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Hawthorne Ranch #1

Under The Orange Sky

Penny Lawson didn't plan to stop in Lander, Wyoming. she just wanted to put as many miles as she could between herself and the man who broke her spirit.

But when a flat tire leaves her stranded on a dusty country road, she's rescued by Sheriff Cas Hawthorne, a quiet cowboy with blue eyes, a protective heart, and and a big, boisterous family that treats strangers like their own.

Cas never expected to find a frightened woman alone on the side of the road, but something about Penny's strength beneath the fear draws him in. As she slowly begins to rebuild her life in the safety of his small town Penny discovers that maybe love isn t something to rur from, it's something worth holding on to.

But just as Penny begins to believe she's finally free, shadows from her past close in. And when danger comes to Lander, Cas will have to decide how far he'll go to protect the woman who's stolen his heart.

289 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2025

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About the author

Keely Weis

3 books105 followers

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5 stars
310 (32%)
4 stars
259 (26%)
3 stars
262 (27%)
2 stars
104 (10%)
1 star
27 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Emily.
166 reviews
September 24, 2026
Okay. Um. I found this book after Googling “books with the who did this to you trope,” read the synopsis, and immediately went, yep. Sold.

And honestly? I enjoyed it. Was it VERY rushed? Absolutely. But it’s also a 200-page book, so I can’t exactly be shocked when the plot is moving at lightning speed. There were definitely moments where I wanted the story to slow down, breathe, and let things actually develop, but I still had a good time.

And then there’s Cas.

Cas is every woman’s dream cowboy. Tall? Check. Hot? Obviously. Protective? Absolutely. Loving, caring, possessive, compassionate, patient? Somehow, yes to all of it. This man really said, “I contain multitudes,” and proceeded to check every box on the cowboy boyfriend application.

BUT… I kept having these little moments of “Wait a damn minute… why does this feel familiar?”

Because some of these characters and their roles feel VERY reminiscent of the Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver. One brother is a bull rider. Another is a rancher. There’s the close friend who is basically another brother. A brother owns a bar. And there’s a male coworker who is constantly around.

Sound familiar….. 👀

I’m not saying the entire story is a copy—it absolutely has its own plot and characters—but once I noticed the similarities, I could not unsee them. My brain was basically sitting in the corner whispering, “Ma’am… we’ve seen this family before.” 😂

Penny’s story was heartbreaking, though, and I thought the subject matter was handled with a lot of care. I really appreciated that.

My other complaint? THE TYPOS. So. Many. Enough that they started pulling me out of the story. Nothing kills a romantic moment faster than my brain going, “Wait… that quotation mark absolutely does not belong there.” Ma’am, I am trying to SWOON. 😭

Overall, I came looking for a “who did this to you?” moment and got a hot, protective cowboy, emotional damage, heartbreak, and plenty of swoon-worthy quotes.

Would I have liked another 100–300 pages? Absolutely.

Did I spend part of the book wondering if I had accidentally wandered back into Chestnut Springs? Also yeah, maybe. 👀

Would I still recommend it if you like protective cowboys and a good revenge-adjacent romance?

Yep. I showed up for the trope and stayed for Cas.
Profile Image for Emma Jayne .
200 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2025
omg I loved it 😍

found family cowboy romance

this book had every feel going through out this book.

the plot follows penelope who is escaping her abusive ex mark, she leaves with little money just enough for gas, when she is driving her tyre bursts and she is stuck, alone and afraid. Casper is out on his routine patrols in the car with his partner and they are heading back to the station when they spot penelope stranded they try to help but she isnt trusting of men right now but she manages to trust casper enough to let her stay at his family b&b free of charge until her car is sorted.
what she didnt expect was to fall hard and fast for his family and him as well.
she finds peace, trust and a family she didnr realise she needed. her abusive partner mark catches up with her but he messed with the wrong family and the wrong sherrif, all I will say mark gets his karma *enter evil laugh here*.

you cant help but fall in love with each and every character (apart from mark) in this story and I cant wait to dive deeper into the hawthorn family 🥰🥰🥰.
7 reviews
October 17, 2025
First off once I started I could not put it down. From the characters to the plot I couldn't get enough and can't wait to read more. Its been a while since I found a book that pulled me in like this one. I was able to connect with the characters and get into all the feels hating to put it down for a minute. Hands down would recommend to anyone and everyone. Now ill just wait patient till I can get more of this series...like seriously how long lol 😍 Definitely my new favorite author to follow
Profile Image for Briana Scott.
621 reviews21 followers
October 29, 2025
Rate: 4/5⭐️
Spice: 0.5/5🌶️

What to expect when reading;
-Found Family
-Cowboy Romance
-Small Town
-Romantic Suspense

This is book one of the Hawthorne Ranch series. You get to follow Cas and Penny! This being Keely's first novel, she knocked it out of the park. I could not put this book down. I love a good romantic suspense. Firstly though please check trigger warnings this story does have heavy topics. Penny is just wanting to start over but life happens, lucky for her that is where not only Cas comes in but his amazing family too. I enjoyed literally every character in this but, well maybe except one, but it's the villain of course lol Honestly If I had a Cas I would fall for him too so go Penny! I know this series is going to be a good one, if this was the first book.

