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The Trauma Bonded #2
For Cowgirls and Kings
“Even in the darkest, most horrible times in our lives, we can find light that is both warmer and brighter than anything we’ve experienced before it.”
Adalene
My tombstone will here lies the girl who was always happy, always available, always easy going—liked by all, known by none. I want more. I’ve learned that hiding behind a smile is the best mask for crippling anxiety, self-loathing, and total burn-out. But here, in the darkness, and the voices of my past louder than ever, there’s no one to save me but myself. If I don’t survive, I’ll never get a chance to tell my friends they're the best family I’ve ever had, crawl out from beneath the weight of my oppressive past, and confess to my childhood best friend that he’s the only man I’ve ever truly wanted. A smile isn’t going to save me now—now it’s time to see what lies within. I will not die…but where’s the light?
Mateo
She’s gone. I’ve never been a violent man, but from the moment they stole my best friend, I’ve realized my power’s a tool—one I’ll use to get her back, by any means necessary. My entire life I’ve allowed job expectations, family obligations and societal perceptions dictate who I am. But with Dale, I’ve been given a vision of who I want to be. the man with the simple life, a happy home and a wife to call my own. But I’m not just Mateo—Reyes is a legacy, an empire, and I’m its king. It’s not a crown, but a chain and I must decide which man will make it out of this darkness alive. I don’t know where I'll go from here, but one thing is certain—walking tall, or crawling on my knees, I will get her back. Adalene Mendes is my priority—I think she always has been.
“How can so much darkness bring out so much light, so much pain bring out so much love?”
As Dale and Mateo fight for their lives, they must also decide if it’s worth braving the darkness within themselves to fight for the life they truly want—the one where they end up happy, whole, and surrounded by those they love. With their hands tied behind their backs, and the weight of unimaginable trauma, Dale and Mateo will need to learn to follow their inner light and the love of those around them to free themselves from the shackles of the darkness pressing down around them.
Will the darkness smother Dale and Mateo completely, or can they find the spark that can not only save their lives but their hearts, too?
This is book two, in the gothic cowboy, Trauma Bonded series. It is a heavily interconnected series, please plan to read in order and expect cliff-hanger style endings.
Adalene
My tombstone will here lies the girl who was always happy, always available, always easy going—liked by all, known by none. I want more. I’ve learned that hiding behind a smile is the best mask for crippling anxiety, self-loathing, and total burn-out. But here, in the darkness, and the voices of my past louder than ever, there’s no one to save me but myself. If I don’t survive, I’ll never get a chance to tell my friends they're the best family I’ve ever had, crawl out from beneath the weight of my oppressive past, and confess to my childhood best friend that he’s the only man I’ve ever truly wanted. A smile isn’t going to save me now—now it’s time to see what lies within. I will not die…but where’s the light?
Mateo
She’s gone. I’ve never been a violent man, but from the moment they stole my best friend, I’ve realized my power’s a tool—one I’ll use to get her back, by any means necessary. My entire life I’ve allowed job expectations, family obligations and societal perceptions dictate who I am. But with Dale, I’ve been given a vision of who I want to be. the man with the simple life, a happy home and a wife to call my own. But I’m not just Mateo—Reyes is a legacy, an empire, and I’m its king. It’s not a crown, but a chain and I must decide which man will make it out of this darkness alive. I don’t know where I'll go from here, but one thing is certain—walking tall, or crawling on my knees, I will get her back. Adalene Mendes is my priority—I think she always has been.
“How can so much darkness bring out so much light, so much pain bring out so much love?”
As Dale and Mateo fight for their lives, they must also decide if it’s worth braving the darkness within themselves to fight for the life they truly want—the one where they end up happy, whole, and surrounded by those they love. With their hands tied behind their backs, and the weight of unimaginable trauma, Dale and Mateo will need to learn to follow their inner light and the love of those around them to free themselves from the shackles of the darkness pressing down around them.
Will the darkness smother Dale and Mateo completely, or can they find the spark that can not only save their lives but their hearts, too?
This is book two, in the gothic cowboy, Trauma Bonded series. It is a heavily interconnected series, please plan to read in order and expect cliff-hanger style endings.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2025
16 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
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June 9, 2025Hey Ya’ll! Thanks for adding the second book in The Trauma Bonded series, For Cowgirls and Kings, to your shelves! I’m so excited to share a little more about Dale and Mateo’s story prior to its release on August 12th!
If you’re interested in:
🖤 Friends to Lovers
💜 Prince and Pauper Vibes
💛 Found Family
🖤 Tension and Dark Spice with a lot of “yes Cowgirl”
💜 Trauma x Healing
💛Mystery and suspense
🖤Lessons in seduction
…For Cowgirls and Kings is the story for you!
AS A REMINDER: this is book 2 in the highly interconnected series! Be sure to read book 1 (For Fillies and Monsters) before Dale and Mateo’s story, in order to get the best experience!
I am so excited to share this book with you soon! It’s been a labor of love, full of heartache and healing!
If you’re interested in:
🖤 Friends to Lovers
💜 Prince and Pauper Vibes
💛 Found Family
🖤 Tension and Dark Spice with a lot of “yes Cowgirl”
💜 Trauma x Healing
💛Mystery and suspense
🖤Lessons in seduction
…For Cowgirls and Kings is the story for you!
AS A REMINDER: this is book 2 in the highly interconnected series! Be sure to read book 1 (For Fillies and Monsters) before Dale and Mateo’s story, in order to get the best experience!
I am so excited to share this book with you soon! It’s been a labor of love, full of heartache and healing!
August 14, 2025
This was a dark romance that had the sweetest characters! The FMC and MMC have the best banter and sweetest love for one another. Set in a small town, two friends have feelings that they have not been acting on. The fight they both have to go on to be together just makes them better people for themselves and each other. This is a dark one so please check your triggers and it’s a cliffhanger!!!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
August 12, 2025
Ok Landyn was not bluffing when she said Trauma Bonded series. I thought FCAF was dark, but this was on a whole other level. Dale's story was heartbreaking. This girl goes through so much. I am amazed by her strength. This is not a sweet wholesome cowboy story. It is dark, gritty and gut wrenching at times. But it is so worth the ride and I really love how Landyn writes her stories and how layered her characters are.
It was an emotional rollercoaster and the first half of the book was definitely rough. I loved the flashbacks we got to help provide more background into Dale and Mateo's story. Dale is so strong, and I was rooting so hard for her. While I wanted to shake her at times and just tell her to let Mateo in... I also completely understand her hesitancy. I love how their story transpired and while it broke my heart it also put it together so beautifully in the end and I couldn't have asked for a better ending for them.
What a man Mateo is. I mean wow. I had high expectations for him from book 1 and he did not disappoint. This dominant, strong and powerful man was willing to literally get on his knees for Dale and let her regain her power. He was willing to do anything for her. I loved the chemistry between these two and the spice was incredibly hot. I mean wow. Speechless.
This was such a good second chance romance and a friends to lovers romance filled with the best slow burn and tension. I ate up the banter between these two.
I am sucker for a good found family and this definitely has that. I am so invested in all of these characters, and I can't wait to get all of their stories. I loved still getting bits of Stetson and Gus in this as well. Loved McCrae and I am dying for Faith's story. That cliffhanger was absolutely brutal. No joke. I am unwell. Feral for book 3 because I have a lot of questions.
Thank you so much Landyn for the ARC. I am grateful to have been able to ARC read both books in this series so far and cannot wait for more.
It was an emotional rollercoaster and the first half of the book was definitely rough. I loved the flashbacks we got to help provide more background into Dale and Mateo's story. Dale is so strong, and I was rooting so hard for her. While I wanted to shake her at times and just tell her to let Mateo in... I also completely understand her hesitancy. I love how their story transpired and while it broke my heart it also put it together so beautifully in the end and I couldn't have asked for a better ending for them.
What a man Mateo is. I mean wow. I had high expectations for him from book 1 and he did not disappoint. This dominant, strong and powerful man was willing to literally get on his knees for Dale and let her regain her power. He was willing to do anything for her. I loved the chemistry between these two and the spice was incredibly hot. I mean wow. Speechless.
This was such a good second chance romance and a friends to lovers romance filled with the best slow burn and tension. I ate up the banter between these two.
I am sucker for a good found family and this definitely has that. I am so invested in all of these characters, and I can't wait to get all of their stories. I loved still getting bits of Stetson and Gus in this as well. Loved McCrae and I am dying for Faith's story. That cliffhanger was absolutely brutal. No joke. I am unwell. Feral for book 3 because I have a lot of questions.
Thank you so much Landyn for the ARC. I am grateful to have been able to ARC read both books in this series so far and cannot wait for more.
August 27, 2025
4.5⭐️
This story is dark, emotional, and deeply moving romance that dives into the shadows of trauma and the resilience of love. Dale is weighed down by her past and searching for strength on her family’s ranch. Mateo enters her life carrying shadows of his own, and together they find themselves pulled into a connection that’s intense, challenging, and ultimately transformative.
What stood out to me most was the emotional depth of the writing. The rawness of trauma, the slow journey of healing, and the way both characters navigate vulnerability made this story unforgettable. Dale and Mateo’s growth felt real and hard earned, and I loved how the ranch itself mirrored their inner struggles and resilience. The romance was perfectly paced. The slow burn tension simmers until it bursts into moments of connection that feel all the more powerful because of the journey it took to get there.
If you’re a fan of dark romance with heart and substance you will not want to miss this one!
This story is dark, emotional, and deeply moving romance that dives into the shadows of trauma and the resilience of love. Dale is weighed down by her past and searching for strength on her family’s ranch. Mateo enters her life carrying shadows of his own, and together they find themselves pulled into a connection that’s intense, challenging, and ultimately transformative.
What stood out to me most was the emotional depth of the writing. The rawness of trauma, the slow journey of healing, and the way both characters navigate vulnerability made this story unforgettable. Dale and Mateo’s growth felt real and hard earned, and I loved how the ranch itself mirrored their inner struggles and resilience. The romance was perfectly paced. The slow burn tension simmers until it bursts into moments of connection that feel all the more powerful because of the journey it took to get there.
If you’re a fan of dark romance with heart and substance you will not want to miss this one!
July 30, 2025
FFAM walked so FCAK could run.
I was gutted healed and then yeeted off the cliff at the very end.
I somehow thought that reading it slowly would save me. Cause I just knew it was going to wreck me in the end. And that still didn’t prepare me for it. I need the next book like yesterday!!! Now I’ll just sit here numb and lost until book 3 of The Trauma bonded series comes out.
I was gutted healed and then yeeted off the cliff at the very end.
I somehow thought that reading it slowly would save me. Cause I just knew it was going to wreck me in the end. And that still didn’t prepare me for it. I need the next book like yesterday!!! Now I’ll just sit here numb and lost until book 3 of The Trauma bonded series comes out.
July 21, 2025
For Cowgirls and Kings made me feel ALL of the things. My heart broke over and over again for Dale. Mateo truly is a King for how amazing he is to our girl. This series is so intricate. Everything, even the little things, are all tied together. And while this book is so heavy and dark at some parts, the banter is the perfect amount of comic relief at parts. We also got so much more of Stetson and Gus and a look at their lives together after For Fillies and Monsters. There’s so many characters that I cannot wait to learn more about. I have about 100 different scenarios running through my mind about what’s next for everyone. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
July 28, 2025
“This is the edge of a dangerous blade we’ve danced upon for our entire lives, and it’s finally time to see what color we bleed.”
Anyone that likes their romances with a side of emotional trauma needs to read this series. Landyn Hill tackles exploring and healing from emotional trauma in such a beautiful way. She shows the highs & lows of a healing journey. She crafts found families that may be little and broken, but that will burn the world for each other. I have been dying to learn more about Adalene “Dale” Mendes since For Fillies & monsters, and Landyn delivered in every way.
“Let me help you, Dale. Let me give you back your control. Let me be whatever you need to find yourself again. Let me be your punching bag if you need it. Please, Dale, let me submit to your control. You have it—you have me—use me how you need to.”
Dale has surpassed Stetson as my favorite FMC from this series. I was not prepared for how hard her story would hit me in my feelings. Her story is heartbreaking, but also shows the strength it takes to overcome trauma. I really resonated with the way that she has protected herself & tried to keep the world from seeing her as “too much.” Mateo is everything you could want in an MMC. He’s such a boss, yet a simp for Dale. The intimacy between these two was *chef’s kiss*.
“Even in the darkest, most horrible times in our lives, we can find light that is both warmer and brighter than anything we’ve experienced before it.”
This story is a love story, but it’s not just about finding love with a partner. It’s about loving the lightest & darkest parts of yourself. It's about loving your friends and doing whatever it takes to protect them. If anyone needs me, I’ll be staring into the abyss until Trauma Bonded number 3 is released. That ending!
Anyone that likes their romances with a side of emotional trauma needs to read this series. Landyn Hill tackles exploring and healing from emotional trauma in such a beautiful way. She shows the highs & lows of a healing journey. She crafts found families that may be little and broken, but that will burn the world for each other. I have been dying to learn more about Adalene “Dale” Mendes since For Fillies & monsters, and Landyn delivered in every way.
“Let me help you, Dale. Let me give you back your control. Let me be whatever you need to find yourself again. Let me be your punching bag if you need it. Please, Dale, let me submit to your control. You have it—you have me—use me how you need to.”
Dale has surpassed Stetson as my favorite FMC from this series. I was not prepared for how hard her story would hit me in my feelings. Her story is heartbreaking, but also shows the strength it takes to overcome trauma. I really resonated with the way that she has protected herself & tried to keep the world from seeing her as “too much.” Mateo is everything you could want in an MMC. He’s such a boss, yet a simp for Dale. The intimacy between these two was *chef’s kiss*.
“Even in the darkest, most horrible times in our lives, we can find light that is both warmer and brighter than anything we’ve experienced before it.”
This story is a love story, but it’s not just about finding love with a partner. It’s about loving the lightest & darkest parts of yourself. It's about loving your friends and doing whatever it takes to protect them. If anyone needs me, I’ll be staring into the abyss until Trauma Bonded number 3 is released. That ending!
August 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
⚠️ CHECK YOUR TW ⚠️
The Trauma Bonded series book two picks up, when Dale is taken…
We ended Book 1 on a cliffhanger from hell 😫now we embark on this journey with Mateo, raising hell to find his best friend… his soul mate !
The healing after trauma is one of my absolute favorite tropes!
And there is a lot of that in this book.
