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His Wild Rose
“I’m done letting you run from me.”
After dancing around each other for years, two guarded hearts dropped their walls and what should have been the beginning of something new, ended in an empty bed—and no note.
Months later, Alicia Peterson is struggling to maintain two jobs and the unpredictable behavior of the teenage sister she’s been raising for the last nine years. She’s determined to push the memories of that night with Ro out of her mind, which should be easy now that he’s a professional soccer player traveling the country.
But the nights he comes back to O’Nelly’s Pub to play music with his fellow Irishmen? Torture.
Rowan Gallagher has loved football since growing up in the slums of Galway, Ireland. An alcoholic father, and two rowdy little brothers, forced him to find an outlet for his anger in the form of kicking a ball around the pitch. Now that he plays professionally? Life should feel complete but he finds himself longing for the trips back to Wilmington.
He spent years fighting off his feelings for Alicia, but now she’s all he can think about. He’s dead set on making her realize that he’s done fighting with her.
Now he’s fighting for her.
After dancing around each other for years, two guarded hearts dropped their walls and what should have been the beginning of something new, ended in an empty bed—and no note.
Months later, Alicia Peterson is struggling to maintain two jobs and the unpredictable behavior of the teenage sister she’s been raising for the last nine years. She’s determined to push the memories of that night with Ro out of her mind, which should be easy now that he’s a professional soccer player traveling the country.
But the nights he comes back to O’Nelly’s Pub to play music with his fellow Irishmen? Torture.
Rowan Gallagher has loved football since growing up in the slums of Galway, Ireland. An alcoholic father, and two rowdy little brothers, forced him to find an outlet for his anger in the form of kicking a ball around the pitch. Now that he plays professionally? Life should feel complete but he finds himself longing for the trips back to Wilmington.
He spent years fighting off his feelings for Alicia, but now she’s all he can think about. He’s dead set on making her realize that he’s done fighting with her.
Now he’s fighting for her.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
L. Ballew
3 books18 followersL. Ballew is a long-time reader with an affinity for the romance genre. When the idea for her debut novel, His Ringsend Rose, came to her she couldn’t stop writing once the floodgates opened. Determined never to let anyone read her words, she kept the first half of the novel hidden away until a few of her friends demanded to read what she’d written. After receiving positive feedback, she was encouraged to finish the book and share her story with the rest of the romance-loving community. Now she spends her time writing new stories, and when she’s not writing, you can find her reading and drinking coffee while being surrounded by her husband, two kids, and a ridiculous amount of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 13, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is nice and spicy which I’ve come to expect from L Ballew! If you love Irish men, an older black cat FMC, found family, and he falls first then you need to read this one asap!! It was bittersweet to read the last book in the love on tap series but L Ballew set up the stage perfectly for a potential spin off 👀.
Thank you to L. for letting me beta read for you!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is nice and spicy which I’ve come to expect from L Ballew! If you love Irish men, an older black cat FMC, found family, and he falls first then you need to read this one asap!! It was bittersweet to read the last book in the love on tap series but L Ballew set up the stage perfectly for a potential spin off 👀.
Thank you to L. for letting me beta read for you!
October 13, 2025
Wow what a fail as a beta reader that I read this and forgot about goodreads ☠️☠️🫠
Let me tell you it’s not because this book didn’t hit BC IT DID. I thought it was gonna be really hard to dethrone Nora and Eamon but damn I gotta say it’s at LEAST a tie. Rowan is such a ZADDY vibe I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. I found a lot of myself in Alicia. In her quiet strength, her sass, her ability to scare grown men, and her fear of love and her habit of fleeing from it. She is so strong and I loved reading about her overcoming her fears. Rowan’s patience and understanding endeared him to me forever. I realize when we read about these MMCs that we love so much for supporting their girls it’s because they just don’t make it about themselves. That’s almost all of it in a nutshell. Rowan was so focused on Alicia and her happiness 🥹🥹 don’t miss this book, this series. They are beautiful covers that look great on a shelf (speaking from experience) but the love therein lasts a lifetime and I am so grateful to have been a part of the LOT series even in a small measure. Thank you Leslie, for this opportunity, for writing these stories and creating these characters I love. We are locked in for life.
Let me tell you it’s not because this book didn’t hit BC IT DID. I thought it was gonna be really hard to dethrone Nora and Eamon but damn I gotta say it’s at LEAST a tie. Rowan is such a ZADDY vibe I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. I found a lot of myself in Alicia. In her quiet strength, her sass, her ability to scare grown men, and her fear of love and her habit of fleeing from it. She is so strong and I loved reading about her overcoming her fears. Rowan’s patience and understanding endeared him to me forever. I realize when we read about these MMCs that we love so much for supporting their girls it’s because they just don’t make it about themselves. That’s almost all of it in a nutshell. Rowan was so focused on Alicia and her happiness 🥹🥹 don’t miss this book, this series. They are beautiful covers that look great on a shelf (speaking from experience) but the love therein lasts a lifetime and I am so grateful to have been a part of the LOT series even in a small measure. Thank you Leslie, for this opportunity, for writing these stories and creating these characters I love. We are locked in for life.
