Not Our First Rodeo was a heartwarming book and paved the path for a series that I’m eager to see come to fruition. I’d love to be able to visit Lucky Stars in real life!

Not Our First Rodeo is a heartfelt second-chance romance centered around Elsie and Beau, high school sweethearts who fell fast and hard at the young age of sixteen and never looked back. Now, twelve years into their marriage, tragic events threaten to tear them apart.

One part of the story that I appreciated was how the pacing of the book mirrored the weeks of Elsie’s pregnancy. This structure gave the story a steady, realistic p[pace; it felt like I could track the emotional and relational progress right alongside the passage of time. It grounded the story in a way that made the slower moments feel more intentional because that's how it would be in real life.

Elsie and Beau are fully developed characters—flawed, relatable, and easy to understand. Their struggles felt real, and their emotional highs and lows were believable and well-developed. The side characters added tension, depth, and richness, enhancing the main characters without overshadowing them. I also liked how the world-building was simple, making it easier to visualize without confusing the reader.

That said, the slow emotional progress between the main characters—especially Elsie’s struggle to open up—became increasingly frustrating as the story went on. It was hard to believe that she could keep so much of herself hidden from both her husband of twelve years and her best friend of over fifteen years. Realistically, that level of emotional distance would’ve likely caused issues much earlier in their relationship, or felt less believable in the long run.

Overall, Not Our First Rodeo delivers a tender, emotionally charged romance with well-developed characters and a steady narrative arc. Though it has moments of frustration, its honesty and heart make it a compelling read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This book was one of the most beautiful Cowboy Romance books I've read in a while. Covering Pregnancy after Loss is such a big topic and one I feel isn't covered much, but this was done in such a respectful, honest and beautiful way. I loved the honesty about what relationships go through after loss, but also how much do we appreciate a man who is emotionally mature, patient, and understanding?!. Literally SO good!
What to expect:
Cowboy/Ballerina
TW: Pregnancy Loss & Grief
Pregnancy after Loss
Mending Relationships
Found Family
Self Discovery

Thank you Madison Wright and Netgalley for my EARC copy.

I really really enjoyed this one. Being a mom and going through the woes of pregnancy made this book just hit home. While there was some heavy topics, it didn’t make you feel weighed down. This book actually had a lot of feelings of hope and looking for positives. Beau was a work of art. Men should study his actions and take notes.

I became enamoured with Beau and Elsie from the very first chapter and I couldn't help becoming obsessed and rooting whole-heartedly for their second chance, marriage in trouble, dual POV romance that goes from unimaginable loss (from a miscarriage) to an unexpected but very much welcome pregnancy. Perfect for fans of cowboy romances and authors like Lyla Sage or Elsie Silver. Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to read Cooper and Jade's story next!!!

⭐️ 3.75/5
🔥 1/5 – Closed door
⚠️ TW: Miscarriage

This book was soft, comforting, and emotionally honest. Not Our First Rodeo follows Beau and Elsie as they navigate the quiet heartbreak and slow healing of a marriage strained by grief. Madison Wright handles the topic of miscarriage with compassion and grace, giving Elsie space to process and grow while showing the complexities of love after loss.

Elsie’s character arc was the heart of the book for me. Watching her rise from heartbreak and rediscover her strength was incredibly moving. I did find parts of the story a bit repetitive, and I wished we got to see more romantic chemistry and emotional intimacy between Beau and Elsie as their relationship healed—but the ending was undeniably sweet and satisfying.

If you’re in the mood for a gentle, emotional western romance with a hopeful message, this one’s worth a read.

🌵 Top Tropes:
• Second Chance Romance
• Marriage in Trouble
• Small Town
• Healing After Loss
• Cowboy Romance
• Found Family

This was my first book by Madison and it was such a heartbreakingly moving read. It was a powerful look at grief, mental illness, and healing.

