This book has shockingly low reviews for what I thought was a pretty solid friends-to-lovers book. I loved the backstory, the yearning, and the eventual growth for these characters. They did have some communication issues, but don't they all?

Perry and Carson have been best friends since they were children. Perry has always longed for something more but Carson put her in the friend zone a long time ago. He's been married and widowed, and now Perry is ready to stop pining for her best friend and move on with her life. When she decides to move to another town, Carson's going to have to face his feelings.

I am a fan of friends-to-lovers and I really like slow-burn yearning in a book. This second installment in the Rustler Mountain series brought both of those. Carson and Perry had stuff to work through and needed to be honest with each other. It took them some time to get there, but the pay off was worth it. I'm not sure why these ratings are so low. I thought it was a stronger book than the first in the series. I'm also excited about the next book that I'm assuming is about Jessie Jane and Flynn. Also these covers are amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This one... wasn't my favorite. I've enjoyed plenty of Maisey Yates' work over the years, but Outlaw Lake just wasn't up to par for me. I appreciated the premise and friends-to-lovers is my favorite romance trope, but everything just seemed off about this story. The FMC drops on her male BFF that she's moving out of the area because they're too codependent and she needs to grow personally and professionally, meanwhile she's keeping the secret that she's been in love with them basically their whole lives. Despite this difficult decision to leave, she jumps on the opportunity to move into a cabin on his property. It just felt like forced proximity that wasn't necessary. And the dialogue and interactions between characters just didn't flow right. Inner monologues contradict interactions with other characters, and some of the dialogue is written in a way that doesn't fit the scenes. The friendship and budding love between the FMC and MMC is incredibly sweet, but it wasn't enough to cover the issues I had with the writing style of this book.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

On balance, Outlaw Lake is a heartfelt small-town, friends-to-lovers romance, with the added touch of a historical storyline woven in. For me, the real highlight was the Oregon setting. The landscape and sense of community gave the novel its warmth and grounding, and those moments were easily my favourite.

Where it faltered was in the execution: long stretches of inner monologue slowed the pace, and the reliance on miscommunication left me more impatient than invested. That said, the loyalty between Carson and Perry rings true, and when the romance finally clicks into place, it does feel rewarding.

Outlaw Lake has a sweet friends-to-lovers premise and some lovely small-town vibes. I liked Perry and Carson’s history, but the miscommunication and repeated angst dragged a bit for me. Still an enjoyable, heartfelt read overall.

Heat Index: 5.5/10

—childhood friends to besties to codependent yearners

—"I want a baby"/"EXCUSE???"

—cowboy but not in a hardcore way

The Basics:

Perry and Carson have been best friends since they were kids, and that friendship survived Carson marrying Alyssa (and losing her). But it might not survive Perry realizing her unrequited love for Carson might just be inhibiting her from getting what she wants: a baby. So, she announces she's leaving Rustler Mountain for a new life and a chance at love. Which naturally, leads Carson on a quest to do whatever is necessary to prevent that. Short of giving her the baby. Of course.

The Review:

I wanted to give this a shot based on my experience with a different book by Yates—though I will admit that small town westerns aren't usually my thing with romance. The small town and the western of it all really didn't end up being a problem for me. Rustler Mountain is kind of like, a hokey tourist dude ranch vibe—more "let's play Old West for the outsiders to keep the economy afloat" than legit old school cowboy-isms. Not that Carson isn't capable of doing cowboy stuff. I just wouldn't say "git along lil doggies" is the vibe.

The vibe is more about the pining, and I do think Yates does a good job of setting up Perry and Carson's emotional intimacy and codependence. I appreciate a friends to lovers romance that indulges in the toxicity of a dynamic where you're both in love and won't just say the words, rather than acting like it's all grand.

She also does a good job of secretly delivering us a second romance through letters sent between Perry's ancestors, a mail-order bride and her husband. If I'm being completely honest, the letters didn't just set up a backdrop through which Perry and Carson (both reading the letters) can figure out their feelings—she set up a better romance. I wanted more of what those two had going on. Really, we could use a revival of the mail-order bride romance. Maybe in a historical setting, I feel like the contemporary equivalent feels a lot more incel-y.

The thing is that while this tries valiantly to avoid the "these friends should just kiss and I'm not convinced that there is any reason why they wouldn't beyond one of them not being interested enough" trap friends to lovers so often falls into it... It doesn't quite succeed. I just didn't really feel like Carson was as into Perry as he needed to be. Although I rarely put myself in characters' shoes, I couldn't help but think... what this man is feeling wouldn't be good enough for me.

And I think that's why there's this "reveal" that knocked the book down a peg. While I wasn't blown away, I was having a better time with it—the gentle angst of it all—before this realization. I'll avoid specifics, but it took away from part of the crux of the angst. And I just didn't buy it. I mean, it kind of made a lot of the book difficult for me to emotionally believe, and it felt like a cop-out.

The Sex:

The sex scenes aren't super plentiful or explicit, but they're there, and they do feel emotionally intimate. But I did take issue with how the sex was approached—I feel like there was an air of the casual regarding birth control that doesn't feel super right for these characters in 2025. Regardless of how much a baby is wanting. This isn't a breeding kink book, to be clear, and maybe if it leaned a bit more into that, I'd feel differently.

The Conclusion:

This does friends to lovers better than some, but then fails to stick the landing. And I should say—the reveal that I take issue with? May very well be what saves the book for some. I imagine it will be polarizing. For me, it just took the punch out of the emotions, in a way I didn't expect from Yates. That said—the mail-order bride letters were really good!

