Thank you, NetGalley, publisher, and author, for giving me an opportunity to read this arc. I'm currently in my cowboy appreciation era, so it was a nice treat. I liked how Eric was a grumpy cowboy but was still fairly respectful. I like how both Eric & Mia (Amelia's) became a couple in the end. Personally for me I wished Amelia could've said a bit more harsher words to her father. But I'm glad Amelia got her happy ending. The only issue I had with the story was the pacing. While I love a good slow burn it felt a bit slow at times. However, the clean romance was actually a pleasant surprise! It made me focus on the characters more. I loved the supportive family dynamic on Eric's side. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a cute read :)

My first cowboy romance, and this was fun! I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I liked the idea of author FMC so requested this book. This was a fun ride!

**Rider's Block by Waitlyn Andrews**

From the very first page, I was completely captivated by this novel. The author skillfully crafted an inviting and immersive ranch life that drew me in instantly. I found myself falling in love with the richly developed characters—each one portrayed with depth and nuance—who demonstrated unwavering loyalty to their families and a profound love for the land they nurtured. Waitlyn Andrews’ talent for vivid and evocative descriptions of the setting not only pulled me into the story but also allowed me to viscerally experience the beauty and grit of ranch life alongside the characters. Overall, the book was a splendid achievement, and I eagerly anticipate exploring more from this talented author. It’s truly an adorable slow-burn cowboy romance that warms the heart!

You might think that after publishing nearly a dozen successful novels, Amelia would have learned her lesson about attempting to write about a setting she had never personally visited. However, her latest endeavour to break into a new genre has faced frequent and often harsh rejection. The challenge is laid out before her, and Amelia can no longer defer this long-overdue trip to Cowboy Country. She is committed to the idea of getting this book published, no matter the obstacles.

Embarking on a three-month research trip to Colorado wasn’t on Amelia's agenda for the year, but here she find myself, living in the home of Rodeo Royalty. This setting presents an ideal opportunity for immersive learning about the cowboy lifestyle, yet it is somewhat less than ideal given her unfortunate tendency to ruffle the feathers of the grumpiest cowboy in the region Eric. Both Eric and Amelia are acutely aware of her imposition on his life, but if Amelia can navigate the next three months without further irritating him, that would be a triumph in itself. And if they could manage to get through the summer without Eric once again drunkenly confessing his attraction to her—that would be an even greater victory.

As I read the story, I appreciated the peek into the country's way of life that Andrews provided, showcasing not only the thrill of rodeos but also the daily challenges and dangers that come with ranch work. The romance unfolds at a delightful slow-burn pace, allowing for a natural and believable development of feelings between Eric and Amelia. It was refreshing to see how the plot balanced their growing affection with Amelia’s journey toward lowering her emotional defences and embracing the love she had previously shied away from. Additionally, I found it particularly enjoyable that the novel contained minimal explicit content—limited to just a few heartfelt kissing scenes. This creative choice allowed me to witness the gradual build-up of trust and intimacy between Eric and Amelia, making every moment of their relationship feel authentic and rewarding.

This was a 3.5 star for me. I loved the tension at the start of the book, but the payoff wasn’t there for me.

Amelia is a writer from the city working on a cowboy romance. She’s never been to a ranch though, and it shows. Her book keeps getting rejected and she’s looking for a way to learn more. A friend of hers has family out in Colorado, so Amelia decides to immerse herself in cowboy culture for a bit.

One thing that was odd to me is she left her cat with the friend this whole time. Why not bring the cat?? I’d never leave mine behind for that long. However, I digress.

Eric is a cowboy on the ranch. He seems surly and grumpy and whatnot. He goes from glaring at Amelia to calling her “baby” as soon as he decides on his own terms that he wants to pursue her. However, he kind of passively pursues her and doesn’t really declare his interest for a long time. Even while calling her “baby,” though they haven’t been physical.

The tension was great at the beginning and their meet-cute was amazing. The second half of the book kind of fell off for me. Our FMC became insecure all off a sudden and wasn’t listening to the MMC. He would say something and she’d run to a friend thinking the opposite.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This book started my cowboy romance obsession! Thank you netgalley for sending me this book! The characters were ao cute and fun ro read! City girl meets hunky cowboy! Pick up if you want a cutesy read!

*Riders Block* by Waitlyn Andrews brings together a grumpy cowboy and a city-girl writer in a cozy, heartwarming romance set against the backdrop of ranch life, a close-knit small-town community, and family charm—qualities that make it feel like a Hallmark movie in book form. For fans of the cowboy romance trope, this book hits the mark with its simple yet endearing storyline and likable leads, especially Eric, whose character evolution keeps readers invested.

That said, the story's pacing and character depth had mixed responses. While some readers appreciated the steady, feel-good vibe without typical romance drama—no miscommunications or jealousy—others felt the narrative needed more tension or emotional stakes to keep it engaging. Certain scenes, like repeated rodeo visits or Amelia’s trips to Penny’s store, felt repetitive and slowed down the story without adding new insights. Though Eric and Amelia’s personalities are lightly sketched, a bit more detail would have made them more vivid and relatable.

For those who enjoy lighthearted romances with minimal conflict, *Riders Block* delivers a sweet and satisfying read. Andrews’ choice to focus on the positive aspects of the relationship gives the book a wholesome quality, though some readers might wish for a bit more complexity or challenge to the plot. Despite some minor hiccups in dialogue and pacing, it’s a charming, cozy romance that’s perfect for a quick, feel-good escape.

Plot-wise, this book was everything I look for in a romance novel. A grumpy cowboy paired with a city-girl writer, set against the charm of ranch life, a loving family, and a close-knit small-town community. It all brought a cozy, feel-good warmth that reminded me of a Hallmark movie. However, certain areas fell short, which is why my final rating landed at three stars.

First of all, there were many repetitive scenes, like everyone going to the rodeo, which didn’t add much to the story beyond establishing the cowboy lifestyle, or Amelia’s frequent visits to Penny's store. Often, these scenes led to similar conversations—like discussion of Dean or revisiting things we already knew. This repetition affected the pacing, and I found myself skimming through parts instead of fully enjoying the read.

The characters didn’t display much personality beyond surface traits, especially Eric, who felt particularly lacking in depth. While we did get some insight into the motivations behind Amelia’s behaviors, I still felt her character could have been more fully developed. I also found it hard to picture them; though I’m not a huge fan of paragraphs dedicated to appearance, a bit more detail beyond her strawberry-blonde hair or his height would have made them more vivid.

I understand that Waitlyn Andrews aimed to write a book free from typical romance drama—no other woman, miscommunications, or cheating—focusing instead on the positive aspects of the relationship. However, in my opinion, every novel needs some level of conflict or tension to keep it engaging, and this can certainly be achieved without those tropes. While there were a few elements of tension in the story, they weren’t fully developed enough to sustain my interest. Without deeper challenges or emotional stakes, the narrative felt somewhat flat, making it harder to stay fully engaged.

This book is so fun! As a fan of cowboy romances, I adored the setting in Colorado and the grumpy cowboy. I also particularly loved the inclusion of a tornado since it satisfied my looking for a Twisters-like novel. Overall, I loved the banter, the descriptions and details about ranch life, and the tension between both Mia and Eric. While there were times some situations were drawn out a little long, I was so in for the ride. Thanks so much for this early request Netgalley and Waitlyn Andrews!

I'm actually screaming over how cute this is.

My cowboy era isn't going away any time soon, so this book came at the most perfect timing. It's simple but not too simple, absolutely adorable, and I love both leads (especially Eric, but that's to be expected).

I practically devoured this book and while it felt longer than expected - it's an average number of pages, but reading it on my phone made it seem longer - there was never a moment I felt should have been cut or a page that should have been removed. The pacing of the story was perfect, though I would have appreciated a better/longer/more fleshed-out transition from grumpy Eric to "I'm about to make this woman fall for me" Eric. It sort of felt like I blinked and suddenly he's happy and not as grumpy as when we started this book with him as a bit of a crabby jerk. I miss the crabby jerk.

There were a couple of conversations that read a bit clunky to me. I'm not sure if it was the pacing or the words or what, but it was only a handful of moments where I was jarred out of my immersion because it was a bit weird.

I'd read Andrews' other book and felt like the ending was rushed a tad. Here, the ending was dragging its feet and I couldn't be happier. Sure, it was wild, but in the best way possible.

Honestly, I'm so grateful to have been able to read this.

thank you Netgalley for the arc

A sweet, swoony closed door Cowboy Romance! This story was filled with layered and realistic characters, beautifully descriptive settings and rich character development. I loved seeing these characters layers get peeled back, showing they weren’t just their cheesy stereotypes while seeing their romantic connection grow. This story shows us a lot of love, loyalty among family members and deep appreciation/gratitude for the careers we love (even when things are hard or becoming more challenging to continue loving)

This is such an adorable book.

