I’m going to be honest, what drew me into this book was the cover. It’s gorgeous and I’ve been deep into my cowboy era lately. However this one just didn’t do it for me. It felt like the plot just sort of fell flat for me. Not much was going on imo.

3.5 ⭐️ This is my first book by this author. This is also my first introduction to a single daddy trope, and Cowboy FMC and NHL athlete MMC. Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was cute. I am not rating it a 4 and above because to MY rating standards that is for books I cannot stop thinking about once I have finished and will not hesitate to tell others to read. There were a few moments I found cringe and some moments I was a bit bored. My favorite was the MMC’s high level of emotional maturity, passion, determination, and fierceness for those he loves. Who knew a single daddy can be so hot?! lol I also absolutely loved the cover of this book. I loved the way Wyatt cared and showed up for Dakota. He was so patient and always understanding. I appreciated the representation of mental health in Dakota. Anxiety can impact us in how we see ourselves and interpret situations and this book didn’t good back in showing us that. I can see how this also could come off as she is annoying because she has struggles with making decisions. She can also come off as stubborn but I liked her level of independence and wanting to stay true to what she values. There wouldn’t be much yearning from Wyatt if she has given in easily so I think it makes sense for her stubbornness lol.

I do wish they had expanded a bit more on Wyatt’s story about becoming a single dad. They only told us it was from a one night stand and the mother didn’t want to be involved. It just felt a bit odd and rushed.

Read if you like:
-childhood friends to lovers in adulthood
-single daddy trope
-he fell first, and he fell hard
-slow burn
-MMC yearning!! They literally don’t kiss until about 52% in
-supportive family and friends

5⭐️ 3🌶️ 5🎧 Ahhh, these two! I LOVE THEM!! And little Vi, I just adore them all so much!! There is not a single word I would change in this story, it’s perfection!

Wyatts been pinning for Dakota since he was a boy, and he’s done being in the friend zone! He stops treating her like a friend and starts treating her like the women he wants by his side and we love him for it! She slowly starts seeing him as more than a friend and starts pinning back. This book had me giggling and kicking my legs throughout!

CJ Bloom and Sean Masters did a fantastic job narrating these characters, they are at the top of my list of favorites and always guarantee happy ears!

Hair washing, hay bales, and coming home. 🤠

Homebound by Meredith Trapp is a brand new take on COWGIRL romance. This book takes the classic small-town second chance trope and gives it a fresh, fun twist—with a NHL player single dad and a no-nonsense, bull-riding cowgirl who just so happens to be his childhood best friend… and two years older. 👀🔥

From tender moments in the barn…dominium to flirty rodeo banter and the kind of chemistry that practically crackles off the page, this book has it allllllll. The emotional depth, the Texas charm, and yes—THAT hair-washing scene (you’ll know when you get there)—make this a total standout.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
I fell in love with the relationships the characters have within the book, especially between Kodie and her Dad - had me tearing up during some parts. The special bond between her dad, him being her bull-riding coach and always supporting her had me missing my dad so this definitely hit home for me.
Such a heart warming and tender second-chance romance where our main male character Wyatt comes back into his small town after learning that his best girl-friends engagement has been called off. He has been in love with Kodie since they were kids growing up but she has always seen him as her little brother.

Kodie is fierce bull-rider nicknamed "Cowboy Killer" know around town as riding the men just as hard as the bulls lol.
She has no plans to be tied down or to settle as she is following her dreams to become pro. Will Wyatt be able to win her over? If not him, then maybe his adorable one-year old daughter might do the trick.

PERFECT level of steamy spice, mixed with heart-felt moments that had my eyes watering. Highly recommend to lovers of second-chance, small town romance, friends to lovers.

Thank vou to Atria books for the opportunity to arc read this title.

3.75/5 ⭐️s
🌶️🌶️ - medium spice

LOVES:
- The relationship between Dakota and her dad is really sweet and the parallels between it and Wyatt’s relationship with his daughter was also well done
- The metaphor about how Wyatt made her realize she was breathing and slow down to feel alive was neat
- I liked the way the characters thought about their relationship. “She sharpens me, but I soften her” and her ambitions pushed him into his successful career, while he chilled out her workaholic ways. They had quite a few complementary qualities.
- Dakota needed to grow up and mature before she could be ready for Wyatt, despite him being the younger one. I appreciated when she finally started to notice that a kind, trustworthy, responsible man is attractive. And they can be better in bed than a-holes too 😉

CRITIQUES:
- Jeeeeez, this guy is down bad. I LOVE that in a man, but, in this case, it was actually pretty painful to see how hard he pined for her and she just didn’t see him that way 😬
- Plot hole: if Wyatt is always wearing the ring, how did she never end up seeing it??

There were a lot of things I liked about this, but the way their relationship was written in the first half felt uncomfortable and a little cringy for me. I liked the second half of the book quite a bit though and the ending was very sweet 🥰 I think a lot of people would like this book and I would recommend it if the above sounds appealing to you!

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster for the eARC 💝 Releases on June 17th!

Your not so typical cowboy romance!

FYI this is book 2 in the series, but read s perfectly fine as a standalone. I did not read the first book (even though I absolutely have it on my shelf) and was able to read this book with no problems or missing plot points.

Dakota (Kodie) Cutler is the Cowboy Killer, a bull riding fiend and Wyatt Patterson is the golden retriever hockey player who comes back to Texas to make the girl who has always put him in the friend zone, his girl once and for all. I loved that this was the FMC as the cowboy and the MMC was this sweet sunshine single dad who is always a glass half full kind of guy.

Im not normally the biggest fan of friends to lovers as a trope. I will say, this book made me eat my words on friends to lovers. And maybe it' because there was a bit of tension at the beginning since Dakota was upset with Wyatt and essentially made him beg and chase her a bit more than in your typical friends to lovers books. The banter was there, the flirting was there, the spice was DEFINITELY there.

Absolutely enjoyed this and now to go back and read Icebound 😅

Ooo, who is this fun!!!! I think that might be the best way to describe Homebound
FUN!!!

Dakota and Wyatt are fun, spicy, and loveable, and ugh!!! My heart is just so happy with them!! They crack me up! They give me all the warm, fuzzy vibes! They hit all of the marks.

Wyatt came back to Texas with 2 things in mind. 2. Help with his grandparents' flower farm. 1. Get the girl! What's the best way to do that? Live in the same barn as her that also happens to be on his families property! What could go wrong when the single dad has to live with the Cowboy Killer! (So many things).

Everyone in this book has earned a special place in my heart! I love them all!!

What I loved about Dakota was that she wasn't the best from the start and instead put in the effort to excel by the conclusion of the novel, rather than just being the best of the best from the beginning. This made it easy to connect with the character. This is a dual viewpoint. The MMC is Wyatt and he is easy to fall for. Again, his actions were realistic and events that happen in real life.

This is perfect for anyone who enjoys a devoted single dad and a small-town romance. Wyatt was such a nice and courteous man to everyone, and the connection between Dakota and him made me laugh. I loved that he was younger than her, because I don't think you see that in romance books very often.

This ARC was provided by Atria Books Publicity via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Homebound the perfect escape to Texas hill country. I know the place intimately, so this book was special.

Dakota is a competitive bull rider and her childhood friend who is 2 years younger than her, Wyatt is in the NHL. He has always had a crush on her growing up but she always thinks of him as just a friend. She gets engaged and Wyatt breaks all contact only return years later with a baby in tow and determined to win Dakota over.

Wyatt’s a single dad and his southern manners were *chef’s kiss*. I enjoyed their journey towards rediscovering each other a lot. There were also some popcorn moments that added to the intrigue.

Thank you @atriabooks and @authormeredithtrapp for this arc 🤍

Such a sweet premise of a romance, but unfortunately this was a miss for me. The writing was lovely, but I just couldn't get past the blatant disinterest of the FMC. The MCs interactions/dialogue felt forced due to this and lacked the chemistry I needed to feel connected to the characters' relationship. I did love the always been you, second chance tropes as well as the setting of the story. I look forward to seeing what the author publishes next.

A big thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Meredith Trapp for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I read his before when it was only an indie book and I love it again this time. Meridith knows how to pull at your heart strings and make you swoon for the hot hockey players. The FMC was a strong lead. I really enjoy second chance romances.

This was a fun book! I genuinely had a good time once I got over my expectations of the book. I kept trying to compare it to Icebound and that being a hockey romance and what not.

I genuinely enjoyed Wyatt and Dakota. I enjoyed how Wyatt was just ready to give it his all with Dakota and get out of the friend zone. His confidence in her was exactly what she needed after Boone and I love that he helped her with that. Dakota was a feisty little firecracker and for a girl who acted like she didn’t give a crap it made me sad to see her care about it behind closed doors. Seeing her with Wyatt’s daughter and reclaiming her confidence was a lot of fun.

The banter and history between them made this book really special.

Home Bound by Meredith Trapp delivers a fresh take on Western romance by flipping the script—this time, the spotlight is on a tough-as-nails cowgirl instead of the usual rugged cowboy. Dakota, aka the "Cowboy Killer," is a fierce female bull rider with dreams of making it to the PBR. She's gritty, determined, and not one to back down from a challenge. But lately, her confidence has taken a hit. She can’t stay on the bull for more than a few seconds, and a lot of that stems from her no-good ex, Boone, who got in her head and made her doubt herself.

Enter Wyatt Patterson, a hot-shot NHL player and childhood friend Dakota hasn't seen in years. Their reunion is anything but smooth. There's tension, unresolved feelings, and to top it off, Wyatt isn’t alone—he’s now a single dad to an adorable baby girl, Vi. He needs a place to stay for the summer, and Dakota’s place just happens to be the perfect spot.

What I loved about this book was the dynamic between Dakota and Wyatt. It’s a classic case of opposites attract. Dakota is all grit and guarded edges, while Wyatt is sweet, steady, and patient. He’s the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to fight for the woman he loves—even when that woman keeps pushing him away. I appreciated how Wyatt slowly chipped away at Dakota’s walls, showing her that vulnerability isn't weakness and that she doesn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders alone.

