This book was good, but I kept waiting for it to be great—and it just never got there. It had the right setup (marriage in distress, grief, second chances), but something about it didn’t quite click emotionally.

The biggest issue for me was that it told us how the characters felt instead of showing it. I wanted to feel the heartbreak and the slow rebuild, but the emotion just didn’t hit. There wasn’t enough tension or yearning between the leads, and I never fully bought into their journey back to each other.

The FMC gets all the focus and sympathy, but I found myself wondering—who’s checking in on Beau? He also lost a baby, and basically lost his wife too when she pushed him away. And no one really acknowledges that? He wasn’t even allowed to show any anger or resentment, which honestly felt unfair and a bit unrealistic.

The pregnancy arc was weird too. We’re told things happened but barely shown anything. We miss most of the big moments, and Beau’s barely involved. Like, not one scene of him feeling the baby kick? Why even include the pregnancy if we don’t get to experience it with them?

Also, there’s this detail about her first pregnancy loss being tied to her morning sickness going away. So in this second pregnancy, when the nausea stops—you’d think that would totally freak her out. But nope. She’s fine. But then has panic attacks over stuff like visiting his parents? It felt off, and the way her mental health was handled overall just felt rushed and too neatly wrapped up.

I did like that it wasn’t your typical cowboy romance—it tried to be a little different, and I respect that. But I needed more emotion, more honesty, and more from Beau’s side of the story. It had potential, but just didn’t deliver the emotional punch I was hoping for.

Not Our First Rodeo had all the right elements on paper—marriage in distress, grief, healing, a second-chance love story—but it never fully delivered the emotional payoff I was hoping for. It felt like the foundation was there, but the heart of the story never quite clicked into place.

The biggest issue for me was how much the story told us what to feel instead of showing it through genuine emotional beats. I wanted more yearning, more tension, more raw honesty between the couple. The marriage-in-trouble trope can be incredibly powerful, but here it just skimmed the surface. I never really felt the depth of their separation or the intensity of their reconnection.

The female main character was written with so much emphasis on her trauma that it felt like the entire world—including Beau—was tiptoeing around her. But Beau was grieving too. He lost a child and his wife at the same time, emotionally speaking, and yet no one really acknowledged what he was going through. It felt so one-sided. She pushed him away because she was hurting, and that’s understandable—but it also caused real pain, and I wish the book had let him express that. There was no moment of reckoning where she fully understood how deeply she had hurt him, and that made the eventual “happy again” ending feel unearned.

The handling of the second pregnancy was also underwhelming. We aren’t really present for it—just told about it later—and Beau’s role in it is barely explored. He doesn’t get to experience a single moment of connection like feeling a kick or attending a key doctor’s visit, which made me wonder why the pregnancy was even included.

One detail that especially bothered me: in the first pregnancy, we’re told that the loss was somehow tied to her morning sickness disappearing. You’d think that, in the second pregnancy, the moment she stops feeling sick would be incredibly triggering. I expected panic, fear, maybe a rushed call to the doctor—but instead, she’s totally fine? And yet she has panic attacks over other, seemingly less significant things. It just didn’t add up, emotionally or realistically.

Even more frustrating was how quickly and neatly her mental health was “resolved.” We're told she’s been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks her whole life, and yet suddenly after a few months—magic! She’s healed. It felt overly convenient and emotionally shallow.

There were things I liked. The book stands out from typical cowboy romances, and I appreciated that it tried to do something different. But overall, I needed more depth, more emotional messiness, and especially more attention to Beau’s side of the story. He deserved to be seen, not just supportive.

In the end, this book wasn’t bad—but it definitely could’ve been so much better.

I adored this book. Elsie and Beau’s story was so real and emotional. Elsie struggled a lot after her injury and miscarriage, pushing everyone away, even Beau. But slowly, she let him in and showed her true feelings. Beau also grew a lot, learning how to support her better. The book talked honestly about anxiety and pain, and I felt connected to Elsie’s fight. The small town and friends added warmth to the story. I read it very fast because it was hard to stop. The surprise pregnancy was handled well and didn’t feel cliché. I’m excited to read more about Beau’s family next. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving an honest review.

Oh, how I love the stories Madison Wright comes up with.

Give me second chance. Give me accidental pregnancy. GIVE THEM TO ME IN THE SAME BOOK. My guys, my pals, my girls. I loved this one so much.

I think there’s something to be said about the way we hide ourselves even from the people meant to know us best and love us the most. Vulnerability is terrifying. We can trust our people explicitly and still not trust ourselves to show them our weakest parts. And I think the way Madison Wright explored this with Elsie’s hidden panic attacks was lovely. Elsie has known Beau(and Cheyenne, her best friend) her entire life and yet neither of them know about her panic attacks. I know it seems a little far-fetched but Wright made it work here. And when they finally came out, all Elsie saw in the aftermath was love and concern.

