I really loved this story. Having a female bull rider really changed the perspective. I wish they would have had a little more about his job and transferring and all that he didn't even call his agent or manager or anything. Regardless I stalled the last 5% because I wasn't ready to let them go.

Not gonna lie, I saw this was a friends to lovers, female bull rider / NHL player romance and it was an instant read for me. Dakota “Cowboy Killer” Cutler is chasing her dream of making it to the PBR as a female bull rider. She’s known for breaking hearts and her fiery attitude but when her former best friend comes back to town with his infant daughter in tow, she gets two new roommates for the summer. Wyatt “I’m going to die in the friend zone” Patterson has been in love with Dakota since they were kids and is now back to finally declare his feelings for her and make her his forever. From outdoor showers, kitchen counters, bench seats, and dance floors the spice was spicin! 🌶🌶

“I thought I needed a man who could handle me, but maybe what I really needed was a man to hold me.”

Homebound is book 2 in the Boundless Players series and is now available for purchase or on Kindle Unlimited!

This book was so cute!! I love small-town and cowboy romances. I'm not a huge fan of friends-to-lovers but I liked that it was the guy trying to get the girl instead of the other way around, which I feel is more common.

The badass FMC was my favorite and I especially loved the relationship she had with the MMC's daughter. It was precious. Also love a good single-dad trope and this book executed it flawlessly.

There was spice but it wasn't a lot. The book was also pretty low stakes and mainly focused on the development of the MC's relationships which is typical of contemporary romance.

This was a fun and easy read with a lot of feelings and a lot of love. I enjoyed so many moments between these characters and the way that their story continued to develop with each turning page. I loved Dakota being such a strong female MC and a professional athlete at that. Not to mention I am simply a sucker for the single dad 🥰 Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, I had a great time with this one!

I don't think I can emphasize how much I LOVE a single dad romance, and this all felt like it was designed just for me when I read the blurb. However, I was kind of left wanting a lot more. I do love that there was a bit of a gender bend with the FMC being the bull rider and I liked that there was no third act break up. However, it was a really slow start and the feelings from Dakota felt very abrupt. Like, she was just suddenly like, "oh my god, he's hot and been waiting for me all along!" I think I really would have enjoyed it if we got more of a look into how Dakota fell for Wyatt; I just didn't feel a connection like I hoped I would.
Overall, I liked the book and I'll definitely seek out more from Meredith Trapp but this one just wasn't super memorable. Finally, thank you to NetGalley, Meredith Trapp, and Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

"Homebound," the second installment in the Boundless Players series, offers a classic friends-to-lovers cowboy romance with a single dad trope woven in. It's a pleasant enough read, and if you're looking for a low-stakes, comforting story, this might just hit the spot.

The chemistry between Dakota and Wyatt is certainly present, and their history as childhood friends provides a sweet foundation for their rekindled romance. I appreciated the inclusion of Wyatt's daughter, which added a nice layer to his character and their dynamic. The Western setting is also a charming backdrop, and it's clear the author has a good grasp on the genre's appeal.

However, for me, the story felt a bit uneven. While the premise is solid, the pacing occasionally dragged, and some of the conflicts felt a little manufactured or easily resolved. There were moments where I wished for a bit more depth in the character development or a stronger emotional punch. Dakota's initial resistance, while understandable, sometimes felt a little prolonged, and I found myself wanting her to open up sooner.

Overall, "Homebound" is a perfectly fine read that delivers on its promise of a sweet, second-chance romance. It's not a book that will stay with me long-term, but it was an enjoyable way to pass the time. If you're a fan of the genre and looking for something light, it's worth checking out.

I thought it was so cool reading a book about a female bullrider! Wyatt was such an amazing dad he was so sweet I loved reading that side of him. Wyatt and Dakota were friends when they were younger and Wyatt has always been in love with Dakota. He backed off once he heard that she was engaged. Well that engagement didn't go through and now he's back in town with his 1 year old and try to finally tell Dakota how he feels. Wyatt was so sweet and kind to Dakota and his daughter. I can't wait to read book 2

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Homebound from the author, and Atria Books! 🫶

Homebound has a ton of potential but slightly disappointed me. I absolutely love the MMC so much and think he truly is incredible. I also think that he deserves all the wonderful things in the world. However, pining after a girl for YEARS is a little much and to be honest I think he should have moved on ages ago personally. The FMC on the other hand is someone I just couldn't relate to personally. I just didn't understand her actions to be honest. I will say that I did enjoy that the story is in dual POV because it was cool getting to know them both more! I will check out future books from this author! 🫶

This was such a great second chance western romance. I am a sucker for western and hockey romance and this had both. I love how Wyatt is the sunshine in the relationship and Dakota is the grump. This is a true friends to strangers to lovers that gives you all the feels. I truly enjoyed this book and will read more from this author in the future.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes: he falls first, cowgirl, childhood best friends & single dad

Immediately when starting this book I was so giddy, i had my attention hooked from page one. Cowgirl?! Floral farm?! Single dad?! Yes please!

