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Love in Blackwater #3
Love in the Wild
It’s all fun and games until the fake relationship puts their lives on the line.
Gage Howard’s last name is a legacy, and not a good one. The Howards and the Pattons have been rivals for half a century, but his sister's actions have branded her a traitor. Now, his own loyalty is divided. Hadley Morgan has no clue how bloody the family feud between the Howards and the Pattons is when she volunteers to help her new roommate get information to Gage. A fake relationship with her roommate’s brother is a simple solution to stay below the radar.
Gage is guarded and stoic, while Hadley is full of hope. As they carefully navigate their arrangement, they find unexpected connection in the tragedies of their past.
Hadley is determined to show Gage a God of forgiveness as he is constantly reminded of his dark past. Alliances are drawn and betrayals can put a target on anyone’s back. Together, they’ll have to strive to keep the Howards and Pattons from destroying each other while fighting for the new love that could be the way to healing for both of them.
If you loved the Blackwater Ranch series and the Wolf Creek Ranch series, get ready to fall in love all over again in Blackwater, Wyoming.
Gage Howard’s last name is a legacy, and not a good one. The Howards and the Pattons have been rivals for half a century, but his sister's actions have branded her a traitor. Now, his own loyalty is divided. Hadley Morgan has no clue how bloody the family feud between the Howards and the Pattons is when she volunteers to help her new roommate get information to Gage. A fake relationship with her roommate’s brother is a simple solution to stay below the radar.
Gage is guarded and stoic, while Hadley is full of hope. As they carefully navigate their arrangement, they find unexpected connection in the tragedies of their past.
Hadley is determined to show Gage a God of forgiveness as he is constantly reminded of his dark past. Alliances are drawn and betrayals can put a target on anyone’s back. Together, they’ll have to strive to keep the Howards and Pattons from destroying each other while fighting for the new love that could be the way to healing for both of them.
If you loved the Blackwater Ranch series and the Wolf Creek Ranch series, get ready to fall in love all over again in Blackwater, Wyoming.
444 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2024
501 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Mandi Blake
43 books834 followersMandi Blake was born and raised in Alabama where she lives with her husband and daughter, but her southern heart loves to travel. Reading has been her favorite hobby for as long as she can remember, but writing is her passion. She loves a good happily ever after in her sweet Christian romance books and loves to see her characters' relationships grow closer to God and each other.
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August 17, 2024
Love in the Wild by Mandi Blake - 5 Stars
(Book 3 in the "Love in Blackwater" Series)
💕 HAPPY RELEASE DAY!💕
BLOG POST: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
"Believing in God doesn’t mean life is always a bed of roses and we get what we want. It means trusting and having faith that we’ll always have the strength to handle the tough times because He is on our side.”
Mandi does it AGAIN with another beautiful Christian romance book! Highly recommend! I am loving the Love in Blackwater series so much. All of Mandi's books are my comfort reads - and this did NOT disappoint! SO GOOD. After book 2, I was HIGHLY anticipating Gage's story and wow, what a "WILD" ride! Mandi truly is a favorite author and I will continue to read through her backlist!
Read if you like:
💕 Christian Romance
💕 Feuding Families
💕 Grumpy x Sunshine
💕 Epic Friendships
💕 Suspense Elements
💕 Beautiful Faith Content
💕 Small Town
💕 Dual POV
We follow Gage and Hadley's romance and before I read this one, I just so happened to be on book 5 in the "Wolf Creek Ranch" series so I went ahead and read it, called The Other Side. In "The Other Side" you learn all about the Patton and Howard family feud with Thea and Brett's romance story. I am glad I read through that one because it gave me so much background on this family and introduced us to our characters. We see Gage and Hadley in that book. Cut to Love in the Wild, which takes place during the same course of events as "The Other Side", we see the points of view more of Gage and Hadley of what was going on during "The Other Side". I loved seeing this because you really get the deep dive into Gage's backstory and seeing them get to know one another.
Gage is one of my favorite characters so far in this series because he has went through a lot in his family life and he wants to change. Hadley is a a ray of sunshine and her coming into his life helps him realize the Lord loves him and forgives him for anything in his past. She sees the good in Gage and I loved that. They had to fake a relationship for a bit due to the circumstances of the family feud and they find themselves finding real love together.
These characters in this series hold a special place in my heart because you true see the realness of them shine through. We have a beautiful faith message showing that no one is perfect, but the Lord is there with His forgiveness, mercy and grace no matter the events of your past. So many need this message today and I love that Mandi does not shy away from sharing the truth of the Gospel in Jesus in her books.
Overall, I loved Gage and Hadley's romance, where things landed with the family, the friendships shown and how the faith and salvation moment was displayed. Highly recommend as a great Christian romance story!
Thank you to Mandi for providing me with a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
(Book 3 in the "Love in Blackwater" Series)
💕 HAPPY RELEASE DAY!💕
BLOG POST: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
"Believing in God doesn’t mean life is always a bed of roses and we get what we want. It means trusting and having faith that we’ll always have the strength to handle the tough times because He is on our side.”
Mandi does it AGAIN with another beautiful Christian romance book! Highly recommend! I am loving the Love in Blackwater series so much. All of Mandi's books are my comfort reads - and this did NOT disappoint! SO GOOD. After book 2, I was HIGHLY anticipating Gage's story and wow, what a "WILD" ride! Mandi truly is a favorite author and I will continue to read through her backlist!
Read if you like:
💕 Christian Romance
💕 Feuding Families
💕 Grumpy x Sunshine
💕 Epic Friendships
💕 Suspense Elements
💕 Beautiful Faith Content
💕 Small Town
💕 Dual POV
We follow Gage and Hadley's romance and before I read this one, I just so happened to be on book 5 in the "Wolf Creek Ranch" series so I went ahead and read it, called The Other Side. In "The Other Side" you learn all about the Patton and Howard family feud with Thea and Brett's romance story. I am glad I read through that one because it gave me so much background on this family and introduced us to our characters. We see Gage and Hadley in that book. Cut to Love in the Wild, which takes place during the same course of events as "The Other Side", we see the points of view more of Gage and Hadley of what was going on during "The Other Side". I loved seeing this because you really get the deep dive into Gage's backstory and seeing them get to know one another.
Gage is one of my favorite characters so far in this series because he has went through a lot in his family life and he wants to change. Hadley is a a ray of sunshine and her coming into his life helps him realize the Lord loves him and forgives him for anything in his past. She sees the good in Gage and I loved that. They had to fake a relationship for a bit due to the circumstances of the family feud and they find themselves finding real love together.
These characters in this series hold a special place in my heart because you true see the realness of them shine through. We have a beautiful faith message showing that no one is perfect, but the Lord is there with His forgiveness, mercy and grace no matter the events of your past. So many need this message today and I love that Mandi does not shy away from sharing the truth of the Gospel in Jesus in her books.
Overall, I loved Gage and Hadley's romance, where things landed with the family, the friendships shown and how the faith and salvation moment was displayed. Highly recommend as a great Christian romance story!
Thank you to Mandi for providing me with a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 27, 2025
“𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞.”
