I'm currently in my cowboy era, and when I saw this book, I was like yes! I must read.
This book is easy enough to read, but it lacks depth and connection for me. The main couple's connection feels like its just written and just happening for something to happen. It didn't draw me in like I was hoping.

But if you're after an easy read with the cowboy trope, then you will enjoy this more than I did.

Live Ranch Love was a sweet and easy read—perfect if you're in the mood for something light and cozy. The setting was charming, and the romance had some cute moments.

That said, it didn’t really stand out. It felt pretty similar to a lot of other books in this genre, and I was hoping for something a bit more unique. Still, it’s a solid pick if you just want a feel-good romance without too many surprises.

Live, Ranch, Love promised a charming cowboy romance with an enemies-to-lovers twist, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Aurora and Wyatt had chemistry, but their relationship felt rushed and unearned, and the supposed enemies dynamic never really developed—it was more grumpy x sunshine than actual tension. The wellness influencer angle was unique but overdone, making parts of the story feel unrealistic or forced (morning yoga on a working ranch?). The pacing lagged in the middle, and the third-act conflict came out of nowhere, making it feel tacked on. That said, the setting was cosy, there were funny, heartwarming moments, and the side characters added charm. It’s not a bad debut—just not quite what I hoped for.

4.5🩷 From me!

Had to pleasure of reading this as an e-arc and one of the best romance arcs I've read recently!

This was such an easy read and I devoured it so quickly! The pacing was great, the MC's were both loveable and their chemistry was excellent.

Just the right amount of spicy scenes and they were HOT 🥵

Great cowboy romance!

I am so glad I requested this book as I love a good cowboy romance and boy this seriously doesn't disappoint. It definitely gave me all the right feels and was such a delight to read from the very beginning to the very end. Also loved the chemistry between Rory and Wyatt and the ongoing banter between them was superb!!

Even though it was a slow burn, it burns just right, as when they both give in to their temptation - oh boy!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to see what Emma has next in store for us in this series. I am getting excited about what is in store for this series.

3.5 stars
Live, Ranch, Love was a good time read, with an incredibly angsty third-act conflict. I feel like I have to warn people that if you don't like even a hint of the cheating trope, do not read this book. But I don't mind it, as long as the circumstances around the cheating are similar to what happened between Rory and Wyatt in this book. I liked the writing and the small-town was sweet, although I didn't get the vibes of small-town life that I usually love in this book. Usually you get to see a lot more of the characters in the town, and a lot more of the bonds formed in the friendships of the people that live there (the guys, in this case), but that didn't happen in this book. I did like the romance, and the smut was incredibly hot, but it moved really slowly in the beginning. I liked the back and forth at first, and the missed moments where they let their hesitations stop them from making a move, but I think there was one hesitation too many because I did start to get frustrated with them. I think the moment that Wyatt found out about Pinky would've made for an absolutely incredible tension-breaking scene, but it was missed. As for the actual tension-breaking scene and the scenes after that, like I said, they were super hot. I really liked the sex positivity and the use of toys because it helps give a moment of relatability to girls who maybe can't orgasm without a toy. It's really nice to see a romantic hero work with that, rather than just having to trust that his prowess is so magical that somehow he's the only guy that can get her all the way. The other element of this book that I absolutely adored was the mental health journey both these characters went on and how openly explored it was. It's not often that you get to see a male main character really going through it with the emotional turmoil and indecisiveness. It's not a completely new concept for it to be explored, but in this depth? That felt original and incredibly well done. Of course I loved seeing Rory's journey as well, especially as she was faced with situations that felt identical to what brought about her trauma. The last thing I'll say is that I love an angsty third-act conflict. I know a lot of people hate the trope that this book explores, but I don't mind it and I think the circumstances around it made for an amazing third-act conflict and a fabulous grovelling/declaration of love scene. I am definitely looking forward to picking up the rest of the series, and I'm hoping the brother's best friend romance is next!

This is the first book in the Willow Ridge series by author Emma Lucy. The cover of this book is what drew me in. Parts of this small town romance were really cute, but overall it fell flat for me. It felt like the author felt they needed a trope, so threw enemies-to-lovers in there, when they were really never enemies. It was ok. A sweet and quick read. I just wanted more from it.

My first read of Emma Lucy and I'm in love with Willow Ridge already, we meet Wyatt who has already been ranching on willow Ridge and Rory who has just inherited her Aunts Farm.

Slow burn, dislike to love relationship centred around rebuilding the ranch into a yoga retreat. Slight miscommunication trope in the last 3rd of the book.

I loved how well written these characters, I really felt like I knew the characters and their personalities.

I cannot wait to read Cherrys story in the next instalment of the series.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was a cute small town cowboy romance as expected and I did really like the chemistry between Aurora and Wyatt as they had a very interesting dynamic. I do think enemies to lovers angle isn't really sold as there was no consequence and it fizzled out so fast it was more of just a grumpy cowboy involved.

Having a wellness influencer involved in the small town did provide an interesting aspect but i do wish we got more of the town itself and I hope more books in the series do delve into it more as the little descriptions we got had me wanting more in that setting.

I do think in certain areas it was pretty repetitive, mainly around the descriptions of Aurora and Wyatt, which I think did contribute to how slow the book felt at times.

Overall it was a fun and cute little read and I am intrigued what more there is to come as there was definitely some interesting characters I'd love to see stories of.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC. 3 Stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book was a quick easy read for me. Who doesn’t love a grumpy cowboy?!

The enemies to lovers was there, the slow burn was there, the yearning and spice was there… I just needed more.

I enjoyed how this story folded out and watching Rory navigate her new life while grieving and overcoming the ultimate betrayal. I also enjoyed watching Wyatt learn how to let go of the past. I thought the two characters complemented each other very well, but I did find some parts of it to be quite cringy.

“Aurora Jones. Forever”

Fluffy romance with a fun influencer-cowboy dynamic.

This was very romcom esk, I liked how both had come from failed relationships and were slowly working through this. I liked the retreat idea and I generally liked the side characters.

I thought the stakes weren't really there and the romance was fine. The plot jumped around a lot so the length of time was quickly lost and brought up many questions. What happened if the retreat failed? How much does Rory make to actually be able to afford all this? Why was their dating a secret? What happened if anyone found out they were dating?

It would have been interesting to explore more than the will they, won't they because we already know they will. This was a solid debut, a quick read with intresting elements.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

This book introduces us to Rory, a wellness influencer and author trying to recover from a personal betrayal and creative burnout. She escapes to her late great-aunt’s ranch with plans to renovate and sell it, hoping the project will reignite her writing spark. Standing in her way is Wyatt, the grumpy, grounded head rancher who’s given his life to this land and isn’t about to let Rory turn it into an influencer playground. The compromise? A wellness retreat that keeps the ranch’s spirit intact—if they can keep things strictly professional.

This was a light, easy read—ideal for a holiday or a break from heavier fiction. The setting was charming, and the concept had a lot of potential. However, the romance itself didn’t fully land for me. While it’s described as enemies-to-lovers, it lacked the kind of chemistry and tension that make that trope shine. It felt more like mild dislike turned into cooperation and then affection, rather than a true emotional arc.

Overall: A decent debut with a sweet ranch setting and a gentle romance, but lacking the emotional spark and tension I was hoping for. That said, I’d still consider picking up the next book to see how the author grows.

Thank you Harper Collins, Emma Lucy, and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read 🩷🎀

Live, Ranch, Love was sweet as hell and exactly what my overstimulated, daily grind brain needed. This book is peak cozy-core with small-town charm, low-stakes drama, and just the right sprinkle of romance to keep me smiling the whole way through.

It’s giving Hallmark, but with better banter and characters I actually rooted for. The love story was soft, swoony, and full of moments that had me grinning like an idiot. Nothing too angsty, just pure fluff with heart - and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Perfect for when you want a comfort read that won’t emotionally destroy you. Emma Lucy, thank you for the serotonin.

Yeehaw and amen.

Okay, so this one had all the ingredients I usually love—grumpy cowboy? Check. Big city girl starting over on a ranch? Check. Forced proximity with some flirty tension? Double check.
But unfortunately, the execution just didn’t land for me.
Let’s start with the positives:
The setup was promising. Rory trying to reclaim her spark and Wyatt fighting to hold onto the ranch he's poured his heart into? That could’ve been emotional, tender, so romantic. And there were definitely sweet moments and some thoughtful character beats—especially when Rory started seeing the ranch as more than just property to flip.
But… I struggled to feel the chemistry between the two leads. The tension felt forced at times, and the romance didn’t quite have the spark I was hoping for. I wanted to feel the longing, the banter, the emotional pull—but it just never fully clicked.
And the third act breakup? Honestly, it felt unnecessary and frustrating. I’m all for a little angst, but this one didn’t feel earned. More like drama for the sake of it, which dragged down the pacing even more.
Plus, the plot felt very familiar—like a remix of cowboy romances I’ve already read. Nothing new was really added to the trope, and the pacing made it feel even longer than it was.
That said, I did enjoy Wyatt’s quiet, grounded presence, and the idea of turning the ranch into a wellness retreat had potential. It just didn’t fully come together for me this time.
If you love small-town cowboy vibes and don’t mind a slower burn without much sizzle, you might still enjoy this one. But for me, it fell a little flat.

