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Rainbow Ranch
Saddle Studs
Sam Fisher’s life is a certified disaster. After losing his girlfriend and his career all in one fell swoop, he finds himself the confused new owner of Dennis, a miniature horse and with him, a small patch of land back home at Rainbow Ranch. But returning to Oklahoma also means facing Benny Adams, the charming cowboy Sam hurt years ago and whose heart he's never truly forgotten.
For Benny, life at Rainbow Ranch has settled into a predictable routine of horse chores and hopeless Grindr dates. Comfortable, maybe, but lately he's been stuck, missing the spark that once made him feel alive. When Sam suddenly reappears, old wounds and buried desires resurface, throwing Benny's carefully constructed peace into chaos.
Forced together for ninety days by the strangest inheritance ever, Sam and Benny soon discover that unresolved feelings don’t fade with time—they simmer, heat up, and boil over. With tension and undeniable attraction crackling between them, they’ll both have to decide if confronting the past is worth risking their hearts and if love, no matter how messy, might be worth one more chance.
For Benny, life at Rainbow Ranch has settled into a predictable routine of horse chores and hopeless Grindr dates. Comfortable, maybe, but lately he's been stuck, missing the spark that once made him feel alive. When Sam suddenly reappears, old wounds and buried desires resurface, throwing Benny's carefully constructed peace into chaos.
Forced together for ninety days by the strangest inheritance ever, Sam and Benny soon discover that unresolved feelings don’t fade with time—they simmer, heat up, and boil over. With tension and undeniable attraction crackling between them, they’ll both have to decide if confronting the past is worth risking their hearts and if love, no matter how messy, might be worth one more chance.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
45 people are currently reading
590 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 1, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up.
Saddle Studs is the third book in the Rainbow Ranch series, I haven't read the previous ones, but I'm looking forward to reading the first one. It is a small town, second chance, friends to lovers book. I've put it on the bi awakening shelf, but it's not really. It's more of a realization, because Sam has been denying his sexuality all his life, due to external pressures.
Sam is out of work and breaks up with his girlfriend, because she cheated on him with his best friend, and it is not the first time it happens. He has grown up in a small town in Oklahoma, near a ranch, from which he inherits a small piece of land due to the death of an acquaintance. His situation brings him back to the ranch and he is reunited with Dennis. His best friend from childhood and adolescence, but with whom he ran away after a kiss.
There is some inconsistency, due to the best that has been chosen to eliminate from the final version some passages and I would like to have developed the characters a little more. But it is enjoyable.
Saddle Studs is the third book in the Rainbow Ranch series, I haven't read the previous ones, but I'm looking forward to reading the first one. It is a small town, second chance, friends to lovers book. I've put it on the bi awakening shelf, but it's not really. It's more of a realization, because Sam has been denying his sexuality all his life, due to external pressures.
Sam is out of work and breaks up with his girlfriend, because she cheated on him with his best friend, and it is not the first time it happens. He has grown up in a small town in Oklahoma, near a ranch, from which he inherits a small piece of land due to the death of an acquaintance. His situation brings him back to the ranch and he is reunited with Dennis. His best friend from childhood and adolescence, but with whom he ran away after a kiss.
There is some inconsistency, due to the best that has been chosen to eliminate from the final version some passages and I would like to have developed the characters a little more. But it is enjoyable.
July 30, 2025
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed Benny and Sam's second chance story. Sam had broken Benny's heart when they were younger, but now Sam's back on Rainbow Ranch, and Benny has to decide whether to risk his heart again. They had good banter, and I liked how quickly they fell back into their friendship. Sam had a lot to work through in terms of his sexuality, and Benny ended up helping him a lot. Because of this, though, this book had more angst than the first two, but it wasn't too much.
There were some weird continuity issues that kept pulling me out of the story, unfortunately, but overall I did enjoy the story and these characters.
I enjoyed Benny and Sam's second chance story. Sam had broken Benny's heart when they were younger, but now Sam's back on Rainbow Ranch, and Benny has to decide whether to risk his heart again. They had good banter, and I liked how quickly they fell back into their friendship. Sam had a lot to work through in terms of his sexuality, and Benny ended up helping him a lot. Because of this, though, this book had more angst than the first two, but it wasn't too much.
There were some weird continuity issues that kept pulling me out of the story, unfortunately, but overall I did enjoy the story and these characters.
October 31, 2025
Cute, short second chance romance. Benny and Sam had a falling out as teenagers but come back together eight years later and pick right up where they left off.
All of these books are short and sweet, low angst, and simple but enjoyable. I’ve really enjoyed this series and I really want Dennis.
All of these books are short and sweet, low angst, and simple but enjoyable. I’ve really enjoyed this series and I really want Dennis.
March 1, 2026
Sam changes his mind so often I'm surprised Benny's willing to trust him this time.
Once again begging GR to give us half ratings.
