Such a fun read! Not only was this fun, it hit some really tough subjects and thought it was handled incredibly well. What a great addition to the contemporary cowboy genre

I was NOT the target audience for this book. Honestly the reverse age gap (5 years) was forgotten because Caroline was so immature she could’ve been aged down. I also honestly wouldn’t classify this as a
Cowboy romance, it was barely a subplot and by the ending not even that, I don’t know any cowboy on the face of the earth that would be okay with that ending for his family’s legacy. I was also not a fan of the fact that the mmc was from OKLAHOMA born and raised and kept using UK expressions, I know the fmc was from Ireland/Scotland but it just didn’t sit right with me. There was also almost too much emotional trauma for this story to be enjoyable with both the fmc’s past and mmc’s past/present and how much it effected them.

I loathed the ending. I’m sorry, I absolutely hated it. The epilogue wasn’t much better. I’m not even sure I’d classify this as a romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!

Back in the Saddle is described as a "small town cowboy romance" and is said to perfect for "fans of Lyla Sage". This was all I needed to know to realize that I wanted to read this one. I enjoyed it. I wasn't surprised by much, but I didn't really expect to be. I knew what I was in for and got exactly what I expected...an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital review copy.

Back in the Saddle was a great addition to the contemporary cowboy genre. It dealt with real and deep issues in a compelling and mature way. I found both Caroline and Hunter to be extremely likeable main characters whose flaws were understandable once you learned about the root of them. However, I did have two issues with the story. The first was the length- I found the length of book to be much too long. By about the 200 page mark, I was honestly surprised I had yet to reach the 50% mark. While I did enjoy getting to see Caroline and Hunter grow together through their different dates, I think that the length could have been shortened drastically by cutting several scenes regarding Caroline and her time at the cancer research center. I found the that trying to keep track of lots of medical jargon or jargon specific to those types of conferences took away my ability to enjoy the book fully. I was too busy trying to remember what things stood for or fully comprehend what a "congress" was and if it was just another way to say conference.

My second issue with the book is on a much more personal level- I genuinely believe there either should be a trigger warning or at least passing mention that a large part of the book deals with a character losing a parent actively to cancer. As someone who had their own grandparent pass away around Thanksgiving from cancer, reading this in the book was extremely upsetting and I wasn't really prepared to read just that much about characters experiencing loss of family to cancer. I'm not saying that this needs to but totally cut, but I think that readers are done a disservice by not going into the book knowing this from the start. Based solely on the synopsis given, I had no way of knowing just how much of the plot this would be.

Overall, I found the book enjoyable and would it give a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is my first below 4 star review and I kind of want to cry because I had so much hope for Caroline and Hunter. For someone else, it might be a 5 star review! For me, it was alright. I was disappointed when it was marketed as “for fans of Elsie silver, Lyla Sage and Paisley Hope” because those felt like big shoes to fill, but this missed the mark. So let’s break it down.

What I enjoyed -
•the meetcute was fantastic and laid a solid plot. It felt a little insta lovey but I fall in love with every person who glances at me in smiles so I have no room to judge that.
•Caroline’s profession in stem! I love me a smart woman. Her love for her field and research was so evident and made me root for her as she sought to find her niche in the medical field. And her interaction with Yolanda was so telling of her character.
•the Oklahoma rep!! Driving through this section of OK since I was born, I loved seeing the rep in a romance. Long overdue IMHO.
•Hunter’s dedication to his family. Again, check tw’s but my man hunter is a family man and we stan!!

Where I struggled -
•lacking communication. Multiple times they held back telling each other very significant things that caused stress in their relationship. It felt a little immature and off putting for me.
•the spice- like it was good but the continual use of technical terms kept throwing me off.
•the writing. Again, it’s a debut and felt a little stiff and simplistic to me at times.
•the arc formatting. Idk what happened there but it had chapters starting mid page and made the pacing seem weird…. So hoping that’s fixed by pub day or just an arc issue
•the more I looked at the cover, Caroline’s eyes kept bothering me for whatever reason. I like the style of it but the specific character art felt like it was trying to go for a Rebel Blue vibe but never went past the draft (MY APOLOGIES TO THE ILLUSTRATOR I just have to be honest).

Overall it was fine, and the story had solid bones, it just fell flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK | Avon for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun and emotional read. I know you’re thinking those two feeling polar opposites? Well yes! But a book can take you on an emotional journey and still make you smile.
You could see how much the author cared for her characters! Yeehaw to this debut!

