Indigo: Blues: Indigo B&B, Book 1

Indigo B&B #1

by Adrian J. Smith

Anxiety ridden Sarah finds more than she bargained for in a no-nonsense rancher and baby cow.

Taking her best friend's advice, Sarah travels to Indigo B&B to distract herself from her upcoming tour. Instead, she comes face-to-face with Indigo's ruggedly alluring owner, Eli. The vision of strength and confidence, Eli evokes Sarah's envy as well as an undeniable attraction. Sarah wonders if there is more beneath Eli's façade and how deep both their demons go.

Eli wants nothing more than to fit into her tiny hometown. When singer-songwriter Sadie Bade shows up for two weeks at her new B&B, Eli fights her attraction, playing it off as star struck. As the days wear on, and Eli learns more about the enigmatic Sarah, she finds it impossible to keep up the pretense. But when her ex-girlfriend hints at getting back together, Eli is left with an equally impossible choice . . . what will she give up for Sarah?

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Audiobook, Queer, Lesbian Fiction, Contemporary

Audible Audio

Published April 9, 2024

About the author

Adrian J. Smith has been publishing since 2013 but has been writing nearly her entire life. With a focus on women loving women fiction, AJ jumps genres from action-packed police procedurals to the seedier life of vampires and witches to sweet romances with a May-December twist. She loves writing and reading about women in the midst of the ordinariness of life. Two of her novels, For by Grace and Memoir in the Making, received honorable mentions with the Rainbow Awards.

AJ currently lives in Cheyenne, WY, although she moves often and has lived all over the United States. She loves to travel to different countries and places. She currently plays the roles of author, wife, and mother to two rambunctious kids, occasional handy-woman. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.

Reviews

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Countryside and ranching.

Readers who enjoy a good countryside romance will enjoy this book for sure. One of the main characters, Eli, owns a countryside Bed and Breakfast and ranch and the story is based there. Sarah is a singer who vacations for two weeks at this Bed and Breakfast / ranch to take a break from being recognised as a celebrity. Eli and Sarah spend the two weeks together, with Eli showing Sarah the ropes to ranching during the calving season and for city folks like me, the detailed experience was interesting and fun, especially when Sarah manages to forge a friendship with a baby bull. But since the main focus is on country life, the story is pretty one-sided. Sarah is exposed to Eli's world and enjoys what she is introduced to, but Eli doesn't have the same opportunity, interest nor time to do the same when it comes to Sarah's world, perhaps also because Sarah herself, does not show much passion for being a celebrity singer.

The romance is a slow-burn but the pace of the romance suits the mood of the story and the characters. The characters start by being cautious about each other and after some time of getting used to each other, a really sweet romance develops. This is the second book I've read by Adrian J. Smith and I've quite enjoyed my time with it.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Simone11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was‘t able to get into this book. The cover was beautiful but I thought there was no real chemistry between the two MCs and especially Eli was sometimes really rude to Sarah. I‘m not sure I‘ll read the next book in this series.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good with protagonists I enjoyed more than a little. Okay, mostly that means Sarah, because she's a little lost but willing to try all the things at Eli's ranch. I liked it not only for her sense of adventure, but because she was actively seeking new experiences and learning new skills, even knowing they weren't things she'd do much ever and that she wasn't going to be there long enough to get good at them.

Eli was harder to engage with. She runs hot and cold and that includes being short with Sarah out of the blue and shutting down happy times by being a grump. I get her trepidation, though. I mean, Sarah isn't going to fit neatly into her life and that means a lot of uncertainty and potentially hard long-distance coordinating. But still, being cold to someone as engaging as Sarah sat poorly with me.

But that mostly works out in the romance, I think. I mean, the dark moment stretched out too long (I hate when authors make it weeks and longer for people to come to themselves). And I never really felt Sarah's given age so the whole age gap thing never really hit for me. I mean, they're at the edge of the squick formula* and yet, it didn't feel like that at all. Sarah feels early thirties rather than her stated forty-one.

So I'm going with four stars for a good romance with intriguing characters and a nice resolve.

