Going into this book I expect a cute cowboy romance…. What I got was an emotional rollercoaster. This book maybe me sob so much especially towards the end. I wish I had some warning going into this book that there was heavy scenes about loss.

Overall it was a nice read but very emotional.

I really wanted to like this especially with how much I love the cover but I just don’t think this was for me!! Even though there was a lot of emotional elements with both characters with grief and other aspects, both our characters fell flat for me and I struggled to connect with both hunter and Caroline through their struggles . Caroline I was struggling with her constant flip-flop between I’m doing this and then oh wait I’m still married, it just felt repetitive with how often it would happen . I also think the kindle formatting of this arc really put a damper on the reading experience with how I constantly would end up skipping lines and having to backtrack because of the layout ! And the use of medical terms during the spicer scenes really takes you out the moment like yes Caroline is in the research practitioner field so terms like that would fit her character but in the spicy scenes ?? I also just felt like the plot in general wasn’t really going anywhere and could have been cut down massively . I did like some elements with the small town vibes and some of the trips they went on together but I just think this one wasn’t for me !

Thank you to Avon books uk and netgalley for the e-arc of this book

Caroline, a doctor from Scotland finds herself in Oklahoma where she meets Hunter, your favorite small town cowboy.

Caroline and Hunter had some great banter with each other which made this book more enjoyable. They both have moments of vulnerability and grief which they helped each other navigate those times.

This book had a lot of potential. I want to put a huge disclaimer that I had just finished reading 4 other cowboy romances before this one so it’s very possible I was just burnt out on the trope. However it did feel kinda dull to me. Caroline and Hunter both felt like they weren’t truly over their past even when they seemed happy with each other. I didn’t feel the connection and draw to them as main characters as I typically do. I think I would’ve liked to see more emotion from Caroline about her feelings towards Hunter. It always felt to me that Hunter was way more into Caroline than she was into him.

Overall it was a cute, cozy, small town cowboy romance that will have you giggling and maybe crying (like me).

I LOVED THIS. I'm on such a cowboy kick right now--this was such a fun read. I've never read from Maggie Eckersley before, and I can definitely agree with the comp of Lyla Sage. The writing isn't too much, too prose-y, and I enjoyed the speed that allowed me to speed through it.

This romance novel does some interesting things structurally, so I did enjoy it for that! The prose itself wasn’t my favourite, which made it hard for me to really sink into the story, which did impact my enjoyment of the story.

While the premise of the story seemed interesting - but in no way did this deliver.

The writing for this was very hard to read. Nothing felt consistent , the third person narration removed you from the story, and the details are inconsistent. There are thoughts/phrases in the text no one I know, or care to know, would actually think or act on.

A runaway Scottish doctor, a broody Oklahoma cowboy, and one whiskey-fueled kiss that unravels all their careful plans. Back in the Saddle is a heartfelt, slow-burn small-town romance packed with emotional baggage, sizzling chemistry, and second chances. Perfect for fans of Elsie Silver and Paisley Hope—this one’s got grit, heart, and just the right amount of heat. Giddy up.

After separating from her husband Caroline decides to move away and start over. She then meets hunter, a cowboy who lives in that town. I was very excited to read a cowboy romance and this was very cute. I do think it felt long where it lacked something more. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I feel so bad but I am really struggling to read this book. I am giving it a 3 because I don’t know if I can finish it and I don’t think it is fair to punish the author/book because I’m just not into it.

I wanted to love it because cowboy romances are my favourite but I ended up DNFing this one as it just felt very slow. It didn’t help that the formatting of this was absolutely horrendous

Thank you Avon books uk and NetGalley for this arc..

I really wanted to like this one. I wanted to like this one so much but i just couldn’t. I had to DNF.

I ended up DNFing this one for now. I couldn't really get into the writing and I am not a big fun of insta-love/insta-lust. Also, I absolutely hate miscommunication & it was driving bonkers.

I might come back to it later, but for now it's a soft DNF for me.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🤠 cowboy MMC x doctor FMC
🤠divorced FMC
🤠insta-love
🤠dealing with grief
🤠emotional

Thank you to Netgalley & Avon UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Adding to the new wave of cowboy romances and Scottish romances out lately, this blend was definitely a new one. Scottish doctor, Caroline, is done with love and moves to Oklahoma. There she meets Hunter, a man too busy for love himself. What we have is an odd combination for a sure romance.

I, personally, did not love the flow of the writing. There was nothing bad about it but it didn't flow with my head and the uniqueness of the relationship (and me imagining a scottish accent with a cowboy) just pulled me out of the story too often. The cover is perfection and really drew me in.

Read if you like:
--->Modern day cowboy romances
---> Modern day Scottish Romances
--->Small town romances
--->Starting over stories

Thank you Avon Books UK, Meggie Eckersley and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Back in the Saddle hooked me in immediately when I saw the blurb that it was perfect for fans of Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver - and that I am! The big difference that I found is that the writing of Back in the Saddle didn't make me feel immersed in the story - I definitely felt like I was just watching the story unfold as an outsider. It was a cute plot and had loveable characters that I found myself rooting for, but I just found the pacing a bit choppy at times. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

A moving cowboy romance for those who love Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver books. It was emotional, cute, and funny in places.

Bonus points for the beautiful artwork on the cover! Loved it :)

Back in the saddle was an emotional and heartfelt small town country romance.

I loved Caroline… she was smart, focused and had her walls up in a way that felt relatable.

