I picked this book based on the cover alone without even reading the blurb, and I had no idea how much I would end up loving it.

Wren is running from her past and breaks down outside a small town near Austin. She’s towed to a local mechanic shop where she meets rugged, no-nonsense Hud. When he realizes she has nowhere to go, he steps in to help her get settled. Even though he's in the middle of a fight to keep his family's land and doesn’t need distractions, something about Wren draws him in. When her best friend shows up and asks for help with a remodel, Hud decides to stop fighting the pull between them.

These two were magic together. I couldn’t wait for them to let go of their pain and give each other a real chance. Their steamy scenes were fun and had me thinking a tractor might not be such a bad idea either. I loved how Wren found a sense of belonging in both the town and with Hud, something she’d never truly had before.

This book was the perfect summer read. Full of heart, surprise moments, and just the right amount of spice to keep me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and RupertBossier for allowing me the pleasure of reading this book.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I got about 30% through and found it hard to stay engaged with the pacing and character development. There was this insta-love aspect that I didn’t quite get and the whole scene in the shop kind of threw me off. Seemed like things were about to get super messy and I wasn’t invested in the characters to want to find out where things would go. That said, I can see how fans of small town romance & lots of drama might really enjoy the themes and style (Hud DOES sound super hot). I appreciated the concept and thank the publisher for the ARC!

Steady Now by Liberty Stowe was just... not good. The characters' motivations were iffy, the character development made no sense, both of the main characters' priorities were all scrambled, the writing was terrible, and the romance was the absolute worst part of it all.

I'm giving it a little grace and not dropping the rating all the way down to one star because with better execution, the premise could have worked quite well. Rich girl running from heartbreak and disappointment gets stranded in a charming, tiny, rural Texas town, where she meets the gruff mechanic trying to keep his head above water between battling his ex for custody of their kid and trying to keep a greedy, evil corporation from stealing his family's land. It's a Hallmark movie plot if I've ever heard one.

But, again, the execution failed at every single step.

Here's a quote from the 74% point:

We've never spoken about his private life or anything substantial.


And that was the romance plot in a nutshell. Wren and Hud DID NOT TALK. There was nothing to their relationship except the physical part. He refused to let her in, would not open up to her on anything—even if his life depended on it—but then went in search of her when he wanted sex. Awful, awful way to write a romantic male lead. It made him so unlikable.

Worst part is, beneath the hard-to-understand dialogues and clunky, off-putting prose, I could kinda see what the book was trying to do. It's just that it failed spectacularly.

Hud was supposed to be wary and closed off because he'd been screwed over once before. But his backstory could have been built so much better to explain his abandonment issues, tendency to not rely on other people emotionally, and fear of opening up and being vulnerable.

Similarly, Wren's motivations were also butchered. Dropping a few mentions of how she had a tense relationship with her dad was not enough to justify her actions and behavior by a long shot. The strain and emotional toll should have been shown to us in stark detail. And by that same token, her reasons for being on the run should have been what the book actually opened on instead of dragging out the reveal until nearly the end of the novel.

Show me why I should root and cheer for this spoiled rich girl. Show me what hurt her so badly to send her fleeing from her father and his law firm. Give me something solid to grasp onto. But there was nothing. 70% of her personality was "runs away from her problems", and yet we only really saw a single instance of this, which was not explained until it really didn't even matter anymore. Alternatively, Wren could have been the girl who strained to meet her father's ridiculous expectations, but always fell short. The girl starved for affection and connection, who put on a flirty, happy facade but was hurting deeply underneath. The pretty girl who was profoundly insecure because she'd never been enough. The girl could never take anything at face value because she'd been born and raised in a world of two-faced people.

It would have been so sweet to see that cautious girl finding community and affection in a small town setting, and connecting to an equally damaged man in a way that allowed them both to heal and fall in love. Instead, we got a bellicose "meet-cute" that felt beyond forced, story flow that was so bad it wrecked the relationship development, and a couple that had zero chemistry and didn't connect on a single level.

The "romance", with its painful lack of communication and annoying pining, was easily the least satisfying and most frustrating part of this book. With the confusing, convoluted thing about the company wanting to steal Hud's family land from under him being a close second. That could have been such a solid sublot, but again, the execution crashed and burned.

I feel like I've already ranted too much, but I can't not mention the emoji-heavy text convos. One, books are largely a monochromatic space; tiny colored drawings don't belong there because you can barely make them out. But two, how old were these characters supposed to be? 14? What adult human being texts like that?

Steady Now had the makings of a cozy, heartwarming Hallmark-style romance but fumbled the ball at every turn. The premise sounded like a winner, but the awkward prose, flat characters, and a romance that felt more like a fling than a love story just didn’t deliver. Wren and Hud’s lack of real connection, paired with poorly crafted and explained motivations and a messy corporate subplot, left me frustrated. It gets 2 stars because the idea had potential, but the execution was a total miss. If you’re craving a small-town romance with heart, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere.

**I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

4⭐️

✨ARC Read✨

I actually really loved this book! Wren is on the run from the mess in her life when her Maserati breaks down in the small town of Vogel Springs. She gets a tow to the town mechanic, Hud. He’s tall, he’s broody, and he’s carrying a ton of baggage.

I just loved these two characters! Instant spark. 🔥 Wren was sweet and easygoing but guarded. Hud was just as guarded and grumpy on the outside but a total teddy bear on the inside.

There were a couple of fun twists in the plot, and the story overall was great! It had tension, witty banter, good heat 🔥, and some really funny scenes. The side characters were great too! There were a few spots where the writing could have been a little tighter, and the ending felt a bit rushed—I wanted just a little more. But overall, I loved this book.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🚜 small-town romance
☀️ grumpy x sunshine
🏠 forced proximity
🚗 broody mechanic

Thank you, NetGalley, for this really fun read!

ARC Review

4.25/5 ⭐️

Overall thoughts:
I am always a fan of insta lust/love and I really enjoyed this story. This was a fast paced read that kept you in it from chapter 1.

Tropes:
Small Town
Insta-lust
Forced Proximity
Rich girl x blue collar boy

Detailed thoughts:
I was expecting a cute small town romance and I surprised at how much drama this story had. I am in no way saying this was a bad book it just wasn't what I was expecting. Wren's storyline of breaking down in a small town and meeting a cute boy is a great start and not always a normal trope (normally the boy is the rich one). There wasn't a lot of spice but it feel like it wasn't enough for a insta lust book. Overall this is a good debut novel and story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sweet, small-town romance with heart

This one gave me all the cozy vibes 🛻🌾 Wren’s life unravels and lands her in a little Texas town, where she meets Hud—a grumpy, guarded single dad—and sparks fly almost immediately. Things moved a bit fast at first (definitely a dash of instalust 😅), but I warmed up to them as their bond deepened.

Hud’s son Connor was an absolute cutie and brought such heart to the story 🥹 I also loved the town’s quirky cast—Anderson and Martha were standouts!

There were a couple things that didn’t fully land for me—Wren’s issues with her dad felt a little underdeveloped, and the repeated mention of “Steady Now” got a bit much. But I still appreciated what it meant emotionally.

All in all, this was warm, romantic, a little spicy 🔥, and had just enough depth to keep me hooked. Looking forward to more from Vogel Springs! 💛

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 📚

This story was so fun, albeit slow at times. The fmc was very likeable, I was envious of her bestie… where can I find a bestie like him?! He had me literally laughing out loud. The Mmc was a little too broody but he had depth, I love how he loves his son. This was a great story by a debut author. My only critique was that some parts of the story felt like it was slow, then everything wrapped up super fast. I would definitely pick up another book by this author. 💜

Steady Now is a quick, trope-filled read that has its charm, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The pacing felt rushed, and I wish there had been more time spent developing the characters. I never really got the chance to connect with them. If you enjoy familiar romance tropes and don’t mind a lighter touch on depth, this could still be an enjoyable weekend read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to RupertBossier and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, this was a fine book but I had issues with the formatting. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

When I picked up this book for the Camp NetGalley Challenge, I was intrigued by the premise—but wow, this story was so much more than I expected.

Does it feel like you’ve landed in the middle of a Hallmark movie… with just the right amount of spiciness thrown in? YES. Does Vogel Springs give off total Stars Hollow vibes? Also yes.

I think this might just be my favorite romance of the year. A sparkling gem in the middle of the hot summer.

Let’s start with the chemistry between Wren and Hud—holy smokes! 🔥 And I don’t just mean the intimate scenes. It’s in every look, every conversation, every interaction. The tension between them? My Kindle was about to burst into flames.

But what really sets this book apart is the layered plot (which I won’t spoil—trust me, go in blind) and the amazing cast of characters. Hello, Anderson—can I get a friend like that?

This is the kind of debut authors dream about. And honestly, I’m crossing my fingers for more stories set in Vogel Springs because the town itself feels like a character—and I’m not ready to leave.

I’m giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 out of 5, because the romance was instantaneous, which I don’t normally love in a book—but everything else was just so good!

Thank you NetGalley, Liberty Stowe and @rupertbossier for the ARC of this book!

A small Texas town. A woman on the run...in a Maserati. A local mechanic with troubles of his own. A devious ex. A big-hearted cafe owner. Two best friends (his and hers) determined to steer our couple to a hard-earned happy ending. And just why is she running?

I was immediately intrigued and eager to dive into this debut by Liberty Stowe. I'm happy to say that, for the most part, it lived up to my expectations. It's an instant-attraction, slow-burn, opposites-attract romance between Wren and Hud that reeled me in pretty much from the get-go. I liked that the author hit that attraction hard then backed off (for reasons), giving the characters more time to both establish feelings and address obstacles. While I would have enjoyed more depth and communication between Hud and Wren, I felt their chemistry and was still invested in them both as individuals and as a couple.

