Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - A Thorn in the Saddle

I really enjoyed Jesse and Lily-Grace's love story. They are interesting as people and together. I did find it a much to suspend that Jesse didn't make a mistake in their relationship after the first one. But it was a joy to see new characters and old ones.

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givemaribooks's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The story and characters were well developed, and I liked how issues were resolved. I particularly liked that Lily-Grace did not let Jesse get away with his behavior, she not only called him out on it, but made sure he followed through with improving. So many characters in books need therapy but we rarely see them actually going to therapy and learning from it, so I really liked that we saw Jesse not only start therapy, but also made changes in his life and learned copping mechanism to deal with his anger issues. Plus it has one of my favorite tropes: sex lessons.

I did have some issues with the pacing. The book felt slow at times, and the storyline with Lily-Grace's ex felt unnecessary to me.

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bookiecharm's review against another edition

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4.0

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thisreadingcorner's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m glad I pushed through on this one, Jesse made it worth my time! I love a late bloomer romance and Jesse was the perfect blend of domineering and reserved. Lily-Grace is still low key on my hit list but she got better about a third of the way through.

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unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

In typical chaos demon fashion, I picked up A Thorn in the Saddle without reading the first two books in the series, so although I spent too much time wondering just *who* all of these side characters were, that’s on me.

This story features Jesse Pleasant, a luxury ranch owner with an anger management problem (and, at 6’7”, perhaps the tallest MMC I have read about) and Lily-Grace LeRoux, a former tech executive back in her hometown of Charming, CA escaping a toxic workplace and a super sh*tty ex.

This book was really sweet with an epilogue that actually made me cry a little! Jesse has lots of emotional baggage to work through and he *does*. Lily-Grace has some things to deal with and she *does*!

Hottest thing in the book? He goes to therapy and then works on healing his relationships! 🥵🥵🥵

A little trope list for you:

He falls first
Long-term pining
Childhood friends
Small town romance
S e x lessons (she teaches him)
“I will face my fears for you” (wow this is surprisingly swoony)
Extravagant gifts
Date auction
Lots of cowboy hats 😂
Older MCs - both are in their late 30s

I have seen a few requests lately from readers seeking romance where both leads are Black. Here is a great one! She also has vitiligo which is another first in an MC for me.

👍🏻Recommended for fans of modern cowboys, sweet love stories, heroes who fave their fears and great communication!

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aqtbenz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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vynexareads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing an early ARC via Netgalley!

When requesting this book, I had no idea it was part of a companion series until after I submitted a request.
Once I saw I was approved, there was a bit of hesitance when getting closer to the release date.

There were times when I felt overwhelmed by how many characters there were, especially in the beginning, but as I read on, I got remembered who was who and was following along just fine.

Jesse was such a gentleman who started off very serious, so much so that I felt it radiating off of my kindle. Seeing him slowly become more and more open in regards to his emotions was so wonderful to experience.

This story provides a hero and heroine with really good communication, which is such a nice breath of fresh air. Especially since this is a romance novel, which tend to get rep for having the opposite. It was enjoyable seeing two people communicate their feelings and thoughts.

Something else I really appreciated about this story is that therapy was incorporated. At the start of the book, Jesse loses control of his temper and many people in his life suggest going to therapy. I am not Black, yet I know what it is like growing up being told/expressed that seeking therapy is unnecessary, having it engrained into your mind that if you seek therapy, you are crazy or that only White people do that. Having that negative connotation towards something that is very much helpful and a positive thing your whole life, it has been really nice seeing BIPOC stories incorporate seeking therapy as being something positive and accepting.

I will say that I didn't really get to feel the chemistry between Jesse and Lily-Grace. I am unsure why, maybe it could've been because this is a trope that involves a childhood crush coming back and the feelings were already there or what, but I didn't feel it. I liked seeing them spending time together and their conversations, especially towards the end of the story, yet I did not feel their love for one another.

It was a good time! I am hoping we get a story with Lilah and Fetu as I sense they would have my absolute favorite trope in romance?? Manifesting it!!

This book can be enjoyed without reading the prior two novels. However, I do think that it may be more enjoyable that way as you would already know about the character and how they all connect.

⭐️3.5 STARS⭐️

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vmp5062's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was so cute it made me happy cry.

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