Claim Me, Cowboy

Copper Ridge: Desire #4

by Maisey Yates

Wanted: fake fiancée for a wealthy rancher

Benefits: all your dreams come true

#1 Rule: don’t fall in love

The woman on his doorstep is brash, independent and holding a baby! His father won’t approve, which makes her perfect for Joshua Grayson’s scheme. He’ll pretend he’s marrying unsuitable Danielle Kelly to keep his father from meddling. He won’t be tempted to touch her, to claim her…or to fall in love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Westerns, Audiobook, Western Romance, Adult

1 pages, Audio CD

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Reviews

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua is a grown man and isn’t looking for love much less a wife. Something his father can’t seem to grasp. So, Joshua is supremely annoyed when his meddling father places an ad for a wife for him, and decides to place one of his own for a completely unsuitable woman to play the part of his fiancée to teach dad a lesson.

Enter Danielle and baby Riley. Danielle is hard on her luck, barely scraping by when she happens upon Joshua’s ad. She’s worried about what kind of weirdo would place such an ad, but Joshua seems like a dream come true, good looking and rich, even if he is a bit of an ass. Danielle doesn’t care, as long as she gets the money promised after their charade. She needs the money to get by and give Riley a chance she never had. There’s more to the story of Danielle ending up with Riley, but I won’t spoil it and Danielle doesn’t clear up the situation regarding her circumstances right away with Joshua either. It’s not as if he’s entitled to her life story and at first, he makes it clear he’s not interested.

Joshua has his own story, why he’s not interested in settling down, and I could understand. However, being with Danielle and Riley and realizing making a difference in their lives brings him satisfaction and purpose changes his views. Joshua and Danielle draw closer, confide in each other and even though Joshua was convinced he could never love again life has other plans for him. The more time Danielle and Joshua spend together the more their attraction grows, and it was only a matter of time before they gave into the mutual pull.

Things may have progressed a bit quickly, but that’s to be expected since this was only 224 pages, and I thought it felt right. There was a surprising amount of emotional depth here as well. Claim Me, Cowboy was short, hot and sweet; just my kind of read! Maisey Yates continues to delight me with her hot and sexy cowboy romances!

A copy was kindly provided by Harlequin Desire via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Don't Know What You Have Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Why is it we don't want what others would see as great...Having a family in your business, wanting only the best for you, can be a real pain in the a$$...Forget the fact that today there are so many without functional families... those who experience cold, destructive, abusive people who are supposed to love them unconditionally. Sometimes, taking a step back and seeing your own life through another's eyes...can change the impression and view altogether.

Maisey Yates packs this concept into her latest entry to her Copper Ridge Series, Claim Me, Cowboy. In this book, we have our main fella sick and tired of being pushed to find a woman by his family... and the latest manipulation went too far for him. His father put out an ad, no less, spelling out what type of person he should marry...someone perfect in the father's eyes...

Well, Joshua Grayson knows just what he will do... put out his own advertisement looking for someone totally unacceptable.

Someone who seems to come from the wrong side of the tracks...
Someone who will be in it for the money he is offering...
Someone who will embarrass his parents so that they will leave him the hell alone...

Danielle Kelly never thought her life was going to go down this journey... She was raised by a mother who never was a true mother to her...half the time she was more mother than her mom. Danelle at 22, was finally on her own, making her way when her mother struck again...coming back into her life, pregnant and promising to be a better mom to the little baby she was caring...That lasted for a hot minute and now Danielle is all her infant brother has. She is trying to be everything for him but with child services breathing down her neck saying she needs to immediately show she can take care of him or lose him...Danielle is literally between rock and hard place...

Somehow the gods smiled on her, showing her Joshua's ad. It is the answer to her immediate problem. She can be rude and improper. She can pretend to be his fiancee for a couple of months and boy oh boy, she can sure use the money he is offering to do this job. What she will not do is any hanky panky and makes it clear to Joshua when she accepts the position in their communication.

When she shows up at Joshua's grand house, she steels herself, holds her baby brother close and knocks on the door...

The door opens, Joshua sees this young woman before him and then his eyes land on the baby in her arms...
Oh, Hell No...There was no mention of a baby...But Danielle holds her own, tells him what better way to be inappropriate then to have a baby attached to his fake fiancee, hmmm...

This tale was an easy read with the sense of how Joshua needed to see clearly how his Dad was the good guy in this deal. His mother was another subject and he was right to distrust her. The relationship with Joshua and Danielle made baby steps to attraction and respect. Danielle was the one I liked the most... she was strong, seeing how a family can be everything and really made Joshua grow.


~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
He thinks he knows what he wants...
A woman to push all the buttons his father has...

The Scheme is to get a pretend a fiancee...
To get the old man off his case...

Sounds easy...

Then She shows up with a baby in tow...
And She has an edge and sass which makes him pause...

Nope, there can be no feelings
No way can he wish for her to say...

Claim Me, Cowboy (Copper Ridge: Desire, #4)



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[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claim Me, Cowboy was a delightful romance between two people learning to love again.

