This was very mediocre. I also didn’t realize it was the second in a series, but I don’t think reading the first one would change the way I felt about it. I wasn’t interested really in either main character. I liked that Dakota was the only female bull rider in Texas, but felt like the author didn’t discuss why that was a big deal or all the struggles she would have gone through to get where she was. The best part of this book for me was the interactions between Lana and Willie. I feel like they at least had some chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book so much. I’m not going to lie normally friends to lovers and second chance is any really my jam, and I always kinda feel like once you’re friend zoned that’s it but OMG Wyatt is the best! I also don’t love kids in books typically but I loved Vi and I loved watching Vi and Dakota’s bond grow. This was such a sweet read. I literally read it in (basically) one sitting in just a matter of a few hours bc I couldn’t put it down. 10/10

I'm a bit conflicted and honestly disappointed by this book. The characters had potential, Wyatt is the perfect book boyfriend, sweet and caring in all the right ways. But I really didn’t enjoy Dakota’s character, she was mean for no real reason, and it honestly just pissed me off. The story is a classic small town/cowboy romance like we've seen a thousand times before and nothing really stood out for me. It's a shame cause on paper, it should’ve been everything I love, she's Grumpy he's Sunshine, Single dad, Small town, like yes please!!! But the writing didn’t work for me. It felt repetitive, kind of irritating, and honestly a little cringe at times.

This book will get you into and out of book slump! Dakota "Kodie" is the cowgirl who is trying to make it big in the PBR. Wyatt is a single dad in the NHL who grew up with her. He takes a summer on the off season to spend with his family, and get the girl of his dreams.

I truly loved this book. Devoured it. There's cowboys, small town, grumpyXsunshine, some sports talk, friends to lovers, and truly a romance I could see in real life!!

Pick this one up asap!!

Thank you Atria and Meredith Trapp for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

“You look like you might be fallin’ for me and it’s giving me all kinds of hope”

“i’m starting to think we were we never meant to be just friends”

tropes etc.:
🏒 pro hockey player x bullrider 🤠
💙 boy obsessed (he falls first) (years of pining for her)
🩷 childhood friends to lovers
🔥 slow burn romance
👨‍🍼 single dad romance
🐈‍⬛ black cat x golden retriever 🐕
🏠 forced proximity
🐮 small town romance


The FMC, Dakota is a fierce, independent, bull rider. The MMC, Wyatt, is a professional hockey player, a dad and a true golden retriever.

Wyatt is back in Granite Falls, with his infant daughter and he has one mission – to win the heart of his best friend Dakota, who he has loved his whole life. Dakota has her walls up and is a bit of a black cat and has never seen Wyatt as anything but a best friend. Lately he hasn’t been a good friend, so he has some serious making up to do.

I am usually a fan of the childhood best friends to lovers trope and always like a good single dad romance.

The development of the romance seemed genuine was done well. I loved all the scenes in which Dakota showed her care for both Wyatt and Vienna and how much Wyatt supported Dakota’s ambitions and especially all the moments showcasing how he saw her and recognized her strengths. The man is protective and charming that’s for sure.

This book truly did such a good job at showing love through realistic simple everyday moments and that was one of my favourite things about their love story. Dakota and Vienna’s interactions had me melting (the breakfasts, the matching, the singing gahhhh)– especially when Wyatt was covertly observing with hearts in his eyes 😍.

The chemistry between these two was great and the story was adorable. The book also delivered some seriously good spice along with the sweet and tender moments.

*Note while the MMC is a professional hockey player this is not a hockey romance.

⭐️3.75
Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for giving me and advanced copy of Homebound.
I’ve been looking for some new cowboy romance books after finishing chestnut springs last year and couldn’t wait to pick this one up. The cover of this book is so cute and is definitely what drew me in!
The banter in this one was really cute, and I love a man who has been pinning after a woman and our MMC was so in love with Dakota. And Wyatt’s daughter Vi had such a sweet dynamic with Dakota that was so sweet to read 🥰
It was also super cool reading about an FMC that was the bull rider! But Dakota really was the of cause a lot of the problems in this book and sometimes really frustrated me being super stubborn about her feelings, before entering into something with Wyatt.

If you are a fan of:
Cowboy Romance, Single Dad trope, Female Bull Rider, and Friends to Lovers romance, you’ll wanna check this new cowboy romance out!