Having the story start with Elsie and Beau reuniting in a bar, leading to a one night stand, leading to a pregnancy, all of this after a miscarriage? Give it TO ME. Separated and hurting, these two find solace in a night together after 3 months of living apart. Elsie isn’t ready to take Beau back fully and Beau has the patience and heart of a saint. He gives her everything she asks for but he makes sure to take what he needs this time, too. I loved that he kept pushing her when he wouldn’t have before. Watching these two date and fall back in love again was beautiful. It all felt so earned by the end of the story.

(I do wish Beau was able to show her his anger and resentment a bit more but I understand why Wright chose not to.)(I am glad he got to say how much she did hurt him, though.)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Every woman needs a Beau 🥹

This was just such a cozy, feel-good read!

There were so many times when I was so frustrated with Elsie, she really needed more tough love from her friends and family lol. Like girl, what? No the entire town and their mother does not hate you! Her inner thoughts were relatable, for sure. I wish that she wasn’t so hard on herself.

I love how close Beau is to his family, and the way he stands up for Elsie to her parents is everything.

My only con is really just readers preference, the writing style is more telling than showing and I prefer showing vs telling. In any case, this is a lovely read and I recommend it to all my romance girlies!

This was my first Madison Wright book and it won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley & Madison for the ARC! 🤭🤍

I love Madison Wright’s books and I was so excited for a cowboy romance from her!!!

This was so so good!!!! The plot was very unique which I enjoyed and the romance was just so sweet :’) I always love a second chance and this one was done so well!! There were so many sweet moments I highlighted!! I just love Madison’s writing!!

I CANNOT wait for the next book in this series!!!

I absolutely positively love this book.
The storyline was something I’ve never read before. I loved it!
The character of Elsie was everything! Trying to find yourself again after losing who you thought you would always be will always be the hardest thing to overcome . This book allows you to follow Elsie on her journey and it was so heartwarming to read.
She struggles with letting people in feeling like she’s a failure. Only Beau manages to see through it. He Encourages and Supports her in her new journey as a ballet teacher!
I adored the relationship between Elsie and Beau. Their love story shows that even through the hardest times if you truly love someone everything will be okay.
I can’t wait for the next one! (Fingers Crossed it’s Jade and Cooper)

"𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫."
Elsie Jennings thought she had it all—until an injury and a devastating loss changed everything. Back in her Montana hometown, she’s trying to piece her life back together, keeping her distance from the one person who’s always loved her: her husband, Beau. But a new teaching job and an unexpected pregnancy force Elsie to face what she’s been avoiding. Now Beau’s ready to fight for their marriage and remind her that some love stories are worth a second chance.
The moment I saw the blurb and cover for Not Our First Rodeo, I just knew I was going to love it—and I’m so glad I was right! A second chance romance with cowboys and a marriage in crisis? Count me in. From the setting to Madison’s writing, everything about this story hit just right.
Elsie is tough as hell and such a fighter. She didn’t grow up with the best example of a mom, but she still throws herself into motherhood with everything she’s got. She’s guarded and doesn’t let people in easily—and after everything she’s been through, I don’t blame her. But once you earn her trust, you see how deeply she cares—she’s loyal, loving, and has such a big heart. It broke my heart that she thought she had to carry everything on her own, believing she was an inconvenience to everyone and not good enough for her husband. But if there’s one thing I’m truly grateful for, it’s Beau and his unwavering determination to stay close to his wife, even when she kept pushing him away.
Now let me tell you about Beau. This man is everything—loyal, steady, and so full of love for Elsie that it made my heart ache. Every little thing he did showed just how deeply he cared. He kept showing up for her, even when she was hurting and pulling away. His calm was the perfect match for Elsie’s fire, and their push and pull made their connection feel so real.
These two were absolutely everything. I couldn’t get enough of them together. I loved their journey almost as much as I loved their banter.
Overall, I’m obsessed with this one. The setting, the writing—everything was perfect, and I can’t wait to read Cooper and Cheyenne’s story! Huge thanks to Madison Wright and NetGalley for the ARC. Not Our First Rodeo releases July 11th!
Tropes:
🍼 Marriage in Crisis
🍼 Accidental Pregnancy
🍼 Horse Trainer x Ballerina
🍼 High School Sweethearts

Thank you for Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book early.

I did enjoy this story and I really liked the main character but unfortunately the marriage in distress trope just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to.

I really liked the sound of the synopsis of this book and really liked the main characters but I just wanted a little bit more from their journey to being happy together again.

I have wanted to read from Madison Wright for a while and when I heard about her next release, Not Our First Rodeo, I knew it would be one I needed to read and I had a fantastic time with it.

Not Our First Rodeo follows Elsie who after having her ballet career ruined by a devastating injury and having a miscarriage, pushes everyone away including her husband Beau. Months later as she is starting to rebuild her life after one night with Beau, Elsie discovers she is pregnant and has to confront everything she’s been avoiding.

I read this book so quickly I could not put the book down and ended up reading it in 24 hours. I loved the characters so much and the exploration of anxiety throughout the book. This is a romance book that I definitely need to have a copy of on my shelves. It was also one of my first cowboy romance books and it won’t be my last.

