Back in the Saddle by Maggie Eckersley is a heartfelt and emotionally rich small-town cowboy romance that explores themes of second chances, healing, and unexpected love. The story follows Caroline, a strong and witty doctor from Scotland, who moves to Oklahoma after a painful divorce, hoping to rebuild her life. There, she meets Hunter, a dedicated cowboy fighting to save his family’s ranch. Their connection begins as a clash of personalities but slowly develops into a tender and passionate romance. Eckersley does a fantastic job crafting relatable characters with emotional depth, and the slow-burn chemistry between Caroline and Hunter is both authentic and captivating. Readers have praised the book for its blend of sass, sweetness, and small-town charm, noting that it holds its own alongside the works of authors like Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver. With its sharp dialogue, genuine heart, and emotionally satisfying arc, Back in the Saddle is a standout debut for fans of contemporary romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this book!

Couldn't really get into this one. I had high hopes, but the dialogue fell flat, the story line was meh, and the miscommunication between the FMC and MMC was annoying. I love a cowboy romance (probably more than the average person, lol) but this one is a no from me.

1.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars.

The book was a decent read but not something that would leave a mark on my bookish memory!!! I felt something was missing.. it was too simplistic and straightforward without any layers which made it a bit bland for me.

Maggie Eckersley will tear your heart apart and then tape it back together in this beautiful story about love and loss. I couldn't get enough of the chemistry between Caroline and Hunter. I loved everything about this - the banter, the angst, and the spice will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

I’ll be honest, the main reason I was drawn to this book was the cover. That and the fact that it was advertised for fans of Lyla Sage, Elsie Silver and Paisley Hope. Yes, Back in the Saddle is similar in theme to books written by these authors, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough for me.

I did enjoy seeing how both Caroline and Hunter’s characters had evolved by the end of the book, with both of them overcoming their past trauma and grief. But at times it did seem that the book was overloaded with their respective backstories.

Whilst there is an instant connection between the FMC Caroline and the MMC Hunter, I felt that as the book went on, their chemistry dissipated somewhat and towards the end of the book, it felt almost lukewarm.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but what I will say is that if you are looking for a light-hearted, cowboy romance, then unfortunately this is not the book for you. Some people might find the book content upsetting and/or triggering as it contains ‘heavy’ references to medical conditions.

Thank you so much to author Maggie Eckersley and Avon Books UK | Avon for the advanced copy of Back in the Saddle. I always feel grateful to discover new romance voices and cozy up with a small town cowboy love story. This one promised Scottish charm, cowboy swagger, and the kind of emotional journey that romance readers dream of.

A quick look at the story. Caroline is a doctor looking to heal from heartbreak and start fresh far from her Scottish roots. Oklahoma seems like just the place, until a whisky-fueled night at a local bar ends with an unforgettable kiss from a ruggedly handsome cowboy named Hunter. He is focused on saving his family’s ranch and isn’t looking for love either, but sparks fly and the connection between them is undeniable. Of course, with old wounds and emotional walls standing tall, the path to love is anything but easy.

Now for my thoughts. I truly wanted to fall head over boots for this one. It had so much potential and the setup checked all the boxes. But I’ll be honest. I had a hard time clicking with either Caroline or Hunter. I struggled with the writing style too. It felt a little immature at times and kept me from getting fully immersed in the story.

That said, I did get more into it as the story went on. By the end, there were a few moments that really got to me. I even teared up, which always means something connected. And I did enjoy how the story wrapped up. It ended in a heartfelt way that left me feeling soft even if the whole book didn’t land for me.

While this wasn’t a personal favorite, I do believe it will speak to readers who love emotional cowboy romances and characters learning to love again after loss. Every story has its reader and I will be cheering Maggie Eckersley on as she keeps writing.

This was a little bit slow going at the beginning but I ended up really enjoying it. The book mixes romance and the topics of grief really well.

I enjoyed this, it’s pitched as ‘for fans of Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver’ but I think it’s quite separate from those books. This is a little bit more Greys Anatomy meets Ransom Canyon.

A doctor from Ireland moves across the pond to Oklahoma after a separation from her long time husband. Soon she meets a local cowboy and sparks start to fly.

As much as I enjoyed this i will say that there are some scenes where the scientific/biological linguistics really take you out of the story and it needs to have trigger warnings as there was a lot more family trauma/illness/death than you would ordinarily expect from the fluffy looking cover.

Overall an easy romance but sort of missed that extra spark that Lyla Sage gives.

Thankyou NetGalley & publisher for this arc copy I gave this book 2.5 stars ✨ at first I was hooked I loved the introduction of the FMC & MMC as they was both polar opposites and they wasn’t the generic characters you find in a cowboy romance book, the tension was there from the start when they first met i absolutely loved the banter and tension they had with each other, it made me want more and was highly anticipating when they next bump into each other, from then the storyline fell flat for me i felt the back story took over the emphasis of the actual story and it didn’t feel like a cowboy romance to me. Unfortunately that made me bump my rating down as I felt detached by the main characters and the romance between them, to where the ending felt rushed and disjointed in my opinion

This was different to what I was expecting. It had much deeper themes then I thought but it was well done. I like the element of Caroline being a fish out of water in Oklahoma and seeing it through her eyes. The chemistry between the two main character was enjoyable to read. I wasn't the biggest fan of how the story panned out in the third act (no spoilers) but it redeemed itself in the final parts for me.

Overall, a nice read if you fancy a cowboy themed romance!

**DISCLAIMER: I WAS PROVIDED WITH A FREE ARC VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

This was my first cowboy romance, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect — but Back in the Saddle turned out to be a heartwarming and emotionally layered surprise.

The setup is instantly compelling: Caroline, a doctor navigating the aftermath of a mutual divorce, finds herself in small-town Oklahoma, where she crosses paths with Hunter — a guarded, quietly charming cowboy who’s suddenly responsible for his family’s ranch. Their connection is immediate, but what I really appreciated was the emotional depth both characters brought into the relationship. They’re messy, complex, and trying to find their footing — which made their journey feel honest and grounded.

The romance is slow-burn and full of sweet, intimate moments, but the pacing in the middle did lag a little. Miscommunication becomes a major hurdle, and there were times I found myself wishing they’d just talk it out already. Some of the heavier themes — grief, guilt, anxiety, loss — were introduced thoughtfully, but I do think they needed a bit more breathing room in the narrative.

One thing that pulled me out of the steamy scenes was the overly clinical language — terms like “labia majora” and “clitoral hood” felt more suited to a textbook than a romance, and it dulled the tension quite a bit.

Still, this is a strong debut with a lot of heart. The writing shows real promise, and I’m hopeful that with more experience, Maggie Eckersley will only continue to grow. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for whatever she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Maggie Eckersley, and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall 3.5 stars. I liked the chemistry between Caroline and Hunter, and the science aspect with her work as a doctor was interesting. The miscommunication lingered too long for me. Hunter keeping his past a secret seemed to have no good reason behind it.

The family aspects were good and a lot of the secondary characters were well fleshed-out. I did feel some of their actions didn’t always align at times.

Caroline and Hunter were best when they were together and being open with each other.

Hunter is a cowboy helping his family’s ranch while his father is battling cancer. Caroline is a soon to be divorced doctor trying to find herself again in her career and personal life. Caroline is in the United States for one year working on her resume by researching different types of cancer and working with clinical trials. The two meet in a bar and there is instant chemistry.

I like that this book didn’t follow the typical ‘city girl meets cowboy and throws away all her plans to stay on a ranch with him’ storyline. It was actually a breath of fresh air to be completely honest. With that being said, the storyline of this book itself was great and had so much potential, but it left something to be desired. The writing came across as rudimentary at times. It lacked grammatical clarity and there was some confusion between first person/third person that made it feel cumbersome and hard to get through. The scene transitions were also poorly done which made reading feel choppy.

Overall, I did love the storyline because it was interesting and had different twists and turns that were unexpected. If you are able to look over the writing issues when there is a good story this book is a good choice for you. I personally felt it was lacking and wouldn’t recommend it at this time. Additionally, the eARC formatting was cumbersome and hard to get through.

