Thank you NetGalley for the ARC e-copy of this title! This is a re-released series with new covers, part of a trilogy- and is out now and on kindle unlimited.

So I'll be the first to say that western cowboy romances are not my favourite trope in romance, and this one didn't connect for me. I found there was too much indecision and back and forth drama moments, that it kinda made me want to shake the FMC. That being said, it's a good story with a lot of heart, some T.Ws that you should definitely check first cause there are some sensitive topics.

Rachel swore she would never return to the small town she once called home. Never return to the boy who obliterated her heart and the family who did nothing but let her down. But after her mother gets sick, she decides to come back temporarily to look after her. But before she knows it, she's sucked right back into her first love's orbit. Shane has never forgotten Rachel. Six years since she left after he had to break his heart and hers. But now that she's back and the things that kept them apart are gone, can he get a second chance? Or will Rachel just be passing through.

💫Second Chance
🌇Small Town
🌶️Spice
🗣️Sensitive Subject Matters
3.5⭐(Rounded Up To 4)

This was a very emotional, heartbreaking and at times heart-warming read. The author had my emotions all over the place from start to finish.

"Wild Card" was different from the Cowboy Romances I typically read in this genre. The history between Shane and Rachel, the leading characters was complicated, complex and emotionally heavy. They had so much to overcome in their shared history.

I really appreciated that the author included flashbacks (dual timeline) from when they were younger and also told the story through dual POVs. I think this type setup tends to me favorite because we are able to see the story from the eyes of several characters.

Overall I think this is definitely worth checking out just be mindful of the potential trigger warnings.

Thank you Karina Halle, Net Galley and Metal Blonde Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

5⭐️ 3🌶️ I first heard of Karina Halle while attending BB4E in Vancouver this year, so when I saw this ARC on NetGalley, I requested ASAP! Boy oh boy, she really knows how to break me down & put me back together. No tears fell, but my eyes burned a couple times & had to swallow it down!

Rachel Waters has so many reasons to never want to get back up (childhood emotional, physical, & sexual abuse, abandonment, young heartbreak, feeling unlovable), but she pushes through life one day at a time. Shane is so perfect for her in everyway & loved her hard, even when his hands were tied & he had to break both their hearts.

I am so so happy Rachel was able to find peace and found her HEA, no one deserves it more than her.

Thank you NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐ 3.5 stars — A page-turning, drama-filled second-chance romance with beautiful small-town vibes and plenty of passion. If you enjoy emotional reunions, rugged small-town settings, and romance that turns the heat all the way up, this book delivers.

It’s a second-chance romance—the kind where you get the opportunity to fix what you once broke, to give someone (or something) a chance to breathe again, to start over. Isn’t that wonderful? The story follows Rachel and Shane, in love since childhood, the happiest couple with the wildest young love… until something happened that tore them apart. My husband says it sounds cliché—well, he only reads comics, I tell you (sigh).

Rachel leaves their small town to start a new life, with new friends and even a new boyfriend. But when life pulls her back to the place that holds both her happiest and most painful memories, she decides it’s time to face the past, get answers, and finally find closure.

The book gave me The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes—maybe because of the small-town setting and the fact there’s a girl surrounded by brothers who all look like they stepped out of a magazine. But unlike that story, there’s no love triangle here. This is the kind of book that makes you want to know what happens in the end, the kind you can’t help but finish in one sitting. The plot and drama? Just enough, for me.

That said, it’s very steamy—more than I usually prefer. At times, the intimate scenes took up so much space they pulled me out of the emotional core of the story. It didn’t ruin the experience, but the heart of the story sometimes got lost in all the heat.

I loved the royals next door from this author and really looked forward to catching this cowboy romance!

A little estranged childhood lovers to second chance romance. When Rachel returns to her hometown to spend time with her mother in the midst of a health scare, she, almost immediately, comes face to face with her one and only, Shane, the one who broke her heart years before. Despite the years, its always been them. Always. It was fun to spend time on the ranch, and watch Rachel and Shane reconnect and try to rebuild past hurt and lean into their feelings all over again.

While I enjoyed this story, there was some *very* *very* heavy plot points that I feel like needed more depth to the overall book to be handled with a bit more caution and show a bit more healing. That aside. I'm looking forward to diving into Maverick and Fox's books immediately.

Thank you to the author, Metal Blonde Books, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review!

i love cowboy romances but this book wasn’t hitting the mark for me. it felt like we jumped into the story too quickly without any background or time to warm up to the characters

Maybe this book is good for somebody who hasn’t faced any type of abuse, but I just can’t handle it reading this book anymore

Emotional roller coaster! This story will have you riding the waves of emotions because the history between Rachel and Shane is deep and even they don’t know the full extent of the demons they carry.