A note about Steamy: There are three or so explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. The first couple were pretty well-integrated, but the third is completely gratuitous, I think.

* A note about the Squick Formula: The formula is the oldest's age, divided in half, then add seven. So Sarah is 41 / 2 = 20.5 + 7 = 27.5. Which is the lowest dateable age without throwing out squick. Eli is 28.

[Conny B · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I need to say that I fell in love with the cover the first time I have seen it. I knew right then, that I need to read this story no matter what the blurb is.

Most of the story is set in the middle of nowhere on Eli’s ranch Indigo. After being hurt in her last relationship she tries to concentrate on what she is best at and that’s her work at her ranch. It’s hard work but she loves it. Having a bed and breakfast at the side gives her an additional income but also some company when otherwise her life would be pretty lonely (aside from some random chats with some locals from time to time).

When Sarah a famous country music singer arrives at her bed and breakfast to get a break, she feels star struck. At least she thinks that’s how she feels. But the more time she spends with her, she starts to realise that it’s more of an unwanted attraction than anything else.

Sarah on the other hand might be famous, but is socially awkward no matter what. She struggles to read people and besides her close friend Kara she holds people at arms length. She is intrigued by Eli and sees herself wanting to spend more and more time with her. Which includes going to town, doing some work at the ranch or taking care of the sweetest calf Buddy. 😍 not only Sarah fell in love with him, also I did. ☺️

Of course we all know how it goes, at some point the pull between them is too strong and they make the best of the time they still have. The author definitely gifts us with some very hot and sexy scenes. 🥵 But when the time flies by, it’s time to make a decision. A decision that seems to be too early to make for both of them. Add two good friends and both might finally see what’s right in front of them. ☺️

Personally I loved the whole storyline, the time they spent together, the ranch and town life. It made me wanna visit some time on this Indigo ranch and spend some time with Buddy. ☺️ I also loved that there wasn’t any unnecessary drama. Of course their journey wasn’t a too easy one, but there wasn’t a moment where I had to shake my head and asking myself why they couldn’t act like adults. ☺️ Life decisions need some time and bravery in the end, and that’s exactly what I got in the end.

The only two things I missed a bit were that the story could have been longer at the end, maybe with an epilogue a few months later. Even if I wanna say that the last chapter was totally wonderful and sweet, so my complaining isn’t the loudest. 😆 the other thing I missed a bit, is that we didn’t get more background on Sarah‘s friendship with Kara. They seemed to be great together, but with some history. And I wasn’t sure until the end, what it was about them. I was curious how they met etc. But again this is only a very quiet complaining, because aside from these things, I loved everything about it. Can’t wait for the next part in the Indigo series.

I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - the story of Eli, Sarah and not forgetting Buddy the calf. Will certainly look out for book 2. Recommended.

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this anywhere near as much as I wanted to. It's very much not a badly written book; in fact, that was probably the most competent thing about it. I liked the writing enough to know that I will try this author again. But a lot of things about the story and the characters that I think I normally would have found charming instead irked me and annoyed me. I was a little hesitant about picking this up when I read the blurb and I saw that there would be a bit of ex-girlfriend drama. That is definitely one of my least favorite types of conflict in romances. Ironically, the stuff with the ex-girlfriend barely bothered me at all. Instead, there was a lot more stuff that sadly didn't appeal to me. This is a book that somehow left me feeling irritable.  

We're following a semi famous country singer as she takes a short, much-needed vacation before her next tour.  A friend books her a two-week stay at a secluded ranch in Kansas. There, Sarah meets Eli, the young rancher who manages both the ranch and the bed-and-breakfast all on her own, and they slowly form a connection. While the writing was good, I didn't feel like it was effective enough at making me feel what I was supposed to feel? Which probably sounds really nitpicky. But there were a few moments when they were just starting to get to know each other, and the chemistry and tension were supposed to be building, but it just felt really flat. There were a few scenes where I felt like there either wasn't enough emotion, or the emotion that was being highlighted was the wrong one for the scene. The biggest example of this is Eli and her grumpiness. Listen, I love prickly women so much; I feel like in novels, they aren't as widely represented because people are more amenable to sweet and wholesome women. But I love grumpy women. All that said, alas, Eli's grumpiness just left me feeling annoyed. She was hot and cold in a way that was so off-putting. I would feel silly pointing out examples here, but I highlighted so many, when it seemed like she would get irritated at Sarah for the silliest reasons, and I had to sit there thinking, 'Wait, do you even like this woman?' 

