If you ever thought, 'You know what, the Pixar movie Cars should have humans and also sex in it', then this is the book for you!
In all seriousness - this was a really good Contemporary Romance read, featuring a lovely couple plus a fantastic ensemble of supporting characters.

Smoking Hot FMC Wren's Smoking Hot car breaks down in bumfuck-nowhere Texas (seriously, there's not even a motel in town). Of course, there's only 1 mechanic - local Hud Bass - around, and of course he's also Smoking Hot.
Wren's got a past she's running from, and Hud's fighting The Man trying to take his land plus his Ex trying to take his kid.

On the face of it, this could have been a very one-dimensional and cliche book, but Liberty Stowe has given it heart!

* Hud is absolutely the kind of MMC all other MMCs should be jealous of - he's such a Fixer even when things are going poorly for him, it's great.
* Wren's backstory is hinted at throughout, and I confess that I did find it quite a letdown when her history was revealed.
* And the spotify playlist at the beginning of this book? Do yourself a favour and pop it on in the background while you read! I did, and it helped me sink deep into the country roots of this romance tale.

In terms of categorising the story: I personally wouldn't call this a slow burn (medium burn, maybe?), but it's definitely something along the lines of enemies-to-lovers. There's miscommunication as a plot point, which I'm not a fan of, but in the end Healthy Adult Communication is achieved.

Many thanks to NetGalley, RupertBossier, and the Camp NetGalley event for the opportunity to read something a little outside of my usual sphere; it was a real treat! That said, I'm not ever going to be able to look at a tractor in the same way again...

Steady Now is a sweet small-town romance with a touch of spice. The cozy setting of Vogel Springs and strong character chemistry made it an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Cal & Anderson were my favorite part of the story! I’m really hoping they get a book of their own!

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with heart and heat, this one is worth checking out.

Really enjoyed this visit into the world of Vogel Springs 🤍
This book was an easy read, enjoyable, and it was quite impressive for a debut novel.
Loved the romance, and the way the story all played out.
I also enjoyed the small town hard working dad aspect (Hud) and Wren the FMC was adorable.
Def had some 🌶️ after around the 50% mark (that tractor scene 🔥) but it didn’t saturate the book too much which I appreciate.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Would def read more from this author in the future 🤍

4.5 ⭐️
ARC Review!!
Thank you NetGalley and Liberty Stowe for giving me the opportunity to receive this eARC!
This was the perfect slow burn romance!! But also a little insta-lovey, which I loved! Right from the start, I was obsessed with Wren! And following through on her growth was just so captivating! I wish we got a little bit more from Hud, but I still enjoyed his character too!
I really enjoyed the writing style of this author and would love to read more when she releases more!!!

2.5 ⭐️
Steady Now follows Wren, a city girl on the run, looking to start over, and Hud, a single dad in a small town fighting to keep his land and son. After some unfortunate car trouble, Wren ends up in Vogel Springs with a gruff mechanic and an eccentric cast of characters. Will she keep running or find what she has been unknowingly looking for?

This was unfortunately hard for me to get through. I went into this thinking I'd love this small town, but I wasn't as invested as I have been with small town romances. The tropes in this book are usually some of my favorite:

✨ small town
✨ single dad
✨ girl on the run/starting over
✨ found family

However, I felt the sequence of events and formation of Wren and Hud's relationship to be oddly paced. Their relationship felt very instantaneous, making the tension that followed feel somewhat unnecessary and frustrating. Hud was a bit difficult to find likable at times, especially with the casual misogyny. Moreover, Wren's best friend, Anderson, was extremely unlikeable and his problematic comments were just brushed off. This left a poor impression, using problematic ideas for comedy or to get a reaction. The characters that I found myself most curious and attached to were apart of the supporting cast, and they provided much needed levity and comedy to the storyline. There were definitely moments I enjoyed, especially the way everyone supported Hud's son, Connor, but these typically came in between the major plot points. I wish I was able to connect with this small town, but it just wasn't for me.

Steady Now is a cute and fun summer romance book!
I enjoyed how simple the romance of the story was. The small town component allowed believability to the tropes that were written in.

I liked that they were multiple sub plots added in and that we were not just following one major sub plot. Yet some of the sub plots never get developed fully and we are left with questions.

