Burn the Breeze: A Thornbrush Ranch Romance

Thornbrush Ranch #2

by June Lark

She’s a barrel racer on the road to win the circuit finals and he’s the ranch hand she hates.

Lina Larsen used to believe in love at first sight. That is, until a one-night stand went terribly wrong. What makes it worse, he’s now working on her family ranch, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to get rid of him.

Reed Ownstead thought he was getting back at his ex-wife when he brought the spitfire barrel racer home, only to discover he was way over his head. When his ex and daughter move to Willows, he decides to follow and get a job at Thornbrush Ranch, only to find it was the home of the rodeo star he wronged.

Now with a stalker following Lina on the rodeo circuit, vandals terrorizing the ranch, and Reed needing to take custody of his daughter, they have no choice but to be forced together. Stuck in a trailer on the road, temptation quickly becomes a whole lot stronger than hate.

When it turns out that land and lives are at stake back home, Lina must face the biggest race of her life—to save those she loves most or watch it all go up in smoke.

This is Book Two in the Thornburn Ranch series.
This is a spicy cowboy romance with suspense meant for adults 18+. The content of this book may not be suitable for all readers. Content explicit language, drug use, drug abuse, child endangerment, abduction, assault, firearms, BDSM

Genres: Westerns, Enemies To Lovers, Cowboy Romance, Forced Proximity, Second Chance, Found Family, Romance

412 pages, Paperback

Published October 23, 2025

About the author

June Lark is a romance author of steamy bygone and contemporary small town love stories filled with tension and suspense, with strong heroines who save themselves and brooding heroes who fall first. After years of research and a career in teaching social studies, she is finally living her childhood dream.

She lives outside of Portland, Oregon with her husband, Kenny, two kids, K.C. and Skye Lynn, and their lovey-dovey Norwegian elkhound, Baldur. She loves spending time with her family, cooking, exploring the Pacific Northwest, retail therapy, and devouring romance novels. With a coconut milk latte in hand, you can find June researching and writing in her office/kids' craft room.

Reviews

[Mora]

DNF 9%

In the prologue (and the reason the MCs are enemies)…

The MMC brought the FMC to his apartment and began having sex with her on the couch. He was kind of hurting her and kept staring at something behind her the whole time. Then a woman spoke up and the FMC made him stop (that woman was who he’d been staring at the whole time).

It turned out she was his wife (he said she was his ex-wife but they were still living together at that point). He’d brought the FMC over to make his wife jealous and for revenge against her because she had cheated on him and she was trying to take their daughter. Their little daughter was in the apartment too, and she could’ve heard them—or even walked in—if the wife hadn’t stopped them.

That was unforgivable to me, so DNF.

[Diet Mtn Dews and Dramatic Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

🤍cowboy romance
🤍single dad
🤍age gap
🤍enemies to lovers

💋Dramatic Thoughts💋

I signed up to read an ARC of Burn the Breeze after two of my book besties (@tbrandtswift + @readingwithlexx_ ) kept raving about this series and sharing all the fun things on instagram. And man, let me tell ya, they certainly didn’t steer me wrong! This was my very first June Lark book + I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Reed being so determined to actually win Lina over was the bessssst but ITS THE GUN FOR ME 😮‍💨 Lina was so fierce and that’s one of my favorite traits in an FMC! I literally couldn’t handle the tension between these two!!! 😍

I literally cannot wait for more books by June Lark! What a stellar read 🤍🤍🤍 Thank you @junelarkauthor for allowing me to ARC read this book 😍🫶🏼

[vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5⭐️

there's no way that man is 37 and acting like that.

[Kyla Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹’𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒶 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓃𝑜 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊.”

Burn the breeze was everything I wanted and then some. In book 1 in the series ( Among the Willows ) we got so many breadcrumbs of reed and Lina and they def lived up to the hype.

Lina was the strong badass I knew she would be. And reed was the perfect match to test her and push her. The banter between these two was so good!!!

I loved getting to see romy and Jude again and baby Charli🥹

Lina has a stalker and reed will do anything, and I mean anything to protect her and Penn.. oh yeah did I forget to mention he’s a single zaddy😏 and the best one.

Reed is a recovering addict and honestly was really hard on hisself and didn’t think he deserved love. But man you could feel the love between him and lina on the pages. I was obsessed.

The plot with the stalker and JUNIOR😒 go away already. But man it was good and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next …

Also WAS THAT HAZEL AND CHUCK HINTS???? Tell me I’m not imagining that ✨

After seeing who book 3 is about I am so excited because IYKYK. That’s all 👏

Also June, writes some of the best spice there is — Reed showed exactly why he’s daddy, trust me 🤭 AND he’s pierced- 💋

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 18:
Beta Review - I can’t express how honoured I was to be accepted as one of the author’s beta readers for this one - thank you so much for this opportunity, Jen!

When I tell you this book had me POSSESSED… FERAL! There is no doubt in my mind that this will be a 5⭐️ read when the final version lands - and I cannot wait to revisit the story at that time!

FMC Lina is strong, intelligent, and mature. My admiration and respect for her only continued to grow as the story progressed. A true queen! And MMC Reed - single dad meets “daddy” and all I can say is that this man will forever live rent free in my mind. The spice is HAWT, y’all 🥵 and the FEELS!!! Add this to your TBR immediately.

EDIT October 29:
ARC Review - Huge thanks to June Lark and Luna Literary for the opportunity to receive a review copy of Burn the Breeze!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded down - As my first beta read, this book has a very special place in my heart. I absolutely loved having the opportunity to be involved from this earlier stage, and getting an inside look at the author’s thought process!

I stand by my original comments that this book will suck you in and have you hooked from the outset. Reed and Lina are two very real characters dealing with some heavy issues and the author doesn’t shy away from this. June does an incredible job of really delving into the humanity of these characters - Reed’s determination and journey to become a better person for his daughter and for Lina, and Lina’s awareness of herself, her boundaries, and the stage of life she finds herself in.

For her 27 years, Lina really shows a level of maturity that I don’t think I possessed at her age. In Chapter 34, we get to see this explored on the page in the way she takes the time to think about the situation with Reed and whether it is not only something that is right for her, but for Reed and his daughter as well, and I really admired her for this.

I have to be honest (you know I always am)… I was disappointed with how the climax of the book played out. I had strong opinions during the beta stage about things feeling too outlandish and was hoping to see even some small changes to make things feel a bit more realistic, but there were none. For me, the absence of any real mention of medical attention for those who experienced severe smoke inhalation (especially a baby and a young child) felt glaring. This is my primary complaint about the book and the reason I rounded my 4.5⭐️ down.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Sadni · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this book was incredibly frustrating. It started off well. I thought I would like it but both main characters sucked and were immature throughout and hard to root for. It took me almost a month to finish the book :( because it got boring in the middle.
Lina is 27yo (she reads like a 21yo)
Reed is 37yo (he reads like a 23yo)
age gap: 10 years

Reed was especially annoying to read. He just kept saying he will make better decisions and not screw up. Guess what he keeps screwing up. He doesn't really learn from his mistakes. He has a daughter Pen who he loves and it did seem like he loved her but he still didn't read as a responsible father. Also major red flag was that he starts the story off by having sex with Lina in front of his wife to make the wife jealous!! Weirdo!!
Only two things he did right for me were that he got a jacobs ladder piercing to apologize lol 😂
and he gave up alcohol to stay sober because of his earlier screw up.

As for Lina she was just all talk. She didn't back any of it up with action. She was a good barrel racer but we never saw her practice. She was focused though and she did see her races through which I appreciated.

Lastly I think I'm the minority on this but the sex scenes were just awkward. They were complete repetitive word salads. Like all the popular smut words were just strung together in an inorganic sequence. The scenes didn't flow well and sounded rehearsed. And unfortunately there were PLENTY sex scenes in this book. Not a single scene had a romantic connection between the MCs.
The insta lust of this book just didn't work for me.

I was more invested in Lina's dad and Hazel or even Sage and Christian. The next book is the later couple. I think I'll pick that up. They sounded promising.


Thank you to Luna Literacy for the Arc!