That's the thing. This is just as slow burn as I always love my romances to be, but I prefer a type of slow burn where we, as the reader, are seeing all these little moments between the characters as they get to know each other, and as the attraction builds, and it slowly moves towards something more. Perhaps the characters aren't fully on-board with their attraction, or aren't fully aware of their attraction, but we as the readers can feel it, and that's why we come to root for and anticipate the romance.  In this book, it genuinely did not feel like these characters liked each other. Especially Eli. There was a moment where Sarah was asking her questions, and Eli thinks something along the lines of not wanting to play 20 questions, so she just takes pity on Sarah and answers really quickly. A silly thing to notice, maybe, but the tone of that interaction felt weird and unromantic. Very little about this felt romantic, especially in the first 75 percent or so of the book. And no matter how slow burn a romance is, I should at least feel the attraction, feel that giddiness. And the fact that I didn't... well, it definitely negatively affected the rest of my reading experience. I had to stop myself from highlighting and making irritable little notes on almost every other page of my ebook.  

I did like Sarah, at least. As a character she offered a lot of complexity and nuance and was generally enjoyable to read from. I really like the way the plot about her secret identity was handled. This isn't a spoiler, but Eli knows who she is almost right off the bat, and I definitely prefer that to any other way that that might have been handled. As I said, the ex-girlfriend drama actually wasn't annoying at all. The intimacy between them was treated really well, with a lot of intensity and sweetness in equal measure. Sarah... I got legit butterflies. But I can't lie; I kept thinking about how much more I would enjoy it if I liked Eli more as a character. And... I don't know. I'm pretty sure there were other things about the book that I liked? Probably? This is the problem that I often have when I make a note of the rating that I'm giving a book, but I don't sit down to write a review until a few days later. Because from my memory and everything I've written so far, I feel like I should have given this a lower rating. But I'll stick with what I've already noted.  

Listened to the audiobook is read by Quinn Riley, and that definitely contributed to whatever good feelings I have about this book. I adore her voice so much and she does amazing things with character voices and emotion. I truly would not have finished this without her. Sometimes when I felt like the writing could have used more polishing or more emotion, her voice added that little extra something. And I mean, the writing itself was good enough that, as I said, I know I'll come back to this author. Hopefully this one was just a character problem. It doesn't seem like a lot of other people had that character problem, so I would still feel semi-confident in recommending this to anyone who wants a smalltown sapphic romance. 

[Mildred Gail Digby · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3 stars

ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I’m torn about this one. The blurb sounds awesome and I was really looking forward to this book, but it didn’t quite deliver. I nearly DNFed it so many times, but since it’s an ARC and I just bailed on one recently, I powered through this one.

First of all, the good stuff. The small town setting feels really authentic with everyone up in each other’s business and the quirky relationships that form out of that intertwined-ness. I liked the slice of life we get about some town events which were cute (and also a source of drama, as they are). I also liked how Eli is fluid in her presentation, leaving Sarah to wonder if she’s butch or femme. I adore butches and I liked the little gestures and mannerisms that made Eli butch, while she still shows hints of femininity, like it’s all just part of her natural personality.

Okay, now for the stuff that didn’t thrill me.

I found the first half of the story extremely repetitive. These things happened over and over and over again without any growth of the characters for a large part of the story.

Eli is abrupt and surly.

Sarah licks her lips.

Eli tells herself to stop “flirting” with Sarah (she actually doesn’t flirt, unless being abrupt and surly is a new kind of flirting I didn’t know about).

Sarah chews her lip.