Once again begging GR to give us half ratings.
August 28, 2025
I think if my count is right this is my 26th book by this author and I still can’t get enough!
August 5, 2025
Don’t tell anyone but Benny is my favorite
I have loved the Rainbow Ranch series. And Max did not disappoint at all with his contribution. This “second chance” lost first love novella was fantastic. Benny and Sam are both great characters and work so well together. Their depth and character intensity was off the charts. Absolutely loved this addition to the Rainbow Ranch series
I have loved the Rainbow Ranch series. And Max did not disappoint at all with his contribution. This “second chance” lost first love novella was fantastic. Benny and Sam are both great characters and work so well together. Their depth and character intensity was off the charts. Absolutely loved this addition to the Rainbow Ranch series
October 8, 2025
A cute second chance romance. Benny, I immediately adored. He's a real star, funny, caring, and kind. Sam's going through a bad time in the city, so he returns home to try and sort his life out. He dreads meeting his old friend Benny. Although they were inseparable as kids, Benny embarrassed Sam when he expressed his love for him. When they meet again, Benny realises that he hasn't stopped loving Sam. What follows is a dance between the two, bringing them back together again, first as friends and then lovers. Sam realises that despite dating women, he has always been gay but was too scared to admit it, due to societal and family condemnation. l liked the premise of this, and the reason why they came back together. Unfortunately, the story was dogged by several inconsistencies in the writing, which took me straight out of the book. Still, their relationship was sweet, and the ending was a happy one. It was nice to see the two guys get together.
February 17, 2026
...And thus my stay at Rainbow Ranch continues!
I mentioned in my previous review of Lasso Lovebirds, the predecessor to this novella, that I wanted to delve into romance during the first half of February and I am steadily, albeit slowly, making my way through the Rainbow Ranch series–this is a compilation of novellas that have been penned by different authors but all revolve around the same cast of three brothers and one sister who live on a dude ranch in the middle of Oklahoma.
Oh, and they're all naturally queer.
Max Walker's Saddle Studs revolves around Benny, the youngest brother of the Adams bunch, and his unexpected reunion with his childhood best friend, Sam Fisher, when the latter comes home to a surprise inheritance of a miniature horse named Dennis and a small plot of land on the property. It is slowly revealed that these two shared a kiss in their youth, which resulted in a massive falling out between them in its immediate aftermath.
This novel very much utilizes the Second Chance trope and also delves into the more niche friends-to-enemies-to-lovers baseline, as well.
What worked for me in this novella: I thought that the foundational skeleton and premise of the story was REALLY strong and there was so much potential to be found here! The backstory of the two main characters lent itself to more depth and angst than I saw in the previous book.
I think that, had this been longer, the author could have really fleshed these aspects out even more than he already did and it would have made for a much more impactful story.
What didn't work for me in this novella: ...pretty much everything else, if we are being honest here? The biggest critique that I have is the editing–and, yes, it is revealed in the "Acknowledgements" section at the end that there was indeed an editor for this (as shocking as that may be). This book is RIFE with spelling and grammatical errors, which I can normally forgive to an extent, but there were so many that it became a huge distraction. In addition to this, there were a handful of consistency errors, too; at one point, Sam Fisher is referred to as "Sam Carter" at the beginning of one of the chapters... like, how did you not catch the fact that you misnamed one of the MAIN CHARACTERS? One of the spicy scenes also states that Sam was wearing shorts in the beginning and then, only a few sentences later, says he was in jeans. Huh?
Like, respectfully... fire your editor.
In addition to this, the writing was also really choppy and... cringy, for lack of a better word. Some of the dialogue and what I think were failed attempts at humor really deterred me from enjoying the story at hand.
The author also gets pretty preachy during some of the more emotional moments and, frankly, the Queer 101 block of texts felt far too "educational" to have been used in a realistic conversation and made the scenes drag on and on for me.
The steam was decent enough but it was also plagued with poor writing and clunky conversations.
Even though I went into this thinking it would appeal much more to me than the other books in this series, I was unfortunately wrong. With that being said, I am sincerely hoping that I saved the best for last–it's onto Stirring Spurs for me!
I mentioned in my previous review of Lasso Lovebirds, the predecessor to this novella, that I wanted to delve into romance during the first half of February and I am steadily, albeit slowly, making my way through the Rainbow Ranch series–this is a compilation of novellas that have been penned by different authors but all revolve around the same cast of three brothers and one sister who live on a dude ranch in the middle of Oklahoma.
Oh, and they're all naturally queer.
“Benny’s hand brushed my cheek as his other arm braced beside my head, and in his eyes I didn’t see lust. I saw everything. Trust and wonder and passion. A kind of aching, powerful connection that made my heart trip over itself.”