September 10, 2025
When I first met Alicia and Ro in L. Ballew’s first book, His Ringsend Rose, I knew I would love them. What I didn’t know expect was how much I would love their story.
Alicia has easily become one of my favorite FMCs so far, and not just this year. I love the wit, energy and wisdom she seems to bring to the story despite all the hardships she has faced. Watching her character development and her relationship with her sister grow over the course of the book was a joy. I loved watching her open up more and more throughout the pages.
Rowan Gallagher has definitely become one of my all time book boyfriends. He will never beat Teagan O’Brien for me but he is definitely a close second. I loved how he took on the role of being there for Bridget without any second doubts, he didn’t look back, he just sprang forward. I loved watching him unravel someone who needed someone so bad. They definitely have a love story that was meant to be a book.
This book was spicy, sweet, angsty, and everything I needed mixed into a soccer romance. I loved seeing a FMC covered in tattoos with a black cat energy. His Wild Rose was definitely in my top 5 for this year.
Thank you to L.Ballew for letting me beta read. It was definitely a pleasure 🩷
Alicia has easily become one of my favorite FMCs so far, and not just this year. I love the wit, energy and wisdom she seems to bring to the story despite all the hardships she has faced. Watching her character development and her relationship with her sister grow over the course of the book was a joy. I loved watching her open up more and more throughout the pages.
Rowan Gallagher has definitely become one of my all time book boyfriends. He will never beat Teagan O’Brien for me but he is definitely a close second. I loved how he took on the role of being there for Bridget without any second doubts, he didn’t look back, he just sprang forward. I loved watching him unravel someone who needed someone so bad. They definitely have a love story that was meant to be a book.
This book was spicy, sweet, angsty, and everything I needed mixed into a soccer romance. I loved seeing a FMC covered in tattoos with a black cat energy. His Wild Rose was definitely in my top 5 for this year.
Thank you to L.Ballew for letting me beta read. It was definitely a pleasure 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2025
I have thoroughly enjoyed every book from L. Ballew’s Love on Tap series, and His Wild Rose is no exception. From the first page, the story draws you in with heartfelt emotion, layered characters, and a romance that feels both real and unforgettable.
Each book in this series brings something unique while still keeping that cozy, familiar feeling that makes you want to stay in this world forever. The chemistry between the characters in His Wild Rose is undeniable, and the way their journey unfolds is beautifully written.
L. Ballew has such a gift for creating love stories that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. If you’re a romance lover, you don’t want to miss this one—or the entire Love on Tap series!
Each book in this series brings something unique while still keeping that cozy, familiar feeling that makes you want to stay in this world forever. The chemistry between the characters in His Wild Rose is undeniable, and the way their journey unfolds is beautifully written.
L. Ballew has such a gift for creating love stories that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. If you’re a romance lover, you don’t want to miss this one—or the entire Love on Tap series!
September 29, 2025
Wow wow wow! The thing I love about L. Ballew’s books is they always leave me happier than when I started them and His Wild Rose was no exception. You can feel the comfort and safety that Ro and Li give each other on every page and it makes your heart soar. and don’t even get me started on the spicy tension 🥵(seriously some of the hottest moments in the whole series if you ask me). Reading this whole series is like getting in your comfiest sweatpants and sweatshirt with a bowl of your favorite ice cream after a crazy day, a pick me up that really picks you up!
September 29, 2025
Just finished this!!
The smut and spice levels of this book are 5 ⭐️!!
The relationship between Ro and Alicia is amazing. The way he is there for her in all her struggles and even her strengths is just perfect. The banter between them is perfect and then additing little B into the banter is great! Im so glad that Paddy gets a happy ending❤️❤️ maybe we get another book? Or even a spin off and get to see the future of O’ Nellys!
The smut and spice levels of this book are 5 ⭐️!!
The relationship between Ro and Alicia is amazing. The way he is there for her in all her struggles and even her strengths is just perfect. The banter between them is perfect and then additing little B into the banter is great! Im so glad that Paddy gets a happy ending❤️❤️ maybe we get another book? Or even a spin off and get to see the future of O’ Nellys!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2025
Amazing book, full review to come!
