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- 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒐 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦
✰ 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴
✰ 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺
✰ 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺

What a wonderful and emotional rollercoster of a book! Elsie and Beau's story is one about love, about going through loss and pain but getting back up together, it's about new begginings and in general this book was about what love is.
Their devotion for each other and seeing them find each other again was beautiful and I think we all want this kind of love for ourselves.

I highly recommend this book! It's one of those romances that stucks out and takes you on a journey!

*arc kindly provided in exchange of an honest review

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I am, quite frankly, torn on my reactions to Not Our First Rodeo. There were parts that I loved beyond reason, and yet, other parts that made no sense to me. I don’t understand how you could love someone, be married for ten years, and not once let them know or see that you have panic attacks. And then there was the absolute pillar of strength in Beau, as he loved, cared for Elsie, even to the point of leaving for a while at her request… he lost a child as well through the miscarriage, yet I never saw Elsie tend to her husband’s wounds. Theirs is, indeed, a marriage in crisis, yet it often became Elsie’s story with the feeling (for me) that Beau’s grief (for the loss of their baby, for the trouble his marriage is in, for the pain he feels for Elsie’s reaction) got left behind so often. Their love, their struggle was more told to me, not shown…and that felt off somehow.

It may seem contradictory, but Not Our First Rodeo by Madison Wright will get a four-star rating from me. At its core, Elsie and Beau's journey is a good story. I simply wanted something that I didn’t find. In truth, any review is just one person’s opinion. I liked aspects of Not Our First Rodeo, but I simply couldn’t fall in love with it. Will I return to this series? Yes, of course, I don’t let one tale put me off from discovering what comes next that might be amazing. I believe that this is the kind of story that each reader must read, and decide for themselves how to react to it and to take any review with a grain of salt, because you might love it completely.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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I loved this book, I wanted to read to based off of her other work and and still happy to say I will read more in the future, without giving to much away, the surprise pregnancy was done so well in this book and the love the two main characters had for each other was magic, I loved how Beau did not give up on her once but still let her have space to grieve the lost they both experienced. And of course the “my wife” seen does it for me everytime❤️

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gosh I really wanted to love this and had high hopes for this book. but this fell so flat for me unfortunately. Elsie’s character just didn’t wow me. She actually drove me kind of crazy. I understand her character had panic attacks and some mental health to work through, including her Mom pressuring her, her whole life to do ballet. But it was overdone throughout the book and I found myself rolling my eyes when she’d be shocked to find out Beaus family still loved her. She wouldn’t believe a word her own husband said to her and it was just exhausting to keep reading about. I liked Beau. He wouldn’t trade his love and what he feels for Elsie for anything in the world, which I did love. Overall, I just wish I enjoyed this more. Thank you Madison Wright and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved how much Beau showed how much he cared for Elsie and how he never gave up on her, even when she made it difficult to hold on to hope at some points. I also really liked how complex Elsie's character was written, especially with her injury and miscarriage previous to the start of this book. Beau and Elsie had so much backstory and I think they would have made it either way, however the pregnancy really solidified their need to sort things out. Loved this book so much!

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💔 Not Our First Rodeo by Madison Wright is a quiet, heart-wrenching second-chance romance that hits deep. Elsie and Beau are exes who never stopped loving each other—now thrown back together by tragedy and an unexpected pregnancy.

This isn’t just a love story—it’s about grief, healing, and finding your way back to yourself and each other. Madison Wright writes mental health with raw honesty, and Beau? Total golden retriever cowboy energy. 🐴☀️

If you love small-town settings, emotional depth, and love that fights to survive, this one’s for you. No spice, just pure heart. 🤍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
📖 Trope: Second-chance, cowboy + ballerina, accidental pregnancy
⚠️ TW: Miscarriage, mental health, grief

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First off, thank you so much for selecting me as an ARC reviewer - I really appreciate the opportunity, and I’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

As a total sucker for cowboy romances, I absolutely jumped at the chance to read this one. Beau is such a strong and caring MMC - he really dotes on Elsie, and it’s clear how deeply he loves her. Their connection is sweet, and overall, it’s a great, easy read for anyone looking for a heartfelt romance.

