Series Name: Naked Moose, # 2
He gently caressed her cheek. “Can I kiss you?”
“Yes,” she whispered, surrendering to the yearning that had been building since their eyes first met.
Lone Wolf in Lights is a fabulous blend of Hallmark charm and sultry spice.
Everyone daydreams about a fresh start…but Willow Quinn is making it happen. She’s left her life in Phoenix to open a bar in cowboy-country Montana with her two best friends. It’s a chance to reboot in a new town with a new life—and leave behind the shadows of her past and heal. Hopefully.
All she wants to do is create an empowering space for women who need support. Snow and the holidays are on the way, so surely a craft circle is the perfect way to build community… Except who knew her plans would ruffle so many feathers.
Enter former bull rider Eli Cole. She’s drawn to the green-eyed cowboy, his intensity and the electrical charge between them. (Even though he seems to have as many dark secrets as she does.) And when she and her bar, The Naked Moose, go viral for being interlopers, suddenly Willow’s new life is on rocky ground.
But Eli has the perfect solution—give the fiercely single bar owner a fake relationship with a local. But while it might dim the negative spotlight and convince the town she really does fit in, it definitely won’t protect her heart from the cowboy she can’t resist…
This was one of those books; I wasn’t sure what I would get when I read it. Would it be super charming, spicy, full of dramatic twists and turns? It’s always a fun experience when you venture into the unknown when reading. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It starts off super Hallmark-ish. The dialogue is about boosting others up and supporting one another, and it is sometimes a bit cheesy. The small town this book is located in feels charming and has the added bonus of being located near a farm full of gorgeous cowboys. As Willow and Eli grow closer, things start to heat up, and there are some spicier moments between them. There are also a few twists when an unknown threat is directed at Willow. All of these different elements blended together really nicely.
This is a short story, and it might even be considered a novella because it is under 200 pages. This means that things progress quickly both in the overarching plotline and with the relationship between Willow and Eli. Both MCs are struggling with past traumas, making taking that first step into a romantic relationship difficult. Willow is coming out of an abusive relationship and is trying to heal and find herself. Eli’s sister was murdered by her abusive ex, and he is dealing with the grief of losing his sister in such a traumatic manner. Stacey did a great job at handling the topic of abuse and grief in a thoughtful and careful manner. I thought including this difficult topic added a sense of realism to the story. It gave it some depth. Of course, both characters grow from the support of each other and some self-reflecting.
The romance in this book is enjoyable. There is a bit of friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and a protective hero. It’s pretty clear to see that these two have chemistry. There is also this mutual understanding of the emotional difficulties they are going through. I liked both the fun, flirty banter and the more serious, quiet chats. Their relationship does progress at light speed, but that is to be expected for a shorter story.
Lone Wolf in Lights is a fun cowboy romance with a dash of Christmas magic.
Thank you, Harlequin, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
