Wild West queer sapphic historic romance? ABSOLUTELY SIGN ME UP!!!! Features a non-binary rancher and a feisty as hell mail order bride (delivered to the wrong rancher, of course),
I found this book quite a fun easy read and a good quick romp in lgbtqia histrom.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

They Ain't Proper is such a delightful romance!!!! My god, I needed a novel like this to end the year well, its atmosphere is so immersive, the book has some problems and I ended up ignoring them all! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Lou and Clementine are really cute but this book was so slow. The problem was that they just didn't talk. I would be fine with this if they eventually did but they really didn't. Juanita is the person who told Clem everything about Lou. I liked the end of the book when they were actually together, I just wish we had more of it.

They Ain't Proper offers a refreshing take on the historical romance genre, a space where diversity has long been overdue. I was immediately drawn to its promise of a queer narrative, set against the raw backdrop of the Wild West. This novel doesn't just sprinkle in LGBTQ+ themes for flair—it wholeheartedly embraces them, reshaping a familiar marriage of convenience trope to highlight the agency and dynamic balance between its protagonists. Lou and Clementine's romance was a sweet tale, but definitely a rollercoaster. Although their palpable chemistry and mutual adoration was endearing and infectious, it was not without its chaotic elements. Several convoluted subplots seemed to veer away from the central narrative, occasionally feeling like unnecessary detours. I also found the frequent miscommunications between Lou and Clementine frustrating.

Nevertheless, They Ain't Proper is a queer-centric historical romance that doesn't shy away from complexity and depth and might just be the escapist read you're looking for. It's an entertaining blend of drama, romance, and pioneering representation in a genre that's all the better for it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Lou and Clementine from the start had very palpable chemistry.

It’s not often that a get the “swoon” factor from most romances but this story delivered.

There were a few plot points that were a little confusing but overall a very good queer historical romance.

3/5 stars

I have always loved historical romance books, which is why it always disappointed me that diverse options for these books tended to be few and far in between. This is why I was overjoyed to see this book, featuring two queer main characters and tackling gender diversity while still having a cute romance. This also tackled a very popular trope of basically a marriage of convenience, while giving both characters more agency and power equality. Lou and Clementine had a super cute romance, with both being smitten for each other despite all the hijinks that was thrown in their way!

Although it was a fun and enjoyable romp, it was definitely a very messy read. Lots of complicated plot lines that didn’t really make sense to the story, and lots of miscommunication between our main characters. Despite this, it was still an enjoyable read and a perfect escapist book if you’re a lover of queer romance and historical books.

This was a decent historical romance. The setting was good, the romance was sweet and overall it was a fairly easy read. It was a little repetitive in places and a lot of the conversation was redundant but overall it's a nice read with good rep.

I loved the premise of this book, and it started off strong--Lou is waiting on a delivery of materials so they can start building a new house, but instead of the materials, a mail-order-bride is delivered instead. Lou is determined to get Clementine to her new husband and get the materials for their house, but when they see the way he treats her, they decide to pay him double what he paid for her, and bring Clementine home with them. It's meant to be a temporary arrangement--just a night or two so Clementine can get back on her feet and go on her way. But Clementine decides to stick around, and the two of them navigate not-quite-married life and they cohabitate.

I really loved the beginning of this book, but by the middle I was less sure. The prose shifted pretty dramatically, and by the halfway point it was reading much more modern with a lot more anachronisms than there were at the beginning--something I might not have minded had it been consistent throughout, but did pull me out of the story as it was.
Around the halfway point the pacing and characterization (and general release of information) also felt less solid and I found myself getting a bit confused and wanting more information.

That being said, while I did end up DNFing, I did like the plot and the setting, and I loved that Lou was nonbinary and they were both Latine. If the things that bothered me about the writing wouldn't bother you, I would definitely recommend picking this up!

Wild West queer sapphic historic romance? Sign me the heck up!! Features a non-binary rancher and a feisty as hell mail order bride (delivered to the wrong rancher, of course), Easy read, and I WILL be reading over and over again.

I will recommend this book to readers of historic romances. The Old West setting had been described well and one of the main characters, Clementine, was very endearing. It was great to see strong female and NB characters. Overall though unfortunately I struggled to suspend my disbelief around how accepting people were of a non-binary character in late 19th century, and said character’s way of speaking was really distracting for me, and that they constantly spoke of propriety got tiring after a certain point.

They Ain't Proper is a good romance read that I would absolutely recommend to any nonbinary and trans person who loves women and the Old West. While I am not a big fan of the Old West, They Ain't Proper hits every expected tropes of the genre (positive) and even more (sick character get taking care of).

The dynamic between the characters work very well, and the supporting cast is interesting unlike in some other romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for providing me with an ARC.

They Ain’t Proper is a historical queer romance set in the 1880s Wild West, and follows Lou Ramirez as they accidentally get a wife delivered to their door, instead of the house plans they had ordered. Said wife, Clementine Castellanos needs a way out of her family’s debt and is more than happy to end up with Lou, and is instantly smitten. Lou, however, is rough and curt, unable to open up and unwilling to get Clementine hurt. Both Clementine and Lou have hidden, secret pasts that threaten to break them apart and that they must overcome to be together.

This was a cute and easy read, and I loved having a non-binary protagonist, especially set in the Wild West. However, I wished I liked this more. It took me a long time to get through it; I wasn’t fully invested, and some of the writing came off a bit too simple. I did love the characters though; Lou absolutely has my heart. It’s a fun and simple queer romance to read with strong chemistry and some steamy scenes that make the payoff worth it.

Title: They Ain’t Proper
Author: M.B. Guel
Summary: 1880s, The Wild West.
An easy, solitary life on the outskirts of Ghosthallow is all Lou Ramirez wants. They want to buy some house plans, build a home, and live their quiet life far from townsfolk’s prying eyes. But somehow instead of house plans, a housewife is delivered to their door.
Clementine Castellanos desperately needs a way out from under her family debt, and it seems as though selling her services as a wife is the only way to do it. Expecting a rough, harsh man to be her new husband, Clementine is pleasantly surprised to instead be dropped off at the ranch of an equally surprised Lou.
Lou would rather Clementine leave them to their lonely existence, but Clementine is too charmed by the quiet and mysterious rancher to give up. She may have come into Lou’s life easily, but she certainly isn’t planning to leave that way. Undeterred by Lou’s prickly demeanor, Clementine is determined to get her reluctant spouse to open up to her.
When the past comes back to haunt the pair, the fight for their independence—and their love—may become more deadly than either of them ever expected.
Copy provided by @netgalley in exchange for honest review.
Likes: I LOVED the characters on their own but I’m all about trans/gender non-conforming representation, I’m a sucker for queer historical fiction so this plot won me over immediately, the author did an excellent job of creating tension and yearning between the two MCs throughout the story.
Dislikes: My biggest complaint was that I finished it so quickly. I’d love a sequel! M.B. Guel is an incredible author.
#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #gendernonconforming #fiction #historicalfiction #wildwest #kansas #queerromance #booksbooksbooks #queerbookstagram #queerwestern #slowburn

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are mine.

What a darling little romance!

I loved the concept of this from the first chapter - quiet nonbinary rancher Lou receives a mail order bride instead of the house plans they actually ordered, plot ensues.

Lou and Clementine were wonderful main characters. The gentle, insistently polite cowboy (with a past) and the sweet but surprisingly tough lady (also with a past). They felt fully realised and informed by their respective histories. The side characters were fab too - Juanita & L***** especially! Desperately needed when our lovers were too caught up in their own Drama (TM) and required a slap upside the head, metaphorical or otherwise.

The slow burn romance was great, the eventual sex scenes were sweet and hot. There were a few pacing and sentence structure issues here and there. Some of the plot points felt like they'd just been mentioned when they were resolved already, and the scene where our lovers finally confess felt like it needed a tiny bit more space to breathe on the page. The denouement, however, was 100% adorable and everything I wanted. The cutest ending! If you're looking for a cute queer version of a classic cowboy romance, this might be for you.

In this book, Clementine Castellanos is ordered as a mail-order bride by a brute, and ends up accidentally delivered to a non-binary cowboy outlaw, Lou Ramirez. Despite Lou's determination to keep things proper between them, they fall in love in this slow burn historical western romance. Overall, this book was a mid-tier read for me. I was SO EXCITED by the premise- there are so few queer historical western romances, and so few romances with nonbinary leads in general, but this one fell just short. Clementine is brash and determined, and Lou is reserved and sure of themself, but I wanted just a bit more character development and internal conflict, instead of the book repeatedly throwing external plot at them.

I enjoyed the plot of this book, but struggled a bit with the writing mechanics. I'm a sucker for a period piece, throw in some spurs, and a tumbleweed and you are talking right to my soul.

The western vernacular was a tad bit comedic rather than atmospheric, it's a tough tone to pull off and the dialogue needs a bit of buffing. The POV transitioned without alerting the reader which caused a bit of confusion, but jumping back a few sentences usually cleared it up. When addressing a character or referring to a character, many writers use a characteristic (the brunette, the farmer, the witty spark, the obstinate one etc) instead of saying he/she or using their name repetitively. The us of they/them is appropriate; however, it became cumbersome to read when the main character was only referred to as they/them for most of the book. Just a small pet peeve, but it did deter me from rating this book higher.

Gay westerns will always have my heart. The moment I saw this, I smashed the download button so fast and I got exactly what I wanted.

Lou lives a solitary life outside of an outlaw town. A town where everyone has secrets and nobody asks questions. This is the way they like their life. But one day, a delivery error drops a mail-order-bride on their doorstep - Clementine Castellanos. She’s not meant for Lou, but that doesn’t stop the plot from a-rolling - if you catch my drift.

Clementine and Lou are the sweetest of pairings. And while Lou is running from their past to set up a stable life for themselves, Clementine is running towards the secrets from her past for her own reasons. Clem also might be a softy, but she’s still a pansexual icon who takes no shit. It also takes them a hot minute to admit the depth of their feelings for each other, when they do - oh it is so very worth it.

The only thing I wish would have been developed more was the setting. Instead of feeling like a specific western town with a historical time and place, it felt more like it could have been dropped down just about anywhere and set in almost any late 1800s decade. I think if the author had chosen a specific town or even a fictional town near a known location and used that location to enrich the story, it would have been: *chef’s kiss* perfection.

But don’t let that generic western setting put you off, the characters more than make up for it and I would read all the more about Lou and Clementine’s relationship every day of the week.

*I received an eARC from Bella Books & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

Queer, sweet and fun!

Lou wants a simple life. The goal is to buy house plans, build a home and live a quiet life away from gossip and danger. But when a woman supposed to be her new wife is delivered instead of their plans, their quiet life is disturbed. Clementine's only way to get out of her family debt was to sell herself as a wife to a harsh and rude husband. Being dropped at Lou's place instead is the best thing that could happen to her. As they get to know each other, the two of them will discover what life could be like together. Until Lou's past comes back to smack them in the face...

I absolutely adored this story. I love stories that have western vibes, and when they're queer, it's even better. This book was a gem to read! I was enthralled from the beginning and the unique plotline really hooked me from the start. The romance was really sweet and full of meaning, in a very emotional way that stole my heart. Lou is absolutely adorable, despite their want and need to be alone and I loved how they warmed up to Clementine and her engaging manners. Seeing them interact was an absolute pleasure and I was totally swooning. The story was compelling and intriguing, and the last part of the book had my heart racing because I was scared I wouldn't get my happy ending. I enjoyed every second of this book and am excited to read other stories by this author!

I really recommand if you like westerns and queer stories!

"Growing up not needing anyone but yourself got a helluva lot harder when you found someone you couldn't live without."

TW: violence, death, murder, gun violence, hanging, queerphobia, slurs, sexual content

This romance was absolutely adorable! It pulled me in beginning with the cover, and I fell in love with many characters very quickly. The comedy and banter in this book was spot on, and I absolutely loved the chemistry! Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.