Joshua Grayson has finally had enough of his father’s meddling after the man posts an ad in the newspaper looking for a wife for Joshua. In response, Joshua places his own ad looking for the most unsuitable woman he can find to play his fake fiancée. When Danielle Kelly responds to his ad and shows up with a baby in tow, Joshua knows she’s perfect for his scheme. Now if only he could stop himself from falling for her.

Joshua has always wanted more than the small town of Copper Ridge could offer as the son of a rancher. As soon as he was old enough, he moved to Seattle and took an entry level job in a PR firm. Joshua quickly ascended the corporate ladder before eventually finding his way back home to do the PR for the architect firm he started with his siblings. Joshua is close to his family but has a hard time dealing with their nosiness and prefers to spend his time alone. After a relationship gone wrong while living in the city, Joshua doesn’t believe in love for himself and won’t even entertain the thought of finding someone to be with.

Danielle had a rough childhood and grew up constantly on the move with her mother who was incapable of holding a steady job. Danielle learned very early in life how to take care of herself and always dreamed of one day finally having a stable home and a job that allows her to support herself. However after baby Riley unexpectedly appears, Danielle has to reevaluate how she’ll achieve that dream. She quickly learns that she’ll do anything to make that dream a reality and to provide Riley with the life she never had.

Joshua and Danielle clash a bit at first but eventually their relationship settles into easy understanding. Danielle is slowly shown a different side to life and Joshua finds himself wanting to be the one to show her everything. They both struggle with their attraction at first because Danielle is working for Joshua which is a hindrance. The author does a good job exploring the dynamics of an employee/boss relationship and I liked how that aspect was done. When their relationship moves to the next level it is quite steamy and the sexier scenes were enjoyable. I did feel their relationship moved fairly quickly but that is likely due to how short the book is.

Overall I enjoyed Claim Me, Cowboy but I felt the book was just too short for me to fully connect with the characters and become invested in their relationship. I would still recommend it though for fans of the series or anyone looking for a quick, sweet read.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, I just need to see Maisey’s name, but I’m not sure about this rating.

I liked Danielle and Joshua well enough. She’s strong and resilient. He’s gruff and stand off-ish. Together they have a lot of potential. The best parts were the scenes with his family.

Plot wise is where I was underwhelmed. With the story shortened, it didn’t feel like their relationship actually morphed into something real. The time moved weird as well. At one point I thought it had been a couple of days, only to find it had been several weeks.

Overall, it was a quick read and I liked the idea, but I think the length of the story left a lot out.

**Huge thanks to Harlequin Desire for providing the arc free of charge**

[Aou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked it. The story was good and I cried little at the end. It can be 4 or 5 stars if h’s speech would be more like her background. I mean MY is great with sentimental dialogues but come on, whether MCs had PhDs or dropped out the schools, they had similar choice of words. I’m not a native speaker but even I can realize the difference or lack of it.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joshua has a successful career in marketing, and has moved back home to escape city life and enjoy fresh ranch air. His sister is an extraordinary architect, and he has started working with her, using his marketing skills to help her business. He is happy and content - but his dad thinks he needs to settle down and start a family. And to make that happen, his dad puts an ad in the newspaper asking for women to apply to be Joshua's girlfriend.

When Joshua learns of this, he gets very angry and decides to play his dad's little game. He puts his own ad in the newspaper for a fake fiance, advertising that he will pay a woman to pretend to be his fiance for a few months. He wants this woman to act improper, so his dad will realize his mistake and back off. Danielle answers the ad.

Danielle is twenty-two and has had a very hard childhood. Her mother has a lot of problems, and when her mother gives birth a few months prior to the book starting, her mom takes off afterwards, leaving Danielle to raise her infant brother. Danielle loses her job since she doesn't have anyone to provide childcare. With child-services sniffing around, she knows she needs money quick so her brother doesn't end up in foster care. She sees the ad in the paper, and knows the amount of money Joshua is offering is enough to get her own place and raise her brother properly. She is very intimidated by Joshua and his grand house at first, but she also enjoys the comfort he and the house provides. Joshua is shocked to see such a young woman at his door - and she never mentioned she had a child. At first he thinks she will be perfect to thwart his father, but soon he starts to feel bad for using her in such a way.

The premise is a bit silly in this one - Joshua's dad, who is a great family man, takes out an ad in the newspaper for a girlfriend? But I'm always here for a fake fiance story. Joshua comes off a little cold throughout the book, but I fell in love with Danielle.  For as much crap that life has thrown her way, she has fought back. She takes on so much responsibility once her mom flakes on her own baby, and her resilience and sense of humor she still has won me over.

But the romance in this one never worked for me. I feel like we never move past "woman for hire" in Joshua's eyes, and "I'm safe now in this big house" in Danielle's eyes. Did Danielle grow to truly love Joshua, who was a complete stranger to start this book? I think she likes him a lot, but I also think she would spend his life with him and all of his money, rather than go back to her old apartment with no furniture. That's not a solid HEA.

Joshua had a serious girlfriend in the past and she had a miscarriage late in her pregnancy. He blames himself for not protecting her enough and then not being there as their relationship unraveled. I think he looks at Danielle and her infant brother as a chance to prove to everyone he can care for a wife and have that baby he was supposed to have ...instead of true love for Danielle.