I think 𝑮𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 … so far!
Gage believes that he has no control over his own destiny and that his family and his earlier choices have sealed his fate. God and Hadley Morgan know that he can change the trajectory of his life. I loved that his character growth doesn’t come at the expense of Hadley and that she doesn’t try to ‘fix’ him. His inner struggles give him depth.
Things I enjoyed:
✔️Small town
✔️Feuding families
✔️Faith thread
✔️Grumpy-sunshine trope
✔️Second chances
✔️Forgiveness
Reminders I appreciated:
💙God’s love isn’t conditional
💙Healing and trust happen when we toss out our pride
💙Be the change
“Believing in God doesn’t mean life is always a bed of roses and we get what we want. It means trusting and having faith that we’ll always have the strength to handle the tough times because He is on our side.”
“You don’t get in the Lord’s good graces by being a good person.”
I’m loving this series!
I think 𝑮𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 … so far!
Gage believes that he has no control over his own destiny and that his family and his earlier choices have sealed his fate. God and Hadley Morgan know that he can change the trajectory of his life. I loved that his character growth doesn’t come at the expense of Hadley and that she doesn’t try to ‘fix’ him. His inner struggles give him depth.
Things I enjoyed:
✔️Small town
✔️Feuding families
✔️Faith thread
✔️Grumpy-sunshine trope
✔️Second chances
✔️Forgiveness
Reminders I appreciated:
💙God’s love isn’t conditional
💙Healing and trust happen when we toss out our pride
💙Be the change
“Believing in God doesn’t mean life is always a bed of roses and we get what we want. It means trusting and having faith that we’ll always have the strength to handle the tough times because He is on our side.”
“You don’t get in the Lord’s good graces by being a good person.”
I’m loving this series!
August 6, 2024
You guys. Oh. My. Word. By now it must be insanely apparent that I'm a Mandi Blake fan girl. But seriously, she has outdone herself with Love in the Wild! This will probably go down as one of my favorite books by this author. I had the privilege of beta reading for this story and I already plan to reread it when I have this gorgeous paperback in my hand!
Gage was a character that was basically screaming for his own book. He definitely fits the mold for "morally grey" as he's frequently on the wrong side of the law thanks to his family, but you can tell his moral compass is a bit stronger than his family so you don't immediately dislike him. I think this is a great place for a character to be for an amazing redemption story arc. And boy does he get a redemption arc. He feels so unlovable, so unforgivable. Oh he is an absolute teddy bear hiding behind a stoic stone mask. I absolutely loved him.
Then you get to take serious, grumpy Gage and contract him with the sunshine that is Hadley, who also didn't have an upbringing that was all sunshine and rainbows but has already given her life to the Lord and has l warned how to live life with a more positive outlook. Those initial meetings between Gage and Hadley were amazing. I loved them together long before they were really together. You could just feel how Hadley's "goodness" would be amazing for Gage to have in his life. I loved when he was ready and willing to be open and vulnerable.
Have I rambled enough? Have I made it super obvious yet that you need to read this book ASAP? Because you totally do! It's utterly amazing.
Gage was a character that was basically screaming for his own book. He definitely fits the mold for "morally grey" as he's frequently on the wrong side of the law thanks to his family, but you can tell his moral compass is a bit stronger than his family so you don't immediately dislike him. I think this is a great place for a character to be for an amazing redemption story arc. And boy does he get a redemption arc. He feels so unlovable, so unforgivable. Oh he is an absolute teddy bear hiding behind a stoic stone mask. I absolutely loved him.
Then you get to take serious, grumpy Gage and contract him with the sunshine that is Hadley, who also didn't have an upbringing that was all sunshine and rainbows but has already given her life to the Lord and has l warned how to live life with a more positive outlook. Those initial meetings between Gage and Hadley were amazing. I loved them together long before they were really together. You could just feel how Hadley's "goodness" would be amazing for Gage to have in his life. I loved when he was ready and willing to be open and vulnerable.
Have I rambled enough? Have I made it super obvious yet that you need to read this book ASAP? Because you totally do! It's utterly amazing.
February 11, 2025
Absolutely adored this tale of redemption and of faith in Christ. The themes of forgiveness and change were beautiful. Not to mention that a protective Gage was totally swoony 😍
💋Kisses only
⚠️Gage is working to leave the gangster life behind
💋Kisses only
⚠️Gage is working to leave the gangster life behind
March 26, 2025
Oh mylanta! I LOVED this story. I am not typically one for bad boys and at the beginning of the story I was nervous because there was a lot of drama going on between the two families. But boy howdy did Mandi craft a story of redemption that was completely perfect! This was a fabulous read for me. With every story of Mandi’s I read, she gets better and better and is cementing herself a place on my favorite authors list. Reading her backlist is definitely a priority for me!
August 14, 2024
I have been waiting for Love in the Wild since Hadley stepped foot on Wolf Creek Ranch in The Only Exception…then my anticipation doubled after meeting Gage in The Other Side! It is so worth the wait! I absolutely loved that not only did we get to see the story from Gage and Hadley’s POV but it wasn’t just a replay…it goes beyond The Other Side and into something so beautiful and had me on my toes for a bit waiting for the other shoe to drop. I absolutely loved Gage’s faith journey it was slow and steady and so realistically done. I love the no “hanky panky” talk, that shouldn’t be shied away from especially in Christian Fiction. Hadley is sooo sweet and patient and pure sunshine 😉, Gage is the bad boy/good guy we all need and love, together they’re perfection. This book was so worth the wait and I loved every second of it.
I received an advanced copy for an HONEST review. All thoughts are my own and I’m geeking out over this one.
I received an advanced copy for an HONEST review. All thoughts are my own and I’m geeking out over this one.
August 17, 2024
I absolutely loved Gage & Hadley's heartachingly beautiful, grumpy, sweet, redemptive, caring , loving, swoony story!!!
August 26, 2024
"No one has ever mistaken me for the hero, sunshine."
Redemption, second chances, and hope are all themes you'll find in this one!
Mandi Blake has become one of my favorite Christian romance authors. Her books are full of heart, grit, and determination. Love in the Wild just might be my new favorite book of hers...I know I say that after each one, but they just keep hitting the spot each and every time.
Hadley and Gage were a couple I shipped from earlier books and seeing snippets of them made me want a full-length book just of them and here we are!! I could not have been more thrilled after the announcement for this book as I am having just finished it and having it live up to every expectation.
I love the bad-boy, grump meets the hope-filled sunshine-y character trope and it plays off so well in this. The redemption arc of Gage is off the charts good and will touch every reader that reads this. I love the Christian threads and the chance, as a reader, to want to always be a little better each day.
This book brings all the feels, provides pages and pages of entertainment and leaves you with a hopeful feelings to live off of for weeks to come!
If you like Christian romance with a little bit of suspense and love seeing characters find hope and purpose I think you'd love this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content: off-page mention of past murders and family feuds, mention of illegal activity (selling stolen goods type activity), mentions of domestic violence, kidnapping, self-defense violence, redemption and salvation, 1 conversation about waiting until marriage for intimacy, romance-kisses only.
