Romance Isn't A Country Song: A Sweet & Clean Cowboy Romance Novella

by Madelyn Smith

Book research has always been boring… until a cute cowboy gets involved.

Shelby

I can admit when I mess up. Which is why I’m heading to Carter Ranch to learn about horses to improve my next western romance.

It can’t be that hard. I’ll snap a few pictures, see a horse in person, maybe ride a little bit and get right back to writing.

Except, the cowboy I meet has flipped all the stereotypes on their head. He’s a little grumpy, short, cute, and reads my romance books.

Wait… what?

Tate

I’m a man who reads romance books, and I’m not afraid to own it. Just like I’m not afraid to say I usually like horses more than humans.

But Shelby is not your average woman, and now that I’ve met my favorite author in person, I can confidently say I like her more than horses.

Except, I don’t know how to stop messing up our interactions. But I need to pull it together because this city-girl seriously needs to learn a thing or two about ranch life–and I know the perfect person to teach her–me.

Romance Isn't A Country Song is a sweet and clean cowboy romance novella. It has clean language and is kisses only. A perfect read for teens and adults alike. It is a standalone in the Romance Isn't series, where authors learn about the different versions of true romance and what it means to different people.

Genres: Romance, Cowboy Romance, Novella, Rom Com, Contemporary

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2025

About the author

Madelyn Smith is a happy wife and mom by day and a reader and writer by night. After years of reading fantasy and romance books she felt inspired to start writing in 2023. Madelyn loves to read clean and closed-door romance and fantasy books, so she decided to write them too. With Christian elements in her books, her writing will be perfect for those who want a swoony romance, with a divine perspective.
When writing she likes to snack on pretzels and marshmallows, water, and any chocolate her husband surprises her with. Not to mention hostess donuts. Bring on all the hostess donuts.
During her day she can be found interacting on Bookstagram, playing legos and play-pretend with her two toddlers, or enjoying serving in her congregation as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Madelyn loves God, and gives all glory to Him who inspired her whole reading and writing journey.
If you're interested in what Madelyn is reading check out her review page on Instagram: @thesqueakycleanreader
For book updates check out her author page: @madelynsmithauthor on Instagram.

Reviews

[Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Momma always did say it’s a choice to love someone. Wake up every day and choose to keep loving the people around you.”

Romance Isn’t a Country Song by Madelyn Smith

This was such a cute novella! I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was clean, uplifting, and had some great messages of what romance should be in real life. I also loved the how the FMC worked to improve her writing skills through research.

Tate is a swoony cowboy who has a cute nickname for Shelby. I love his quiet nature and solid presence and patience throughout this short sweet story.

See below for my favorite parts!
Available now on Amazon and KU!

Favorite Parts:
Waterfall scene
Learning about Ranch Life
Author FMC
Baby chicks
BLT date
Proposal
Bonus novella

Content Guide:
Language: none
Romance Content: kisses only
Violence/gore: none
Substance Use: none
Prejudices: none
Religious Content: Christian themes
Other: none

Book Info:
Series: Romance Isn’t book 2
Genre: Western Romcom Novella
Romance Level: Kisses only
Release Date: Available now on Amazon & KU
Publisher: Indie
POV: Dual first person

Thank you to the author for the review copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Beth DeLong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book was so fun and sweet! Not to mention laugh-out-loud funny! Maybe it's the clever chapter titles. Maybe it's the sweet, handsome, and chivalrous cowboy. Maybe it's the fun banter. Heck, maybe it's just the cowboy. Period. 😂 But I really enjoyed this story! I'm terrible at picking favorites, but I might even go so far as to say this is my favorite from Madelyn so far.

If you want a sweet, funny, and swoony novella, this is the one!

Thank you so much, Madelyn, for the ARC copy! It's always a pleasure reading for you!