Maybe we needed more time for it all to develop, but the true romance feelings never showed up for me.

Grade: C

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure of the rating. 3.0 or 3.5

Review to come closer to publication.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle is a young woman very determined to take care of what’s her and not leave things to chance. So she took matters into her own hands and played her cards. When she accepted Joshua's’ offer, she turned her world upside down and it toyed with her emotions. Now Danielle is more vulnerable to her emotions and some cracks are starting to show.

Joshua has been placed in a predicament by his father, manipulating the situation is leading Joshua to do crazy things. A strong horseman used to getting his way meets the headstrong Danielle. Danielle brought more than just luggage with her and it’s hitting all of Joshua's well kept emotions and leading him to face long kept secrets. Unfortunately he kept his emotions locked away until it was almost too late.

Danielle and Joshua have a different relationship that is based purely off of a mutual benefit. They never seemed to really make it into a true couple relationship. The emotions were up and down and some would say immature. The couple were jumping into life changing decisions but neither one took time to assess their life and emotions, any time they were close they both just buried it and acted as if everything was okay. Joshua seemed very closed off in a lot of aspects, to the point of not being mysterious but cold. I could relate to the characters on one level, an unhealthy addiction to pop-tarts! The secondary characters made appearances throughout the novel, however they did not really add to the story or take away from it. Ms. Yates characters usually grab a person and wraps them in personality and charm allowing them to get carted off into the story; Joshua and Danielle were not able to wrap this reader up. It lacked consistent emotion from both hero and heroine, making the story easy to finish but not compelling me to reread it. I do look forward to more Copper Ridge novels, I want desperately to find one that makes me fall in love with Copper Ridge cowboys!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there anything better than a lazy Saturday where you open windows letting the breeze in, lie on the couch, occasionally glance up from your book to watch the leaves dancing, and read to the final page? Nope, there isn’t. I gave the pile of work from the day-job a disdainful smirk-and-sniff and went right to the Kindle. With a compact Maisey Yates Desire, Claim Me, Cowboy, I knew it would be a reading-snack in one setting.

I’ll start right by saying I loved Yates’s outlandish premise. Rich-guy hero Joshua Grayson’s father puts an ad in the Seattle paper for a wife for his son. Joshua is over-the-top handsome and rich, but he eschews love and marriage. He lives in an idyllic, state-of-the-art house in the Oregon mountains in Yates’s mythical Copper Ridge (this being book 6). A sad thing once happened to Joshua and his life is now made of money-making, riding horses, and living in solitude (except for an occasional one-night-stand) in his big-ass house and ranch. His father, Todd, a farmer of modest means, but a big, loving heart places the ad to shake Joshua out of his self-condemning love-exile. Joshua, in turn, advertises for a fake fiancée, “an unsuitable, temporary wife” to get back at his father and gets her in the form of “elfin” Danielle Kelly, 22, with a baby in tow, the well-mannered, sleeping four-month-old Riley.

I have unabashed crazy-love for all things Yates and Claim Me, Cowboy, didn’t disappoint. Au contraire, it gave me exactly what I was looking for: pointedly, sharp banter tempered by the hero and heroine’s emotional baggage, just angsty enough, and an ethos that posits fidelity and love is brought about by a force beyond the protagonists’ will. I would say that in her own Yatesian way, this might be God, but Yates never names Him and I won’t purport to read more than that in her romance ethos.

For my readers’ purposes, I will say I loved Yates’s Joshua and Danielle and their Cinderella premise. Joshua is taciturnly determined to treat Danielle and Riley as the means to foiling his sentimental father. But, like all of Yates’s heroes, Joshua suffers from a closed-off-ness to love out of a heightened sense of how a man should be, with love, generosity, a gentlemanliness and knight-hood capacity for sacrifice. If there is even a possibility that he can’t reach these heights, especially one couched in past failings, then, the hero sees himself as lacking in worth and hides his light under a chosen demeanor; whether gruff, or ruefully charming, it’s a mask. But the light comes through anyway when Joshua realizes how straitened and miserable Danielle’s circumstances are. She’s too thin, too brittle, too vulnerable, too young – and she has a tiny, little life attached to her. He pays for nannies, ensures that Danielle has plenty to eat, and treats her, despite his protestations to the contrary, with respect and consideration.

I loved Danielle too. She’s a woman who’s had a life devoid of love and care and yet, she’s chosen to lavish it on baby Riley, who, it turns out is not hers (not a spoiler, we pretty much learn this from the first chapter). Despite her desperate poverty and the ethical ambiguity of accepting Joshua’s offer, Danielle IS principled. She’ll do anything to keep and care for Riley, even accept Joshua’s unorthodox proposal. True to Yatesian fashion, Danielle’s spirit soars as her body recovers from privation. She makes a bargain to gain a decent life for herself and Riley, but as her deprived heart begins to see the good in Joshua, she loves him. And when she learns she loves him, like all Yates’s heroines, she cannot settle for anything less than his love, no matter how much she may need his money, or support, or name, or any his possessions.