Some of the character development was a little lackluster. From the romance angle, Wren and Hud have a very shallow connection outside of being super physically attracted to each other. It felt very friends with benefits up to when Hud asks her to move in.
Hud wasn’t my favorite male main character. He has the tendency to be quite misogynistic, and at times, that was a bit of a turn off for me. I also think the word sashayed could have been replaced for a different adjective sometimes. I did really like Wren, Cal, and Andersons characters. I think the friendship dynamic was really beautiful throughout the entire book.

My last bit of feedback is around the intimate scenes- these started off being written clearly, but it felt like as the book progressed, the scenes became harder to see as realistic/not be taken out of the story by. For example, I was reading a scene and I was so confused as to how this was occurring because the descriptive language wasn’t written clearly for me to fully grasp the intention and description. These scenes were choppy, and because of that, they took me out of the story at times.

Overall, I thought Steady Now is a cute small town romance! I think anyone who enjoys summer romances, reading stories with friendship and found family, this would be a great choice!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of the book!

I liked it. It wasn't fancy or something you'd maybe read over and over again but when you're looking for something light and easy to read, this is a good pick. Slightly rushed in the romance section but otherwise pretty fun read overall.

Small town, single dad, mechanic MMC.

The idea of a mechanic shop meet cute was sweet and I didn’t mind the setting of the story.

The characters however lacked communication skills in my opinion. This story was very wordy and went around in circles a lot while also leaving the readers to guess about the characters’ backgrounds.

I kept waiting for a moment to hook me in but it never came.

3.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Tropes
-Dual POV
-Single Dad
-Small Town
-Found Family


If you love Hallmark movies this book may be for you. Small town romance between an heiress who is on the run and a single father.
I was really hopeful when I read the synopsis of this book. For me it didn’t quite land its mark. I didn’t feel connected to the characters. They felt very one dimensional. This book is set up to be slow burn romance but it ended up feeling very insta love with no reasoning other than looks. Their chemistry throughout the whole book felt surface level. The pacing wasn’t the greatest it felt very rushed at the end with all of Huds problems being solved. It overall felt very much like a Hallmark movie.

unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me. this was very insta love, and i'm not convinced the characters even know each other that well. i also found a lot of the characters unlikeable and annoying. overall, not my favorite small town romance that i've read.

thank you netgalley and the author for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book i just thought it was abit rushed but the 2nd half was better amd got me hooked and I wanted more of the relationship at the end was sad to see the end of the book

The premise of Steady Now by Liberty Stowe sounded intriguing when I read the synopsis. Wren is described as running for her life when her car breaks down, and Hudson is portrayed as her savior—the only person who can fix her broken-down car. This raises several questions: Why is she running for her life? Why is Hudson the only one who can repair her car? Mechanics can’t be that scarce, right?

Honestly, I'm torn about Steady Now. At first, I really liked the writing style; it flowed smoothly and was quick to read. However, as I continued, I found myself frustrated by some of the word choices and phrasing, which felt off-putting and cringeworthy. Some events in the story strained believability. For example, Wren's best friend shows up out of nowhere with keys to a house he just found out about and purchased, and somehow has workers available to help on the same day? I understand we’re supposed to believe these characters are incredibly wealthy, but come on. And if I read one more description of Wren as "tiny" or "small," I might lose my mind! I'm 5'1, and I've never encountered a stranger who immediately picks me up because I'm considered so "small."

The romance between Wren and Hudson also lacked credibility. They barely communicated, yet we’re expected to believe they are in love? It just fell flat for me. It didn’t help that I found Hudson to be somewhat of an old-fashioned jerk.

Overall, this book wasn't for me. I really wanted to love it; it had its moments, but in the end, it simply didn’t work.

*3.5 stars*

Slow-burn, rich vs not, romance…

I picked this title up as part of a NetGalley summer challenge/promotion and it looked like a fun, light read. It was a good read, had it’s light and humourous moments but it also had the emotional hit I always crave in a good romance.

