3.5 Stars
When I see something by Maisey Yates, I click it right away. She writes characters we care about. In this tale, we have a cowboy who was so twisted by his ex-wife, he ends up doing 5 years for something he didn't do.

Once out, his goal is to show everyone he is worthy and plans on fixing a home into the biggest grandest then anyone's else.

He picks a young, highly intelligent woman and before you know it... sparks are flying.

I liked this book. Let me start off by saying that the first part of this book was really good, but the second part just fell a little flat. It lacked something that I can’t quite put my finger on. It left me with a weird taste in my mouth.

I loved Levi so much! This book will make your heartbreak for Levi. He was just so tortured and punished, so worthy of your support and love. All I wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. I loved the progression of Levi’s character and his backstory. I thought that that part of the story was absolutely perfect and it made me truly feel for him.

Faith is the classic innocent we all were when we were virgins. But, that’s all she was. She wasn’t the type of leading female character to give me a lasting impression. She was meh. I connected with her on the “how I used to be” level, but at my age now, I just couldn’t get into her mind set.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It just wasn’t her best. The love story was great, but I felt like this book left me needing more of the chemistry scenes between them. I wanted more. I think this book was a classic case of giving me what I wanted too quickly. I wanted to feel more of that burning for them to get together which I just didn’t get.

I really enjoyed this story of Levi and Faith in the Copper Ridge series. Levi was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit and when he's released after serving 5 years he's out for revenge. His wife set him up to take the fall for her murder and when proof surfaced that she was still alive he was released. Levi wants Faith, an up and coming award winning architect, to design a huge house on a hill so he can look down upon all the people who thought he was trash growing up. Their attraction to each other is red hot despite Levi's past and their age difference. So they decide to have an affair until the house design is done. Will Faith's heart get broken or can she keep the deadline in mind? Loved it!

Levi lost five years of his life in prison because his wife was a one heck of a selfish witch! However, he had a plan to show the world that he may have been down, but don’t count him out...yet. Hiring Faith to build him the biggest house was just the first step of many. Falling for Faith, however, was never part of the plan!

Faith was really sweet. More brainy then feels, she understood logic and numbers and wasn’t prepared for the storm of feelings Levi brought out in her. I had a lot of fun seeing Faith learn about herself and had a blast watching her unintentionally tempt Levi! It was like watching the devil and angel on her shoulder duking it out with interesting results!

The romance was quick and pretty hot. Even though it was supposed to be temporary, nothing ever goes as planned. Levi was a tough guy who said one thing but his actions showed another. He really had a tough time with the age gap too, causing some rather silly arguments against getting involved with Faith. But Faith gave as good as she got, leading to spectacular fireworks!

I’ve come to really enjoy Yates characters! Whether it’s a full novel or a Harlequin story like this book, I’ve come to love the quirky and unique personalities. And the romances! They have so many levels of emotion, I never know what to expect! Book 6 in the Copper Ridge: Desire series, Need Me, Cowboy easily read as a stand alone. Other characters were mentioned with just enough background that I didn’t feel lost at all.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a solid, well-written contemporary romance, Maisey Yates is a good bet. I was a bit alarmed that after I downloaded this review book I discovered it was number six in a series, but – apart from some obvious “past couples” factoring into the plot – it works as a standalone read just fine.

For me, and I assume many other readers, the reason Need Me, Cowboy appealed was because it has a hero who is fresh out of prison (he was wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder). I know themes like this fascinate many readers.

(Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare, A Not-So-Perfect Past by Beth Andrews, and young adult book Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles come to mind, if you want books with similar themes.)

In truth, the cowboy aspect of the story is minimal, which was fine with me. I was more interested in the characters dealing with the “hero out of prison” conflict. He has a lot of anger to deal with, and no idea what to do about it.

I haven’t read a book in this Harlequin line for ages, and had forgotten the heat level – it’s fairly steamy, but doesn’t rule the story.

The hardened, jaded hero-meets-innocent, hardworking heroine trope is popular, and can be done really badly or be really well. In this case, I think it worked. Yates is good enough at her characterisation that she gives everyone unique personalities and quirks.

I especially loved that the heroine was very inexperienced in some aspects of life, but that it worked in a modern context. I didn’t, however, like the stereotyped promiscuous blonde woman named Mindy (of course) who was with the hero at the bar. On the other hand, I did appreciate that she wasn’t made out to be nasty.

These books are quick reads, which means a tight focus on the main two characters and a relationship that has to move rather fast. In this case, I was convinced by the pairing.

Recommended for anyone who finds these tropes appealing in their romance reads.

The sad part of NEED ME COWBOY is the acknowledgement that it probably marks the end of a lovely engaging series – Copper Ridge novels – by Maisie Yates. So sad to say goodbye to some of the best characters but happy to see that Faith Grayson finally has a story of her own.
Faith Grayson’s architecture career is flourishing. Her designs are getting noticed and she is considered an artist in her field. Working with two of her brothers gives Faith the freedom to do what she loves – design buildings commercial and residential all with an eye toward enhancing the land and location they will ultimately sit on.
It was the art of Faith’s constructions that caught the eye of Levi Tucker. Levi was being released from prison after spending five years of a life sentence on a trumped up charge. Levi’s wife had disappeared and he was the target of an indiscriminate investigation and guilty verdict. No motive, no witnesses, no evidence and no body. But Levi was well known as a tough kid from the bad part of town and that seemed to weigh heavily on his being put behind bars forever.
Levi needs someone of Faith’s ability and reputation to help him with his plan of retribution against his very alive wife. The woman who let him remain imprisoned for five years while helping herself to his money.
Faith sees a lot of good in this tough large man with a huge chip on his shoulder and scars and tattoos over his body. Levi has every reason to be angry but Faith sees this anger as the very thing preventing him from moving forward with his life.
Levi’s only hopeful instinct was for the freedom taken from him when he was sent away. The design Faith sketches is about open spaces, windows and no doors. So symbolic of being released from prison but the only one that can really set Levi free is himself.
And Faith is determined to prove to Levi that he can do just that – if he would open his heart and mind to love and hope. Two things sorely missed from Levi’s entire life to date. But things he is fighting against as the relationship with Faith begins to morph into something more than just fun and games.
No one can make that choice for you and in NEED ME COWBOY Maisie Yates sets up an emotional tug of war between the two main characters. As always the characters are real, honest and endearing even when not very domesticated. Levi is as jaded as Faith is innocent. Somehow the romantic Maisie Yates saw them as perfect for each other and we can’t help but agree.