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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
I had such a good time reading. A sweet small-town romance with just the right amount of emotional depth and a cast of lovable characters.
⟡ Tropes and Rating ⟡
🏞️ Small Town
💗 Insta Attraction
🔥 Slow Burn
🧸 Single Dad
🚜 Tractor Appreciation (😉)
4/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️
⟡ Review ⟡
Wren finds herself in a bit of a predicament when her Maserati breaks down outside of the small Texas town of Vogel Springs. Enter Hud, who runs the local car repair shop. He’s fighting a two-front battle to keep his family’s land from corporate takeover and another to gain custody of his son. Sparks fly fast between Wren and Hud but both hit the brakes (for a while) due to their by personal baggage.
This book has all the ingredients of a cute small town romance with quirky locals, cozy vibes, and meddling best friends but it actually dives deeper. Hud’s custody battle and land dispute bring bigger stakes to it.
He’s a solid, good guy, dependable, selfless, and devoted to his son and town. This makes it particularly heartbreaking when part of the community turns against him when he refuses to sell his land.
Wren is initially depicted as the typical “city girl stranded in the country” but is actually much more, kind, sweet and compassionate.
Their chemistry is instant, but their relationship takes time to develop which leaves us with some delicious push-and-pull tension.
The drama with Hud’s ex is handled well. It nicely moves the story along but it never crosses into the territory where Wren is unsure about where Hud stands with her or the ex.
I only with that there was more time spent on Wren and Hud truly getting to know each other. While Hud’s character was fleshed out well and Wren learned a lot about him because she lives in his town, her past, particularly her father and ex, is explained quite late. There was no talk between the main characters about Wren’s life outside of Vogel Springs and Hud had no idea about her backstory until the end, and even her POV chapters don’t give away much.
Thank you Liberty Stowe and NetGalley for the free ARC. All thoughts are my own.
⟡ Tropes and Rating ⟡
🏞️ Small Town
💗 Insta Attraction
🔥 Slow Burn
🧸 Single Dad
🚜 Tractor Appreciation (😉)
4/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️
⟡ Review ⟡
Wren finds herself in a bit of a predicament when her Maserati breaks down outside of the small Texas town of Vogel Springs. Enter Hud, who runs the local car repair shop. He’s fighting a two-front battle to keep his family’s land from corporate takeover and another to gain custody of his son. Sparks fly fast between Wren and Hud but both hit the brakes (for a while) due to their by personal baggage.
This book has all the ingredients of a cute small town romance with quirky locals, cozy vibes, and meddling best friends but it actually dives deeper. Hud’s custody battle and land dispute bring bigger stakes to it.
He’s a solid, good guy, dependable, selfless, and devoted to his son and town. This makes it particularly heartbreaking when part of the community turns against him when he refuses to sell his land.
Wren is initially depicted as the typical “city girl stranded in the country” but is actually much more, kind, sweet and compassionate.
Their chemistry is instant, but their relationship takes time to develop which leaves us with some delicious push-and-pull tension.
The drama with Hud’s ex is handled well. It nicely moves the story along but it never crosses into the territory where Wren is unsure about where Hud stands with her or the ex.
I only with that there was more time spent on Wren and Hud truly getting to know each other. While Hud’s character was fleshed out well and Wren learned a lot about him because she lives in his town, her past, particularly her father and ex, is explained quite late. There was no talk between the main characters about Wren’s life outside of Vogel Springs and Hud had no idea about her backstory until the end, and even her POV chapters don’t give away much.
Thank you Liberty Stowe and NetGalley for the free ARC. All thoughts are my own.
I enjoyed the first half of this book, cosy romcom, fish out of water vibes, but as the book went on I found the characters to be a bit 2D and things to be a bit predictable and I started getting bored. I would have enjoyed more nuance. Maybe I’m not the target audience for this book, I enjoyed moments but I put the book down at 85% and I don’t know if I’ll pick it back up. It didn’t capture my interest enough and I think I already know how it will end.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I really wanted to love this book. The premise was right up my alley. City girl ends up in a small town and falls in love.
While this was an enjoyable and easy read I did not love the Insta love. I wish there was a little more slow burn so they could set up some chemistry. The chemistry just wasn’t there, it’s just two hot ppl that wanna sleep together.
I did love the small town vibes even though some parts seemed a little bit unrealistic. Also I love a good grump and Hud def delivered.
Great for readers looking for:
Fun quick read
Big city meets Small town
Grump/Sunshine
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
While this was an enjoyable and easy read I did not love the Insta love. I wish there was a little more slow burn so they could set up some chemistry. The chemistry just wasn’t there, it’s just two hot ppl that wanna sleep together.
I did love the small town vibes even though some parts seemed a little bit unrealistic. Also I love a good grump and Hud def delivered.
Great for readers looking for:
Fun quick read
Big city meets Small town
Grump/Sunshine
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Steady Now was a spicy, fun, comeback beach read I needed.
Woman comes into town driving a Maserati with nothing but her travel bag and ends up borrowing a charger from the local car maintenance man. The town rallies with her to help her in her time of need while she's stranded waiting for parts to fix her prized possession while the MMC who owns the local car shop feels like his world is falling apart and being taken from him. Neither of them wanting to admit their feelings for each other, they both sit in limbo waiting to see what happens next.
This book has it all. The characters you love, the characters you love to hare, the spice, the romance, the comraderies and small town gossips while a small circle comes together to fight for what they believe is right.
There was nothing I didn't like about the storyline, plot, characters of this book.
Woman comes into town driving a Maserati with nothing but her travel bag and ends up borrowing a charger from the local car maintenance man. The town rallies with her to help her in her time of need while she's stranded waiting for parts to fix her prized possession while the MMC who owns the local car shop feels like his world is falling apart and being taken from him. Neither of them wanting to admit their feelings for each other, they both sit in limbo waiting to see what happens next.
This book has it all. The characters you love, the characters you love to hare, the spice, the romance, the comraderies and small town gossips while a small circle comes together to fight for what they believe is right.
There was nothing I didn't like about the storyline, plot, characters of this book.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Imagine fleeing a bad day, only for your car to break down in a one-stoplight town with no escape in sight. What starts as a frustrating detour quickly turns into something unexpected—and beautiful. At the heart of this story is a quiet, soul-deep connection between two people who meet by chance but find exactly what they didn’t know they were missing: strength, softness, and the kind of love that feels like home.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
SPICE: 3🌶, RATING: 4⭐️
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
SPICE: 3🌶, RATING: 4⭐️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A sweet and sexy romance novel. The author starts things off with a trigger warning which is nice to have. Even better though, is a a playlist which includes a QR code to a Spotify playlist of some great Country music. The supporting characters in this book are lovely and charming. Just like you would picture for a quaint small town. Well, of course, except for the ones that are supposed to be the villains. The spicy scenes are descriptive without being vulgar. All and all and enjoyable book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent
⭐ 4
🌶️ 2
🥵 Spicy chapters: 11, 31, 33, 37, 39
📚 Tropes/Themes: small town, insta lust, forced proximity, single dad, slow burn, small town, starting over, city girl/country boy, lawyer X mechanic
👀 Dual POV 1st person
💔 Triggers: parental neglect, child abandonment, drug use
💬 Well this little book came out of nowhere! I thought it was going to be a cute little fun, easy read to finish out my July ARCs but apparently that was not the case. I mean it's definitely cute and fun and light- hearted but when you really get into the meat and bones of the story, there's a lot more there.
I read a similar book earlier this year and it relied more on being goofy and silly and I didn't really like it a whole lot but I really enjoyed this one. There was a lot more substance to it. The chemistry between Hudson and Wren initially was a little bit too instalusty for me but then it redeemed itself.
The side characters, especially Anderson and Martha were really fun and I loved the small Town vibes. And when the relationship between the MCs really got going. It was sweet, and swoony and everything I look for in a romance novel.
I also really love how you get to learn the meaning the phrase Steady Now holds for Hudson, and how he "gifts" it to Wren as well including all the little occurrences throughout the book.
My only complaint.... Is a wish that Hudson hadn't done the "she's obviously going to leave me no matter what and it's going to break my heart". Sigh. I guess I'm glad that it's the guy who's super insecure this time, but turns out I still hate it lol. Maybe because it's miscommunication trope lite? Either way, that's the only thing that really bugged me about the story. Everything else was enjoyable and I blazed through this book pretty quick.
Oh! And there wasn't an epilogue! I don't think I've read a romance novel that doesn't have an epilogue. It wasn't bad, just... surprising? But I did appreciate the little treat the author left us at the end 😏
🌶️ 2
🥵 Spicy chapters: 11, 31, 33, 37, 39
📚 Tropes/Themes: small town, insta lust, forced proximity, single dad, slow burn, small town, starting over, city girl/country boy, lawyer X mechanic
👀 Dual POV 1st person
💔 Triggers: parental neglect, child abandonment, drug use
💬 Well this little book came out of nowhere! I thought it was going to be a cute little fun, easy read to finish out my July ARCs but apparently that was not the case. I mean it's definitely cute and fun and light- hearted but when you really get into the meat and bones of the story, there's a lot more there.
I read a similar book earlier this year and it relied more on being goofy and silly and I didn't really like it a whole lot but I really enjoyed this one. There was a lot more substance to it. The chemistry between Hudson and Wren initially was a little bit too instalusty for me but then it redeemed itself.
The side characters, especially Anderson and Martha were really fun and I loved the small Town vibes. And when the relationship between the MCs really got going. It was sweet, and swoony and everything I look for in a romance novel.
I also really love how you get to learn the meaning the phrase Steady Now holds for Hudson, and how he "gifts" it to Wren as well including all the little occurrences throughout the book.
My only complaint.... Is a wish that Hudson hadn't done the "she's obviously going to leave me no matter what and it's going to break my heart". Sigh. I guess I'm glad that it's the guy who's super insecure this time, but turns out I still hate it lol. Maybe because it's miscommunication trope lite? Either way, that's the only thing that really bugged me about the story. Everything else was enjoyable and I blazed through this book pretty quick.
Oh! And there wasn't an epilogue! I don't think I've read a romance novel that doesn't have an epilogue. It wasn't bad, just... surprising? But I did appreciate the little treat the author left us at the end 😏
This is a Maserati GranCabrio of a book. It will depreciate massively as soon as you drive away and be quickly forgotten. It may even be found on a free cart at a library. And just like a Maserati is a Stellantis product hidden under a thin Italian veneer, this book is equally lacking when you peel back the layers. Cheap, free of substance, and pretending to be something it’s not.
Wren Baldwin is running from her (wealthy, wretched family and ex-love interest) life. The front half of the novel tiptoes around the reasons why, and the reveal at the end falls flat, and honestly, it makes no sense. Wren's Maserati GranCabrio leaves her stranded in Vogel Springs, Texas. Hudson “Hud” Bass is the only mechanic in a small town who can fix it. Wren falls in love with the town, and her bestie Anderson swoops into town to hang out and magically start a bed and breakfast for seemingly no reason, other than the vibes. Wren and Hud are instantly infatuated with each other. Hud is emotionally unavailable in the most annoying way. Hud is dealing with multiple legal battles involving the custody of his child and a company vying for his privately owned land.
I will say that this book is readable (note: not the same thing as good), and the premise is cute. That's what drew me to reading it. I feel like the writing gets slightly better as the story progresses, but I may have just gotten used to the clunky prose. There are so many sentences that begin with I/she/her. Some repetitive phrasing and sentences got old very quickly, i.e. “That [insert noun.]” The language and phrasing used throughout the book just made me cringe and get secondhand embarrassment. If you like insta-lust love trope with a lot of spice and no substance or character development, you'll enjoy this easy read. It's a quick read because you can't finish reading this car wreck fast enough.
My critiques are numerous. There are spoilers below, so if you actually want to read the book, maybe don't read further. However, I don't recommend reading it unless the above applies to you.
I could believe that a rich, white woman thinks a Maserati GranCabrio is a good car. But a mechanic? Not so much. Towards the end, Wren pitches selling her "three hundred thousand dollar Maserati" to further the plot. You can buy a used Maserati for significantly less than a hundred grand, just look on Facebook Marketplace. The idea that she could sell a used Maserati for that amount is as unbelievable as Wren and Hud's romance.
I did read the trigger warnings of foul language, etc., however, I still think that men calling women "bitch" (and other profanities) happens so frequently in the story, it's annoying. This applies to all the men in this novel. I could believe that Hud is a good man if it weren't for how he throws this word around about the mother of his child. SPOILER: (I'm assuming the fact that he is caring for a child that isn’t biologically his, is supposed to be his big redeeming quality, but it does not do it for me) Even though the mother of the child is an antagonist character, a father should not be saying it so frequently, in my opinion. On a similar note, variations of the F-word are thrown frequently around to seemingly emphasize anger or irritation. To me, it just cheapens the writing. I'm not opposed to a few here and there, but it feels like every other page is sprinkled with an f-bomb. Furthermore, I'm supposed to swoon over a man who repeatedly voices thoughts about putting hands on and murdering a woman? Ahh, yes, nothing more romantic than getting assaulted. Hud's explosive anger and increasingly vulgar language is a big turn-off.
This is supposed to be a sexy, romance novel... well it's certainly one of those things. (spoiler alert: it's the former) The dialog feels forced and awkward. The spice is certainly there, and it's very descriptive, which is fine if you're into that— sure. Despite the fact that Wren and Hud keep insisting that their attraction feels natural and so right. I'm not convinced. The perspectives between Hud and Wren do not sound different enough to be believable. Both perspectives are using language that is too similar to describe things. I want to believe this romance, but I can't because the characters are interrupted anytime they have an interaction OR the interaction is just a short lustful embrace that (allegedly) feels so right. I'm supposed to believe these strangers are in love, but they can barely make it through a getting to know each other conversation. Wren and Hud are just in lust as far as I can tell. Their romance is surface level and uninteresting because neither character will open up to the other. In fact, they learn about each other’s past from their respective gay besties, because they themselves barely have any conversations. At one point, Hud lists off all their "memories" together, and it's just how many times they've done the deed. Nice. Also, there’s a photo at the end is supposed to be a big reveal moment but looks A.I. generated and is tacky.
There’s the conflict of the ex-love interest, Phillip, that is barely touched on and only exists for being the reason that Wren ran away. The core issue is hardly explained at all. I could go on, honestly. There were just so many moments while reading this that I just thought, “What?” Just like you can't convince me a Maserati is an impressive car, I can not be convinced to believe in this romance. 1/5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and RupertBossier for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wren Baldwin is running from her (wealthy, wretched family and ex-love interest) life. The front half of the novel tiptoes around the reasons why, and the reveal at the end falls flat, and honestly, it makes no sense. Wren's Maserati GranCabrio leaves her stranded in Vogel Springs, Texas. Hudson “Hud” Bass is the only mechanic in a small town who can fix it. Wren falls in love with the town, and her bestie Anderson swoops into town to hang out and magically start a bed and breakfast for seemingly no reason, other than the vibes. Wren and Hud are instantly infatuated with each other. Hud is emotionally unavailable in the most annoying way. Hud is dealing with multiple legal battles involving the custody of his child and a company vying for his privately owned land.
I will say that this book is readable (note: not the same thing as good), and the premise is cute. That's what drew me to reading it. I feel like the writing gets slightly better as the story progresses, but I may have just gotten used to the clunky prose. There are so many sentences that begin with I/she/her. Some repetitive phrasing and sentences got old very quickly, i.e. “That [insert noun.]” The language and phrasing used throughout the book just made me cringe and get secondhand embarrassment. If you like insta-lust love trope with a lot of spice and no substance or character development, you'll enjoy this easy read. It's a quick read because you can't finish reading this car wreck fast enough.
My critiques are numerous. There are spoilers below, so if you actually want to read the book, maybe don't read further. However, I don't recommend reading it unless the above applies to you.
I could believe that a rich, white woman thinks a Maserati GranCabrio is a good car. But a mechanic? Not so much. Towards the end, Wren pitches selling her "three hundred thousand dollar Maserati" to further the plot. You can buy a used Maserati for significantly less than a hundred grand, just look on Facebook Marketplace. The idea that she could sell a used Maserati for that amount is as unbelievable as Wren and Hud's romance.
I did read the trigger warnings of foul language, etc., however, I still think that men calling women "bitch" (and other profanities) happens so frequently in the story, it's annoying. This applies to all the men in this novel. I could believe that Hud is a good man if it weren't for how he throws this word around about the mother of his child. SPOILER: (I'm assuming the fact that he is caring for a child that isn’t biologically his, is supposed to be his big redeeming quality, but it does not do it for me) Even though the mother of the child is an antagonist character, a father should not be saying it so frequently, in my opinion. On a similar note, variations of the F-word are thrown frequently around to seemingly emphasize anger or irritation. To me, it just cheapens the writing. I'm not opposed to a few here and there, but it feels like every other page is sprinkled with an f-bomb. Furthermore, I'm supposed to swoon over a man who repeatedly voices thoughts about putting hands on and murdering a woman? Ahh, yes, nothing more romantic than getting assaulted. Hud's explosive anger and increasingly vulgar language is a big turn-off.
This is supposed to be a sexy, romance novel... well it's certainly one of those things. (spoiler alert: it's the former) The dialog feels forced and awkward. The spice is certainly there, and it's very descriptive, which is fine if you're into that— sure. Despite the fact that Wren and Hud keep insisting that their attraction feels natural and so right. I'm not convinced. The perspectives between Hud and Wren do not sound different enough to be believable. Both perspectives are using language that is too similar to describe things. I want to believe this romance, but I can't because the characters are interrupted anytime they have an interaction OR the interaction is just a short lustful embrace that (allegedly) feels so right. I'm supposed to believe these strangers are in love, but they can barely make it through a getting to know each other conversation. Wren and Hud are just in lust as far as I can tell. Their romance is surface level and uninteresting because neither character will open up to the other. In fact, they learn about each other’s past from their respective gay besties, because they themselves barely have any conversations. At one point, Hud lists off all their "memories" together, and it's just how many times they've done the deed. Nice. Also, there’s a photo at the end is supposed to be a big reveal moment but looks A.I. generated and is tacky.
There’s the conflict of the ex-love interest, Phillip, that is barely touched on and only exists for being the reason that Wren ran away. The core issue is hardly explained at all. I could go on, honestly. There were just so many moments while reading this that I just thought, “What?” Just like you can't convince me a Maserati is an impressive car, I can not be convinced to believe in this romance. 1/5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and RupertBossier for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes