I was so excited to read this after reading Live, Ranch, Love and it did not disappoint.

Cherry's character is simply gorgeous, she is desperate to break free from her family's over protectiveness and go a little bit 'wild'. Cherry creates her bucket list and enlists Duke to help. Duke only agrees to help her with her bucket list if he can show her that the little moments in life can be just as important as the big bucket list items. And what a wonderful message to take away from Cherry and Duke's story!

Duke's caring natures towards Cherry (his best friend's little sister) was so incredibly heartwarming. He looks out for her and protects her fiercely from the sidelines. I looooved the slow-burn yearning from Duke. Cherry's gentle persuading and teasing to get Duke to cross the line and be with her just added to the slow-burn and made it all the more satisfying when we finally got to the moment Duke gives in!

I love how we get to know the whole friendship group in this series and I am so excited to see who will get their 'happily ever after' in the next book.

Cherry Hensley is determined to make her last summer in Willow Ridge count with a bucket list full of wild adventures. What she doesn't count on is Duke Bennett, the town's hottest bartender and her brother's best friend, offering to be her partner in crime. She's known Duke all her life, so enlisting his help should be harmless, right? Wrong. Every moment together makes Cherry feel more alive than anything on her bucket list ever could. Duke is supposed to be off limits, but their chemistry is undeniable and crossing that line becomes harder to resist with each stolen glance and lingering touch. Sometimes the best adventures aren't the ones you plan.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review.

I’d give this one around 3.5-4 stars. I didn’t realise that this was the second in the series and when I realised what series it was I didn’t have high hopes since I really didn’t get on with the first story.

But I loved Duke & Cherry’s story. I loved that they had their own battles that they had to get through as individuals and the classic ‘oh I’ll help you with your bucket list’ 😉 meaning we know they’ll not be able to resist each other. And the spice was 🤌🏼

Although as the wife of a motorbike rider… that scene really wasn’t possible/realistic/sanitary 🤣🤣 and I’m sorry they both became exhibitionists?! Cherry did need to do some growing up throughout the story for me. But on the hole I did enjoy this one. And if there’s more in the series I’ll absolutely read them!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book, I really liked how the tropes were written, I love a good brother’s best friend trope! I really liked how Cherry’s epilepsy was written, I feel like I’ve not read many books where the main character has epilepsy and the author did a really good job of writing the ups and downs of living with it. It was great to see Cherry grow more confident in herself throughout the book.

this book doesn't come out until September, but I just couldn't wait to be back in willow ridge. After Rory and Wyatt, Cherry and Duke were the perfect next couple. Lively Cherry and quiet Duke make the best pairing and I couldn't wait to see how they actually finally admit that they have feelings towards each other. And boy was a bucket list the perfect way to do it.

I love how we got to see more of willow ridge in this book, but also to see more of the lovely characters we already met in live ranch love. (I mean Rory's and Wyatt's engagement, how amazing!!! and the epilogue promises so many amazing things to come!!) It was amazing to read about Cherry, and I love how her problems with endometriosis and migraines were part of the story and not just miraculously solved when the love interest entered the picture. There's way too little books where women's menstrual cycle and its problems are really talked about.

The love between Duke and Cherry was so cute, and the will they won't they part was so high in tension. I would have loved to read even more about it. Otherwise the romance was so hot, but also so cute. I love that they always got each others backs. (And that he named the new bar after cherry was so cute!!!)

the only problem I had with this book is the one with comes every brother's best friend trope - the secrecy. I hate when they don't tell the brother the truth because cmon, the sister is an adult, why should the brother have any problems with the relationship. Otherwise, this quickly became one of my favourite small town romances with the perfect bucket list summer vibes.

4,5 stars. I'm already excited for the next willow ridge couple!!

3.5🌟
So firstly, I enjoyed the storyline and the tropes. I love a brother’s best friend trope and a self growth book.
Seeing Cherry become more confident and grow within herself was my favourite part of this entire books.
However, I feel as though the chemistry isn’t there as much as it could of been between Cherry and Duke. You can tell they care for eachother, and i love the way he treats her (most of the time), but I feel as though the chemistry just isn’t the best. I preferred the chemistry between Wyatt and Rory in the first book.

Overall, this is a cute and easy small town romance with a nice balance of storyline as well as spice.

First of all thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to read the second book in the series.
Already in the first book I loved Cherry and Duke and was so excited for their story, and it didn’t disappoint! The secret pining, the buildup and the conclusion were beautifully written and I almost couldn’t put the book down.
Lighthearted, emotional and funny with some great representation of health issues, overall just a great read.