You would rightly think that if I know all that Yates has to offer and can identify it thus, why keep reading her? Why do I keep reading Betty Neels, with her cryptic, knowing heroes and humble heroines? Several reasons, I think. One is that I agree with their ethic: both Neels and Yates show a couple that instinctively know they belong to each other; obstacles are of the mind, of ingrained emotional habits that need be overcome, of circumstances, but not of the heart and body. The body, whether a subtle attraction in Neels, or Yatesian coupling, and heart know what the mind ratiocinates. I also read for the how, how they bring the reader along, how they write their scenes. Here are favourite snippets from Claim Me, Cowboy to entice you:

“You’re right. We have to do a better job of looking like a couple. And that would include you not scampering under the furniture when I get close to you.” She sat up straight and folded her hands in her lap. “I did not scamper,” she muttered. “You were perilously close to a scamper.” “Was not,” she grumbled.

The kiss hadn’t changed anything for him at all. Hadn’t been more than the simple meeting of mouths. It had been her first kiss. It had been everything. And right then she got her first taste of just how badly a man could make a woman feel. Of how – when wounded – feminine pride could be a treacherous and testy thing.

A combination of incisive, droll banter and emotional wisdom, a boring beyond what people say to each other, to themselves, to the sagacity of heart and body. Was Claim Me, Cowboy perfect? Not by any means, given the pace at which Joshua and Danielle were brought to the love moment, it was all too precipitous. But it was perfect for me, for this care-light Saturday afternoon. With Miss Austen’s agreement, I would say that Yates’s Claim Me, Cowboy is indicative of “a mind lively and at ease.”

Maisey Yate’s Claim Me, Cowboy is published by Harlequin Books. It was released on April 3rd and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC, from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley.

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Cbl6m8

It's always nice spending time with the sexy semi-cowboys* of Cooper Ridge.

The Gist: Joshua's dad decided to take matters into his own hands and placed a "wife wanted" ad in the paper searching for the perfect lady for his son. And the son, well he found out and placed his own ad looking the most unsuitable lady to teach his daddy a lesson. The bedraggled waif of a woman and her baby who showed up on his doorstep...yup...they'll do nicely! They just need to make it convincing and keep it from backfiring on them... as these things do. lol

Joshua and Danielle were quite the pair. She's a prickly mess with baggage to spare. He's a growly ass with a set of his own. They are such an unlikely pair but from that they grew into exactly what the other needed. He needed someone to mend his heart and help him care for something other than himself again. To soften his rough cold edges. She needed someone to help her see how wonderful and special she was. To give her confidence and security.

They had some nice sparks and some sweet moments. Some funny set downs and quips as they tried to prove they were a real couple and then settled into each other.

While I enjoyed this one it wasn't up to what I expect from Yates. There's the sweet and the sexy, of course. The broken, damaged characters healing and finding love. It made me smile and happy for them. But it needed more fleshing out. More scenes of them actually getting to know each other. More scenes with his family since that was what sparked the whole thing and they were basically absent from the book. There were a lot of missed opportunities. I felt for them and enjoyed my time with them but never got hit in the gut with their story or romance.

Still Claim Me, Cowboy was a fun read and a nice couple hours spent.

*note-- also, he's not a cowboy. He's like the anti-cowboy. He has a couple horses but dude is in architecture and not into ranching or cowboying at all. #NotHisThing

[MaryD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet (but sexy) story of Joshua whose father ran an ad seeking a bride for his son. In opposition, Joshua ran his own ad, asking for a temporary fiance who would be totally inappropriate and would get him off the family hook. Danielle appears with a 4-month-old baby, dressed in rags and fits Joshua's idea completely.

I loved this story. It was predictable, but I loved how Joshua's feelings toward her changed as he learned more about her, and the scene where she would rather give up the security (and sex) rather than enter into a loveless marriage just hit my heart.

[Donna Repsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maisey Yates has done it again--I don't know how she manages it, book after book, but she never fails to wrap her stories around my heart and even in this shorter format in the Harlequin Desire series, she got to me again. Claim Me, Cowboy is a 5-star read.

Joshua is wealthy, accomplished, has an excellent and successful career and a long list of no-strings affairs, and he likes it that way. What he doesn't like is his meddling father, who is so eager for his son to have what he considers a normal life, with a wife, a loving home and children. He's so eager, in fact, that he takes out a newspaper ad searching for the perfect woman to marry his son, and Joshua is not about to take that lying down. Instead, Joshua takes out an ad of his own, searching for a totally unsuitable woman to fake being his fiance, in the hopes that his parents will find her so unsuitable that they'll get off his back once and for all and leave him as he is--handsome, wealthy, and blessedly single. But you know what they say about best laid plans, don't you?

When the first person to respond to Joshua's ad turns up at his door, she's certainly not at all what Joshua was expecting. Her name is Danielle, she's 22--more than a decade younger than Joshua, she's too thin, too drab, wearing tattered clothing, driving a hot mess of a car, and, oh yes, she's carrying a baby with her. Joshua's ad was like a dream come true. Live with Joshua in his gorgeous home for a month, pretend to be his loving fiance well enough to fool his parents and siblings, and leave at the end of 30 days with enough money to give herself and baby Riley a fresh start in life and the chance of a good future.