Max Walker's Saddle Studs revolves around Benny, the youngest brother of the Adams bunch, and his unexpected reunion with his childhood best friend, Sam Fisher, when the latter comes home to a surprise inheritance of a miniature horse named Dennis and a small plot of land on the property. It is slowly revealed that these two shared a kiss in their youth, which resulted in a massive falling out between them in its immediate aftermath.
This novel very much utilizes the Second Chance trope and also delves into the more niche friends-to-enemies-to-lovers baseline, as well.
What worked for me in this novella: I thought that the foundational skeleton and premise of the story was REALLY strong and there was so much potential to be found here! The backstory of the two main characters lent itself to more depth and angst than I saw in the previous book.
I think that, had this been longer, the author could have really fleshed these aspects out even more than he already did and it would have made for a much more impactful story.
What didn't work for me in this novella: ...pretty much everything else, if we are being honest here? The biggest critique that I have is the editing–and, yes, it is revealed in the "Acknowledgements" section at the end that there was indeed an editor for this (as shocking as that may be). This book is RIFE with spelling and grammatical errors, which I can normally forgive to an extent, but there were so many that it became a huge distraction. In addition to this, there were a handful of consistency errors, too; at one point, Sam Fisher is referred to as "Sam Carter" at the beginning of one of the chapters... like, how did you not catch the fact that you misnamed one of the MAIN CHARACTERS? One of the spicy scenes also states that Sam was wearing shorts in the beginning and then, only a few sentences later, says he was in jeans. Huh?
Like, respectfully... fire your editor.
In addition to this, the writing was also really choppy and... cringy, for lack of a better word. Some of the dialogue and what I think were failed attempts at humor really deterred me from enjoying the story at hand.
The author also gets pretty preachy during some of the more emotional moments and, frankly, the Queer 101 block of texts felt far too "educational" to have been used in a realistic conversation and made the scenes drag on and on for me.
The steam was decent enough but it was also plagued with poor writing and clunky conversations.
Even though I went into this thinking it would appeal much more to me than the other books in this series, I was unfortunately wrong. With that being said, I am sincerely hoping that I saved the best for last–it's onto Stirring Spurs for me!
August 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
TW - depression, money laundering (scs, mentioned), infidelity (scs on the MMC, past, mentioned), loss of a loved one (off page, mentioned), alcohol consumption, death of an animal (horse, past, mentioned), homophobia, anxiety, fear of birds, religious trauma / bigotry, parental death (past, mentioned), drug use (past, mentioned, weed)
CW - light biting, public play, foreign objects (past, mentioned), hand necklace
Tropes - cowboy romance, forced proximity, second chance, small town, childhood best friends to lovers
Representation - queer rep, gay rep, queer curious, bi rep, sexual awakening, coming out
We're back at Rainbow Ranch and this time we meet Benny (MMC) and Sam (MMC) who were childhood best friends but Sam moving away had put some distance between them as well as not yet knowing who he is as a person.
When Sam comes back, their friendship is like slipping on some well worn boots but now Sam is willing to do some... exploring and they take it from there.
All in all, it was a good read and I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters.
Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪
🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List / The Naughtier List
TW/CW not to be repurposed by authors / publishers for website / book / content use without permission
TW - depression, money laundering (scs, mentioned), infidelity (scs on the MMC, past, mentioned), loss of a loved one (off page, mentioned), alcohol consumption, death of an animal (horse, past, mentioned), homophobia, anxiety, fear of birds, religious trauma / bigotry, parental death (past, mentioned), drug use (past, mentioned, weed)
CW - light biting, public play, foreign objects (past, mentioned), hand necklace
Tropes - cowboy romance, forced proximity, second chance, small town, childhood best friends to lovers
Representation - queer rep, gay rep, queer curious, bi rep, sexual awakening, coming out
We're back at Rainbow Ranch and this time we meet Benny (MMC) and Sam (MMC) who were childhood best friends but Sam moving away had put some distance between them as well as not yet knowing who he is as a person.
When Sam comes back, their friendship is like slipping on some well worn boots but now Sam is willing to do some... exploring and they take it from there.
All in all, it was a good read and I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters.
Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪
🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List / The Naughtier List
TW/CW not to be repurposed by authors / publishers for website / book / content use without permission
September 13, 2025
“I thought I had to run away to find myself, but maybe all I had to do was come back home.”
In July, I read Stirring Spurs , my first cowboy romance. It was part of a 4-book series called Rainbow Ranch, which focuses on a family of queer siblings and the ranch they own in Oklahoma. I was excited to return to the ranch for another adventure!
Sam’s life is falling apart, personally and professionally. He knows he’s going to get fired from his PR job at any time, and his latest girlfriend dumped him. And then he gets notified that he’s been left a strange inheritance from an old friend: a miniature horse and a small patch of land at Rainbow Ranch, where Sam spent some of his high school days.