Eli gives Sarah a once-over.

Sarah gives Eli a once-over.

Eli can’t/doesn’t cook.

Sarah worries over Eli finding out who she is.

So licking their lips and leering at each other happens pretty much constantly for the first part of the story. I understand Sarah is an anxious person, but she is *constantly* licking her lips and it is dutifully reported in the narrative.

The way the B&B is run is incredibly strange to me. Eli can’t cook and hates it, but is apparently supposed to be cooking full breakfasts and meals in a kitchen they all share? She has no staff whatsoever and has to do all the ranching work herself while simultaneously entertaining the guests and doing stuff like taking them on trail rides (for some reason Sarah has no idea what that could possibly be). The ludicrousness of this system becomes apparent when other guests appear toward the end and it seems like Eli is running more of a shared-house with very little separation between herself and the guests, and no privacy at all, which can be extremely awkward especially if you’re starting a new relationship. I imagine the family staying there turned up the TV really loud a lot.

The kissing and making out stage I found quite juvenile. They take risks in public, get busted, and continue doing it. The first encounter is very unhygienic and reads like two horny teenagers with no self-restraint. Unfortunately, I cringed a couple times at the dialogue during the love scene as well, and I found it odd that shy, anxious Sarah suddenly becomes a dominating queen in the bedroom, but I guess it’s the quiet ones, right?

Big spoiler below:

After that little bit of action, the plot pretty much fizzles out and it’s a long looooong time of our MCs being apart with no meaningful communication. The turning point to reconciliation is brought on by the lyrics to a song that WE NEVER GET. I’m not a huge fan of made-up song lyrics in stories, but this is an incredibly huge plot point and the readers get it spoon-fed to us second hand from Sarah’s automatic advice & insights machine (aka her best friend).

The resolution happens quickly, at the very end of the story. A lot of issues are left unsolved, though, and it seems like this is more of a HFN than HEA.

There were parts that I enjoyed, and the reviews are overall very good, so I guess I’m an outlier in my opinion. If you like country romances with a bit of drama and heartache, give this a try.

[Siddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah is professionally known as Sadie Bade, an up-and-coming country singer. After being tired and stressed before her longest tour is about to begin, she takes a break at an out of the way B&B, Indigo.
Eli runs Indigo B&B, and also the working cattle ranch with it, mostly alone but will occasional help from her neighbour Bill. Her parents still own the ranch, but after retiring passed it to Eli with a possibility of her owning it in the future if she makes it a success.
Sarah visits Indigo under her real name, hoping the locals won’t know who she is; Eli knows immediately but doesn’t let on.
This is the story of how these two women with diametrically opposite schedules manage to get together, and make it work.
It took us a really long time to read this, because neither of us could get into it at all. Often with other stories if one of us can’t handle it, the other writes the review, but here even that approach didn’t work. It’s not that the book is bad; it is well written, but for some reason it just didn’t do it for us. We found it very slow moving, with little to interest us. The best part in our view is once they have realised what they both want, and then try to make it work. Especially the scene where Eli surprises Sarah - but that part ends far too soon.
So the four star rating is because of our tepid opinion of the storyline, not the writing, which is as excellent as usual from the author.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

Its a Super sweet long burn. I loved both Sarah and Eli. I can not wait for more from Adrian!

[Lily Mordaunt]

I‘ve been getting better and better at DNFing books over the years. I’m only three chapters in, the story isn’t drawing me in.
Sarah‘s actions in the storm seemed… Unwise even as the author tried to explain it away. I did get it, not wanting to pull over in a strange place and insane rainstorm but also… driving in the same rainstorm with a dead phone and poor visibility… she mentioned that her charger was in her trunk, and though it was pouring, I feel like I would prioritize trying to get it. Or wait the storm out … and then get it. Eli was fine enough so far. Though I felt like I could see myself growing a little frustrated with her character. I’ve read a lot of romance in my day, and I feel like it makes it easier to pick out some of the tropes from the beginning. In Eli‘s case it’s probably the snarky, true cool to appreciate help one. With that said, that’s not entirely fair as she does ask for help Redoing her bathroom. By the way, it sounds like everyone is judging/commenting on her choices to make a B&B, the way she responds to her foreign to the area guest being late and what sounds like a crazy storm. annoyance at having to go out there is more than fair, but I don’t remember her being worried much. (But I also acknowledge I could just be trying to find things to nitpick to further justify my choice to not finish the book.)/spoiler>
I read some reviews to see if it would sway me in either direction but from what I’ve read, if I continued reading, I would just be prolonging when I DNFed. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice.