This was a fun, tension-filled slow burn that had me hooked from the start! I didn't know this was part of a series, and even so, I didn't find that I missed anything by not reading the first book. Dakota is a tough-as-nails female bull rider, still reeling from a broken engagement and struggling to stay on the bull—or emotionally open. Enter Wyatt, her childhood best friend turned NHL star, who’s back for the summer with his baby daughter and one goal: win Dakota’s heart.

The chemistry? Delicious. The first kiss doesn’t happen until after the halfway mark, but the buildup is so worth it—and when the spice finally hits, it sizzles. Wyatt’s dedication (and those sweet moments with his daughter Vienna) melted my heart.

That said, while I was totally into their story, a few things kept it from being a five-star read. Still, if you love slow burns, second chances, and cowgirl grit, this one’s worth a spot on your TBR.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

Friends to lovers gets me every single time. This was the first book I read by Meredith Trapp, but I did not feel like I was too lost in this world. I was rooting for these two so hard.

I fell in love with the first book of this series and it is safe to say I absolutely DEVOURED this book. Less than 24 hour read. It keeps you on your toes, the angst between Wyatt and Dakota. I loved how Meredith really captured how much love Dakota has for Wyatt and how he breaks her out of her combative shell..

Homebound is a sweet, friends-to-lovers romance that pulled me in from the second I saw its glorious cover art (I mean, who could resist that?). The main characters were sweet, and I loved the use of the single-dad trope without it being solely centered around this piece of the plot. While there were lots of "highlight" moments, I didn't feel like Dakota, the female main character, really romantically liked the male main character. The chemistry didn't really shine in that direction, and thus I was not really rooting for them. I also felt parts were somewhat repetitive or that there were scenes that could've been cut out or edited to support other plot points.
All in all, Meredith Trapp showed consistency in her story telling abilities and gave us a sweet, trope-filled, western/small town/hockey (but not really)/friends-to-lovers/single-dad romance... and it was a decently entertaining time!

I enjoyed every second of this. The balance between plot and spice was perfect. I adored the main characters and the side characters were great.

Book Review:
📖 Homebound by Meredith Trapp
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book felt like such a breath of fresh air.

What I loved so much about this book was that it focused on an absolute badass of a female main character, Dakota Cutler, who is a professional bull rider. Dakota is tough as nails and determined to make it to the PBR but consistently gets into her own head.

Wyatt, who has loved Dakota since they were kids, is a professional hockey player and a single dad to a sweet little girl. While Dakota can come off strong and wild, Wyatt was her perfect balance. He was consistent, patient and the calm to her storm.

I absolutely loved this story. It was so interesting to see the progression of Wyatt and Dakota’s relationship as well as Dakota’s determination and belief in herself. I also loved seeing her fall in love with Wyatt’s daughter and the softer side that Vi brought out of her.

Tropes:
•Best friends to lovers
•Second Chance
•Black Cat/Golden Retriever
•Bull rider/Hockey Player
•Single Dad
•Forced Proximity
 
*This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dakota is grown cowgirl from Texas with a dark demor but not on purpose. Wyatt is a happy, go lucky athletic guy who loves hockey and living the cowboy life. Dakota has a reputation for being a Cowboy Killer and rejects all of the men she runs into. This is a grumpy sunshine book that is steaming hot with cowboys and love.

Y’ALL. This book is hotter than a Texas July and twice as dangerous.

Homebound gives us a rodeo queen with zero time for nonsense and a hockey heartthrob-turned-dad who shows up with baby in tow and a whole lot of explaining to do. Dakota’s out here breaking records and breaking hearts, while Wyatt’s trying to win his way back with charm, smolder, and some very ill-advised outdoor showers.

It’s second chance romance with cowboy boots, emotional baggage, and more sexual tension than a barn dance on a full moon. Wyatt may have left once, but he’s back with a vengeance..... and Dakota? She might just let him sweat it out a little (okay, a lot).

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saddle up, sugar. This one’s got angst, abs, and enough slow burn to set the hayloft on fire. 🔥🐎💋

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Homebound pulled me out of a serious reading slump. I’d just been burned by two big releases, but within the first page of this, I was completely hooked.

Right away, you know: Dakota’s a bull rider 🐂, Wyatt’s a brand-new dad 👶, and he’s been stuck in the friend zone for years—totally in love with her 😳. He’s back in town now, and he’s not leaving without a chance at her heart.

The slow-burn romance is so well done. Instead of rushing them into something, the story focuses on rebuilding trust and friendship. I especially loved the gender-role reversal—Dakota’s chasing her rodeo dreams, and Wyatt’s the flower-farming “nice guy” who believes in her every step of the way.

The town is charming, the chemistry is hot, and the emotional payoff really lands. One of my favorites this season. 💛

I loved this story . It had everything I look for in a book. Strong female character .. emotion overload and a happily ever after. I will reccomend this to my reading friends !! Can’t wait for more from the author

She’s a bull rider trying to prove herself pushing to get a spot in the big leagues and he is a hockey player navigating the single dad life.

They were friends first… summer besties… until she gets engaged and he walks away heartbroken. He tried everything to forget her, and of those attempts left him with his little girl Vi.

After he hears about her calling it off and now single again he comes back for the summer determined to finally make her fall for him. She is pissed he left and went no contact. Also to add, they are now roomies for the summer months in Texas.

Overall I think this is a cute little read. However, I really struggled that every other page she is needing to prove herself. After 30% it felt like she didn’t even like bull riding but that she had to show people she could do it, which made me sad for her. The romance also didn’t feel organic. It feels like he tried so hard to get her to fall for him. I would have loved for them to have just fallen together after years of knowing each other. It feels like this is a romance they would break up in less than a year.

Overall a cute read.
2nd chance romance | forced proximity | single dad |

The slowest of slow burns—and every second was worth it! Wyatt Patterson is the kind of book boyfriend dreams are made of: steady, swoony, and so worth the wait. Dakota Cutler is a black cat energy FMC with just enough softness to steal your heart. Their chemistry built with aching intensity, making the payoff that much more satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this beautifully written, emotionally rich romance!

This was such a cute cowboy romance, and I loved that the cowboy in this instance is the FMC, not the MMC, it was a nice change of pace!

Dakota was fierce and strong and grumpy AF and I really enjoyed her character; I felt like she shines most in the story, with her dreams of competing at a higher level of rodeo. Wyatt on the other hand, I felt like I needed more from him; his entire character is him being a dad/being in love with Dakota since basically forever and that's pretty much all there is to him. Also he's a hockey player apparently, but that detail is mentionned off-hand and not a key point in the story at all.

I did enjoy the single dad aspect of the story, and how Dakota falls in love with not only Wyatt, but his daughter too, and there were a few moments that made me emotional between Dakota and Vi, as it usually does when the non-parent falls for the kid. It's a typical trope for a single dad romance, but I eat it up every single time.

Overall a very enjoyable read, especially if you tend to enjoy cowboy or single dad romance with some mild spice.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Wyatt Patterson has been in love with Daokta Cutler since he was eight years old, and she rescued him from a flash flood. But when she got engaged to a bull rider, he disappeared to try and forget her. Now he’s back in their small Texas town, all grown up with his daughter in tow, and determined to make Dakota his. And this time, he’s not walking away until she’s his.

My thoughts: I definitely should have read this sooner. This was a swoon-worthy ride, with a ton of tension and pining, low angst, a whole lot of heart. I loved the dynamics in this one, with Wyatt being one of the top golden retrievers I have ever read; and Dakota being a black cat with a soft, gooey centre. Plus, you add in an absolutely adorable one-year-old little girl and a loveable three-legged Lab… I was a goner from the start.

Wyatt. Oh Wyatt. He just loves so *hard*. And it’s not only Dakota - it’s his daughter, his mom, his teammates. I loved how he didn’t give up on Dakota; he kept showing up for her, no matter what it took. His presence was soft and steady, and just what Dakota needed. He was just so determined to make this relationship work, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to get and KEEP Dakota. I love it, I love him, and I want one of my own.

And Dakota? Damn. I simultaneously wanted to be her and shake her all at once. Because what do you mean you didn’t see Wyatt mooning over you the whole time? I love how she learned to bring her softness to the outside - at least when it came to Wyatt and Vienna. But don’t get me wrong; I also loved how she remained herself and how Wyatt didn’t ask her to change.

The family vibes are strong with this one, and Wyatt’s moms and Dakota’s dad love their children so hard. They want nothing but the best for their kids, and it shines through on every page. This spice in this one is a slow-burn, but once it hits…whew. (I have two words for you: outdoor. showers).

If you want a relatively low-key, sweet romance - as a palate cleanser or otherwise - do yourself a favour and pick this one up.