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adored Perry & Carson’s story. 🥰 A gorgeous romance with all the spice. Not wanting to my to give too much away for those planning on reading this, but perfect for lovers of missed chance and best friends to lovers tropes. Really excited to get to read the next one.

This was such a cute romance! I loved the banter and the sizzling on page chemistry. I love the family aspect and the friends in the town. This was such a cute little romance, and I love this author.

4 ⭐️

Carson and Perry’s story really worked for me. They’ve known each other forever, both carrying scars from their childhoods, and that shared history made their connection feel so natural. I loved the way they were each other’s safe place long before the romance kicked in.
The tension between them was great—lots of banter, lots of back-and-forth, and enough longing to keep me hooked. If I had one critique, it’s that once the walls came down, everything moved a little too quickly. After all the angst, I wanted more time with them as a couple.
Still, I couldn’t put it down. Maisey Yates knows how to write small towns that feel real, side characters you want more of, and romances that give you all the feels.

Final Thoughts:
If you like friends-to-lovers cowboy romances with small-town charm, strong emotions, and just the right amount of angst, Outlaw Lake is definitely worth picking up.


Tropes:
🤠 Friends-to-lovers
🏡 Small-town life
🔥 Slow burn tension
💔 Healing from the past
💞 Second chances

Thank you NetGalley & Maisey Yates for the ARC 💞

Nothing beats a cowboy romance from Maisey Yates and this did not disappoint. Friends to lovers, small town drama, and a beautiful setting. Truly nothing better!

Listen I live for a good cowboy romance!!!!
Totally unputdownable. The mix of tension and emotion made this such a compelling read. I loved every single beat, from the nail-biting moments to the softer, more heartfelt scenes. It’s the kind of book that leaves a mark.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! I loveddd the retro covers so much! It was a very sweet book but it was hard to see the deep connection at times. Overall a good time I just wanted a little more from both characters !

okay okay okay!!! so like this book was great?? I was surprised. I had fun with the first one, and once I got past the book being in third person, since it's not my favorite thing, I was hooked. I was so excited to read their story when I started the first book, and im glad I didn't have to wait long at all....

I was yelling the whole time.. like just say your feelings and y'all would've had so much more time. but the "will they won't they" of it was was so well done that it felt real. and with the history that these two brought to the table, their ability to be comfortable and true was really shown with out it being said. and once they had a taste of what it could be I was here kicking my feet watching them come into their own and learn to speak up, and learn to love. and it was beautiful.

A fun western read that shows evolution from Yates into the newer market. This one is sure to please anyone who reads Lyla Sage or Elsie Silver and wants something similar.

I love Rustler Mountain. Isn't this the kind of place that everybody wishes they lived in?!

This was a cute read even if predictable. The characters were loveable, the build up was enjoyable, and I didn't mind the best friends to lovers trope. I didn't see the "you are my human" vibe between the two main characters that I expected and the on and on internal monologues were a bit much for me. It got a bit boring for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and this won't keep me from reading the next book.

This book was so good I could think of nothing else until I finished it. Carson and Perry’s relationship was so beautiful - the perfect friends to lovers. The yearning! The passion! I liked how they had to overcome challenges and they both had to do the work before they were able to have their happily ever after. The setting was great and I really enjoyed the integration of diary entries/letters from Perry’s great grandmother. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of this series!

Well I was unaware this was in 3rd POV.
Which may have been a contributor to my issues here.

Fiends to lovers. Is a tough trope for me. It has to be done a certain way. And for these two to be as good of friends as they were, the communication was just not there.
I mean cruddy parents aside.

I love angst. But there’s a line before it just gets frustrating.

Loved the setting tho.

Netgalley arc review ✨

I really liked this romance between Perry and Carson. lifelong best friends who have supported each other through more hardship than good, Perry has always been in love with Carson but he's always surpresssed his true feelings for her.

What I really liked was the focus on relationship and character development You really see that throughout the book. Communication starts off unclear, and ends up being all cards on the table. I didn't like the navel gazing, which seemed to take quite a bit of page space.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

I love the cover of this book! That's what drew me to it first. However, I didn't connect well with the characters. I feel like there was a lot of 'telling' instead of 'showing', especially when it came to the relationship aspect (I want to see that they're best friends, not just be told). Also the fact that both main-leads mentioned having no one else to talk to kind of ruined some of the tension for me...? and then the *lack* of feeling the tension that was supposed to be there just kind of went...well, meh, for me. Loved the little historical notes on the chapters though! Very cute.

A yearning cowboy is always going to be a win for me. This is the second book in an interconnected small town series but can absolutely be read alone.

I liked the idea behind Outlaw Lake more than the actual execution. The setup has all the ingredients for a solid friends-to-lovers story, two people with a shared past, a cozy small-town setting, and that classic “what if we risk it all” tension. On paper, it should have been exactly my kind of romance.

The problem for me was how much of the story stayed locked inside the characters’ heads. Every chapter had long stretches of inner monologue, and after a while it felt like they were thinking their relationship in circles instead of actually talking to each other. I kept wishing for more dialogue, more banter, more of that easy shorthand you expect from lifelong best friends. Without it, the friendship and the romance both felt a little flat.

That said, I did enjoy the historical diary entries that ran alongside the main story. They added a nice touch of depth and gave the book a little more personality. And while this wasn’t my favorite of the series so far, I do still like the setting and will probably pick up the next one to see where it goes.