2.5/5 stars
An okay western romance.
This one took me awhile to get into and overall I thought it was just okay.
However, if you’re looking for a fun, light romance to spend an afternoon reading, this might be for you.

Tropes:
-Single Dad
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-No 3rd Act Breakup

Homebound by Meredith Trapp was an engaging, light read for me that I enjoyed poolside! It was fun and swoony, the second chance, friends-to-lovers, "it's always been you" romance between Wyatt and Dakota was lovely and a long time coming. My favorite was the sweet relationship that was built between Dakota and Wyatt's daughter. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster publishing for the ARC! This book was so fun to read. Seeing these characters come together after so many years of friendship warms my heart. Some of the comments regarding Texas were a little far fetched but it’s neither here nor there. I enjoyed this book and finished fairly quickly. It started a little slow (just world building and creating a beautiful story regardless) and ended beautifully!! I’m excited to continue reading books from this author!

Whew! What a fast paced western romance! This was a fun one with unique characters that were brought to life by the author. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

This book was hard for me to get into in the storyline. It’s set up in the beginning was just not believable so since then I struggled to actually finish.

I would like to personally thank Meredith Trapp for ruining my emotional stability and any chance I had at living a cowboy-free life. This book?? A gut punch in the softest, slowest, most beautifully devastating way.

First of all, the writing. It’s so good it made me want to walk into the woods and dramatically stare into the distance while contemplating my life choices. Every sentence is soaked in longing, grief, and that quiet kind of hope that sneaks up on you when you're least expecting it.

And then there's him. The cowboy. Sir. SIR. Who gave you the right to be so emotionally available and hot? I was not prepared for the way he made silence feel intimate, or how a simple “you good?” could emotionally destroy me. If I had a nickel for every time I wanted to crawl into the book and sob into his flannel, I’d have enough money to buy the fictional ranch and fake a meet-cute.

The chemistry? Electric. The slow burn? Torturous. The emotional depth? Unfair. This book didn’t just tug at my heartstrings—it lassoed them, tied them up, and made me feel things I wasn’t ready for. Like… healing? Who gave this book permission to be therapy in paperback form?

Anyway. 5 stars. A masterpiece. I’m emotionally wrecked, slightly feral, and fully ready to reread it with annotated tabs and a bottle of wine. Meredith Trapp, I am respectfully obsessed with you.

I really like this book I like that there was no third act break up which is why I'm giving it five stars I was also super high at the end and the part where she wins and was thinking of his little girl i just started bawling and I can't stop laughing about it

Some of my all time favorite tropes were right there: friends-to-lovers, single parent, forced proximity. But this one sadly fell flat. I enjoyed the characters separately. A no nonsense go-getter who knows what she wants? Love. Down-bad golden retriever? Adorable. But together, there was just no chemistry. So much telling, not enough showing. I'm also not totally convinced that Wyatt's panic attack was handled with the care and nuance it deserved. This wasn't the right fit for me, but I'll be keeping my eye on this author and series.

I could tell immediately that I would have issues with the dialogue. I’m not southern, but I cannot believe the way Dakota talks. She was way too unbelievable to me as a character. Wyatt was better, but honestly, he didn’t have me head over heels. I feel like this story had potential but ultimately fell flat.

What to expect:
Childhood friends to lovers
Single Dad
Bull Rider FMC
Grumpy x Sunshine
“It’s always been you”

Hockey player Wyatt has been in love with his best friend, Dakota, since she pulled him from a rising creek when they were just kids. The pair became inseparable, and it seems like Wyatt’s love for Dakota was solidified from the start.

Dakota has one major goal in life: be in the PBR circuit. She’s riding local, working on her skills, and determined as hell to make a name for herself in the rodeo. What she didn’t expect was her childhood best friend to come waltzing back into town after 3 years of no contact. She can overlook Wyatt adjusting to life as a single dad but the hurt in her heart runs deep.

Overall thoughts:
There were a lot of good parts to their story, however much of it started to fall flat. It kind of felt like I was reading the same things on repeat. I struggled with feeling like Wyatt may have been changing who he was to make himself into the man Dakota wanted. Even though she realizes in the end she cares deeply for Wyatt and his daughter. It was a solid read, one I would recommend if you aren’t looking for anything too deep and enjoy a friends to lovers trope.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. I found it hard to stay interested—the plot felt flat, and the characters didn’t do much to pull me in.

Let’s start with the characters and their dynamic, which honestly felt more frustrating than anything else. They’re supposed to be adults, but their behavior and conversations felt immature, almost like teenagers fumbling through first love. Maybe it was the long separation between them or the emotional buildup, but the dialogue was so awkward that I had to keep pausing just to get through the cringey moments. Their interactions lacked depth and chemistry, which made it hard to root for them.