The supporting cast adds a lot to the story in both positive and negative ways. I especially enjoyed Wren's best friend, Anderson and Hud's best friend, Cal. I have my fingers crossed that Steady Now will turn into a series because I'd sure like to see more of those two. Young Connor is a character who captured my heart. Stowe really brought him to life in an age appropriate way. Hud's ex is a piece of work who is brought to life so vividly that you do not want to know what I wanted to do to her. Needless to say, she elicits a lot of emotions.

One aspect of the story that fell a bit short for me was the relationship between Wren and her father. For all that his actions played a part in the decisions that had her ending up in Vogel Springs, I would have liked seeing more development of their relationship. Also, the final pages seemed rushed. Considering all Wren and Hud had been through, the abrupt conclusion left me wanting. While they are definitely together, it felt more like a "to be continued" (we'll secure their happy ending in the next book) than a "wrapped up with a bow HEA" (this is a standalone-time to say goodbye to these characters). I haven't seen anything about this being a series starter but my fingers are crossed.

All in all, Steady Now is a solid debut contemporary romance with a lot to recommend it. I'm definitely interested in seeing what Liberty Stowe brings readers next, especially if it takes us back to Vogel Springs.

ARC received from NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

This a new author to me and I thoroughly enjoyed Wren & Hudson’s story.

Although there was an element of insta-lust, I really liked how it took time for some foundation of a relationship to build.

It had an amazing blend of small town charm and romance, which I always love in a book.

The little parts of information woven through the story relating to each of the characters kept me intrigued.

A really enjoyable read and I will be sure to keep and eye out for the authors next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this arc, I am incredibly grateful💕

Firstly I absolutely loved the vibes of this book!! A small town where everyone is in one another’s pockets. A really interesting premise with lots of potential however it just fell really flat for me.

The first half focused massively too much on the car, as a reader of a romance book I personally don’t need to know so much about a catalytic converter… That just wasn’t for me sadly.

The romance was fine, I liked the two mcs together but they were in far too deep too quick after having minimal exchanges.

I definitely understand why others do like this though so thank you to NetGalley for offering this ❤️

I expected a light, fluffy romance but struggled to finish. The romance lacked natural development, with too much miscommunication and possessiveness. Wren’s backstory felt shallow, and while Hud’s was more fleshed out, it wrapped up too quickly. The insta love was not believable and made me feel like this whole story would fall apart. Overall, just felt meh.

I would like to thank Netgalley and RupertBossier for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable.

I started to enjoy this book but the writing became difficult to follow. And the side texting and phone convos that seem so random were difficult to follow as well. And it might just be me, but I don't know emojis enough to decipher the text messages.

Love a good debut novel! This was a fun, angsty contemporary romance that I really enjoyed, and the spicy parts were on fire.

***Small town Texas romance
***Cowboy lovin
***Single Dad
***Opposites attract
***A hot tractor scene

A great story of love and healing; def perfect for any romance reader!

Thank you to RupertBossier Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own. #CampNetGalley

Steady Now is a sweet, small-town romance that hooks you from the first page. When Wren’s car breaks down on her way to escape heartbreak, she meets Hud, a charming mechanic fighting to hold onto what matters most. Their chemistry is instant, and the story that unfolds is both heartfelt and sizzling. The characters are lovable, the plot is engaging, and the small-town setting is so vivid it feels like you could step right into it. A delightful read, here’s hoping there’s more to come!

Steady Now is such a sweet small-town romance. I was hooked from the beginning. I just loved Hud and grew to like Wren as the story evolved.

Imaginez vous tomber en panne avec votre voiture, vous fuyez votre vie, votre famille car vous avez enfin compris que votre petit ami, qui est en plus déjà marié ne vous choisira jamais, qu'il choisira toujours sa vie, sa famille et son travail.

Alors Wren fuit et va rencontrer cet homme Hud, garagiste qui va tomber amoureux d'elle. Mais voilà elle n'est que de passage et ils doivent aussi faire face à la mère de son fils, aux rumeurs lancées pour nuire à son entreprise.

Cette romance de nouveau départ pour Wren est importante car on va découvrir qu'elle est plus que la fille de ..., cette fuite lui a permis de découvrir qui elle était et ce qu'elle pouvait accomplir.

Quant à Hud, ce père attentif voudrait faire plus pour être avec son fils mais son ex lui met des batons dans les roues.

Leur connexion semble authentique et durement gagnée. Mais ils vont devoir se battre pour être ensemble et Wren va être d'une grande aide .

J'ai beaucoup aimé cette romance de petite ville et j'ai passé un bon moment car on a envie d'en savoir plus à chaque rebondissement.