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Black Springs Ranch #1

Between the Pines

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Josie Hayes is always on the run. From bad decisions. From heartbreak. From cowboys.

Her latest escape was supposed to be a quiet reset at her family’s cabin in Tennessee—not a reckless detour at a smoky backwoods bar, and definitely not a collision with Lincoln Carter. Rugged and magnetic, he’s temptation in a cowboy hat, and his slow smile makes forgetting her rules far too easy.

Their connection is instant, electric, and impossible to ignore. What starts with teasing glances and lingering touches spiral into a series of nights that feel like more—too much more. By the end of the week, Josie does what she does best: she bolts, leaving behind only her name and the memory of a man she can’t shake.

A year later, Josie’s done running. With a steady job, a new boyfriend, and her life finally on track, she’s ready to prove she’s not the same girl she used to be. Except her father’s prestigious summer horse training program just brought a ghost from her past straight to her front door.

Lincoln isn’t the forgiving type, and now that he’s on the ranch, he’s determined to show Josie exactly what she left behind—and what they could have had if she’d stayed.

As old wounds reopen and sparks reignite, Josie must decide: keep running from her past or take a chance on the cowboy who just might be worth staying for.

310 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2025

2271 people are currently reading
13629 people want to read

About the author

Amber Palmer

9 books453 followers
Amber Palmer is an American romance author specializing in paranormal and contemporary love stories. Born in Arizona and raised in Texas, she’s the proud parent of three mischievous cats and one playful pup. When she’s not devouring spicy romance novels, you can find her curating bookish Spotify playlists or jotting down ideas for her next project. A fierce advocate for mental health, Amber crafts characters who face and heal from deep traumas. She’s unapologetically passionate about all things spicy—both in books and life—and loves gaming with her husband in her downtime.

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5 stars
2,721 (26%)
4 stars
4,395 (42%)
3 stars
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94 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,626 reviews
Profile Image for Megan Coggins.
663 reviews145 followers
February 17, 2025
Add Lincoln Carter to your cowboy spank bank ladies 🤠

Jesus that was hot.
If Riley Greens song “Worst Way” was a book.

Josie x Lincoln
Ranchers daughter x horse trainer
Small town
Second chance
He falls first (and hard)
“Whiskey tasting”
Darlin
Anxiety rep
Ranch setting

I don’t normally enjoy insta anything… but the insta-lust to lovers here was 🔥

Why was Lincoln the sweetest & hottest man??

Wear the hat, ride the cowboy…

The pool table 🫠

Ellis 🤮

Arc review ✨
Profile Image for Kursed Reads.
791 reviews9,202 followers
March 26, 2025
So cute!! I was completely taken with Josie and Lincoln from the moment she walked into his bar. Their immediate connection and off-the-charts chemistry was palpable. Throw in Lincoln's cowboy charm, the small town setting, and lovable side characters, and it's the perfect combo for a sweet and steamy read. I literally didn't want this one to end and am looking forward to being back at Black Springs Ranch as soon as possible!!
Profile Image for Brittany Ferraro.
228 reviews1,277 followers
February 10, 2025
Omg, this little book completely stole my heart 🥹 I just absolutely adore cowboy romance. This was fast-paced, spicy, and the love story was everything I wanted—swoon-worthy. The banter was on point, and the characters were so much fun (the family dynamic was also amazing!)

So Miss Girl was not playing because she was getting bent over a pool table and railed like 8% into this book (by the hot bar owner who’s also a complete stranger) The instant chemistry/connection between Josie and Lincoln was electric and incredibly hot.

Josie is someone who doesn’t feel confident in her decisions. She second-guesses everything and she’s all up in her own head ( same girl ) so when things with Lincoln seem too good to be true she makes a run for it after the most perfect five days of her life.

Fast-forward a year later, Lincoln shows up to her family ranch as their newest employee and he is hell-bent on getting his girl back. He’s never felt a connection like the one he has with Josie, and he doesn’t care that they only spent five days together, we love a man that knows what he wants and goes after it. Lincoln will have you falling in love with him, no question. He’s sweet, selfless, ridiculously confident and the perfect gentleman but he also has a filthy, dirty fucking mouth that will have you blushing🤭
“See something you like darlin” 👀🥵


The way Lincoln reassures/takes care of Josie and helps her build confidence is just beautiful. He’s exactly the person she needs, helping her recognize her own worth. I loved them together so much! And when Lincoln seamlessly becomes part of her family, my heart just melted. They both deserved that happiness.