A brilliant read, I really enjoyed the second instalment in the series.

It was lovely to spend time with Wyatt and Rory from book 1, but this book focuses on Wyatt's best friend, Duke, and Wyatt's younger sister, Cherry.

Both Duke and Cherry have pined for each other for years, but after a few tricky years for Cherry with her health conditions, she's finally ready to start living. With her friend, she writes a bucket list of things she wants to do, some are harmless, others require a little help ;) when Duke finds the bucket list, he is all too happy to help with the harmless activities but wants to steer away from the other activities until he sees Cherry speed dating, and he snaps.

There's a small third act break up/miscommunication, but, it's well done, there's low tension and it's not overly drawn out.

The HEA is wonderful, and I can't wait to read the next book!

"but you gotta remember that no one is strong all the time" I struggled with this one, I did not feel like they had much chemistry. I loved the epilepsy and endo representation and I loved how Duke was there for her and made her see it was not a weakness. I did enjoy the little things he did for her, and the bucket list was a fun touch but I didn't feel the connection with these characters. Sadly although it had a lot of the tropes I love this one just didn't quite do it for me.

After loving Live Ranch Love last year, I was superrer excited for Cherry and Duke's love story and they definitely didn't disappoint!! Cherry is such a firecracker and Duke is the gentle kind of MMC I find so refreshing in a world of morally grey, delicious but slightly repetitive men. I will say I found them to be a teeeeensy bit insta-lovey initially but hey, if I was Cherry and working with Duke everyday, l'd be all over him like a rash so I won't hold it against my girl 🙂‍↕️

I looooved the bucket list theme and that any miscommunication was wrapped up quickly and the spicy scenes were HOT oh my goodness do you have a minute to talk about the logistics of s3x on a motorbike?? Duke's grandma was also a standout character and she had me cackling at certain parts, especially the scrabble. Overall, a super fun sequel with a lot of heart and endo/epilepsy rep sprinkled in which was amazing to see 🍒

This was a very cute summer romance. Absolutely perfect if you need an easy, cute read.

As very often with romance, it was a little bit predictable but honestly I really enjoy the book - small town is one of my favourite trop and I loooove a brother’s best friend romance.

I liked the characters - I liked how supportive of each other Cherry and Duke both are. Cherry’s struggles with epilepsy and people babying her because of it and her trying to get away from that; and Duke’s protectiveness without suffocating her - that was great to read. I love how compatible they are and how, while it’s predictable and we know how it’s going to end, it doesn’t specially feel like too insta love (which I personally hate).

Overall it’s honestly a very cute romance, with good characters, good banter and of course some spicy scenes. Very easy to read and very enjoyable!

Cherry Hensley está decidida a vivir al máximo su último año antes de graduarse. Después de haber pasado su adolescencia limitada por la epilepsia, crea una lista de cosas por hacer para salir de su zona de confort y recuperar la confianza que la enfermedad le arrebató. Trabaja en el bar de su hermano mayor durante los descansos de la universidad, y aunque intenta no enamorarse de Duke Bennett, su jefe y el mejor amigo de su hermano, no puede evitar hacerlo.

Duke lleva años reprimiendo sus sentimientos por Cherry, sabiendo que cruzar esa línea significaría romper la confianza de la familia que lo acogió cuando perdió a la suya. Pero cuanto más tiempo pasan juntos, más difícil se vuelve resistirse. Entre tatuajes, juegos de "verdad o reto" y motocicletas prohibidas, la tensión entre ambos se intensifica. Mientras Cherry lucha por demostrarse a sí misma que puede vivir sin miedo, Duke deberá decidir si seguir protegiéndola a distancia o arriesgarlo todo por el amor que siempre ha estado ahí.


--


Es un libro ligero, rápido de leer y el conflicto se resuelve rápidamente.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

Easy 5 star read for me, devoured in less than a day! This is the second book in the Willow Ridge series following Live, Laugh Ranch and it did not disappoint 🙌
This book follows Cherry and brothers best friend Duke who have both been secretly crushing on eachother for years. Cherry suffers from endometriosis and Epilepsy (loved how this was covered) meaning she is wrapped in cotton wool by her family and pretty much the whole town. During her summer return from college where she works in Dukes bar, Cherry creates a bucket list of things she wants to tick off her achievement list including saucy goals proving to herself and others thats she's a growing woman and doesn't need to be looked after all the time.
Shes ready for anything... except for Duke to help her with the list!

