You ever read a book that awakens your senses? You can see the environment, smell the aroma,hear the footsteps on gravel ? This was exactly that. I can still smell the bakery from here 🤭

Tonyas style of writing flows with ease. Drip feeding you bits of tension leaving you wanting to know what's going to happen next. I had NO idea who was the culprit the entire time. I was picking somebody new every chapter. And I was quite surprised come the end. Leaving me with some romantic tension in the air I'm pretty sure there will be a 2nd book in the works! I lool forward to seeing what happens next

That fab cover, a Kentucky horse and cattle ranch, small town secrets, compelling characters including one named Cussy (!), and a murder mystery I couldn't solve kept me rapt. Yeehaw! Can't wait for Book 2.

I loved having a brand new take on cowboy romance, with the murder mystery plot making things interesting.
Right from the start I had suspects and I thought it was great how the author could make everyone come across as suspicious.
The voices of the characters felt so authentic, I could hear their accents and intonations as I was reading along.
A fast paced, easy read.. with loveable animal characters thrown in for good measure.
I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to shake up their cowboy bookshelf.

Since my ambition as a child was to grow up and be a cowboy, never mind I was a girl, the "Ranch" in the title pulled me in immediately. I'm also a Tonya Kappes fan, so a win-win. Overall, this is an excellent start of a new series. Kappes descriptions pulled me right in, making me feel like I was there enjoying the beautiful setting and horses as much as Georgia "Cussy" Hollingsworth. Lots of small town western charm with more than a touch of Kentucky's Southern charm for good measure. Her grandfather Amos's death turns out to have been murder, however, complicating her return.

Much to the displeasure of some family members, Cussy has unexpectedly inherited her grandfather's cattle ranch, While close to her grandfather, she hadn't been there for many years and, quite frankly, even most community members figure she won't last long. She doesn't help herself by disrupting an established relationship between ranch manager Cole and Libby, a bit of a town diva with a monied family. Heck, she's not even sure she will stay, especially after tackling the list of daily chores she's expected to handle as even "maybe" ranch owner. She is definitely attracted to Cole, however, but that doesn't keep her from making a series of bad choices. I liked her but still have reservations, I guess it would be honest to say. When her friend Rowan, perky and outgoing, blue hair and all, and the type who can and will talk to anyone, things definitely get, um, interesting. There were hints of a potential romance for her, too, so she's probably a long term character. In any case, together they set out to try to discover who would murder Amos despite the expected cautions from Sheriff Wade Landry, who turns out to be a former friend.

I won't detail the plot any further than these general comments but I doubt it's any surprise Cussy runs into danger. I didn't figure out whodunit until the final reveal,gotta admit. That small town was full of secrets, major league gossipers, and people who just didn't quite know what to make of Cussy's grand entrance back into town life. It was definitely quite memorable. I didn't feel like we got to know most of the likely continuing cast well but for a first book, we got the basics. I'm still on the fence about Cole and am sure my head would be spinning if I hung out with Rowan too long, but they were definitely interesting and seemed to be good, caring people. I'm sure we'll get to know the townspeople and ranch crew better as the series progresses. And, oh, Cussie's mother. She makes an appearance but didn't seem to make an impact on my brain, sorry. In any case, if you want to lose yourself in rolling pastures and immerse yourself into ranch life, including getting to know the ranch dog, and like an intriguing mystery where everyone seems to have both secrets and a story (or two) to tell, give this one a read. Thanks #NetGalley - #VictoryEditingNetGalleyCo-op for letting me have an early peek at this one and wallow in my little girl dreams of endless horses and gorgeous spaces to ride them across forever.

This book is an interesting mystery with added romance. It was nice to see Cussy start out as someone unsure of her life and flourish on the ranch throughout the book. It was also good that she knew she needed to take on finding her uncles murderer rather than just leaving and going back to the city. The small town vibe was prevalent throughout the book and with extra drama added in with characters like Libby, Colt's fiancé. I didn't see the ending coming and that is something I loved.

I normally love cozy mysteries but this one didn’t work well for me.

At its core, the story focuses on Cussy who is surprised to learn she inherited a ranch from her uncle. The story flips between Cussy trying to decide if she wants to give the ranch away, learning to run the ranch, and trying to solve the question of who killed her uncle.

I has several issue with this book - but the biggest is that I never liked Cussy and the entire story focused on Cussy…

While framed as stubborn, curious, and full of heart, Cussy’s actions had me questioning her morals and generally judging her (e.g., wading into a love triangle and never seeing an issue with that, trying to drive drunk, promising Betty she would consider staying only to immediately break that promise, etc). She was also quick to over react and never see the other side which got on my nerves (e.g., being jealous Libby didn’t invite her to join the Blueridge Belles when Libby caught Cussy cuddling with Libby’s fiancé).

Thank you to Tonya Kappes and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

La sinopsis sonaba interesante: una historia ambientada en un rancho, un misterio por resolver o mejor dicho, un asesinato y un romance. Todos esos elementos me gustaron, pero hubo algo que hizo que no disfrutara la lectura: Colt está comprometido, y durante todo el libro parece olvidarlo y se la pasa coqueteando con Cussy e incluso casi se besan, pero su prometida los interrumpe.

Luego está Cussy, que al enterarse del compromiso simplemente lo ignora. Incluso se convence de que Libby (la prometida) es sospechosa del asesinato, cuando lo único que hizo Libby fue no confiar en Cussy e intentar que Colt se alejara de ella. Pero para Cussy, ese comportamiento fue motivo suficiente para sospechar de Libby, seguirla e incluso burlarse de todo lo que hacía.

En conclusión, la infidelidad arruinó toda la historia para mí. No pienso seguir leyendo esta tortura. Solo espero que Libby tenga su venganza, aunque, honestamente, lo dudo. Lo más probable es que la conviertan en la villana para que Cussy y Colt queden como las víctimas y puedan estar juntos.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

Rowan is the clear winner of this story! I loved her charm and charisma. Though it wasn't a big part, I wasn't a fan of the romance aspect of this story. I'm not sure I am a fan of Colt, maybe he will redeem himself in future sequels. I enjoyed the southern small-town characters! If you're from the south, you will feel at home with these characters and their non-stop gossip.

The first installment in the Bluegrass Ridge Ranch Mysteries series introduces us to Georgia "Cussy," a relatable and determined woman who unexpectedly inherits her late uncle’s ranch. Confused as to why he left the property to her instead of his own children, Cussy's life takes an even darker turn when the local sheriff shows up with shocking news: her uncle didn’t die of a heart attack—he was poisoned.

As Cussy navigates the challenges of ranch life, she’s also determined to uncover the truth behind her uncle’s death. On top of that, there’s Colt, the ruggedly handsome ranch manager—who just happens to be engaged to the town’s drama queen, Libby. Needless to say, Libby isn't thrilled about Colt and Cussy spending time together.

Though the setup hints at potential romance, the story stays focused on the mystery and Cussy’s journey to adapt to her new role. The whodunit element kept me guessing, and I did not figure out the murderer

Overall, this was an enjoyable and well-paced read. I appreciated that the mystery took center stage rather than a romantic subplot. Looking forward to seeing where the series goes next!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC