3.5 stars.

I liked how the author manages the hard topic this book has. Yet, I wasn't captivated by the story. The main characters were solid and well developed, but I didn't find their romance fully believable at some key moments of the story. Even with the flaws, this book was very interesting to read.

At first look, Lone Wolf in Lights is giving your stereotypical small-town cowboy romance but it’s so much more. While it has my fav tropes of fake dating and a protective mmc, it also delves into important topics like domestic violence. Willow has a good character growth arc and a jealousy worthy support system. I also love how Eli is understanding because he’s seen firsthand the impact of DV through his sister. They have a bit of a slowburn but given their past traumas, the slowburn really fits with their healing process while also maintaining interdependency. Although this is a holiday read, it can be read at anytime.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Willow and Eli. Willow and her two best friends move to Montana to open up a bar. Eli helps his best friend on his family’s ranch. There is an instant attraction. Willow was abused by her ex boyfriend. Eli tries to help by fake dating her. They date till it is not fake. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy is a captivating blend of romance and suspense that keeps you hooked from the first page. The brooding, alpha hero with a troubled past and the strong-willed heroine make for a fiery, magnetic pairing. Their chemistry crackles with tension, and Kennedy doesn’t hold back on the steam, delivering some seriously swoon-worthy moments. The suspense plot adds a layer of intrigue, keeping the stakes high and the pages turning.

While the romance is the star of the show, the suspense occasionally takes a backseat, making some of the twists feel a little underdeveloped. Still, the emotional depth of the characters and the slow-burn intensity make it a thoroughly satisfying read. Four stars for its steamy, heart-pounding romance and just the right touch of danger.

Eli and Willow are trying to live their lives in peace. He lost his sister to an abusive ex, she came to his home town to get away from someone like that. They start as friend and progress to something more. But when you lived a life where bad things happened to you, you get a little apprehensive.

But being afraid is give the power to the ones that hurt them and getting closure is important before they could move on. So when the burdens are finally shed, HEA is just around the corner.

*Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads*

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but the first few chapters give good background. Three friends decide to return to the small town of Timber Falls if they are still unsettled ten years after high school. They are now running the small town bar called The Naked Moose. This book deals with Willow and Eli.

Willow is very cautious about getting involved with any man after being abused, but she is committed to getting holiday donations together. When she puts together a fund raiser for the bar, everything is trashed when one of the volunteers gets a visit from a past partner. This story deals with spousal/partner abuse.

Eli Cole would like to help Willow. He has some past bad experiences around partner abuse so he know what Willow has gone through. He's willing to engage in friends with benefits even though he wants more from Willow.

This was a classic, friends to lovers romance. There aren't many surprises here and while I liked the story, I lacked a certain something to have me connect to the story. So that is why I'm rating this 3 stars.

Willow Quinn is determined to leave her past behind and start fresh in a small Montana town, opening a bar with her best friends. She’s trying to heal from the scars of an abusive relationship, all while making The Naked Moose a safe space for women. But when her bar becomes the subject of local drama, she strikes a deal with Eli Cole, a former bull rider with just as many secrets as she has.

Their fake relationship to save Willow’s reputation quickly turns real—maybe too real. Eli’s got his own baggage, and he’s unsure if he can fully give Willow the love she deserves, especially when he’s still haunted by his past. But with some Christmas magic and unexpected support from the people around them, both of them learn to take a leap of faith.

This book blends humor, heartache, and healing in the best possible way. Kennedy does a beautiful job of tackling heavy subjects like abuse and trauma while still keeping the story light and full of heart. Willow and Eli’s journey is raw and real, and by the end, you’ll be rooting for their happily ever after. If you love a steamy romance with a touch of holiday spirit and a lot of emotional growth, Lone Wolf in Lights is a must-read.

Willow is determined to breathe new life into her Montana bar, but trouble soon comes her way. Enter Eli—he might just be exactly what she needs. As their friendship deepens, it begins to blossom into something more, if they’re willing to take the leap. I thoroughly enjoyed Eli and Willow’s journey. Both have personal challenges to overcome, but they complement each other beautifully. The story unfolds at a steady pace, capturing the natural growth of their relationship into something unexpected. Their romance is sweet, filled with just the right mix of heartfelt emotion and a sprinkle of Christmas magic.

Lone Wolf in Lights is a deeply emotional and beautifully written romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling some heavy, real-life issues. Stacey Kennedy weaves a story of love, healing, and hope that will tug at your heartstrings while keeping you hooked from start to finish.

The book follows the journey of Willow and Eli who are both grappling with their pasts while trying to find their way forward—together and individually. The romance is tender and steamy, balancing the weight of the topics at hand with moments of warmth and connection. It’s impossible not to root for them as they navigate their struggles and slowly open up to one another.

