Foremost, you for the opportunity to read this book.

I originally chose this because I wanted to broaden my horizons and settle into a cosy, feel-good contemporary. I think this book delivered on being cosy and emotionally raw. I was very intrigued by the concept of a marriage in trouble, when that marriage was still regarding a loved-up couple.

However, I felt that this book was a lot of all tell and no show. I think it dragged out the idea of Elsie not wanting to show vulnerability to her husband, and I was unable to connect with her to feel empathy for that. I think it touches on a very sensitive topic and I am respectful of that, but as there was not much shown about any of it, only told, I just couldn’t connect. As well, I felt mostly that Beau was being treated unfairly. He also suffered, but had to endure it and be left in the dark by someone he loved. I was begging for Elsie to consider therapy so that we could move past the awkwardness of their relationship.

There was not much chemistry between Elsie and Beau, either. It seemed to just rely on them having a history to sell us their idea of a loved-up marriage in crisis. I wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic to see them overcome their demons, because I didn’t have much to go off. As well, I couldn’t connect with his character because I felt he said and did things that were unrealistic.

Please know that I will not be sharing this review on reviewing sites as I do not wish to influence any average ratings. I appreciate the chance to read this and wish the author luck with their book.

I wanted to love this book. Truly. But it just wasn’t my cup of tea. There was a lot to unpack in this book - grief, loss, mental health, a second chance at marriage, and trauma. I highly suggest checking out the trigger warnings prior to diving into this read.

Not our First Rodeo follows Elsie - our ballerina who faced an injury that ultimately ended her career at dancing. After moving back home, she found herself in a depressive state, but eventually climbed out of it after finding out she was pregnant. Thrilled at the news, she started to come out of the darkness only to be brought back into it after miscarrying. She felt lost and like a failure so she distanced herself from her husband, Beau. Ultimately, telling him that she needed space to work on herself and causing him to move back out to a home on his family’s property.

At first, I couldn’t find it in myself to like Elsie as a character. I understood her grief and the sorrow that she faced, but I did not approve of her actions. It wasn’t fair to distance herself and shut out her husband - not when he was also dealing with the loss of their child as well.

Later in the story, we discover that Elsie suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. I didn’t find this surprising after hearing how she grew up and the kind of parents that raised her. However, what surprised me the most was that she hid this from Beau - someone that she’s known for over a decade and mind you, married.

We come to find out that she never let Beau in enough to let him fully know her which is mind boggling to me because how do you not let the one person you’re supposed to spend forever with not know you fully - flaws and all?

In all, Beau was probably one of the most patient fictional characters I’ve read about. Although he was struggling immensely, he stood strong and still gave Elsie his heart even when she wouldn’t let him in.

Over time, I did come to like Elsie. I felt she had some character growth with being able to speak freely without lying, navigating her anxiety and controlling it, and fully letting people in.

But I do feel as if this could have had some more depth and feeling. I read a review where someone mentioned that this book had a lot of telling, and not enough showing. So I do feel as if there could have been some improvement.

Jade’s character was so sweet and thoughtful and I love how she tried to ease some of Elsie’s worries. I also really did enjoy Cooper - he had more of a tough love vibe that I appreciated and truly felt that every story needed. The protectiveness that he portrayed was enduring and I admire that he spoke the truth in regard to Beau putting himself first and asking for what he needs and not just Elsie.

That being said, just because this didn’t fully captivate me, doesn’t mean it won’t for others. Madison Wright is a new to me author, so although this was a more different and interesting read for me, I don’t think this will be her last for me. The world building did reel me in and the characters were fun.

I’m interested to see how the rest of this series goes and wish the author well!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the approval and allowing me to read this!

4 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️ = 1 open door scene and 1 cracked door scene, some inneudo/discussions of intimacy and lust between a married couple

This book was really sweet. It was a kind of unique concept for a romance book where the couple is already married and has been together for awhile but is having some issues they have to work through. I liked this set-up and thought the story/characters had some nice depth.