✨️ Brothers best friend
✨️ Secret crush
✨️ Workplace romance
✨️ Forbidden love
✨️ Forced proximity
✨️ Open door spice
✨️ Small town romance

Tick, tick, tick IYKYK! Release date 11th September.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Emma Lucy and Harper Collins for the free copy. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.

Follow me on TikTok for more 🩷 Laced in Lit... 🎀 Booktok

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The second book in the Willow Ridge series.

This story follows Cherry and Duke.
They’ve know each other for many years. Duke is best friends with Wyatt, Cherry’s brother, and obviously off limits.
Cherry has always had a major crush on Duke and felt like the feelings she had were unrequited.

That is until he finds her bucket list and decides to help her, but only with the platonic stuff.
That does not last.

This couple are insanely perfect for each other. I adore them so much and did not want the story to end.
Definitely my favourite of the series and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Tropes include:
• friends to lovers
• brothers best friend
• small town romance
• workplace romance
• forbidden love

When I need a pick-me-up, a small-town cowboy romance never fails to do the trick! Especially one with all the secret pining like this one.

Riding The Line is the second book in the Willow Ridge cowboy romance series but you can definitely go into Riding The Line without having read Live, Ranch, Love because while the previous main characters are involved in the story, the relationships are explained really well and it provides all the context you need to enjoy this one fresh!

I loved the main characters for this one. Cherry is the sister of previous MMC, Wyatt. She's had a long-term crush on, you guessed it, her brother's best friend, Duke. Normally, brother's best friend isn't a great trope for me because I never really buy why it's forbidden. However, I loved this one. It felt really genuine, like Wyatt and all of his friends (not just Duke) were genuinely trying to protect Cherry from being hurt anymore, because of her epilepsy and endometriosis. Over time, that protection had become over-protection but it all came from a place of love. So, I really loved this one. It was funny and sweet (and then spicy) and it was exactly what I needed after getting into a bit of a down mood yesterday. Perfect for lifting me back out of it!

I'm excited to continue the series and to find out the story with Sawyer, who seems to be next?

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

"i've got you baby Hensley"

absolutely loved Cherry & Duke's story. also loved the endo & epilepsy rep, loving the series so far

I really enjoyed this book, i love a story where the 2 main characters have had long term mutual crushes on each other, it just makes it the best and the next step in their friendship feel so much more natural and provides some great tension at times

- friends to lovers
- long term mutual crushes
- brothers best friend
- age gap (7 years)
- small town
- dual pov, 1st person

Theres so many funny, cute and slightly awkward moments between Cherry and Duke when theyre moving from friends to more and it was just so good! It gave me all the feels and the moments were so easy to picture and experience along with them, especially leading up to their first kiss

The third act when Wyatt (best friend and brother) found out was insane, i was so gripped and couldn't stop reading! So good!

I love Emma Lucys writing and looking forward to returning to Willow Ridge soon

Thank you to Harper Collins for the ARC - all opinions are my own

Thank you for this early copy harper fiction & Emma Lucy.


So you want brother’s best friend trope? Ranch vibes? Disability tropes? oh & Spice?👀

Well Duke & Cherry’s story is for you. It’s written beautifully, that you can’t get enough of the swoon worthy vibes & a whole lot of laughter in between.

Your brother’s best friend helping you with your bucket list before you got back to college, what could possibly happen?

I honestly really enjoyed this book, especially seeing the characters develop from the 1st book in the series, it makes you excited for book 3. Cherry’s disability representation was written wonderfully, especially with how Duke handles the whole situation, it makes you love him so much more.

Go & Read Duke & Cherry’s story 🍒🧡

Riding the line🧡

It felt so good to be back in Willow Ridge, it felt like visiting back home, familiar, cosy, and just what I needed. This book was just everything and more.

The friends-to-lovers trope was vibing!!
I loved the friendship between Cherry and Duke it was the perfect mix of sweet and fiery. I loved Duke's protectiveness and willingness to do anything to make Cherry happy. His need for family was heartbreaking and so wholesome all in one. Not to mention he is😍 I loved the little Snippets we got of Duke in Live, Ranch, Love so when I found out this was his book I was so excited.
Miss Cherry how I loved her. The confidence growth throughout the book is amazing. She becomes so sassy and sure of herself which is perfection. The vulnerability between the two of them was so nice, especially seeing their walls come down and showing their softer sides to each other.
I loved getting to see Wyatt and Rory again there just my fave. Wyatt's protective big brother side was the best.

I absolutely loved this and felt it was a perfect second book in for series. Emma has outdone herself again with another 5 star read🥰

🧡 Riding the Line releases on 11th September add it to your tbr cause it is a must-read 🧡

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5