I love my morally grey MMCs, BUT I fall harder for a Walking GREEN FLAG TATTOOED BILLIONAIRE, who’s down bad for our FMC 🫠
The SPICE ladies & Gents 🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ when seduction lessons are part of the healing process, Mateo the consent king, will guide Dale to claim her power back and regain her strength 🥹❤️🔥
And will get to see some of our beloved characters, Gus and Stetson and the new addition to Motzecha 👼🏻, Faith the ride or die bestie, we get some emotional gurls bonding moments too.
The Suspense will keep you at the edge of your couch, bed or floor ( however your reading position might be ☺️)
💜Friends to Lovers
💛Billionaire & Teacher
💜Found Family
💛Tension and Dark Spice with a lot of "yes Cowgirl"
💜Trauma x Healing
💛Mystery and suspense
💜Lessons in seduction
...For Cowgirls and Kings coming out 8.12.25
Beta reader here !
June 3, 2025
LOVED this! Dark romance, small town, spice, super dark themes so check your triggers but my god did I say I LOVED this? 🙌🏼 sooo good.
August 3, 2025
For Cowgirls and Kings – Trauma Bonded Series Book 2
~Landyn Hill
Welcome to the wild side of the gothic cowboy. A dark, twisted romance – where cowboys wear darkness like armor.
If you’re heading into the Trauma Bonded series by Landyn Hill expecting a traditional cowboy romance, you’re in for a jarring (and captivating) surprise. Marketed as a gothic cowboy dark romance, this is not your mama’s Harlequin. As I said in my review of Fillies and Monsters, Hill has set a gold standard for this niche - and with For Cowgirls and Kings, she not only meets it, she exceeds it.
For Cowgirls and Kings picks up seamlessly where For Fillies and Monsters left off. We return to Stetson and Gus, still managing the ranch Stetson inherited from her mom. Adalene “Dale" Mendes (FMC)has spent the last decade tucked away in Mozetecha, Texas, far away from her family and trauma of her past. As a teacher in the ag department, her students and animals help keep her grounded. But when her friends, Stetson and Gus, find themselves in deep trouble, Dale can't sit by and just watch them sink.
Out of desperation, she makes the one call she never imagined making. Mateo Reyes (MMC) her best friend from high school and heir to a family fortune. Having not spoken in a decade – since the night she made an advance on him and he reminded her they were just friends – he shows up without hesitation. Dale expects he will help Stetson and Gus, then blow back out of her life like before. But something, more like someone, makes him hang around.
Then the unthinkable happens. Dale is abducted and the only witness is her cat Queen Tut, and he is of no use – yes he. What follows is harrowing – Dale endures days on end of captivity, torture and neglect. The bone-chilling fear she will be forgotten, yet threats that she will be disposed of when the kidnappers get what they want.
Mateo, despite all his wealth and resources, is left scrambling trying to find her. No sightings. No ransom demands. Nothing. Will Mateo and Dale's friends be able to find her before it's too late? Or will Queen Tut have to settle into Mateo's home furrever???
Hill's storytelling in For Cowgirls and Kings is hauntingly immersive. She digs further into the emotional scars, unearthing Dale and Mateo's layered, messy, human pasts. Fleshing out these characters, allowing us to experience their evolution – both as individuals and together – gives us a raw and gripping journey of trauma and healing. Readers aren't just observing their transformations – they are living it.
With pacing that is tight and cinematic, and transitions so smooth, you don't feel like you are reading a story – you are truly watching it unfold and develop in real time. With vivid imagery, unrelenting suspense and unforgettable emotional resonance readers are deeply immersed in a world unlike any other out there.
Y'all, this book doesn't pull punches – and it doesn't let go. For Cowgirls and Kings is a bold, brutal and beautiful journey through pain, love and the jagged path to healing. Hill continues to define and shape a genre of dark, gothic, cowboy romance. I don't know how long it will be until the next installment of the Trauma Bonded series is released, but with the way this one ended, waiting for it is going to be painstaking.
Thank you, Landyn Hill, for allowing me to Alpha/Beta/ARC For Cowgirls and Kings. As always, All opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, from the author or publisher for leaving a fair and honest review.
If you enjoyed this review, or any content posted on The Tx Lit Chic please consider subscribing to the newsletter and following on Social Media. Links to all Social Media can be found under TheTxLitChic
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~Landyn Hill
Welcome to the wild side of the gothic cowboy. A dark, twisted romance – where cowboys wear darkness like armor.
If you’re heading into the Trauma Bonded series by Landyn Hill expecting a traditional cowboy romance, you’re in for a jarring (and captivating) surprise. Marketed as a gothic cowboy dark romance, this is not your mama’s Harlequin. As I said in my review of Fillies and Monsters, Hill has set a gold standard for this niche - and with For Cowgirls and Kings, she not only meets it, she exceeds it.
For Cowgirls and Kings picks up seamlessly where For Fillies and Monsters left off. We return to Stetson and Gus, still managing the ranch Stetson inherited from her mom. Adalene “Dale" Mendes (FMC)has spent the last decade tucked away in Mozetecha, Texas, far away from her family and trauma of her past. As a teacher in the ag department, her students and animals help keep her grounded. But when her friends, Stetson and Gus, find themselves in deep trouble, Dale can't sit by and just watch them sink.
Out of desperation, she makes the one call she never imagined making. Mateo Reyes (MMC) her best friend from high school and heir to a family fortune. Having not spoken in a decade – since the night she made an advance on him and he reminded her they were just friends – he shows up without hesitation. Dale expects he will help Stetson and Gus, then blow back out of her life like before. But something, more like someone, makes him hang around.
Then the unthinkable happens. Dale is abducted and the only witness is her cat Queen Tut, and he is of no use – yes he. What follows is harrowing – Dale endures days on end of captivity, torture and neglect. The bone-chilling fear she will be forgotten, yet threats that she will be disposed of when the kidnappers get what they want.
Mateo, despite all his wealth and resources, is left scrambling trying to find her. No sightings. No ransom demands. Nothing. Will Mateo and Dale's friends be able to find her before it's too late? Or will Queen Tut have to settle into Mateo's home furrever???
Hill's storytelling in For Cowgirls and Kings is hauntingly immersive. She digs further into the emotional scars, unearthing Dale and Mateo's layered, messy, human pasts. Fleshing out these characters, allowing us to experience their evolution – both as individuals and together – gives us a raw and gripping journey of trauma and healing. Readers aren't just observing their transformations – they are living it.
With pacing that is tight and cinematic, and transitions so smooth, you don't feel like you are reading a story – you are truly watching it unfold and develop in real time. With vivid imagery, unrelenting suspense and unforgettable emotional resonance readers are deeply immersed in a world unlike any other out there.
Y'all, this book doesn't pull punches – and it doesn't let go. For Cowgirls and Kings is a bold, brutal and beautiful journey through pain, love and the jagged path to healing. Hill continues to define and shape a genre of dark, gothic, cowboy romance. I don't know how long it will be until the next installment of the Trauma Bonded series is released, but with the way this one ended, waiting for it is going to be painstaking.
Thank you, Landyn Hill, for allowing me to Alpha/Beta/ARC For Cowgirls and Kings. As always, All opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, from the author or publisher for leaving a fair and honest review.
If you enjoyed this review, or any content posted on The Tx Lit Chic please consider subscribing to the newsletter and following on Social Media. Links to all Social Media can be found under TheTxLitChic
#thetxlitchic #bookreviewsandmore #bookstagram #booktok #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #booklover #arcreader #bookreview #bingeworthy #tbr #supportindieauthors #bookobsessed #instareads #books #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bookreviews #keepreading #indiebooks #indieauthors #Supportyourlocalbook #genrewhore #ilikebigbooksandicannotlie #mentalhealthmatters #findsupportforyourmentalhealth #iwilllisten #lonestarliterarylife #lonestarlit
August 13, 2025
I don't even know where to start this review. I felt all and I do mean ALL the feelings reading this book. From book one I loved Dale and my feelings towards her haven't changed. we connected even more over our mutual love of student teacher romances, although hers was irl technically (everyone is of age!) and mine is through books but still. then enter Mateo and whew. that man looked at all her walls and defenses and was like 🤨 idk why these are here and just knocked them down or moved them. like it was nothing. shes trying to brush him off, denied. she wants to push him away, fine, but just know that hes allowing this cause he's kinda busy... not cause shes doing anything. at the same time she says jump, he's already in the air asking if this is high enough or if he should go higher cause he can and will its up to her. the perfect man. I also need to mention the spice because she puts him on his knees and literally
like controls him but she's like 5'2 and hes 6'4. its just delicious. hes trying to be respectful post trauma but I mean, the man bought her a toy before theres only so much respect and restraint you can have until... also them being "friends" *derogatory* just makes it even better cause its kinda like they hate not each other but that they are just friends even though they could easily change that 🙄 dont even get me started on the texts, I always hated friends to lovers but the banter when theyre already friends is top tier. so now that youre smiling about the main characters... lets ruin it
now this book is dark and has some trauma and traumatic things happen, definitely check triggers, but I'm not going to talk about that what I want to talk about are the side characters responses. if you want to get angry this is where you'll get angry. Dale's mom? ooh I just need a 5 minuets and a hair tie and not that weird stuff the girl on tiktok was talking about. I'm fighting her. ill probably need Vaseline for my face too. but yeah me and her one fight and maybe I'll be able to forgive. probably not tho but I still want the 5 minutes. Valentina? there's not enough words that won't get me put on some sort of watch list for what I want to do to her. the way she was so flippant about Dale being kidnapped (not a spoiler, its in book one) if i hate one thing its someone being flippant. but add everything else you find out about her as the book goes on? I need to use my PTO for what I would have in store. I dont think there has been a character in any book that has angered me the ways she did. Mateo is just trying to run the family business and she wants to cosplay the Sapranos and tell him hia father would be ashamed?! I need to breathe because I'm getting worked up again. I hate her. HATE HER she gets no redemption arc from me, I don't care what happens in the next book, shes dead to mr forever. rot in piss dead. now... I did feel the same way about McCrae but... um whats going on? whats up with him and Faith? like I like it but also Faith gf I'm worried about you psychologically 🙂 just a heads up, Cosmo? yeah you need to talk to the lady for a little bit. Just a chat, weekly, no big deal. also whats going on at home? and with Nathan? I just have a lot of questions that I hope are answered in book 3 and I would love to write more but this is long af already but what the actual fuck to the ending. thats it. what the actual fuck. yeah.
but I loved seeing Stetson and Gus together and watching the bromance between Gus and Mateo, so cute.
like controls him but she's like 5'2 and hes 6'4. its just delicious. hes trying to be respectful post trauma but I mean, the man bought her a toy before theres only so much respect and restraint you can have until... also them being "friends" *derogatory* just makes it even better cause its kinda like they hate not each other but that they are just friends even though they could easily change that 🙄 dont even get me started on the texts, I always hated friends to lovers but the banter when theyre already friends is top tier. so now that youre smiling about the main characters... lets ruin it
now this book is dark and has some trauma and traumatic things happen, definitely check triggers, but I'm not going to talk about that what I want to talk about are the side characters responses. if you want to get angry this is where you'll get angry. Dale's mom? ooh I just need a 5 minuets and a hair tie and not that weird stuff the girl on tiktok was talking about. I'm fighting her. ill probably need Vaseline for my face too. but yeah me and her one fight and maybe I'll be able to forgive. probably not tho but I still want the 5 minutes. Valentina? there's not enough words that won't get me put on some sort of watch list for what I want to do to her. the way she was so flippant about Dale being kidnapped (not a spoiler, its in book one) if i hate one thing its someone being flippant. but add everything else you find out about her as the book goes on? I need to use my PTO for what I would have in store. I dont think there has been a character in any book that has angered me the ways she did. Mateo is just trying to run the family business and she wants to cosplay the Sapranos and tell him hia father would be ashamed?! I need to breathe because I'm getting worked up again. I hate her. HATE HER she gets no redemption arc from me, I don't care what happens in the next book, shes dead to mr forever. rot in piss dead. now... I did feel the same way about McCrae but... um whats going on? whats up with him and Faith? like I like it but also Faith gf I'm worried about you psychologically 🙂 just a heads up, Cosmo? yeah you need to talk to the lady for a little bit. Just a chat, weekly, no big deal. also whats going on at home? and with Nathan? I just have a lot of questions that I hope are answered in book 3 and I would love to write more but this is long af already but what the actual fuck to the ending. thats it. what the actual fuck. yeah.
but I loved seeing Stetson and Gus together and watching the bromance between Gus and Mateo, so cute.
August 20, 2025
I picked up For Cowgirls and Kings without reading the first book and honestly, I think that was a mistake on my part. This blurb had me interested, but I ended up feeling a little lost whenever past characters or events were mentioned.
The book started off strong, and I really liked the opening vibe. Dale had fire, and the banter between her and Mateo pulled me in early. But as the story went on, I struggled with the structure, it also took away the friendship that they were supposed to have for me as well. There were a lot of flashbacks, time jumps, and POV shifts that made it really hard to follow. At one point I was constantly flipping back to check the chapter headers just to figure out where we were in the timeline. It took a lot of effort to stay on track, which pulled me out of the story.
Additionally I felt like the book was trying to do too much at once. There were a lot of tropes packed in and it made the plot feel a bit cluttered. It didn’t help that the pacing was all over the place. Some scenes dragged while others sped by so fast they didn’t have time to land emotionally for me. And I didn’t feel like Mateo changed much over the course of the book, which made his relationship with Dale a little hard to root for.
Now, Dale’s mom? Infuriating. From the beginning, her treatment of Dale made my blood boil. And even after everything, she still didn’t show up for her daughter. That said, her character did add depth and made me appreciate the people who did support Dale, like Stetson and Faith. The found family angle really worked for me. 🙃
One thing I have to mention, Queen Tut, Dale’s cat. He was such a big presence early on and then... pretty much forgotten. I was honestly waiting for a reunion scene or at least more mention of him, especially after how important he was to Dale in the beginning, but that was not the case.
Even though I had a lot of issues, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Landyn Hill knows how to write a cliffhanger. That ending definitely left me curious enough to consider continuing the series.
Overall, this book wasn’t quite what I expected. It had some really strong emotional beats and heavy themes, but it felt a little unfinished in parts.
This is the hardest part of being an Arc reader, I don’t want to discourage or hurt anyone’s feelings, but I was asked for my honest review. Although I might not have enjoyed this book If you're into dark cowboy romances with some mafia energy, trauma healing, spicy scenes, and complex characters, you might enjoy it!
The book started off strong, and I really liked the opening vibe. Dale had fire, and the banter between her and Mateo pulled me in early. But as the story went on, I struggled with the structure, it also took away the friendship that they were supposed to have for me as well. There were a lot of flashbacks, time jumps, and POV shifts that made it really hard to follow. At one point I was constantly flipping back to check the chapter headers just to figure out where we were in the timeline. It took a lot of effort to stay on track, which pulled me out of the story.
Additionally I felt like the book was trying to do too much at once. There were a lot of tropes packed in and it made the plot feel a bit cluttered. It didn’t help that the pacing was all over the place. Some scenes dragged while others sped by so fast they didn’t have time to land emotionally for me. And I didn’t feel like Mateo changed much over the course of the book, which made his relationship with Dale a little hard to root for.
Now, Dale’s mom? Infuriating. From the beginning, her treatment of Dale made my blood boil. And even after everything, she still didn’t show up for her daughter. That said, her character did add depth and made me appreciate the people who did support Dale, like Stetson and Faith. The found family angle really worked for me. 🙃
One thing I have to mention, Queen Tut, Dale’s cat. He was such a big presence early on and then... pretty much forgotten. I was honestly waiting for a reunion scene or at least more mention of him, especially after how important he was to Dale in the beginning, but that was not the case.
Even though I had a lot of issues, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Landyn Hill knows how to write a cliffhanger. That ending definitely left me curious enough to consider continuing the series.
Overall, this book wasn’t quite what I expected. It had some really strong emotional beats and heavy themes, but it felt a little unfinished in parts.
This is the hardest part of being an Arc reader, I don’t want to discourage or hurt anyone’s feelings, but I was asked for my honest review. Although I might not have enjoyed this book If you're into dark cowboy romances with some mafia energy, trauma healing, spicy scenes, and complex characters, you might enjoy it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2025
There is a lot to unpack with story for sure! I knew going into it was going to be heartbreaking and beautiful. But I don’t think I was fully prepared for the first half of the story. The pain and hurt Adalene has had to endure her whole life all while putting on a sunny exterior was something no one deserves.
The history being Mateo and Adalene is so interesting. Especially to see how they both turned out so different. Living completely different lives. Mateo a multi-millionaire ranch and casino owner, running his family’s legacy. Adalene hasn’t seen her family in 10 years, lives in a small town and teaches agriculture. I loved how the story goes back and forth from past to present. But a few times I had to re-read to make sure I was focusing on the right timeline!
Mateo the king of order, calculated moves never wanting to lose control.. has lost it. When Dale is taken he uses every resource he has and then some to find her. But when he does he is not prepared for the person she will come back as. Dale will never be the same after.
She feels ruined and broken and he wants to do everything in his power to show her she isn’t.
They make a deal, with rules that Dale puts in place. He agrees as much as he hates giving up control, he will do anything for her. This dark side of her that comes out is so freaking hot! I couldn’t decide what was better, her tell him to get on his knees, or him listening to her without hesitation. He wants every one of her fantasies to come true no matter how dark.
I love a powerful man who knows when to bow down to his queen! He embraces her, and she is slowly embracing him. It was a slow burn 🔥 turned into a raging fire! 🔥 The things Mateo finally does to show Dale what she truly means and has meant all these years were nothing short of incredible. But you have to read it to believe it!
The ending!!!! No how could you do this to me lol! I need Book 3 ASAP!
Friends x Lovers
Virgin FMC
Good Boy
Yes Cowgirl
The history being Mateo and Adalene is so interesting. Especially to see how they both turned out so different. Living completely different lives. Mateo a multi-millionaire ranch and casino owner, running his family’s legacy. Adalene hasn’t seen her family in 10 years, lives in a small town and teaches agriculture. I loved how the story goes back and forth from past to present. But a few times I had to re-read to make sure I was focusing on the right timeline!
Mateo the king of order, calculated moves never wanting to lose control.. has lost it. When Dale is taken he uses every resource he has and then some to find her. But when he does he is not prepared for the person she will come back as. Dale will never be the same after.
She feels ruined and broken and he wants to do everything in his power to show her she isn’t.
They make a deal, with rules that Dale puts in place. He agrees as much as he hates giving up control, he will do anything for her. This dark side of her that comes out is so freaking hot! I couldn’t decide what was better, her tell him to get on his knees, or him listening to her without hesitation. He wants every one of her fantasies to come true no matter how dark.
I love a powerful man who knows when to bow down to his queen! He embraces her, and she is slowly embracing him. It was a slow burn 🔥 turned into a raging fire! 🔥 The things Mateo finally does to show Dale what she truly means and has meant all these years were nothing short of incredible. But you have to read it to believe it!
The ending!!!! No how could you do this to me lol! I need Book 3 ASAP!
Friends x Lovers
Virgin FMC
Good Boy
Yes Cowgirl
August 16, 2025
Damn this book really chewed me up and then spit me out, but in the best way.
Dark romance lovers, I think you’re really going to like this. 👀🤭
“I might be a king, but your a fxcking goddess” — I fear I may never recover from this
Let me start by saying, Dale’s storyline completely wrecked me. She’s so strong but so human. Hesitant, beautifully flawed, and kinda stubborn. But honestly who isn’t.
I could not stop rooting for her. Half the time I wanted to yell “LET MATEO LOVE YOU, WOMAN” but I also completely understood her fear. Watching her finally let him in was like getting off of a rollercoaster, because damn what a ride.
And Mateo. Oh. My. God. This man exceeded every expectation I had from book one. Dominant, powerful, a menace..But a KING. Truly in every 👏🏻 way 👏🏻 The way he let her reclaim her power while still being her safe place? Ugh, literal perfection. Their banter, their chemistry, their absolute devotion…it destroyed me and then rebuilt me. Just when I thought my standards couldn’t get any higher, here comes Mateo 😮💨
The flashbacks gave so much depth to their story, and that small town backdrop made it all the more raw and real. Now I’m not going to lie the first half was rough..(So please read the trigger warnings.) But once things got going, I couldn’t stop. It’s dark, emotional, spicy as hell, and YES it ends on a cliffhanger.
This series has a special place in my heart. I can’t explain how I related, or the way it healed a part of me. I really can’t wait for the next book. Well done Landyn 🖤
**Notes:
You dont have to read the first book, although I really recommend it.
(But please, I cant express this enough : check the trigger warnings.)
Dark romance lovers, I think you’re really going to like this. 👀🤭
“I might be a king, but your a fxcking goddess” — I fear I may never recover from this
Let me start by saying, Dale’s storyline completely wrecked me. She’s so strong but so human. Hesitant, beautifully flawed, and kinda stubborn. But honestly who isn’t.
I could not stop rooting for her. Half the time I wanted to yell “LET MATEO LOVE YOU, WOMAN” but I also completely understood her fear. Watching her finally let him in was like getting off of a rollercoaster, because damn what a ride.
And Mateo. Oh. My. God. This man exceeded every expectation I had from book one. Dominant, powerful, a menace..But a KING. Truly in every 👏🏻 way 👏🏻 The way he let her reclaim her power while still being her safe place? Ugh, literal perfection. Their banter, their chemistry, their absolute devotion…it destroyed me and then rebuilt me. Just when I thought my standards couldn’t get any higher, here comes Mateo 😮💨
The flashbacks gave so much depth to their story, and that small town backdrop made it all the more raw and real. Now I’m not going to lie the first half was rough..(So please read the trigger warnings.) But once things got going, I couldn’t stop. It’s dark, emotional, spicy as hell, and YES it ends on a cliffhanger.
This series has a special place in my heart. I can’t explain how I related, or the way it healed a part of me. I really can’t wait for the next book. Well done Landyn 🖤
**Notes:
You dont have to read the first book, although I really recommend it.
(But please, I cant express this enough : check the trigger warnings.)
July 31, 2025
JAW ON THE FLOOOR — currently still trying to pick it up.
If you love dark romance AND cowboys.. buckle up cowgirl, your in for a ride 😅
This book was written so good, I was pulled in and invested right away. After reading book one I was already interested in dale and mateo with the bread crumbs, and damn did they not disappoint.
It’s called the trauma bond series for a reason.. this book is much darker than book one — but in the best way possible.
I wanted to hug my girl and talk her through it, I was physically yelling “where is Mateo go and save our girl” . So when I say I was stressed — I WAS STRESSED!!
I was questioning myself and why I was liking one of the villains in the story Rafael..🤣 but regardless he helped my girl out and that’s all that mattered to me.
I loved seeing Stetson and faith again— COSMO?? Excuse me what? Im listening .. 😏
If my thoughts are correct the next books are going to have me feral I already know it!!
Mateo was so patient and I loved how he gave dale all the control and let her do everything on her terms to help her heal a little bit. Just being a good “friend” until he fu*ks that word right out of her vocabulary 😏
The spice was perfection, the plot was perfection..
But the cliffhanger? DIABOLICAL. Jail time right now.
V, don’t piss me off.
Can’t wait for what’s to come!
If you love dark romance AND cowboys.. buckle up cowgirl, your in for a ride 😅
This book was written so good, I was pulled in and invested right away. After reading book one I was already interested in dale and mateo with the bread crumbs, and damn did they not disappoint.
It’s called the trauma bond series for a reason.. this book is much darker than book one — but in the best way possible.
I wanted to hug my girl and talk her through it, I was physically yelling “where is Mateo go and save our girl” . So when I say I was stressed — I WAS STRESSED!!
I was questioning myself and why I was liking one of the villains in the story Rafael..🤣 but regardless he helped my girl out and that’s all that mattered to me.
I loved seeing Stetson and faith again— COSMO?? Excuse me what? Im listening .. 😏
If my thoughts are correct the next books are going to have me feral I already know it!!
Mateo was so patient and I loved how he gave dale all the control and let her do everything on her terms to help her heal a little bit. Just being a good “friend” until he fu*ks that word right out of her vocabulary 😏
The spice was perfection, the plot was perfection..
But the cliffhanger? DIABOLICAL. Jail time right now.
V, don’t piss me off.
Can’t wait for what’s to come!
July 31, 2025
This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster… I’m not to lie, the first 40% was tough, heartbreaking and brought me to tears.. The dual timeline and POV taking us from present to past and showing how Dale and Mateo grew from friends to almost strangers to being thrust into each other’s orbit once more, but also with Dale suffering a huge traumatic event in the present chapters.
Dale is put through a harrowing ordeal whilst Mateo scrambles to find her, the love of his life, who he let go because he was too afraid to ruin their friendship. Dale comes out of her experience a different person, and she needs to hold the power. Now because Mateo would do anything for her now he has her back, he submits to her and lets her take control. To see Dale rise from the ashes was a beautiful thing and to see Mateo and Dale fight for what they wanted was everything. She has the most turbulent relationship with her parents and is also dealing with her trauma but comes out of all of this stronger and brighter than before, with Mateo letting go of his whole identity and birthright to show her they are meant to be.
Be warned this book will bring to your knees before it puts you back together again so please check the TW prior to reading.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
August 4, 2025
ARC review:
What an emotional rollercoaster! 😩 Not going to lie the first 30-40% felt hard to read at times so check the TWs. Dale and Mateo were everything! Mateo Reyes was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻. His presence was so sexy and commanding from the start. Knowing that he’s been obsessed since they were kids makes him that much more 👌🏻. The way he treats Dale like the queen that she is was swoon-worthy especially at the end 😍. The tension between them was thiiiiick which made the spice was hot AF 🥵🫠. Loved that Mateo gave Dale full control. Dale telling him to “get on your knees” was 🙌. Also getting a glimpse at what life is like for Stetson and Gus was 👌🏻. Landyn is such a wonderful story teller being able to weave the past and the present timelines together. She also handled some tough topics with care. This story broke my heart and also put it back together whilst leaving me flabbergasted by the ending. Like seriously wtf?! 😧 I am truly traumatized and now have more questions and need book 3 immediately.
What an emotional rollercoaster! 😩 Not going to lie the first 30-40% felt hard to read at times so check the TWs. Dale and Mateo were everything! Mateo Reyes was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻. His presence was so sexy and commanding from the start. Knowing that he’s been obsessed since they were kids makes him that much more 👌🏻. The way he treats Dale like the queen that she is was swoon-worthy especially at the end 😍. The tension between them was thiiiiick which made the spice was hot AF 🥵🫠. Loved that Mateo gave Dale full control. Dale telling him to “get on your knees” was 🙌. Also getting a glimpse at what life is like for Stetson and Gus was 👌🏻. Landyn is such a wonderful story teller being able to weave the past and the present timelines together. She also handled some tough topics with care. This story broke my heart and also put it back together whilst leaving me flabbergasted by the ending. Like seriously wtf?! 😧 I am truly traumatized and now have more questions and need book 3 immediately.
August 10, 2025
5🌟
4🌶
⚠️Check your trigger warnings ⚠️
Thank you to Landy Hill for the chance to read an advance copy of this amazing story! The emotional roller-coaster this story took me on was the wildest one yet!
This story picks up somewhere towards the end of Book 1 and is told from Dale and Mateo's POV. The on-page and flashback trauma that both characters experience is gut wrenching. Hill has a way that describes each characters' emotions and inner thoughts that brings the reader into the rawness of the situation. How Mateo and Dale work through their issues both alone and leading on each other, is simply beautiful. I could not get enough of these two together and cannot wait to see how Hill brings them back from that cliffhanger.
💜Gothic Cowboy Romance
🤎Friends to Lovers
💜Millionaire Rancher MMC
🤎Dark Small Town
💜Resilient FMC
🤎Lessons in Seduction
💜Mystery/Suspense
🤎Trauma x Healing
💜Found Family
🤎Forced Proximity
"A gentleman would let her go, but I’m done being a gentleman— it’s never once done me any good."
“I might be a king, but you’re a fucking goddess.”
"Dale Mendes will be the death of me. And if she’s not, then I’ve completely failed in this life."
I received an advanced copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The above opinions are my own.
4🌶
⚠️Check your trigger warnings ⚠️
Thank you to Landy Hill for the chance to read an advance copy of this amazing story! The emotional roller-coaster this story took me on was the wildest one yet!
This story picks up somewhere towards the end of Book 1 and is told from Dale and Mateo's POV. The on-page and flashback trauma that both characters experience is gut wrenching. Hill has a way that describes each characters' emotions and inner thoughts that brings the reader into the rawness of the situation. How Mateo and Dale work through their issues both alone and leading on each other, is simply beautiful. I could not get enough of these two together and cannot wait to see how Hill brings them back from that cliffhanger.
💜Gothic Cowboy Romance
🤎Friends to Lovers
💜Millionaire Rancher MMC
🤎Dark Small Town
💜Resilient FMC
🤎Lessons in Seduction
💜Mystery/Suspense
🤎Trauma x Healing
💜Found Family
🤎Forced Proximity
"A gentleman would let her go, but I’m done being a gentleman— it’s never once done me any good."
“I might be a king, but you’re a fucking goddess.”
"Dale Mendes will be the death of me. And if she’s not, then I’ve completely failed in this life."
I received an advanced copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The above opinions are my own.
August 9, 2025
This book had me all over the place emotionally in the bestest way. It was dark, raw, intense, but also weirdly comforting. I didn’t expect to feel so connected, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. Dale hit me hard. She had this mix of pain and strength that made her feel so real, and her journey seriously broke and rebuilt me. I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time. Mateo was absolute king energy. The way he gave Dale control while staying so devoted to her. He was powerful, tender, and just there for her in every way. The tension between them had me on edge, and when things finally exploded, yeah, it was everything. I also loved how the story wove trauma, friendship, and found family into the romance. And the ending. Excuse me? I need the next book like yesterday. Thank you so much to the author and Luna Literay PR for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving an honest review.
August 2, 2025
Really loving the cowboy with dark romance vibes this series is giving! After reading the first book in this series, I was excited to start this one because I knew Dale and Mateo would give us a good story. I absolutely love a friends to lovers trope and these two delivered in making it a good one! The tension between them has been building for a while and I love how open and vulnerable they are with each other.
If you’re interested in:
🖤 Friends to lovers
🖤 Small town
🖤 Found family
🖤 Darker cowboy romance
🖤 Trauma & healing
🖤 Mystery & suspense
Thank you to Landyn Hill for letting me read and review an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own!
If you’re interested in:
🖤 Friends to lovers
🖤 Small town
🖤 Found family
🖤 Darker cowboy romance
🖤 Trauma & healing
🖤 Mystery & suspense
Thank you to Landyn Hill for letting me read and review an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own!
August 7, 2025
What a wild ride! We start off right where book one ended. Dale is missing and Mateo is going crazy. He and all of their friends are doing everything to find her.
We learn some secrets of Mateo's family and the reason all this has happened. They find Dale but will things ever be the same again?
We learn some secrets of Mateo's family and the reason all this has happened. They find Dale but will things ever be the same again?
July 30, 2025
Mateo and Dale are my FAVES!!! Buttttt Ms. Hill may be buying me a new kindle cause the way I threw it cause ya know…she has to end it on a damn cliffhanger again. Queen of the cliffhangers right here 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2025
For Cowgirls & Kings was an incredible read. The trauma was deep and seeing Dale come out the other side was so healing. Mateo was a great MMC and helped Dale heal in many ways.
It was great seeing Stetson & Gus in this book to! I can’t wait for the rest of this series!
It was great seeing Stetson & Gus in this book to! I can’t wait for the rest of this series!
July 28, 2025
5 very emotional stars
I still don't know how to gather my thoughts.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will swoon, and you will scream. You will feel literally every emotion. You will go through the trauma before you get to the healing. But I promise you, the journey is so worth it.
And you will fall even more in love with these characters. Mateo, our KING, and Dale, our Cowgirl. The angst, tension, and yearning all lead you to the spiciest of spice. We are talking man on his knees for his girl spice.
The end will have you gasping and frantically searching for more pages!
I still don't know how to gather my thoughts.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will swoon, and you will scream. You will feel literally every emotion. You will go through the trauma before you get to the healing. But I promise you, the journey is so worth it.
And you will fall even more in love with these characters. Mateo, our KING, and Dale, our Cowgirl. The angst, tension, and yearning all lead you to the spiciest of spice. We are talking man on his knees for his girl spice.
The end will have you gasping and frantically searching for more pages!
August 13, 2025
For Cowgirls and Kings is book 2 in the Trauma Bonded series and there is definitely TRAUMA!
Dark, gritty and deeply emotional!
Adalene is fighting her own demons and Mateo will do anything to protect and be with her. This is a romance that is forged in fire and bounded by survival. AND THAT ENDING??? UGHHHH!
*Please check trigger warnings before reading!*
**Make sure to read For Phillies and Monsters before reading this book**
Dark, gritty and deeply emotional!
Adalene is fighting her own demons and Mateo will do anything to protect and be with her. This is a romance that is forged in fire and bounded by survival. AND THAT ENDING??? UGHHHH!
*Please check trigger warnings before reading!*
**Make sure to read For Phillies and Monsters before reading this book**
August 21, 2025
Wow... Landyn said this would be a darker one, but I was not prepared for all of that 😅
This was so so good! I loved Mateo and Adeline so much, their chemistry was amazing!
What Adeline went through in the first half of the book was devastating. I love that she came out of it so much stronger, and she really found who she was and what she wanted. I related quite a lot to her in terms of family relations and feeling like the friend being left out, so I really made such a personal connection to her.
Mateo pretended to not be obsessed, but it really was always Adeline for him. I loved that he got over all the pressure of responsibility, and just chose to be there for her.
The found family in this series so far is fantastic! I loved seeing all the interactions with the couple from the first book, Gus and Stetson, and I also loved Faith being part of the group. I'm very curious what's in store for her in the next book, as well as her relationship with Gus's brother 👀
Also that cliffhanger??? Straight to jail 😂 I need the next book ASAP
Thank you to Landyn Hill and Luna Literary Management for providing me with an Arc 🫶🏻
This was so so good! I loved Mateo and Adeline so much, their chemistry was amazing!
What Adeline went through in the first half of the book was devastating. I love that she came out of it so much stronger, and she really found who she was and what she wanted. I related quite a lot to her in terms of family relations and feeling like the friend being left out, so I really made such a personal connection to her.
Mateo pretended to not be obsessed, but it really was always Adeline for him. I loved that he got over all the pressure of responsibility, and just chose to be there for her.
The found family in this series so far is fantastic! I loved seeing all the interactions with the couple from the first book, Gus and Stetson, and I also loved Faith being part of the group. I'm very curious what's in store for her in the next book, as well as her relationship with Gus's brother 👀
Also that cliffhanger??? Straight to jail 😂 I need the next book ASAP
Thank you to Landyn Hill and Luna Literary Management for providing me with an Arc 🫶🏻
August 7, 2025
Dark cowgirl romances are now one of my fav tropes🥀. And Landyn writes them exactly how I like it. The suspense, the spice, the care that made up the lives of Dale and Mateo *chefs kiss*. There are some pretty dark moments but I loved the tenacity that Dale had. While in book 1 and most of this, she comes off as a very nonchalant playful woman - the trauma that she endures really only solidifies how strong she really is. And I love that Mateo helped Dale reclaim not only her safety but also the sides of her that made her Dale.
One thing that Landyn has done so wonderfully is build this family between Dale, Mateo, Stetson, Gus, and now Faith that is really what I love seeing in a “found family”. They ride for each other so hard and protect each other at all costs. I was honestly surprised with the reintroduction of a character from book 1 that I originally disliked. I’m hoping for a redemption arc coming soon for him.
There’s really only so much I can say about this book except that I really loved it and the ending had me punching the air.
One thing that Landyn has done so wonderfully is build this family between Dale, Mateo, Stetson, Gus, and now Faith that is really what I love seeing in a “found family”. They ride for each other so hard and protect each other at all costs. I was honestly surprised with the reintroduction of a character from book 1 that I originally disliked. I’m hoping for a redemption arc coming soon for him.
There’s really only so much I can say about this book except that I really loved it and the ending had me punching the air.
August 17, 2025
I enjoyed this more than the first. But still so many things unanswered..
Where’s the third brother.
What’s the deal with Faith and Nathan.
Is Valentina alive..who was shot.
Unfortunately I don’t know if I have it in me to find out.
Where’s the third brother.
What’s the deal with Faith and Nathan.
Is Valentina alive..who was shot.
Unfortunately I don’t know if I have it in me to find out.
August 7, 2025
For Cowgirls and Kings picks up immediately after For Fillies and Monsters left off with Adalene "Dale" Mendes taking center stage as our FMC, having spent the last decade in Mozetecha, Texas, hiding far from her family and the trauma of her past. When Mateo, her best friend from high school enters back into her life, they find themselves fighting for their lives and diving into each other's darkness in order to fight for the life they truly want - the one that is happy and surrounded by those they love.
Dale has such a heartbreaking and deep story, holding herself together from past trauma only to be torn down after a traumatic kidnapping. The chilling fear that she endured won't be forgotten by the reader as Dale endured days of captivity, torture, and neglect. On the other side, it was amazing to see her reclaim her strength and overcome her trauma. She does her best to protect herself and keep the world from seeing her as "too much", but Dale does an amazing job remaking who she is and how she sees herself.
Mateo is the perfect MMC for Dale. He's a boss, begrudgingly running an empire that was left behind for him. When Dale is kidnapped, Mateo uses all of his resources to help find her. Once he does, Mateo does whatever it takes to help her heal and become whole again. His devotion to Dale and wanting to prove himself to her is amazing to read.
For Cowgirls and Kings pulls no punches, taking readers into a heavy word that's filled with darkness but also carries an amount of light in comic relief and love between our characters. Seeing Stenson and Gus again as they navigated their life together while helping our main characters find their way to one another was enjoyable. Hill's storytelling is so immersive, digging deep into the emotional scars and unearthing Dale and Mateo's muddy, layered pasts. Experiencing the evolution of Dale and Mateo's evolution as their characters are fleshed out allowed us a gripping and sensitive journey of trauma and healing. Readers are living through a transformative experience for Mateo and Dale. For Cowgirls and Kings is a brutal and beautiful journey through the valley of pain and trauma and the rough path to love and healing.
Thank you, Landyn Hill and Luna Literary Management, for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read For Cowgirls and Kings!
Dale has such a heartbreaking and deep story, holding herself together from past trauma only to be torn down after a traumatic kidnapping. The chilling fear that she endured won't be forgotten by the reader as Dale endured days of captivity, torture, and neglect. On the other side, it was amazing to see her reclaim her strength and overcome her trauma. She does her best to protect herself and keep the world from seeing her as "too much", but Dale does an amazing job remaking who she is and how she sees herself.
Mateo is the perfect MMC for Dale. He's a boss, begrudgingly running an empire that was left behind for him. When Dale is kidnapped, Mateo uses all of his resources to help find her. Once he does, Mateo does whatever it takes to help her heal and become whole again. His devotion to Dale and wanting to prove himself to her is amazing to read.
For Cowgirls and Kings pulls no punches, taking readers into a heavy word that's filled with darkness but also carries an amount of light in comic relief and love between our characters. Seeing Stenson and Gus again as they navigated their life together while helping our main characters find their way to one another was enjoyable. Hill's storytelling is so immersive, digging deep into the emotional scars and unearthing Dale and Mateo's muddy, layered pasts. Experiencing the evolution of Dale and Mateo's evolution as their characters are fleshed out allowed us a gripping and sensitive journey of trauma and healing. Readers are living through a transformative experience for Mateo and Dale. For Cowgirls and Kings is a brutal and beautiful journey through the valley of pain and trauma and the rough path to love and healing.
Thank you, Landyn Hill and Luna Literary Management, for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read For Cowgirls and Kings!
August 8, 2025
I went in expecting a gritty small-town cowboy romance, and what I got was so much more.
This is a dark, emotionally layered romance with a slow burn, a protective and intense male lead, and a fierce, quietly powerful female main character. Both characters come with heavy pasts, and Landyn Hill doesn’t shy away from writing trauma honestly. But the beauty is in how she shows that trauma doesn’t define them their choices, their growth, and their strength do.
💔 Adelene (FMC)
She broke my heart and inspired me all at once. She’s lived a life that’s left scars physically and emotionally and instead of screaming to be understood, she lets people make their assumptions. There’s something deeply powerful about that. She’s not passive, she’s just choosing where she puts her energy. The way she clings to the small things she can control in an otherwise tightly controlled life? It’s so human and relatable.
🤎 Mateo (MMC)
Oh, my heart. He’s everything. Dangerous, intense, guarded yet so incredibly soft with the people he loves. He’s the kind of protective that doesn’t suffocate, it reassures. He doesn’t try to save Adelene (I mean he does but in the right way!) he stands beside her, holds her steady when she needs it, and lets her fight her own battles when she’s ready. His loyalty to his friends, his town, and Adelene had me swooning.
If you love a gruff cowboy who falls hard, this one’s for you.
What I appreciated most was how the dark themes weren’t there for shock they were purposeful, real, and handled with respect. There’s violence, yes. There’s pain. But there’s also tenderness, trust, and growth. The emotional intimacy in this story was as compelling as the romance.
Landyn Hill’s writing is atmospheric, character-driven, and deeply emotional. She paints such a vivid picture of small-town life the whispers, the judgment, the secrets behind polite smiles. And yet, she balances that darkness with a sense of hope and resilience that made me feel everything.
And don’t even get me started on the side characters im begging for more! There’s mystery there. There’s heartbreak. There’s a story waiting to be told, and I’ll be first in line to read book 3.
Would I recommend this book?
Hell yes. If you love cowboy romance with grit, heart, mystery, and emotionally rich characters this one’s a must-read!
This is a dark, emotionally layered romance with a slow burn, a protective and intense male lead, and a fierce, quietly powerful female main character. Both characters come with heavy pasts, and Landyn Hill doesn’t shy away from writing trauma honestly. But the beauty is in how she shows that trauma doesn’t define them their choices, their growth, and their strength do.
💔 Adelene (FMC)
She broke my heart and inspired me all at once. She’s lived a life that’s left scars physically and emotionally and instead of screaming to be understood, she lets people make their assumptions. There’s something deeply powerful about that. She’s not passive, she’s just choosing where she puts her energy. The way she clings to the small things she can control in an otherwise tightly controlled life? It’s so human and relatable.
🤎 Mateo (MMC)
Oh, my heart. He’s everything. Dangerous, intense, guarded yet so incredibly soft with the people he loves. He’s the kind of protective that doesn’t suffocate, it reassures. He doesn’t try to save Adelene (I mean he does but in the right way!) he stands beside her, holds her steady when she needs it, and lets her fight her own battles when she’s ready. His loyalty to his friends, his town, and Adelene had me swooning.
If you love a gruff cowboy who falls hard, this one’s for you.
What I appreciated most was how the dark themes weren’t there for shock they were purposeful, real, and handled with respect. There’s violence, yes. There’s pain. But there’s also tenderness, trust, and growth. The emotional intimacy in this story was as compelling as the romance.
Landyn Hill’s writing is atmospheric, character-driven, and deeply emotional. She paints such a vivid picture of small-town life the whispers, the judgment, the secrets behind polite smiles. And yet, she balances that darkness with a sense of hope and resilience that made me feel everything.
And don’t even get me started on the side characters im begging for more! There’s mystery there. There’s heartbreak. There’s a story waiting to be told, and I’ll be first in line to read book 3.
Would I recommend this book?
Hell yes. If you love cowboy romance with grit, heart, mystery, and emotionally rich characters this one’s a must-read!
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