[Jennabeebs79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in Adrian J. Smith's new Indigo series and while I'm really looking forward to reading all of the future books, I do have to say that this book was a bit underwhelming. Sarah, a 40-something semi-famous singer commonly known as Sadie Bane booked a two-week stay at a B&B in the middle of nowhere in Kansas, hoping for a little R&R before her upcoming tour. Eli, the 28-year-old B&B owner was thrilled to have a guest booked to stay as wintertime is the slow time of the year. But she certainly didn't act like that around her guest. From the first minute, these two met, Eli was downright rude to Sarah She ran hot and cold for pretty much the entire book and I had a difficult time feeling any real chemistry between these two total opposites. The descriptive detail about the ranch, ranch life, and the cattle was the absolute best part of this book. The reader can completely visualize the entire setting in such great detail. Buddy...he has my heart!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelli Teel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m very obviously in the minority here by quite a lot, but this book was not for me…

Both main characters are insanely unlikable… Eli was so hot and cold the entire book and Sarah was just so clueless for a 40 year old woman… it’s incredibly unrealistic that an adult woman doesn’t know what calving season is or “heifers” etc.., especially a country singer from Texas?

There was no attraction buildup whatsoever and it was basically immediate that both MCs were “resisting to reach out and touch the other”

But what really did my brain in is Sarah confused about feeding the calf with a bottle and Eli saying “I don’t expect you to whip on your boob” immediately followed by a “look of lust” like be so for real right now…

Unfortunate cause I was really looking forward to this…

[& · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 🤍
“Look, Sarah, I like your music. I have for a couple years now. You coming here was a surprise for me as much as this seems to be for you, but I’m not stupid. I know you’re more than just your music. I know you’re more than just Sadie Bade.”

you'll read a slow burn romance where they only know each other for like 2 weeks and you'll love it. that's just how good adrian j smith is.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Burn

Eli own a ranch and uses her home as a B&B for extra cash. Sarah is a music star that needs a brea before her incoming big tour. A slow burn romance set in the country side that you would enjoy especially if you’re curious about ranch life.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Alicia Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Indigo: Blue
• Author Adrian J Smith
• MC Sarah & Eli



After retiring, Eli’s parents leave her their family ranch. Eli loves being on the ranch and breeding the cows. She decides to turn her family home into a B&B called Indigo. The 28 year old Eli is very good with her hands, doing the repairs on the B&B as well and tending to the ranch. Eli is really in her element.


Sarah, a 41 year old famous county singer, is stressed and needs a break. She ends up at Indigo B&B, to relax and reset for two weeks before her next tour.

This is a slow burn. And definitely about two people who live very different lifestyles. I enjoyed being along for the ride as Sarah and Eli get to know each other. Which takes some time. I also enjoyed how Sarah came to really embrace the ranch life style and even made a four legged friend. Sarah and Eli really develop a loving sweet relationship. But what happens when a famous country singer, and a rancher fall in love? Can they make it work, being apart, two different careers?



I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank the Author Adrian J. Smith for an
advanced copy of the book. I really appreciate you.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tammy Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Eli is a rancher plus she also has her house as a B&B. Country singer Sarah comes to take a two week vacation for relaxation before her big six month tour begins. Sarah is starting to learn things on the ranch with Eli. Helping feeding a calf that she gets to name buddy. Learning to mend fences plus learning to riding a horse while falling for Eli. Eli is just wanting to keep thing going smoothly with calving season but she is having a hard time not falling for Sarah. A slow burn love story

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars Two interesting MC’s - a rancher and celebrity singer incognito, have undeniably strong electricity between them. Of course, they have trouble communicating which leads to all kinds hurt feelings, lost opportunities and just plain puzzlement. I enjoyed the story, ranch life, and a bit of back stage life. I would love to see more of these characters.