Willow is trying to find a fresh new way with her bar in Montana but soon trouble finds her. Could Eli be just what she needs? Their friendship may lead to something more if they let it.
I enjoyed Eli and Willow’s journey. Both may have their own issues to work through yet they are good together. Their story moves at a good pace and It was nice to see how their relationship grew into something neither of them expected. Their romance was sweet and has the right amount of emotions and Christmas magic.

I was obsessed with The Devil in Blue Jeans, so diving into Lone Wolf in Lights was a no-brainer!

This book is all the things: small-town vibes, holiday charm, and some spicy cowboy moments that had me hooked from start to finish.

Eli Cole? The protective green-eyed, brooding cowboy. Former bull rider with a mysterious past and enough smolder to melt the Montana snow? Yes, please! 😍🔥

And Willow Quinn? Total boss babe! She’s everything you want in a leading lady—strong, independent, but still navigating her healing journey. After everything Willow went through in book one, I just had to see where her story would go, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

She’s trying to escape her past, open a bar in a small-town, and kick off her Empowerment Elves craft circle (because obviously, she’s a legend 💅).

But when her plans ruffle some cowboy feathers and her bar goes viral for all the wrong reasons, things get a little wild.

Enter fake dating with the hottest cowboy in town. Oh, the tension! The banter! The sparks flying faster than reindeer on Christmas Eve. 🎄✨

One of my fave lines: "You can’t escape your past, but you can rewrite your future—especially when love comes knocking." I mean, cue the swoon 😍

Highlights:
🎄Fake Dating with a side of sass: Fake? Who are we kidding—those sparks are real.
🎄Empowerment Elves: Willow creating a craft circle for women to slay the holidays and life? Queen behavior. 👑
🎄Holiday vibes, cowboy style: Snow, small-town drama, and a whole lot of festive feels.

I laughed, I swooned, I plotted ways to move to Timber Falls and find my own cowboy. Eli and Willow’s chemistry is off the charts, and the drama? Pure chef’s kiss.

It's all the holiday romance magic with a side of small-town scandal and cowboy charm.🤠💋

This series keeps getting better, and I’m already dying for the next one!

I wish this book was longer and included more character and relationship development.

I liked the idea of this book, but it felt a little underdeveloped to me. If it was longer, there would have been space for both characters to actually make some meaningful change amongst themselves. I wasn't overly invested in either character, and I wish there had been a little more focus on the inner work the two of them were doing. The main plot didn't really have any impact on their backgrounds, other than in a couple of scenes.

The whole plot focused on another character's relationship and trauma, and the main couple's own issues were secondary.

I understand this is a second book in a series, but if it is going to be portrayed as a stand-alone, interconnected series, it should be possible to read any of the books and still understand what's happening. This book opened up with a prologue that made no sense to me. I had no idea what these two character's relationship was with each other, or how we got to this place. It would have been nice to see a little more background or explanation of how these two knew each other.

Overall, I loved the scenery of this book, but the characters and plot were underdeveloped.

Willow left her abusive ex-boyfriend and moved to Montana with her two best friends. She is attracted to Eli but she doesn’t feel ready to give him a chance. Eli wants to be with Willow and he’s willing to wait until she’s ready. When someone starts to harass Willow, Eli comes to her rescue. The two pretend to be a couple to try and convince whoever is messing with her to leave her alone. They know their fake relationship has an expiration date but will they be able to walk away when the time come or will love win out?

I like that the author chose not to focus on Willow’s abuse by her former boyfriend but instead focused on how Willow is moving forward with her life. The fact that she has started a group for abuse victims was a nice addition to the story because it gave Willow a goal and focus outside of her relationship with Eli. Willow has a good family and strong friendships. She doesn’t really change or grow as part of the story. Eli has a lot of history that plays a part in the story. I’m not sure it’s totally realistic for someone to enter a bull riding competition after not riding for a few years but it made for a really good scene in the book. Eli’s friendships and his job on his friend’s ranch were nice elements of his story. Eli doesn’t have much of a growth curve during the story. He does reevaluate certain aspects of his life and I really liked the fact the author included that. There is a bad guy. That part of the story is taken care of pretty quickly but it helps the author set up a lot of situations that help move the characters along.

This is a small-town romance. It includes an abuse victim, nosy neighbors, a former bull rider, and holiday cheer.