To claim the inheritance, Sam has to stay and work at the ranch for 90 days. While he’s hoping to better understand what he’s been bequeathed, the big deterrent is having to go back to Oklahoma and face Benny, who was his best friend growing up. Benny and his family treated Sam like one of their own until Sam broke Benny’s heart, then disappeared from his life.
Benny loves ranch life, although the gay scene in Oklahoma is pretty sparse apart from occasional Grindr hookups. When he learns that Sam is returning to the ranch, it reopens the pain and heartbreak that Sam caused all those years ago. Benny vows to be stronger this time, but when Sam arrives—even sexier than he remembered—Benny’s resolve goes out the window. And while Sam’s feelings appear to have changed, his fear of coming out causes the same problems.
I really enjoyed these characters. There is longing, emotion, humor, and lots of steam. I wish that Benny’s siblings (and Dennis) played a larger part in the story, as they did in Stirring Spurs , but I have two more books in the series! This book made me say yee-haw!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
In July, I read Stirring Spurs , my first cowboy romance. It was part of a 4-book series called Rainbow Ranch, which focuses on a family of queer siblings and the ranch they own in Oklahoma. I was excited to return to the ranch for another adventure!
Sam’s life is falling apart, personally and professionally. He knows he’s going to get fired from his PR job at any time, and his latest girlfriend dumped him. And then he gets notified that he’s been left a strange inheritance from an old friend: a miniature horse and a small patch of land at Rainbow Ranch, where Sam spent some of his high school days.
To claim the inheritance, Sam has to stay and work at the ranch for 90 days. While he’s hoping to better understand what he’s been bequeathed, the big deterrent is having to go back to Oklahoma and face Benny, who was his best friend growing up. Benny and his family treated Sam like one of their own until Sam broke Benny’s heart, then disappeared from his life.
Benny loves ranch life, although the gay scene in Oklahoma is pretty sparse apart from occasional Grindr hookups. When he learns that Sam is returning to the ranch, it reopens the pain and heartbreak that Sam caused all those years ago. Benny vows to be stronger this time, but when Sam arrives—even sexier than he remembered—Benny’s resolve goes out the window. And while Sam’s feelings appear to have changed, his fear of coming out causes the same problems.
I really enjoyed these characters. There is longing, emotion, humor, and lots of steam. I wish that Benny’s siblings (and Dennis) played a larger part in the story, as they did in Stirring Spurs , but I have two more books in the series! This book made me say yee-haw!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
July 31, 2025
This is a sweet story about second chances, self acceptance and ex best friends to lovers. It has a HEA and also has some spicy bits!
Years ago Sam hastily left his best friend Benny and the town he grew up in after a sudden and unexpected kiss. Now with his life collapsing around him he's back, after his uncle left him a mini horse and a strip of land at Rainbow Ranch which happens to be the home of his ex best friend and the place he walked away from all those years ago. After briefly checking on social media, he doesn't expect to find Benny there and is shocked when it is Benny who greets him upon his arrival at the ranch. After a few tense moments the friends seem to settle back into their old pattern, but what happened between them all those years ago still lingers in the background.
As Sam settles into life at the ranch, he's fighting an internal battle about his feelings for Benny and comes to the realisation that he must be bi. Benny is also fighting the attraction that he's always had for Sam as he doesn't want to be hurt again. The two grow close and after a few twists and turns along the way, Sam finally accepts who he is and they find their HEA.
This was a very sweet and enjoyable story, full of twists and turns, spice and some lovely moments especially with the animals, and is well worth the read.
Years ago Sam hastily left his best friend Benny and the town he grew up in after a sudden and unexpected kiss. Now with his life collapsing around him he's back, after his uncle left him a mini horse and a strip of land at Rainbow Ranch which happens to be the home of his ex best friend and the place he walked away from all those years ago. After briefly checking on social media, he doesn't expect to find Benny there and is shocked when it is Benny who greets him upon his arrival at the ranch. After a few tense moments the friends seem to settle back into their old pattern, but what happened between them all those years ago still lingers in the background.
As Sam settles into life at the ranch, he's fighting an internal battle about his feelings for Benny and comes to the realisation that he must be bi. Benny is also fighting the attraction that he's always had for Sam as he doesn't want to be hurt again. The two grow close and after a few twists and turns along the way, Sam finally accepts who he is and they find their HEA.
This was a very sweet and enjoyable story, full of twists and turns, spice and some lovely moments especially with the animals, and is well worth the read.
July 30, 2025
- Small town
- some kind of second chance
- friends to lovers
- cowboy/ranch
The probably tiniest patch of land and a miniature horse are really not the greatest inheritance and may seem more like a joke but what it gives Sam in the end is worth so much more.
A place to belong and his heart's deepest desire.
I loved the easy way those two ex best friends managed to fall back into their friendship and banter. Even if the HEA for Sam and Benny was not as easy to achieve since Sam tried his hardest not to accept what he knew deep down about himself. So their HEA was a little harder won but don' worry it's not overly angsty done. I definitely was invested in their future and happiness.