Redemption, second chances, and hope are all themes you'll find in this one!
Mandi Blake has become one of my favorite Christian romance authors. Her books are full of heart, grit, and determination. Love in the Wild just might be my new favorite book of hers...I know I say that after each one, but they just keep hitting the spot each and every time.
Hadley and Gage were a couple I shipped from earlier books and seeing snippets of them made me want a full-length book just of them and here we are!! I could not have been more thrilled after the announcement for this book as I am having just finished it and having it live up to every expectation.
I love the bad-boy, grump meets the hope-filled sunshine-y character trope and it plays off so well in this. The redemption arc of Gage is off the charts good and will touch every reader that reads this. I love the Christian threads and the chance, as a reader, to want to always be a little better each day.
This book brings all the feels, provides pages and pages of entertainment and leaves you with a hopeful feelings to live off of for weeks to come!
If you like Christian romance with a little bit of suspense and love seeing characters find hope and purpose I think you'd love this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content: off-page mention of past murders and family feuds, mention of illegal activity (selling stolen goods type activity), mentions of domestic violence, kidnapping, self-defense violence, redemption and salvation, 1 conversation about waiting until marriage for intimacy, romance-kisses only.
August 12, 2024
#BookReview : LOVE IN THE WILD by Mandi Blake
“I could convince you that there is a God and that He cares about you.”
I was both looking forward to and apprehensive about reading Gage’s story. He was quite reserved in Love for a Lifetime, the second book in this series. Well, I’m glad I did read this book. The grumpy-sunshine trope, the danger surrounding Gage’s family, and the amazing support from friends made it an exciting read. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Gage and Hadley. Their lunch dates were cute.
I always enjoyed reading Mr. Chambers’ advice from previous. This time his counsel differed from what Gage expected but was still greatly appreciated. It was fascinating to watch Gage process his thoughts and actions as the Holy Spirit worked on him. I admire the author’s willingness to incorporate faith elements into her stories without being preachy, and embracing God's truth in the lives of her characters.
I finished this book satisfied and thankful of God’s unfailing love for us despite our shortcomings. I highly recommend this book and this series.
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Series: Love in Blackwater Book 3
Pub date: 17 Aug 2024
“I could convince you that there is a God and that He cares about you.”
I was both looking forward to and apprehensive about reading Gage’s story. He was quite reserved in Love for a Lifetime, the second book in this series. Well, I’m glad I did read this book. The grumpy-sunshine trope, the danger surrounding Gage’s family, and the amazing support from friends made it an exciting read. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Gage and Hadley. Their lunch dates were cute.
I always enjoyed reading Mr. Chambers’ advice from previous. This time his counsel differed from what Gage expected but was still greatly appreciated. It was fascinating to watch Gage process his thoughts and actions as the Holy Spirit worked on him. I admire the author’s willingness to incorporate faith elements into her stories without being preachy, and embracing God's truth in the lives of her characters.
I finished this book satisfied and thankful of God’s unfailing love for us despite our shortcomings. I highly recommend this book and this series.
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Series: Love in Blackwater Book 3
Pub date: 17 Aug 2024
September 9, 2024
“You’re so bubbly and happy all the time. It’s like you’re made of sweet tea and sunshine.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Does one of your parents’ names start with D and end with O-L-L-Y?”
Hadley gasped. “I beg your Parton, but there is nothing wrong with being happy all the time.”
It is official!! I have, not only a new favorite Mandi Blake book, but a new favorite Mandi Blake MMC!!! Gage Howard!
This book! It was amazing! If you have read The Other Side and know Brett’s and Thea’s story, Gage and Hadley play important roles. And this book gives us a first hand look their introduction to one another and how their relationship moves from helping to protect Thea to an all out swoon fest romance!
Gage is one of my favorite type of characters. Stuck between a rock and a hard place with keeping his “constantly on the wrong side of the law” family placated and wanting to leave that sinful life behind. He is good at his core but must do things against his conscience to keep people safe. He is grumpy and a little hot headed. But deep down he is so much more than just a Howard.
Hadley is a darling! Loving, caring, always ready to help a friend or stranger, she is a ray of sunshine. And the way she cracks Gage’s stony facade and worms her way straight to his heart would make this grumpiest grumpy turn his frown upside down. My favorite thing about Hadley was how she stayed true to herself and her convictions. Never compromising herself and always letting her spiritual “light” shine to help Gage find redemption.
Mandi writes the most beautiful stories with strong messages of faith, second chances, and redemption. They are full of sweet romance, genuine friendships, sometimes with a little suspense and danger thrown in. Thank you, Mandi, for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#mandiblake #loveinthewild #christianfiction #contemporaryfiction #bookstagram #arcreview #arcreader
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Does one of your parents’ names start with D and end with O-L-L-Y?”
Hadley gasped. “I beg your Parton, but there is nothing wrong with being happy all the time.”
It is official!! I have, not only a new favorite Mandi Blake book, but a new favorite Mandi Blake MMC!!! Gage Howard!
This book! It was amazing! If you have read The Other Side and know Brett’s and Thea’s story, Gage and Hadley play important roles. And this book gives us a first hand look their introduction to one another and how their relationship moves from helping to protect Thea to an all out swoon fest romance!
Gage is one of my favorite type of characters. Stuck between a rock and a hard place with keeping his “constantly on the wrong side of the law” family placated and wanting to leave that sinful life behind. He is good at his core but must do things against his conscience to keep people safe. He is grumpy and a little hot headed. But deep down he is so much more than just a Howard.
Hadley is a darling! Loving, caring, always ready to help a friend or stranger, she is a ray of sunshine. And the way she cracks Gage’s stony facade and worms her way straight to his heart would make this grumpiest grumpy turn his frown upside down. My favorite thing about Hadley was how she stayed true to herself and her convictions. Never compromising herself and always letting her spiritual “light” shine to help Gage find redemption.
Mandi writes the most beautiful stories with strong messages of faith, second chances, and redemption. They are full of sweet romance, genuine friendships, sometimes with a little suspense and danger thrown in. Thank you, Mandi, for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#mandiblake #loveinthewild #christianfiction #contemporaryfiction #bookstagram #arcreview #arcreader
August 14, 2024
Love in the wild -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶:kissing only (clean)
❗️:child abuse, illegal activities including drugs, alcohol,murder and attempted muerder,mentions of former sexual activities.
Finally, it's Gage's story.
I've read almost all of Mandi's books, and there's so many characters that I love .But Gage intrigued and became a quick favorite in 'The other side.
A protective brother trying to protect his sister while playing double agent with him terrible family.
Those small glimpses of him and Hadley quickly became some of my favorite parts, and I could only hope for them to get their own book.
And a year later, it's finally here.
I knew going in ,I was going to see the dark, most hidden parts of Gage that we didn't see in 'the other side.
You see two broken characters. Lives go two completely different directions.
Hadley, also out of a broken ,abusive household ,is this kind ,sweet woman who is kinda fitting with Gage calling her sunshine.