“all I know is some things are certain, the sun will set. It’ll rise again and you’re it for me” 😭🥹💓🎇

If you’re looking for a book that hooks you from start to finish and makes you feel all the feelings, THIS is the one! I loved it so much, and I can’t wait for the next couple’s story! 👀🤭👏🏻
Profile Image for Jan Agaton.
1,371 reviews1,560 followers
September 22, 2025
not a fan of insta-lust nor the fact that this wasn't anything too special (Swift & Saddled did it better), but as the story progressed, I could see myself enjoying my time in this town with these characters, and I absolutely love Lincoln & Josie together.
Profile Image for Emily.
193 reviews176 followers
April 23, 2025
This has easily become one of my favorite cowboy romances! Josie and Lincoln have the hottest five nights stand in Tennessee, but she panicked about catching feelings and ran back to Texas without saying goodbye. Flash forward one year and Lincoln shows up on her family's ranch in Texas as a horse trainer and he's determined to get her back.

Josie and Lincoln have some of the best and hottest chemistry. The mouth on that cowboy is *faints* filthy in the best way. He's so open about his love for Josie and isn't afraid to show it to anyone. He loved her out loud and always showed her her worth. The way I would melt if Lincoln called me "darlin'" is real. I can't not mention the moment with his hat (iykyk) because it was everything and will live in my mind rent free from now until the end of time.

This book was so well written and the depth of the characters and storyline was amazing. Its hard to achieve that in under 300 pages, but Amber excelled with this book. It definitely will not be my last book from her. I already can't wait for book two!
Profile Image for Ali.
1,148 reviews199 followers
October 2, 2025
"Break up with that piece of shit you call a boyfriend, and I'll tell you every sordid detail. Then, when you're writhing underneath me, just like you are right now, I'll make good on every word I said."


Running away from a cheating boyfriend to a bar in a small Tennessee town was not supposed to bring her a hot cowboy warming her bed, but here Lincoln Carter is. Josie feels a spark with Lincoln she's never felt before, but life got in the way, and the hurt in her heart was too recent, and on her fifth best night of her life, she flees, expecting to never see Lincoln ever again. Now, a year later, Josie is back on her family ranch helping her father out with some clinics, and unexpectedly, the new trainer is none other than the man she tries desperately to forget. Lincoln always thought he'd kiss her senseless the second he saw her again, but he can't do that when Josie's got a boyfriend that's fixing her family's issues. SIIIIGHHH

I was gifted this book from bestie Bree, and she received it through her Probably Smut book box subscription. So when I started this book, knowing nothing other than the fact that it's a cowboy romance, and they started fucking 30 pages in, I was not having a great time. I let it slide and continued reading because this book is from a subscription service with SMUT in the title, so like I can't blame 'em. However, I later found out it's a second-chance romance, and Amber Palmer was giving us their backstory. I HATE when authors don't do that, so I'm glad it got cleared up.

The romance in this book is EXCELLENTLY paced. While I found it fast-moving, especially since the majority of this book, Josie is stupidly dating another guy, it was paced incredibly well for the length (277 pages). I loved the banter and flirting between Josie and Lincoln, and while I don't condone emotional cheating, my red flag is I excuse it in books because the one being cheated on is normally shitty anyway, and the book is FICTION.

Lincoln was HOT AS HELL. Man knew what he wanted and always went for it. He fell first and harder and he's got a filthy mouth!! Plus he's a cowboy sooo... my dream date... cute... I will say sometimes the dirty talk tried a LITTLE too hard, but that's also personal preference.

I do wish we got to see more of them together. Lincoln didn't give a FUCK about her boyfriend, and while that was great, these two were still sneaking around just to chat, and I wanted more domestic and soft/ quiet moments too. I guess, with the size of this book, it can't really be done, but I would have liked it a bit more. I am aware of a bonus epilogue via Palmer's newsletter, but I think it's just smut, so I'll probably skip it.

I am DEFINITELY picking up the matching editions to this series and reading them! It's following the Hayes sisters, and we get peeks at who their books will be about, and I CANNOT wait.

THANK YOU BESTIE BREE!!
Profile Image for Elle G. Reads.
1,874 reviews1,010 followers
March 21, 2025
Between the Pines is a small-town cowboy romance and the first book in the Black Springs Ranch series. It has a sweet-talking hero that will make you melt (he was the star of the whole book) and a cute second chance (after a five night stand) romance. There’s even some spice and it is HOT. The pool table scene was my favorite. If any of these things are what you’re looking for then this would be a great book for you. I personally found it to be predictable, but I really needed something light like this after reading two big fantasy books, so it worked really well for me. I’m even looking forward to the next book when it is released!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Cowboy Romances
❥ Insta(ish) Love
❥ Sweet talking heroes
❥ Second chances
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,682 reviews1,037 followers
October 25, 2025
Between the Pines is not a very bad book. I like the writting. It was easyto follow and the plot is simple.
What putting me off is the character. Especially Josie. She is such a drama queen to be honest. She keeps blowing off for something is simple or petty.

3 stars
Profile Image for Hailey Goshert.
332 reviews53 followers
March 23, 2025
4.5⭐️ this little book really packed a punch! i was delightfully surprised by it’s depth despite the lower page count.

lincoln & josie’s love story reeled me in from page 1 and kept my attention throughout. while slightly predictable, i still really enjoyed every aspect of this story. and the little nuggets we get from josie’s sisters also have me eager to continue the series to learn about their stories.

lincoln was absolute perfection; unwavering in his loyalty, commitment, and pursuit of josie- no matter the amount of time or distance between them. and while josie’s actions could sometimes be seen as frustrating, i truly understood her reluctance to take what she wanted at first.

definitely one of my new fav cowboy/small town romances. my only issue is i wish it was longer!
Profile Image for taylor ❤️‍&#x1f525;.
350 reviews51 followers
September 14, 2025
in my eyes, this was the perfect example of how to write a second chance romance. no pathetic pining, no “i lost her and need to win her back.” just an instant connection, few days of hookups before the fmc, josie disappears without a trace until the mmc, lincoln happens to join her dads ranch training program a year later.

this was so well written. the pacing, the build up of their romantic relationship, and the moments with josies family came together to make a book that you won’t want to put down. even though the book is on the shorter side, the character depth is not lacking at all.

not to mention that there were so many moments in this book that had me sweating. the mouth on lincoln would be enough to fold any woman. 😮‍💨
Profile Image for Chels ❀.
182 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2025
Between the Pines started off strong but lost steam along the way. The story was an easy, quick, and overall entertaining read that scratched my cowboy romance itch, but it left me wanting more.

Things I Loved:
🥃 Lincoln - Cue Salt-N-Pepa’s “What a man, what a man, what a man, What a mighty good man…”
🥃 The Hayes Family and the Dynamic between the Sisters
🥃 The Mental Health Rep - I appreciated how Josie briefly mentioned her struggles with anxiety, though this was also a struggle for me because it needed to be fleshed out more.
🥃 The Setting - Horses, ranches, and small town bars get me every time.

Things I Struggled With:
📍Josie - Girl, make a decision. This issue goes with the next bullet point.
📍The BF - I understand Ellis served a purpose as the villain, but having him in the book the entire time is not my favorite plot device in a story. I prefer the focus to be on the leads rather than OM/OW drama, and I felt like Ellis took away from Lincoln and Josie’s development, which I needed to root for them.
📍Needing More in Multiple Aspects - The relationship between the leads seemed purely lust driven because in those few days they initially spent together, we got more of a CliffsNotes version of their growing attachment rather than really experiencing it. I also never fully understood why Lincoln was so devoted to Josie and adamant that she’s the one. I needed more of them together.

~ Side note: Maybe I’ve been too smut influenced, but when an FMC calls her actual dad “Daddy,” I cringe. Lol
Profile Image for Sandy (Sandy.Reads).
876 reviews471 followers
June 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
If you’re in the mood for a spicy cowboy romance, Between the Pines might be exactly what you’re looking for. It starts off with a bit of insta-love, which isn’t usually my favorite, but I ended up really enjoying how the characters grew more obsessed with each other in a way that felt genuine as the story went on.

Josie, our FMC, has a strong start. She catches her boyfriend cheating and walks away, which I loved. For a while, she’s confident and grounded, and I was rooting for her. But eventually she slips back into some frustrating patterns and ends up entertaining someone who just wasn’t good enough for her.

Thankfully, there’s Lincoln. The MMC is a hot cowboy with a soft heart and great listening skills, whether you’re talking about your problems or what you like in the bedroom. I genuinely fell for him and how deeply he cared for Josie. He’s the reason I stayed hooked. He’s a good man, Savannah 😏

The plot moved quickly, and I stayed engaged the whole time. I’m definitely curious to see what’s next with this family and their ranch. If you like heat, heart, and cowboys who know exactly what they’re doing, this one’s worth a read.
Profile Image for Helen Isabel.
493 reviews425 followers
September 7, 2025
Josie and Lincoln’s story started with a bang. Within character one, you are brought into a world of drama, and a female lead who is trying to run away from someone toxic. Josie was very independent, and she knew her worth; she just needed someone who would show her that.

This world was nice to live in for a few days. However, some scenes felt predictable, and I lost interest in the overall plot after the first 25%. I can see why people love this book. I wish I had connected to the main characters more. In a way, the characters felt one dimensional, lacking the depth of layers that would make them more complex. I like characters that are like onions, with multiple layers for me to peel off.
Profile Image for Page_2_Pen.
233 reviews29 followers
April 20, 2025
Well, I never expected the cowboy romance to be the genre for me, but this book totally changed my perspective and made me realize it was exactly what I never knew I needed! Josie and Lincoln have a chance meeting in a small town Tennessee bar, and spend hours together, shutting the place down and realizing it may be a once in a lifetime meeting. Unfortunately, five days in, and Josie has to return to reality at her family’s busy Texas ranch. Brokenhearted and confused, Lincoln pondered what went wrong. Somehow, fate has him unexpectedly in Texas a year later. Will Josie and Lincoln find a way to save their once-in-a-lifetime connection? I love this story so much and cannot wait to continue this series! It was so well written in the characters so well developed that I was able to completely immerse myself in their life and could not wait to find out what happened. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this book! All opinions and reviews are my own.
Profile Image for Mel | Hot Plots and One Shots.
305 reviews18 followers
July 21, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

🧡 Found Family
🧡 Darlin' & Cowboy
🧡 Instant Connection
🧡 Flighty FMC
🧡 MMC Falls Hard
🧡 Small Town Romance
🧡 Side Characters with Future Plot Potential
🧡 Cowboy (Horsemanship) Romance
🧡 Cheating and Betrayal (not mc's)

Amber Palmer brought the heat from Texas to Tennessee with Between the Pines.

I really enjoyed reading this story. I am definitely going to read the rest of the books in this series too. I'm looking forward to cameo's.
Profile Image for °❀⋆.monica ೃ࿔*:・.
370 reviews64 followers
April 23, 2025
there is nothing I wouldn’t do for a cowboy y’all 🙂‍↕️🤠 I’m the biggest simp you’ll ever come across for a hot cowboy and I’m not ashamed to admit it anymore!!!!!
Profile Image for Belle (on hiatus).
417 reviews43 followers
March 31, 2025
4⭐️

All my stars for Lincoln, and the rest only because they both stayed celibate during separation - Josie and the rest of it? I could do fully without 🤷‍♀️

Lincoln was amazing - once he met Josie that was it for him, never looked at another woman since. Josie unfortunately was so aggravating, she couldn't make her mind up about anything, even leaving her shitty boyfriend who she KNOWS is shitty, until he intimidates and touches her at the bar. And after that, she still doesn't make Lincoln sure if this is real - he deserved better and I'm glad at one point he acknowledged that Josie was another person who let him down in his life, she totally did.

☆ Dual pov
☆ H celibate for quite a while before meeting h, h had a BF who was cheating on her so don't know how long it was in that relationship
☆ Both celibate during separation (h had a boyfriend who she kissed and maybe a few other guys she kissed but never went further)
☆ He follows her to another state to be with her 1 year later
☆ No cheating or OW drama
☆ OM drama (h is dating someone when Lincoln shows up at the ranch, however she won;t call him her boyfriend and has done nothing past kissing - she doesn't break up with him until near the end of the book though)
☆ HEA ending + epilogue
Profile Image for lindseysbooklore.
324 reviews26 followers
July 11, 2025
5 ⭐️ for the vibes

This was so damn good.
I was giddy, kicking my feet, dancing in my seat, tears, cackles, snickers, hooting and hollering- it was a good time read.

Josie leaves Texas after she catches her boyfriend with someone else. While on the road she stops into a dive bar in Tennessee and meets Lincoln the bartender. They have a 5 days fling before Josie tucks tail and runs back to Texas.

A time jump happens, and Josie is tending her family farm when the new hires start their first day of work, and one of those new hires is none other than Lincoln.

Second Chance, tension, banter, a bit of suspense.. a whole lot of jealousy.. I loved this. Perfect pallet cleanser and the first in a standalone series. I loved that our FMC and MMC are in their 30s 🙌🏻🙌🏻 and I found the pacing to be perfect. I binged this when I could and ate.it.up 🔥
Profile Image for Anna.
880 reviews631 followers
November 8, 2025
Now this was a cute ass Cowboy romance!!! A one night stand turns into something more at the beginning of this small town, dirty talking cowboy romance. Lincoln was head over heels for Josie right from the start and you could feel the want & need coming off the pages! Josie was scared to get hurt because she had a bad history of always choosing the wrong guys so she runs back home…

A year later Lincoln ends up in Texas, on Josie’s family ranch no less, & sparks immediately return faster than these two expected.

I ate this audio up! Big fan of Austin stone & Savannah Thomas in this one!

Type: audio
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
One night stand
Horse trainer x ranchers daughter
Barn sex
Small town romance
Cowboy romance
He falls first
Second Chance
Profile Image for Kim.
305 reviews150 followers
June 11, 2025
“I fell in love with you the moment you walked into this little bar tucked between the pines.”

LOVE me a strand cowboy romance and this one delivers! Lincoln Carter can call me darlin’ and do as he pleases against the pool table 🤭 this was a good time read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,626 reviews

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