Shoot, I unfortunately had to DNF this one. I think the authors writing style didn't end up working for me and left me not wanting to pick the book back up again. I think the characters fell a little flat and it felt a little too insta-love for me.

I think readers will like this book if you enjoy small-town romance, with a good amount of drama. It is worth checking out if the premise sounds interesting to you at all! It just didn't work for me.

I don't want to put a low star rating simply because I didn't finish the book.

A Cozy Hug in Book Form (with Just Enough Spice to Keep It Interesting)

Okay, Steady Now totally snuck up on me in the best way. Liberty Stowe writes like she’s whispering secrets right into your ear. The story feels small in scope but big on feeling. Think: quiet mornings, messy emotions, and that one scene that makes you stop and go “ouch... but also yes.”

The characters? Real. Relatable. Occasionally made me want to shake them, but in the way you want to shake your best friend when they’re being extra. I especially loved how Stowe doesn’t rush the story it’s a slow burn emotionally, but worth every page.

Why not five stars? A few parts went of track a bit, and I wanted just a bit more oomph in the middle. Still, the vibes? Immaculate. The ending? Satisfying. My heart? Full.


Thank you NetGalley and RupertBossier for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Steady Now was a really nice story with good characters and an interesting plot. The book was well written and a good length. I’ve always been a sucker for that lost city girl meets small town guy. They had good chemistry, but I wish they built the relationship just a bit more before getting down and dirty lol.

I liked that the story focused on more than just romance, the land issue, the custody issue, etc. I was invested in how the main characters navigated all the problems while also making time to be together. This was an easy read with a dash of intrigue but not too much to make me frustrated lol. I rated the book 4 stars, and could potentially pick up the next one.

Grade
4/5 ⭐ overall
3/5 ❤️ romance
4/5 🌶️ spice

This is such a great book! The first few pages had me hooked for the story. This is a small town romance where Wren’s car breaks down just outside Vogel Springs, which brings her into Hud’s orbit, The book is a great slow burn romance that takes on growth and healing from both Wren and Hud's past.

I wavered back-and-forth on whether or not I enjoyed this book, overall I enjoyed the premise of it, but I felt it could be at minimum 100 pages less. The dual POV overlapped and I didn’t enjoy that style. It felt like I was reliving what I just read, while it did create a bit more explanation of how the character was feeling on the other side, I don’t think it was done that well. There was a lot of backstory that was left out, and I feel it could have moved the book along in a better way had it been explored. There were a lot of unfinished pieces when all was said and done, while the main characters may have received their HEA… There was no closure for the rest of the characters or a hint that there would be another book. Overall, I will give this 2.5 stars as I did enjoy it at times, but I won’t be recommending it.
Thank you to NetGalley and RupertBossier for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of its release.

This was a nice story and I don’t reach for small town often, so let’s just say that means a lot😂. This story is about Wren, the girl running from her life in a Maserati and unexpectedly liking the small town she gets stranded in, and Hudson, the town’s ’fix it felix’ mechanic who loves fixing things for everyone else, yet when it comes down to his problems, it doesn’t come as easy. Also a trusty best friend sidekick for both Wren and Hudson, the characters are very likable and don’t get thrown out in the background shaded by the plot. Classic case of man sees woman and can’t take his eyes off her, I LIVE for a forbidden love moment. As infuriating as some parts were with the whole miscommunication trope, which yes this has because they all do, the pacing and ending makes up for it. Spice 3.5/5 maybe and pacing as I said isn’t too slow which is much appreciated. Overall 4 star read for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Steady Now for an honest review. I literally couldn’t put this book down. Ms Stowe had me hooked from the start with the Mazarati versus Mazda and AAA conversation. I knew I was going to be thoroughly entertained by Hud and Wren as their forced proximity turned into something much deeper. And only in Texas could something this accidental turn into a huge win for a small town hero! Kudos to all the characters for exemplifying the true values of friendship, love and support for each other throughout the entire book. I am recommending this to all my friends.

This story kept me coming back for more. I wanted to know what was going on with these characters from the beginning. Hud and Wren had me hooked. The author developed these characters and their friends beautifully. The way the "secrets" or "mystery" was uncovered was just as special. It was beautiful. For me, hopeless romantic that I am, I expected more. I felt like I had the best candy covered ice cream cone and just as I was getting to the waffle cone bite, it gets snatched away. I wanted more.

A cute romance about getting out of your comfort zone, sacrifices, and relationships. The love interest progressed quite fast and parts of the story seemed thrown together but still a cute read. Could see this having a sequel.