Gage and Thea grew up in a Romeo and Juliette family rivalry while doing a number of illegal activities and being abused by their family. Gage quickly became Thea's protector, even going so far as getting her as far as possible for that town and family (read the other side)
Well, imagine his shock at finding his sister's back but also in hospital because their family got to her before he could.
Thea and Brett get Hadley to be the middleman between them and Gage. But feeling quickly became a problem for them.
I really loved how Gage wanted to become better for Hadley and himself. I loved his mental struggles and how he thought he wasn't good enough or worth Hadley's love but still trying his best to be the man worthy of her love.
And the suspense and bromance were definitely my favorite parts.
Tropes
Age-gap
Suspense & intrigue
Badboy × good girl
Family rivalry
Touch her and die
Found family
Healing through faith
Bad boy, actually good guy
Bromance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶:kissing only (clean)
❗️:child abuse, illegal activities including drugs, alcohol,murder and attempted muerder,mentions of former sexual activities.
Finally, it's Gage's story.
I've read almost all of Mandi's books, and there's so many characters that I love .But Gage intrigued and became a quick favorite in 'The other side.
A protective brother trying to protect his sister while playing double agent with him terrible family.
Those small glimpses of him and Hadley quickly became some of my favorite parts, and I could only hope for them to get their own book.
And a year later, it's finally here.
I knew going in ,I was going to see the dark, most hidden parts of Gage that we didn't see in 'the other side.
You see two broken characters. Lives go two completely different directions.
Hadley, also out of a broken ,abusive household ,is this kind ,sweet woman who is kinda fitting with Gage calling her sunshine.
Gage and Thea grew up in a Romeo and Juliette family rivalry while doing a number of illegal activities and being abused by their family. Gage quickly became Thea's protector, even going so far as getting her as far as possible for that town and family (read the other side)
Well, imagine his shock at finding his sister's back but also in hospital because their family got to her before he could.
Thea and Brett get Hadley to be the middleman between them and Gage. But feeling quickly became a problem for them.
I really loved how Gage wanted to become better for Hadley and himself. I loved his mental struggles and how he thought he wasn't good enough or worth Hadley's love but still trying his best to be the man worthy of her love.
And the suspense and bromance were definitely my favorite parts.
Tropes
Age-gap
Suspense & intrigue
Badboy × good girl
Family rivalry
Touch her and die
Found family
Healing through faith
Bad boy, actually good guy
Bromance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2024
I need a minute to catch my breath.
This is gritty Christian fiction. It’s not rainbows butterflies and puppy dogs. This story does an excellent job of showing what it means to be a real human, experiencing real flaws, even criminal histories, substance abuse, living in a way that may be terrifying to some people, and how Christ can redeem it all. Gage’s history is challenging,rough, and scary. Hadley has had some of her own experiences, but has been stayed away from bitterness. The way that Hadley fights for Gage to see the good in himself, but even more how she fights for him to see how the Lord loves him and can use him, is nothing short of stunning. Gage’s journey to receiving, accepting, and offering love is beautiful. The greater beauty though is seeing him surrender to Christ. And it’s not just like he says a 10 second prayer and everything‘s perfect. Mandi does an excellent job of showing that previous life experiences sometimes have challenges and consequences that reach into the future, even after we have submitted to Christ. This was a great story, some incredibly swoony moments, and I just loved it.
PG-13
This is gritty Christian fiction. It’s not rainbows butterflies and puppy dogs. This story does an excellent job of showing what it means to be a real human, experiencing real flaws, even criminal histories, substance abuse, living in a way that may be terrifying to some people, and how Christ can redeem it all. Gage’s history is challenging,rough, and scary. Hadley has had some of her own experiences, but has been stayed away from bitterness. The way that Hadley fights for Gage to see the good in himself, but even more how she fights for him to see how the Lord loves him and can use him, is nothing short of stunning. Gage’s journey to receiving, accepting, and offering love is beautiful. The greater beauty though is seeing him surrender to Christ. And it’s not just like he says a 10 second prayer and everything‘s perfect. Mandi does an excellent job of showing that previous life experiences sometimes have challenges and consequences that reach into the future, even after we have submitted to Christ. This was a great story, some incredibly swoony moments, and I just loved it.
PG-13
August 11, 2024
Hadley and Gage kind of fall into a romance while trying to protect his sister. They are so opposite that the thought of them getting together is laughable to Gage until he learns that they had a similar upbringing. How is she "Miss Sunshine" after growing up like that?
That leads to talks about forgiveness and faith in God... which lead to peace and joy.
Of course, bad stuff is going on around them and they get caught up in it.
I love the way the friends gather around them, both during and after the physical struggles, to lead and encourage.
There was no physical abue described, but there was mention of it having occurred. Described in memories, though, were abusive comments made to a very young Hadley that stuck with her for ages and still pop up now and again. Honestly, I had to step away from the book a couple of times but the story was compelling enough to bring me back to it.
This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.
That leads to talks about forgiveness and faith in God... which lead to peace and joy.
Of course, bad stuff is going on around them and they get caught up in it.
I love the way the friends gather around them, both during and after the physical struggles, to lead and encourage.
There was no physical abue described, but there was mention of it having occurred. Described in memories, though, were abusive comments made to a very young Hadley that stuck with her for ages and still pop up now and again. Honestly, I had to step away from the book a couple of times but the story was compelling enough to bring me back to it.
This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.
August 9, 2024
Gage doesn’t come with good references and he needs walls like Fort Knox to keep Hadley out of his thoughts. She is sunshine and he has a dark past. Hadley quickly tears down all of his walls one tailgate lunch at a time.
This book was SO AMAZING. Don’t sleep on this one. Actually go read the whole series if you haven’t already! I love how Mandi brings books to life in such a special way. She surprised me many times in this one! The message of forgiveness and grace is woven throughout. I am so thankful for this ARC. I knew before I even started reading that it was going to be an amazing book because let’s face it - Mandi Blake knows how to create something beautiful that checks every box!
Thank you, Mandi for this book ❤️
This book was SO AMAZING. Don’t sleep on this one. Actually go read the whole series if you haven’t already! I love how Mandi brings books to life in such a special way. She surprised me many times in this one! The message of forgiveness and grace is woven throughout. I am so thankful for this ARC. I knew before I even started reading that it was going to be an amazing book because let’s face it - Mandi Blake knows how to create something beautiful that checks every box!
Thank you, Mandi for this book ❤️
August 10, 2024
Gage is my favorite character in this series so far. Despite growing up in a greedy, violent family he wants to be better. All he has known is a family feud between the Howards and the Pattons and when his sister is caught in the middle all he wants to do is help her. Enter Hadley a sweet ball of sunshine who makes him feel like he can maybe overcome his past. Gage has also done illegal things even done time in jail. Hadley sees so much good in Gage and with her help he starts to believe he can be forgiven. Beautiful Christian story!
August 17, 2024
Another great book by Mandi Blake. It is truly a fav for me!! I totally loved not just the romance but the all of the faith aspects!! I pray God uses Mandi’s inclusion of faith to reach people for God!!!
September 10, 2024
Book 3 in this contemporary Christian romance series set in small town, Wyoming.