Joshua wasn't expecting an unwed mother (and there's more to that story that I won't give away), but feels it will make Danielle even more unsuitable in the eyes of his family. He's very clear about what will and won't happen in this arrangement. He's not looking for love, he's not interested in marriage, or in having a family of his own. He's perfectly happy with his life as it is, and just wants to get his family off his back. Danielle, who has no other option than to continue working as a part-time cashier (if she can find another job, since taking care of Riley cost her the last part-time job she had), trying to keep a roof over her and Riley's heads, and since she isn't looking for love either, has little problem agreeing to Joshua's terms.

Both of these characters are keeping secrets, and since they are relative strangers, that isn't surprising. Danielle is floored by Joshua's beautiful home and his willingness to not only hire her for his ruse, but to provide her and Riley with everything she and Riley need, from clothing to diapers, and for someone like Danielle, who has never had much, including a stable family, life with Joshua seems like something out of a fairy tale to her. But as they share his home, and spend time together, each of them slowly begins to open up about their past, their upbringing, their history, and, as that happens, their attraction grows. When that attraction leads to sex, virginal Danielle has a lot of explaining to do, and when she does, Joshua finds a great deal to admire about her, like her strength of character, her determination, and her honesty. She's slowly falling in love with him, but Joshua thinks she's mistaking gratitude for love--he isn't looking for love and makes it very clear that he never will. But again, best laid plans.

There was so much I loved about this novel. First, Danielle, who's described as elfin, but with an admirable inner core of strength, honesty, and one heck of a backbone, certainly when it comes to Joshua and her growing feelings for him. She doesn't buy into his story about never falling in love again, and she isn't afraid to stand up to him either. I also loved Joshua's family, warm, supportive, kind, open and sweet, something Danielle has always wished for and dreamed of, and something she believes Joshua doesn't truly appreciate, and she's right about that.

There's a lot more to this story, but I'd hate to spoil it for you. I will say that Maisey Yates managed to pack a whole lot of emotion and depth into this rather short novel, and, as usual, she once again managed to bring me to tears, and I loved every single minute of it. If you tend to shy away from series romances, make an exception for this one, you'll be very glad you did.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5

Fed up with his father’s attempts to marry him off, Joshua Grayson decides to take his own steps to thwart his plans by posting his own ad for the job of pretending to be engaged to him. Well, that was his plan - but we all know what happens to the best laid plans! In this case, the potential bride is Danielle Kelly who turns up on his doorstep complete with Riley, a baby, in her arms! Well, she’s definitely going to be deemed unsuitable by his Dad and that was the plan - wasn’t it? This is one fake relationship that won’t become anything else because he’s paying her to play the role and that would be wrong - wouldn’t it?

This is a delightful story where the insecure childhood of the heroine makes her determined to provide a better childhood for Riley, which is why she took this job in the first place. Joshua always wanted more than the small town of Cooper Ridge could offer but a failed relationship and his closeness to his siblings has brought him home again. He has no plans to fall in love but that’s just another plan to go awry! It lacks some of the character and backstory building because it is such a short read.

This is a fun, relatively quick, read and an enjoyable story to escape into when you have a couple of hours to relax and read.

I requested and was lucky enough to be given a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

[Starcatbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joshua Grayson, millionaire cowboy, has a meddlesome father who places an ad in the paper for his son to acquire a bride. In retaliation, Joshua places an ad for an entirely unsuitable bride, who he wishes to parade before his family so they can reject her, finally get the entire idea of him being married with children out of their systems, and get on with their lives.

There's only one hitch: the woman who answers the ad is young, bedraggled, half-starved, and carrying a baby.

A lot of assumptions happen in this comedy of errors, including that the baby is hers by birth and that she's an experienced woman of the world (this is the second Yates I've read in a row with a virgin). Joshua ends up finding himself less grumpy as time passes and more inclined to be kind and thoughtful to Danielle, and after a hot encounter that certainly brings it home for both of them that she had been a virgin, he realizes he actually has feelings for her and her baby, and that he actually does want to have a family with her -- and bring her into his family, so that she can have a family and the support she never had.

But the word "love" hasn't entered into it. Not on his end. Danielle realizes this on her (rushed) wedding day.

Much introspection occurs, and Joshua realizes what he thought was support and deep feeling actually was love all along.

There's also a Pop Tart wedding cake. Don't ask. Just roll with it.

Again, Maisey Yates pulls off witty, sharp dialogue and narrative that's a pleasure to read, punctuated with hot romance.

[Booknerdingout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maisey Yates is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, EVER!


Joshua Grayson places a fake fiancé wanted ad to teach his meddling father a lesson. What he wasn't expecting was for that fake fiancé, Danielle Kelly, would actually teach him a lesson.

A lesson in love.

Joshua & Danielle were an unlikely pair. Yet, they were perfect together. I felt such a connection to these two. My heart ached for Danielle and all that she'd been through. She was just so real and a well balanced heroine. There was one particular part in the book where I thought I was going to be slightly disappointed with her character. But I should've known better because Maisey Yates never disappoints. Danielle's strength & self love at the ending had me tears.

