitement, and he’s a man who thought he’d forgotten how to feel. But when their connection grows deeper than either of them anticipated, Griffin has to decide if he can put down the pain of his past and step into a love he never believed possible.