Back in the Saddle by Maggie Eckersley

I am absolutely in love with this cover! It was what drew me to the book immediately, alongside the promise of horses, as I'm an avid rider myself.

There are definitely some things I really enjoyed about this book. I really appreciated that both our main characters (Hunter and Caroline) had their own lives, dreams and challenges which are explored throughout and, therefore, it doesn't fall into the trap that many romance books do of the love story being all consuming. The exploration of cancer and the grief of losing a loved one to this terrible disease was really sensitively, respectfully and cleverly done. It is clear the author either has personal experience with cancer or has done extensive research on the topic as the way it was written came across as factual, realistic and empathetic. Reading about Hunter's dad and his struggle was heartbreaking, as was hearing about Caroline's mother's experience, and this really highlighted not only how common cancer is, but how much it affects not just those with it but everyone around them for the rest of their lives. I had tears in my eyes reading about Alan's death speach and his funeral.

I liked that Caroline was an intelligent woman with ambitions and who knew what she wanted in life. A lot of romance novels unfortunately write women who are solely there to be future wives or are written only to drive the plot, yet I appreciated that the author spent time to craft Caroline into a full-formed character with multiple levels and a clear personality. Her backstory, with her mother's death leading to her becoming a doctor, her failed marriage, her worries about her career, all added up to making her an interesting female main character that I did actually quite enjoy reading about. I also appreciated that her marriage with Finn was complex, and it wasn't just your typical "my ex husband is horrible" story, but something more deep and I found this interesting to read about; I'm sure it explores feelings and concerns that many who are married may relate to. However, Hunter's backstory was less conceptualized and felt more rushed. I found it a bit unrealistic that he went from an unfeeling fuckboy to wanting to settle down and get into a serious relationship after one whiskey-driven kiss in a bar; it would have felt better and more realistic if his feelings changed slowly over the course of his growing relationship with Caroline. I loved Hunter's family, and the dynamic between them was really heartwarming, but there was a lot of details about Hunter's past that felt underdeveloped (like him wanting to be a vet, then suddenly changing his mind at the end with no real explanation of why) or under explored (like the death of his ex-fiance, which is brought up at the very end but with very little information given so it feels a bit like it was added as an after-thought). I really liked Hunter's relationship with Mitch, though, and how this was written. The quote "Most men didn't talk about their feelings. Or that's what society liked to believe," makes an interesting point on male friendships and I liked that it showed two men who are open, honest and emotionally intimate with one another without seeing it as a weakness.

I found the pacing of this book a little off. The start was very slow and, although it did pick up at certain points, there were times when it felt really drawn out and I just lost interest. For example, there is a lot of unnecessary dialogue and unnecessary characters involved in this book; why we have to know about Amira from work having a crush on Jake for example... in fact Amira as a character probably could have been left out entirely. Then, the pacing became very fast towards the end, to the point it felt like the author was rushing to get it all on the page and it felt like a really weird contrast to the rest of the book. It would have been better to have spent less time talking about the unnecessary things mentioned above and more time focusing on the outcome of the character's love story and their respective lives; for example, the scenes depicting Finn's illness and Caroline's move back to Scotland felt very forced and could have benefitted from more time to really delve into the events and the effects on Caroline. The pacing was probably my main issue with this book. I did also take a smaller issue with the fact that I kept getting frustrated with the characters for not voicing their true feelings, hiding their emotions from one another and overall just not being honest and communicating well with one another which led to more disagreements or misunderstandings than was necessary in their relationship. Furthermore, I was disappointed there was less focus on horses, riding or the ranch setting to be honest, as I did feel that a book with this cover and title should include more equestrian themes than just mentions of horses, a bull-riding show and a couple rides... and then to sell the ranch at the end just made me slightly annoyed.

I appreciated that this was a romance book that actually had a plot and characters who felt real, with real lives, rather than it just being 300 pages of pure smut, which isn't my kind of thing. There are very few overly sexual scenes in this book, and the focus is placed more on their emotional intimacy whilst also still showing how physically connected they are without it being too explicit, which is more my kind of thing than smut. Although, I have to say that the really factual, almost medical terms used during these sexual scenes did throw me off a bit as it's not something I've seen before in a romance book, yet this isn't necessarily a really bad thing, just something that made me pause and think "wow... uh okay".