I want to thank Maggie Eckersley and NetGalley for the chance to read this eARC. I always appreciate the opportunity.

Oh boy, where I do I even start. The cover-art drew me in and I have to admit the Western Romance genre is having a moment. But while there was ample discussions about grief and trauma I just wasn't gelling with Caroline and Hunter. I really wanted to enjoy this but sadly didn't.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for the digital arc.

Back in the Saddle is an emotional romance between Hunter, a man carrying the burdens of his family and Caroline, a woman who is trying to find herself amongst career identity crisis and divorce.

I enjoyed this book, and there was a lot going on. Caroline is an oncology research assistant and Hunter's father is dying of melanoma. There is a lot of content about grief and cancer. This gave a very real depiction of what cancer treatment is like and what families must navigate.

Caroline and Hunter have great chemistry from their first meeting and I loved them together. It was a little frustrating that Caroline specifically wouldn't have an open conversation with Hunter about her feelings etc. It does have a happy ending, but the way they get to it was not my favorite.

This is not a light cowboy romance, it is emotional and meaningful. I recommend if you enjoy an emotional romance with darker themes and medical/cowboy romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

DNF at 59%

Unfortunately, this book really didn't work for me. The premise sounds fantastic, and all the components are there, they just don't fit into a great story, and completely lack depth and emotion.

I'm not a fan of the writing style, everything is so unnecessarily over-described, yet somehow still shallow and bland, the dialogue feels completely unnatural and almost fake, there is too much irrelevant information, too much repetition. It feels like the author was trying to hit a higher word count. Then there are things like making a big deal about a 33 year old colleague looking to be in her early to mid twenties, what a shock! As we all know, 33 is positively ancient, so looking 5-10 years younger is simply astounding 😒

Also, a lot of the background information is being reveleaved through conversations between characters - in a "remind me again..." "oh yes, this happened...." kind of way, which I just don't like. Too much telling, not enough showing.

I'm also finding it very difficult to believe that the characters have any chemistry, I'm yet to come across something that's going to make me understand why they are attracted to each other, apart from being told so pretty much right from the very beginning. We are endlessly being told about passion and heat, but I just cannot see it.

The characters themselves are fine, I can acknowledge that they are both strong individuals. Caroline is going through a divorce, navigating her supposed attraction to a sexy cowboy, living in a new place, working as a medical scientist and figuring out how she wants her career to progress. Hunter is dealing with his dad's cancer and some other issues of his own, which are yet to be revealed - at this point, I'm not even curious to find out what this will end up being.

The clinically described sex scene - including terms like vaginal opening, labia majora, clitoral hood, penis - was the last straw for me, and I just cannot continue with this book.

Everything here is just too factual, and I really need more emotion and stronger feelings in a good romance novel.

This is being compared to Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver books, but sadly, as a fan of both those authors, I am left disappointed.

Not your usual cowboy romance! I absolutely devoured this book, it was so good! I loved the main characters, both dealing with grief in different ways. I loved how their fate intertwined in different ways, there were some heartbreaking moments that made me tear up, but everything was well in the end!
Absolutely wonderful read!

To me, this is the perfect example of the old saying, “don’t trust a book by its cover.” But not in a good way.

The cover art and synopsis had me hoping for a cowboy romance with dynamic characters and electric connection. What I got was a poorly written book that I almost couldn’t finish, with main characters that had almost no chemistry and a story with so much added fluff I felt like I was peering into the mind of someone with ADHD.

Conceptually, the book was intriguing. To get this to a level where I feel the majority will enjoy it, I personally think it need a lot of editing. A lot.

This was an interesting romance between a Scottish doctor and an Oklahoma cowboy. I didn't feel there was a lot of chemistry between these characters. This book wasn't for me.

The premise of the story is incredibly interesting but the writing itself needs a looot of work and also it was not the best or the worst overall
I feel like the story and the development of it should have been talked about more before putting the end in the final pages

Overall it was an interesting experience
Thanks to the publisher for the arc