The character development of Gage is my favorite aspect of this story. The themes of forgiveness and redemption are strong. And of course the love storyline is wonderful!
I’m SO glad I picked up my first Mandi Blake book last month and definitely happy that she has a great backlist for me to work through! Wolf Creek Ranch will be her next series I read.
The character development of Gage is my favorite aspect of this story. The themes of forgiveness and redemption are strong. And of course the love storyline is wonderful!
I’m SO glad I picked up my first Mandi Blake book last month and definitely happy that she has a great backlist for me to work through! Wolf Creek Ranch will be her next series I read.
April 10, 2025
That was quite the ride!
April 14, 2025
I think this is my favorite Mandi Blake book so far. The redemption story and their journey ❤️
July 4, 2025
Another stay-up-late read.
August 19, 2024
Oh my goodness, Gage and Hadley have had so many obstacles to overcome in their lives. Hadley’s strong Christian beliefs have helped her to overcome. Maybe with God’s help and her support she can help Gage realize that he’s a better man than he believes or has been taught. Will a relationship between the two of them be able to survive??? Please don’t miss the opportunity to read this riveting book.
October 7, 2024
If you like the Fast and Furious movies minus the “hanky panky” then you will love this book! It gave me the same feelings I get from watching those movies. It has the car garage environment, the found family loyalty, the Christian element (though this book as a lot more than F&F), feuding gangs that take the law into their own hands, very suspenseful scenes, illegal ways to make money, and men that will burn the world to save their women haha. This is a clean suspenseful book that points you to Christ. I love this message from the book: No one is perfect. But if you continually turn to Christ, He will change you for the better. The love is kind of insta love but it worked for the book. There were a lot of cheesy lines but that went with the vibe of the book too. I love Gage’s redemption and his heart of gold. He was in a very hard circumstance with no way out except Christ. With Him anyone can change! He had to fight the battle of the feeling of being unworthy though. And I LOVE sunshine Hadley that radiated Christs light! This was my very first book from this author so I didn’t know any of the side characters back stories. But I never felt lost and I feel like I knew them all well by the end of the book. I love the feeling of peace and home that you feel bc of Christ. And then the suspenseful moments will have your heart pounding too!
SPOILERS and book notes:
This book is giving me major fast and furious vibes. Two gang families lol.
So far I like Gage personality…”He understood cars, not people. Vehicles were made up of pieces, and each piece either did its job or needed replacing. People were unpredictable and couldn’t be trusted.” ““Thanks for showing up.” This was why Gage had trouble understanding people. Why did they care if he was around when Dawson proposed to Olivia? It wasn’t as if they were friends. It wasn’t like he cared.” I LOVE all of Hadleys “expressions” “Jess immediately shouted, “What?” Hmm. Someone left her cool in the freezer this morning.” ““She’s a lot easier to manage than some of the kids. Getting them to line up is like herding cats sometimes.” Gages sister Thea got beaten up by their own family members bc she fell in love with the rival gang family. Now Brett (her lover) is having her hide out with Hadley! Gage allegiance now is only to his mom and sister and he is an army of one. To keep them safe. Hadley is now the go between between Gage and his sister Thea. He is happy and sunshine and goodness. And he is tattooed and baseball hats and grease stains and beard and older than her. They have a 5 year age gap. Hadley says: “cheese and crackers!” And she drinks sweet tea. Southern Tennessee girl! Gage to her: “you’re so bubbly and happy all the time.” He is going to change her oil for her!! Hehe “Gage propped his hands on her open window, looking down at her with what could have been a slight grin. “Can I get your sticker?” “Oh, sure.” She peeled the sticker off and handed it to him. “What’s your mileage?” She rattled off the number, and he looked back up at her with one brow raised. “So, you’ve driven exactly three thousand miles since your last oil change?” “Yeah.” Gage pressed his lips together, almost smiling. “You’re so responsible.” “There’s nothing wrong with that. I follow the rules because it makes life easier.” AWWW! This grump TOTALLY loves her. ““What do I owe you?” “It’s on me,” Gage said without looking at her. Geeze, Louise. He had to stop being cute. “Well, thank you. That’s very sweet.” “Don’t get used to it.” Gage is an MMA fighter whaaaaa?? I love this: ““Why are you smiling?” he asked. “Because I think I could convince you that there is a God and that He cares about you.” “Good luck. I haven’t found many people who care about me.” Hehehehe they are fake dating and she calls him “hunny bun!” And her cheek kisses for him are always so sweet! Oh my HECK: “Lifting his chin and shoulders, Gage measured his words carefully. “Touch her and die.” Cain chuckled, and the sound was anything but jovial. It was a laugh of madness mixed with unchecked entitlement. “We’ll see about that.” She is so trusting in him. She told him so. And she believes in him. She told him so. And he said “I know what it’s like to fight for the things I want, and I’ll fight for you.” The BASEBALL CAP. This reminds me of my first date with my husband! I wore his hat too. “When he turned around, she was wearing the cap he’d left in her car last night. Good grief, it should be a crime to look as good as she did. She put the drinks down and handed him the hat. He took it and placed it back on her head. “What’s in the cup?” “Sweet tea,” she said with a smile. Gage adjusted the hat on her head and brushed her hair behind her ear. “And sunshine.” She lifted onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Have you had a good day?” Awww Hadley was in a car wreck and the bad guys took Thea! GAGE had to defend his sister so had to shoot his cousin! Now he is in handcuffs when Hadley sees him! SO intense and dramatic I’m dying!!! I like that he calls her “MY sunshine”. And that she is like a cheerleader for him. “I’ve tasted pure happiness for the first time in my life, and I’m afraid I’ll lose you:” “I don’t know how to be a good boyfriend to you.” MY HEART is breaking for this broken man trying to change. He needs Jesus! And his atonement! He can have peace and joy through Him! “You’re my sunshine. All my days are dark without you.” I LOVE the communication between the two. The both have stuff to work on. They both give each other grace. “They could do this. They just had to keep listening to each other.” I love this greeting: “Her lips bloomed into a smile as soon as she saw him, and his heart rate kicked into high gear. No one had ever looked at him the way Hadley did every single day. She tossed her arms out to her side and launched herself into a hug. “Hey! I missed you.” No one is perfect. But if you continually turn to Christ, He will change you for the better. “I’d rather be generous than rich.” I love when Gage decides to be all in and dedicate his life to the lords! He feels peace. Peace that he had never felt in his whole life! Peace that only Christ can bring. And I LOVE this thought from gage: “I’ll get a ride with someone there, and you can take me home.” Home. He had no complaints about living with Travis, but his home was standing right in front of him. It wasn’t a place. It was a person, and the magnitude of his attachment to Hadley was staring him right in the face.” OH MY GOODNESS!! You claim your woman Gage! ““Who are you looking at?” he asked. One guy pointed. “The girl in the yellow dress.” The one beside him elbowed his friend. “I saw her first.” Gage shrugged. “You’re all too slow. She’s mine.” Oh my heck! Gage was using a chainsaw to cut down tree limbs up in a tree when Hadley was kidnapped!! ““I’ll burn this whole place down to find her. Do what you have to do, but don’t get in my way.” Awwww Roman threw Hadley off a cliff! When Gage finally defeated Rome and found her at the bottom injured but alive, Hadley is the one that reassures Gage and comforts HIM. I love this. It’s harder to be the one watching people suffer than the one injured sometimes. The book ended with a proposal!!!!!!! Heck to the yes!
SPOILERS and book notes:
This book is giving me major fast and furious vibes. Two gang families lol.
So far I like Gage personality…”He understood cars, not people. Vehicles were made up of pieces, and each piece either did its job or needed replacing. People were unpredictable and couldn’t be trusted.” ““Thanks for showing up.” This was why Gage had trouble understanding people. Why did they care if he was around when Dawson proposed to Olivia? It wasn’t as if they were friends. It wasn’t like he cared.” I LOVE all of Hadleys “expressions” “Jess immediately shouted, “What?” Hmm. Someone left her cool in the freezer this morning.” ““She’s a lot easier to manage than some of the kids. Getting them to line up is like herding cats sometimes.” Gages sister Thea got beaten up by their own family members bc she fell in love with the rival gang family. Now Brett (her lover) is having her hide out with Hadley! Gage allegiance now is only to his mom and sister and he is an army of one. To keep them safe. Hadley is now the go between between Gage and his sister Thea. He is happy and sunshine and goodness. And he is tattooed and baseball hats and grease stains and beard and older than her. They have a 5 year age gap. Hadley says: “cheese and crackers!” And she drinks sweet tea. Southern Tennessee girl! Gage to her: “you’re so bubbly and happy all the time.” He is going to change her oil for her!! Hehe “Gage propped his hands on her open window, looking down at her with what could have been a slight grin. “Can I get your sticker?” “Oh, sure.” She peeled the sticker off and handed it to him. “What’s your mileage?” She rattled off the number, and he looked back up at her with one brow raised. “So, you’ve driven exactly three thousand miles since your last oil change?” “Yeah.” Gage pressed his lips together, almost smiling. “You’re so responsible.” “There’s nothing wrong with that. I follow the rules because it makes life easier.” AWWW! This grump TOTALLY loves her. ““What do I owe you?” “It’s on me,” Gage said without looking at her. Geeze, Louise. He had to stop being cute. “Well, thank you. That’s very sweet.” “Don’t get used to it.” Gage is an MMA fighter whaaaaa?? I love this: ““Why are you smiling?” he asked. “Because I think I could convince you that there is a God and that He cares about you.” “Good luck. I haven’t found many people who care about me.” Hehehehe they are fake dating and she calls him “hunny bun!” And her cheek kisses for him are always so sweet! Oh my HECK: “Lifting his chin and shoulders, Gage measured his words carefully. “Touch her and die.” Cain chuckled, and the sound was anything but jovial. It was a laugh of madness mixed with unchecked entitlement. “We’ll see about that.” She is so trusting in him. She told him so. And she believes in him. She told him so. And he said “I know what it’s like to fight for the things I want, and I’ll fight for you.” The BASEBALL CAP. This reminds me of my first date with my husband! I wore his hat too. “When he turned around, she was wearing the cap he’d left in her car last night. Good grief, it should be a crime to look as good as she did. She put the drinks down and handed him the hat. He took it and placed it back on her head. “What’s in the cup?” “Sweet tea,” she said with a smile. Gage adjusted the hat on her head and brushed her hair behind her ear. “And sunshine.” She lifted onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Have you had a good day?” Awww Hadley was in a car wreck and the bad guys took Thea! GAGE had to defend his sister so had to shoot his cousin! Now he is in handcuffs when Hadley sees him! SO intense and dramatic I’m dying!!! I like that he calls her “MY sunshine”. And that she is like a cheerleader for him. “I’ve tasted pure happiness for the first time in my life, and I’m afraid I’ll lose you:” “I don’t know how to be a good boyfriend to you.” MY HEART is breaking for this broken man trying to change. He needs Jesus! And his atonement! He can have peace and joy through Him! “You’re my sunshine. All my days are dark without you.” I LOVE the communication between the two. The both have stuff to work on. They both give each other grace. “They could do this. They just had to keep listening to each other.” I love this greeting: “Her lips bloomed into a smile as soon as she saw him, and his heart rate kicked into high gear. No one had ever looked at him the way Hadley did every single day. She tossed her arms out to her side and launched herself into a hug. “Hey! I missed you.” No one is perfect. But if you continually turn to Christ, He will change you for the better. “I’d rather be generous than rich.” I love when Gage decides to be all in and dedicate his life to the lords! He feels peace. Peace that he had never felt in his whole life! Peace that only Christ can bring. And I LOVE this thought from gage: “I’ll get a ride with someone there, and you can take me home.” Home. He had no complaints about living with Travis, but his home was standing right in front of him. It wasn’t a place. It was a person, and the magnitude of his attachment to Hadley was staring him right in the face.” OH MY GOODNESS!! You claim your woman Gage! ““Who are you looking at?” he asked. One guy pointed. “The girl in the yellow dress.” The one beside him elbowed his friend. “I saw her first.” Gage shrugged. “You’re all too slow. She’s mine.” Oh my heck! Gage was using a chainsaw to cut down tree limbs up in a tree when Hadley was kidnapped!! ““I’ll burn this whole place down to find her. Do what you have to do, but don’t get in my way.” Awwww Roman threw Hadley off a cliff! When Gage finally defeated Rome and found her at the bottom injured but alive, Hadley is the one that reassures Gage and comforts HIM. I love this. It’s harder to be the one watching people suffer than the one injured sometimes. The book ended with a proposal!!!!!!! Heck to the yes!
September 26, 2024
Loved Hadley!!! My hear4t hurt for Gage and was glad to read his story especially after reading his sister Thea's. The Lord forgives and restores. Author did a great job of showing us what Gage was going through. Romance, mystery, suspense, faith and forgiveness are just a few things happening. Having someone believe in you and point you to the Lord is wonderful. Great ending.
December 6, 2024
The long awaited Gage and Hadley story!! Loved this book!’
September 17, 2024
Here's the thing. Mandi Blake writes amazing characters. She keeps them real, doesn't force faith or circumstances on them. Makes them relatable, endearing, lovable, and sometimes even not lovable. She doesn't hide from certain "jobs" that her characters have because they are sinful, wrong, or anywhere in between. I love that about her, because it reminds me of a very important truth. God can save anyone right where they are. It doesn't matter what they've done - He still loves them.
For awhile, Gage was probably my least favorite character of hers. Why? Because I didn't like what he did. And ya know? Blake certainly turned my view on him around, which in turn made me think differently about people in my own life. I was concentrating on the bad, and not seeing the potential. But Blake.....she just writes in a way that you see things in a different perspective. You see the why Gage did things, and the struggle he had internally. I so appreciate that because I think I need that wake up call every now and then.
Of course, I can't not talk about the romance. My oh my it's good. The chemistry is on point, and there were several heart pounding moments that had me smiling and reaching for my fan all at the same time. Another thing I love about Blake's stories. They are full of good romance!!
