likable characters and some fun, heartfelt moments. I enjoyed the Vogel Springs setting and the sparks between Wren and Hud.

That said, the romance felt a bit rushed and some parts of the story were hard to believe, which kept me from fully connecting with it. Still, it’s a light, easy read for anyone who enjoys small-town love stories.

Steady Now was a cute small town romance, I loved the friendships and the banter and the love story. What I wanted more of was Wren’s backstory in more detail and more closure surrounding the Rosalee situation.

This was such a fun romance book! The story was very interesting and I could not put it down! I love small town romances and I was very happy to get to read another one.

A story for all small town lovers. It tells us the story of Wren, a high class city girl that gets stranded in a small town and learns to live that way of life (he familiarity between neighbors, the help for all in town, the cozyness and slow pace turn of events).
She also likes the small town mechanic, Hud, who is trying to fix her car.
What first seemed to be a temporary thing, between a past they are both running from and a future they are longing we see them get tangled and lost in eah other.
This was a slow burn, where we see their relationship wrow with time. Emotional and steady!

I'm rating this book 4/5 stars. This was a really sweet story with likeable characters that made you want to root for the HEA, but it missed the mark on a higher rating for personal reasons that might not be an issue for other readers.

I truly appreciated that there was build up in the relationship between Wren and Hud and not just 5 days passed and they're soul mates. I both like the characters, but was also annoyed with them. I guess I'll never understand why people just don't talk to people they love instead of making them go in circles about their intentions and feelings. I want to say I was so frustrated with them because I was invested in their relationship, so it's probably a good thing! Liberty was able to evoke emotions in me throughout the entire book, and I love when an author can do that.

There were several times I had to reread sentences because a word like 'have' was missing. Did this pull away from the story? No, but it was distracting for a short period.

Overall, this was an adorable love story with all the right pieces of a love story. I appreciated the spicy scenes, too! It takes awhile to get there, but they do come.

2.25!! This was a pretty cute small-town romance, but I thought it was a little slow in some places. Overall, there were parts of this story that I did enjoy.


Thank you to Liberty Stowe, RupertBossier, and Netgalley for this arc!! 💕

I wanted to love this book so badly and I sort just... liked it? Meh. The premise was super promising: a woman (Wren) running from her past whose car breaks down and she ends up in a small Texas town where she butts heads with the local mechanic (Hud). And it started off well enough, but then things just got so convoluted. So many sub plots, so much drama for the sake of drama which isn't exactly something I appreciate in romance books. All of it gets resolved in the last 10-15 pages of the book of course which feels super rushed. All in all, I guess this book just wasn't for me.

When reading the initial premise for this novel, I was excited, small town romance, instant chemistry, car breaking down, hopefully a happily ever after. However it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Wren's car breaks down just outside a small town and Hud is the guy who rescues her car and her to an extent. I couldn't get excited about them as it felt flat, I just couldn't buy into their amazing chemistry as it felt like it wasn't there. And I enjoyed the other characters so much more and they made it a bit more interesting. Thanks to Net galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a good read. I absolutely loved it. It was such a good pace, characters where great, the story line itself was absolutely amazing. Story about growth, being steady, being what the other person needed, not giving up on then, I really enjoy this book. Its definitely on my top favorites.

This book was ok. It felt rushed at points and made me very confused. Then back tracked at others even though I thought we were farther ahead. I like
all the characters though. Especially all the side characters and drama.

Review: Steady Now
by Liberty Stowe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Steady Now is an absolute gem. Liberty Stowe delivers a beautifully written story that is equal parts tender, emotional, and empowering. From the first chapter, I was swept into the characters’ world and found myself deeply invested in their journeys.

The pacing is perfect, the relationships feel authentic, and the emotional depth makes this one stand out. It’s the kind of book that lingers with you long after you finish, both comforting and thought-provoking at the same time.

A five-star read that I will be recommending often!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had such a fun and promising premise, but ultimately it just didn’t work for me. I enjoy a good insta-love story when it’s done well, so I was hopeful going in—but even with low expectations, I found this one surprisingly hard to get through.

The emotional connection between Wren and Hud felt surface-level and repetitive, with a lot of telling rather than showing. Their inner monologues recycled the same few thoughts over and over without meaningful development. Instead of organic growth or tension, the relationship leaned heavily on tropes—single dad reveal, small-town charm, a mysterious past, sudden B&B investment—but none of it felt earned. It read more like a checklist of popular romance elements than a cohesive story.

I also struggled with the lack of communication between the characters. It wasn’t so much "miscommunication" as a complete absence of it. Important backstory was withheld from both the characters and the reader until late in the book, and by then, I wasn’t invested enough to care. The pacing was uneven and the emotional stakes never landed.

The writing style itself felt clunky and inconsistent, with moments that pulled me out of the story—particularly the constant references to Wren being tiny. I lost count of how many times her hands, waist, or overall size were emphasized. It came off as cliché and distracting rather than endearing.

While there were glimpses of potential, especially in the setting and setup, the execution didn’t follow through. The emotional depth, character development, and chemistry just weren’t there for me. Unfortunately, this ended up being a miss.

if you're into small-town romance and insta-lust tropes, this one might be for you.

the push and pull felt too long that there are times where i sighed after reading parts that result in them distancing themselves from each other. personally, i found the last few chapters to be the best part of the novel - it had all the action! what i appreciate the most though was her profession - we love a boss lady 😎

another pet peeve of mine were the text messages!! tell me why they were conversing in emojis?? 😭

overall, i found myself becoming more interested in the side characters and the part they played in the story instead of the wren/hud's romance. cal, anderson, and connor, y'all stole the entire show in my book ❤️

I kinda wish I would’ve dnf I had to drag myself through it. The characters didn’t seem developed they were poorly written. I’m sorry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Steady Now by Liberty Stowe absolutely stole my heart! From the very first page, it pulled me into a swoony, emotional small-town romance that delivered both tenderness and spice in perfect balance.

The writing flows beautifully, with just the right mix of heartfelt emotion and playful banter. I loved how Liberty Stowe built such a cozy yet passionate atmosphere, it felt like slipping into a world you never want to leave. The chemistry between Hud and Wren from page one is electric, the kind that lingers long after you close the book.

If you’re craving a romance that’s equal parts heartfelt and deliciously spicy, this one is an absolute must-read. I’ll be thinking about this couple for a long time. 💕

This book was absolutely amazing! Y’all know I love me a good small-town romance, and Steady Now gave me everything—close proximity, slow burn, and banter that was 100% worth the wait. 🥰

Wren and Hud’s story had me hooked. I’m a sucker for a friendship-to-lovers arc, and the way their relationship shifted from comfort to angst to something deeper was just chef’s kiss. The tension, the longing, the “will-they-won’t-they” moments—it was all there.

And don’t even get me started on Vogel Springs, TX. Liberty Stowe wrote this little town so well that I legit wanted to pack my bags and move there. The charm, the community, the cozy small-town feel—it became its own character in the story.

Since this is my first read from Liberty Stowe, I’m officially a fan. Her writing style pulled me right in, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, slow-burn romance that will make you swoon and smile, go ahead and add Steady Now to your TBR. 💕

✨ Thanks to NetGalley and Rupert Bossier for the eARC!

This was an enjoyable debut novel by Liberty Stowe. I love a book set in a quaint small town with generally good people. The good characters were likeable, and the "villains" were easy to dislike in this opposites attract, insta-love romcom. The spice level is high, but I did appreciate that the author included trigger warnings. I would have enjoyed an epilogue to follow, but that isn't a deal breaker for me. I expect bigger and better things from this new author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Rupert Bosier, for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

I did not finish this book.

I wanted to like this book, I really did and it had good elements at the beginning, but these two went from zero to 100 in a matter of like 3 pages. I made it to about 25% into the book and had to stop.

They went from the mechanic fixing her car to him having her entire front exposed. And like that just didn’t do it for me and actually gave me the ick.

I need a story to feel real and natural and this one just felt very unrealistic and so I wasn’t a fan. I also didn’t vibe with the FMC and her attitude kinda weirded me out.

The writing itself was fine and if I forced myself to push through, I probably would have been okay, but life’s too short to read books I don’t like.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Steady Now is a charming, sexy, small-town romance that blends heartfelt emotion with sizzling chemistry. Liberty Stowe drops us right into Vogel Springs, a town so vividly drawn you can practically smell the bacon frying and feel the warmth of its quirky charm.

Wren and Hudson’s story is full of tension, vulnerability, and heat. Wren, running from a life that no longer fits her, and Hudson, weighed down by his past and an impending legal battle, are both broken in their own ways. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, but what makes this story shine is the tenderness woven between the sparks—the stolen glances, the small-town moments, and the push-pull of two people who know their time might be fleeting.

This is more than a romance—it’s a story about finding connection when you least expect it, about second chances, and about the healing power of love (and maybe a little bit of small-town magic).

If you enjoy emotional small-town romances with heat, heart, and characters who feel real and raw, Steady Now will absolutely pull you in.

I really enjoyed this authors writing style it was easy to get into. The chaos of the FMC is so relatable and loved her inner conversations she had. The side characters are so charming. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town, the story had a good plot. It was very well done. I enjoyed it very much thank you so much for this ARC!