I really enjoyed this book! I actually read it so quick and I loved the setting!

I'm not usually a fan of pregnancy in a book however this really worked and had a sweet story overall to it!

I loved the concept of trying to work together to get things back on track rather than just giving up!

This was a really sweet and easy read! I would definitely read more from this author!

Also love the small town and cowboy vibes. These are my favourite kind of books ❤️

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

When I first heard about/saw Not Our First Rodeo I knew it was going to be a 5 star read!
Unfortunately, Beau and Elsie go through what a lot of couples go through every year. You can feel their emotions and anxiety during their story. You get to experience an old relationship, a new relationship, and new territory for them. As a wife and a mother this book hit me right in my heart, I felt so many emotions reading Not Our First Rodeo 🥺🫶🏻💓

This was a good overall read and would make a good introductory book to the cowboy-vibe romance genre. I felt that the characters were a bit under-developed and so I just unfortunately didn't feel that invested in them, yet we are pretty much straight away thrown into conflict and quite serious topics that we are supposed to care about, which was hard to do as I felt like I didn't know much about them at all. It was an interesting plot to start off with two married people that are separated for various reasons and then have a one-night stand, which is not something I've seen in other romance books. I'd be open to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5⭐️

A massive thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc!

Not Our First Rodeo was a second chance, accidental pregnancy, cowboy romance and I ate it upppp!

The story follows our main couple Beau and Elsie and after Elsie lost everything — her dance career, her baby, her motivation and self love/acceptance — she asks Beau to leave so she can work on herself. After a one night stand with Beau, Elsie discovers she is pregnant once again and her and Beau work through their relationship to make it work. There is so much self discovery for Elsie in this book and I loved her journey throughout.

This book deals with some really heavy topics so make sure to check content warnings. I absolutely loved how Madison Wright wrote about love and loss and mental health rep in this novel!

Not Our First Rodeo released July 11 2025, make sure to go check it out!

4.5*

I absolutely loved this book! I’m a sucker for any kind of cowboy romance and this did not disappoint.

I felt the author wrote Elsie and Beau’s characters beautifully - their loss, their grief and finding their way back to each other.

So many women will have been in Elsie’s position and I felt the author delivered her story beautifully. The love shown not only by her husband, but her husband’s family had me feeling so emotional.

Beau is the man we all wish we had and his love for his wife shone the entire book but I love that he knew Elsie needed to heal herself, he couldn’t do it.

I need to find out more about Cooper, Jade and the rest of the gang! Please be a sequel!!

If you love a cowboy romance, get this book read! It won’t disappoint.

Hi, please sign me up for my own Beau Jennings, thank you. I will say for a good portion of the beginning of this book I did not like Elsie, but oh boy, did she grow on me.
That being said, Beau and Elsie together? They’re so good, they’re learning to grow together after a rough year and some time apart, and in the end, they seem even better together!

3.5 stars
This is one of the few Madison books that I like but didn't love.
This book deals with heavy topics. It had a lot of emotional depth and tackled themes like grief, healing, and marriage in troubles.
Our main couple, Elsie is dealing with a lot. Her feelings were all totally normal and valid, but I didn't love how she treated Beau at times. Like that's your husband who has been with you for decades and still you dont feel like he can support you? I just wanted to shake some sense into her sometimes!
Now Beau was everything. He loyal, steady, and so full of love for Elsie. He waited and waited until she was ready to talk and I love that.
The side characters were fun to read I can see some couple for future books and I'm excited about them.
Overall this was a beautiful story that I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

🩰 ARC Review:

5/5 ⭐️

Y’ALL I ate this up. From the very start we get sucked into this story with a “my wife” moment from our MMC. If that doesn’t do it for you, nothing will.

Elsie, our FMC, has experienced two tragic losses in a short period of time and is finding it difficult to process her feelings and confide in her husband, Beau. When we meet our main characters, they are separated because of this. Beau is trying to give her space to handle the situation on her own and Elsie is struggling to find who she is after an injury that cuts her career short and then a miscarriage shortly after.

I felt like this story was truly a great depiction of what loss looks like when you feel like you’re not capable of being weak in front of others. When you feel like it falls on your shoulders to handle grief and loss on your own, even when you have someone who loves you and would help you every step of the way.

My ONLY complaint is that it’s a closed door romance 😩 There was angst and yearning and I was so ready for them to get back together and THEN WE DON’T GET ANY SPICE. But it was made up for because the rest of the story was really good.

Thank you Madison Wright and NetGalley for the early ARC 🫶🏼

This was such a good book! Really shows the impact of grief and loss 😭💗

Not Our First Rodeo is about a couple, Elsie & Beau. Elsie had an amazing ballet career and a husband who loves her deeply, but after suffering an injury which ends her career and suffering a miscarriage, Elsie is lost and pushes everyone including Beau away. After giving her the space that she thought she needed, he can't stay away anymore. He never stopped loving her and after spending the night together, she finds out she's pregnant and he's ready to support her in every way needed. It's not going to be easy but they will get through it together like they have before.

We have second-chance, small town, accidental pregnancy, dual pov 🔥

Elsie - I loved her character so much! She has been through soo much and didn't give up but knew she needed the space to help her grow and heal! However, I didn't like how she treated him, like I understand what she's going through is really hard but he's going through it too and he lost her as well, especially when they were together for 10 years before these incidents. Wouldn't you want them to help & support you after all that time together? I do love her character I just didn't like how she treated Beau.

Beau - He is the MMC that every FMC needs! He is so loving, loyal & patient but I did agree with his brother, where was his support and her being there for him as well because he was all on his own! I'm super protective of him because he was the best MMC I've read about in a while and he deserves all the good.

I really, really loved these characters, what they went through was very difficult and hard to navigate but they came back together 💖

Thank you to Madison Wright & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this arc! 💕

Well, to know that this book holds a close sentiment to the author makes my heart happy.
Yes, both characters went through a rough patch.

Finally there’s a book out there that kinda mirrors REAL life for most folks.

I love that Elsie and Beau found their way back to each other and Beau stood by his woman, THROUGH the thick of it!

Thank you Netgalley, Victory Editing and Madison Wright the opportunity to read in advance.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and it did not disappoint! i loved the difference in storyline from most romance books and i’m obsessed with both Elsie and Beau 🥰🥰

-
thank you Madison and NetGalley for this ARC, releases july 11th!

✨ARC REVIEW✨

This was such a beautiful story. A story of pain and grief and sadness but one of hope and resilience.

I loved how Madison created such a unique cowboy romance. This book definitely has a heavier tone but the characters in this bring light to it.

I truthfully loved the concept and tropes in this book. Again, this was such a different take on a small town cowboy vibe and I really did appreciate that.

Two people really stood out to me and that is Beau and his brother Cooper. Beau is an angel baby cake who DESERVES THE WORLD. This man deserved better and I think the fact that his feelings were super brushed over by everyone kind of bothered me. This man went through HARD things too. I fully agree with Cooper on everything he says while defending his brother - what about Beau?

Everything Elsie went through is understandable and such a hard thing to understand unless you've been in her shoes. I just didn't like how everyone forgot what she did to Beau so easily. Who was there to protect him and comfort him? He had to basically face everything alone. I get both sides, I really do but I feel super protective over Beau.

Plus, Cooper seems like a really fun character and I already sense a team up with him and Jade and I'm PUMPED for that.

My only cons (other than the whole Beau situation) was I do wish we got more dialogue. I wanted to really get some alone time with our MCs and felt we barely got them speaking. Sometimes, for me, it can be hard to just read inner monologues for most of the chapter. I need communication in a book. Especially for such heavy topics. Second, I felt like I was waiting for some huge moment to happen but it never came. I wanted some grand gesture or something to happen. I think because we don't get groveling or some kind of epic declaration, things felt like they ended pretty quickly.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself wanting to keep reading and that's always a plus. I did enjoy the characters and I loved the overall aesthetics of the town. I really did fall in love with Cooper and definitely need him to have a moment!

Thank you so much to Madison Wright and NetGalley for the e-arc!

I don’t even know how to start this review. Part of me doesn’t want to write it, but since this is an arc I requested, I feel like it’s my job to share a review for it. I’ll start by saying that this is not a bad book and I wish the author success, but this didn’t work for me. At all. I wanted to feel emotion, but what I ended up feeling was apathy.

When I realised this romance was about a marriage in crisis and featured the pregnancy trope, I got so excited to read it, because I enjoy both tropes a lot. But that excitement vanished quickly. This is a good example of a book where there’s a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I was unable to connect with the characters and believe in their romance, because I wasn’t shown that they’re crazy for each other. I was told they’re in love. I was told they were going through a tough time. But the truth is that we mostly see how the main character is doing and how she’s dealing with stuff that has happened in her life. She was clearly the main focus of the story and there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you’re going to sell me a love story, I want to see more than just the fmc’s issues.

⁀➴ Elsie was a professional ballerina but an injury forced her to quit and let go of her biggest dream. On top of that, she has a miscarriage. As you can imagine, all of this took a toll on her and she got depressed. She fell into a big black hole and hid from the world. She pushed everyone away, including her husband. She said they needed some time apart because she needed space from him to heal. From what I understood, I think they were apart for two months before they met again and had sex (I got so lost in this story, I couldn't understand how much time had passed). And she got pregnant again.

Where do I start? There was no chemistry or tension between Elsie and her husband Beau. I felt nothing when they were together. There clearly was some awkwardness between them, because Beau didn’t really understand why she kept pushing him away and Elsie didn’t want to talk about it, but that’s it. Some may disagree, but to me there was no angst or yearning. And those times when Beau flirted with her and was trying to be sexy were so hard to read, because there is not a bone in my body that believes this is a man that can flirt and talk dirty. I felt embarrassed for him.

Elsie suffers from anxiety and has been dealing with panic attacks her whole life. She grew up with a mother that deposited all her dreams on her and made her feel like she would be nothing if she wasn’t a ballerina. After her injury, Elsie felt like a failure. The miscarriage made her feel like a failure again. Besides this, Elsie is someone that doesn’t want to show vulnerability because she thinks it makes her weak. She doesn’t want other people to see what she’s feeling. I get this, it makes sense to me. HOWEVER...why was she still so afraid to let her husband, I repeat, her husband , see her vulnerable? This is a man she’s known since she was a teen, they’ve been together for a decade, and she never told him about the panic attacks. She didn’t open up to him at all. If I was Beau, I would’ve felt like I didn’t know the person I had married. If they’d been dating for a few month, I’d understand, but they shared a life. And she didn’t let him know her. She asked for space because she was having a lot of panic attacks again and didn’t want him to witness it...Being vulnerable is so scary, that’s something I 100% relate to, but spending 10 years with someone without ever letting them see every part of you, good and bad, is something I struggle to understand. And there was never a moment where Elsie fully understood how badly she’d hurt Beau. He also lost a child, he was also grieving and hurting, but everyone was so concerned for Elsie (included himself) that nobody, with the exception of his brother, took the time to ask him if he was okay.

In conclusion, Elsie desperately needed therapy. Because a lot of there trauma and insecurities stemmed from her childhood and I do not believe she’s fully healed by the end of this book. There’s a long way to go before she’s in a better place and therapy can help her with that.

I also think the pregnancy plot was handled poorly and, once again, there was a lot of telling, not showing, which is not something you want in a case like this. Also, it was mentioned that, in the first pregnancy, Elsie noticed something was wrong because she had stopped feeling nauseous. But during the second pregnancy, the nausea went away and she disregarded it, which makes no sense.

I think there’s more I could say but this review is already long and I don’t feel like talking about this book anymore. Here’s a reminder for future me: please dnf a book when you’re not enjoying it, even if you’ve already read 70% of it.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc for an honest review!
I loved this book. It felt so wholesome when reading it.
It follows Elsie who had everything. She had her ballet career ahead of her and a sucessful marriage, until she didn't. She substained an injury which put her in a dark place amongst other things which eventually lead to the breakdown of her marriage.
It follows the couple trying to navigate getting their marriage back on track when a huge curveball comes into the mix.
I loved Elsie & Beau as a couple and the character devlopment for Elsies character. It really showed the dark sides to her and the coming out of the other side. It really was heart warming to read.
I would of loved a bit more from them though. Although it was great i just wanted more!

Overall a 3.5 ⭐️

I went into this book expecting something completely different. What I got makes me sad there are not more stars to give a rating.

Not our first rodeo is not n frilly love story. It is deep and raw and I do suggest reading the trigger warnings, although the dark issues are dealt with, with finesse and honesty.

There are many books today claiming mental heating and anxiety rep. And although it is great to have more inclusive books, I have never felt so seen by a book. Anxiety is dealt with in all its ugly truth. The way it makes you perceive people and situations. How living with it, is a daily struggle and management.

And Beau, oh Beau. The calm waters, the rock, the loyal and determined FMC every woman deserves. This MMC deserves all the praise.

I highly recommend this book if you struggle with grief, anxiety or depression, or if you're in a relationship with someone who faces these battles. Also, if you enjoy:

🌟 Cowboy Romance
🌟 Cinnamon roll MMC
🌟 Second Chance Romane
🌟 Marriage in trouble

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC, it was an honour to read and review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Beau Jennings & Elsie Jennings
- Dual POV
- Marriage in trouble
- Accidental pregnancy
- Re-found family
- Horse trainer & ranch hand MMC
- Anxious ex-ballerina FMC
- He takes care of her
- Supportive family
- Small mountain town

✨ a few of my favorite things:
- the nicknames, “Elsie baby”
- The flirting and teasing between Beau & Elise
- The closet 🤭
- Cooper & Jade’s rivalry
- Jade & Elsie’s relationship
- The self-aware healing by MCs learning to fight against instincts that are hurting their marriage
- Beau’s dad 🥲 I love the way he talks to his family and he is truly the pillar of the family
- The marital redemption is so so good 🥹🥰

Content warning : miscarriage (author has more warnings in beginning of book)

Chapter 1 is the “fade to black” however it includes a lot of explicit detail of what the MCs are doing not just thoughts and feelings. This lasts longer and gives more details; some of which may be considered open door to some people. There is also another fade to black in Chapter 25 which has less details.

There is explicit language throughout. There is a lot of innuendo and sex jokes that may be off putting to some. (You can message me if you need more details on any of that).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Book 1 in the Lucky Stars Ranch - I really enjoyed this story. I have not read many books like this where it is a married couple trying to save their marriage. I greatly appreciated the character development and growth that took page over the book. Both MCs had a lot of growing to do and many mistakes were made. However, they were able to make something so much better than before once they found their way back to each other 💕

I appreciated that Madison wrote a man that actually sounds like a man, because we need more manly men in this world. He steps up and takes care of this family and shows up for the people in his life. Elsie drove me nuts a little cause she knows she’s hurting herself and others but she keeps making the wrong choices. However, once it clicks for her and she finally starts seeing the light 👏🏻 it was so worth all the hard they went through. Beau and Elise together often made me tear up because even though they made mistakes the love between them is so clear and they were made for each other.

I loved the side characters with all the quirks and full of their own personalities and shenanigans. I had no shortage of laughs with this book.

Okay now for my big disclaimer. This book has more details in the tension, jokes, and intimate moments between MCs that what I normally review. There are two fade to black scenes (Chapter 1 & 25). Personally, there is one thing in chapter 1 that made me question if it was open door. I talked with others and it’s a mixed bag on others opinions. So in my opinion Chapter 1 has a very steamy, detailed, long fade to black. I personally felt like some of the details were unnecessary as Madison already created amazing tension and chemistry. But to each his own.

This is a fade to black book with language, innuendo, open dialogue about sex and come content may be upsetting to some (miscarriage as well as other warning in the beginning of the book).

**Thank you so much to Madison for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**

Not Our First Rodeo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (4.25)
🌶

"We may have broken, but when we put ourselves back together, we made something more beautiful than what we were before.”

Started this book knowing that it has my one only trigger - miscarriages and infertility are extremely hard for me to read. Not in a way that I avoid them, but they make me extremely emotional. Elsie and Beau both experience a miscarriage and the loss of their baby definitely shapes this whole story. But I promise, there is a HEA! I absolutely love how their story was written and while it's a hard topic, I think the feelings were depicted well. So excited for what's next on Lucky Stars Ranch!

Elsie and Beau have been together since they were 16. He's the only man shes ever loved and still loves. But after tragedy after tragedy, Elsie loses herself and doesn't know how to make her way back to her husband, even if she misses him terribly.

i am wholeheartedly OBSESSED & in love with this book. elsie and beau’s story had me feeling all the emotions in the best way possible. i think i need a cowboy to come take me away immediately now 🤠

Binged in one day & cried at least 4 times. Beautiful and emotional read that was such a quick read.
There is an off-page miscarriage, and working through the mental/emotional toll. Be mindful of that and other possible triggers listed.

🤠Vibes🤠
Marriage in Crisis
Accidental Pregnancy
Horse Trainer x Ballerina
High School Sweethearts
Found Family

This book took me on a journey and a half. It was a true tale of love, friendship, grief, pain and overcoming it all to accept ourselves and our sufferings!

I related to a key part of this story having gone through it myself and it was SO healing. It was so beautifully written.

I adored Beau and he was just perfect for Elsie and I am in love with their story!