" She knew far too well what it was like to pour love out and never get it back."

IN TEARS!

I can't wait to read everything by this author!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book he didn't like his dad butting into his life so when his dad takes out an ad looking for a wife for him so he places a ad of his own and Danielle answered it but he didn't know she comes with a baby he thinks of course that it's her baby until later when things heat up between them and he figured out different and she tells him that it's her brother and that she has custody of him because their mother abbanted them so than his feelings change towards her and he wants to marry her for real and they do but not before one more bump in the road

[Caytie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My last favorite so far. This books pushing was off and the love was way too insta-love for me. I have no idea how long time wise the book was, it was so hard to tell. This felt like a novella threat had been given filler material to lengthen it.

I loved the characters though, and Riley was a baby so cute and adorable. The cake was a cute touch, bringing in a couples element to the story. And the family was amazing and sweet and living and everything.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I think the length holds me back from a 4 star. Extend out character development and more day to day experiences as a" couple" before the main event and I'd be on this for four stars. This may be a formula book for this author as it is my first I've read of hers and she has hundreds listed.

[Julia Carti cu Colti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the book was longer for the story not to be that rushed. I did liked it

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books for the Copper Ridge series.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yates can write the heck out of fairy tales, but this spin on Cinderella never gelled for me thanks to a self-absorbed hero who is kind of a jerk so I didn't really care about the giant Pity Party he hosts for himself the entire book. Ultimately that's the problem. He marries the heroine to "save her" - but I'm never convinced he actually falls in love with her. And honestly? She deserved better since her smart, Portland-hipster mouth is kind of what saves the story for me.

If you're big into Rescue Fantasy and the Cinderella trope - this may be your thing. It just never really worked for me and ended up falling on the lower side of OK.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and how much I, in fact, enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong I love the Copper Ridge series and Maisey Yates book in general, but for some reason this book didn’t get me excited like some of the other books in this series usually do. A big part I think was because the Grayson family was kind of in the background and didn’t make appearance in previous book so there wasn’t a lot that I knew about Joshua Grayson to get me excited about him and his story, but once I got into this book and the premise and all that I was digging it. I was immediately intrigued and got back into the world of Copper Ridge all over again, and this was a very welcome addition to the Copper Ridge series.

Also it didn’t bug me that this book was of a shorter format like the other Desires for the Copper Ridge that kind of made me wish they were longer like the original Copper Ridge books where I love the longer format. Just sometimes I want more because I love the characters so much, but this one it was just enough. It had good pacing. It had good development. I didn’t feel like it was rushed through where in leaving me wanting with something more. It was just a really nice, quick easy story that I was quite enjoyable.

I will say that I found the storyline very intriguing and something that I never read before. It had a fresh little twist on the the fake relationship trope. The setup was basically Joshua’s father sent out a ad for his son in finding a new wife and basically advertising Joshua’s wealth, not a fan of this meddling Joshua set out to get back at his father by putting out an ad himself but his calling for a fake wife of the unsuitable variety to show his father that marriage wasn’t the best course of action for him. And that was where Danielle Kelly came in. She answered his ad and believed she was the most unsuitable of candidates for Joshua. She was young, poor, lack of sophistication, and she was raising her four month old half-brother. And as serious as that sounds for a premise, it felt light with a touch bit of humor in there that I really liked. They certainly collided when they met.

Another thing that I was not expecting was the character of Danielle. I had no idea that she was going to being this selfless and such a self sacrificing person, and just how much she needed the money that Joshua was offering from his ad. It showed why she was answering this ad in the first place, and why it was so important to her to get this money from this contract, and it wasn’t for herself. It was for her to give her brother a better life than she had ever gotten by being able to give him everything in life. She was his mother, through and through, and she did that by choice at a young age especially after she had taken care of her mother all her life. So, she was in some desperate straights. And you know what I loved her and rooted for her and believed that she out of anyone deserved her happily ever after after everything she went through in her young life. I understood where she came from in not believing in love or happily ever after with all she had gone through and with disappointments thrown here there and everywhere. She had a heart of gold and kept her head held high as she did the best that she could. And despite having her wall up in the beginning, it was brought down quickly by Joshua and how much more open that she wanted to be and have love in her life. Also I really liked her little sassiness going on too, which really brought on the funny interactions between her and Joshua, which also increased the spark between them too. She was just a really great character that definitely had emotional scars that only love could heal.

Joshua was a good character too. His backstory was tragic, and it made me understand why he wasn’t open to the possibility of love in his life again, which caused him to push it away, but what I really liked was how he was with Danielle. He was a little jerky to her in the beginning, but very quickly his attitude changed when he learned more about her and began to care, then he was very sweet. He wanted to take care of her in way that she had never been before. And it was awesome all the little things that he did for her that melted my heart like the horseback riding scene. It showed off his romantic side even though he never claimed to be that. I really liked seeing that adorable side to him. He was really a teddy bear under all that gruff and had love in him to give even if he didn’t know it.

Their chemistry together was really good. They really brought out the best each other and opened each other to possibility of love in their lives, and I believed they only could do that with each other. They had their moments and bumped heads a couple times but that truly just built on the fire that was already between them. I liked all their banter that was really just foreplay.