Side Notes:
-I need more Summer

Favorite line:
•"She doesn’t know it yet. But she belongs here.
And hell if I don’t already want to make sure she never has to run again."
Profile Image for Fida A.
20 reviews
September 19, 2026
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this cowboy autumn themed book! So cozy and sweet! A perfect book for fall!
Profile Image for Melike.
159 reviews3 followers
August 24, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ short and sweet! Loved this!
1 review
October 23, 2025
love, love, love it
the way she writes is really amazing!
I love the story, and the romance is all over💞
🍀🍀🍀
Profile Image for Allison Chapman.
465 reviews
February 4, 2026
2.75
Cas & Penny
Ok, yes, the rating is low, BUT the book was not all bad. I liked all the characters. Penny was sweet and down to earth. Cas was your typical mmc - tough on the outside and sweet on the inside for Penny. There was found family, which will always be a favorite trope for me. I loved all of Cas' big family and the extended family. While there was insta-love it didn't annoy me right away. You could see the atraction between the two, so it wasn't a surprise...it fit with the story.
HOWEVER, the pacing was ridiculous. This book went from Penny getting abused by her boyfriend, to escaping, to a flat tire, to meeting Cas on the side of the road, to living in his family's home, to having a crush on Cas, to going on a date, then we get the L word from Cas, and bam...we're engaged. Like what!!! All of this happened within two to three months time.
Don't get me wrong...I went into this expecting a formulaic story about a ranch family with predictable plot structure, but come on. This was so unrealistic and forced that I could not rate this book a 3.
Also, this story needed some editing. There were errors and inconsistencies throughout the story. Granted, they weren't so egregious that I couldn't overlook them, but they were distracting.
Overall, I think this series has great potential, but the author needs to go back clean up the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for michelle lindsay.
151 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2025
This was cute and I did enjoy it. However, Cas did make me cringe a little at times. He just came across as a bit cringey and needy at times and I wasn't a fan of the nickname. it was also over used and that bothered me. However. I really like Penelope but do feel there would have been more trauma to unpack there and it should have been a hell of a lot slower of a burn for me, but otherwise, she was a good character. I loved the Hawthorne's particularly Grace and Lily and I loved Summer and Mia. The brothers great too and I look forward to Ethan and summers story and I have a feeling ther could be a live triangle between a certain 3 characters. I think the two brothers that intrigued me the most however are the bull rider and the quiet one (I forgot their names, too many brothers to remember 😂) but I do think they will have done good stories coming up. So I will definitely continue reading the series, it was cute and cosy and although there were a couple of things I didn't particularly enjoy that much, they weren't deal breakers. Nice quick and easy read for the autumn/winter seasons.
6 reviews
January 29, 2026
I think the story had a great potential, but there was no build up for each scene. I would have loved to see more of main characters interacting with conversations and build up to the next scene or developing their relationship. I feel like there was not enough back story or inside each characters mind. Example I seen where Penny is upset about missing her mom. You see a little dialogue there but there’s nothing that gives you context. than all of a sudden Cass knows everything about her family, little things like that I would have loved to seen develop instead of just saying we talked and end scene.
Profile Image for Giovanna Morabito.
1 review
November 5, 2025
Under the Orange Sky is the kind of cowboy romance that grabs your heart from page one and never lets go. I devoured this book in a single day, no joke, and it singlehandedly yanked me out of my reading slump.
The small-town setting is cozy and vivid, the kind of place you never want to leave, and the Hawthornes? I am in love with this family. Their found-family dynamic adds so much warmth and depth, and every scene with them felt like a comforting hug with just the right amount of teasing and tension.
The chemistry between the leads is absolutely electric, slow burn, sparks flying, the whole package. Their relationship unfolds with such satisfying emotional depth and character growth that I couldn’t stop rooting for them. It’s tender, funny, and oh-so-hot, perfectly balanced with the grit and charm of ranch life.
The writing itself is gorgeous, rich, heartfelt, and cinematic. You can practically feel the sun dipping under that orange sky.
If you love found family, hot cowboys, small-town charm, and romances that make you feel something, this is the book for you. I’m already counting down the days until book two.
Under the Orange Sky is an absolute must-read. Saddle up, you won’t regret it.
Profile Image for Katelyn Smyth.
Author 6 books25 followers
May 10, 2026
Wow 🤩

Keely Weis absolutely blew me away with Under the Orange Sky 🧡✨

Penny’s journey after escaping her abusive relationship with the absolute asshole that is Mark was heartbreaking, emotional, and so beautifully written. Watching her slowly learn how to trust and heal again had my heart aching for her the entire time. And then there’s Casper Hawthorne… 🥹 that man fell HARD for Penny and I was living for every second of it.