Wren and Hud are definitely opposites however actually have a lot in common which makes them great for each other and had me excited to see where things go. Once we add in the towns folk because seriously who doesn't love a small town that's in everyone's business lol and make it a slow burn I was hooked. This was a great read and can not wait to read more books by this author!

I received an arc copy of this book for my honest review.

This book just wasn’t for me. I usually love me a good small town romance, however, I just couldn’t buy into the characters. The dialogue didn’t always flow or feel believable and even though Rosalee was one of the villains in this story, I didn’t love the way the MMC spoke about her or the flashes of his inner thoughts. Gave me red flags.

Wren, in the midst of escaping her problems, breaks down close to the small town of Vogel Springs. Even though she desperately wants to keep running, she has to wait to get her vehicle fixed. While waiting, she ends up meeting the hot mechanic, Hud. But Hud is in a whole whirlwind of his own problems and believes Wren is just a moment away from leaving his life for good.

I initially was excited to read this book, but I ended up desperately wanting more. And it isn't at fault of the author, the book was written smoothly and did answer the basic questions I had a long the way. My problem was the relationship between Wren and Hud. (However, I am sure someone will absolutely eat this up.) A cute small town romance in Texas where Wren is ready to forget her latest mishap and Hud who wasn't seeking a relationship, but desperately craves one from Wren. The downfall? The poor communication between the two and instead getting the information from their friends instead. But of course, not at complete fault. Hud has trust issues and Wren tried to get that information out.

I gave this a 3 just for the fact that it was enjoyable, for the most part, but just in the end wasn't my complete cup of tea. But if you like miscommunication, small town romance with a bit of surprises. You'll love this book.

This small-town romance was a lot of fun to read. I adored the relationship between Hud and Wren, and the characters were well-developed. It was genuinely amazing to see how both of them—so different but so similar in their fears—learned to trust again. This book was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had a difficult time getting into this book. I really liked the relationships with the townsfolk in this book, it was very heartwarming! There were many secrets that had to be unraveled, which kept things interesting. If you’re a fan of small town romance and a bit of mystery, this is a great read for you! However, at times plot felt a bit disjointed to me and I felt like there was a lot going on all throughout. I couldn’t really feel the characters’ chemistry which took me out of the book. Ultimately this wasn’t my cup of tea, but I appreciate how everything wrapped up in the end.

I had a hard time finishing this book, it started out strong but ended up falling flat for me. The story between Wren and Hud developed fast and had potential but not finding out their back story until the end didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

I picked this book based on the cover alone without even reading the blurb, and I had no idea how much I would end up loving it.

Wren is running from her past and breaks down outside a small town near Austin. She’s towed to a local mechanic shop where she meets rugged, no-nonsense Hud. When he realizes she has nowhere to go, he steps in to help her get settled. Even though he's in the middle of a fight to keep his family's land and doesn’t need distractions, something about Wren draws him in. When her best friend shows up and asks for help with a remodel, Hud decides to stop fighting the pull between them.

These two were magic together. I couldn’t wait for them to let go of their pain and give each other a real chance. Their steamy scenes were fun and had me thinking a tractor might not be such a bad idea either. I loved how Wren found a sense of belonging in both the town and with Hud, something she’d never truly had before.

This book was the perfect summer read. Full of heart, surprise moments, and just the right amount of spice to keep me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and RupertBossier for allowing me the pleasure of reading this book.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I got about 30% through and found it hard to stay engaged with the pacing and character development. There was this insta-love aspect that I didn’t quite get and the whole scene in the shop kind of threw me off. Seemed like things were about to get super messy and I wasn’t invested in the characters to want to find out where things would go. That said, I can see how fans of small town romance & lots of drama might really enjoy the themes and style (Hud DOES sound super hot). I appreciated the concept and thank the publisher for the ARC!

Steady Now by Liberty Stowe was just... not good. The characters' motivations were iffy, the character development made no sense, both of the main characters' priorities were all scrambled, the writing was terrible, and the romance was the absolute worst part of it all.

I'm giving it a little grace and not dropping the rating all the way down to one star because with better execution, the premise could have worked quite well. Rich girl running from heartbreak and disappointment gets stranded in a charming, tiny, rural Texas town, where she meets the gruff mechanic trying to keep his head above water between battling his ex for custody of their kid and trying to keep a greedy, evil corporation from stealing his family's land. It's a Hallmark movie plot if I've ever heard one.

But, again, the execution failed at every single step.