3.25.
I want to start with the things I liked:
-women in STEM!
-the meet cute between Caroline and Hunter

I think some people will really like this. It’s a sweet, easy small town romance between 2 people who are going through a lot of relatable things.

Unfortunately after they meet it just goes downhill for me. My biggest issue was the fmc. She was a baddie in the beginning! She was successful, smart, had a good support system. All of a sudden she meet hunter and she’s just a mess, and she really needed to be in therapy, not trauma dumping on the mmc for over half the book. Meanwhile poor Hunter is going through his own trauma that she brushed off pretty quickly. The relationship seemed really unbalanced and if I’m being honest, I just didn’t believe these 2 characters loved each other.

Oh and yeah, the clinical terms during the spicy scenes were just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to net galley and Avon publishing uk for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Enjoyed the first half of the book, but got frustrated with the two main characters towards the end. They had such an open communication at first, Hunter creating this safe space for Caroline to open up to him about her past traumas, so you felt that the bond was real. And yet him refusing to share his past with her in the second half of the book, especially when asked outright about it, felt so weird and out of character, like the switch just got flipped on him. And miscommunication just got worse as the book progressed, I felt really let down. It's okay to have examples of healthy relationships in romance books, it doesn't have to always end in massive drama.
Also, the strongest part of this book for me wasn't even the romance, but representation of families dealing with cancer and their loved ones passing because of it. Those were truly heartbreaking and emotional moments, and written well.

P.S. There were also some mistakes throughout that I assume will be fixed by the time the book is officially published, Like saying "going to the Scotland", Tom drinking tea, coffee, then tea again within a paragraph, Hunter referring to doing the dishes as washing up (an American person wouldn't), etc.

So. This one kinda had all the ingredients for a fun, sexy feel good cowboy romance and like okay it did have some super cute sweet moments but it didn’t quite rope (lol) me in like id hoped. The story kinda felt flat overall. The humor and the emotional beats were a little too on the nose and the romance didn’t feel organic it leaned too much non telling you they worked vs showing you. I wanted to feel the chemistry and the sparks but I never fully did. That said thou- it’s still a light and charming read like this is def the one to take to the beach this summer to unwind.

Once again thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK | Avon for the ARC! <3

This was a very deep and emotional story. It took me a while to get into it because of how slow it was in the beginning, but I actually ended up enjoying it. The banter was wonderful between our main characters, which was definitely a plus for me. I did really like the side characters as well!
The cover art is gorgeous, and I would definitely read more from this author.

This was a cute and heartwarming book with a lot of emotional moments.
The thing that most drew me to this book was the stunning cover! I honestly thought since it was advertised for fans of lyla sage and elsie silver, that we would get a bit more of the fun and happy cowboy romance feeling but I didn't really get that. Caroline and Hunter were such interesting characters and I did really like their growth throughout the book. i do think maybe their connection wasn't great between each other. it just felt like the chemistry lessened as the book went on.
I would definitely read more from this author though

Friends, this book is 3.5 stars! I enjoyed it. I wasn't totally sold on the description, but I wanted to give it a chance, and I am so glad that I did.
Reverse age gap—I always love this in a book: small-town, CHEMISTRY for days, figuring out emotional intelligence, STEM (I always love this), divorce, slow-ish burn.
I won't lie, this was emotional, but every now and then, we need a good read to get us all in our feels.
Did I say cowboy spice yet? Because if I didn't, COWBOY SPICE.
Trigger warning - cancer researcher and cancer representation in this book.
Hunter and Caroline have a cute story.
The characters are well developed, and I found them easy to connect with for most of the book.
The plot is well structured, and the pace is good. It was a bit of a slow burn, and that is what I had the most trouble with; it felt like it did drag in certain areas (which makes me disengage a bit), but there was always enough of a recovery that I was able to get back into the book.
We know throughout that Hunter was previously engaged, and there is a sort of mystery behind it, but of course, we find out he doesn't speak about it due to his pain.
The two MCs have a good meet-cute: both sworn off love, they drunkenly kiss in a bar one night.
Did I mention Caroline is from Scotland? If not, she is. Love it.
Lots of self-reflection.
I think this is a good one. PREPARE to cry.
Lots of depth when you look at themes in this one, so please make sure and look at the synopsis and trigger warnings, my friends!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Maggie Eckersley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I am now a fan and will be looking for more of Maggie's work!
Happy Reading!

This just wasn’t it for me.. I was bored the entire time and couldn’t wait to finish it. The formatting was very distracting. At least the cover is cute.

I found this book pleasant. It felt very easy and maybe like there wasn’t enough depth in the characters and plot. While I did enjoy reading it I didn’t feel like it stuck out to me as a top tier read.

I will keep an eye out for Maggie Eckersleys next work and see if there’s more substance.

Overall 3/5

Back in the Saddle by Maggie Eckersley is a heartfelt and emotionally rich small-town cowboy romance that explores themes of second chances, healing, and unexpected love. The story follows Caroline, a strong and witty doctor from Scotland, who moves to Oklahoma after a painful divorce, hoping to rebuild her life. There, she meets Hunter, a dedicated cowboy fighting to save his family’s ranch. Their connection begins as a clash of personalities but slowly develops into a tender and passionate romance. Eckersley does a fantastic job crafting relatable characters with emotional depth, and the slow-burn chemistry between Caroline and Hunter is both authentic and captivating. Readers have praised the book for its blend of sass, sweetness, and small-town charm, noting that it holds its own alongside the works of authors like Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver. With its sharp dialogue, genuine heart, and emotionally satisfying arc, Back in the Saddle is a standout debut for fans of contemporary romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this book!

Couldn't really get into this one. I had high hopes, but the dialogue fell flat, the story line was meh, and the miscommunication between the FMC and MMC was annoying. I love a cowboy romance (probably more than the average person, lol) but this one is a no from me.

1.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars.

The book was a decent read but not something that would leave a mark on my bookish memory!!! I felt something was missing.. it was too simplistic and straightforward without any layers which made it a bit bland for me.

Maggie Eckersley will tear your heart apart and then tape it back together in this beautiful story about love and loss. I couldn't get enough of the chemistry between Caroline and Hunter. I loved everything about this - the banter, the angst, and the spice will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

I’ll be honest, the main reason I was drawn to this book was the cover. That and the fact that it was advertised for fans of Lyla Sage, Elsie Silver and Paisley Hope. Yes, Back in the Saddle is similar in theme to books written by these authors, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough for me.

I did enjoy seeing how both Caroline and Hunter’s characters had evolved by the end of the book, with both of them overcoming their past trauma and grief. But at times it did seem that the book was overloaded with their respective backstories.

Whilst there is an instant connection between the FMC Caroline and the MMC Hunter, I felt that as the book went on, their chemistry dissipated somewhat and towards the end of the book, it felt almost lukewarm.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but what I will say is that if you are looking for a light-hearted, cowboy romance, then unfortunately this is not the book for you. Some people might find the book content upsetting and/or triggering as it contains ‘heavy’ references to medical conditions.

Thank you so much to author Maggie Eckersley and Avon Books UK | Avon for the advanced copy of Back in the Saddle. I always feel grateful to discover new romance voices and cozy up with a small town cowboy love story. This one promised Scottish charm, cowboy swagger, and the kind of emotional journey that romance readers dream of.

A quick look at the story. Caroline is a doctor looking to heal from heartbreak and start fresh far from her Scottish roots. Oklahoma seems like just the place, until a whisky-fueled night at a local bar ends with an unforgettable kiss from a ruggedly handsome cowboy named Hunter. He is focused on saving his family’s ranch and isn’t looking for love either, but sparks fly and the connection between them is undeniable. Of course, with old wounds and emotional walls standing tall, the path to love is anything but easy.

Now for my thoughts. I truly wanted to fall head over boots for this one. It had so much potential and the setup checked all the boxes. But I’ll be honest. I had a hard time clicking with either Caroline or Hunter. I struggled with the writing style too. It felt a little immature at times and kept me from getting fully immersed in the story.

That said, I did get more into it as the story went on. By the end, there were a few moments that really got to me. I even teared up, which always means something connected. And I did enjoy how the story wrapped up. It ended in a heartfelt way that left me feeling soft even if the whole book didn’t land for me.

While this wasn’t a personal favorite, I do believe it will speak to readers who love emotional cowboy romances and characters learning to love again after loss. Every story has its reader and I will be cheering Maggie Eckersley on as she keeps writing.