Live, Ranch, Love (Willow Ridge #1) by Emma Lucy

 

Summary (from the publisher): She’s here to sell my ranch, but now I think she might steal my heart.

Rory Jones prided herself on the successful life she’d built as a wellness influencer and author - until she walked in on her boyfriend with another woman after a family funeral. Forced to run away to her late great aunt’s ranch in Colorado, Rory’s hoping that fixing up and selling the place will help her find her confidence and inspiration to write again.

But Wyatt Hensley, the grumpy head rancher, isn’t willing to hand over the reins to the job he gave everything up for. Especially not to a yoga-loving, manifestation guru who doesn’t even know how to ride a horse. Yet, with a past that’s taught him to not bother dreaming anymore, even Wyatt knows he can’t hold on forever.

Until one day they strike a deal that might just save both of their careers – help Rory turn the ranch into a wellness retreat and Wyatt can stay.

With Rory’s shattered self-confidence and Wyatt’s last drop of hope also on the line, staying professional is a must. But can they ignore the sizzling tension growing between them that could jeopardise it all?

Especially when the rocky path ahead seems a lot easier with the other riding beside them.

Review: Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy!

Rory Jones is a British wellness influencer who finds herself in Colorado to fix up and sell the ranch she inherited from her late great aunt. She immediately butts heads with Wyatt Hensley the grumpy head rancher. While they both have immediate attraction to the other, they try to keep it professional, not least of all because both have been burned before. But when Rory hatches a plan that may allow her to keep the ranch and stay on, they are forced to confront their true feelings. 

This was cute and sexy, and I loved the grumpy/sunshine vibes. I loved all the flirtatious bar scenes with Wyatt's friends. And it was cute to see Rory convincing a bunch of cowboys to try their hand at meditation and yoga. 

I did have a little whiplash how this went from zero to hundred to rapidly!! One minute they're NOT confessing their feelings and then BAM her dress it off lol. I wanted a little more buildup, I guess. It was a slow burn until it very much wasn't. There is also a lot of over-the-top drama with not one but both Rory and Wyatt's exes in the last 25% of the book, which felt overblown and just too much for me. It just almost felt theatrical with both former partners showing up to sabotage this newly blossoming love.

Rory is British and Wyatt is from Colorado. I thought this was a fun twist but there were parts of Wyatt's dialogue that just didn't sound like something an American would say. For instance, at one point Wyatt says, "We're sat on the swing, sipping on our drinks" (183). An American would say, "we're sitting on the swing." Later, he says "Firstly, it was a joke" (221). Feel very confident an American would just say "First." I don't even fault the author for this because she's British but why didn't an editor catch this?

This felt eerily similar to Lyla Sage's Done and Dusted series, but with the main character being British. If you love spicy cowboy romances, you will likely love this!

Stars: 3