I don’t know if I was ready for things to go how they did but Halle did a fantastic job tackling the sensitive subject matters in a way where the story is still true to experiences without being over traumatizing and I appreciated that. It’s books like this that remind me of the power of books and why I love them so much.

I love the tenacity of our hero and heroine and how they fought to overcome their pasts to move toward a future.

I love a cowboy romance - it's the genre I never knew I needed until it became a go to for me! And this one was no exception.

The story follows Rachel & Shane, childhood best friends, to teenage sweethearts - until Shane rips the rug out from beneath them and breaks her heart. When Rachel returns to North Ridge to look after her sick mother, the spark between them is still there, questions unanswered, closure a long way off.

I'd have liked it to be a little longer, maybe more family traditions thrown in there for the atmosphere, some parts I felt were very quick to happen and I'd have liked a little more build up.

Having said that, it's not the usual, warm fuzzy vibe I'm used to, there is TRAUMA in this relationship. The trigger warnings are there to be read. I loved reading this love reignite, demons being put to bed and family coming together. It warms the soul and was just what I needed 🩷

I'm a big fan of fantasy so have seen Karina Halle's name around for ages and when I saw she had a cowboy romace series - consider me sold! Until I read it that is.

The premise of this book is that Rachel left her hometown after her boyfriend Shane dumped her very publicly and she hasn't returned in 6 years. Now her Mum has cancer so home she goes to try and help her out.

So the story snips back to 9 year old, 13 year old, 20 year old and present day versions of the characters. Basically they've been in love since they first clapped eyes on each other at age 9, OK sure, they were best friends for years then it turned into a full relationship as they got older.

My main problem with the story is the parental sexual abuse. I know it happens in the real world but I don't want to read about it in my fluffy Cowboy books! And it doesn't seem particularly realistic for Rachel to go from her Dad doing whatever he does to her to begging Shane to sleep with her. When she is so terrified by a bear she can't breathe/speak - straight into a sex scene with Shane - these don't seem like particularly believable reactions to these situations but sure.

So when Rachel finally reveals to Shane what her Dad has been doing since she was 12 years old, he basically drugs her, drives round to her parents house and beats her Dad half to death. Her Dad is the chief of police in town by the way. One of the other members of the police turn up and see this happen, but Rachel's Dad makes a deal with Shane that if he dumps Rachel (who he has loved SINCE HE WAS NINE) he won't get him sent to prison.

So two days later, Shane turns to her and says actually the abuse stuff is just too heavy for me I don't love you anymore, see ya! And Rachel is heartbroken and flees the town she's been wanting to leave for years. When she returns her Dad is in prison for murder so we can just ignore him, and eventually Shane tells her what happened and why he said that and then it flip flops between OMG I LOVE HIM WE CAN BE TOGETHER to I CANT STAY HERE ERMAGHERD.

I just can't get over the proposition that an abuse victim/survivor would EVER get past somebody they're in love with turning round and being like nah too much baggage actually.

Anyway it's a shame because other than this absolutely bizarre choice of storyline I did enjoy the writing, except for the very clumsy intro of the love interest for the next book at the end of the book.

I'm a pretty new reader to Karina Halle books and have enjoyed everything I've read by her. This book was no exception.

I really enjoyed the dual POV, as well as the duel timelines. It really helped to put us in the mindframe of both Rachel and Shane. I normally don't read a lot of second chance romances, but this one definitely resonated with me. I find with second chance romances, the characters get caught up in the past and tend to focus on memories of who they used to be. Shane and Rachel both made an active decision to know each other as they are now. Sure, they discuss memories, but also get into real discussions about how the past changed them.

This book made me so sad and angry and just broke my heart for both of them. Also, Rachel is so much more forgiving than I could EVER be in her circumstances. It was really nice to see these two come back together after all the heartache they both suffered. I'm definitely going to check out more in this series.

Thank you to Metal Blonde Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"Wild Card" was a really good book. I would have liked to have seen a little more relationship development between the main characters, but overall a great quick palate cleansing read.

Cowboy + romance = sign my tf up!

This was such a sweet wholesome read!
I’m not always the biggest lover of friends to lovers but when it’s done right I’m in love and this is one of those books where it is done so right! I loved seeing the flashbacks from when they were children to teenagers to adulthood and am so happy they were able to find their way back to each other!

Pinning sweet Shane 😩 what he did for her might not have been the smartest thing but his heart was in the right place and what he had to put both of them through because of his actions just……. tortue.