That said, I did have a few issues that made it hard for me to connect with the story as much as I’d hoped. I struggled a bit with the reason behind the FMC leaving her husband - it felt a bit implausible that she’d never shown or communicated her struggles with panic attacks after years together. That plot point left me confused and made it harder for me to empathize with her decision.

There were also a few timeline inconsistencies that threw me off - like Beau saying they slept together three weeks ago, but then the next chapter says she’s five weeks pregnant. Those little details took me out of the story a bit.

I still appreciate the emotional depth you were aiming for, and I really enjoyed Beau as a character. Thank you again for letting me read your work early!

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Not Our First Rodeo, Madison Wright
Lucky Stars Ranch, Book 1
Elsie ❤️ Beau
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️

Cowboy X Ballerina
Second-chance marriage
Unplanned Pregnancy
One night
Miscommunication

I'm very grateful to have received this ARC edition via Netgalley - thanks to them and the author.

I loved the story of Elsie and Beau's second chance to make their marriage work. I'm glad they got their happily ever after. There was emotion, tension, angst, spice, humour - what more could a romance reader want?

Beau was such a sweetheart, as well as a hot, mustached cowboy! I loved the whole Jennings family. And Elsie was amazing - a really strong woman, fighting with grief, mental health and issues stemming from her upbringing.

I generally don't look at trigger warnings as they often spoil the plot line, and I didn't for this book, but I would recommend that those who are TTC, are mothers in their hearts only, or who have had pregnancy complications do check them, as the themes could be upsetting.

I will for sure be looking out for the rest of the Lucky Stars Ranch series - I'm guessing Cooper and Jade will get a book, and hopefully Cheyenne, and maybe Morgan?

I'd highly recommend this for lovers of cowboy, cosy, small town romance reads.

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So cute! I am a sucker for cowboy romance and this was one of the best I’ve read! I loved the characters, the plot was amazing and I was hooked from page 1

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** spoiler alert ** 3.5⭐

First of all thank you Netgalley & Madison for sending me this ARC.

I just want to start this review by mentioning that this book really does show the struggles of grief and loss, and navigating around it. It shows and touches on how that journey is very different for everyone and I do feel it was portrayed really well in this story.

The story is about a couple Elsie and Beau who are high school sweethearts and have been together for 10 years. Elsie was a professional ballet dancer but suffered a career ending injury, and had a miscarriage in a small amount of time. Elsie is lost, and pushes everyone around her away, including Beau. After giving her space, he decided enough was enough and goes to get her, they spend a night together, she finds out she is pregnant and Beau is ready to support her every step of the way.

There was a lot of miscommunication throughout. Something that I’m not overly fond of during a book and story, and I couldn’t understand as these two characters have been together for a long time. Elsie suffers with panic attacks something she has hidden from Beau for their whole relationship and I just struggled to gel with this part of the book. That being said, it was a great representation of anxiety and mental health.

However that being said, the MMC, is a perfectly written character and someone every FMC needs. He is so in love with his girl and that’s has been shown beautifully. He healed Elsie and taught her to believe in herself. His brother cooper also, was a great character throughout this book. I hope his story is next.

Overall this was a lovely story, just parts of it were not for me and was definitely a little different from small town cowboy romances I’ve read. 3.5 stars from me.

What to expect
-high school sweethearts
-marriage in trouble
-talks of miscarriage (off page and doesn’t go into any major detail)
-found family
-horse trainer & ballerina

Thanks again Netgalley & Madison for sending this!

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**TW**
This story does contain miscarriage.

I was hooked from the very beginning. The love, passion and sweet dynamic between Elsie and Beau had me in awe. I loved their relationship and how much they cherished each other. Their story is so relatable for couples, whether married or not. I myself, related to their story and it was nice to have that kind of connection. I 1000% recommend. Such a sweet story🥹🫶🏻

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Not Our First Rodeo is a quiet, emotionally heavy story that handles the topics of depression, grief and the slow, complicated road to finding yourself.