If you're looking for a good redemption story with a swoony romance, Love in the Wild is the book for you. I promise you won't regret diving in! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For awhile, Gage was probably my least favorite character of hers. Why? Because I didn't like what he did. And ya know? Blake certainly turned my view on him around, which in turn made me think differently about people in my own life. I was concentrating on the bad, and not seeing the potential. But Blake.....she just writes in a way that you see things in a different perspective. You see the why Gage did things, and the struggle he had internally. I so appreciate that because I think I need that wake up call every now and then.
Of course, I can't not talk about the romance. My oh my it's good. The chemistry is on point, and there were several heart pounding moments that had me smiling and reaching for my fan all at the same time. Another thing I love about Blake's stories. They are full of good romance!!
If you're looking for a good redemption story with a swoony romance, Love in the Wild is the book for you. I promise you won't regret diving in! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 24, 2025
I did not want to put this book down! The suspense kept me on my toes. And the story flowed so well!
Hadley and Gage were so great! I really loved their story and the fight and struggles they overcame to be together. Hadley was fun and bubbly and Gage has that protective broodiness down pat. I loved flirty Gage!! I loved how patient and uplifting Hadley was and the growth Gage went through was done so well. They had such sweet and such swoony moments and I loved seeing their walls come down with each other. Their story was such a beautiful story!
The faith elements are done so well and I loved seeing the theme of redemption and forgiveness weaved throughout. The suspense in this one was so good! I loved all the high stakes moments and the background family drama that kept the suspense going.
Can't wait to read more from this series... soooooooo good! And I love all the connections and the community in these books!
Hadley and Gage were so great! I really loved their story and the fight and struggles they overcame to be together. Hadley was fun and bubbly and Gage has that protective broodiness down pat. I loved flirty Gage!! I loved how patient and uplifting Hadley was and the growth Gage went through was done so well. They had such sweet and such swoony moments and I loved seeing their walls come down with each other. Their story was such a beautiful story!
The faith elements are done so well and I loved seeing the theme of redemption and forgiveness weaved throughout. The suspense in this one was so good! I loved all the high stakes moments and the background family drama that kept the suspense going.
Can't wait to read more from this series... soooooooo good! And I love all the connections and the community in these books!
Read
August 14, 2024Love in the Wild by Mandi Blake is a grumpy/sunshine trope that shows how different people react to trauma in their lives. I loved how Hadley didn’t let her past ruin her present. She showed how God’s love can help us move on from past trauma. Gage, on the other hand, didn’t quite make it through the trauma that his family put him through. His redemption arc was, well let’s just say he needed redemption pretty badly! Honestly, I struggled a bit with some of his thought processes and his illegal activities. That being said, his redemption was nice to read! I loved whenever Hadley and Gage were on the page because their chemistry was off the charts. There’s also some nail biting suspense that will keep you on your toes.
August 20, 2024
Love in the Wild is a sweet story about love and redemption and it was a bit different than the first two books, since it included a redemption story about a person who tries to do kind of the right thing, but still has lost hope and faith in humanity and only cares for a select number of people.
I was really intrigued by this premise and loved Gage’s first chapters. It’s a real grumpy/sunshine situation since Hadley was his polar opposite with her joyous and positive outlook on every situation.
I do think they complemented each other perfectly and they were a very sweet couple.
Like in both previous books I loved the faith elements, which are a bit more prominent in this one, since Gage knows very little about the Christian faith and certain aspects are explained to him on page, which I really liked.
The suspense also kicked up a notch and this aspect of the book definitely kept me invested in the story. I loved that the book is gripping but not gory. The danger is real, it’s not all sunshine and roses, but we’re not subjected to bloody details or linger on violent aspects of the crimes.
Despite these positive aspects of the book and even though I really like the characters I got to know in this series there were still a few things I didn’t enjoy that much. I don’t think my review includes important spoilers, but if you don’t like knowing any detail in advance, don’t read any further.
I still loved Gage’s redemption arc, how he was able to let go of his anger, hurt, guilt and bitterness. He was truly a new person after accepting Christ and Hadley helped him see this hope, this possibility for himself, and that is a beautiful thing.
So while my criticism is longer than my praise (long just means I want to explain myself), my rating should make it clear that I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone who loves Christian romances. It’s a sweet opposites attract love story with added danger and suspense and clear faith messages.
* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.
I was really intrigued by this premise and loved Gage’s first chapters. It’s a real grumpy/sunshine situation since Hadley was his polar opposite with her joyous and positive outlook on every situation.
I do think they complemented each other perfectly and they were a very sweet couple.
Like in both previous books I loved the faith elements, which are a bit more prominent in this one, since Gage knows very little about the Christian faith and certain aspects are explained to him on page, which I really liked.
The suspense also kicked up a notch and this aspect of the book definitely kept me invested in the story. I loved that the book is gripping but not gory. The danger is real, it’s not all sunshine and roses, but we’re not subjected to bloody details or linger on violent aspects of the crimes.
Despite these positive aspects of the book and even though I really like the characters I got to know in this series there were still a few things I didn’t enjoy that much. I don’t think my review includes important spoilers, but if you don’t like knowing any detail in advance, don’t read any further.
I still loved Gage’s redemption arc, how he was able to let go of his anger, hurt, guilt and bitterness. He was truly a new person after accepting Christ and Hadley helped him see this hope, this possibility for himself, and that is a beautiful thing.
So while my criticism is longer than my praise (long just means I want to explain myself), my rating should make it clear that I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone who loves Christian romances. It’s a sweet opposites attract love story with added danger and suspense and clear faith messages.
* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.
August 17, 2024
5/5
Genre: Christian fiction
🚨TW: Family feud, mention about being abused, revenge, kidnapped, accident, fight.
Read it if you like
🚘Dual Character Story
🚘Family Feud
🚘Grumpy X Sunshine
🚘Age gap of 5 years
🚘 Faith Filled
🚘Friendships
Favourite Moments
🚘Their first meeting
🚘 Her helping him to see that God loves him
🚘 Moments with his friend Travis (scene stealer)
🚘 Brett and him work together to stop the family feud (the drama)
🚘 They went stargazing
🚘 Him wanting to know more about the Lord
🚘Them opening up to each other.
🚘 The people in Wolf Creek helped them in many ways.
(lots more)
Swoony Moments
🚘 He cares and protects her and also his family.
🚘 He is worried for her and other’s safety.
🚘 He calls her his “sunshine” (can’t help it)
🚘 He is willing to risk his life to protect her and the people he loves.
Synopsis
Gage
A guy who works three jobs. He does whatever to protect his family from his father side of the family. He wants to get out from it but it's hard.
Hadley
A sweet girl who has a mother with stroke and a sister who is getting married soon. And has childhood trauma of being abuse.
Gage's sister, Thea came back because she heard that her mom is not well and was injured badly by the Howards. She is in danger and is now staying with Hadley for safety reasons. And because of that, Hadley became a messenger to help the siblings to pass messages to each other. As they meet, their feelings grew. However,Gage is still insecure because people who associated with him bound to get hurt. Will they have their happily ever after? Read Love in the Wild to find out!!
Review:
Another 5 stars for this book. Love it very much the bond between these two lovebirds are just so sweet. The way that Hadley show God’s love to him and telling him about he is not alone and God loves him very much is really good for Gage because he had no where to turned to except for God. Despite him pushing her away, she tells him that he is never going to leave him. The way he cares and protects her and also his sister was so cool and scary at times but he is also slowly learning about God with the help of Mr. Chambers and also Hadley and her friends doing Bible Study together. He slowly learning and getting to know the Lord. The people in Wolf Creek didn’t judge him because of his past instead being warm to him and had been helping him as his crazy family just don’t want to let go of him and his sister and trying to make him do the things that is illegal which he wants to get out from. This story made me smile, swoon, feel the love of the people around and also God’s protection and love through this story.
What I learned:
Never give up in sharing the gospel because you will never know that one day the person you shared the gospel with will one day receive Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. And each of us have our talents to serve Him as Jesus said that He will make us fishers of men if we follow Him. So never think that we are not good enough to serve God. God can use us in different ways.
Thanks @mandi_blake_author for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book of Love in Blackwater Series. Can’t wait for the 4th book it will be about Gage’s friend Travis’(another scene stealer) story.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it's available on KU.
Genre: Christian fiction
🚨TW: Family feud, mention about being abused, revenge, kidnapped, accident, fight.
Read it if you like
🚘Dual Character Story
🚘Family Feud
🚘Grumpy X Sunshine
🚘Age gap of 5 years
🚘 Faith Filled
🚘Friendships
Favourite Moments
🚘Their first meeting
🚘 Her helping him to see that God loves him
🚘 Moments with his friend Travis (scene stealer)
🚘 Brett and him work together to stop the family feud (the drama)
🚘 They went stargazing
🚘 Him wanting to know more about the Lord
🚘Them opening up to each other.
🚘 The people in Wolf Creek helped them in many ways.
(lots more)
Swoony Moments
🚘 He cares and protects her and also his family.
🚘 He is worried for her and other’s safety.
🚘 He calls her his “sunshine” (can’t help it)
🚘 He is willing to risk his life to protect her and the people he loves.
Synopsis
Gage
A guy who works three jobs. He does whatever to protect his family from his father side of the family. He wants to get out from it but it's hard.
Hadley
A sweet girl who has a mother with stroke and a sister who is getting married soon. And has childhood trauma of being abuse.
Gage's sister, Thea came back because she heard that her mom is not well and was injured badly by the Howards. She is in danger and is now staying with Hadley for safety reasons. And because of that, Hadley became a messenger to help the siblings to pass messages to each other. As they meet, their feelings grew. However,Gage is still insecure because people who associated with him bound to get hurt. Will they have their happily ever after? Read Love in the Wild to find out!!
Review:
Another 5 stars for this book. Love it very much the bond between these two lovebirds are just so sweet. The way that Hadley show God’s love to him and telling him about he is not alone and God loves him very much is really good for Gage because he had no where to turned to except for God. Despite him pushing her away, she tells him that he is never going to leave him. The way he cares and protects her and also his sister was so cool and scary at times but he is also slowly learning about God with the help of Mr. Chambers and also Hadley and her friends doing Bible Study together. He slowly learning and getting to know the Lord. The people in Wolf Creek didn’t judge him because of his past instead being warm to him and had been helping him as his crazy family just don’t want to let go of him and his sister and trying to make him do the things that is illegal which he wants to get out from. This story made me smile, swoon, feel the love of the people around and also God’s protection and love through this story.
What I learned:
Never give up in sharing the gospel because you will never know that one day the person you shared the gospel with will one day receive Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. And each of us have our talents to serve Him as Jesus said that He will make us fishers of men if we follow Him. So never think that we are not good enough to serve God. God can use us in different ways.
Thanks @mandi_blake_author for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book of Love in Blackwater Series. Can’t wait for the 4th book it will be about Gage’s friend Travis’(another scene stealer) story.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it's available on KU.
August 15, 2024
It's pretty much a known fact that I adore every single thing that Mandi Blake chooses to write, and I think I'd pretty much read her grocery list by this point. I also love how she's starting to switch up her stories and add in some drastically different plot points from her usual, that I think will have her stories appealing to an even larger audience.
Love in the Wild is the third back in her well loved Love in Blackwater series, and it's also a kind of continuation of a book from a previous series, The Other Side. Readers get a special treat in that there's kind of two separate HEA's happening simultaneously, although the POV's are only from the two main characters, Gage and Hadley. While there is a lot to love about this beautiful story, I especially enjoyed the fact that Mandi chose to tackle a redemption story, and her own version of a "bad boy" romance. I always felt that I'd love to see a Christian author tackle this trope from a "Jesus can change anyone" type of place, and I should have known that Mandi would be the author who could pull it off. Gage and Hadley's story is swoon worthy, heart wrenching, and a wonderful reminder that no one is ever too far removed from the love and forgiveness our Heavenly Father is always waiting to extend.
Get ready to fall for Gage as the new ultimate book boyfriend, and Hadley is without a doubt, the wonderful woman deserving of all the love he's about to send her way. I appreciated how realistic and authentic this entire story comes across, and many of the conversations happening between the two main characters and/or the many other characters that they come into contact with on a regular basis felt like real conversations you'd stumble across with actual friend groups in real life and that added another fun element. I love how the setting always plays such a big part of these stories, and the ranch always seems like such a peaceful and wonderful place to live and work.
Overall, I adored this one and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves swoon worthy, faith based romances. Go ahead and pick it up as I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Final Rating: 5/5.
Thanks so much to Mandi Blake for allowing me to read and review this title!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
Love in the Wild is the third back in her well loved Love in Blackwater series, and it's also a kind of continuation of a book from a previous series, The Other Side. Readers get a special treat in that there's kind of two separate HEA's happening simultaneously, although the POV's are only from the two main characters, Gage and Hadley. While there is a lot to love about this beautiful story, I especially enjoyed the fact that Mandi chose to tackle a redemption story, and her own version of a "bad boy" romance. I always felt that I'd love to see a Christian author tackle this trope from a "Jesus can change anyone" type of place, and I should have known that Mandi would be the author who could pull it off. Gage and Hadley's story is swoon worthy, heart wrenching, and a wonderful reminder that no one is ever too far removed from the love and forgiveness our Heavenly Father is always waiting to extend.
Get ready to fall for Gage as the new ultimate book boyfriend, and Hadley is without a doubt, the wonderful woman deserving of all the love he's about to send her way. I appreciated how realistic and authentic this entire story comes across, and many of the conversations happening between the two main characters and/or the many other characters that they come into contact with on a regular basis felt like real conversations you'd stumble across with actual friend groups in real life and that added another fun element. I love how the setting always plays such a big part of these stories, and the ranch always seems like such a peaceful and wonderful place to live and work.
Overall, I adored this one and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves swoon worthy, faith based romances. Go ahead and pick it up as I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Final Rating: 5/5.
Thanks so much to Mandi Blake for allowing me to read and review this title!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
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