[Star · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a 2, not quite a 3. but a secret third thing (2.5 but goodreads can't accept that lololol)
i wanted to love this one, but it was just really lacking in something for me, which pains me to say.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the start, for some reason little things like knowing how to open the quirky door of the hardware shop, the shelf working as a door stop, all helped set the scene. The setting gave enough detail to give me questions, which meant I wanted to continue to read.
Not to keen on the lustful look Eli gave when talking about Sarah not getting her boob out to feed the abandoned calf.
Although this could be described as slow burn it is more hot and cold. I’m not sure I’m feeling the chemistry between the mains or really buying into Eli’s reactions. She seems to not like guests but has been running the bnb for 3 years.
I didn’t really get the push and pull between the characters. Both seemed skittish but not in an attractive way.
I certainly felt the setting and work involved in a ranch. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t not like it.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book after listening to the Grace Notes series by Ruby Landers. I loved Quinn Riley's narration style and was thrilled to find another Sapphic romance series that she narrated in the Indigo series. However, I found this book to be really middle of the road for me. Riley's narration was still good but I didn't connect to the characters in this book. Somehow this book involves another musical main character in Sarah. The book continuously tries to convince us that she isn't super famous but does well enough to tour and has a number one hit on the radio soooo I dunno. She is an anxious little nugget and tries to keep her life as private as possible so maybe that's it. Anyway, before she heads out on her next tour she is convinced by a friend to take a few weeks to really unplug. She makes a reservation at a B&B in the middle of nowhere...maybe Montana? I don't remember exactly but Big Sky Country was mentioned several times. She ends up staying in this place all by herself in the off season with the woman who runs the ranch, Eli. Both characters seem to find the other attractive pretty immediately but both have their own reasons for not pursuing anything right away. Eli shows Sarah around the small town and takes her out to do farm chores and Sarah falls in love with a baby cow and writes a song about it. Anyway, it's a romance so you know what happens eventually. It was fine but, if you're reading this wondering if you should start in on this series, I'd recommend the Grace Notes series more. I'll keep the next book in this series on a list in case my audiobook selection from the library is looking particularly dry but I won't be likely to reach for it unless that happens.

[TaniaRina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl-crush or Ms. Right?

After I finished book #3 (ARC), I KNEW that I had to read the others. I’ve read books in other series by this author, so I expecting to enjoy this one as well.

This is going to sound weird (or not so weird if you know me), but I’m going to compare this author’s works to a bowl of chili. Must be the (finally) cooler weather in central Israel or perhaps nostalgia from when I lived in Kansas for six winters…
Chili can be made in a variety of ways and can also have different heat levels. Whether it’s made with meat and/or beans, served with cheese and/or sour cream, warms or burns the tongue…chili is a substantial comfort food that fills the belly and leaves one sated afterwards.
That’s how Adrian’s books make me feel. Underneath the 5-alarm flames, she represents her characters with real flaws, worries, pasts, hopes, needs, etc. And how all those can clash and/or need to be worked out when two people meet.
To some extent, I can relate to both women. For Eli, it’s Kansas, living in a smaller community (my hometown as well as the Jewish sub-community), and having older partners. For Sarah, it’s the fast-paced lifestyle (ADHD), living in Texas (Houston), and anxiety (clinical). The author portrays both in realistic ways and the issues that arise are not overly dramatic (NOT something I have in common!). They are very relatable…

There are also some great support characters (no spoilers) who literally are a support system. We all need people in our lives who will tell us what we need to hear and get us to ask ourselves the important questions.

Looking forward to reading ‘Indigo: Law (#4) – releasing soon!