I LOVED the references to Great Gatsby - not wanting to build without the other.

Can anyone dislike a grumpy hot cowboy who wants to woo and wait for their lady to be ready? Happy Sighes.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, normally I won't read HEA that has zero smut, but this hallmark cowboy love story is just what I needed.

Now to find this author's backlist and devour.

This book was so enjoyable! There was so much depth in the characters and I loved the descriptions of the area she went to. I also loved the soundtrack of the chapters. I think this cowboy romance was so good

There truly is nothing like a cowboy or small town romance, I will never fail to eat it up every time. Love, love, loved this book.

Rider's Block is a quirky story and just up my alley! I loved the way the MMC and FMC got along (ish) the banter they shared was great, it was good to see a grumpy cowboy!

Rider’s Block caught my interest because of its unique setup: a cowboy romance featuring a writer heroine searching for real-life inspiration. The small-town setting and tight-knit community added so much warmth to the story, and so did the relationships—whether it was family, friends, or romantic partners. I loved the atmosphere Andrews created and would happily read more about this community and its characters in future stories.
However, there were a few areas where the book fell short for me. The pacing was a bit uneven, and at times it felt like scenes stretched on without adding to the romance or the characters’ journeys. Although the story builds up slowly, the shift to the relationship turning romantic felt sudden, with the main characters going from tentative feelings to a relationship to marriage in what felt like the blink of an eye. Having dual perspectives could have added depth to the MMC’s character, making his feelings and actions more understandable to readers.
For readers who prefer adult romance with a bit of spice, it’s important to note that this is a closed-door romance. While I think a closed-door romance can still carry plenty of tension, here it felt somewhat lacking, especially as the characters' interactions remained limited to minimal kissing. A bit more emotional and romantic buildup could have enhanced the chemistry, and I’d suggest making it clearer in the book description that this is a closed-door romance, as I know many readers appreciate knowing what to expect in that regard.
The writing style was overall enjoyable, though at times the dialogue felt a bit artificial, and character dynamics a bit juvenile, particularly given the characters’ ages. This didn’t detract from the charm of the characters, but it did impact how relatable they felt as adults.
Overall, Rider’s Block has some wonderful elements—a unique premise, lovable characters, and a cozy small-town backdrop. With a bit more development in pacing and character perspectives, I think it could be an even stronger read. I’d give it 3.5 stars overall

I paused the book 19% thinking that I would pick it up again in a few days. But I really felt like I would have to force myself to pick it up again. I came to the concludusion that I love the idea of cowboy romances and I also loved the general plot of this book. But sadly lots of cowboy romances include animal cruelty like the rodeos. I thought that I could handle it cause it is fictional but I can't.
Still 3 stars causr the book itself is not bad I just don't like the topics it contains.

This is such a sweet, clean cowboy romance. I really enjoyed the banter between Mia and Eric. I loved how the reader gets to learn about cowboy culture right along with Mia while she is doing her research for her book. I fell in love with Eric's family and was rooting for each of them. It would have been fun to have a separate book for Dean and Penny but I think there is still enough of their story maybe we can get another swoony cowboy romance. Each chapter being a different song was fun. The author's note at the end was so sweet and I appreciate that she will provide the clean romance stories without a 3rd act breakup. I don't know if I loved this book or her other book, Yes, Chef, more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

sweet cute book that fed my chestnur springs hangover but nothing tops queen elsie silver to m this was still a good book though

Rider’s Block by Waitlyn Andrews is about a woman who is a writer but down on her luck when her newest written novel gets sent back several times and told to basically redo all of it. She’s writing a subject she hasn’t written about before and therefore needs to do some research. This research finds her settled in a horse ranch with rodeo cowboys and one in particular grumpy cowboy.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were lovely and I found myself feeling like they were all my friends too. The relationships are my favorite part of the book. It was very well done and great for people who love the love without it being spicy. It was sweet and innocent. Exactly how I love my romance novels. The only thing that I would have changed is how there seemed to be a lot going on towards the middle/end of the book. It started out at a normal pace and then it seemed like a lot was crammed into the last portion. Despite this, it is still an awesome read!

This was a very cute and heartwarming read! This is the book that introduced me to my cowboy era! It’s almost like those hallmark movies, a great filler and nice soft plot throughout it. To me this was a great filler read in between my usual dark romance. I would love to read more by Waitlyn!