There's a deep sadness woven through Elsie's character. She's lost - grieving the dream career she poured herself into, mourning the baby she never got to hold, as well as a version of herself that she can't seem to find again. Watching her make self-destructive choices and spiral was definitely hard to read, but it mirrors real life. Healing isn't linear - and Madison Wright didn't sugarcoat that.

I thought the accidental pregnancy storyline was handled with care, adding another layer to their already tangled emotions. I also loved the main male character, Beau, who is the embodiment of sunshine and golden-retriever energy! He is beyond patient and kind. He's hurting in his own way, and somehow still showing up - even when it means getting hurt over and over again.

I enjoyed watching them slowly find their way back to each other and was rooting for them the whole way through.

Overall, this was an intimate and honest look at two people who never stopped loving each other, even when everything else fell apart. It was an emotional and hopeful read.

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❤️Small town cowboy romance
❤️Marriage on the rocks
❤️Accidental pregnancy

Quite an emotional read for me personally connecting with Elsie’s journey so it could be a bit of a heavy read for some people, but I enjoyed it & it had a beautiful ending!

Beau… my god!! Total dream! Get ready for him girls! Top tier!! Protective husband vibes!

🤠 It was a little different to your typical cowboy romance which was refreshing!

🌶️ Spice was maybe a little lacking for me personally!

⭐⭐⭐3 stars for me but will definitely read book 2 of the series when it’s released!

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Rating 3.75/5 (round up to 4 for the platfrom)

First of all, thank you Netgalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Madison Wright for this ARC

Not our First Rodeo is a small town/cowboy romance about rebuilding a relationship and giving a marriage a second chance after a tragic loss.

I really enjoyed this book, and the way the story line developed over the course of the FMC’s pregnancy. I love the characters, especially the 100% green flag MMC who was just so kind, sensitive and understood the FMC so well and supported her through her issues. The side characters were great too and help develop the story without being too intrusive. Overall the core topics of grief, loss and poor mental health were handled well by the author.

However, I did feel some bits were slightly rushed/glossed over and, although I did connect with both characters, giving a little bit more depth into the mental health issues, their relationship before and pulling the raw emotion a little more to the front would have made the book something outstanding.

If you want a closed-door, heartfelt second chance romance set in Montana (for all the Yellowstone fans) then this is for you!

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I went into this book with no expectations — just the vague memory of the author's previous work — but the premise pulled me in fast: cowboys, grief, second chances, a couple stuck in the rough. You know the drill. And I was hooked.

This is not a loud book. There’s a deep-rooted melancholy in Not Our First Rodeo, a quiet sadness that clings to the pages — and it works. Elsie is lost. She’s grieving a dream career shattered by injury, mourning the baby she never got to hold, and hiding herself from the man who loves her most because she doesn’t want him to see her like this. So, she asks him to leave. And he does.

Told in dual POV, we watch Elsie navigate a life that no longer makes sense, while Beau — our soft-hearted cowboy — tries to survive the ache of watching his wife fade into someone he can no longer reach. Their pain is quiet but devastating.

Elsie was... frustrating. Immature at times. But also painfully human. Watching her rediscover joy, even briefly, was tender and raw. Still, it’s hard to cheer her on when you also want to shake her a little. She pushes Beau away — Beau, who is golden retriever energy in cowboy form. He’s sweet. He’s patient. He’s hurting. And yet, he stays. He gives her space. And it’s heartbreaking.

Then comes that night. The night everything changes. A new pregnancy, unexpected but deeply wanted. And no — it doesn’t fix everything.

Because depression doesn’t vanish with good news. And this book doesn’t pretend it does. Elsie spirals, and it’s gut-wrenching. Her self-destruction feels cyclical, almost repetitive — probably intentionally so — but it wears you down, just like it wears her down. Just like it wears him down.

Beau is sunshine in a world Elsie refuses to step into. And watching him love her from a distance? Oof. That hurts more than any dramatic heartbreak scene ever could.

The side characters are chef’s kiss. Elsie’s best friend and Beau’s brother are a thing I hope becomes THE thing in the next book, because I’m already invested.