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

this series should be called gray because all of the stories are gloomy downers with mc's who probably shouldn't be together romantically

note: I read these out of order - 5, 3, 4, 2, 1 - and meant to quit after reading 3, but my shelf was dry so I punished myself with the rest

Review breakdown:

Writing: def not for me. repetitive, very telly, and I just don't dig it.

Characters: i wanted to read Eli's story because she seemed great in all the other books, but, whoo baby, was she disappointing in this. the singer was supposedly 40 and I just didn't get anything from her to indicate that. I didn't get any chemistry and was not rooting for them.

Plot: country singer with anxiety books quiet getaway in bumfk kansas and falls for grumpy b&b owner who gets mad about having guests and cooking for them. they are weird and rude with each other, have super awkward conversations, and ignore each other for half the trip then, apparently, spend the second half of the trip banging each other into love.

this author really knows how to write characters who are not a good match on any level. the stories in this series are genuinely concerning if you think this is what love looks like or how relationships should be.

What would make this an extra star read for me: because everything is a lost cause, I'm gonna say stop starting sentences with "gnawing her lip"

Vibes: miserable, like the others

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Indigo: Blues’ is one of the most understated romances I have read in a long time and I loved every page. The story follows Sarah, a famous musician who is burnt out from her schedule and seeks solace at a ranch B&B called ‘Indigo’. The B&B is run by Eli whose life is her ranch, a place where she thrives in her work and routine. The two women are thrown together from two very different worlds; one of my favourite tropes, and the fact that Smith writes an incredible show burn made this one I really couldn’t put down.
One thing I really enjoyed was that at the beginning of the story both women have their guards firmly up and rather than an instantaneous chemistry, they both have more of an intrigue of the other. The use of an age gap was also really interesting because due to their incredibly different lives, the age gap doesn’t drive the complications between them, instead it adds to their back stories and relationship hangups.
I loved the simplicity of their story; the setting and small cast of secondary characters were utilised just enough but Smith keeps a very tight focus on the two women. This intensity made their romance so much more sincere and believable to me. Nothing felt rushed or forced as their relationship developed and I loved everything about this earnest , against the odds romance.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eli is a strong minded, very independent woman who runs her family cattle ranch.
Sarah is a successful, mid-career, stressed-out, musician.

Smith brings both women to life for us slowly through this story. Sarah’s anxiety, particularly, is consistently shown and allows an insight into her character. Eli remains more of an enigma, both for the reader and for Sarah. This left me perhaps wanting a little bit more of Eli but this might have been deliberate as we almost got to know her through the other characters as much as directly.

By the end of the story I was thoroughly rooting for both of them - and for Buddy, the cute cow that Sarah takes a shining to. I don’t know if the rest of the series will show us more of the same characters or if the intent is for them to be standalone. I’m hoping we get to see more of Eli, Sarah and also of the cows, Buddy and Cassie who appeared to be as much a part of the story as the MCs at times!

I loved the story and can’t wait for the next in the series - I’ll definitely be reading it, for sure.
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I received this as an ARC but the review is uninfluenced by this.

[Mari Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Countryside romance

Sarah needs a break from her stressful life as a famous singer. Taking her friend’s advice, she decides to take a two-week vacation on a ranch that is now a B&B, so far away she hopes no one recognised her. Eli loves the ranch and breeding cows; she is excited to show what is to live on a ranch to the beautiful woman who hides a secret. When a cute baby calf acting as a cupid gets in the mix, will these two strangers with very different lifestyles encounter a similar goal to keep them together?

The book is good, I like the story and the characters in general, although Eli sometimes was too rude to Sarah. It is very interesting to know about ranch life through the detailed descriptions. It’s a very sweet and interesting story. The chemistry of the characters is clear, even though at one point I was starting to get mad at them, I was happy when in the end they figured it out. I felt the end was a bit rushed, also needed an epilogue. Regardless, it's a wonderful read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Quinn Riley
Series: Indigo B&B Book 1
Steam Level: Steamy

I read this for the 2025 Sapphic Book Bingo reading challenge for the prompt Mental Health Rep.

