Who doesn't love a good grumpy/sunshine small town cowboy yeehaw romance? I know I do, and this hit the spot. This book was my introduction to this author and it was refreshing to be granted access to them. Slow burn isn't normally my thing, but my god this one was done right!

This book was good and i really liked the writing, I just realized I don't like cowboy romances. However if you do like cowboy romances I think you would like this book.

give me more characters who have BEAUTIFUL communication!!! seriously, this book was an absolute JOY to experience!

Rider’s Block swept me off my feet from page one. With a slow‑burn romance set against the rugged beauty of Colorado ranch life, Waitlyn Andrews crafts a cozy, character‑driven love story filled with humor, authenticity, and emotional depth.

Amelia Greene, a bestselling author whose latest manuscript keeps getting rejected, heads to cowboy country for immersive research—and ends up crashing head‑first into the gruff but irresistibly loyal rancher, Eric (a part‑sunshine, part‑grumpy—part you’ll‑just‑want‑to‑wrap‑him‑in‑a‑blanket character). Their chemistry crackles from the start, but it’s the emotional honesty—Amelia’s past hurts, Eric’s protective nature—that makes their slow-burn connection feel real and earned.

What stood out most for me:

The small‑town charm is beyond vivid: rodeos, ranch chores, warm family dynamics, and yes—each chapter even has its own country song to amp up the vibes.

The supporting cast is truly delightful: Eric’s family welcomes Amelia like one of their own, and even the horses are practically characters (shout‑out to Roper, the sweet soul).

Despite being a “clean” romance, the emotional beats hit hard. Amelia’s journey from guarded outsider to embraced community member is beautifully paced.

I stayed up way past bedtime finishing it—tears, laughter, and lots of sighs. If you’re into enemies‑to‑lovers, grumpy‑sunshine pairings, or dream ranch reads, Rider’s Block has you covered. It’s cozy, immersive, and leaves you rooting for these characters long after the final chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for my DRC!

A sweet, slow-burn cowboy romance with a cozy ranch setting and grumpy-sunshine charm. Great for fans of clean love stories, though the pacing may feel slow for some.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rider’s Block by Waitlyn Andrews

This grumpy‑sunshine cowboy romance is a real treat. Amelia, a bestselling author stuck on her next manuscript, heads to a Colorado ranch to get authentic rodeo vibes and runs straight into Eric, the gruff cowboy who becomes her unexpected mentor and more. The slow‑burn chemistry is sweet and heartfelt, with Eric’s protective side and Amelia’s witty charm making them a lovable pair.

What truly shines is the setting and found‑family energy. The ranch life feels vivid and welcoming, and the horse and rodeo details bring real authenticity to the story. The Randall family swoops in as a lovely support system, making the whole read feel warm and joyful.

Why 4 stars… Charming grumpy‑sunshine dynamic with heartfelt growth, Immersive rodeo setting and strong secondary characters, It’s a cozy slow burn—great if you like clean cowboy romance,

Overall, Rider’s Block is a feel‑good escape into cowboy country warm, slow‑burn sweet, and full of heart. I’d happily gallop alongside Waitlyn Andrews again.

3.5 stars.

Ahhh Amelia and Eric were so cute. I love a slow burn and a grumpy MMC.

The one different thing about this book that I didn't really love is that whilst the author had sweet reasons for not including a third-act breakup, it did mean that parts of the book felt really flat. Introducing the element of drama that she did, did not have the same impact, as I was not invested in Amelia's relationship with her dad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Love a cowboy romance with a bit of slow burn. I did enjoy the read and finished it in two sittings. I just wasn’t absolutely hooked! It was an enjoyable read but personally just fell a bit short for me. I do enjoy a bit of spice in my books so maybe that was what I was missing in this! But thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The tropes in this were so interesting, and adding cowboys into the mix made it perfect. Initially, it did keep me hooked for a while. But after the first few chapters, I lost focus. There was more focus on cowboy life and ranch life, and less on the romance. There was no real connection between the main characters, and ultimately, the story fell short. I'm sad that this book just wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed Yes, Chef and Rider’s Block had me drawn in but didn’t win me over in the same way.
It had a lot of elements I really enjoyed, the beautiful landscapes and nature heavy setting, the forced proximity, one bed (one horse), found family tropes, but it felt a bit lacking. The characters were wonderful (the female MC a bit dense) and made for interesting side stories but the romance was a bit too slow of a burn for me. I have never seen a man try so hard and a woman resist so much, I was about ready to give up on her.
There were a few editing issues (timeline confusion, the hopefully accidental use of an ethnic slur (twice)) but I know this is an ARC so I will give some grace there!
Thanks NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review. I love a good cowboy romance but this just fell short for me personally. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the main characters so ultimately this didn’t work for me as a romance novel.

The detail, writing style, and first person narrative took me out of the story, made it drag, and was executed poorly. The pacing and tense changes showed that edits would be helpful. Amelia was so off-putting. I found her voice was just annoying. Overall, there's much to be improved in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an arc to read and review.

3.5 stars

This was such a sweet and charming romance. Mia, a successful romance author, is feeling stuck as she tries to break into a new genre and decides she needs some real-life cowboy inspiration. So, she heads from sunny California to rugged Colorado—and that’s where she meets Eric, the classic grumpy cowboy who wants nothing to do with her at first. While the rest of his family welcomes her with open arms, Eric stays cold and closed off… but of course, that just makes their slow-burn connection even better.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve. Eric might be tough and stoic on the outside, but once he decides he’s all in, he’s incredibly thoughtful and patient—willing to take it slow to earn Mia’s trust. I loved that about him! There’s just something so satisfying about a strong, silent cowboy who knows what he wants and is willing to work for it. The ranch setting and rodeo backdrop gave the story an authentic, down-to-earth vibe that made me want to pack up and head out west.

Thank you to Waitlyn Andrews and NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

3.25 stars

I enjoyed the premise. I haven't read many cowboy romances and fish out of water stories are so fun. I loved the slow burn of this story. There is no spice which I appreciated. I absolutely loved all of the side characters. Especially the animals. I really thought the author was setting up a Penny and Dean book early on but that wasn't the case. I would have loved to see their interactions from their perspectives.

The pacing was off in the last third of the book. Our main characters were essentially together but because the FMC wasn't ready to admit she was in love, the story was drug out for another 20% until she could admit it. The small and grand gestures were so sweet but the story just needed to be tightened up a little.

Overall I had fun with this one and I definitely need to read more cowboy romances!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest opinion.

📖🐴 Book Review: Rider’s Block by Waitlyn Andrews
✨ Slow-burn romance. Cowboy charm. Healing hearts. ✨

Just finished Rider’s Block and I’m still swooning! 💫
This grumpy-sunshine romance between a struggling author and a rugged rancher is everything I didn’t know I needed. Set in the beautiful Colorado countryside, it’s full of heart, humor, and those “omg just kiss already” moments. 💕🔥

Amelia and Eric's chemistry is off the charts, but what really got me were the emotional layers—grief, growth, and finding belonging in unexpected places. 🐎

🌾 If you're into:

🐎 Small-town charm
📖 Writer-in-search-of-inspiration energy
💔 Healing from the past
🔥 And chemistry that sizzles

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5/5 stars! Highly recommend.
💬“Sometimes the hardest words to write are the ones we need to hear the most.”

#RidersBlock #WaitlynAndrews #CowboyRomance #RomanceReaders #Bookstagram #BookLove #SlowBurnRomance #IndieAuthor #RomanceRecs #BookishVibes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Rider’s Block is a witty, slow-burn, grumpy-meets-sunshine romance that blends sharp banter, emotional growth, and cowboy charm into one heartwarming read.

Amelia Greene is a bestselling author in a rut, and watching her head to rural Colorado to literally ride out her writer’s block had me laughing and cringing in the best ways. Her voice is relatable and sarcastic, and the “fish out of water” setup makes for plenty of fun—and tension—especially once she starts clashing with Eric, the grumpy cowboy who might just be her perfect muse. Their chemistry simmers beneath every confrontation and awkward moment, building naturally over time.

I appreciated that both characters are layered: Amelia’s guardedness and career doubts felt authentic, and Eric’s quiet depth (and surprisingly swoony moments) made him much more than a one-note brooder. There’s also a refreshing maturity to their relationship—communication, vulnerability, and emotional baggage all come into play.

The pacing did drag a bit in the middle, and it took about a third of the book for me to feel fully invested. But once the tension snapped and the feelings started to bloom, I was all in. This isn’t just about falling in love with a person—it’s about reconnecting with your purpose, and that added depth made the story all the more satisfying.

If you’re into grumpy cowboys, stubborn writers, forced proximity, and the kind of romance that unfolds like a slow dance in boots—this one’s for you.

This is a fun, feel-good romance with a strong sense of place and a heroine worth rooting for. A cozy escape for readers who like their cowboys grumpy and their dialogue snappy. The story lags at times.

A book about books plus a cowboy romances sign me up, was very well written and kept you intrigued from the very beginning. I would relate the author to a aspiring on track to be in her cowboy romance era like Lyla Sage.

I did not get around to reading this one, I did start it but never continued due to how busy life got, but it does seem to be up my ally and definitely something I'd enjoy reading.

3.75/5
(-0.25 because I don't personally enjoy single POVs)

This is my first cowboy romance and I get the hype now🤭
It's a cute western romance read. The FMC is a romance author and a city girl. The MMC is a grumpy cowboy of Colorado.

Amelia is a romance author who wrote a cowboy romance that got rejected by 14 publishers and to fix that she tries to experience it to fix the book she wrote. Her friend offers her to stay at their family ranch in Colorado. There she meets Eric.

I loved everything.The family dynamics. The red boots. The grumpy outside and softie inside MMC and the relationship between Eric and Roper(His horse)

It would have been a 4.5 stars if it has Eric's POV too.