However, I felt like the character and relationship development between the main characters was told rather than shown and it was overall lacking something for me. I wish we had gotten to really experience it throughout the course of the whole book, instead of being told some was happening sort of, everything being sort of abruptly fixed, and then everyone just being happy for the rest of the book.

The main characters were sweet though and had some sweet moments. I liked the setting of lucky stars and a small town, and it felt like an easy fun summery read.

Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted: Goodreads, Fable, and Instagram

Run date for when the review will be posted/published: Instagram review on July 16th, Goodreads and Fable available now

A link to your review, if available, so the publisher can share your review (note: click the link icon): links below, will add Instagram link when live.

For all my cowboy romance lovers (Lyla Sage & Elsie Silver fans I’m looking at you) this is for you!

This story had two main tropes that are typically not my cup of tea (separated marriage & accidental pregnancy) but I ended up really loving the way Wright navigated Beau & Elsie’s love story!

I know this is going to be an incredible interconnected series & can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley & Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ughhhh Beau and Elsie literally stole my heart. Their story was raw, emotional, challenging and the way they overcame and turned their hurt into love was incredible.

Madison wrote this book with care and love. She took Elsie and Beaus failing marriage and turned it into an incredible loving one. They deserved that second chance and they got it.

Elsie was heartbroken over loss and grief was taking over her life. She didn't know how to tell anyone about it except push them away but that didn't deter Beau. He stayed and kept pushing until she was ready.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice quick read for me. This story tackled some heavy topics and overall I thought it was well done, although I do think Elsie could have used some actual therapy. Elsie & Beau are adorable. I’m definitely interested in additional stories following some of the other characters!

I had to put a pause on this book, I may go back to it in the future but for right now I am not in the place to read it. The writing was really good, I just am having trouble with the story right now. Thank you for the opportunity to read it, and I look forward to reading it in the future!

4.5⭐️

This was absolutely beautiful! I was captivated by Elsie and Beau’s story from the first chapter and I loved every second of this story. The anxiety and grief representation were amazing and you could really tell Madison put her entire heart and soul into this book. This story was so emotional and the writing was phenomenal. I loved the Jennings family and I cannot wait to return to Lucky Stars Ranch. If you love cowboy romances, you need to add this to your TBR!

What to expect:
🤎 Cowboy Romance
🤎 Accidental Pregnancy
🤎 Marriage in Crisis
🤎 Former Ballerina
🤎 High School Sweethearts
🤎 Anxiety and Grief Rep.

Thank you to Madison Wright and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review of Not our First Rodeo by Madison Wright.

So I thought this was a good book, not the greatest, but definitely imo, an average read. The biggest negative for me as the reader, I didn’t feel connected to the characters, I felt like everything was very rushed. I didn’t get attached to their story. This could just be a me problem.
However, I loved how patient Beau was and my heart felt for Elsie and what she went through. Both characters are very easily loved. I just wish some aspects of Elsie were focused on more. I wanted to go more into why she pushed Beau away and I guess, I couldn’t fully understand because Beau was so patient and kind throughout this book.

Overall, this is an easy quick read. I enjoyed the plot line & loved how Madison gave the horses some love in this story and gave them personality. I think you’ll definitely enjoy if you love second chance cowboy romances.

“This isn’t our first rodeo, and one way or another, we’re going to find our way back to each other.”

I adored this 😭💕 This is a second chance / marriage in crisis romance between our main characters Elsie and Beau. After a career ending injury followed by a miscarriage, Elsie decides she needs some time to herself to heal, resulting in her pushing her husband Beau away. The story starts a few months later where they end up having a one night stand after running into each other at a bar. Elsie finds out she’s pregnant, and her and Beau now have to navigate their relationship and figure out how to move forward.

This was EVERYTHING. Beau is the most perfect mmc who was so supportive of Elsie and was willing to wait as long as it took for her to come back to him. I didn’t agree with Elsie at times, but there was never any doubt that she loved her husband. She knew she needed time to heal FOR him and be a better person which is why she pushed him away 💔 Her self doubt and panic attacks were heartbreaking to read about, and I was rooting for her the entire time.

Not Our First Rodeo was a story of grief and loss, but also new beginnings. I’m incredibly excited for the rest of the series and to read about Beau’s siblings (Cooper and Jade better have a book!)

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

wow wow wow this story was so sweet and completely unexpected! thank you netgalley for sharing an arc of not my first rodeo, my first (but definitely not last) book by madison wright. i love the character development, the small town vibes (including all the side characters! minus elsie’s mom, cough cough), and elsie and beau’s love for each other. i can’t wait to tell more people about this story!

i’ve shared this review on goodreads as well, and look forward to reading more of madison’s books moving forward!

thank you so much to netgalley for the arc ₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥
i always enjoy a good second chance romance and this book did exactly that. there was a lot of aspects that i wish weren't in the book or were different, ill definitely give this book another chance in the future but i think right now the storyline of depression and going through what elsie was going through was triggering for me and i just wanted the pages to be over. overall, a beautiful story that i don't think i was ready for going in.

This book has a lot of good things going for it but It was Just okay for me. However I do think so many people will really enjoy this one.

Beau is honestly a dream of a man. Genuinely one of the best fictional men out there probably. He was truly so good to Elsie and I loved how patient he was with her but how he also pushed her to be vulnerable and honestly. And I love that he shared in the blame for the cracks in their marriage. I think it could have been really easy to fully blame Elsie, but like a true good man and husband he saw where he could have been better. I struggled with Elsie a little bit at first because I just wanted her to be honest but you know what?…I’ve never suffered from a miscarriage, and never suffered from one just months after losing the career I’ve worked my whole life for. So I have no clue what thoughts and feelings I would be having in such a fragile state and how I would react. But I thought Elsie showed some great character growth.

Even though this one didn’t quite hit for me I am still excited to read the rest of this series. I was immediately drawn to Cooper and Jade (who I assume book 2 will be about) and can’t wait to read their story.

I do feel like the author should have been more upfront about the heat/spice level in this one. Now I read both closed and open door books, so the heat in this one didn’t bother me. But it was Definitely a step up from her previous books and I feel like that should have been stated in the promo for this book. I have several friends who are strictly closed door readers and the heat level in this book would’ve been out of their comfort zone. However, I think they would have been blindsided by it because they have read Madison’s previous books and would have went into this one expecting the same heat level when it wasn’t.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was such a different take on a cowboy romance! I love that it was a second chance romance that dealt with issue that people could relate to.

The characters were so moving and show such depth. I really liked how I could feel the chemistry and love that they had for each other! Would definitely recommend this cowboy romance!

I would definitely give this book 3.5 stars 🌟

Not our first rodeo by Madison Wright is a book that follows the story of Beau And Elsie husband and wife who have been together since they were sixteen. A few months before the book takes place Elsie has a miscarriage which causes Elsie and their relationship to crack. The book then follows these characters as they try to navigate who they are, their self image but also who they are in their relationship.

I honestly enjoyed the concept of this book I would recommend checking the trigger warnings as this deals a lot with mental health, self image and even self worth and also miscarriage so just be careful. I did enjoy this book it just very much had that first book in a series feeling in the sense that this very much felt like a warm up for the rest of the series and I imagine that probably means the rest of the series is going to be amazing or even better than this. Yeah it was just alright I think I’ll probably read the next book in the series in order to decide how I feel about this one properly.

A book written with so much love. I felt that throughout the pages of this entire book. Madison Wright took my heart straight out of my chest and squeezed it with the most intentional, tender care one can only hope to feel in a book about a couple so devastatingly in love with each other wrapped up in grief. I loved this book so much. The writing was absolute perfection.

3.25⭐

LIKED:
- The side characters of this story, in my opinion, really steal the show. They’re all fun and add a lot to the main characters and their stories. Except maybe Morgan who we don’t really know anything about in this story. Cooper, Jade, Tonya, Maya, they’re all great.
- The core wounds of the these characters, especially Elsie, make sense and endear you to the characters well.
- Most specifically, Elsie’s anxieties about having a pregnancy after having to survive a miscarriage was really heart-wrenching. The first doctor’s appointment was really well-done for this facet of her story. I’m very much someone who doesn’t think that a baby is the answer to everyone’s problems, but Elsie wanted a baby and had mourned the loss of one already, so as far as surprise pregnancies go, I think that this has been one of the only stories I’ve read with the trope to really home in on that aspect.
- I love this title. It’s really good.
- The cover is also nice, especially the warm browns which I’m personally a fan of. I am a little tired of cowboy romance covers having the hat cover the face as they’re kissing, but this is one the better ones in my opinion.

LAMENTED:
- So. I think my main issue for this book. Is that I don’t really get these characters together. I get that they have the history, but they don’t really have the chemistry, for me. I honestly was never really rooting for them until maybe the last handful of chapters of the book.
- There are some details that, and I know this is an ARC so I’m not too hung up on it, made me re-read numerous times over to try and understand. Like once Elsie finds out she’s pregnant at the beginning of the book, she flip flops between saying three weeks ago and five weeks ago in regards to when she slept with Beau? And Beau does it, too, and it just confused me immensely.
- Unpopular opinion, but Beau was boring. Sorry, but he’s boring. I needed more from him to understand how this all had affected him, positively and negatively, and also more understanding as a reader as to why Elsie would be drawn to him. Again, this was even more evident by how much more fleshed out Cooper was as a direct comparison, and he wasn’t even in the book that much.
- I cannot believe that Beau would never have noticed her panic attacks. I really wanted there to be a moment where she realizes that he’s known the whole time and he’s supported her from behind-the-scenes. I was really waiting for that. It…honestly read to me like the author didn’t understand panic attacks.
- The name they give the baby made me physically cringe, but I’m sure not everyone will feel that way.

LONGED FOR:
- More believability that these two should be together besides just history and a baby.
- More fleshing out to Beau.
- More Tonya honestly.

Will I read the next one? : I’ll probably keep my eye out for Jade and Cooper’s story.

⭒ Rating: 4.2
🌶️ rating: 0.5/ 3

I have so many of this author’s books on my tbr, but I never managed to pick one up. But as soon as I saw this announcement and that it was a marriage in trouble (i’m always looking to read more in this trope), I knew this would be my first!

And what an introduction to this author it was! This book was highly emotional. My heart blead for these characters. But it was also very frustrating! Elsie was going through a lot and although I felt so much for her, I was also a little mad at her for hurting Beau when she should have griever with him all along. I did obviously end up understanding where she was coming from and even relating to her when it come to her struggles and the way her brain was working against her.

Beau was gosh, that man was perfect! My heart really hurt for him. Seeing him hurting every time Elsie pushed him away, watching him realize how much she had hid from him and how bad her pain was. It really hurt my heart for both of them. Poor babies. How much he lived her was just beautiful, how he was willing to do anything for her and to show her he was there no matter what. The way his family loved her too and understood. It was just so beatiful.

I’m really excited to get more books in this series! I love when the family is big, means lots of books coming out way. I can’t wait to be back at Lucky Star Ranch. I’m so ready for Cooper and Jade!

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this ARC!

I was hooked from the first chapter!

Generally, I am quite indifferent to the second-chance romance and pregnancy trope, but this might be the book that makes me like it. I loved the relationship between the characters and how they wanted to better themselves for their partner and their future.
I really liked Elsie's character and felt for everything she's been through. It really highlighted the themes of grief and acceptance, and I liked how the message was to not let 'failures' define you.

I think that perhaps the ending was a bit quick for my liking. I would have loved to see Elsie and Beau's relationship blossom more as they learn to trust and love each other again. Apart from that, I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

TROPES:
— second chance romance
— accidental pregnancy
— found family
— high school sweethearts
— marriage in trouble
— ballerina x cowboy

I absolutely devoured this book! The way both of the main characters are written makes you immediately invested in the story. The anxiety and panic attack rep is very accurate and so appreciated. There are a lot of tropes in this book but by far my favourite was the found family! Not going to lie, even though this is a relatively short read, it does pull at the heart strings and you may need a tissue or two! I am excited to read more from Madison!

*an e-ARC was kindly gifted by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review