[Andrii Jagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ✨ The initial build up was good. There was so much potential but it wasn’t it. The spice at the most inappropriate times was so off putting.

For example- Our family might be in danger but let’s have s3x first and then we’ll head over because our lust is so uncontrollable, we have no self control. Whhhaaaaattt?!

Finally having a serious conversation about their relationship and communicating and they randomly stop talking to 🍆‼️

Their relationship was very lustful and no real emotional connection.

[Apryl (inmybookishgirlera) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️When I tell you this book had me FERAL!! Romance suspense done so well! I loved this story so much! This is a 5⭐️series for me!

🐎Sassy FMC
🐎Grumpy possessive cowboy
🐎age gap
🐎single dad
🐎enemies to lovers
🐎small town

Lina is sassy, force, wild and unapologetically herself. She’s a badass barrel racer who has a stalker. Reed works for her dad on the family’s ranch. He’s also a rugged cowboy and hotter than sin. Her dad sends him to be her bodyguard while she’s on the rodeo tour. He will do anything to protect her. You could just feel the love between these two! I was obsessed! I loved all the characters and can’t wait for book 3! Romance suspense is becoming one of my favs! If you liked the bourbon men series I highly recommend this series!

This releases October 23, 2025 thank you to Luna Literacy and June Lark for this arc!

“I would’ve fought through a war to reach you. There was no version in which I didn’t come back to you. “

The mouth on this man omg🥵🥵

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lina and Reed fought hard for their happily ever after in this book, it was full of so many emotions. Reed has such a troubled past and is trying to do better. Lina is stubborn and strong willed. She was fighting her feelings so hard. Then all the troubles happening on the ranch and at the rodeo, made so much stress on their relationship.

[Brenda Yager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 3 days (only because
work got in the way). I couldn’t put it down or get Lina and Reed’s story out of my head. I was so happy to receive this ARC.

June pulls you in from the first line and you find yourself rooting for Lina & Reed the entire time. They had to overcome the way in which they first met and Reed’s troubled past and threats from outside the ranch. Also, adding in a very spirited and sweet 5 year old Pen to the mix and a troubled ex-wife, it’s no wonder Lina thinks she’s in over her head.

This is a spicy dark cowboy romance that is well worth a read I believe everyone needs a Reed in their life. The way this man has Lina tell him exactly what she wants and delivers each and every time is mouthwatering.

The Thornburn Ranch series is great and I can’t wait for book 3.

[georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’d ask me maybe like two-ish years ago I’d tell you that I was /not/ a fan of cowboy/western/rancher romances— insane of me right? Thank god I changed my outlook on that and now i can’t get enough of them! Ever since my introduction to them, I’ve learned to see that cowboy romances just have that special sort of charm and magic about them that entirely consumes me and makes me want to run off to some hills and star in my own cowboy rancher fantasy with my own broody cowboy. Something about the imagery and fantasy of the wide-open skies, the dusty roads, and inserting myself in these cowboy romances time just pass me by in the best way and appreciate the beauty of life and cowboys.

“I’d gladly let her fire burn me. Over and over again. I was desperate for her.”

Our FMC, Lina Larsen is a determined and well-skilled barrel racer with her sights set on winning the circuit finals, but her path gets complicated when her past ends up catching up with her. After a one-night stand gone wrong that shatters her faith in men & romance, she’s forced to confront her mistakes when Reed (”THE Mr. broody of all broody cowboys”) Ownstead—the man she swore to forget—shows up working on her family’s ranch. As constant vandalism and a irritatingly lingering stalker and a whole bunch of mysteries that kept me on the edge of my seat threaten both Lina’s safety and her dreams, Lina has to rely on her strength, courage, and instincts to protect what matters most. Fierce, independent, and deeply human, Lina’s story is one of second chances, healing, and finding love again when it’s the last thing you expect, and in the most unexpected places (and persons).

Now Reed, our MMC, I truly can’t get enough of him. Where can I find a Reed of my own? Asking for me , not a friend. Me. He’s a rugged, broody complicated (did I mention broody and oh so swoon-worthy and muscley?) man trying to piece his life back together while fighting for custody of his daughter — rightfully so because Penelope is the actual cutest little angel to ever walk along Thornbrush Ranch and deserves the whole entire world if you ask me. Once tangled in a one-night stand gone wrong with Lina, Reed never expected to see her again—until life has this funny way of working out and decides to throw them back together at her family’s ranch. Working side by side with the woman he didn’t mean to hurt, Reed is forced to face the mistakes he’s made in the past and the burdened walls he’s built around himself. Beneath his stubborn, grunting, word-lacking & guarded exterior is a man who deeply values family, loyalty, and second chances. As danger and tension rise around the ranch, Reed’s protective instincts and quiet determination reveal a softer side, proving he’s not just a rugged cowboy running from his past—but a man ready to fight for the love he almost lost.

“Lina, it was as if my whole world tilted on its axis the moment I saw you. I haven’t been the same since.”

Burn the Breeze by June Lark is one of those rare gem books that you wouldn’t expect to get completely and entirely sucked into. From the very first page, Lark pulls you into a world that’s equal parts tender and devastating, where every sentence feels soaked in emotion and you can’t help but not see the tension between her characters. This novel is not just a story about love or loss—it’s about the in-between moments, the quiet ache of growing up, and the people who leave marks on our hearts. Lark’s writing has this beautiful, unhurried rhythm that makes you want to slow down and really feel everything, like you’re standing in the middle of a hot, hazy afternoon with the wind just barely moving. I can’t tell you the amount of times I lost track of time by reading this book (again, in the best way — I love when I lose myself in a good book like this one.) By the end of the novel, I felt like I’d lived a whole other life between these pages that June brought to life through her amazing and emotional storytelling—one that hurt, healed, and reminded me why I love stories that burn slow and leave scars, and also reminded me exactly why I love a dark and brooding cowboy and for that matter, cowboy romances with spitfire female protagonists.

“I’ve never felt love like you’ve shown me,…wild and free, formidable and powerful. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were it for me, sweetheart.”

What to expect in Burn the Breeze:
🐎enemies/dislike to lovers
🐎boss’s daughter
🐎single dad
🐎she falls first and harder
🐎age gap romance
🐎touch her & die
🐎one bed
🐎it’s always been you
🐎he calls her a brat
🐎pierced peen!!
🐎bickering as foreplay

Thank you to June & her team for letting me arc read and celebrate the upcoming release of her newest cowboy romance! It’s one you won’t want to miss!

Burn the Breeze releases October 23rd, 2025.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not okay. Why did this book make me cry. It was angsty and emotional and I was mad at Reed for half the book. But god was it amazing.

✨Tropes✨
▫️Enemies to lovers
▫️Single dad
▫️Age gap
▫️She falls first, he falls harder

Lina is such a badass, I adore her and wish I could be like that. She didn’t take any shit and put Reed in his place every time he was an asshole (spoiler alert, he fucked up a lot).

Despite his asshole ish behaviour I have a soft spot for Reed and he did redeem himself. He was 100% gone for Lina from the moment they met. He had no intention of wanting anything other than sex that first night but Lina clearly wiggled her way into his head 😏

I loved the whole plot, I was so intrigued to find out who the stalker was and why he was targeting Lina.

I do wish the ending had been longer, I wanted to see more of Lina in a relationship with Reed plus little Penn 🩷. It felt like an abrupt ending, after everything that happened.

Thank you for June for the ARC.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
ohhh I absolutely just loved Reed and Lina. the sexual tension between these two was just through the roof.
Reed was simply the best dad ever with Penn 🥹
little Penn was adorable, her love for horses of course was the cutest.
and Lina was just a tough, confident badass cowgirl. unapologetically herself and if someone didn't like it...well she kindly flipped them the bird. 😂
love her.
whats more is i enjoyed that we got to tag along with her to the rodeos for barrel racing.

the suspense and mysterious events happening on the ranch, as well as a stalker after Lina just had me hooked in trying to figure out whats going on and how it all ties in together.

and epilogue. ahhh just perfect.

let's not forget the spice though, whoo🥵🥵🥵 Reed and Lina just know what they're doing. 🔥🔥

simply enjoyed and excited for the next book which we got a sneak peek of at the end.

🫶🏻🫶🏻thank you June and lunaliterary.management for the arc.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spicy Suspenseful Cowboy Romances. This series truly enveloped me, instantly transporting me to Thornbrush Ranch. The storylines are intense and thrilling with the small town drama. They are emotional and deep, the characters have very real struggles. The love is genuine, all encompassing, and the men are down bad for their women making the spice on another level.

A baddie barrel racer in the circuit finals. A single dad, ranch hand with a past. A one night stand gone wrong. Stalkers, vandalism, and redemption.

Lina and Reed had a one night stand that ended in disaster. Now he’s the ranch hand she’s stuck in a trailer with while on the road for the rodeo circuit.

Lina is confident, even in the midst of danger. Fiery, strong, and competitive. I love how honest and true to herself she was the entire time. Reed is fiercely protective and loyal. Their banter is off the charts. The sacrifices he makes for the people he loves is admirable.

I’m officially adding June Lark to my list of authors that I would want to write my fictional (or not-so fictional) husband. An auto-buy author for me now for sure.

I was given the honor of receiving an Advanced Readers Copy of this book through Luna Literary. All opinions are my own.

[Kayt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had my emotions feeling like I was on the back of a bucking bronc. The tension between Lina and Reed had me in a chokehold.😮‍💨 Lina is strongwilled and ready to stand her ground, while Reed is the smoking hot single daddy who isn’t afraid to show a girl how she deserves to be treated and give her exactly what she wants and protect her no matter the cost. I love a spicy cowboy story and June hit every mark.

While this book can be read as a standalone, I highly suggest reading the series in order as the first book is interconnected. That is my one regret, so you can bet I’ll be going back to read the first book. Thank you Luna Literary & June Lark for the e-arc in exhchange for my honest review.

TROPES:

🧡 Sassy FMC
🥀 Grumpy possessive MMC
🧡 Age gap
🥀 Single dad
🧡 She falls first he falls harder
🥀 Boss’s daughter
🧡 Enemies to lovers
🥀 Stalker= touch her and die I

[bloomia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

It’s been so long since the last time I read a cowboy romance and oh my goodness if it’s not the hottest thing ever 🤭

I devoured it. The tension between Reed and Lina, the angst, the banter, everything about them screams HOT. The fierceness of Lina trying to piss Reed off is what I live for. The stubbornness of Reed trying to stay and win Lina is what I want now for me.

What touched me the most was how Lina slowly feels giddy in her uterus to see the grumpy Reed and his cute daughter. I cannot forget how Reed truly understands where he stands and the whole boundary he sets just so he’d be a better man for his kid and also Lina. It took some time but Reed actually communicate with Lina instead of making the decision on his own. We love respectful cowboy that’s for sure.

Thank you @lunaliterary.management and @junelarkauthor for the e-ARC and I cannot wait to read about Sage soon 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[Catherine M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Burn the Breeze served an intense and steamy story filled with suspense, sweet moments and plenty of spice.

The enemies to lovers trope was alive and well in this one and I enjoyed every moment of it. With an FMC as sassy as Lina was made for a good time while never knowing what she was going to say. She definitely was able to keep me on my toes. And our grump MMC, Reed was good mix of possessive, protective and sweet. His protective side gave “The Reacher” vibes through and through. And his mouth!!! He could make you melt with what he was saying. His character’s story ran deep and made him human. When he showed his vulnerable parts to Lina was truly something special and indicative of his growth.

And as in book 1 in this series, the suspense around the ranch continues, we see new developments. The suspense came from all sides and added so much to story. Some I thought I could see coming and some came out of left field and made things even more interesting.

I cannot wait to see what comes next for the crew at Thornbush Ranch.

I would like to thank June Lark and Luna Literary Management for the opportunity to read and review Burn the Breeze.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me a spicy western any day of the week! I am absolutely obsessed with this series and these characters! While this book can be read as a standalone, the first book couple is pretty prominent in this one (they are related to our FMC) so it wouldn't hurt to read the first one. I loved it but I fear this one earned my love just a little bit more. Lina is a spitfire and calls Reed out on his shit so hard. I loved it, and so did he. My man was down BAD for her. These two are kind of like baking soda and vinegar, normally don't mix too well but when they do come together its explosive. The dirty talk and the absolute bed chemistry these two had was incredible. If you want a spicy western with plenty of plot, pick up this series asap!

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good follow-up story for Thornbush Ranch. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect still sprinkled in there at the end. It was a fun ride for sure. Romy and Jude's story was good. Don’t get me wrong, but Lina and Reed came to steal the show. It’s spicy, boooooy was it spicy. This is the perfect cowboy, smalltown romance to add to your TBR partner🤠

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of redemption, second changes, and finding love through vulnerability. Every character in this book was so lovable. Lina with her fierce spirit, Reed with his determination to love wholeheartedly, and even Penn who never let loss/trauma steal her joy. This book was perfection and such an emotional follow up in the Thornbush Ranch series. 10/10 recommend.

[Dara Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review: Thank you to June Lark and Luna Literary Management for sending me an advanced copy of Burn the Breeze to read and review

This book has everything I love: single parent, a broody cowboy MMC, a take no crap, feisty FMC, a groveling MMC, family secrets, spice, and romantic suspense.

However, I felt that the two main characters, Lina and Reed, lacked emotional depth. It was obvious that Reed pined after Lina, and he really was sorry for his actions at the beginning of the book. Lina hated him and had every right to, she was sending that man. Mixed signals left and right. These two characters were physically compatible, but they lacked emotional depth.

I did like the romantic suspense aspect of this book. The ending did have me on the edge of my seat. I love the scenes between Reed and his daughter. Will I read any other books in this series? Yes, absolutely.

[Kels O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spicy and fast paced. Lina is a sassy barrel racer who’s on the circuit when she meets a hot man, Reed at a bar after one of the rodeos. They have a very awkward hookup and she hopes she never has to see him again until he ends up working at her dad’s ranch. The story and this couple in particular remind me a bit of Yellowstone, particularly Beth/Rip, add in some baby mama drama and a stalker. It is technically an interconnected standalone and it does contain spoilers for the first book but you don’t necessarily have to read it. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author.

[Anna Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and loved it! Burn the Breeze is my first read from June Lark and I want to devour all of her books moving forward! If you want complex characters, siracha spiced sex, and some drama, then this is the book for you.

Also I love it when the meet cute is wild. This book sure delivered! The author truly made this a book where I kept being surprised.

I highly recommend this book.

[Lauren Curley · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Stars
🌶🌶 - Spice Level

Reed and Lina both meet first at a bar and go home together for a spicy fling, but get interrupted by his ex-wife. Months go by, and he's got a job at Lina's family ranch trying to get his new life in order to be a father for his child.

Lina is this really headstrong, independent, and champion barrel racer. She's picked up a stalker on the road, and Reed is hired by her father to follow along for protection. Can someone say spark meet the matchstick because DAMN these two couldn't stay avoiding each other for long? Reed was committed to getting her back after that 1 bad night enough that he'd stopped drinking and sexing other women.

All the protector her or 💀 vibes were coming off this dirty talking man. He was absolutely sure he'd get her again for life. She just had to come around to the idea which she did. High five for all the ladies who can still be their bada$$ selves and still get their alpha men that are down bad for them.

⚠️ Please read trigger and content warnings ⚠️

Thank you, author, for the arc!
Release Day: October 23, 2025

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ew. Just ewwww.
Incredibly clunky writing, cringy dialog, gross characters. Big DNF.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by June because for some reason I always end up starting a series on book 2. I cannot wait to go back for book 1 though. I am hooked.

I love me a good Romance Suspense and man is this a good one. The romance was hot and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat. I also sobbed at the end. So you know a casual emotional rollercoaster.

The hate to love was done so well. Lina is so badass. She doesn't put up with Reed's shit. He was pretty good at apologies though.

The banter and tension were so good. Plenty of touch her and die vibes. I also loved the softer moments between them. Watching them open up to each other was so sweet.

Penn was freaking adorable and the love she was instantly surrounded with was beautiful. There are so many lovable characters. I cannot wait for Sage's book.

I read an arc

[Vanesa Sandoval-Monrroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

June Lark's MMC are some of my absolute favorites and I love me a well-written man. The plot was plotting, I love a suspense in this series. She writes it so well.

Reed is our MMC and let me tell you, this man was worshipping the ground Lena walked on throughout the entire book. I mean this man was down and willingly stayed down. I absolutely ate it (him) up. He is such a wonderful dad. The scenes with his daughter are some of my favorite.

Lena's confidence and fierceness is definitely my favorite thing about her.

I do have to say that the FMC's in this series make me wanna pull my hair out a lot. It makes me so unreasonably angry but I do still love them.

I also really wish the plot/suspense followed through because it starts off amazing and it kinda falls flat for me at the end. I do still truly love these books but I'm left wanting a little more oomph.

That all being said, I cannot wait for book 3 and to continue reading this series!

[Lila Danisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 rounded up to 4 stars because the found-family trope was going so strong in this book. As an avid fan of the found-family trope, this book deserves the roundup.

Lina oh Lina. I was speechless at how feisty she was. She was another level of black cat heroine. Like herself think throughout the book, some people might find her too strong and wild. But I loved her so much for knowing her worth. She was so straightforward and knew what she wanted. She didn't hold herself out when it came to her happiness and the people she loved. I want to be like Lina when I grow up. (Yes, I am 30 and I can still grow up. Problem?)

Reed was giving me an irk with his stupidity right at the beginning of the book. I understood very well if Lina hated him. I hated him too. I also think a year was good enough for Lina to hate Reed properly after what he did. I just wish I had gotten more of the details on that single year of hate. However, for me, Reed redeemed himself enough. He gave Lina time to hate him because he knew he deserved it.

The suspense plots were really good. It was so good that I need to read the first book because I want to know what happened there. The ending of the suspense side of the story was cliffhanger-ish and (I think) will continue in the third book. I definitely for it!!!

My problems with this book were the sex scenes and the communication between Lina and Reed. While the sex scenes were so freaking spicy, there were times, two times to be specific, when I screamed so hard at my eReader because they were having sex in completely the wrong times. How could they be on top of each other when the people back home were in danger? How could they be entangled in ropes (literally) when they were supposed to talk? They chose to have sex first before talking. Instead of communicating like mature human beings they were to strengthen their relationship, they let their lust talk. I completely love my book with spiciness, but I don't love it when the spices are the base of their relationship. Though Lina and Reed's relationship was not completely centered on their spicy times, it was on the borderline of it.
The drama surrounding OW, who was Reed's ex-wife, could actually be solved smoothly if Reed communicated with Lina. But no, he chose not to say anything until it became a problem slash drama.

Like I said earlier, this book has a strong found-family trope. I loved everyone in Lina's circle. I can't wait to read each of their stories from their perspective books and back to Thornbrush Ranch.

Thank you to June Lark and Luna Literary Management for the ARC.

[Jozie-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to read this book as an ARC and let me just say I absolutely loved this book. Getting to follow along through the growth of Lina and Reed was amazing. The character growth not only with each alone but together was so well written. I loved Lina’s free spirit and the fact that Reed never tried to dull the fire she has inside of her.

The story line with Junior had me feeling like a part of the book trying to figure out what was happening right along with the characters.

The last fourth of the book had me on the edge of my seat feeling every emotion possible. By the end I was crying and kicking my feet as Lina and Reed’s story came to a close.

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one!

[Kay Hertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Lark is hitting the mark!!!

Overall: 5⭐
Plot: 4⭐
Spice: 3❤️‍🔥

Such a wild ride! I thought Lina, our FMC was a great example of riding that line between "wild child with a cause" and "simply easy to set off in anger".

Reed is the stuff of dreams! Broody, dreamy, capable of many delicious things. And absolutely 100% "touch her (wrong) and 💀". Yes, ma'am!

Loved these two together!

A huge thank you to Ms. June Lark and Luna Literary for the opportunity to read and review this book!
All opinions are my own.