[Kendal Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a short and sweet cowboy romance story. I read this in one sitting so it’s the perfect lighthearted, feel good, swoony read if you need something short and light. I particularly loved watching city girl and romance author, Shelby, learn the ropes of ranch life. I could really relate to her as she also loves leggings with pockets and doesn’t like getting dirty or the smell of a barn. 😂 And Tate, a short but strong cowboy who reads romance books, was super sweet and flirty even if it was out of his comfort zone at first.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the way Madelyn writes just brings the characters and settings to life. I also loved the author aspect to this story and doing research for a book. It gives great insight for readers to see this side of the process as well as authors being able to relate to Shelby as they read this story. Very clean and sweet romance that is safe for teens to read too. This book is available now, so go grab your copy because you’ll want to read this one.

FMC: Shelby - Romance Author
MMC: Tate - Cowboy

What you’ll find:
🐴 Dual POV
🐴 City girl / Country boy
🐴 Author FMC
🐴 He reads romance books
🐴 Ranch life
🐴 Picnics & trail rides
🐴 Nicknames
🐴 Insta-love
🐴 Strangers to lovers
🐴 Book research

INFO:
📚: Book 2 of 2 - “Romance Isn’t” series
🔹: Standalone novella
📖: 171 pages

CONTENT:
🌶️: kisses only
🤬: None
⚠️: None

"𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘖𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯."

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my heart. I haven't read any novellas that have got me so attached to these characters. I also haven’t read any bad books by Madelyn and I have read them all.

The set up of this book was absolutely fantastic.The story in all you may ask even better. EVEN BETTER!!! I don't think that it was set up for me to cry at some points of this book but I did. Not only that but the book also made me laugh so much and made me want to just push them together make them get together even though it's a novella so it was kind of like faster pace. I still wanted to get them together so quickly it might as well have been a slow burn.

Me and my sister were reading this book together and I left her in the dust so I could finish it and she’s a faster reader than me by like 250 WPM.

I loved learning about living in the country in this book. I personally know a lot from living in a small town in Mississippi but we're more south than west.

Thank you for reading my yap! NOW READ THE BOOK!!! 🤪

[Adia Somi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lil’ book can be summed up as fun & cute. Shelby and Tate’s story had me smiling, laughing, and craving some dark chocolate. I liked Shelby and Tates Characters’. They could be very opposite but in a complementary way that was delightfully entertaining to see play out. Shelby is quite feisty, while Tate is most unconventional. The romance itself was sweet, filled with flirty banter and some tension thrown in. Why even the chapter names added to the fun here! Overall Romance isn’t a Country Song is a darlin’ little feel good read for when you want a witty love story.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! Read this if you want a quick, clean and sweet romance read that feels like a Hallmark movie set on a ranch with light faith elements. The chapter titles were fun, although I'm not actually a big country music person, so I didn't know a lot of the song references, haha. I promise this book will make you smile. :)

Thank you to the author for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Rebekah Isert · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!!! I really enjoyed it 😁

[jennie.and.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Country Song vibes (I love country music! haha!)

I really loved this little story. From a bad review to learning the ranch life from a cute rancher!

Loved the characters and this story was really fun filled!

[Caitlyn Santi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is romance novella perfection! I absolutely adored every moment of this book! As a writer myself I could totally relate to Shelby, but as a socially awkward introvert and lifelong horse person I could also totally relate to Tate! It was so much fun getting to know Tate and Shelby, and watching their romance develop!
I seriously love, love, LOVED this book so much! All the heart eye emojis for this amazing story! I most highly recommend it!
This is my first read from Madelyn Smith, but she’s definitely a new auto-read author for me!

[Courtnie ~ courtniemustreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute novella! I loved how relatable it was and the character’s chemistry. It had a fun plot and I loved how the story flowed.

Romance: Kissing only
Language: None
Christian element: Mentions of church and prayer

[Lissa Ruck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Tate & Shelby feisty, sweet, caring, hopeful, loving happily ever after!!

[Betsy And The Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚Book Review📚

🤠Romance Isn’t A Country Song by Madelyn Smith

🤠Fave Quotes🤠
He smirks again, as if he can smell my half lie. It probably smells as bad as this manure.

Her eyes glare daggers at me, but the look lights a fire in my chest.

Tate chuckles, and I can’t help stealing an extra glance at him while we’re walking. Smiling changes him from mysterious grumpy cowboy, to cinnamon roll smiling man who makes my heart race.

Because this week, he’s been a little flirty and a little shy, and I think I like that he isn’t just one thing all the time. He has layers, and I’m ready to peel an onion. A cowboy onion?

I’m not sure where I want this to go, but I do know this cowboy and his stupid hat are doing things to my heart that I didn’t sign up for when I agreed to these lessons.

Tate makes me feel confident in myself, like I can do hard things, but he’s also there to catch me when I fall.

🤠My Thoughts🤠
This is the second novella in Madelyn Smith’s Romance Isn’t series and in this one we follow Shelby and Tate. She’s a city girl and an author who is struggling to write a cowboy romance after getting a bad review on the first one she wrote. He’s a country boy and cowboy who anonymously wrote that review.

🤠First of all I love that she included a list of the snacks and foods they eat throughout the book incase you want to eat and snack like the characters. She also included in this one a country song playlist that you can listen to while you are reading and this one that just really sets the mood for the book and the titles of all the chapters are a play off of each of the songs which I really loved that! I was cracking up at all the chapter titles that was just so cute and clever!

🤠I love a good city girl meets country boy book. I thought it was so cute how Tate was more reserved and shy at first when meeting Shelby but he does open up to her quickly. Shelby is more bubbly, sassy and kind of the opposite of Tate. I love that Tate is a shorter guy and seems to be self conscious about that at first. I feel like we don’t see that much in books. Their banter was just so cute and I love how Madelyn throws in references to movies, tv shows, and books in her humor. In this one she had a reference to Tom and Jerry,I believe and I just love that she includes that in her books. I really loved their flirty texts too!

🤠Overall Madelyn just knows how to write a cozy happy no spice romcom that’s gonna make you laugh and leave you happier after and her novellas are no different. I just adore everything she writes and would highly recommend all her books!!

🤠Thank you Madelyn Smith for gifting me a copy to read and review. All thoughts, fangirling, and opinions are my own.

[Shayla Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance Isn’t A Country Song
by: Madelyn Smith
@madelynsmithauthor

••I give 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~Book research has always been boring... until a cute cowboy gets involved...

“Romance isn’t a country song, Shellbs, not matter what decade the song is from.”

-Romance Isn’t A Country Song, is such a sweet and clean cowboy romance delightfully packed full novella. It is blended beautifully with just the right amount of humor, heart, and swoony moments! The dear characters in this story are both endearing and relatable even if they may be opposites coming from different worlds. Yet, they compliment each other in the best ways. Watching along the way as they spend more time together, and seeing their feelings grow for one another had both my attention and had me smiling. Seeing them make the choice to see if their differences will keep them apart, or if they’re willing to choose each other instead was both heartwarming and enlightening. I really enjoyed watching dear characters put themselves out there and saying, yes to trying new things. Overall, my friends, this is a cute and heartwarming quick but delightful story worth reading! 🙌🏻📚❤️

“Her boots stomp behind me, and I can’t help but smile. She’s a spitfire, which I should have known from her ability to write witty banter, but sometimes that doesn’t translate to real life. But Shelby is as real as real can be. Full of spunk and sunshine.”

•Content/ no language, no real danger, themes of God and prayer, kisses only.

“Ha. You know what does change a person’s attractiveness? Knowing they care about your well-being.”

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“Mustangs are wild and beautiful. They’re independent, resilient, and adaptable. You’re all of those things, just differently.”

#romanceisntacountrysong
#madelynsmithauthor

"IT'S INTERESTING HOW GOD CAN TURN A BAD DAY INTO SOMETHING UNEXPECTED AND BEAUTIFUL.”

#allaboutthebestreads

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading)]

GENRE
-contemporary romance novella with light Christian themes

CONTENT
-🤬: none
-❤️: kisses
-⚠️: n/a

This is a quick, sweet read. The first thing I loved? Tate, our MMC, is 5'6"! I personally am married to a man who is 5'7", and it was delightfully refreshing to read about a short king!!! Second thing? I absolutely loved the chapter titles! Madelyn used the names of country songs and tweaked them just a bit. One example: This Kiss (Is Very Good). I thought that was just so clever.