An enjoyable, easy to read story with likeable and real feeling characters. The writing was well rounded, well paced and made me feel invested in their journey.
The book had me smiling most of the time, sometimes laughing out loud and always rooting for Sam and Benny.
A tale about accepting yourself and finding your place in the world where you're loved, belonging and important.
BTW: Don't fear, there's spice too ;)
- some kind of second chance
- friends to lovers
- cowboy/ranch
The probably tiniest patch of land and a miniature horse are really not the greatest inheritance and may seem more like a joke but what it gives Sam in the end is worth so much more.
A place to belong and his heart's deepest desire.
I loved the easy way those two ex best friends managed to fall back into their friendship and banter. Even if the HEA for Sam and Benny was not as easy to achieve since Sam tried his hardest not to accept what he knew deep down about himself. So their HEA was a little harder won but don' worry it's not overly angsty done. I definitely was invested in their future and happiness.
An enjoyable, easy to read story with likeable and real feeling characters. The writing was well rounded, well paced and made me feel invested in their journey.
The book had me smiling most of the time, sometimes laughing out loud and always rooting for Sam and Benny.
A tale about accepting yourself and finding your place in the world where you're loved, belonging and important.
BTW: Don't fear, there's spice too ;)
August 3, 2025
"I thought I had to run away to find myself, but maybe all I had to do was come back home."
Sam's been left a portion of the farm, and a miniature horse in Rainbow Ranch. He needed to spend 90 days in the ranch to claim it. The owner and worker, Benny, was his childhood best friend, he left heartbroken.
Ever since I read the first book, I was instantly intrigued by the whole family and I was def looking forward to this one because I am always here for any MM cowboy romance.
Now, I love Benny since we saw him in the first book. He was just so wholesome and sweet. Sam, on the other hand, was the one who broke his heart so I had a little grudge for hurting that sweet character.
The romance was a bit rushed imo but I think it worked for such a short book. I wished we saw a lot more groveling on Sam's part considering what he did and that plot twist right at the end where he still did the same things over to Benny. But I did understand because Sam's the representation of people who are afraid, confuse, not sure, in the process of coming out.
This was a great short book that's just feels warm and tingly.
Sam's been left a portion of the farm, and a miniature horse in Rainbow Ranch. He needed to spend 90 days in the ranch to claim it. The owner and worker, Benny, was his childhood best friend, he left heartbroken.
Ever since I read the first book, I was instantly intrigued by the whole family and I was def looking forward to this one because I am always here for any MM cowboy romance.
Now, I love Benny since we saw him in the first book. He was just so wholesome and sweet. Sam, on the other hand, was the one who broke his heart so I had a little grudge for hurting that sweet character.
The romance was a bit rushed imo but I think it worked for such a short book. I wished we saw a lot more groveling on Sam's part considering what he did and that plot twist right at the end where he still did the same things over to Benny. But I did understand because Sam's the representation of people who are afraid, confuse, not sure, in the process of coming out.
This was a great short book that's just feels warm and tingly.
August 18, 2025
Sam Fisher’s life = pure chaos. Break-up? Check. Career down the drain? Check. Oh, and now he’s the proud owner of Dennis, a rowdy little mini horse who has zero chill. Coming back to Oklahoma also means running smack into Benny Adams—the cowboy Sam broke years ago but never stopped wanting.
Saddle Studs (book three in the Rainbow Ranch series) had me hooked. I tore through it because the chemistry? 🔥 The banter? Sharp. The spice? Explorative and so fun. What I really loved though is how every author keeps this shared world consistent while still giving it their own voice. Rainbow Ranch feels real—like a place I’d actually visit…even if Dennis would probably eat my shoelaces.
Second chances, messy love, and cowboys who deserve happiness? Yeah, sign me up.
#MaxWalker #SaddleStuds #RainbowRanchSeries #CowboyRomance #SecondChanceRomance #Bookstagram #QueerReads #RomanceReaders #LGBTQRomance #SpicyBooks #QueerBookstagram #BookishLove #MustReadRomance #ReadingRainbow #RomanceBookstagram #BooksILove #BookReview #BookAddict #RomanceReadersOfInstagram #SmallTownRomance #BookObsessed #SteamyReads #RomanceCommunity #Bookstagrammer #BookRecommendation
Saddle Studs (book three in the Rainbow Ranch series) had me hooked. I tore through it because the chemistry? 🔥 The banter? Sharp. The spice? Explorative and so fun. What I really loved though is how every author keeps this shared world consistent while still giving it their own voice. Rainbow Ranch feels real—like a place I’d actually visit…even if Dennis would probably eat my shoelaces.
Second chances, messy love, and cowboys who deserve happiness? Yeah, sign me up.
#MaxWalker #SaddleStuds #RainbowRanchSeries #CowboyRomance #SecondChanceRomance #Bookstagram #QueerReads #RomanceReaders #LGBTQRomance #SpicyBooks #QueerBookstagram #BookishLove #MustReadRomance #ReadingRainbow #RomanceBookstagram #BooksILove #BookReview #BookAddict #RomanceReadersOfInstagram #SmallTownRomance #BookObsessed #SteamyReads #RomanceCommunity #Bookstagrammer #BookRecommendation
August 24, 2025
Last (for now...until Billie gets her book someday!) but not least, my sort-of-short and sweet review for book 3 in the Rainbow Ranch series!
Saddle Studs was made of what I absolutely loved from the other books in this series. Love interest blows into town, has to stay on the ranch for a while, falls (back) in love with an Adams sibling, the rest of the ranch showing their support for our main couple. What felt fresh was the introduction of a romantic past between Benny and Sam.
It felt like this duo had a story that had the potential to go beyond the Instalove that had its chokehold on books 1 and 2. Because of this, I have to say YET AGAIN that this book was too short. I needed more time with our boys to let their relationship marinate. A second-chance romance deserves more time to let its story play out the way it wants to. Sam's reluctance, eagerness, fear, and finally acceptance for his coming out progressed too quickly, and it might give some readers whiplash.
All in all, it was still a very cute, flirty story, and I'm so happy for Benny! To anyone wanting a quick, light series of LGBTQ+ ranch life, this one may very well be a breath of fresh air for you!
Saddle Studs was made of what I absolutely loved from the other books in this series. Love interest blows into town, has to stay on the ranch for a while, falls (back) in love with an Adams sibling, the rest of the ranch showing their support for our main couple. What felt fresh was the introduction of a romantic past between Benny and Sam.
It felt like this duo had a story that had the potential to go beyond the Instalove that had its chokehold on books 1 and 2. Because of this, I have to say YET AGAIN that this book was too short. I needed more time with our boys to let their relationship marinate. A second-chance romance deserves more time to let its story play out the way it wants to. Sam's reluctance, eagerness, fear, and finally acceptance for his coming out progressed too quickly, and it might give some readers whiplash.
All in all, it was still a very cute, flirty story, and I'm so happy for Benny! To anyone wanting a quick, light series of LGBTQ+ ranch life, this one may very well be a breath of fresh air for you!
July 31, 2025
⭐️4.5 - I'm so sad for this series to be over!!! It was such a cute, cozy, vibey series with an amazing ending! The other books follow Benny's other siblings meeting new people and finding love, but Benny gets another shot at love with his ex childhood best friend, Sam. One day, Sam gets a strange letter from a former friend and ranch worker who left him a section of land (and a mini horse) of Rainbow Ranch. And in order to claim it, he has to stay at Rainbow Ranch for 90 days (and try to avoid Benny in the process). This book was very fast paced, but it felt real. Reading about the awkward last meeting Sam and Benny had and watching them grow and change was so heartwarming. It felt raw and authentic and added a whole new layer to this world. The humor in this was hilarious and as always the family bond was one of the best things about this story. My only complaint is that we don't find out what happened to the Crow. Did he stay? Is Benny no longer afraid of birds??? But in all seriousness, this is a must read series and this was the perfect story for Baby Benny.
July 29, 2025
Sam was Bennys first crush and first heartbreak, leaving town as fast as possible when they were young and never coming back. But after inheriting a small piece of land a mini horse, Sam has to head back to Rainbow Ranch for three months to claim the inheritance and give it back to the family.
Sam doesn’t think Benny will be there, after doing some social media stalking, but he is immediately met with Benny - and tries to run off. But the two slip back into their easy friendship pretty fast. Though Benny doesn’t over hear him listening to prn through the wall and they end up sexting other instead..
So gorgeous, I found myself smiling so much at all the sweetness. A lovely story of self acceptance and love - and also great spice! Though there was a few things that seemed inconsistent it didn’t take away from the joy of the book! Definitely give this and the others in the series a read!
Sam doesn’t think Benny will be there, after doing some social media stalking, but he is immediately met with Benny - and tries to run off. But the two slip back into their easy friendship pretty fast. Though Benny doesn’t over hear him listening to prn through the wall and they end up sexting other instead..
So gorgeous, I found myself smiling so much at all the sweetness. A lovely story of self acceptance and love - and also great spice! Though there was a few things that seemed inconsistent it didn’t take away from the joy of the book! Definitely give this and the others in the series a read!
August 28, 2025
DNF'd at 10%
This is a dual POV novella. The first chapter is from Sam, a 29-y.o. dude who works in PR but whose entire life has become a chaotic mess. I didn't care abt him. If anything, I found his personality, thoughts, and opinions to be so obnoxious in that first chapter that it killed any interest I had in seeing him get with Benny. That's how bad of a first impression I got. Even the fact that this is a novella wasn't enough to convince me to continue reading. *Hands*
Trigger/Content Warning up to the 10% mark:
TL;DR" Disliked one of the MCs from the first page. Saw no reason to push myself into finishing this novella.