Wyatt didn’t want to tame her; he wanted to stand beside her. Their chemistry was strong, and watching Wyatt finally man up and prove to Dakota that he’s always been the one for her made for a satisfying payoff.

Home Bound is a heartwarming, slow-burn romance with strong themes of healing, trust, and learning to let love in. If you're looking for a cowboy story with a twist—and a heroine who can hold her own in the rodeo ring—this one’s definitely worth the read.

This one had its cute moments and was overall enjoyable. This one is definitely for all the nice boy lovers. There was one major plot hole that I am still hung up on and was mildly distracted by the entire book.

Thank you to Atria & NetGalley for the ARC <3

This book is the slowest of slow burns. It also started off slow for me and I didn’t get really invested into the story until it finally picked up about half way through. I did end up enjoying it though. Wyatt and Dakota have been friends since they were children. He’s always had a crush on her but has always been friend zoned. Wyatt is a professional hockey player that’s back home for the summer and determined to win the girl. He’s also a single dad of Vienna, an adorable one-year-old little girl. I absolutely loved Wyatt. He is an amazing father, and when he finally realized he needed to show Kodie that he is a MAN now, instead of the little boy she’s always known… boy does he show her. Dakota is a female bull rider just trying to make it to the PBR. I loved her strength and determination, but as a character she just lacked for me. She drove me kind of crazy that she couldn’t see how clearly obsessed Wyatt was with her. I did, however, love how obsessed she was with Vi and how much she loved her and stepped up for her. I enjoyed the reminiscing of their memories. And their chemistry (once Dakota opened her eyes) was amazing. Overall I loved where the story ended up.

Thank you to Meridith Trapp, Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of Homebound. I’m hoping theirs a third book in this series because I NEED Lana’s story.

read if you love:
bull rider FMC, professional hockey player MMC, small town, forced proximity, single dad, he falls first, childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, it’s always been her

Hey guess what? - another small town romance book THAT I ATE UP LIKE IT WAS NOBODY'S BUSINESS.

First of all, first Meredith Trapp book for me, loved the writing style. There were Harry Styles references and little sidebar comments that felt like they came directly from my brain so I thoroughly enjoyed that.

And lort, I need to talk about Wyatt because I STG if you give me a hockey player, from a small town, that's polite in public and not so polite not in public, I will absolutely love said character. Add in the fact this man is a DAD! Hellloooo.

Dakota was a great FMC. I felt like I could relate to her and her need to control things. I also really loved her ambition to do what she loved and removing things (and people) that were going to prevent her from reaching said goals.

Absolutely would recommend if you're looking for a small town Texas romance read to add to your TBR this summer!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

No one loves a good cowboy small town romance more than me and this delivered on every front. Do your self a favor and RUN when this comes out. Thank you Netgally for an early copy!

Second chance romance, friends to lovers, opposites attract, and the fact that she's a older tough female rodeo rider and he's the single dad hockey player determined to win her back??? THIS BOOK WAS DELICIOUS. Dakota and Wyatt grew up as best friends, Wyatt spent every summer at his family's flower farm with Dakota... and he's been in love with her. Dakota has never seen him as anything other than her best friend and suddenly one day he's disappeared from her life and not a single answered call or response... and now three years later he's back and asking if he and his daughter and can spend the summer with her. Wyatt knew he messed up when he went cold turkey on her but he thought that she didn't need him anymore after she got engaged and he knew it was time for him to try and move on... except he never did and he's back and determined to get a second chance with her if only he could get her to forgive him and to see him as anything other than a friend. Dakota doesn't have time for this, she's busy training to win the rodeo competition and get a spot on a team... but she can't resist Wyatt and how he's somehow opened her eyes to a completely new side to him she's never realized... but is she going to risk opening her heart again and possibly ruining a friendship... or is it worth the risk? This book was so so good. I adored the friendship and love that Dakota and Wyatt had for one another. The spice was amazing and the second chance romance aspect was done so well. Seriously I need the next book in this series immediately!!!!

Release Date: June 17,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved Wyatt and Dakota!! This was such a fun story with wonderful characters. Like Dakota, I usually go for the alpha males but Wyatt was just too charming to resist. I loved all the different role reversals in this story. The rodeo and flower farm setting was really delightful.

Wyatt was seriously just too cute!! He's so adorably awkward and unsure but that just made him so much more endearing. He's the ultimate book boyfriend.

I liked that Dakota was the older, more confident one in the story. The role reversal was a nice change of pace with her being the one chasing a dream. She has such strong black cat energy but it wasn't off-putting. It was commendable how much she was willing to put in to achieve her dream of riding for the PBR. I also loved that she was a woman in a man's sport.

I liked that you could really feel the heartache from both sides and it was easy to see and understand both perspectives. The emotional was so raw at times and I really felt it in my heart. I loved all the history between them and how much it added to the story. This was such a heartfelt story that I would definitely recommend!!