Rachel is so strong she has been through so much in the short amount of time she’s been on earth.

“Rachel, I love you. I loved you then, I love you now, and I loved you in all the light and darkness in-between. I love you with a wildness I can’t tame.”

⚡️ cowboy
💕 friends to lovers
⚡️second chance
💕 small town

Where has Karina Halle been all my life?! I absolutely LOOOOVED Wild Card.

Perfect small town, second chance romance that hit my right in the feels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Karina Halle for allowing me to read Wild Card in advance.

Wild Card is a small town, second chance romance with just the right amount of angst and heartbreak. I love the author’s writing style and the way she sets it all up so carefully.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Karina Halle for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wild Card re-releases August 15, 2025

4.75

After a devastating breakup six years ago, Rachel returns to the town of North Ridge for the first time when she finds out that her mother has lung cancer.

This small town, second chance romance had the perfect amount of angst and flashback chapters to get a true understanding of Rachel and Shane’s history, as well as the severity of their breakup.

I love the way Halle crafts her settings and highlights Canadian landscapes across all genres, and I can’t wait to dive into the remaining books in this series!

cw: mentions of suicide due to PPD, domestic abuse, CSA, cancer

Rachel Waters juró que nunca regresaría a North Ridge después de que su primer amor, Shane Nelson, rompiera su corazón de la manera más dolorosa. Ahora, seis años después, vuelve obligada por las circunstancias: su madre ha sido diagnosticada con cáncer y necesita ayuda. Entre recuerdos que preferiría enterrar, una tensión imposible de ignorar y secretos del pasado que siguen hiriendo, Rachel tendrá que enfrentar no solo al hombre que amó, sino también las heridas que dejó su propia familia.

___

Leí la primera versión hace años y no hay muchos cambios.


La relación de Rachel con su madre fue un tema complicado para mí y me costó aceptar que la perdonara. Las dos fueron víctimas: a su madre su esposo la golpeaba, y cuando Rachel cumplió 12 años, él empezó a abusar sexualmente de ella. Cuando se lo contó, su madre no le creyó y le dijo que mentía, dejando que su hija soportara ese infierno durante ocho años. Es un tema bastante complicado y algunos entenderán y comprenderán a la madre y otros como yo entenderán, pero no estarán de acuerdo con lo que hizo.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars - I am a sucker for a small-town, cowboy romance and Wild Card delivered!

Wild Card swept me up in the emotional push-and-pull of Rachel and Shane's love story, beautifully balancing the tension of the present with the tenderness of the past. I binged the whole book in one sitting. From the very first chapter, Karina Halle hooked me with the depth of their history, two childhood friends whose bond ran deeper than they ever fully understood at the time.

The flashbacks are thoughtfully integrated into the narrative, striking a perfect balance between past and present. Rather than abruptly pulling the reader back and forth, they flow naturally from Rachel or Shane's current thoughts and emotions, making the transitions smooth and meaningful.

Shane is the perfect mix of broody, bold and vulnerable, carrying the weight of his past while still being magnetic enough to draw Rachel in. And Rachel? She's strong yet deeply human, torn between self-protection and the undeniable pull toward the boy who knew her better than anyone. Together, they share moments of heartbreak, longing, and hope that feel raw and authentic.

If you love stories where childhood friends become something more, with a dash of small-town grit and plenty of heart ...this one's a sure bet!

*Immediately packs bags for North Ridge, British Columbia* (I know it's fictional, but come on!)

My first book by this author, a short easy read that I read it in one sitting.

If you enjoy second chances, forgiveness and found family this one is for you!

I really enjoyed the writing style and the character development, would have loved it to be a bit longer.

Shane is also swoon worthy! Well done Karina!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Karina Halle has very very quickly moved to the top of the list of authors I have to read new books and I have to devour the back list. This is an older book released with a new cover. First, I ADORE cowboy romances! This book fits right in with all the new authors of Cowboy romances. The emotion bled from the pages of this book. I immediately liked Rachel and Shane. I could tell they had history and past conflict!

Rachel is back in town to help her mom. She hasn’t been back in years. Her dad is in jail and things fell apart with her and Shane back then. It was difficult for her to come back. She loves her mom, but even that relationship is strained due to the past. I loved reading Rachel and Shane’s journey back to each other. The writing was excellent. The conflict kept me turning those kindle pages. The character development was top notch, and the spice was perfect. I enjoyed everything about this book. I’m excited to read the next two. I received this book from Metal Blonde Books and Netgalley. All opinions are my own!