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Rustler Mountain #2
Outlaw Lake
Tourists may flock to Rustler Mountain, Oregon for its Wild West reenactments, but for locals, the feuds between the outlaws and the lawmen are still very much alive in this swoon-inducing contemporary western series from New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates - ideal for fans of Lyla Sage, Elsie Silver, Jennifer Ryan and Robyn Carr.
Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.
Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.
Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it's too late?
Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.
Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.
Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it's too late?
289 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2025
50 people are currently reading
13168 people want to read
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,175 books3,004 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
August 15, 2025
After the loss of his wife, Carson leans on his best friend Perry for support. They have relied on each other for decades to escape their traumatic childhoods. After 25 years of friendship, Perry decides that enough is enough and she needs to start a new life, breaking their cycle of codependency.
I thought the premise of the story was cute and I didn’t mind the characters per se. What really grated on me were the extremely frequent run-on monologues about their feelings that went on for pages. If they had told each other those feelings instead of endlessly reflecting on them, they would have been far happier much sooner. Every chapter had some form of drawn-out, soul-searching manifesto, and I couldn’t get past it.
While this wasn’t my favorite of the first two books in the series, I do plan to keep reading. I love the historical details on the chapter pages and I think the overall series will be strong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the advanced copy!
I thought the premise of the story was cute and I didn’t mind the characters per se. What really grated on me were the extremely frequent run-on monologues about their feelings that went on for pages. If they had told each other those feelings instead of endlessly reflecting on them, they would have been far happier much sooner. Every chapter had some form of drawn-out, soul-searching manifesto, and I couldn’t get past it.
While this wasn’t my favorite of the first two books in the series, I do plan to keep reading. I love the historical details on the chapter pages and I think the overall series will be strong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the advanced copy!
August 21, 2025
First off, I adore these retro-inspired covers that we are seeing more and more of in the cowboy/small town/western romance genre. They are gorgeous.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this book on several aspects. The first of which was the best friends to lovers trope. We were being told constantly that the FMC and MMC were best friends. While I agree that they were lifelong friends, I didn't see that deep "you're my human" connection between the two. The banter was lacklustre and the conversations didn't have that easy flow that you will see between folks who have been friends for decades. Frankly, I saw more ease between the MMC and his siblings than I did between FMC and MMC. And if this human is your human of all humans, how could you not have the deeply meaningful and life-altering conversations? It just started to feel like the friendship was surface-level. And maybe that was intentional on the author's part - they had kept the romantic part at arm's length for so long that the deep and dark and hard parts of a friendship were also kept at bay. It just made it difficult for me to believe in the relationship.
Secondly, the internal monologues were extensive in both quantity and length. There were many times that I'd forget entirely what the actual scene was until the other person would say something, and then I'd remember that they were even there. I'd have to look back to see where the characters were and what they were doing. If we had started to see character development through these internal wanderings, then I would have less of an issue with it. But at 50% I was still going "okay, you've said this all in your head multiple times in this book alone... maybe say it out loud..... please". There is a balance between angst and frustration, and unfortunately, I started to lean towards frustration.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this book on several aspects. The first of which was the best friends to lovers trope. We were being told constantly that the FMC and MMC were best friends. While I agree that they were lifelong friends, I didn't see that deep "you're my human" connection between the two. The banter was lacklustre and the conversations didn't have that easy flow that you will see between folks who have been friends for decades. Frankly, I saw more ease between the MMC and his siblings than I did between FMC and MMC. And if this human is your human of all humans, how could you not have the deeply meaningful and life-altering conversations? It just started to feel like the friendship was surface-level. And maybe that was intentional on the author's part - they had kept the romantic part at arm's length for so long that the deep and dark and hard parts of a friendship were also kept at bay. It just made it difficult for me to believe in the relationship.
Secondly, the internal monologues were extensive in both quantity and length. There were many times that I'd forget entirely what the actual scene was until the other person would say something, and then I'd remember that they were even there. I'd have to look back to see where the characters were and what they were doing. If we had started to see character development through these internal wanderings, then I would have less of an issue with it. But at 50% I was still going "okay, you've said this all in your head multiple times in this book alone... maybe say it out loud..... please". There is a balance between angst and frustration, and unfortunately, I started to lean towards frustration.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 2, 2025
Okay, I’m rounding down on this one from 4.25/4.5-ish. As much as I love me a friends to lovers romance, all I could hear in my head was me yelling at the characters to go get therapy… and if they want to be together in true luvvv then maybe some couples therapy too. Man, this had so much it was getting a little ridiculous. I mean I get it on one hand, for the plot,… same time, as a vet and a military spouse- just.. yeah, some of the cliches (which also were compounded with your good ol personal family trauma) were a bit over much to me. 🤷🏼♀️ Personal pref and all I guess. Anyhoo, thank you to the author and Kensington for the arc. Still intend on getting book 3 in the near future. Maybe a couple days or weeks I’ll revise this review once I can digest it.
May 26, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This isn’t my favorite western romance I’ve ever read. I was truly expecting it to have more western aspects, but it read more like it just happens to take place somewhere in a rural, western area. I usually love a childhood friends to lovers trope, but this read very frustrating and the lack of communication between the two supposed “best friends” was pathetic, especially when they both admit to having no one else to talk to. Was the romance sweet? Yes. But was it painful? Also yes. I liked how it interconnected Perry’s ancestor’s letters to her own life, but that was one of the few redeeming parts.
This isn’t my favorite western romance I’ve ever read. I was truly expecting it to have more western aspects, but it read more like it just happens to take place somewhere in a rural, western area. I usually love a childhood friends to lovers trope, but this read very frustrating and the lack of communication between the two supposed “best friends” was pathetic, especially when they both admit to having no one else to talk to. Was the romance sweet? Yes. But was it painful? Also yes. I liked how it interconnected Perry’s ancestor’s letters to her own life, but that was one of the few redeeming parts.
October 1, 2025
This was an emotional childhood friends to lovers romance with lots of one-sided pining and two people who are dealing with lots of trauma from having grown up with pretty abusive/neglectful parents. I really enjoyed the dual POV love story between florist Perry who has been in love with her best friend, widower and ex-military man, Chase.
When she enlists his help to fix up the house she inherited from her grandmother, the two end up spending a lot of time together, which reignites old feelings. I loved that Perry was strong enough to fight for Chase's whole heart and not just the pieces he was willing to give her and also really liked the old diary entries and letters from both MCs ancestors. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
When she enlists his help to fix up the house she inherited from her grandmother, the two end up spending a lot of time together, which reignites old feelings. I loved that Perry was strong enough to fight for Chase's whole heart and not just the pieces he was willing to give her and also really liked the old diary entries and letters from both MCs ancestors. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 8, 2025
ARC Review // Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this read!
My experience with cowboy/western romance is limited (the sole competitor being Flawless by Elsie Silver), so by no means do I consider myself an expert in this genre- regardless, I found it hard to label this book in a similar vein. Beyond the mention of the town's Wild West reenactments and decades-old lore, I didn't particularly feel immersed in the small town/country vibes like I was expecting.
While I appreciate Yates's dedication to fleshing out the inner worlds of our two main characters, this book can be labeled as one big miscommunication- until it's not in the latter half when we get cyclical, repetitive monologues of where our characters were coming from/their upbringing. Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble both come from a lot of hardship and I found their tension believable, but what I didn't buy into was our character's friendship. Aside from the same 2 references of times when they were growing up, I didn't understand their connection as "best friends who knew each other better than anyone else". For two best friends, they seemed to avoid a lot of difficult conversations (which made sense with certain topics, but not for others). Their dynamic fell into this strange, tortured, "Look at me! This isn't you" vibe. I think this book could have benefitted from more dialogue scenes- there was a lot of telling, not showing. But again, I do appreciate giving our character's complex inner worlds.
