Review by Ronny
Series Name: Rustler Mountain, # 2
Outlaw Lake is full of pining, emotion, and cowboy boots.
Favourite Quote:
She looked up at him with her wide blue eyes, her blond hair all disheveled, and he couldn’t help but think of her as the little girl she’d been when they’d first met—a tiny little thing, only two years younger than he was. He’d seen her wander onto the property wearing a flowered dress and big rubber boots, and he’d thought to himself; I’m going to keep her.
Book Synopsis:
Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.
Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.
Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it’s too late?
Review:
I’m not too sure if I am a Maisey Yates fan. This is the second book that I have read by her, and it was another miss for me. I love a good cowboy/country romance, but lately I’ve had a hard time finding one that’s really sparked my interest. Now, if you like your romances more emotionally focused (especially broody pining) instead of action-focused, then you might enjoy this book. I like my cowboy/country romances to have some action or ranch shenanigans happening in them. This didn’t deliver on that front. I found it slow, and my attention was constantly drifting to other things.
Part of my struggle with this book was the hero and his broody, clueless emotional reactions. He is so blind to Perry’s feelings for him, and his reaction to her leaving is downright terrible, and he acts a bit emotionally manipulative towards her. Overall, I hated his character from start to finish, which might be a first for me. I just didn’t like him and thought Perry could do so much better. Lol, it’s kind of sad that I wish that she would just go through with her plan to move to another city to help grow her flower business. I enjoyed Perry’s character. I wish that she were a little less lovesick when it comes to Carson; her slightly obsessive crush on him is a bit extreme. But setting aside her crush, her character is very likable and real.
The romance is meh. It’s a slow, slow burn romance with way too much pining and too many misunderstandings. And once again, Maisey focuses on how Carson did not have lusty or romantic feelings for Perry when she was underage. I don’t know why the slight age gap was brought up so many times or why it was addressed the way it was. It made it feel creepy, and in reality, it shouldn’t have. They are only a few years apart in age, not a big deal in my book, but Carson made it seem like it was taboo at times.
Overall, this was a big miss for me. But if you like your romances bursting with heavy longing and emotions, then you may want to give it a try.