The male lead is an NHL player, but you wouldn’t know it unless you caught the two brief mentions of it. That detail felt tacked on—more like a hook than something meaningful to the story.

While the premise had potential and I liked the initial setting, the worldbuilding fell short. Outside of a house, a bar, and Dakota’s competition scenes, there wasn’t much of the small-town vibe or community feel that I was hoping for.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much Atria Books, NetGalley and author Meredith Trapp for gifting me a copy of Homebound 🧡

This is book 2 in The Boundless Players series but can be read as a standalone.

Wyatt and Dakota have always been best friends but just friends. Dakota is two years older than Wyatt and never thought of him as more than a friend but Wyatt has always been in love with Dakota. As adults they go their separate ways and after three years apart Wyatt comes home to win over Dakota's heart. Dakota starts to see Wyatt differently and sparks soon fly.

I loved the dual point of view and I just adored Wyatt. This was a super cute romance proving that waiting for your dream girl is worth it. I really really want there to be a book about Alanna and Willie, please write a book about them!!

I highly recommend this to all romance readers looking for a sweet love story.

The setting was an easy win for me—Texas always gives a story that extra charm, and this one didn’t disappoint there.

The best friends to lovers angle was the right move. I love that trope, and I really enjoyed how he clearly fell first. Watching him try to win her over was sweet and had some genuinely heartwarming moments.

That said, I struggled a bit with the character development. It felt like two adults still stuck in teenage mindsets, and I was hoping for more emotional growth as the story unfolded.

Also, while the dad element was a major part of the plot, the romantic build-up felt a little thin. At times, it almost seemed like she fell for the baby more than him, which made the actual romance feel underdeveloped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I wanted to love this book, but something was just missing.. I feel like she needed to hate him a little longer. The tension just wasn’t there. A few of the parts felt like we were missing details. There were so many cringey lines in the book that I had to force myself to get through them.

Kinda in my cowboy (and lowkey hockey) romance era and when I saw this cover, I knew it was going to be good!!

Dakota and Wyatt were best friends growing up until after one summer, when Wyatt never came back. Obviously, after this major heartbreak Dakota became a tough bull rider and Wyatt became hickeys golden boy. But it all changes when Wyatt comes back into the picture.

Personally, I loved this book so much! What can I say, I'm a simp for a man who continues to fight for the woman he loves. However, I will say the plot of him having a baby after a one night stand was kinda gag worthy to me because we don't see a whole lot of this trope.

Big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

This was a childhood crush that turned into so much. Wyatt was back in his hometown for his offseason from hockey and ready to do everything he could to show Dakota that they were meant to be. Dakota is a female bull rider just trying to achieve her dream of being in the PBR. They were a cute pair.

Friends to lovers’ is one of my favorite tropes and Meredith Trapp knocked it out of the park. The setting was so lovely (okay, being a Texan I might be a bit biased), and Dakota being the badass bull rider was such a fun and refreshing twist. Wyatt was such a great MMC - the pining and conviction that he was going to finally get the girl was the stuff of regency-era swoons. Now all I need is need Alanna and Willie’s story and one of Dakota’s prickly pear margaritas.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book felt like a warm, slow summer evening—easy to fall into and hard to put down. Homebound pulled me in right away, and by the end, I just wanted to hug it. Meredith Trapp gives us the kind of romance that feels both swoony and real, the kind that makes you think, “I want a love like that.”

Dakota and Wyatt’s story was everything I didn’t know I needed. She’s a fierce, no-nonsense bull rider with a soft heart, and he’s the sweet, steady single dad who’s clearly still holding a torch for her. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what really got me were the quiet moments—shared memories, gentle touches, and the way Wyatt shows up again and again, not just for Dakota, but for his daughter too.

The small-town Texas setting added so much charm. You can practically hear the cicadas, feel the dusty heat, and picture the two of them sitting on a porch swing under the stars. There’s just the right amount of spice, but the emotional connection always takes center stage.

If you’re in the mood for something heartfelt, comforting, and romantic without being over-the-top, Homebound is the perfect read. It left me smiling, a little teary, and totally in love.

The slow burn in this book was just a bit too slow for me. I had a hard time getting through it due to that.
The plot itself worked for me it just felt like it was dragging for me for a while.

I didn't get the full small town feel that I was looking for with this as the settings were very limited.

The characters also felt a bit underdeveloped. They both acted like teenagers with each other and that turned me off when it came to them.

All in all the book wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me.

I usually love small town /cowboy /cowgirl romances but for some reason I did not click with this one. The FMC just kind of irritated me and it kept my head out of the story.