Overall, I struggled to find the plot interesting and I wasn't able to connect to either character. Carson suffers from deep-rooted family trauma turned into toxic masculinity and his possessive obsession with being Perry's 'protector' (keeper) was not for me. They both needed to be in therapy with some much needed separation (which was the whole plot of the book that we never saw through). And put some respect on his dead-wife's name! Props to Perry though for sticking up for herself in our third act conflict and knowing she deserves better.
2/5 rounded up
My experience with cowboy/western romance is limited (the sole competitor being Flawless by Elsie Silver), so by no means do I consider myself an expert in this genre- regardless, I found it hard to label this book in a similar vein. Beyond the mention of the town's Wild West reenactments and decades-old lore, I didn't particularly feel immersed in the small town/country vibes like I was expecting.
While I appreciate Yates's dedication to fleshing out the inner worlds of our two main characters, this book can be labeled as one big miscommunication- until it's not in the latter half when we get cyclical, repetitive monologues of where our characters were coming from/their upbringing. Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble both come from a lot of hardship and I found their tension believable, but what I didn't buy into was our character's friendship. Aside from the same 2 references of times when they were growing up, I didn't understand their connection as "best friends who knew each other better than anyone else". For two best friends, they seemed to avoid a lot of difficult conversations (which made sense with certain topics, but not for others). Their dynamic fell into this strange, tortured, "Look at me! This isn't you" vibe. I think this book could have benefitted from more dialogue scenes- there was a lot of telling, not showing. But again, I do appreciate giving our character's complex inner worlds.
Overall, I struggled to find the plot interesting and I wasn't able to connect to either character. Carson suffers from deep-rooted family trauma turned into toxic masculinity and his possessive obsession with being Perry's 'protector' (keeper) was not for me. They both needed to be in therapy with some much needed separation (which was the whole plot of the book that we never saw through). And put some respect on his dead-wife's name! Props to Perry though for sticking up for herself in our third act conflict and knowing she deserves better.
2/5 rounded up
September 13, 2025
Heat Index: 5.5/10
—childhood friends to besties to codependent yearners
—"I want a baby"/"EXCUSE???"
—cowboy but not in a hardcore way
The Basics:
Perry and Carson have been best friends since they were kids, and that friendship survived Carson marrying Alyssa (and losing her). But it might not survive Perry realizing her unrequited love for Carson might just be inhibiting her from getting what she wants: a baby. So, she announces she's leaving Rustler Mountain for a new life and a chance at love. Which naturally, leads Carson on a quest to do whatever is necessary to prevent that. Short of giving her the baby. Of course.
The Review:
I wanted to give this a shot based on my experience with a different book by Yates—though I will admit that small town westerns aren't usually my thing with romance. The small town and the western of it all really didn't end up being a problem for me. Rustler Mountain is kind of like, a hokey tourist dude ranch vibe—more "let's play Old West for the outsiders to keep the economy afloat" than legit old school cowboy-isms. Not that Carson isn't capable of doing cowboy stuff. I just wouldn't say "git along lil doggies" is the vibe.
The vibe is more about the pining, and I do think Yates does a good job of setting up Perry and Carson's emotional intimacy and codependence. I appreciate a friends to lovers romance that indulges in the toxicity of a dynamic where you're both in love and won't just say the words, rather than acting like it's all grand.
She also does a good job of secretly delivering us a second romance through letters sent between Perry's ancestors, a mail-order bride and her husband. If I'm being completely honest, the letters didn't just set up a backdrop through which Perry and Carson (both reading the letters) can figure out their feelings—she set up a better romance. I wanted more of what those two had going on. Really, we could use a revival of the mail-order bride romance. Maybe in a historical setting, I feel like the contemporary equivalent feels a lot more incel-y.
The thing is that while this tries valiantly to avoid the "these friends should just kiss and I'm not convinced that there is any reason why they wouldn't beyond one of them not being interested enough" trap friends to lovers so often falls into it... It doesn't quite succeed. I just didn't really feel like Carson was as into Perry as he needed to be. Although I rarely put myself in characters' shoes, I couldn't help but think... what this man is feeling wouldn't be good enough for me.
And I think that's why there's this "reveal" that knocked the book down a peg. While I wasn't blown away, I was having a better time with it—the gentle angst of it all—before this realization. I'll avoid specifics, but it took away from part of the crux of the angst. And I just didn't buy it. I mean, it kind of made a lot of the book difficult for me to emotionally believe, and it felt like a cop-out.
The Sex:
The sex scenes aren't super plentiful or explicit, but they're there, and they do feel emotionally intimate. But I did take issue with how the sex was approached—I feel like there was an air of the casual regarding birth control that doesn't feel super right for these characters in 2025. Regardless of how much a baby is wanting. This isn't a breeding kink book, to be clear, and maybe if it leaned a bit more into that, I'd feel differently.
The Conclusion:
This does friends to lovers better than some, but then fails to stick the landing. And I should say—the reveal that I take issue with? May very well be what saves the book for some. I imagine it will be polarizing. For me, it just took the punch out of the emotions, in a way I didn't expect from Yates. That said—the mail-order bride letters were really good!
Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
—childhood friends to besties to codependent yearners
—"I want a baby"/"EXCUSE???"
—cowboy but not in a hardcore way
The Basics:
Perry and Carson have been best friends since they were kids, and that friendship survived Carson marrying Alyssa (and losing her). But it might not survive Perry realizing her unrequited love for Carson might just be inhibiting her from getting what she wants: a baby. So, she announces she's leaving Rustler Mountain for a new life and a chance at love. Which naturally, leads Carson on a quest to do whatever is necessary to prevent that. Short of giving her the baby. Of course.
The Review:
I wanted to give this a shot based on my experience with a different book by Yates—though I will admit that small town westerns aren't usually my thing with romance. The small town and the western of it all really didn't end up being a problem for me. Rustler Mountain is kind of like, a hokey tourist dude ranch vibe—more "let's play Old West for the outsiders to keep the economy afloat" than legit old school cowboy-isms. Not that Carson isn't capable of doing cowboy stuff. I just wouldn't say "git along lil doggies" is the vibe.
The vibe is more about the pining, and I do think Yates does a good job of setting up Perry and Carson's emotional intimacy and codependence. I appreciate a friends to lovers romance that indulges in the toxicity of a dynamic where you're both in love and won't just say the words, rather than acting like it's all grand.
She also does a good job of secretly delivering us a second romance through letters sent between Perry's ancestors, a mail-order bride and her husband. If I'm being completely honest, the letters didn't just set up a backdrop through which Perry and Carson (both reading the letters) can figure out their feelings—she set up a better romance. I wanted more of what those two had going on. Really, we could use a revival of the mail-order bride romance. Maybe in a historical setting, I feel like the contemporary equivalent feels a lot more incel-y.
The thing is that while this tries valiantly to avoid the "these friends should just kiss and I'm not convinced that there is any reason why they wouldn't beyond one of them not being interested enough" trap friends to lovers so often falls into it... It doesn't quite succeed. I just didn't really feel like Carson was as into Perry as he needed to be. Although I rarely put myself in characters' shoes, I couldn't help but think... what this man is feeling wouldn't be good enough for me.
And I think that's why there's this "reveal" that knocked the book down a peg. While I wasn't blown away, I was having a better time with it—the gentle angst of it all—before this realization. I'll avoid specifics, but it took away from part of the crux of the angst. And I just didn't buy it. I mean, it kind of made a lot of the book difficult for me to emotionally believe, and it felt like a cop-out.
The Sex:
The sex scenes aren't super plentiful or explicit, but they're there, and they do feel emotionally intimate. But I did take issue with how the sex was approached—I feel like there was an air of the casual regarding birth control that doesn't feel super right for these characters in 2025. Regardless of how much a baby is wanting. This isn't a breeding kink book, to be clear, and maybe if it leaned a bit more into that, I'd feel differently.
The Conclusion:
This does friends to lovers better than some, but then fails to stick the landing. And I should say—the reveal that I take issue with? May very well be what saves the book for some. I imagine it will be polarizing. For me, it just took the punch out of the emotions, in a way I didn't expect from Yates. That said—the mail-order bride letters were really good!
Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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September 23, 2025This is the second book in the Rustler Mountain series, and as soon as I finished the first, I knew I’d want to keep reading. It’s a contemporary small-town western romance, built around one of my favourite tropes: Friends to Lovers.
Here we follow Carson Wilder—part of the notorious Wilder clan with their outlaw reputation—and Perry Bramble, the town’s florist. Perry grew up next door in a deeply abusive household, but Carson and his family were her safe haven. Through it all, Perry has always loved Carson. He, meanwhile, left town for the military, married, lost his wife tragically, and has carried the weight of abandonment and trauma ever since childhood, ultimately preventing him by looking at his feelings for Perry head on.
Perry has been his anchor, his best friend, his constant. But when she decides to leave town, expand her business, and finally open herself to love and family elsewhere, Carson realises the depth of what he stands to lose. From there, the emotional unravelling begins—and the slow dawning of a love that’s been there all along.
This story had everything I wanted: heartfelt emotion, small-town grit, a little spice, and that aching sweetness that makes Friends to Lovers sing. I devoured it in one sitting, and it was every bit as romantic, swoony, and moving as I hoped. I adored it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC courtesy of NetGalley, all opinions my own)
Here we follow Carson Wilder—part of the notorious Wilder clan with their outlaw reputation—and Perry Bramble, the town’s florist. Perry grew up next door in a deeply abusive household, but Carson and his family were her safe haven. Through it all, Perry has always loved Carson. He, meanwhile, left town for the military, married, lost his wife tragically, and has carried the weight of abandonment and trauma ever since childhood, ultimately preventing him by looking at his feelings for Perry head on.
Perry has been his anchor, his best friend, his constant. But when she decides to leave town, expand her business, and finally open herself to love and family elsewhere, Carson realises the depth of what he stands to lose. From there, the emotional unravelling begins—and the slow dawning of a love that’s been there all along.
This story had everything I wanted: heartfelt emotion, small-town grit, a little spice, and that aching sweetness that makes Friends to Lovers sing. I devoured it in one sitting, and it was every bit as romantic, swoony, and moving as I hoped. I adored it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC courtesy of NetGalley, all opinions my own)
September 24, 2025
This was a strong 3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4.
This was my first book by this author and would definitely read more by them! I thought this was a great best friends to lovers romance. It’s not my favourite trope but this story won me over. I read it quickly and enjoyed the historical element of Mae Tanner’s letters to her husband Jedidiah at the beginning of each chapter and how it correlated to Perry and Carson’s story.
Perry and Carson have a really lovely friendship and everything about her actions made sense. Wanting to distance herself from him to move on with her life. I felt the emotion behind her decision. Carson had a lot of history to overcome to be with Perry and once he made up his mind about wanting her it was game on. At first his actions didn’t seem fair to her, but I thought that was resolved nicely.
I thought there was great emotional connection and communication between the two do them, BUT oh wow is there a lot of communication. Talk talk talk! Loads of exposition. Like, nearly ten pages could be eliminated of regurgitation of the same declarations. So that dragged the story down a bit but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Maisey Yates, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for review.
This was my first book by this author and would definitely read more by them! I thought this was a great best friends to lovers romance. It’s not my favourite trope but this story won me over. I read it quickly and enjoyed the historical element of Mae Tanner’s letters to her husband Jedidiah at the beginning of each chapter and how it correlated to Perry and Carson’s story.
Perry and Carson have a really lovely friendship and everything about her actions made sense. Wanting to distance herself from him to move on with her life. I felt the emotion behind her decision. Carson had a lot of history to overcome to be with Perry and once he made up his mind about wanting her it was game on. At first his actions didn’t seem fair to her, but I thought that was resolved nicely.
I thought there was great emotional connection and communication between the two do them, BUT oh wow is there a lot of communication. Talk talk talk! Loads of exposition. Like, nearly ten pages could be eliminated of regurgitation of the same declarations. So that dragged the story down a bit but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Maisey Yates, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for review.
October 8, 2025
I am so freaking crazy about this series!!
I really didn’t think I could possibly like this one as much as the first book, but I’m so in love with it!!
Carson and Perry both have really horrible pasts, starting with their childhood. They are both scarred from it. But little Periwinkle walk over to the Wilders house one day and Carson declared her his best friend. The two were inseparable and really they still are, they’ve just been through a lot that has made that tough…especially Perry.
I love how the diaries of ancestors helped in both books. Learning from their ancestors mistakes or what they went through helps them. In this book it’s Perry’s ancestors and it’s funny how similar it is to what Carson and Perry go through.
I love all the characters in this series and those Wilders are something else!! I’m looking forward to the next book!!!
I really didn’t think I could possibly like this one as much as the first book, but I’m so in love with it!!
Carson and Perry both have really horrible pasts, starting with their childhood. They are both scarred from it. But little Periwinkle walk over to the Wilders house one day and Carson declared her his best friend. The two were inseparable and really they still are, they’ve just been through a lot that has made that tough…especially Perry.
I love how the diaries of ancestors helped in both books. Learning from their ancestors mistakes or what they went through helps them. In this book it’s Perry’s ancestors and it’s funny how similar it is to what Carson and Perry go through.
I love all the characters in this series and those Wilders are something else!! I’m looking forward to the next book!!!
October 9, 2025
Our two main characters Perry and Carson have been inseparable since childhood, but when Perry makes the heart-wrenching decision to move away, their lifelong friendship starts to show unexpected wounds. This story brilliantly explores the tumultuous territory of a friends-to-lovers romance. Which is a trope I've found hard to get right in other stories I've read. Our characters carry the weight of unresolved trauma, which has skewed their perceptions of love. The lack of communication about their hidden feelings really cause friction between the two. However, I was still holding out hope for them. Overall, this was a well written friends to lovers story but there were definitely places I felt it was the same conversation happening again and again.
October 16, 2025
Outlaw Lake is the second book in the wrustler Mountain series by Macy Yates, in this book is about Perry Bramble and Carson Wilder and their life long friendship. when I first received this book I couldn’t wait to read it but after starting it I really started thinking I wasn’t going to like it it seemed every problem Perry head Carson wanted to solve it and I mean we’re talking life changing help, that just seemed unrealistic but by the time they got to the Hancock ranch I was all in thinking something was going to happen but it seems the author wanted us to wait and think oh now it’s going to happen then something else would pop up I just found it in this book grading more than other times but that just made the swoon worthy coming together that much better. so I didn’t like the beginning but found the rest of the really good and so worth reading. I cannot wait and already have the next book downloaded I love this author’s books especially her novels and if you like friends to lovers romantic westerns then you should give this one a read you don’t have to read every book in the series as they’re all standalone and so far the first one is my favorite but this one is no slouch either. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #MacyYates, #OutlawLake,
September 22, 2025
went into this very excited but sadly I just don’t think this book was for me.
seeing how the characters were supposed to be best friends, I don’t really see how they are best friends through the book. I feel like they mention the fact that are best friends, but their conversations felt like with how long they’ve known each other they probably should’ve already talked about this and it’s understandable that some subjects they didn’t touch because of how traumatic they may be but at some point I was like umm are they really best friends?
after reading the first chapter I was like someone please make these two individuals spend some time from one another and I feel like I just couldn’t invest myself into the story.
even if it wasn’t for me, I still think people should give it a try!
seeing how the characters were supposed to be best friends, I don’t really see how they are best friends through the book. I feel like they mention the fact that are best friends, but their conversations felt like with how long they’ve known each other they probably should’ve already talked about this and it’s understandable that some subjects they didn’t touch because of how traumatic they may be but at some point I was like umm are they really best friends?
after reading the first chapter I was like someone please make these two individuals spend some time from one another and I feel like I just couldn’t invest myself into the story.
even if it wasn’t for me, I still think people should give it a try!