I think this a great place to start if you're getting into cowboy romance . It's easy to get into and feels comforting to read. If you like the grumpy/sunshine and the small town romance trope, plus themes of healing and loving after heartbreak, this may also work for you too!

Unfortunately I feel like it was a bit predictable for me but I did enjoy the wellness aspect the most!

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK for my ARC!

3/5

Emma Lucy's debut novel did not disappoint. A cute small town, cowboy romance with some added spice. The sexual chemistry is strong between Aurora and Wyatt and they both find themselves in awkward situations, conversations and even the occassional position. The characters are both likeable; I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out more about their relationship and the development of each character. Overall an enjoyable, quick and easy read.

Recommend if you like Grumpy x Sunshine. Described as Enemies to Lovers but more along the line of dislike to lovers. Also if you love spice, this book has 3 consecutive chapters of it.

I adored this. This is Emma’s debut novel and, whilst you can tell at points, it was written so well and honestly. I could re-read immediately.

The characters were amazing. Rory is a wellness guru 🧘🏼‍♀️ and the little things she does to pick herself up were relatable. Perhaps almost too bubbly at points though - but not in an off putting way.

I love a grumpy MMC and Wyatt did not disappoint 🤠. Did he kinda flip from one persona (disliking Rory and her influencing) to another (sweet talking her and listening to her wellness tips) way to quickly? Yes. But still, I didn’t put the book down.

The representation of anxiety was done very well and I liked this was from both FMC and MMC. 👏🏻

The spice was 🥵. The scene up against the fence… phwoaaa. I could feel myself blushing so badly reading that.

It was slightly too instant love for me (the story is set over a short period of time really) but it’s the only reason I knocked .5 a star off. I could have done with some more development of the characters and the romance but generally, it was a very well written debut novel.

This absolutely ticked off my need for a cowboy romance so pick this up if you’re having withdrawal from the 🤠🤠

Read if you like:-

🩷 dual pov
⚪️ grumpy x sunshine
🩷 spice
⚪️ anxiety rep

I am fully into my Cowboy romance obsession at the moment, so was super excited to read this one. This was such a fun read and I can't quite believe that it is a debut from Emma Lucy - I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

Yeehaw! It’s cowboy season! Loved this slow burn spicy romance. The chemistry between Aurora and Wyatt was great and the story was cute, funny and easy to follow. Definitely recommend

“Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is trust blindly in who we are.”

Following the success of series such as Rebel Blue Ranch (Lyla Sage) and the works of Elsie Silver, small town cowboy romances are increasingly popular. With the sub-genre ever increasing in popularity, more and more authors are putting their own spin on it - and this iteration kind of fell flat for me. An enjoyable read but not a favourite!

Live, Ranch, Live follows Rory (wellness influencer & author) and Wyatt (head rancher). After finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Rory escapes to her late great aunt’s ranch - with hopes that renovating it and selling it on will give her the inspiration and confidence to write again. There’s only one thing standing in her way - Wyatt, the grumpy head rancher, who isn’t willing to give up the job he gave everything for. Especially not to Rory - an influencer who knows nothing about ranching. They come up with a plan that’ll suit them both - he’ll help her turn the ranch into a wellness retreat on the proviso he can stay and maintain the ranch side. Can they ignore the growing tension between them and stay professional?

This was an easy read - the sort of book I’d recommend if you were going on holiday and wanted a poolside read, or if you’d been reading heavier books and wanted a palate cleanser.

There was just something missing for me - the couple fell kinda flat, it was lacking the tension to be classified as ‘enemies to lovers’. More they met, didn’t really like each at first due to their intentions at the start of the book - I.e. he didn’t like she was selling the ranch - but then liked each other once they got to know one another. And don’t get me started on that 3rd act breakup - I really don’t like miscommunication as a trope and this went a whole extra mile. That being said, I’m aware this is a debut so I don’t expect it to be polished and I can see potential for later books in the series as the author gets more into their ‘groove’ with the series, so would potentially read later instalments.

Overall this was middle of the road for me - a good debut with potential for future releases, but was just missing something!

ARC copy provided by Harper Collins & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.