My first book of the year of my goal to read like 15 of Adrian J. Smith’s books. I randomly read “Inside These Halls” and she instantly became one of my favorite authors.

Quick Thoughts:
- I usually get annoyed when a “Successful Big City” professional goes to Small Town, USA and loves it there more than where they’re living but with the set up in this book, it actually makes sense and I bought into it
- Indigo sounds like a wonderful place and I’d love to go spend a month there
- I want a book about Kara
- Eli is exactly the type of person who should be running a B&B; calm, steady, welcoming, and knows how to keep a secret
- It was great to see how Sarah fit in with the town and Eli’s life without it feeling like she was being shoehorned into it
- Did not like Bridget at first and at the end while I didn’t exactly love her, I did appreciate her mini character arc
- Protect Buddy at all costs
- I admit, part of the reason I didn’t give this five stars because of how stubborn/stupid Eli is at towards the end, from the time Sarah leaves. It felt a bit out of character. It’s only because of the last scene (which was freaking adorable) that I didn’t knock it down another star
- Quinn Riley is a narrator I actively search for and will pick up a book because she reads it. If you haven’t listened to anything she’s done, I highly recommend you pick up one of her performances

Overall even with how frustrated I was with Eli, I really enjoyed this story and how it played out between these two. I bought into this relationship hook, line, and sinker. Not the series I’d start with if you haven’t read any of her books, I’d suggest start with the series that starts with “When the Past Finds You” but it’s starting out really strong.

[Emily Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 ⭐️ A bloody cute sapphic country escape romance that had me grinning over each and every cow appearance.

Honestly this is probably my favourite ranch/farming romance I’ve read so far (and I’ve read my fair share, we’re all weak for this trope, right?)

It’s just perfectly wholesome and heartwarming, there’s no severe angst or unease just a hug in a book that I seriously needed.

Oh, and it has a dash of spice. (Which obviously , I LOVED.)

Rep // WLW , both MC’s are WLW and central romance is WLW. Disability rep in Sarah (MC) who has prominent anxiety.

If you’re looking for a warm, fairly angst free romance with a side of cute cows, country singers and farming then you’ll probably adore this.

Only thing I didn’t like as much was the pacing towards the end felt too rapid, and some of the side characters I would have liked fleshed out a little more (like the ex.) Other than that I truly loved the story and smiled pretty much the whole way through.

Cute as heck.

TW// anxiety, sex.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eli is a little starstruck when famous singer/songwriter Sarah comes to her bed and breakfast ranch in hopes of a rest from the limelight and her frantic touring schedule, but she doesn’t anticipate her initial admiration growing into a mutual attraction that will make both women question all their routines and beliefs about love.

Indigo Blues is a charming, emotional, and occasionally funny sapphic romance with two complex but endearing characters. Eli’s rugged exterior hides a warmth that understandably captivates Sarah, and Sarah artfully and realistically embodies the curious mix of passion, soul, and self-doubt so often found in creative personalities. The romance that gradually builds between them is intense yet heartwarming and is underscored by authentic character growth. The rustic Indigo ranch with its storms, sunrises, and lively animal life is an entertaining backdrop for the angst and emotion that occurs within and between the two main characters.

If you enjoy slow burn romances with a hint of city versus country chemistry, you’ll love Indigo Blues.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining novel. Sarah needed a break from her hectic schedule so she booked a bed and breakfast on a ranch in Kansas where she met Eli. Along the way, the two became closer while Sarah learned a lot about ranch life, as well as small town life, too, both good and bad, especially when Eli’s ex showed up. Both women wanted a life together but knew it wasn’t possible because of their jobs. This story hits a lot of tropes, too – age gap, opposites, city/country, celebrity, and so on, so if you need a book for one of the reading challenges, this could be the one.

I enjoy novels in which there is character growth, and this one definitely has it. Eli was set in her ways, trying to stay somewhat closeted in her small town, so while she may have had an attraction to Sarah, she didn’t want to give up her life. Sarah, on the other hand, had her own issues and secrets. Despite everything, the story ends on a satisfying note.