August 25, 2025
I love a friend who will bend over backwards for the people they care about, and this story delivered on that dynamic. The tension between the leads was strong, though I’ll admit the bar scene was a bit uncomfortable for me. That said, I was glad to see them finally align and get on the same page. I did find myself wishing for more exploration of his military experience—it felt like a big part of who he was that could have been dug into further. Still, a heartfelt read with the kind of loyalty and devotion that makes small-town romances shine.
September 28, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format- net galley (arc)
✨ What to Expect ✨
- friends to lovers
- small town/ cowboy romance
- Childhood Romance
✨My Review ✨
Thank you to net galley and the author for the copy of this book :)
Straight from the start I was drawn by this book as I had already read Austin and Millie's Story at the start of this year (Rustler Mountain by Maisey Yates- give it a read if you haven't already!). So, when I got accepted for this arc I was so happy :)
It is set in the same little town as the first book but It is definitely giving Elsie Silver vibes with the different characters!
I really enjoyed this book, I would say its definitely a 4 star read for me! The way Maisy writes about the town and characters just keeps you wanting more the whole book!
I loved that it was a quick and sweet love story of two childhood best friends with a rough up brining, which just brought them to be each others safe space.
I did feel like the romance was really well written and I did love the friends to lovers element. However, I did feel like we got all the back and forth that you do in a romance. But, once they realised they loved each other it was quite quick which did make me struggle to read the end more.
Overall it was a great book and I think everyone should give it a go, definitely sexy cowboy vibes which we all love :)
Format- net galley (arc)
✨ What to Expect ✨
- friends to lovers
- small town/ cowboy romance
- Childhood Romance
✨My Review ✨
Thank you to net galley and the author for the copy of this book :)
Straight from the start I was drawn by this book as I had already read Austin and Millie's Story at the start of this year (Rustler Mountain by Maisey Yates- give it a read if you haven't already!). So, when I got accepted for this arc I was so happy :)
It is set in the same little town as the first book but It is definitely giving Elsie Silver vibes with the different characters!
I really enjoyed this book, I would say its definitely a 4 star read for me! The way Maisy writes about the town and characters just keeps you wanting more the whole book!
I loved that it was a quick and sweet love story of two childhood best friends with a rough up brining, which just brought them to be each others safe space.
I did feel like the romance was really well written and I did love the friends to lovers element. However, I did feel like we got all the back and forth that you do in a romance. But, once they realised they loved each other it was quite quick which did make me struggle to read the end more.
Overall it was a great book and I think everyone should give it a go, definitely sexy cowboy vibes which we all love :)
November 2, 2025
Perry and Carson have known each other since they were kids, forming a co-dependent friendship with one another, especially after Carson’s wife passes. Perry soon realizes that she can’t continue to be the one Carson leans on, at least as only a friend when her feelings for him are much more than that. Perry decides it’s time to break free from her relationship with Carson and try to find herself elsewhere.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a big fan of friends-to-lovers, but I feel that Maisey wrote this so well. She really portrayed the emotions Perry felt for Carson and being so afraid to cross that line with him knowing that you can’t get that friendship back once you do and I could really resonate with her.
I also really enjoyed the letters Perry had found in her old home and how they lined up with what she was going through with Carson. I feel like this was a really nice touch to the storyline.
I do feel like there definitely could have been more dialogue between the characters, as it was a lot of internal dialogue instead, but I also loved being inside both characters thoughts. I definitely feel like this was a missed opportunity for a dual-timeline story, because I would have loved to have read from a younger Perry and Carson POV.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend it to others. Thank you so much, Net Galley for the early E-ARC and then Kensington Books for the uncorrected proof I received. 🫶🏼
I will be the first to admit that I am not a big fan of friends-to-lovers, but I feel that Maisey wrote this so well. She really portrayed the emotions Perry felt for Carson and being so afraid to cross that line with him knowing that you can’t get that friendship back once you do and I could really resonate with her.
I also really enjoyed the letters Perry had found in her old home and how they lined up with what she was going through with Carson. I feel like this was a really nice touch to the storyline.
I do feel like there definitely could have been more dialogue between the characters, as it was a lot of internal dialogue instead, but I also loved being inside both characters thoughts. I definitely feel like this was a missed opportunity for a dual-timeline story, because I would have loved to have read from a younger Perry and Carson POV.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend it to others. Thank you so much, Net Galley for the early E-ARC and then Kensington Books for the uncorrected proof I received. 🫶🏼
March 28, 2025
This is the first book that I have had the chance to review in quite some time. I have been in a real reading slump - I had struggled to sit down and actually want to read anything. A very inconvenient thing for an avid reader, I must say....
Well, for the first time in a LONG time, thanks to Maisey Yates, I have busted out of that slump. I could not put this book down.
Friends-to-lovers, unresolved sexual tension, yearning, small town - all stuff I love! There was some lovely, funny moments, and I felt some early Spidey sense as to who may be next on the list to be hit by the love bug (cannot wait for that one!).
So thank you again, Maisey Yates for Carson and Perry! I cannot wait for the rest of the readers out there to discover them too.
As always, anything I write here are my thoughts and mine alone. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the review copy.
Well, for the first time in a LONG time, thanks to Maisey Yates, I have busted out of that slump. I could not put this book down.
Friends-to-lovers, unresolved sexual tension, yearning, small town - all stuff I love! There was some lovely, funny moments, and I felt some early Spidey sense as to who may be next on the list to be hit by the love bug (cannot wait for that one!).
So thank you again, Maisey Yates for Carson and Perry! I cannot wait for the rest of the readers out there to discover them too.
As always, anything I write here are my thoughts and mine alone. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the review copy.
September 22, 2025
For Fans of Lyla Sage or Elsie Silver you will fall in love with Outlaw Lake! Two best friends with buried feelings and possibly a second chance to find each other and get their forever.
Thank you to NetGalley, Maisey and the team at Kensington for the eARC! I really enjoyed getting a chance to read from this author!
What to Expect:
⭐ Friends to Lovers
⭐ Loss + Healing from death of a spouse
⭐ Childhood friends
⭐ Second Chance Love
⭐ Small Town Romance
⭐ Western setting
⭐ Under story very Hatfield + McCoys
⭐ Some Spicy moments!
⭐ Lots of anticipation!
My Thoughts:
This wasn't my absolute favorite read. There were parts that were absolutely lovely, but some that just felt dragged out. I have to be honest that I actually didn't read the bonus chapter for the next story as I don't think I will want to dig in to the whole series. This is book two of her series, however I definitely didn't feel as though I needed to read the first to be immersed in the story. So definitely a stand alone read.
What I did love was the friendship, the story of the two main characters and their long history together. The bond and memories they shared from young ages. It was a overall a beautiful story of healing, honesty and friendship. All of which were beautifully written and expressed through main characters Carson and Perry. Overall the supporting characters don't play big roles in this story. There isn't a lot of depth in the surrounding town, people, storylines etc. It is really mainly focused on just the two main characters, their struggles, their individual journey and the one together. So if you're looking for funny/witty sub characters or fun town people this isn't it.
Synopsis:
Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.
Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.
Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it's too late?
Thank you to NetGalley, Maisey and the team at Kensington for the eARC! I really enjoyed getting a chance to read from this author!
What to Expect:
⭐ Friends to Lovers
⭐ Loss + Healing from death of a spouse
⭐ Childhood friends
⭐ Second Chance Love
⭐ Small Town Romance
⭐ Western setting
⭐ Under story very Hatfield + McCoys
⭐ Some Spicy moments!
⭐ Lots of anticipation!
My Thoughts:
This wasn't my absolute favorite read. There were parts that were absolutely lovely, but some that just felt dragged out. I have to be honest that I actually didn't read the bonus chapter for the next story as I don't think I will want to dig in to the whole series. This is book two of her series, however I definitely didn't feel as though I needed to read the first to be immersed in the story. So definitely a stand alone read.