The ending, though? Rushed. We spend so long in the dark with Elsie that it feels unfair to leave the light so quickly. I wanted to breathe in the peace after all that pain. Still, this was a beautifully written, emotionally grounded book that hit hard and lingered longer than expected.

✨ Flawed but full of heart. Quietly devastating. And strangely hopeful. ✨

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This quick read had me feeling all the feels. Elsie is a ballerina who cannot any longer dance professionally due to an injury. And if that wasn't bad enough, soon after, she had a miscarriage. Devastated over both of these losses, she knew she was falling apart and she didn't want her beloved husband, Beau, to witness it. She asks him to leave, determined to use the time to fix herself so she can be worthy of him.

But when Beau and Elsie spend one night back together and she ends up pregnant, they get to decide if being together is worth the risk.

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I can't even begin to describe the feeling that I have when I read Madison Wright's books. You feel like you are not just right there with the characters, but you feel like you are a part of their story. You experience the heartache, the laughter, the tears, all of the emotions right along with them.
This is the first of the series and I cannot wait for more!
Second chance romance, accidental pregnancy, loss of pregnancy, self-discovery, learning to overcome trauma to rekindle love.
Elsie has it all. Living her dream dancing with her ballet career and married to the love of her life when her world comes crashing down. First, she gets injured then finds out she is pregnant. She is devastated to not be able to dance anymore but they have their baby to look forward to. After losing the baby, she had no idea who she was anymore. What was she without dancing and the loss of her baby broke her to the point that she pushed her husband away.
Beau never gave up on her. He watched her from a distance and only intervened when she had the attention of another man in a bar one night after many months of being separated.
This book is so full of emotion. I was angry with Elsie for pushing Beau away because he just wanted to be there for her. He was the definition of the perfect husband. But trying to put yourself in Elsie's shoes, she had so much trauma to work through before finding her way back to him.
Happy ever after thankfully or I would have been completely devastated.
Loved this book so much and thankful that I was able to be an ARC reader for it!
Thank you so much, Victory Editing and Netgalley!

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I didn’t expect Not Our First Rodeo to hit me this hard, but it truly did. This is such a beautifully emotional second-chance romance that goes beyond just love – it’s about grief, healing, and rediscovering yourself when everything you believed in falls apart. Elsie’s pain felt so real. Losing her ballet career and going through a miscarriage shattered her, and Madison Wright wrote her anxiety with such raw honesty that I could feel it in my chest while reading.

And then there’s Beau. Honestly, he’s the perfect example of “if he wanted to, he would.” His quiet strength, patience, and unwavering love for Elsie even when she kept pushing him away completely melted my heart. The accidental pregnancy added another layer of vulnerability to their story. It wasn’t just a plot twist – it forced them to confront everything they’d been avoiding and decide what they really wanted from life and from each other.

Their journey was messy but genuine, and the author didn’t shy away from the hard parts of rebuilding a relationship. The small-town ranch setting gave the story warmth and comfort amidst all the emotional chaos. If you love romances with depth and real, flawed characters, this is a must-read.

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3.25 - Thank you again netgalley and madison wright for this ARC!

First of all, I really enjoyed this read and I am a sucker for a country romance and I think this author did really well with the trope. I also loved both our mc and our love interest and I love how sweet it was.

That being said, I felt like everything was a little rushed and that I wish we saw more of Elsie’s pregnancy! It feels a little hard to believe the development of our couple just because of how fast it goes through the pregnancy. And I wish we got just a few flashbacks from the past of them together and how they got to where they were.

besides that, i really enjoyed this read and I can’t wait for more people to enjoy it aswell!

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Cute cowboy romance.

This was a good book. Not great, but still good. I enjoyed the storyline and it was quick to read as it is under 300 pages.

I did feel like things were rushed. Elsie has a conflict with her mom but I feel like it was rushed over. I never felt like it was a real conflict. Elsie is going through a lot of mental health issues and again I felt like it was glazed over.

Still I loved Elsie and Beaus relationship and like most cowboy romances Beau is an amazing husband.

Genre: Romance
APK: Ebook
Pages: 293
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Book 1 in the Lucky Stars Ranch

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