This was one of those books; I wasn’t sure what I would get when I read it. Would it be super charming, spicy, full of dramatic twists and turns? It’s always a fun experience when you venture into the unknown when reading. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It starts off super Hallmark-ish. The dialogue is about boosting others up and supporting one another, and it is sometimes a bit cheesy. The small town this book is located in feels charming and has the added bonus of being located near a farm full of gorgeous cowboys. As Willow and Eli grow closer, things start to heat up, and there are some spicier moments between them. There are also a few twists when an unknown threat is directed at Willow. All of these different elements blended together really nicely.

This is a short story, and it might even be considered a novella because it is under 200 pages. This means that things progress quickly both in the overarching plotline and with the relationship between Willow and Eli. Both MCs are struggling with past traumas, making taking that first step into a romantic relationship difficult. Willow is coming out of an abusive relationship and is trying to heal and find herself. Eli’s sister was murdered by her abusive ex, and he is dealing with the grief of losing his sister in such a traumatic manner. Stacey did a great job at handling the topic of abuse and grief in a thoughtful and careful manner. I thought including this difficult topic added a sense of realism to the story. It gave it some depth. Of course, both characters grow from the support of each other and some self-reflecting.

The romance in this book is enjoyable. There is a bit of friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and a protective hero. It’s pretty clear to see that these two have chemistry. There is also this mutual understanding of the emotional difficulties they are going through. I liked both the fun, flirty banter and the more serious, quiet chats. Their relationship does progress at light speed, but that is to be expected for a shorter story.

Lone Wolf in Lights is a fun cowboy romance with a dash of Christmas magic.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: This is the 2nd book in the Naked Moose book series. I hadn’t read the first book but it was easy enough to catch up and I was quickly wishing I could be apart of this friend group in Timber Falls.

A group of three best girl friends move from Phoenix to rural Montana for a fresh start and befriending three guys who are childhood best friends. And you guessed it, the set of three begin to pair up.

This had all the perfect elements for a cowboy Christmas romance. Willow is so sweet and finally living out the redemption part of her journey. Eli has had a rough go of it too but the way he is steadfast for Willow had me swooning.

Read for:
📍 Small Town Montana
🐴 Cowboys
🚦Fake Dating
🎄 Christmas Setting
❤️‍🩹 Healing from Trauma
🥃 Friends are Family

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy
Book two in Naked Moose series

This series is all about finding your place.  Three best friends make a pact of they aren't happy by 28 they move to a remote town in Montana.  This is Willows' story.

Willow is on the path to healing from an abusive relationship.  She's determined to help others find their way to being stronger and taste money for a local woman's shelter.  When a threat comes from an unknown source, she agrees to a fake relationship with Eli. He's been a calm force since they first met, and the attraction is undeniable,  but they both still have demons to fight. 

Eli is at a crossroads,  he wants to take the big leap with Willow,  but still dealing with his own tragedies, he doesn't trust himself.  With a little Christmas magic and a little help from a wise woman, taking a chance turns into so much more.

This is book 2 in the Naked Moose series and can be read as a standalone but I do wish I had read the first book before reading this one because I do feel like I missed some information that would’ve helped my reading experience here. This is also in 3rd POV which I don’t really love as well.

Eli & Willow were cute and had good chemistry but I feel like I needed more from them. I did love the side characters and all the friendships in the story. I also like how the book covers topics of loss, grief and domestic violence and also liked the festive feels.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t something that wowed me but it could be for someone else!

Oh my gosh what a fun book!!! This book had everything! Emotional, spice, plot, secrets. SO good! Thank you NetGalley for the early e-copy!

This is a sweet romance that deals with some heavy topics. While I haven't read the first book in the series, and I did feel like I was missing some context in the relationships it wasn't too bad that I couldn't follow or enjoy the story.

Willow is an ex-marketing manager running a bar with her two friends. She is trying to move past the trauma of her abusive ex and help other women who went through the same trauma. Eli is dealing with his baggage from his sister being murdered by her ex. And he has had growing feelings for Willow for quite some time especially after they shared a kiss that neither of them could forget.

I liked both Willow and Eli separately and together, although I did feel like once they started fake dating their romance progressed really fast. Also even with Willow being in danger and both of them dealing with their past issues the stakes felt pretty low. There wasn't really and suspenseful or tense moment that made me not want to put it down.

Despite that, I thought the romance was cute, and I really enjoyed Willows and Eli's friend group and would like to go back and read the first book.

You are going to delve into the topic of domestic abuse. This book explores experiences while with the abuser and how it’s isn’t easy to get away. Sometimes it is physically dangerous to escape, plus the emotional complexity with moving on in life afterwards, and both. The author does a great job on this delicate topic with the use of multiple characters sharing their stories and the situations that occur throughout the story. Eli is an absolute gem and Willow is very lucky to have him in her life. It’s great having characters from the first book in the series as well, but you definitely can enjoy this without reading the previous one!