I borrowed this novella from Kindle Unlimited.
This is a dual POV novella. The first chapter is from Sam, a 29-y.o. dude who works in PR but whose entire life has become a chaotic mess. I didn't care abt him. If anything, I found his personality, thoughts, and opinions to be so obnoxious in that first chapter that it killed any interest I had in seeing him get with Benny. That's how bad of a first impression I got. Even the fact that this is a novella wasn't enough to convince me to continue reading. *Hands*
Trigger/Content Warning up to the 10% mark:
TL;DR" Disliked one of the MCs from the first page. Saw no reason to push myself into finishing this novella.
I borrowed this novella from Kindle Unlimited.
September 1, 2025
This is a steamy MM small-town cowboy romance. It’s a fun novella in the multi-author Rainbow Ranch series, which can be read out of order with only minor spoilers.
MMC Sam is at a low point in his life in New Jersey when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to small-town Oklahoma, the place he grew up and left his first crush behind. MMC Benny, the youngest of the Adams siblings on the ranch, has been living his best carefree, himbo life, until his first love comes back to town.
This sweet and spicy story is an easy read, focusing on Sam coming to terms with his sexuality and embracing his feelings for Benny.
Another fun cowboy novella in the series, I’m already looking forward to reading Lasso and Lovebirds next.
Spice: 4/5
Plot:4/5
Writing: 4/5
My Enjoyment: 4/5
MMC Sam is at a low point in his life in New Jersey when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to small-town Oklahoma, the place he grew up and left his first crush behind. MMC Benny, the youngest of the Adams siblings on the ranch, has been living his best carefree, himbo life, until his first love comes back to town.
This sweet and spicy story is an easy read, focusing on Sam coming to terms with his sexuality and embracing his feelings for Benny.
Another fun cowboy novella in the series, I’m already looking forward to reading Lasso and Lovebirds next.
Spice: 4/5
Plot:4/5
Writing: 4/5
My Enjoyment: 4/5
July 27, 2025
Second chances? Yes please!
Cowboys? Yew, please!
Written by Max Walker? Yes, please!
So this book started with the best prerequisites, and it was as much the tasty morsel I expected! The book is on the shorter side, and it’s part of a multi-author series (really made me want to read the other two books, too!).
Sam and Benny are so meant to be together, and thankfully, fate (or, is it fate?) does its magic to bring them back together after their disastrous parting years ago.
The story is sweet, steamy, not to angsty, but very emotional, with Sam fighting himself all the way. A really enjoyable read!
Cowboys? Yew, please!
Written by Max Walker? Yes, please!
So this book started with the best prerequisites, and it was as much the tasty morsel I expected! The book is on the shorter side, and it’s part of a multi-author series (really made me want to read the other two books, too!).
Sam and Benny are so meant to be together, and thankfully, fate (or, is it fate?) does its magic to bring them back together after their disastrous parting years ago.
The story is sweet, steamy, not to angsty, but very emotional, with Sam fighting himself all the way. A really enjoyable read!
August 15, 2025
Another wholesome addition to this series!
This was sweet and fun just like Stirring Spurs but I feel like I’m left wanting, just like I was after that book. Where Stirring Spurs just sort of fell flat for me, this one felt like it had so much forgotten potential. I think had it been a full length novel I may have enjoyed it more. There were so many pieces of the story included that would have just been better had they been expanded on or given more time. Even down to the plot line about the crow, I wish we got more from that but it felt forgotten.
Overall I’ve enjoyed these and they were a super cute low-angst read but they just felt very surface level and rushed.
This was sweet and fun just like Stirring Spurs but I feel like I’m left wanting, just like I was after that book. Where Stirring Spurs just sort of fell flat for me, this one felt like it had so much forgotten potential. I think had it been a full length novel I may have enjoyed it more. There were so many pieces of the story included that would have just been better had they been expanded on or given more time. Even down to the plot line about the crow, I wish we got more from that but it felt forgotten.
Overall I’ve enjoyed these and they were a super cute low-angst read but they just felt very surface level and rushed.
August 21, 2025
3.5/4 stars
This was a short, sweet, second chance, embracing the bi-side, ranch romance. Teen best friends and seemingly unrequited first crushes are now reunited when Sam leaves his imploding life in the city to come back to Rainbow Ranch and stay with his old friend, Benny. Even though there’s a little tension and unresolved feelings at the beginning, I loved seeing these two guys reconnect first on a friendship level and then be more vulnerable, explain more about the past, and explore more about their current chemistry and growing feelings. It was just one of those fluffy books that made me smile, and I enjoyed being back at Rainbow Ranch with Benny's siblings and their partners.
This was a short, sweet, second chance, embracing the bi-side, ranch romance. Teen best friends and seemingly unrequited first crushes are now reunited when Sam leaves his imploding life in the city to come back to Rainbow Ranch and stay with his old friend, Benny. Even though there’s a little tension and unresolved feelings at the beginning, I loved seeing these two guys reconnect first on a friendship level and then be more vulnerable, explain more about the past, and explore more about their current chemistry and growing feelings. It was just one of those fluffy books that made me smile, and I enjoyed being back at Rainbow Ranch with Benny's siblings and their partners.
August 8, 2025
Cute ex best friends to lovers. With Max Walkers style of writing, which I love btw, you know you’re gonna get an HEA after some hot spicy scenes and the odd twist & turn thrown in making it an amazing story.
Sam returns to Rainbow Ranch after being left an inheritance of some of the land. Only problem is Benny Adam’s who heart Sam broke years ago lives on the Ranch with his brothers. Will the sparks that made Sam leave reignite once they start working together?
Also need to mention Dennis, a miniature horse with attitude 🤣😂
Highly recommend
Sam returns to Rainbow Ranch after being left an inheritance of some of the land. Only problem is Benny Adam’s who heart Sam broke years ago lives on the Ranch with his brothers. Will the sparks that made Sam leave reignite once they start working together?
Also need to mention Dennis, a miniature horse with attitude 🤣😂
Highly recommend
February 25, 2026
I had an issue with Sam and I know everyone's coming out story is different but he put Benny though so much and it hurt to read at times. In the end, I loved their relationship and the spice was so good! I'm also glad we got some closure with Sam's mom cause I guess that was just a giant miscommunication?? Also the reason that Sam got fired, I'm sorry but he deserved to be fired cause that was so immature. This is just one of those couples that I have a hard time seeing them work out in the real world.
July 30, 2025
Sam finds himself back at Rainbow Ranch after he inherits a miniature horse and a small patch of land. It comes just at the right time when his world is turning upside down. However, Benny his once best friend is there.
Benny loves Rainbow Ranch but life has become predictable and when Sam reappears old wounds are opened and feelings as well.
Sam and Benny realize that their feelings for each other are still there.
Best friends to lovers, second chance and a HEA.
Benny loves Rainbow Ranch but life has become predictable and when Sam reappears old wounds are opened and feelings as well.
Sam and Benny realize that their feelings for each other are still there.
Best friends to lovers, second chance and a HEA.
July 31, 2025
🐴 Second Chance
🐴 River Shenanigans
🐴 Ass-lass Chaps
4.5/5 🌟
4/5 🌶
What a great redemption story for Sam and a chance for the happiness Benny always hoped for! They had me kicking my feet with how cute and real they were.
The spice though was unmatched. From texts to chaps, every scene went full heat and did not let up once. Water Wrestling 100% needs to be a thing.
🐴 River Shenanigans
🐴 Ass-lass Chaps
4.5/5 🌟
4/5 🌶
What a great redemption story for Sam and a chance for the happiness Benny always hoped for! They had me kicking my feet with how cute and real they were.
The spice though was unmatched. From texts to chaps, every scene went full heat and did not let up once. Water Wrestling 100% needs to be a thing.
August 15, 2025
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5.
Me estaba gustando mucho el libro pero vino la ruptura en el tercer acto y lo odie. La descomunicacion es algo que ODIO en el romance y todo se podria haber resolvido hablando desde el principio pero noooo. Sam queria escaparse y eso no me gusto nada y el resto de capitulos los pase rapido porque no me importaba lo que ocurriese despues
Me estaba gustando mucho el libro pero vino la ruptura en el tercer acto y lo odie. La descomunicacion es algo que ODIO en el romance y todo se podria haber resolvido hablando desde el principio pero noooo. Sam queria escaparse y eso no me gusto nada y el resto de capitulos los pase rapido porque no me importaba lo que ocurriese despues
August 22, 2025
fun series!
I really liked this series of books and loved Rainbow Ranch itself! I really wish the facts of this book about everyone's roles at the ranch matched the previous two because it became frustrating at times when Benny was described as having cooked the food for the group rather than Boone.
I really liked this series of books and loved Rainbow Ranch itself! I really wish the facts of this book about everyone's roles at the ranch matched the previous two because it became frustrating at times when Benny was described as having cooked the food for the group rather than Boone.
August 2, 2025
I enjoyed this book and the characters. I was invested in their story and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Admittedly I have had a lot going on the last few weeks so was only able to read here and there which this book worked well for as I was able to easily pick up where I left off.
August 21, 2025
sweet and tender
A sweet coming out / bi-awakening story with a splash of second chance romance. As with the rest of the series it breathes acceptance and ends with a HEA.
Angst and Tension throughout
A sweet coming out / bi-awakening story with a splash of second chance romance. As with the rest of the series it breathes acceptance and ends with a HEA.
Angst and Tension throughout
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