I loved how naturally their relationship blossomed. Casper never pushed her, never rushed her, and gave her the patience, comfort, and safety she deserved until she was ready. The way he showed up for her over and over again?? SWOON.

And can we talk about the found family aspect because it was EVERYTHING. The banter, the chaos, the love — it genuinely made me laugh out loud so many times. They all felt so real and comforting.

Now onto Mark… respectfully, I wish this man would vanish into thin air and leave my girl Penny ALONE 😭🤣 Grade A pain in the fucking ass. Enough said.

Overall, this book was emotional, healing, funny, and full of so much heart.
⭐️ 5/5 stars
🌶 1/5 chili rating
Profile Image for Olga 🌺.
675 reviews8 followers
October 6, 2026
Dnf at 70%

It's cute but a little bit insta-lovish from his part. The writing is good though but a bit rushed. She literally just left her abusive boyfriend of 2 years and the day after she leaves him she's already half way in crush with the MMC. I mean woman! You've been used as a punching bag for so long, the last thing you should be doing is thinking how handsome the sheriff is and that you might be developing a crush. It would have been much better if for a while (like a few months at least) you are weary of all men, especially good looking ones, and focus on building that trust again to see if you are able to love again!

We were told rather than shown interactions especially with the Hawthorne family. I would've loved a few scenes of Penny with Casper's mom, bonding and well Penny earning her stay by helping with the meals or keeping Lily company. I know that Penny and Grace immediately bonded but as well I wanted more giggles, more heart to heart, I wanted to witness it and not the author telling me that they're getting along.

The MMC's fascination with her and his love language was a bit cringey and the overall plot was very rushed.
Profile Image for Kirstie Pepper.
99 reviews9 followers
January 20, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
0.5🌶/5

🏘Small Town Romance
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found Family
👮‍♂️🤠 Cowboy/Police MMC
🤝➡️🩷 Friends to Lovers
🖤 Past Trauma/ Grief ( please check trigger warnings)

I enjoyed this book, its a fun and sweet read and I got through it within about 5 hours. I will say it was a little Insta-Lovey for me at times and the pacing was a bit fast in regards to the relationship building between the two main characters given what the FMC had experienced in her previous relationship but I did enjoy the story overall.
Cas the MMC is just a sweetie, protective and kind with a cheeky side. I will say at times he did make me cringe a little but he's completely devoted to Penny and its endearing mostly.
Penelope the FMC is lovely, she has endured a lot and still manages to be sweet and kind and I was so happy she found her place with the Hawthorne Family.

I love the Hawthornes, they're all so loving and welcoming, can't to see the rest of the sibling stories unfold.
Profile Image for Carla.
80 reviews4 followers
March 31, 2026
Soft cowboys, found family, and healing after heartbreak?? Say less.

This is the kind of small-town romance that wraps around you like a warm hug — dusty roads, big skies, and a man who actually knows how to treat a woman right. Cas Hawthorne? Protective, patient, and quietly obsessed… we LOVE to see it.

Penny’s journey hits deep — running from her past, learning to trust again, and finding a family she never knew she needed. The Hawthornes aren’t just side characters, they’re the heart of the whole story.

It’s low spice but high emotion — more about healing, safety, and that soft, steady kind of love that sneaks up on you.

If you’re into:
🤠 Small-town cowboy romance
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family vibes
❤️ Trauma → healing → love
✨ Protective MMC energy

…this one will have you hooked.

Short, sweet, and dangerously easy to devour in one sitting.
Profile Image for Mark Pugh.
15 reviews
September 22, 2026
I don't always rate romance books five stars but I think Under the Orange Sky really deserved it and I had a great time reading it. Running away from her abusive ex boyfriend, our female main character Penny breaks down in a small town in Wyoming and this is where she meets the handsome local sheriff Cas Hawthorne who is smitten with Penny from the first moment that he sets his eyes on her. Cas is not only good looking but he's caring, protective and such a loving man and Penny slowly starts seeing all of these qualities that he possesses. After being taken in by the Hawthorne clan, Penny not only finds a family but she also finds long lasting friendships and a man who would do anything and everything to keep her safe. I highly recommend reading this and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
Profile Image for LotTea Mae.
17 reviews
November 10, 2025
The vibe:

It's sweet-and-steamy with that small town-cowboy charm-the kind of story where you're pulled into wide skies, dusty roads and a heroine who didn't plan on staying but finds something worth holding onto. The setting and characters have this warm, slow-burn authenticity that makes you root for them.🍁🍂✨️

What hit me:

The chemistry between the lead characters is believable and grounded, not just spark-flash.❤️✨️

The western backdrop is more than decor -it influences the characters' choices, the pacing and the emotional stakes.