I am definitely a character driven reader and the characters did not disappoint me in this one. I was rooting for Elsie and Beau from early on, they both felt like they had a lot of depth and I loved learning more and more about them as the book went on. I really loved the anxiety representation throughout the story, at some points I connected to how Elsie was feeling and why she was trying to hide her struggles from everyone. It was great to gradually see her be vulnerable in front of Beau and how that meant he was able to learn to read her in a way that he previously hadn’t been able to eventually being able to help her in the way she needed.

I loved the rest of the characters in the small town so much. I can’t wait to read more about Beau’s family in the future books in the series because I loved the scenes they were in and I know Cooper and Cheyenne will also have fantastic stories. Elsie’s best friend, Jade, was also a great character that I really want to continue to learn about and I loved how much she supported Elsie throughout the book.

I really liked seeing Elsie and Beau grow closer again and support each other in a way they hadn’t at the start of the book. It was special to see the pair realise what they need to do to repair their relationship and support that they got from other characters to get to that point.

My first Madison Wright book did not disappoint me at all and I cannot wait to read more from her because I know I will love her books. This is definitely a romance book that I would recommend to any romance readers who don’t have an issue with the surprise pregnancy trope, even though I think that it was done really well in this book, and I found it to be an overall really strong romance book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Madison Wright for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read this ARC. Not Our First Rodeo has all the tropes I love, marriage in crisis, surprise pregnancy etc. Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t work for me, which made it hard to fully enjoy the story. The repeated use of the nickname “Elsie baby” really took me out of the moment, it just didn’t sit right with me personally. I wanted to love this one, but it just wasn’t a good fit.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me.
I read to escape and this wasn't my idea of escaping into a cowboy romance. I did like how different it was to most cowboy romances but I just expected a little more tension & yearning between the main characters. The first 4-5 chapters almost felt a little draining and a little too much like real life for me. Perhaps because I could relate to the situations in the book.

i’m a giant puddle. i’m obsessed. and i’m at a total loss for words! this book restores faith in love and second chances! the plot was heavy but full of so much hope and heart. and BEAU! ah, when he calls her “Elsie baby” i almost die each time! the two MC’s are absolutely perfect for each other and share a story on their own as well! Elsie’s character is so strong and reinforces the idea of self worth and forgiveness! i just loved it! all the stars!

I love Beau and Elsie more than I love anything. the love, dedication, tenderness, honesty, support, imperfections, sorrows and joys make their love story absolutely perfect.

the side characters and setting make this already perfect story absolutely magical. I love the cowboy/ballerina pairing, the found family, the accidental preganancy in a marriage in crisis combo…I just absolutely love and adore everything about this book. I hope everyone reads this and everyone loves it as much as I do.

thank you for the ARC!

Madison’s best work yet.

This book was an exploration of self-acceptance, grief, pain, and love, that were so real and raw, I felt them all myself.

I knew I was going to love Elsie and Beau, but NOTHING could have truly prepared me for them. This story is absolutely beautiful, and also raw, real, and painful in all of the best ways.

Brings your tissues, YOU’LL NEED THEM.

Endlessly proud of you all the time, Mads, but so absolutely blown away with this story and how I can tell how much love you put into them. I’m blown away😭🫶🏻

4.5 Stars I knew as soon as I read the description for Not Our First Rodeo, the first book in Madison Wright's new Lucky Stars Ranch series, that I was going to love it and I'm so glad I was right. I adore second chance romances, especially those set in a small town with cowboys and found family. Add in a surprise pregnancy and marriage in crisis? I was hooked!

Elsie Jennings had it all, until a devastating injury changed everything. Her career as a professional ballerina ended and a pregnancy that ended in miscarriage pushed her to the edge. Now Elsie is pushing everyone else away, including her adoring husband, Beau. Beau agreed to give her space when she asked for it, thinking it was all the resilient Elsie needed after returning to their small Montana hometown. Now, Elsie is rebuilding her life, starting with a new job as a dance teacher and a surprise--two pink lines on a test. With a baby on the way, Beau is done giving Elsie space and is ready to push to fix their broken marriage. The two navigate their broken past and move towards an uncertain future, together. After all, this isn't their first rodeo.

I loved Elsie and Beau so much! I didn't expect Elsie's inner struggles, but resonated with them so much. As someone who's struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, I know what it's like to want to hide how you're feeling from everyone. Elsie is so strong and I loved how she challenged herself to be brave by finally allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of Beau, letting him see the real her. And Beau grew so much too. He realized how wrong he had read his wife in the past and how despite her strength, she was holding on to a lot of hurt. He learned how to provide what she needed and when to challenge her to confront her feelings when they altered her view of reality. I can't wait for Cooper's and Cheyenne's stories because I can't get enough of Lucky Stars Ranch!

Thank you Madison Wright and NetGalley for the ARC! Not Our First Rodeo releases July 11th!