The passion between them was very sensual yet sexy too. They had this combustible energy between them since the very beginning but really took off after their first kiss. That was just hot scene and got the blood pumping as did the other love scenes in the book. They had this really intense chemistry both physically and emotionally and it was something that they really brought out in each other, and it was so good. Their first love scene was a combination of steamy and emotional and all about the connection between them. It was never about lust at that point because they were really starting to care about one another and allow themselves to lower their guards a bit, which was a beautiful moment between the pair. Also it finally revealed some truths that remained hidden. This was the turning point in their relationship in more ways that one.

Overall I was pretty amazed by this book. Probably because I wasn’t expecting too much from it only knowing that it was Copper Ridge and a Maisey Yates book so I didn’t think I could go wrong. This was one of the better Desires in terms of length because it was just perfect amount to story, development and emotional storytelling. It never felt rushed, and the pacing was really good. I wasn’t wanting more let’s put it that way. And I was very impressed. I liked Joshua and Danielle together, and thought they fit together really well. I loved how the barred their emotional scars to the other, which grew not only their attraction to one another but their love too. No one else would have fit together but the two of them. Plus I loved seeing Danielle put Joshua in his place every once in awhile because he needed to be taken down a peg or two sometimes. And once he allowed himself to care about her, his actions followed suit which was beautiful to see. It was such an enjoyable romance filled with love and passion with very likable characters. It was a great addition in the Copper Ridge series.

P.S.: I was intrigued by the characters of Isaiah and Poppy in this book, giving me a little taste of what is going to come in their book in November. I can see lots of angst, lots of drama, lots of hidden emotion, and lots of passion. I can’t wait especially with just the little setup that was in this book. The wait is going to be long though. Can’t wait.

[Beth C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can’t love someone into being whole. They have to love themselves enough to want to be whole.

Sexy, quick and sweet—that’s probably the best way to describe the latest Copper Ridge outing by Maisey Yates. Claim Me, Cowboy was a fun story—I’m quite taken with the fake relationship/real feelings trope—and found this one to be fairly unpredictable.



It was also fairly short. In fact, it was pithy enough to be a one-sitting read for me, something that’s become increasingly rare of late. But it wasn’t only its brevity that kept me reading—I also liked both Danielle, the hard-working, strong heroine, and Joshua, the curt, precise cowboy. They were well matched, and I liked the way their relationship progressed; never did it get too bogged down in anything overwrought or forced.

My only real wish for Claim Me Cowboy is a little more. A little more time with Joshua’s family, a little more attention to the smaller details, a little more epilogue because I’m a sucker for good, long epilogue. #SizeMatters.



But it is a wish I could live without seeing granted because this book served up a sweet, sexy, desirable story—and it did it well-enough to keep me flipping pages until there were no more to flip.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be now. And it has to be you.”

~ FOUR STARS ~

[Holly Senecal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I am biased because I am a fan of Maisey Yates work but I loved this story. It had romance with a bit of spice without being uncomfortable to read, the characters were relatable and the setting (in my imagination!) was beautiful. I voluntarily read and reviewed Claim Me, Cowboy and am SO SO glad I did!

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just recently read the short story Snowed in at Copper Ridge (Copper Ridge 6.5) in the Snowbound at Christmas compilation and noted that we would most likely see more of the Grayson family. Well, this is Joshua Grayson’s story. He’s the brother we saw the least of in that previous short story, so we get to know him much more here.

This story is a fun concept. A successful, single man’s dad puts an ad in the paper to find him a wife…in modern times! Who would do that? I’ll admit, I had to look back to be sure these were the same Graysons from Snowed in at Copper Ridge because I couldn’t believe the patriarch of that family would do such a thing. But he sure did! So to give his dad a taste of his own medicine, Joshua decides he’ll find an unsuitable match and tell his family he met her through the ad.

Danielle is such a strong woman, even as young as she is. At 22 she’s seen a lot and had a lot of responsibility. She has a very strong moral compass. My only issue with Danielle didn’t have much to do with her, but with the baby Riley. How is that baby so quiet? I had a very well-behaved baby in my first-born and he was even more of a distraction than Riley seems to be. Of course, that is most likely a by-product of the author needing to move the story.

This story moved very quickly, but it somehow didn’t surprise me. Knowing the Grayson family, I knew Joshua would have a protective instinct when it came to Danielle and Riley that he wouldn’t be able to deny. Not that that is why they fall in love, it’s just part of the reason.

Despite the fast nature of this story, I loved it all. It seems to me that all of the stories in the Copper Ridge: Desire series are very quick and really focus on the two main characters without a lot of other characters in the mix. This helps the reader to really get to know the hero and heroine somewhat fast so the insta-love aspect doesn’t seem as obvious.

My full review can be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claim Me, Cowboy is a quick and easy read. The drama brief, the lovin' sexy and the end happy. Just how I like my Harlequin Desire books. I received this from a Goodreads giveaway for which I am gratefully giving my honest review.

At first Joshua is a pompous prick. I instantly didn't like him, even though he was just being honest and straightforward. He thinks the waif on his doorstep holding a baby will be the perfect way to teach his father a lesson for placing a personal ad to find a wife for him. Maisey Yates has a way of writing these gruff, stiff, surly men and by the end of the book they have totally endeared themselves to you. Who doesn't love a big guy being overwhelmed by a tiny baby, realizing he's been an idiot?

I liked Danielle and wanted to know her secrets. She is quite a bit younger than Joshua but her upbringing has given her a world of life experience that he didn't get in his loving family. I enjoyed her inner musings and how she finds her voice in the end. Situations may be far fetched and accelerated (insta-love and millionaires) but Maisey Yates weaves real life emotions into her fiction.

The flow was off. At times I felt I was reading and a day had passed but then it would be mentioned that weeks had passed. The story is bookended with the opening ad and a final ad being only one month later. The church was decorated for Christmas and the final news announcement is December 5th. What happened to Thanksgiving with the family?

The paperback is 218 pages but it reads very fast (even for us slow readers who read every word). I would have enjoyed another 100 pages of family interaction and witty repartee. I will seek out the rest of the Grayson family and their Copper Ridge community stories because I find them easy entertainment.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the story of Joshua Grayson and Danielle Kelly. It was fun and entertaining, it was hot, passionate, and ardent, it had me smiling and even chuckling out loud. But it also had a raw honesty, tangible vulnerability, and that brittleness of a spirit that comes when it has withstood so many hard winds that it could break with a well-planned knock.
I love Maisey Yates writing, she knows just how to balance all the elements of the story and she is not shy about going to the turbulent deep waters of emotional turmoil.
Danielle is in dire straits. As a guardian of her little brother, she has to keep treading, to keep her head above the water, to be able to provide for the baby and keep the custody of the child. The choices are few, and to pretend to be Joshua's fiance for a little while the best option she has to build a better future for her baby brother.
Joshua is tired of his father's meddling in his life, the ad in the newspaper was the last drop. He is not looking to falling in love again, the first disaster was enough for a lifetime.
While being a sensual and desire filled story, it has heartfelt emotions, wishful and loving moments, affection and deep feelings that even in the shorter length story had time and opportunity to take root and be fruitful.
Ah, I just loved Joshua and Danielle, the connection, chemistry, and possibilities in between and within them.
~ Five Spoons

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a contest through Goodreads and in return promised my honest review.
Claim Me, Cowboy is the 4th book in the Copper Ridge series. It's a Western Romance with a couple who needs to trust in love, a baby and a HEA. This is a stand alone issue and these books do not have to be read in order.

Joshua Grayson is a millionaire cowboy who is sick and tired of his dad interfering in his love life. His dad placed a "Wanted Ad" in the newspaper looking for a suitable wife for his son. Joshua in turn places an ad in the same newspaper looking for a unsuitable wife in hopes to finally get his dad off his back and leave well enough alone.
Danielle Kelly is a poor, down on her luck, young lady. She responds to the ad in hopes to get full custody of her half brother. She never tells Josh about the baby but shows up ready to put his scheme into play so she can get paid and start her life comfortably.
Joshua believes by the looks and brashness of Danielle that she is perfect for the job, that his dad will dislike her on sight and that he won't have a problem keeping his hands to himself or falling in love. With time these things become impossible and he just wants to claim her and the baby as his own...

[annapi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I'm glad I didn't waste much time on this. It's a finalist for the RITA award for romance novels, category "contemporary romance - short". At 224 pages, it was thankfully short enough to finish in one sitting, especially as I was able to skim through the more cringey introspective paragraphs.

Premise was sketchy at best - Cowboy protagonist's father is pushing his son to get married and have a family, so he puts an ad in the paper for a wife for his son. Son retaliates by putting an ad for an "unsuitable" pretend wife for about a month to shut his family up. Young Danielle arrives on his doorstep with the added surprise of a 4-month old infant, desperate for the money to start a life of her own.

So many tropes that push my buttons. I admit this had potential, and occasionally showed flashes of good writing. But it kept descending into the easy cliches and the ending was pretty cringey too. Overall it felt like the author did not want to put in enough effort to make this a plausible and decent story. I could go into more detail, but you know what? It's not worth my time. And if this is an example of a finalist for the RITA award, it's not an award I can trust.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It all started with an ad...
Joshua Grayson's father wants nothing more than for his son to fall in love, get married, and have babies. So he puts an ad out into the world and now Joshua is getting all sorts of unwanted attention from women he doesn't really want to connect with. So Joshua puts out his own ad. One for a thoroughly disreputable woman. One who will get his father off his back. And the woman who answers his ad is perfect. Danielle Kelly is too young, too poor, too hipster, and too-carrying-an-infant for his parents to attach. Except that Joshua seems to be ready to attach...
Danielle grew up the child of a teen mother. Her mother was dirt poor but would drag Danielle around as she moved from man to man, trying to find stability.
I never really connect with characters in the "New Adult" category, even ones who are super-mature for their age. And I never really felt like Danielle and Joshua connected (well, beyond the sex). Would have loved to see more scenes where the two connected outside the bedroom. Regular Yates readers will probably be satisfied but I'm looking forward to a better story in the next book.

Two and a half stars.