Book Review: "Saddle Studs" by Max Walker

“I thought I had to run away to find myself, but maybe all I had to do was come back home.”

In July, I read Stirring Spurs, my first cowboy romance. It was part of a 4-book series called Rainbow Ranch, which focuses on a family of queer siblings and the ranch they own in Oklahoma. I was excited to return to the ranch for another adventure!

Sam’s life is falling apart, personally and professionally. He knows he’s going to get fired from his PR job at any time, and his latest girlfriend dumped him. And then he gets notified that he’s been left a strange inheritance from an old friend: a miniature horse and a small patch of land at Rainbow Ranch, where Sam spent some of his high school days.

To claim the inheritance, Sam has to stay and work at the ranch for 90 days. While he’s hoping to better understand what he’s been bequeathed, the big deterrent is having to go back to Oklahoma and face Benny, who was his best friend growing up. Benny and his family treated Sam like one of their own until Sam broke Benny’s heart, then disappeared from his life.

Benny loves ranch life, although the gay scene in Oklahoma is pretty sparse apart from occasional Grindr hookups. When he learns that Sam is returning to the ranch, it reopens the pain and heartbreak that Sam caused all those years ago. Benny vows to be stronger this time, but when Sam arrives—even sexier than he remembered—Benny’s resolve goes out the window. And while Sam’s feelings appear to have changed, his fear of coming out causes the same problems.

I really enjoyed these characters. There is longing, emotion, humor, and lots of steam. I wish that Benny’s siblings (and Dennis) played a larger part in the story, as they did in Stirring Spurs, but I have two more books in the series! This book made me say yee-haw!

Book Review: "Moody's Grumpy Holiday" by Lane Hayes

Yes, I know that the holidays are over. That doesn’t mean I’m done with my holiday reads! There’s still snow on the ground here, so I’m good.

Hudson’s engagement ended and he’s honestly not that heartbroken. After spending some time at the fancy California beach resort where his honeymoon was supposed to be, he’s ready for a fresh start. And investing in the Oak Ridge Ranch seems to be the solution.

On the way to the ranch, Hudson decides to do a little sightseeing in nearby Christmas Town, known for their year-round tree and apparently some of the best chicken noodle soup you’ve ever tasted.

While waiting for some soup, Hudson visits Moody’s Marvelous Bah Humbug Bookshop and is immediately intrigued by Moody, the store’s adorable, nerdy owner. Moody is no dummy; he can’t take his eyes off the handsome cowboy that walked into his store. But there’s no way he could be interested in someone like him, right?

Not only is Hudson attracted to Moody, who uses phrases like “two shakes of a lamb’s tale,” but the more he gets to know him, the more he realizes what his heart has been missing. But strangely enough, even though Moody lives and works in Christmas Town, the month of December is his least favorite. He truly embodies the “bah humbug” in his store’s name. Can Hudson help change that?

This was sweet, funny, and romantic, and boy howdy, it was super HOT!! I love how both characters grew through the book and the way they interacted with the supporting characters. All in all, quite a festive story!

Book Review: "The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy" by Robin Bielman

Sweet romance, beautiful setting, and cowboys? Yes, please. I'll take The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy for all three.

The last thing Kennedy was expecting was a drunk, late-night call from her soon-to-be-married ex, saying that he isn’t sure he wants to get married. Kennedy knows that his fiancé is the right one for him. She has only one choice: grab her best friend Andrew and head to the picturesque California town of Windsong to crash the wedding and convince Reed to get married.

And there she comes face-to-face with HIM. Maverick Owens. Her college nemesis and academic rival. They competed for everything, and he used to call her “Shortcake.” Of course the wedding festivities would take place on his family’s ranch, and of course he’s gotten more handsome since college. He knows she wasn’t invited to the wedding and is keeping his eye on her…

Crashing a wedding isn’t easy when your best friend is an actor with a crush on the best man, and he keeps telling guests more outlandish stories about him and Kennedy. To top it off, Kennedy and Maverick keep getting thrown together. But for some reason, it doesn’t seem to bother either of them as much as it should, although both have their guardrails way, way up.

Can sworn enemies find their way to something else, something more serious? Can Kennedy convince Reed to get married without her cover getting blown? And will they all survive the hoedown?

I thought this was just so much fun and so romantic. And I always live by the philosophy, “save a horse, ride a cowboy.”

My thanks to TLC Book Tours, Entangled Publishing, and Robin Bielman for inviting me on the tour and sending me a complimentary advance copy of the book as well as some great swag!! I could definitely see this as the start of a series—some of the supporting characters are just fantastic!