Here's a quote from the 74% point:

We've never spoken about his private life or anything substantial.


And that was the romance plot in a nutshell. Wren and Hud DID NOT TALK. There was nothing to their relationship except the physical part. He refused to let her in, would not open up to her on anything—even if his life depended on it—but then went in search of her when he wanted sex. Awful, awful way to write a romantic male lead. It made him so unlikable.

Worst part is, beneath the hard-to-understand dialogues and clunky, off-putting prose, I could kinda see what the book was trying to do. It's just that it failed spectacularly.

Hud was supposed to be wary and closed off because he'd been screwed over once before. But his backstory could have been built so much better to explain his abandonment issues, tendency to not rely on other people emotionally, and fear of opening up and being vulnerable.

Similarly, Wren's motivations were also butchered. Dropping a few mentions of how she had a tense relationship with her dad was not enough to justify her actions and behavior by a long shot. The strain and emotional toll should have been shown to us in stark detail. And by that same token, her reasons for being on the run should have been what the book actually opened on instead of dragging out the reveal until nearly the end of the novel.

Show me why I should root and cheer for this spoiled rich girl. Show me what hurt her so badly to send her fleeing from her father and his law firm. Give me something solid to grasp onto. But there was nothing. 70% of her personality was "runs away from her problems", and yet we only really saw a single instance of this, which was not explained until it really didn't even matter anymore. Alternatively, Wren could have been the girl who strained to meet her father's ridiculous expectations, but always fell short. The girl starved for affection and connection, who put on a flirty, happy facade but was hurting deeply underneath. The pretty girl who was profoundly insecure because she'd never been enough. The girl could never take anything at face value because she'd been born and raised in a world of two-faced people.

It would have been so sweet to see that cautious girl finding community and affection in a small town setting, and connecting to an equally damaged man in a way that allowed them both to heal and fall in love. Instead, we got a bellicose "meet-cute" that felt beyond forced, story flow that was so bad it wrecked the relationship development, and a couple that had zero chemistry and didn't connect on a single level.

The "romance", with its painful lack of communication and annoying pining, was easily the least satisfying and most frustrating part of this book. With the confusing, convoluted thing about the company wanting to steal Hud's family land from under him being a close second. That could have been such a solid sublot, but again, the execution crashed and burned.

I feel like I've already ranted too much, but I can't not mention the emoji-heavy text convos. One, books are largely a monochromatic space; tiny colored drawings don't belong there because you can barely make them out. But two, how old were these characters supposed to be? 14? What adult human being texts like that?

Steady Now had the makings of a cozy, heartwarming Hallmark-style romance but fumbled the ball at every turn. The premise sounded like a winner, but the awkward prose, flat characters, and a romance that felt more like a fling than a love story just didn’t deliver. Wren and Hud’s lack of real connection, paired with poorly crafted and explained motivations and a messy corporate subplot, left me frustrated. It gets 2 stars because the idea had potential, but the execution was a total miss. If you’re craving a small-town romance with heart, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere.

**I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

4⭐️

✨ARC Read✨

I actually really loved this book! Wren is on the run from the mess in her life when her Maserati breaks down in the small town of Vogel Springs. She gets a tow to the town mechanic, Hud. He’s tall, he’s broody, and he’s carrying a ton of baggage.

I just loved these two characters! Instant spark. 🔥 Wren was sweet and easygoing but guarded. Hud was just as guarded and grumpy on the outside but a total teddy bear on the inside.

There were a couple of fun twists in the plot, and the story overall was great! It had tension, witty banter, good heat 🔥, and some really funny scenes. The side characters were great too! There were a few spots where the writing could have been a little tighter, and the ending felt a bit rushed—I wanted just a little more. But overall, I loved this book.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🚜 small-town romance
☀️ grumpy x sunshine
🏠 forced proximity
🚗 broody mechanic

Thank you, NetGalley, for this really fun read!

ARC Review

4.25/5 ⭐️

Overall thoughts:
I am always a fan of insta lust/love and I really enjoyed this story. This was a fast paced read that kept you in it from chapter 1.

Tropes:
Small Town
Insta-lust
Forced Proximity
Rich girl x blue collar boy

Detailed thoughts:
I was expecting a cute small town romance and I surprised at how much drama this story had. I am in no way saying this was a bad book it just wasn't what I was expecting. Wren's storyline of breaking down in a small town and meeting a cute boy is a great start and not always a normal trope (normally the boy is the rich one). There wasn't a lot of spice but it feel like it wasn't enough for a insta lust book. Overall this is a good debut novel and story.