Shelby is a romance novelist. When she sees a three-star review on a cowboy romance that points out that she clearly doesn't know anything about horses or ranch life, she decides to go take lessons at a nearby(ish) ranch for research purposes. Imagine how surprising it is to find out that the cowboy giving her lessons is, in fact, the person who left the review. I appreciated that Shelby and Tate were different in a lot of ways, and they had to see if they were willing to put in the work to make a relationship work despite those differences.

I was pulled out of the story at different times because of some grammatical errors. It would've benefitted from a proofread. But I know I'm a lot more sensitive to this than some people, so it may not be a problem for you.

Favorite Quotes:
-"You know I’m about breaking stereotypes, Pearly. Comes with the territory when you’re a short grumpy cowboy and not one of those massively ripped flirty guys they show in the movies.”

-This is the tenth snack break I’ve taken in the past hour. Guess what? There are no new snacks in the fridge or the pantry. I checked… ten times.

-This man is pure gold walking around in cowboy boots and a leather hat, and my heart says it wants to invest in the precious metal.

-It’s interesting how God can turn a bad day into something unexpected and beautiful.

-“Momma always did say it’s a choice to love someone. Wake up every day and choose to keep loving the people around you.”

[sassygirlreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance Isn’t A Country Song is one of the sweetest cowboy romance stories I’ve read. You have Shelby, an author seeking to learn more about ranch life to improve her next western romance. Little does Shelby know that her cowboy ways of thinking are going to be changing the minute she steps on the ranch. Tate the shy, grumpy, cute cowboy who happens to read her books is the one who is going to change her mind and teach her everything she needs to know. Shelby thinks it’s going to be easy. Tate isn’t going to let her skim the details. Tate messes up their interactions from the start, but he is determined to get this city girl to learn something about ranch life and love it.

What can I say, even though they are opposites, Shelby and Tate blend together quite nicely. Shelby is sweet and feisty. Tate prefers horses over people but really is a big softie. They have so many sweet moments and I was smiling through every single one! I loved how Tate is not trying to flirt but somehow manages it. The country nicknames Tate gives Shelby are endearing, and her reaction to the nicknames and the ones she throws back at him had me laughing. As they spend more time together and feelings start to grow, I enjoyed how the relationship just didn’t happen. There were discussions and decisions to be made. Romance Isn’t A Country Song was a fun summer read, especially if you like city girls and the cowboys that love them! Plus, I ADORED the chapter titles!

Favorite things:
- The nicknames
- He reads romance novels
- She faces her fears
- The banter and flirting
- The lessons
- The baby chicks
- The waterfall
- The country song chapter titles!

Tropes:
- Cowboy romance
- Romance author city girl FMC
- Bookish country boy MMC
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Fun flirting
- He falls first
- Swoony kisses

Happy reading!

[Amanda McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I begin, I would like to thank Madelyn Smith for allowing me to read a copy of her upcoming novella, Romance Isn’t a Country Song, which will be available on Amazon on July 2nd, 2025.

Shelby portrayed some details wrong in her latest western romance and decides to go to Carter Ranch to learn and fix her mistakes for the next one. She didn’t expect that the cowboy teaching her about life on the ranch would be grumpy, cute, short, and also happens to read her romance books. Tate would rather spend time with horses than people, but he’s not ashamed to admit that he reads romance books. He’s surprised when his favorite author shows up to the ranch, but discovers he actually likes her better than horses. Tate keeps messing up in their interactions due to nerves, and Shelby needs to learn about horses and ranch life. Can Shelby embrace riding horses and farm life as feelings for each other start to develop? Or will they go their separate ways with conflicted hearts?

This novella was charming. You have Shelby, a sassy, sweet, curious, intelligent, talented, and beautiful young author that writes romance novels and aspires to learn from her mistakes. You have Tate, a gruff, kind, reserved, considerate, and handsome young man that likes working in his family’s ranch and reading romance books. The interactions between the main characters were funny, sweet, and honest. I liked learning about horses and how they were an integral part of Shelby and Tate’s relationship developing. I also loved the titles of the chapters very much. Overall, if you like horses, cowboys, great food, and sweet city girl x country boy romance with low spice, then I’ll highly recommend this novella.

[Lilly Guirguis · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/8, review for this awesome ARC will be in the late afternoon.

4:20 pm update;

Good news! My first ARC by my friend Madelyn did not disappoint and I was so happy!

Read if you love wholesome, God centered cowboy romance and the following tropes:

grumpy MMC x sunshine FMC (who is also a romance author, 🤭)

Miss Pearl the sweet horse 🐴

He calls her darlin’, and she learns to tease him and not get worried easily.

NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!

Best quotes:

“You willing to try and make it work with a stinky cowboy who lives on a ranch with spotty internet access?” Her nose brushes against mine and my fingers flex. “You willing to make it work with a city-girl who’s learning to get her hands dirty and will bother you with questions about your job for her book research?” I nod, tilting my head to place a kiss on her soft cheek. “Only if I can be the inspiration for every leading man you write from now on,” I whisper.She sighs and her lips brush against mine, feather light as she whispers, “Deal.”

🥳🥳🥳

“I want you, Shelby Mustang Wynter.” “And I want you Tate the Cowboy Carter, so we’re going to work for it.”

“I assemble our sandwiches and carry the plates to the table. Shelby sits across from me and bows her head, taking the initiative to pray over our meal. It’s sweet and heartfelt, and I can’t remember another time when a date has prayed over a meal. Another reason Shelby is special and working her way deeper into my heart—despite our differences.”

[Ursi Engebretsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this adorable, humorous novella! I was hooked immediately when I learned the main character, a romance author, had written a western without ever being on a horse--and that a kind but critical review had pushed her to sign up for riding lessons! (And I definitely felt called out, as an author in a similar situation. 😂) Shelby was great--I loved her determination, her openness, and her faith. And I loved Tate, his realistic personality, and his honesty! This story subverted a lot of common romance tropes (like the tall, cheery, flirty cowboy trope) in the best way. The romance was adorable, the ranch setting was fantastic, and the food descriptions made me hungry (I want a BLT so badly now)! And just wait until you get to the waterfall scene. Absolute perfection!

A favorite quote: "This is why I don’t understand why someone would want to be kissed in a barn. Nobody wants that. You can’t be invested in a kiss while plugging your nose."

Let's see, Miss Shelby. Let's see if you ever change your mind about that. 😁

Madelyn Smith has knocked it out of the park once again with this delightful clean romance!!!

[Kayla Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Review✨

Romance Isn’t A Country Song by @madelynsmithauthor

Well this novella did a number on me. I couldn’t stop smiling and enjoying every minute. Love when a novella feels like a full well rounded read! Nothing rushed, just pure goodness.

Shelby. An author of romance novels gets a slightly negative review that she admits isn’t far off so she signs up for horse riding lessons for research. Little did she know the cowboy would sweep her off her feet.

Tate. Reads romance. Comes off as grumpy, but is really just very shy. He bumbles his first meeting with Shelby, his favorite author. But boy does he make it up to her. Swoon. His chivalrous nature makes my heart flutter.

🐴Horse Riding Lessons
🐴He falls first
🐴Grumpy/Sunshine
🐴Trail Rides
🐴His Home
🐴Kisses!
🐴City Girl/Country Cowboy

✨Favorite Quote:
“No man would find it romantic to take you to the hospital with a brain injury from falling off a horse. Helmet hair doesn’t change a persons attractiveness, Miss Mustang.”

I absolutely adore this Novella and everything I’ve read by Madelyn! Her stories are full of fun, beauty, and faith. Thank you for this eARC copy!

[Caitlyn (a page turned) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read a book by Madelyn Smith, it's amazing! Something about the way she writes. Her characters are real but so witty.

Shelby is a romance author who has hit a writing slump. She reads a review on her last book that makes her want to prove Mr. Anonymous wrong. She ends up doing her book research at a ranch and learns all about real horses (not just what she's read in books and seen in movies). Shelby is definitely a go-getter and is not easily put down😄

Tate is a quiet guy who, yes, reads all of Shelby's books. He helps Shelby with her research and finds himself drawn out of his shell when he's around her. I loved how he opened up to her! I loved how he would say something and then be like "oh that was unexpected coming out of my mouth" because he felt comfortable around Shelby. I definitely related to Tate when he said he's not great with people😅

There are some cute scenes in this book, but the waterfall scene!!!💕 Loved it! Oh, and all the chapters have titles relating to songs. And sweet Miss Pearl the horse🥰 There are so many great things in this book!

[Madeline K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance Isn’t A Country Song by Madelyn Smith is the cutest and most fun novella I have read in a while. With banter that will have you grinning from ear to ear and plenty of foot kicking, giggling moments, you should definitely read it.

The MMC (Tate) is a sweet and sort of grumpy cowboy who enjoys the company of horses to people. The FMC (Shelby) is romance author who recently wrote a western romance. Did I mention the MMC reads romance books and has read the FMC’s books??🤭 But after a negative review with some constructive criticism, saying how her books don’t portray life on a ranch, or even horses correctly, Shelby signs up for horse riding lessons. And of course, as fate has it, the Tate the Cowboy is Shelby Wynter’s horse riding instructor. 👀🥹
I’ll leave that right there… you should read it to find out more.

This book is a sweet read, with no spice, and no harsh language. Kisses only, and giggle inducing banter. Did I mention, it mentions country song titles? I recommend this novella to anyone who loves to read… even cowboys.

[Rosalyn Nightshade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so sweet and adorable. I love all the romance and the humour. Both Shelby and Tate were a perfect match for each other and both were extremely relatable characters. As an introvert myself, I was able to really relate to Tate and his shyness and, as an aspiring writer, I can definitely attest that the hardest parts of writing a story is the research, similar to how Shelby feels. This is the second book I have read by Madelyn and I love how her stories are cute and fun and sweet, and her characters are relatable and enjoyable. I really enjoyed getting to see Laurel again too. Even though this book is only less than 200 pages, the romance didn't feel rushed and the characters really developed throughout the story. This was a great, short, fun read that I would definitely recommend.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Hannah Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cowboy, horses, FMC romance author, sweet romance...yes please! Shelby is an author who is trying to write a cowboy romance. But after receiving a review on her first book stating that her knowledge of the country may not be adequate, she is determined to fix it by signing up for horseback riding lessons. Tate is a quiet, sweet cowboy who would rather be around the horses than people. One thing that makes this cowboy different is his love of romance books. You can probably figure out where this is going to go😉

Romance Isn't A Country Song by Madelyn Smith is one of those books that brings a constant smile to your face. Her characters are so loveable and don't even get me started on the animals🥹 As a big horse lover, I loved how much of a role one particular horse played in this story. The flirting and romance bookish references are the absolute best! Do yourself a favor and pick up this amazing, sweet novella! I bet you won't have a problem reading it in one sitting🤭

[Shara Bowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

How am I supposed to pick a favorite quote when I have 40 highlights?? FORTY!! In only 124 pages?! And honestly I didn't even highlight everything I liked cause that basically would've been the whole book... Ha ha!

I will say this though, that my favorite message amongst the pages of this witty, fun, romantic book is this-

"It’s interesting how God can turn a bad day into something unexpected and beautiful."

Don't you just love that?? Cause I sure do! But really there are just so many things to love about this book. Like how Madelyn just writes the most relatable characters! And like how witty and flirty and fun it is! Laughing is imminent. Oh! And the chapter headings?? I think they are my favorite ever, they are so super clever! This book may be small, but it is jam packed with all the good things!

[Melissa Burk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book. I love that it had a playlist and all the chapter headings were country songs. The story is sweet and makes you want to go out horseback riding. If you want a quick and sweet story to read, this is a great one to pick up.
SPOILERS NEXT


I love that Tate is such a romantic. He is so patient with Shelby and I melted every time he said "Darlin'"....swoon. Shelby grew so much in this story. She was a total city girl, which I do not connect with, but was able to embrace country life.

Shelby and Tate are such a fun combo. Tate is a cowboy who loves a great romance novel. His anonymous review catches the eye of author Shelby. Shelby decides she needs to experience ranch life to better write about cowboy romance. She had no idea how much it would change her life.

[Cherilyn (Cherwhatyouread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect sweet summer novella! I loved the immediate plot twist that author Shelby wasn’t expecting when she meets cowboy Tate. It had me giddy! Tate is a big softie who enjoys romance books and especially Shelby’s books.
Favorite moments:
-the first time Tate sees Shelby.
-how Tate makes Shelby try more on her first horse riding lesson due to be afraid she wouldn’t come back.
-their waterfall date.

Favorite Quotes
Her boots stomp behind me, and I can’t help but smile. She’s a spitfire, which I should have known from her ability to write witty banter, but sometimes that doesn’t translate to real life. But Shelby is as real as real can be. Full of spunk and sunshine.

His grin grows wider and the satisfaction of making someone else smile fills my soul. It feels extra good to make Tate smile though, like it’s special and just for me.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start by saying I received an ARC of this book. This is a sweet clean romance book. The main characters are Tate and Shelby. Tate lives and works on a ranch. Shelby is a romance author. Shelby gets a review on one of her books so we sets out to learn more about horses in hopes to make her next book better. Tate meets Shelby when she comes to learn to ride a horse but little does she know Tate reads her books. Will Shelby learn what it’s like to live like a cowboy or will so walk away? I loved watching Tate and Shelby fall in love. They were total opposites which made it better. I couldn’t stop smiling while reading this book. As a country girl myself Tate is the perfect cowboy. This is the first book I have read by this author and it did not disappoint. I love how throughout the book it had mentions of God. Overall, this book was amazing.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I’m not really a country girl, I love reading books about cowboys! This one was adorable where the city girl ended up learning a little bit about ranch life.
I loved Shelby’s determination! She wasn’t about to let one bad review upset her and she was willing to improve in order to be a better writer. I could also relate to her as a city girl. While I don’t live in a city, I’m definitely not a country person. It was fun to learn things alongside her about how country life works. She was also understandably surprised by things and had some culture shock, but at the end of the day, she and Tate acknowledged each other’s differences and tried to meet in the middle. Tate was the sweetest cowboy! I love how comfortable he felt with Shelby, and it was sweet to read their banter. Also, it was so cute to see how he read romance books. He was such a romantic, and he fell hard.
This is a novella, so it is a short and engaging read. I love how Tate and Shelby had some challenges at times because they were different people, but they also had a lot of open and honest communication. They were so cute! This is a clean romance perfect for any fans of cowboy romance!

I received a complimentary copy

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly sweet novella! I had a lot of fun reading this one. The idea of having city girl FMC Shelby being a writer trying to research her next novel was fun, and I loved that our country boy MMC Tate was not the stereotypical cowboy. Shelby was feisty, sassy, and witty and was fun to read from her POV. Tate was more reserved and introverted, but deeply cared for the animals on the ranch. Their banter and texts were so cute! As they spend more time together and their feelings grow for one another, they have to decide if their differences will keep them apart, or if they’re willing to choose each other instead. Overall, a quick, fun read for any lover of romance... and maybe cowboys.

[Ashley Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Madelyn’s books! They are just full of happy, cozy, feel good vibes! And this novella is no different. From page one I was laughing out loud and falling in love with the characters. This might be the first time I’ve read a book and related more to the MMC than the FMC, but I felt so understanding of Tate! And I loved Shelby’s growth in this book. Way to put yourself out there and try new things!! I need to be a little more like Shelby 😂
This is such a sweet story about the excitement behind starting a new relationship and y’all should pick up a copy!