I don’t always connect with marriage in trouble stories (I’m not married and sometimes it’s hard for me to get the mindset of a marriage in trouble when I’ve never had to experience anything like that), but I didn’t have that issue here. While Elsie and Beau’s marriage being in trouble was a main part of this story, there was so much more to it than that. Elsie has been struggling with her mental health and thought that the best thing for everyone was to push Beau away during her struggles. It was hard to watch Elsie go through what she did, but it was especially hard for me because I could relate to Elsie a lot. I could relate to how she could let her anxiety overwhelm her at times and feeling like she needed to deal with it all alone. But, I admire her so much for being self-aware enough to see that she needed to work on herself before she could be the best partner she could be to Beau. I loved watching Beau relearn Elsie during this story! He thought he knew her so well, but seeing him slowly learn that the things he’s seen about her all along were shields she kept up to protect herself was amazing. He reframed the things he knew about Elsie so that they fit the new person he discovered, and I love that he accepted all of those things immediately and altered how he treated her and spoke to her to accommodate the things he learned. Beau was a quiet person, but that didn’t make him any less strong or willing to fight for Elsie and their marriage. I liked that Beau not only didn’t place all the blame for their separation on Elsie, but he also was able to take some of the blame on himself, too. He was always adamant–especially to Elsie–that they were equals in their marriage, both when it was good and when it was hard. It was so moving to watch Elsie learn more about herself and her mental health struggles in this story, but it was also amazing to see her open up to the people she loved most after keeping them in the dark for so many years. Once she let them in, she was able to help herself even more because she had the support she needed and deserved in fighting her demons every day.

This was such a beautiful story about grief, love, acceptance, and healing! Madison really made you feel everything in this story, and her characters were so poignant and well-rounded. I loved seeing Elsie and Beau find their way to healing, but also find their way back to love and back to each other.


Thank you, Madison, Victory Editing, and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC!

I loved I loved I loved!!!! I have flew through every book of Madison’s because they’re so swoon worthy but also have depth. I read this in under 24 hours because I simply could not put it down. This deserves more than 5 stars. The way I connected so deeply with the FMC, her extreme anxiety and low self esteem that led to her pushing others away. I was so invested in her healing and character development. Elsie was such a power girl. Don’t even get me started on Beau + how he loves this woman!!! He is down bad and he gave her every inch of support she needed. These two captured my heart and I simply need book two now!!!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Victory Editing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

~Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
~Overall, I really enjoyed this story! It follows Elsie and Beau on a healing journey as they navigate their failing marriage and the lingering grief from a past miscarriage. It’s a second-chance romance that also features the pregnancy trope.
~The opening scene felt a little out of place and somewhat unlike the rest of the book…however, since it sets up the plot, I was willing to let it slide.
~Our mmc, Beau is a sweetheart and total gentleman. I adored him! We get a lot of page time with his perspective, which I really enjoyed. His POVs were some of my favorites.
~Beau and Cooper’s sibling friendship was a highlight, I love when books give that dynamic the spotlight. Cooper might actually be my favorite side character! Jade and Elsie’s friendship was also a nice touch and added some emotional balance.
~One of my main critiques is the pacing. It moved a bit too quickly for my taste, and I didn’t get as much background on the characters’ history as I would’ve liked, especially considering Beau and Elsie had been married for ten years before their break!
~Definitely check the content warnings if you have a history with loss or miscarriage. But if you’re a fan of the tropes mentioned and enjoy unique, emotional romances, I’d recommend picking this one up on July 11th!

I really enjoyed this book! I actually read it so quick and I loved the setting!

I'm not usually a fan of pregnancy in a book however this really worked and had a sweet story overall to it!

I loved the concept of trying to work together to get things back on track rather than just giving up!

This was a really sweet and easy read! I would definitely read more from this author!

Also love the small town and cowboy vibes. These are my favourite kind of books ❤️

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

When I first heard about/saw Not Our First Rodeo I knew it was going to be a 5 star read!
Unfortunately, Beau and Elsie go through what a lot of couples go through every year. You can feel their emotions and anxiety during their story. You get to experience an old relationship, a new relationship, and new territory for them. As a wife and a mother this book hit me right in my heart, I felt so many emotions reading Not Our First Rodeo 🥺🫶🏻💓

This was a good overall read and would make a good introductory book to the cowboy-vibe romance genre. I felt that the characters were a bit under-developed and so I just unfortunately didn't feel that invested in them, yet we are pretty much straight away thrown into conflict and quite serious topics that we are supposed to care about, which was hard to do as I felt like I didn't know much about them at all. It was an interesting plot to start off with two married people that are separated for various reasons and then have a one-night stand, which is not something I've seen in other romance books. I'd be open to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5⭐️

A massive thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc!

Not Our First Rodeo was a second chance, accidental pregnancy, cowboy romance and I ate it upppp!

The story follows our main couple Beau and Elsie and after Elsie lost everything — her dance career, her baby, her motivation and self love/acceptance — she asks Beau to leave so she can work on herself. After a one night stand with Beau, Elsie discovers she is pregnant once again and her and Beau work through their relationship to make it work. There is so much self discovery for Elsie in this book and I loved her journey throughout.

This book deals with some really heavy topics so make sure to check content warnings. I absolutely loved how Madison Wright wrote about love and loss and mental health rep in this novel!

