**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A Tender, Slow-Burn Summer Romance That Leaves a Lasting Mark**

*Make Your Move* by Heather Garvin is the kind of heartfelt, quietly powerful love story that sneaks up on you and stays with you long after the final page. Set against the warm backdrop of small-town Florida and the comforting rhythm of barn life, this novel delivers a slow-burn romance packed with emotional honesty, subtle chemistry, and the ache of growing up and letting go.

Abbie is an instantly relatable heroine—grounded, loyal, and wrestling with the tension between staying where she feels most like herself and following the expected path forward. Carson, the gruff farrier with a dry sense of humor and hidden depth, is a perfect match—not just for her, but for the kind of love that comes quietly and changes everything.

Their connection grows organically—through banter, stolen glances, and moments heavy with what’s unspoken. Garvin doesn’t rely on dramatic twists or over-the-top gestures; instead, she builds a relationship that feels authentic, intimate, and beautifully bittersweet.

**Highlights:**

* 🐴 **Deep sense of place** – The barn and horses aren't just backdrop—they're part of Abbie’s soul, and the setting adds richness to every scene.
* ❤️ **Slow-burn magic** – Every interaction between Abbie and Carson simmers with tension, restraint, and eventually, payoff.
* 💔 **Emotional maturity** – This isn’t just a story about falling in love—it’s about making hard choices, letting go, and redefining what "realistic expectations" mean.

*Make Your Move* isn’t flashy—but it’s poignant, romantic, and deeply grounded in character. It’s a love story that honors the quiet moments and the bravery it takes to open your heart, even when the timing isn’t perfect. A true five-star read for fans of emotional, character-driven contemporary romance.

Make Your Move is a heartfelt small-town romance with the perfect mix of swoon-worthy chemistry and equestrian charm. Heather Garvin captures the warmth of community, the healing power of horses, and a love story that feels both grounded and genuine. A cozy, satisfying read for fans of rural romance and second chances.

I absolutely loved this book! The western romance was perfection. If you need a good cute romance read this book.

Make Your Move by Heather Garvin didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first book l've read from this author and I absolutely loved it! The setting was honestly my favorite part. And I adored this characters!! So good!

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

This is such a sweet small town romance and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was so relatable in trying to navigate becoming an adult!

Review of “Make Your Move” by Heather Garvin 🐴💘

4 ⭐️

This was adorable! As a lover of horses, I just needed to get to this book. The cover alone just convinced me to request it on NetGalley and pick it up and I’m very happy that I did. This story is about Abbie and Carson and they’re so cute as characters. They both love horses (like live horses) and the small-town vibes are IT! It reminded me so much of the Chestnut Springs and Rebel Blue Ranch series. It’s perfect for fans of those books.

Let me give you the little synopsis:

I can do that. I can pretend it didn’t happen. But when he’s standing this close to me, I can’t deny I want to kiss him again.

Abbie Linley loves her small-town life. Leaving for college may be the next step for her friends, but she’s not ready to walk away from the horses. She’d happily keep her world the same, but everything around her seems to be changing.

Starting with her gruff, new farrier.

Carson Daniels’s only job is to shoe horses, but he gets more than he bargained for when he shows up at the Linley’s barn. The last thing he needs is to get distracted by the owner’s beautiful daughter—even if she’s the only good thing he can say about Florida.

It would never work. She has a boyfriend. And he’s leaving.

Between his dry sense of humor and her ever-growing realization that her boyfriend isn’t all he’s cracked up to be, Abbie and Carson can’t seem to stay away from each other.

Abbie thought she had realistic expectations about love. Carson went and raised the bar on all of them. She would never ask him to stay for her. He won’t ask her to go with him. But they’ll make the most of the time they have left.

It’s only one summer, but maybe that’s okay—maybe they can put it all behind them.

Or maybe it will fuel a love they could never forget.

Even though it doesn’t look like it, this book is written in first person, which we love 💕 Overall this book was so heartwarming and cute! I had such a good time reading it and I’m so sure you will as well 🥹🤍 Definite recommendation!

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I think Make Your Move was a really cute quick read. I think the characters were just okay, there weren't really any high stakes involved with this book at all. If you are a country person and like horses, this will definitely be up your alley. I will definitely say that you should be advised that there is some spiciness in this book at several points so it might not be suitable for the younger side of the YA demographic. I appreciated reading about horse competitions and showing all of the hard work that goes into farming. Growing up working on a farm it felt good to be represented in literature. Overall this was a cute fun read that went really fast, nothing super life changing though.

This is a super cute book! I liked that they took time to get to know each other even though he was leaving at the end of the summer.

This was my first Heather Garvin book and I looooooved it. It was such a sweet and heartwarming story which feels perfect for summer. Loved the banter and the slow burn so much. I need to read more by this author.

Carson is such a precious man that I just want to give him a huge hug. And, Abbie was such a witty and a charming heroine. I’m a fan.

Make Your Move is an absolutely adorable small-town romance that flowed so well. This is my introduction to Heather Garvin and I am super excited to explore her other books. The story follows Abbie, a recent high school graduate who is content to live and work at her family's ranch instead of going to college or moving away like her friends. She spends her days mucking out stalls, taking her horse Sully for rides, and hanging out with her boyfriend and his obnoxious friends. When she meets Carson, who is helping out around the ranch, they instantly click and become fast friends. However, when her boyfriend sees issue with her being friends with Carson, Abbie quickly begins to realize just how poorly her boyfriend treats her. As a result of her strained relationship, Abbie and Carson become even closer; and soon their friendship deepens.
However, both are reluctant to pursue more as Carson is planning to move back home soon and Abbie doesn't want him to settle.
The first 30 pages or so made me think this was going to be high school-esque with the gossiping friends and juvenile relationships, however, Carson and Abbie were so mature and healthy for each other. The strangers to friends to lovers trope worked so well with how the story and their love unfolded, both of them were so sweet and understanding.
Don't even get me started on the tension and banter, the resultina dach of enice was narfantl

Such a beautiful, young love story. The characters reactions are appropriate and it contains all the feels of a budding love. So incredibly good!

Oh I loved this story! It is not often you get a romance with horses that is not set on a ranch. This is set in the competitive showjumping world, and I loved it! Abbie and Carson are wonderful, and I think they belong together. However, I found the spice a little disappointing and unrealistic. I think if you are looking for a good story that involves horses, this is the one for you. If you are looking for a super raunchy story, you may want to look elsewhere. 

Big thanks to NetGalley, Tuskan Publishing LLC, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Heather Garvin for this early release copy. My apologies for not reading it sooner.

Another one I really enjoyed! I couldn’t put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Yes, yes, yes, YES! This book was everything. From the minute it started to when it finished, I was captivated. The banter, the glances, the tension, the anxiety, the perfect villain and hero… oh, Carson. You beautiful, rough around the edges man. He was perfect for Abbie and his gentlemanly ways had me swooning, and honestly, a little jealous of Abbie! Character development was lovely, settings were well described, and the climax points were just perfect. Great writing all around and a wonderful story. Thank you SO much for the opportunity to read this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cute and sweet cowboy romance. Wasn’t what I expected but I absolutely loved it! It’s a must add to your TBR.

A light hearted equestrian romance. A quick read that overall I enjoyed, there were a few points in the book that I found irritated for the main character but overall one I recommend.

Make Your Move by Heather Garvin is a sweet cowboy romance that is light hearted, makes you fall in love with the characters and gives you all the feels.