Wren found herself in Vogel Springs, Texas when her Maserati broke down. Don’t you hate when that happens? I wasn’t sure I could relate to this ‘rich’ girl with the fancy car – what was she running from? - but soon found she was a sympathetic character with all the positives, foibles and challenges of anyone trying to get through life. Hud was such a perfect match – he was a solid, trustworthy man even as he faced his own life’s curveballs. Diamonds or wrenches, life didn’t care when it came to throwing parties or wrenches and these two were facing some doozies…

This was a good read full of great dialogue (including between Wren and Hud and their besties) and (not over the top) drama that I was soon invested in. I loved how their relationship evolved, morphed and grew as secrets were shared and faced head on. Touching on the uglier sides of human existence, they shared space with love and laughter to create an entertaining, well-balanced read. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

I LOVED this book!

Steady Now is an adventurous, sexy, exciting love story set in Texas. The small town vibes, love at first sight, and the fight for someone and something you love all come together in a perfect way.

The way the setting was written made it really easy to picture the small town of Vogel Springs and the Vogel House property. It almost felt like the town was a character itself.

The love and chemistry between Wren and Hud was perfection, and the big conflict in the second part of the book (I'm trying not to have any spoilers) was not only exciting and had me not wanting to put the story down, but also showed how much they love each other.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to re-reading or listening to it on audiobook.

I enjoyed it. I liked the cover, it drew me to choose this story. It was a quick read. I will definitely purchase for my shelf.

*3.5 stars*

I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed the conflict over Hud’s land and custody of his son. I enjoyed Hud and Wren’s characters, and especially Anderson and Cal. Those two brought such a fun element to the story that I got excited when I saw their names when I turned the page.

My issue is that I didn’t buy the romance between Wren and Hud. It felt more like lust than love until the very end of the book — any moment of the two of them alone was stolen by spice, or even the way the characters narrated, talking about the other, was sexual. I’m not saying there was too much spice in the book, more that I needed added romantic gestures and deeper conversations or some of the spicy moments replaced with them actually falling in love. The ending was cute and actually made me want to read more in an epilogue to see where they ended up.

This book had so much potential if the romance were developed a bit better!

The premise for this book is good. Who doesn't love a small town and a hard working attractive MMC? Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. All of the potential for a great story is there but I couldn't connect with the MMC and FMC. There was zero communication so the insta-love felt more like lust, which is fine but I don't think that's where the author wanted us to go on their journey. Their lack of emotional intelligence and connection made it so hard for me to really love this story. I wanted to get sucked in, but wasn't. Not awful but not for me.

Okay, Vogel Springs has officially been added to my list of small towns I wish were real—because I’d move there yesterday.

This book gave all the cozy, sizzling small-town romance vibes I love. There’s something about bacon frying, flirty banter at a diner, and broken-down luxury cars that just works. And don’t even get me started on the tractor emoji invitation—I snorted. It was so unexpected and so perfect.

Wren is that complicated, on-the-run-but-not-really heroine I adore. She's sharp, closed off, but her heart is right there, just waiting to be seen. And Hud? Big, broody mechanic energy with more emotional baggage than a Delta carousel. But the man is gold underneath it. Fixes cars, but clearly doesn’t know what to do with a woman like Wren—until he does, and whew, y’all. He does.

Their chemistry? Electric. Their connection? Instant, but believable. I loved that the romance had room to breathe—it wasn’t rushed, even if the attraction was. And while Hud’s internal struggle had me wanting to shake him a few times, it felt real. Their love story was messy, warm, and full of those small moments that sneak up on you.

I am simply blown away. At face value you might be tempted to think this is “just” a sweet small-town romance, and though there’s nothing wrong with those wonderful stories, this is something totally different. Wren and Hud, they are something so very special.

The love story here is incredible, but even more than that, the realness of these characters is fascinating. There is so much depth and reality woven into this small town story.

I found myself kicking my feet with excitement as the story unfolded.

Even the side characters are incredibly well thought out. The best friends, the tow truck driver, the town nemesis- you feel like they are all so real.

From the cafe owner to the local woman that might as well be everyone’s aunt, Vogel Springs brings you inside from the cold and gives you a big, strong hug and an even stronger cup of coffee!

I hope there’s more to this story because I need more of Vogel Springs!

If you like Tessa Bailey books you will like this one. Rich woman's expensive car breaks down in a small town, and she falls in l9ve with the mechanic fixing her car. Sexy times and not much drama other than baby mammas and small town gossip. Quick and easy read to turn your brain off to read. I found it quite boring but that's just straight romances at this point for me in my reading journey so that's not the authors fault. If you like small town single dad romances you will appreciate this one.