Probably one of my tops reads this year 🍂🍁❤️
Profile Image for carolyn sim.
169 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2026
Cosy read

This book was a nice cosy read and a great book to get lost in for a while. I love the story of Cas and Penny and that the family each have their own space in their tale too. Only thing missing for me personally was when it came to them being intimate that first time I would have liked to hear how he made he feel safe and desired, not so much the detail but how she managed to let go after what Mark did but also how Cas made her believe in having that intimacy again without the pain....but apart from that their story was a lovely one to read and I'll definitely read more.
Profile Image for Lesleyann Bach.
3 reviews
November 3, 2025
Cosy Autumn Read

I loved this book, the characters are not perfect they are very relatable. I want to be part of the Hawthornes. I like how the author has hinted at future stories and cant wait to read more. Its cozy with romance but background the fmc is relatable and has a back bone the mmc actually has emotions isn't obsessed but he is written to understand about space and consent and time. Its very well rounded would reccomend to get out of ruts and something not smutty but cozy romance. Cant wait to see what else the author comes up with enjoy the stories to come.
Profile Image for Wendy Collins.
170 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2025
This was a super cute book. And easy read. No third act breakup and an HEA. I loved Cas and Penny. Penny left an abusuve relationship and found her way into Casper Hawthorne’s small town. He and his family welcomed her with open arms - penny coming in with bruises and being broken. Cas built her up - as did his family and her new friend Summer. The only thing this book was missing was an epilogue!
Profile Image for Sharon Melia.
422 reviews4 followers
August 16, 2026
WHEN PENNY RUNS FROM HER ABUSIVE EX BOYFRIEND AND TRAVELS SOUTH, ITS THE CALM & HANDSOME SHERRIFF THAT FINDS HER ON THE ROAD SIDE AND JUMPS INTO HELP.
SHE FITS RIGHT IN WITH HIS FAMILY & AS SHE HEALS. CAS IS THE ONE THAT STEPS UP & IS ALWAYS A ROCK FOR HER.
RUNNING FROM HER EX, HEALING AND FINDING THE HAWTHORNES REALLY FEELS LIKE FATE INTERVINED.
THIS IS A FEEL GOOD STORY, OF FINDING GREAT PEOPLE AND SEEING THE BEAUTY
IN A LIFE THAT HAS SHOWN HER NOTHING BUT HORROR. ITS FUN, LOVE THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES.. AND THE CHARCTERS ARE GREAT.
Profile Image for Jo Phillips .
11 reviews2 followers
October 21, 2025
I loved this book, I flew through it in one sitting it was such a smooth read! I love the hints at future stories with the siblings and the family dynamic. Just a super wholesome story, the abusive ex aspect is written tastefully and the build up of cas and penny's relationship is believable and feels natural, albeit quick due to the length of the book. All around fantastic read and I can't wait for more! Ordering a paperback as a little shelf trophy 😍
Profile Image for Katie Huyton.
167 reviews2 followers
December 15, 2025
Ate this up in 24hours!! I loved it, and I can’t wait to continue with the Hawthorne family!!
Even though there is trauma and action, this is such a beautiful and sweet romance!
Absolutely love Cas and the way he is with Penny from the very first moment is perfect. Happy tears !!
Very much looking forward to reading the next book!!
Profile Image for Lisa Salamone.
32 reviews
January 8, 2026
This book was so so wonderful to start the New Year with!! I love that it was steamy and not all explicit sex scenes!! The storyline was so sweet!! Loved all the characters and can’t wait for all the other books in the series!!! Starting the second one today!! Thank you for such a wonderful read!!!!❤️
3 reviews
July 20, 2026
This author did something I thought was impossible: Create a Family, Place and Feeling you canta help but fallus in love with. The "Who did this to you" in this book was absolutely perfect. I can't seem to get enough of the Hawthornes. Ik you like emotional romance that makes you feel like home, this ie it!
Profile Image for Sherie Cooper.
48 reviews
September 29, 2026
Wow

I have read different types of cowboys romance books and I was taken by them but I have to say this one beats them all!!! I fell in love with this book on the first two sentences!!! I am so glad that Penny got her love story with Cas. You can tell by how Cas feels about her real quick and he treated her with the respect she deserves and show you how you are supposed to love someone!!! This book is amazing and I couldn't put it down!!!
94 reviews
November 1, 2025
I loved this book, kept me up until 2am reading. If there isn’t a spare brother to marry then I want the Hawthornes to adopt me. I cried 3 times, I am hormonal but I still think it’s impressive given this book is only 190 pages. Excited that 2nd in series is coming in Dec, not too long to wait until I’m back at Hawthorne Ranch and B&B.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews