You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
Where was the romance??? Why is this book like 90% cancer???
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book had all the ingredients to make it a good book but unfortunately it felt like it was just shaken up and the writing was just thrown in there without much thought or depth.
This in no way is a cowboy romance. To be honest, there’s maybe like a tiny bit of romance and the rest is just trauma as well as grief. Like too much trauma. It’s rather unfortunate because I think of maybe one traumatic event was taken out, it could have balanced out the book better.
The writing left a lot to be desired as it didn’t flow well together or add much depth to the main characters. I’m still very confused as to why the whole situation between Caroline and Finn (on their honeymoon) even happened and why she stuck it out with him for so long. It was just weird.
I didn’t buy the romance between Caroline and Hunter. Their chemistry lacked and even the spicy scenes were so clinical in terminology that I felt I was about to be quizzed. I give those scenes 1 🌶️ out of 5.
Overall, the potential is there and I’m sure it will resonate with a reader. It just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Maggie Eckersley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
This in no way is a cowboy romance. To be honest, there’s maybe like a tiny bit of romance and the rest is just trauma as well as grief. Like too much trauma. It’s rather unfortunate because I think of maybe one traumatic event was taken out, it could have balanced out the book better.
The writing left a lot to be desired as it didn’t flow well together or add much depth to the main characters. I’m still very confused as to why the whole situation between Caroline and Finn (on their honeymoon) even happened and why she stuck it out with him for so long. It was just weird.
I didn’t buy the romance between Caroline and Hunter. Their chemistry lacked and even the spicy scenes were so clinical in terminology that I felt I was about to be quizzed. I give those scenes 1 🌶️ out of 5.
Overall, the potential is there and I’m sure it will resonate with a reader. It just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Maggie Eckersley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I expected to quite enjoy the book, from the blurb and the tropes which were right up my alley, but I never managed to completely get into Caroline and Hunter’s story. The main issue for me was that most of the writing felt too clinical, rather than emotional. Caroline is a doctor so you could justify it to some extend, but it didn’t read well - especially in the spice scenes.
There were quite a few good things, notably the family dynamics and grief topics which I thought were really well done, and some of the emotional connection between Hunter and Caroline as well, but almost everything else was described that a form of coldness that isn’t what I want in a romance book.
I considered DNFing several times… the last 25% were a bit better but that came too last to make up for the rest of the book.
*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's my fault for thinking I would've liked a Cowboy romance like this one. I wasn't overall bad, I was just bored. Like so bored.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
fast-paced
Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Back in the Saddle by Maggie Eckersley is a small-town cowboy romance that is about our FMC Caroline. Caroline is trying to begin her second start in life after a very strenuous divorce. I liked that she was smart and strong. It was also refreshing that she was a little older than what is typically seen in other books. I like that Hunter, the MMC, lead with open communication. He also gave big grump vibes, which I tend to love. The issue was the open communication was only one-sided. Hunter did not want to share his past with Caroline and that just made the book go slow for me. I think the pacing of the book was just off. Sometimes it was from the characters themselves, but sometimes it was the plot just not hitting for me. There were also just a ton of side characters, and it was hard to keep track of them all.