Overall I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was a reasonably enjoyable read, but the pacing was off and the writing was a bit dry in terms of it didn't have anything really exciting to draw me in and felt a bit robotic at times. There are definitely things I liked about the story, but overall it was pretty average and there are certainly things I would change if I could. Thank you to Maggie Eckersley and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC of Back in the Saddle! I absolutely ADORED this story and the characters! Caroline and Hunter...whew, I felt their attraction from the meet cute. I loved how competent Caroline was in her field, and I'm deep in my yeehaw era so Hunter as a cowboy really ticked all the boxes for me. I loved how they were both running from things in their past, and why it made it hard for them to open up to each other. But when they did???? I loved that they were able to help each other and themselves as they fell deeper in love. I loved the small town charm, and the specific songs mentioned, it really deepened my reading experience. Overall, this was a terrific, 5/5 star read for me! Can't wait for more from Maggie!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! A recently divorced doctor who’s moved away from Scotland meets a cowboy who changes everything.
I loved how their chemistry built throughout the book, it starts as such a sweet cute romance however there is a much more emotional side to this book - I laughed, I swooned and I cried while reading.
Although the ending was great I did feel like there was a little something missing, however I highly recommend this book.

I wanted to DNF this book, but I am glad I stuck with it. The first third, especially the main characters’ banter, was so overwritten that it was hard to get through. It reads like no human conversation ever, because it’s too snarky and nothing real was actually shared.

The meat of the story was more interesting, and I got invested in the main characters eventually. I liked seeing some complexity in Caroline and Hunter that made their love story more significant.

But the story itself was so sad. I think we see three people die of cancer, one of a car crash, and many sad struggles in between. Like, damn let these characters live.

Overall, BACK IN THE SADDLE didn’t do it for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Maggie Eckersley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.75⭐️FMC is a Scottish doctor unsure of what she wants to do with her career and going through a divorce so she goes to Oklahoma to do a research project.

MMC is a cowboy, 5yrs younger than her, who is helping on the family ranch while his father is sick.

Their time together has an expiration yet they cannot help but get closer than just a physical relationship.

The storyline was interesting but the execution was lacking for me. The timing was off, sometimes slow and other times very rushed. There also were pieces of information/stories that seemed like they may come back up but never did. I’m still confused about the full story about the divorce- was it just kids and sex, felt like there was going to be more to that.

Speaking of sex, in the few spicy scenes body parts were described extremely clinical and it totally pulled me from the story.

Miscommunication is my least fav trope and there weee several of these moments. However, I was still interested and got teary in a few places.

Overall, a bit of a miss for me but might land for you!

Unrelated to my rating but the NetGalley arc format was a mess and it almost made me stop reading

As a huge cowboy romance fan, I was so excited to dive into this book after reading the synopsis. While marketed towards fans of Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage, it was unfortunately not comparable. I would not classify this novel as a cowboy romance; I’d lean towards literary fiction with a subtle hint of romance. It had potential with the emotional issues that both Caroline and Hunter were experiencing, but I just could not connect to them. At times I found myself annoyed by Caroline. She repeatedly went back and forth on if she was okay seeing someone before her divorce was finalized. I really tried to enjoy Back in the Saddle, but I felt myself struggling to get through it and questioned DNFing several times.

Who doesn’t love a good small town cowboy romance. This was a fun easy read with perfect vibes.
This is my first book by the author and definitely won’t be my last. I loved the easy flow of the writing and how we never ventured too far from the plot

This was such a charming, feel-good read! Maggie Eckersley perfectly captures the ups and downs of starting over, with a warm, heartfelt story full of humour and heart. The equestrian setting adds a lovely unique touch, and the characters felt genuine and relatable.

If you enjoy cosy romances with a bit of slow-burn and second chances, this one’s definitely for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more from Maggie!

This cover is stunning 😍 perfect summer cowboy read.

Caroline and Hunter are two really good FMC and MFC and them exploring their trauma and finding romance.
I like the way everything was handled and not overlooked too much and I just found it a quick read and a perfect cowboy romance for summer xx

I really enjoyed this debut from British author Maggie Eckersley. A soon to be divorced Scottish doctor travels to Oklahoma for a work exchange and ends up falling for the broken hearted cowboy she only wanted a no strings affair with. I loved the emotional depth of this story that involves a FMC with generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks and a male lead whose father is dying from cancer. Full of spice and intimacy, this was a swoony cowboy romance and I loved every second. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The cover totally drew me in! 😍
Back in the Saddle by Maggie Eckersley was even better on the inside!
This book grabbed me from the first paragraph and I couldn't put it down.
I truly adored this. I loved the chemistry between these two. I will forever adore these characters.
This was such a lovely, heartwarming read.
Eckersley's writing style is fantastic, and I can't wait to read more of her future writing.

A cute summer cowboy romance filled with love and heartache.

I wasn’t expecting to get so attached to some of these characters but for Hunter and Caroline it was their attraction to each other from the first meeting and then it dives into something way deeper that none of them actually wanted. They’re really good together, both struggling with past trauma they balance off each other really nicely.