Not Our First Rodeo released July 11 2025, make sure to go check it out!

4.5*

I absolutely loved this book! I’m a sucker for any kind of cowboy romance and this did not disappoint.

I felt the author wrote Elsie and Beau’s characters beautifully - their loss, their grief and finding their way back to each other.

So many women will have been in Elsie’s position and I felt the author delivered her story beautifully. The love shown not only by her husband, but her husband’s family had me feeling so emotional.

Beau is the man we all wish we had and his love for his wife shone the entire book but I love that he knew Elsie needed to heal herself, he couldn’t do it.

I need to find out more about Cooper, Jade and the rest of the gang! Please be a sequel!!

If you love a cowboy romance, get this book read! It won’t disappoint.

Hi, please sign me up for my own Beau Jennings, thank you. I will say for a good portion of the beginning of this book I did not like Elsie, but oh boy, did she grow on me.
That being said, Beau and Elsie together? They’re so good, they’re learning to grow together after a rough year and some time apart, and in the end, they seem even better together!

3.5 stars
This is one of the few Madison books that I like but didn't love.
This book deals with heavy topics. It had a lot of emotional depth and tackled themes like grief, healing, and marriage in troubles.
Our main couple, Elsie is dealing with a lot. Her feelings were all totally normal and valid, but I didn't love how she treated Beau at times. Like that's your husband who has been with you for decades and still you dont feel like he can support you? I just wanted to shake some sense into her sometimes!
Now Beau was everything. He loyal, steady, and so full of love for Elsie. He waited and waited until she was ready to talk and I love that.
The side characters were fun to read I can see some couple for future books and I'm excited about them.
Overall this was a beautiful story that I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

🩰 ARC Review:

5/5 ⭐️

Y’ALL I ate this up. From the very start we get sucked into this story with a “my wife” moment from our MMC. If that doesn’t do it for you, nothing will.

Elsie, our FMC, has experienced two tragic losses in a short period of time and is finding it difficult to process her feelings and confide in her husband, Beau. When we meet our main characters, they are separated because of this. Beau is trying to give her space to handle the situation on her own and Elsie is struggling to find who she is after an injury that cuts her career short and then a miscarriage shortly after.

I felt like this story was truly a great depiction of what loss looks like when you feel like you’re not capable of being weak in front of others. When you feel like it falls on your shoulders to handle grief and loss on your own, even when you have someone who loves you and would help you every step of the way.

My ONLY complaint is that it’s a closed door romance 😩 There was angst and yearning and I was so ready for them to get back together and THEN WE DON’T GET ANY SPICE. But it was made up for because the rest of the story was really good.

Thank you Madison Wright and NetGalley for the early ARC 🫶🏼

This was such a good book! Really shows the impact of grief and loss 😭💗

Not Our First Rodeo is about a couple, Elsie & Beau. Elsie had an amazing ballet career and a husband who loves her deeply, but after suffering an injury which ends her career and suffering a miscarriage, Elsie is lost and pushes everyone including Beau away. After giving her the space that she thought she needed, he can't stay away anymore. He never stopped loving her and after spending the night together, she finds out she's pregnant and he's ready to support her in every way needed. It's not going to be easy but they will get through it together like they have before.

We have second-chance, small town, accidental pregnancy, dual pov 🔥

Elsie - I loved her character so much! She has been through soo much and didn't give up but knew she needed the space to help her grow and heal! However, I didn't like how she treated him, like I understand what she's going through is really hard but he's going through it too and he lost her as well, especially when they were together for 10 years before these incidents. Wouldn't you want them to help & support you after all that time together? I do love her character I just didn't like how she treated Beau.

Beau - He is the MMC that every FMC needs! He is so loving, loyal & patient but I did agree with his brother, where was his support and her being there for him as well because he was all on his own! I'm super protective of him because he was the best MMC I've read about in a while and he deserves all the good.

I really, really loved these characters, what they went through was very difficult and hard to navigate but they came back together 💖

Thank you to Madison Wright & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this arc! 💕

Well, to know that this book holds a close sentiment to the author makes my heart happy.
Yes, both characters went through a rough patch.

Finally there’s a book out there that kinda mirrors REAL life for most folks.

I love that Elsie and Beau found their way back to each other and Beau stood by his woman, THROUGH the thick of it!

Thank you Netgalley, Victory Editing and Madison Wright the opportunity to read in advance.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and it did not disappoint! i loved the difference in storyline from most romance books and i’m obsessed with both Elsie and Beau 🥰🥰

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thank you Madison and NetGalley for this ARC, releases july 11th!