What I did love was the friendship, the story of the two main characters and their long history together. The bond and memories they shared from young ages. It was a overall a beautiful story of healing, honesty and friendship. All of which were beautifully written and expressed through main characters Carson and Perry. Overall the supporting characters don't play big roles in this story. There isn't a lot of depth in the surrounding town, people, storylines etc. It is really mainly focused on just the two main characters, their struggles, their individual journey and the one together. So if you're looking for funny/witty sub characters or fun town people this isn't it.
Synopsis:
Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.
Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.
Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it's too late?
October 23, 2025
I really didn’t want them to end up together…
I tried to go into this with an open mind because I really enjoyed the first book and the whole setting that the town is in, but I already knew that friends to lovers wasn’t my favorite trope. That being said, this was one of the worst examples of this trope that I’ve read😅
The main characters had no chemistry, like, none. And I’m not just meaning romantically, even though that was definitely lacking, but their friendship in general had no banter and hardly any meaningful conversations even though they had been friends for 25 years?? I just didn’t understand how the whole time the author was trying to say how they were each others ‘person’ and ‘soulmates’ and they couldn’t even have a conversation that wasn’t awkward. Why would I root for them to be together when I couldn’t even understand why they were friends in the first place other than trauma bonding?
Also, I’ve got to say it, Carson sucked😅 I really wanted to like him, and I was excited about his and Perry’s story from their appearances in the first book but I just couldn’t make myself like him as a character. He was never really held accountable for his actions, and he was just so emotionally cruel to Perry throughout the whole book and I kept waiting and waiting for like, a redemption moment I guess, but he never really had one for me. Even towards the end when he realized that he loved Perry (after a TON of wishy washy back and forth) his declaration of feelings just fell so flat for me. I wanted her to be with West honestly, he seemed so much more interested than Carson even though he was barely mentioned🙃
Another thing, the majority of this book was heavy on the inner monologuing and very very light on backstory. Carson’s military past was basically never mentioned even though this was supposedly a very formative part of his life whenever he left Perry, and, GOT MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN AFTERWARDS. I still can’t get over that, I don’t care if Perry forgave him, I couldn’t. One of the really sad aspects of Perry’s backstory was the fact that she was never anyone’s first choice, and then she ends up with the guy who she was in love with for 25 years even though he quite literally left her and married someone else?? No thank you. Also, Perry had no friends outside of Carson, even though she was somewhat friends with his sister, and this didn’t change at all during the entire story. No girl friends, just the guy who was a pretty terrible friend to her on top of being pretty self centered in my opinion. She deserved better, even though she definitely wasn’t my favorite character because she just gave in anytime Carson wanted something with hardly any pushback. And she basically came to the conclusion that she would have to accept every horrible thing Carson did because she loved him. Which I’m not saying I wanted her to hold a grudge, but really she never even made him work that hard for anything🙃
I had really high hopes for this book, but I was left super disappointed. I’ll still be reading the next in the series, but I really hope it’s more like the first book instead of this one.
I tried to go into this with an open mind because I really enjoyed the first book and the whole setting that the town is in, but I already knew that friends to lovers wasn’t my favorite trope. That being said, this was one of the worst examples of this trope that I’ve read😅
The main characters had no chemistry, like, none. And I’m not just meaning romantically, even though that was definitely lacking, but their friendship in general had no banter and hardly any meaningful conversations even though they had been friends for 25 years?? I just didn’t understand how the whole time the author was trying to say how they were each others ‘person’ and ‘soulmates’ and they couldn’t even have a conversation that wasn’t awkward. Why would I root for them to be together when I couldn’t even understand why they were friends in the first place other than trauma bonding?
Also, I’ve got to say it, Carson sucked😅 I really wanted to like him, and I was excited about his and Perry’s story from their appearances in the first book but I just couldn’t make myself like him as a character. He was never really held accountable for his actions, and he was just so emotionally cruel to Perry throughout the whole book and I kept waiting and waiting for like, a redemption moment I guess, but he never really had one for me. Even towards the end when he realized that he loved Perry (after a TON of wishy washy back and forth) his declaration of feelings just fell so flat for me. I wanted her to be with West honestly, he seemed so much more interested than Carson even though he was barely mentioned🙃
Another thing, the majority of this book was heavy on the inner monologuing and very very light on backstory. Carson’s military past was basically never mentioned even though this was supposedly a very formative part of his life whenever he left Perry, and, GOT MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN AFTERWARDS. I still can’t get over that, I don’t care if Perry forgave him, I couldn’t. One of the really sad aspects of Perry’s backstory was the fact that she was never anyone’s first choice, and then she ends up with the guy who she was in love with for 25 years even though he quite literally left her and married someone else?? No thank you. Also, Perry had no friends outside of Carson, even though she was somewhat friends with his sister, and this didn’t change at all during the entire story. No girl friends, just the guy who was a pretty terrible friend to her on top of being pretty self centered in my opinion. She deserved better, even though she definitely wasn’t my favorite character because she just gave in anytime Carson wanted something with hardly any pushback. And she basically came to the conclusion that she would have to accept every horrible thing Carson did because she loved him. Which I’m not saying I wanted her to hold a grudge, but really she never even made him work that hard for anything🙃
I had really high hopes for this book, but I was left super disappointed. I’ll still be reading the next in the series, but I really hope it’s more like the first book instead of this one.
October 2, 2025
Even though I found this story to be okay, it didn’t live up to my expectations of this series after loving the first book. Rustler Mountain delved into the town and the inequality between the different families and how they are viewed. It helped in the understanding of the struggles the couple from that book had. If you’re reading this one as a standalone, you’ll lose that. While we are constantly told Carson had a “bad boy” reputation and was fighting to overcome that with every decision he made in his adult life, there was no background to the hows and whys.
Perry and Carson are lifelong friends…best friends. There has always been an attraction, but both have suppressed that for various reasons throughout the years. Carson has been a widow for a couple of years now, so it frustrated me that these two took so long after the start of this book to give in to their physical attraction. Once again, as I’ve been having issues with this author of late, there was too much internal dialogue and not enough dialogue between the main couple. Repetitive thoughts with no action. It stagnated the characters.
The thing is, I like these characters. I understand their fears and the reasons they kept to a strictly friendship relationship all these years. Yet, once they realized they actually had jealousy and fear of losing each other when Perry decided to move away, it took way too long to get to the action.
I did appreciate Perry’s strength and the way she called Carson out for his unrecognized misogyny. Carson’s protective streak had a way of situating the women in his life as game pieces, worried about how everything he did would affect them. He wanted to be three steps ahead and control every situation. Although when called out, he was horrified to realize that was what he’d been doing.
This story had its ups and downs. I wouldn’t suggest it as a standalone. Read the first book (which was great even if it was also wordy) and decide if you want to know more about this town and its people. I do, so I’ll stick with the story and hope Flynn and Jessie Jane don’t get in their heads as much as these two did. I’m holding out hope that those two will also have some fun banter, which was missing from this story.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Perry and Carson are lifelong friends…best friends. There has always been an attraction, but both have suppressed that for various reasons throughout the years. Carson has been a widow for a couple of years now, so it frustrated me that these two took so long after the start of this book to give in to their physical attraction. Once again, as I’ve been having issues with this author of late, there was too much internal dialogue and not enough dialogue between the main couple. Repetitive thoughts with no action. It stagnated the characters.
The thing is, I like these characters. I understand their fears and the reasons they kept to a strictly friendship relationship all these years. Yet, once they realized they actually had jealousy and fear of losing each other when Perry decided to move away, it took way too long to get to the action.
I did appreciate Perry’s strength and the way she called Carson out for his unrecognized misogyny. Carson’s protective streak had a way of situating the women in his life as game pieces, worried about how everything he did would affect them. He wanted to be three steps ahead and control every situation. Although when called out, he was horrified to realize that was what he’d been doing.
