Two Stars
Until today, I’ve never finished a Maisey Yates book and thought, “well, thank goodness that’s over.” I discovered Ms. Yates’ books last year, and since then, I’ve read a good portion of her backlist and all of her recent releases. Most of them were good, some of them were fantastic, but, unfortunately, LONE WOLF COWBOY fell flat for me.
The book follows Vanessa, a recovering drug addict and art teacher for troubled youths, and Jacob, a wildland firefighter and slight hermit because of his guilt complex over the death of a friend. I understood where Ms. Yates wanted us to go. Jacob and Vanessa were both on a difficult journey of healing in their own ways. There are a LOT of heavy emotions and topics discussed in this book.
The best part about this book is that Ms. Yates is a ridiculously talented writer and storyteller. If it had been anyone else writing this story, I would have DNF’d early. Of course, because she is so gifted, I forced myself to finish a book I was not enjoying. It took me DAYS.
My most significant problems with this book were a lack of connection to Vanessa and Jacob, and their lack of connection with each other. Both characters annoyed me to the point of dislike at many times in the book. Vanessa was the ultimate victim with her family, and while I respect her journey, I didn’t agree with her attitude for half the book. Jacob was the biggest sad sack. He felt guilty for EVERYTHING. Which, TBH, made him seem like the most self-centered person
I could have gotten past my general dislike of Vanessa and Jacob if I had felt even an ounce of deeper feelings, outside of sexual, between them. Their connection was fast, surface, and both of them were so mired in their own problems, I have no idea how they managed to “fall in love.”
Overall, I highly recommend any Maisey Yates book except this one. I love her writing and this series, but I would safely say you’re okay to skip this one.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 