Hunter was a brooding cowboy who hides how soft he really is and got grumpy sunshine vibes

I did overall love this book however there was parts that I think lacked depth and would like to have seen more emotion from but overall loved it and it made me want more.

This book was a really enjoyable escape! Hunter and Caroline had this instant attraction and charming banter that pulled me right in. Their chemistry was just undeniable, and it was genuinely rewarding to see them work through their shared grief and healing. Caroline is basically my ideal romance heroine: super sharp, totally capable as a doctor, and realistically a bit guarded. Her starting fresh after a tough divorce really added some authentic emotion to the story, and I especially liked seeing an older female lead who truly knows who she is. Hunter, that classic broody cowboy with a surprisingly soft side, nailed that 'I don't have time for this' vibe that makes him finally catching feelings so satisfying. Their grumpy-sunshine dynamic kept things really captivating. The straightforward writing style was a big plus – it made this the perfect quick read to snap me out of my recent slump. A good cowboy romance always gets me back into reading! (Quick heads-up: the digital formatting was a bit wonky on Kindle, but it was much better once I switched to the Netgalley reader.)

This book is advertised for "Fans of Lyla Sage, Paisley Hope and Elsie Silver" but there was not alot of connection for me as someone who is a huge fan of all those authors. I actually kept forgetting that the MMC was a cowboy at all because it wasn't a big part of the story (and it should have been!).

Overall the book was good. There was definitely some issues with pacing and editing that need to be worked through but if you asked me if I enjoyed the book I wouldn't say no. The beginning was really strong! I loved the way we were introduced to the characters and their chance meeting that happened afterwards. I love the premise of a doctor and cowboy (not a patient but close) and how their relationship developed over time. I will say though, the pacing of this book is VERY slow. I found myself not picking up very often or only reading a few pages at a time because I wasn’t hooked.

I really enjoyed the depth we got to see with both characters. There was a lot of cute moments of them sharing their stories with eachother and connecting on a deeper level. I liked that both characters didn't really have their footing in the world, despite their education/careers. The FMC Caroline was fun and I love a smart female lead. She is going through a mutual divorce and trying to figure out the direction her life needs to go in. I did not really love the constant bringing up of Caroline being married. Finn (soon to be ex) and her MUTUALLY agreed to separate but her constant guilt over having feelings for the MMC got to be really annoying and took me out of the romantic element of the story. The MMC Hunter was very family oriented and came across as the boy next door. I felt bad for his experience with his father and the responsibilities he had to take on pretty much unwillingly to help out. Both characters had ALOT of baggage that we didn't really get to explore and I think more than anything they needed some therapy not sex. There was an ungodly amount of miscommunication/denial between the characters about their feelings / intentions it had me screaming at my kindle.

There was ALOT going on in the story. While the story focused a lot of attention on Caroline’s job and hunters new responsibilities with the ranch, there was so much side information that was just never really explored. There were so many really deep TW issues throughout the book that were briefly mentioned and kind of brushed over. We see cancer, parental death, grief, divorce, guilt over a death, anxiety/panic attacks, and sexual insecurity (honestly there is probably even more than that). I feel like this tried something a lot of new books do… needing to fit a ton of "tropes" into one storyline. There were times where I was like ANOTHER ONE? & found myself getting so distracted from the romance story.

My BIGGEST ISSUE with this book was that the medical language used in the sex scenes was atrocious. It took a fun steamy scene into a doctor appointment. The author is using terms like "labia major, clitoral hood, clitoris, vulva, vatginal opening, glans, buttock, walls of her vagina, and clavicle". WTF??? Upon further investigation into the author I saw that she is studying medicine and does medical writing. Maybe she should stick to the medical writing 😬

Honestly, the only reason I finished this book is because I don’t DNF ARCs. The ending was lackluster and part of me was hoping they wouldn't end up together.

This book was cute.

It started off a little hard fir me to read, but I’m not sure if it was be because the pdf formatting was a little messy.

But the story was cute and i enjoyed the characters.

I think to make this a 4 or 5 star book for me i would have enjoyed some more “action” or “dramatics” from the couple other than just the pushing eachother away


Thankyou so much to netgalley/the author/the publisher for giving me this Arc to read early :)

🤠 Back in the saddle - Maggie Eckersley 🤠

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️

Release date - 3rd July 2025.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC of this cowboy romance….. I absolutely loved it!

Blurb ✍🏻 - Caroline swears she’s done with love. Fleeing her Scottish homeland with a broken heart for fresh start in Oklahoma is supposed to be smooth riding – until a whisky-soaked night at a local bar leads to a smouldering kiss with a devastatingly handsome cowboy. Hunter’s charm stirs something wild in her, awakening desires she thought she’d buried for good after her divorce.

Hunter has no time for distractions. With his family’s ranch on the line, he has enough on his plate. But then he meets Caroline, a sultry, sharp-tongued, whip-smart doctor. Their chemistry is electric, their connection undeniable – and that kiss? Unforgettable.

As their worlds collide, Caroline and Hunter find themselves drawn together in a whirlwind of passion and longing. But both are tied to the past and neither is ready to let go.

My thoughts 💭- I absolutely loved this one, I love a cowboy small town romance anyway and this one didn’t disappoint. I’d definitely check out some trigger warnings (such as cancer) before reading. I absolutely loved Caroline, she’s such a girl next door type of character who just feels somewhat lost in the world and done with love. Hunter was a little forward for me and I’d of preferred less of a slow burn but I do think it made for good reading 😂

So my cowboy romance/ small town romance girlies this is for you!

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