This story had its ups and downs. I wouldn’t suggest it as a standalone. Read the first book (which was great even if it was also wordy) and decide if you want to know more about this town and its people. I do, so I’ll stick with the story and hope Flynn and Jessie Jane don’t get in their heads as much as these two did. I’m holding out hope that those two will also have some fun banter, which was missing from this story.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
September 21, 2025
Outlaw Lake by Maisey Yates is a western romance about lifelong friends Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble. Both grew up in broken homes and have carried deep scars, finding solace in each other’s unwavering bond. Carson, grieving the loss of his wife, leans on Perry, who has secretly loved him since childhood. But Perry is ready to move on with her life—expanding her florist business and leaving Rustler Mountain to seek love and family elsewhere. As Carson helps her prepare for her move, old feelings are rekindled and Carson is forced to confront what he truly wants. Ultimately, both must decide if their bond is meant to remain friendship—or grow into lasting love.
This story touches on growing up in broken/abusive homes and how those experiences affected the characters. It jumps right into gut-punch territory, with Perry confronting her desire for more in life. Carson and Perry’s relationship is very co-dependent—a main driver in why Perry decides to move away and start over. I enjoyed the tie-in with Perry’s ancestor’s journals and letters (I love a good epistolary feature), as well as the history of the outlaw families in town. This is the second book in this series, and I admittedly didn’t read the first, which I’m sure dives deeper into Carson’s family’s backstory. Start with the first book, if you haven’t read it already.
The narrative is third person omniscient, which is not my personal favorite for romance novels. It feels too removed from the characters, and I like to be all up in their minds. But that’s a personal preference! I also found the writing and dialogue to be a bit formal at times, which felt out of place in a contemporary romance novel (they’re using dating apps, so it’s present-ish day). Lastly, the conversations between Carson and Perry in the last few chapters when they’re working their relationship out were repetitive; they hashed the same things out over and over, which dragged out the ending. Seems like all of these characters could use some therapy.
I think readers who enjoy stories with deep family backstories, big feelings, some sappy dialogue, and a western background will enjoy this sweeping romance.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
This story touches on growing up in broken/abusive homes and how those experiences affected the characters. It jumps right into gut-punch territory, with Perry confronting her desire for more in life. Carson and Perry’s relationship is very co-dependent—a main driver in why Perry decides to move away and start over. I enjoyed the tie-in with Perry’s ancestor’s journals and letters (I love a good epistolary feature), as well as the history of the outlaw families in town. This is the second book in this series, and I admittedly didn’t read the first, which I’m sure dives deeper into Carson’s family’s backstory. Start with the first book, if you haven’t read it already.
The narrative is third person omniscient, which is not my personal favorite for romance novels. It feels too removed from the characters, and I like to be all up in their minds. But that’s a personal preference! I also found the writing and dialogue to be a bit formal at times, which felt out of place in a contemporary romance novel (they’re using dating apps, so it’s present-ish day). Lastly, the conversations between Carson and Perry in the last few chapters when they’re working their relationship out were repetitive; they hashed the same things out over and over, which dragged out the ending. Seems like all of these characters could use some therapy.
I think readers who enjoy stories with deep family backstories, big feelings, some sappy dialogue, and a western background will enjoy this sweeping romance.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
October 1, 2025
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
Outlaw Lake is the second title in the Rustler Mountain series, featuring Perry (Periwinkle) and Carson, who have been best friends, well, forever it seems, but in reality since their childhood. In their thirties now, Perry has finally accepted that the man she’s loved for years will never, ever see her as more than his best friend… and it’s time to cut the ties that bind, move to another small town for her business (and her sanity), and start looking at dating apps, because there just has to be someone “out there” who will love her for herself, beyond best friend status.
Carson believes in his family’s bad luck, the reputation of his outlaw ancestor that has always been a noose around his neck. He wants to be a hero; he enlisted in the military, and that didn’t ease the ache in his soul. He married, and his wife died suddenly, so he’s no good at the happy ending relationship thing. Now, he’s just going through the motions of life, convinced that he doesn’t deserve anything good to come into his life. He has the ranch, he has his best friend, Perry, and that will just have to be enough… but he’s discovering that even best friends (who happen to be in love with you) have limits, and Perry has reached hers. If he wants to keep Perry in his life, he’s going to have to man up and make some changes before he loses the woman he’s finally realizing is far more than just his best friend.
I enjoyed Perry and Carson’s friends-to-lovers romance. Although there were times that I wanted to reach into their story and smack Carson upside the head for being so focused that he couldn’t see the treasure of his life right in front of him, or to tell Perry that she deserved to be loved, exactly as she is. Frustrated with them both? Yeah, at times. Yet, sometimes we have to be hit with the boulder of reality before we see clearly, and that boulder for Carson was losing the best thing that ever happened to him…Perry.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Outlaw Lake is the second title in the Rustler Mountain series, featuring Perry (Periwinkle) and Carson, who have been best friends, well, forever it seems, but in reality since their childhood. In their thirties now, Perry has finally accepted that the man she’s loved for years will never, ever see her as more than his best friend… and it’s time to cut the ties that bind, move to another small town for her business (and her sanity), and start looking at dating apps, because there just has to be someone “out there” who will love her for herself, beyond best friend status.
Carson believes in his family’s bad luck, the reputation of his outlaw ancestor that has always been a noose around his neck. He wants to be a hero; he enlisted in the military, and that didn’t ease the ache in his soul. He married, and his wife died suddenly, so he’s no good at the happy ending relationship thing. Now, he’s just going through the motions of life, convinced that he doesn’t deserve anything good to come into his life. He has the ranch, he has his best friend, Perry, and that will just have to be enough… but he’s discovering that even best friends (who happen to be in love with you) have limits, and Perry has reached hers. If he wants to keep Perry in his life, he’s going to have to man up and make some changes before he loses the woman he’s finally realizing is far more than just his best friend.
I enjoyed Perry and Carson’s friends-to-lovers romance. Although there were times that I wanted to reach into their story and smack Carson upside the head for being so focused that he couldn’t see the treasure of his life right in front of him, or to tell Perry that she deserved to be loved, exactly as she is. Frustrated with them both? Yeah, at times. Yet, sometimes we have to be hit with the boulder of reality before we see clearly, and that boulder for Carson was losing the best thing that ever happened to him…Perry.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*
December 28, 2025
After reading Rustler Mountain I have been looking forward to Carson and Perry’s story. I love some unrequited love, and Perry has felt BIG feelings for Carson for as long as she can remember. They’ve been best friends for so long, half the town thinks they’re in a romantic relationship anyway. But Carson chose another woman as his wife and then again after becoming a widower, Carson chose not to make his feeling for Perry romantic, so it takes something even bigger to rock his world now. When Perry decides to move another town away in the hopes of growing her floral business, Carson frantically tries to show Perry how much she means to him.
This is a case of the hero needs to be hit over the head (repeatedly) in order to realize his feelings about the heroine are actually feelings of love. The friends to lovers pipeline is a good one and I enjoyed the jealous reactions, the “mine” feelings, and the whatever will I do without her thoughts Carson has as he’s forced to reconcile with Perry being an attractive woman that might be leaving their cozy friendmance for other pastures. As with most friends to lovers, once they do get together it’s scorching, it’s amazing and they wonder what took them so long to get there. I actually was really happy with how Perry didn’t just accept Carson immediately and made him come to terms with how he acted and his FEELINGS before letting him all the way in. In fact I was all the way in until the very end. For a man who has so few words, he sure does talk a LOT about his thoughts at the end of the story. I had difficulty rationalizing that the closed off Carson would suddenly becomes so expressive with his words. I don’t doubt he recognized what was in his heart was always love for Perry, but he was just so verbose about it that he sounded more like a woman to me than even Perry did. I still enjoyed this story and am enjoying this Rustler Mountain series. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This is a case of the hero needs to be hit over the head (repeatedly) in order to realize his feelings about the heroine are actually feelings of love. The friends to lovers pipeline is a good one and I enjoyed the jealous reactions, the “mine” feelings, and the whatever will I do without her thoughts Carson has as he’s forced to reconcile with Perry being an attractive woman that might be leaving their cozy friendmance for other pastures. As with most friends to lovers, once they do get together it’s scorching, it’s amazing and they wonder what took them so long to get there. I actually was really happy with how Perry didn’t just accept Carson immediately and made him come to terms with how he acted and his FEELINGS before letting him all the way in. In fact I was all the way in until the very end. For a man who has so few words, he sure does talk a LOT about his thoughts at the end of the story. I had difficulty rationalizing that the closed off Carson would suddenly becomes so expressive with his words. I don’t doubt he recognized what was in his heart was always love for Perry, but he was just so verbose about it that he sounded more like a woman to me than even Perry did. I still enjoyed this story and am enjoying this Rustler Mountain series. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
August 12, 2025
Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
This was not my favorite Western type romance and I didn't feel immersed in the small town feel that I normally get when I'm reading books within this genre. The plot to begin with was hard for me to believe and relate to. I am all for best friend's to lovers as a trope but what this actually was ended up being the FMC, Perry, holding a torch for her best friend the MMC, Carson, for literally their entire lives. That torch was held through Carson's marriage as well and then Perry decides that she might not want to live in the same town as Carson anymore because she thinks their friendship is toxic. That just felt almost forced and similar to an ultimatum, even though at that point in the book one was not necessarily given.
Carson. This man was so annoying to me, he didn't take anything seriously which was increasingly frustrating the further in the book I got. Also, his initial reaction to Perry wanting to move away was outrageous *in my opinion*
I am glad that Perry stood up for herself in the third act of this book and quite honestly that character growth for her is what raised my rating from 2 stars to 2.5 stars. I think this book would have worked better for me if it was in 1st person rather than 3rd person, but that is a fully personal preference and I know a lot of readers LOVE 3rd person.
Oh and I really liked Carson's family members that were throughout the book. I was intrigued by Carson's story because he was a veteran and also had trauma surrounding previous relationships, but by the end of the book I still kind of felt like he had not fully tapped into that trauma. I am curious to see where this series will go and I do want to check out the first book.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
This was not my favorite Western type romance and I didn't feel immersed in the small town feel that I normally get when I'm reading books within this genre. The plot to begin with was hard for me to believe and relate to. I am all for best friend's to lovers as a trope but what this actually was ended up being the FMC, Perry, holding a torch for her best friend the MMC, Carson, for literally their entire lives. That torch was held through Carson's marriage as well and then Perry decides that she might not want to live in the same town as Carson anymore because she thinks their friendship is toxic. That just felt almost forced and similar to an ultimatum, even though at that point in the book one was not necessarily given.
Carson. This man was so annoying to me, he didn't take anything seriously which was increasingly frustrating the further in the book I got. Also, his initial reaction to Perry wanting to move away was outrageous *in my opinion*
I am glad that Perry stood up for herself in the third act of this book and quite honestly that character growth for her is what raised my rating from 2 stars to 2.5 stars. I think this book would have worked better for me if it was in 1st person rather than 3rd person, but that is a fully personal preference and I know a lot of readers LOVE 3rd person.
Oh and I really liked Carson's family members that were throughout the book. I was intrigued by Carson's story because he was a veteran and also had trauma surrounding previous relationships, but by the end of the book I still kind of felt like he had not fully tapped into that trauma. I am curious to see where this series will go and I do want to check out the first book.
September 26, 2025
I received this ARC in exchange for a honest reviews.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Reader Copy of Outlaw Lake.
Outlaw Lake is a cozy small town romance between two best friends who have overcome a lifetime of changes together. This is perfect for people who enjoy
-small town settings
-friends to lovers
-“it’s always been you”
- strong family
-he protects her
———————————
First, I want to say that this was a cute and easy read. The characters were quick to grown on me and the setting makes me want to vacation in a small town. It gave slight Gilmore Girls vibes and the history of the town being the focus was really cute!
Where this book fell short for me was the amount of internal conflict both of the main characters experienced. I understand that the history of their relationship had been weighing on them their whole life, but I found that their own thought processes were so long and so intense that it took me out of scenes that I was invested in. Additionally, their thought processes are very scattered at times, which makes sense due to the situations they were in, but there were times it was almost too much of a stream of consciousness for me to follow because it drifted from one topic to another often, leaving me confused.
I do think the character growth is this book is unique. In most books you see character growth and this book focuses on character realization. While it is insinuated after the final chapter and before the epilogue that the characters have taken steps towards growth, the book focuses on the characters realizing that growth is necessary for them. That is where the internal dialogue compliments this book. Seeing the character mindsets shift throughout the book is really great and I loved seeing the result of steps taken to grow in the epilogue.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Reader Copy of Outlaw Lake.
Outlaw Lake is a cozy small town romance between two best friends who have overcome a lifetime of changes together. This is perfect for people who enjoy
-small town settings
-friends to lovers
-“it’s always been you”
- strong family
-he protects her
———————————
First, I want to say that this was a cute and easy read. The characters were quick to grown on me and the setting makes me want to vacation in a small town. It gave slight Gilmore Girls vibes and the history of the town being the focus was really cute!
Where this book fell short for me was the amount of internal conflict both of the main characters experienced. I understand that the history of their relationship had been weighing on them their whole life, but I found that their own thought processes were so long and so intense that it took me out of scenes that I was invested in. Additionally, their thought processes are very scattered at times, which makes sense due to the situations they were in, but there were times it was almost too much of a stream of consciousness for me to follow because it drifted from one topic to another often, leaving me confused.
I do think the character growth is this book is unique. In most books you see character growth and this book focuses on character realization. While it is insinuated after the final chapter and before the epilogue that the characters have taken steps towards growth, the book focuses on the characters realizing that growth is necessary for them. That is where the internal dialogue compliments this book. Seeing the character mindsets shift throughout the book is really great and I loved seeing the result of steps taken to grow in the epilogue.
August 17, 2025
This is my third time reading a Maisey Yates book, stumbling across Happy After All as an arc, A Cowboy Christmas and now Outlaw Lake! I applied for this book as an arc through netgalley and was overjoyed to be accepted. I didn’t realise this book was the second in a series until i was halfway through reading however i will go back and read the first book, and reading out of order doesn’t change the flow of the story! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Maisey’s writing style and i loved how the story was told through the main characters Perry and Carson’s eyes but also through Mae Tanner and her relationship. Perry has always loved Carson but growing up friends, he never showed that he loved her back. Through adulthood, Perry realises she has to move on with her life and completely separate herself from Carson in order to progress to children & marriage. We learn that Carson and Perry experienced childhood traumas - abandonment and domestic violence. We see that Carson has feelings for Perry but can’t act on them as he doesn’t want to turn out like his father or ancestors who have a bad name. Throughout the story you see Carson and Perry try to date others, but realise all they want is each other. Perry confronts Carson and says she can’t be with him if he can’t love her back and break his walls around her. Carson soon realises he wants no one else and they end up getting married and living happily ever after!
Such a sweet romance and i love how Perry was a strong role and didn’t let Carson in knowing how she felt about him until he worked on himself. Excited to see what Maisey Yates has in store for the next book in the series!! 4⭐️
Such a sweet romance and i love how Perry was a strong role and didn’t let Carson in knowing how she felt about him until he worked on himself. Excited to see what Maisey Yates has in store for the next book in the series!! 4⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2025
Outlaw Lake takes us back to the small Oregon town of Rustler Mountain and the home of the Wilder clan. In this book, we learn about the second oldest Wilder man, Carson, and his life-long best friend Perry. After much self-reflection, Perry has decided that she and her best friend of 25 years, her former neighbor Carson Wilder, are holding each other back from living their most fulfilling lives. Having reached this decision, she decides to move to a neighboring town an hour away for a bit of a fresh start, the only problem is breaking the news to Carson. What follows is a story that had me laughing out loud at the banter between characters, sighing at romantic declarations, and face palming when the whole 'miscommunication trope' rears its ugly head time and again. In fact, that is really the only less than stellar comment I have about the whole story is that there are times, long stretches of internal monologue as these two characters have realization about their motives at respective times in their lives. At times they felt a bit long, and we would have to read through a version of them again when the bearer of them finally told the other one what they had realized. Other than that, this was a fast-paced, steamy 'best friends to lovers' romance with enough yearning to make even the most hardened reader swoon. I really enjoyed the semi-large cast of Wilder clan characters and their friends, and I'm looking forward to finding out who's story we get to learn next in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Maisey Yates for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel to review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Maisey Yates for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel to review.
October 11, 2025
3.5 rounded to a 4
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Maisey Yates for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of Outlaw Lake in exchange for an honest review.
This was a 3.5 for me, but I’m rounding up to a 4 because a 3 is far too harsh.
I enjoyed this book enough, but as an avid cowboy romance reader, this book did not hit all the “cowboy romance” marks for me.
There weren’t actually any cowboy moments— although the Wilders apparently live on a ranch and do ranch-y things, that environment was never created and there weren’t any ranching moments. They are apparently outlaws, and I was excited for the fun “Wild West” vibes that I thought we were going to get, but we didn’t get as much of a glimpse into that aspect as I would’ve hoped for.
Also, the main relationship was a little strange. I usually love a “best friends to lovers” story, but this chemistry and their history didn’t feel super authentic to me at first.
They are best friends, but I couldn’t ever quite figure out why. They were definitely co-dependent and felt comfortable and safe around each other and were there for each starting in childhood, but they never talked about a darn thing. They had so many secrets and mysteries between each other, and they both hid a lot from the other.
BUT once they let their chemistry come to fruition, I did it enjoy it a lot! Once they dropped that boundary, their communication get better and it felt
much more authentic to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the spicy moments and ultimately ended up liking this book!
And I’ll definitely read the next book in the series, which I think speaks volumes.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Maisey Yates for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of Outlaw Lake in exchange for an honest review.
This was a 3.5 for me, but I’m rounding up to a 4 because a 3 is far too harsh.
I enjoyed this book enough, but as an avid cowboy romance reader, this book did not hit all the “cowboy romance” marks for me.
There weren’t actually any cowboy moments— although the Wilders apparently live on a ranch and do ranch-y things, that environment was never created and there weren’t any ranching moments. They are apparently outlaws, and I was excited for the fun “Wild West” vibes that I thought we were going to get, but we didn’t get as much of a glimpse into that aspect as I would’ve hoped for.
Also, the main relationship was a little strange. I usually love a “best friends to lovers” story, but this chemistry and their history didn’t feel super authentic to me at first.
They are best friends, but I couldn’t ever quite figure out why. They were definitely co-dependent and felt comfortable and safe around each other and were there for each starting in childhood, but they never talked about a darn thing. They had so many secrets and mysteries between each other, and they both hid a lot from the other.
BUT once they let their chemistry come to fruition, I did it enjoy it a lot! Once they dropped that boundary, their communication get better and it felt
much more authentic to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the spicy moments and ultimately ended up liking this book!
And I’ll definitely read the next book in the series, which I think speaks volumes.
October 23, 2025
Outlaw Lake
by Maisey Yates
Perry Bramble and Carson Wilder have been best friends since they were inseparable children, bonding over shared adventures and family drama. Their friendship managed to withstand the test of time, including Carson's marriage to Alyssa. Tragically, after Alyssa's passing a few years ago, Carson found himself navigating the difficult waters of widowhood. During this period of loss, he leaned heavily on Perry, who had quietly harboured feelings for him since childhood.
As the weight of unreciprocated love pressed on her, Perry decided it was time for a drastic change. Believing that she could never be more to Carson than just a friend, she resolved to move away to pursue her dreams. Eager to expand her floral business and start fresh in the neighbouring town, Perry felt ready to find someone special and build a family of her own.
In a fight than a heartfelt conversation, Carson offered to assist her in fixing up her old house for sale and invited her to stay with him during the renovations. As they worked side by side, the playful banter and genuine laughter that had characterised their friendship began to take on new dimensions. The lines separating friendship from something deeper became increasingly blurred, revealing unexpected emotional complexities and tension.
Their story unfolds as a beautiful tale of healing, honesty, and the intricacies of friendship, but I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the internal conflicts both characters faced. The struggle between their feelings and the fear of losing their cherished bond added an emotional depth that kept me engaged throughout.
by Maisey Yates
Perry Bramble and Carson Wilder have been best friends since they were inseparable children, bonding over shared adventures and family drama. Their friendship managed to withstand the test of time, including Carson's marriage to Alyssa. Tragically, after Alyssa's passing a few years ago, Carson found himself navigating the difficult waters of widowhood. During this period of loss, he leaned heavily on Perry, who had quietly harboured feelings for him since childhood.
As the weight of unreciprocated love pressed on her, Perry decided it was time for a drastic change. Believing that she could never be more to Carson than just a friend, she resolved to move away to pursue her dreams. Eager to expand her floral business and start fresh in the neighbouring town, Perry felt ready to find someone special and build a family of her own.
In a fight than a heartfelt conversation, Carson offered to assist her in fixing up her old house for sale and invited her to stay with him during the renovations. As they worked side by side, the playful banter and genuine laughter that had characterised their friendship began to take on new dimensions. The lines separating friendship from something deeper became increasingly blurred, revealing unexpected emotional complexities and tension.
Their story unfolds as a beautiful tale of healing, honesty, and the intricacies of friendship, but I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the internal conflicts both characters faced. The struggle between their feelings and the fear of losing their cherished bond added an emotional depth that kept me engaged throughout.
August 14, 2025
ARC Review ahead! Thanks NetGalley!
This is a “western” romance book involving two best friends who are secretly in love with each other but both afraid to make the leap to more. Well, one friend is completely in denial but refuses to let her go. When Perry decides she needs to get away for her own sanity, Carson decides that he wants her then and there.
I loosely use the term western as a descriptor because we get a very brief, “he works and lives on a ranch”. There’s no sweaty horseback riding moment that makes your cheeks flush, no real outlaw vibes other than an almost bar fight and a history reenactment. I wanted real backwoods vibes and I didn’t get them.
The friends to lovers trope is a good one, and I love all the angst that can go with it. This books definitely had some of that and I could feel Perry yearning for him. However, this book also had a lot of miscommunication, which is a HUGE turn off for me.
These two have a lot of trauma and definitely are trauma bonded. That creates some co-dependency (as stated in book) and I didn’t like it. They just kept reminding each other (even though they’ve been besties for 25 years) that they act this way because of their separate daddy issues. Shouldn’t they already know that? I felt like it was more of an excuse than a justification. Explaining once is good, but to use the same line over and over really just is too much. I also feel like after 3 deployments, Carson would have some serious issues that either didn’t pop or were never addressed.
This is a “western” romance book involving two best friends who are secretly in love with each other but both afraid to make the leap to more. Well, one friend is completely in denial but refuses to let her go. When Perry decides she needs to get away for her own sanity, Carson decides that he wants her then and there.
I loosely use the term western as a descriptor because we get a very brief, “he works and lives on a ranch”. There’s no sweaty horseback riding moment that makes your cheeks flush, no real outlaw vibes other than an almost bar fight and a history reenactment. I wanted real backwoods vibes and I didn’t get them.
The friends to lovers trope is a good one, and I love all the angst that can go with it. This books definitely had some of that and I could feel Perry yearning for him. However, this book also had a lot of miscommunication, which is a HUGE turn off for me.
These two have a lot of trauma and definitely are trauma bonded. That creates some co-dependency (as stated in book) and I didn’t like it. They just kept reminding each other (even though they’ve been besties for 25 years) that they act this way because of their separate daddy issues. Shouldn’t they already know that? I felt like it was more of an excuse than a justification. Explaining once is good, but to use the same line over and over really just is too much. I also feel like after 3 deployments, Carson would have some serious issues that either didn’t pop or were never addressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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