It was a good book just probably not what I was expecting and I got quite distracted with how some of the big events sometimes got looked over a bit.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I love cowboy romances but I really struggled with this story. I was often confused while reading because I felt there were so many side characters that were introduced (colleagues, exes, cousins, neighbors etc..) and it felt like they all were given a backstory of their own, which I struggled to find the importance of.. and the repetitious dialogue especially from the main character had me rolling me eyes -
“maybe it’s me, I’m the problem” and
“You’re not the problem I am” are just one example.

After reading the quote, “she only had herself to blame. Well, herself and Disney for letting her believe in unrealistic expectations when it came to love” - I thought I’d be able to connect with Caroline but unfortunately that’s where my love for her both started and ended. I found her to be naïve and dull and I wanted more from her as the lead in the story. I did like Hunter better, but couldn’t understand their connection/chemistry as multiple times they withheld very significant things from each other.
Caroline didn’t find out about Hunters former fiancé had passed away until literally almost the end of the book?! It felt so odd to me. And the spice?! 🙄 the scenes felt like reading a medical textbook - which I understood because she’s in the medical industry but the typical reader/audience ISNT so it really took me out of the story. I found myself skimming them which didn’t help fuel their connection.

**Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC and chance to read and review. All opinions are my own**

thankyou to NetGalley, Avon Books and Maggie Eckersley for early access to the book in exchange for an honest review!🎀

I fear I've been reading too many cowboy romances at the minute as this sadly fell a little flat for me. I really enjoyed the chemistry and I liked Hunter as a character!! I just found I was a little bored.

This book was exactly what I needed to get out of a reading slump.

Caroline escapes Scotland for a fresh start in Oklahoma, but an unexpected kiss with a rugged cowboy throws her off course.

Hunter is focused on saving his family's ranch and has no room for distractions until Caroline walks into his life.

As sparks fly and past wounds resurface, the two must decide if their fiery connection is worth the risk.

This is perfect for the fans of Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage.

The cover of this book is gorgeous, and I love a cowboy romance, but the writing style wasn't for me. I ended up DNF'ing. The pacing is off, and I wasn't really feeling the chemistry.

I ended up DNF"ing this book. I wanted to love it so bad but between the lack of chemistry between Caroline & Hunter, the length, and the formatting issues, I just couldn't do it. I requested this book because so many people compared it to Elsie Silver or Lyla Sage but I don't really think it's doing this book any favors. This book is lengthy and it took me a while to get into, despite the fact it's nearly unreadable on kindle.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book.

"books are never just books"

Okay so I requested tis book because first of all the cover is gorgeous lol and when I requested it, I was just getting into my cowboy romance era.
With this story you definitely going through the emotions with the characters, I think the only think that really threw this book off was the pacing. Other than that, it was a good read, and I will recommend to the right audience.

Special mention for the cover of this one - absolutely stunning!

Really enjoyed this one, cute summer read that hits on some heavier themes such as divorce and parents ill health. The way in which this book tackles grief and the loss of a parent was expertly done and so beautifully written.

Well developed characters - she’s struggling with recent breakdown of her marriage and he’s struggling with his dad’s cancer battle.

They were so cute together, instant connection but their feelings developed gradually throughout. Something so refreshing about having adult characters and them actually acting like adults. Supporting each other and working through problems. Loved the epilogue!!

ARC copy provided by Avon & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I picked this one up thinking, “Just one little cowboy romance before bed.” What I didn’t expect was to fall head-over-cowgirl-boots for a grumpy rancher and the sharp-tongued Scottish doctor who accidentally lassoed his heart.

Caroline: recently divorced, heartbreak refugee, and my new patron saint of starting over. She flees Scotland for a fresh start in Oklahoma, thinking she’s trading romance for ranch dust and solitude. But then....BAM...a whisky-fuelled kiss at a honky-tonk with a jawline carved by the gods and shoulders built for sin.

That jawline? Belongs to Hunter, our stoic cowboy king who’s got 99 problems and none of them include falling in love with a spicy expat.

Except… oops. His heart didn’t get the memo.

💘 Tropes That Hit Like a Boot Scoot:
* Small town, big tension
* Grumpy x emotionally guarded sunshine
* “We’re just kissing, it doesn’t mean anything” (it absolutely does)
* Ranch drama + past trauma = steamy, slow-burning therapy session on horseback

This is Elsie Silver energy with a Scottish brogue and the emotional depth of a rodeo champion with something to prove.

Caroline’s wit is unmatched, Hunter’s smoulder is lethal, and their banter? Straight fire.

Is it a bit predictable? Sure. But that’s the charm, it feels like a warm hug in the form of cowboy boots and unresolved emotional baggage.