Unfortunately as the story went on I felt that it was lacking in childhood stories that would lead us to root for the characters. We didn’t get much of Wyatt being a hockey player. I would have loved to learn why he went into that profession in the first place. We do get a lot of Dakota being an aspiring bull riding champion which I loved. Their home is on a floral farm & I wish we got more descriptions of the farm & stories of growing up there.

There was a scene in the story where Dakota had a panic attack and how it was dealt took me out of the story. There was also a lot of inner dialogue that became repetitive to where I just wanted the story to end.

With that being said I loved how our FMC is a bull rider. In a world where it’s primarily men in the bull riding industry it was so refreshing to read about how women are just as capable. Dakota is such a badass & I need more cowgirl romances in my life!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

This had me soft smiling, sighing, and kicking my feet under the covers. If you’re into childhood best friends turned rodeo rivals with secret pining and a second chance so loaded with angst it could rope a steer, you’re going to love this.

This book was such a fun read. I loved Dakota because she was a total badass in a male-dominated job but still soft and sweet with Wyatt and Vienna. The slow burn between her and Wyatt felt super natural, and I really liked how much he loved her even after all that time. A few lines were a little cringey, but I was so into the story that it didn’t matter.

DNF @ 93%

The characters repeating their thoughts every single chapter was too much to bear. I almost made it to the end, when I realized I simply didn't care for anybody in the book and wasn't curious at all to the conclusion.

⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️

Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this! It was so precious from start to finish. Wyatt and Dakota are absolutely everything. Their relationship was so genuine with their childhood friendship making it even better. The way Wyatt was obsessed with his woman is a prime example of how every man should be obsessed with his woman. The fact that he had been obsessed with her since there were kids made it even better. Dakota is such a strong and powerful FMC! She is on a mission to prove herself and does it in every way possible throughout the story. Wyatt, Dakota, and Vivienne together were so dang precious! Every little moment between the three of them, especially Dakota and Vivienne, melted me into a puddle! An absolute must read for everyone!

Tropes:
- single dad
- childhood friends
- man obsessed
- bull rider FMC
- hockey player MMC
- roommates
- golden retriever x black cat
- forced proximity
- "it's always been you"

Wow! I really enjoyed this one.
I didn’t realize it was book two. So of course I need to go and read book one.
I completely loved the concept of a female bull rider. And showing that women are just as strong as men. Also, who doesn’t love a single dad trope.
I am really hoping there will be a third book.

This is the second time reading (first was when independently published) and I still love this book. It’s the perfect blend of a cowboy, er… cowgirl and sports romance. It has the childhood friends to lovers,small town vibes, girl power, a slow burn romance with spice, a sassy, confident FMC, and just the sweetest single daddy hockey player MMC. I admired how Wyatt was an amazing daddy to his little girl while still wooing Dakota with all his charm. I loved their love story. 4.5 stars

This book was so, so sweet. Wyatt was such a golden retriever sweetheart of an MMC, and I loved that Dakota was such a strong, unapologetic FMC. Vi was the cutest little girl in the world, and it was so beautiful to watch Dakota’s love story — not only with Wyatt — but with Vi too. The best thing about this book was how healthy their relationship was. It was built on pure, wholesome childhood friendship and then loving trust between two adults, and that was really refreshing. Wyatt was the most unproblematic MMC I’ve ever read, and he truly just wanted to stand back and watch Dakota shine. Dakota didn’t take advantage of that and, instead, made sure their relationship was reciprocal — he helped her and wanted the best for her, but she stepped in, too, when he (and Vi) needed help and needed her. As a side note, I also loved Dakota’s dad — what a great role model for her and Wyatt both. He loved his daughter so much and was willing to be vulnerable when it came to her, despite his tough guy persona.

i really wanted to like this because i loved the idea of the fmc being a bull rider and and the mmc being a single dad who has been pining after this girl since they were kids but idk... it didn't really do anything for me. the writing was not great and the story felt very repetitive. i didn't hate the romance but i also didn't love it so it was just meh for me. lots of cringe dialogue.

spice was there but i didn't love the fact that their first time happened when dakota was in a bad headspace and literally in the middle of a panic attack?? like what part of that screams this is the perfect time to have sex? i get it's probably trying to address ppl using sex as a trauma response but idk i feel like it could have been done better like wyatt could have acknowledged that it wasn't appropriate and kept his dick in his pants for one more night. idk it just felt weird to me

but anyway this was very quick and easy to read, i pretty much read the whole thing in one go in a few hours

I read this book in 24h. It was well written, the characters were great. I just loved the main characters, this book also made me laugh allot!

this book was amazing! i’ve been leaning more into cowboy romances, so i loved the twist of it being a “cowgirl romance”.

dakota and wyatt’s story is fantastic. i love a good friends to lovers story, and adding in vienna i feel like was the cherry on top.

in the end dakota got everything she ever wanted and more and im so happy for her. i definitely can’t wait to see what else this author has in store.