October 11, 2025
OMGGGGGG. I have all three in series and the climbing talent L. Ballew has in her books are fantastic. She has a pure gift. Alicia is strong and funny. Her strength for her family is like non other. One that isn’t found often. But Ro gets to be alongside her and help strengthen her and visa versa. He is a gorgeous man who hides everything behind a smile just like she does. All in all a beautiful story that is so immersive that you feel like you’re there and experiencing everything alongside these characters. A true work of art. A masterpiece. 100% recommend 🩵🩵🩵
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2025
I have enjoyed all the Love on Tap books but “His Wild Rose” has been my favorite! Rowan and Li’s story has been so fun to watch from the beginning and their story deserved a book all their own! It was hot and steamy, funny and the back and forth dialogue between the two of them was excellent! I highly recommend it! It can be read independently but you won’t be disappointed by any of the Love on Tap books!
September 29, 2025
I recieved an ARC for His Wild Rose.
L. Ballew has done it again! I loved that Ro and Li got their happily ever after. They went through a lot to come together, but when they did, it was fire! I love me some dirty talk and Rowan hit the nail on the head. The spice level was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Alicia and Rowan coming together to end the Love on Tap series was a chef's kiss!
L. Ballew has done it again! I loved that Ro and Li got their happily ever after. They went through a lot to come together, but when they did, it was fire! I love me some dirty talk and Rowan hit the nail on the head. The spice level was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Alicia and Rowan coming together to end the Love on Tap series was a chef's kiss!
November 3, 2025
Love this book! I was hooked on this series since the first book and enjoyed learning about each of the characters and their story. Honestly, all of them are books you just can't put down. I actually hated having the story end because it was so well written & it just pulls you in.
November 10, 2025
3.5/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️ I love this series, but I wanted more from this book. Rowan and Alicia have been my favorite characters and I don’t believe this book did all their development justice. I’m hoping for a book for Bridget next! Or a next gen series
January 1, 2026
A fun, quick, and witty read. The characters are fantastic. this might be my favorite of the series and I'm not sure I would have believed that at the beginning.
October 23, 2025
🌹 5 stars
Review for His Wild Rose by L. Ballew
Whew. His Wild Rose didn’t just tug on my heartstrings—it yanked them into a knot, kissed it better, and then set the whole thing on fire. In the best way possible.
This book is everything I crave in a second-chance romance: tension that simmers, emotional wounds that feel real, and characters so vivid they practically walk off the page and into your living room (preferably shirtless, in his case).
Rose is fierce, complex, and beautifully flawed—the kind of woman who’s been through hell and refuses to stay broken. And him? The broody, emotionally repressed, “I’d burn the world for her” kind of man who totally deserves the slow, painful grovel he gets to earn his way back into her life (and bed). And oh, that grovel? Chef’s kiss.
L. Ballew’s writing is lush and lyrical without losing its emotional punch. There’s a rawness to the way these two collide—past pain, unspoken truths, and longing that bleeds through every page. And when the heat hits? Buckle up. It’s tender, intense, and deliciously steamy without ever feeling forced.
His Wild Rose is about love that lingers, even when it shouldn’t. It’s about healing, forgiveness, and choosing each other again—even after everything’s fallen apart. And it left me full-body sighing by the end.
If you love your romance emotionally layered, scorchingly passionate, and deeply satisfying, this one deserves a permanent spot on your “favorites” shelf. I’ll be thinking about Rose and her man for a long time.
Review for His Wild Rose by L. Ballew
Whew. His Wild Rose didn’t just tug on my heartstrings—it yanked them into a knot, kissed it better, and then set the whole thing on fire. In the best way possible.
This book is everything I crave in a second-chance romance: tension that simmers, emotional wounds that feel real, and characters so vivid they practically walk off the page and into your living room (preferably shirtless, in his case).
Rose is fierce, complex, and beautifully flawed—the kind of woman who’s been through hell and refuses to stay broken. And him? The broody, emotionally repressed, “I’d burn the world for her” kind of man who totally deserves the slow, painful grovel he gets to earn his way back into her life (and bed). And oh, that grovel? Chef’s kiss.
L. Ballew’s writing is lush and lyrical without losing its emotional punch. There’s a rawness to the way these two collide—past pain, unspoken truths, and longing that bleeds through every page. And when the heat hits? Buckle up. It’s tender, intense, and deliciously steamy without ever feeling forced.
His Wild Rose is about love that lingers, even when it shouldn’t. It’s about healing, forgiveness, and choosing each other again—even after everything’s fallen apart. And it left me full-body sighing by the end.
If you love your romance emotionally layered, scorchingly passionate, and deeply satisfying, this one deserves a permanent spot on your “favorites” shelf. I’ll be thinking about Rose and her man for a long time.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews