What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kelly Ranch #4
Set It Right
Cormac Kelly was my first best friend…and he broke my heart before I even knew it was his to break.
Every summer of my childhood belonged to Sugar Brush, Wyoming and the boy with pale blue eyes who knew all my secrets. We spent those long, golden days running wild across his family’s ranch, covered in dirt and convinced nothing would ever change.
But things do change. And somewhere along the way, my first best friend became a stranger.
Then the night before my wedding, I accidentally overheard what Cormac really thought of me, pushing me into making the worst decision of my life.
Three years later, I’m divorced and back in Sugar Brush for the summer, working as an outdoor adventure guide and hoping this will be the fresh start I need.
But Cormac still lives on the ranch. And he’s impossible to avoid.
He’s there when I need help. When I need a steady hand. And the gentle way he looks at me now doesn’t match the cruel words I heard him say that night.
The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever walked away from each other.
When one unexpected kiss sparks a passion neither of us saw coming, I start to question everything I thought I knew.
Did I misunderstand the night that changed everything?
Did we let the best thing in our lives slip away?
And more importantly…how can I let myself fall for Cormac when we both know this summer is all the time we have?
Every summer of my childhood belonged to Sugar Brush, Wyoming and the boy with pale blue eyes who knew all my secrets. We spent those long, golden days running wild across his family’s ranch, covered in dirt and convinced nothing would ever change.
But things do change. And somewhere along the way, my first best friend became a stranger.
Then the night before my wedding, I accidentally overheard what Cormac really thought of me, pushing me into making the worst decision of my life.
Three years later, I’m divorced and back in Sugar Brush for the summer, working as an outdoor adventure guide and hoping this will be the fresh start I need.
But Cormac still lives on the ranch. And he’s impossible to avoid.
He’s there when I need help. When I need a steady hand. And the gentle way he looks at me now doesn’t match the cruel words I heard him say that night.
The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever walked away from each other.
When one unexpected kiss sparks a passion neither of us saw coming, I start to question everything I thought I knew.
Did I misunderstand the night that changed everything?
Did we let the best thing in our lives slip away?
And more importantly…how can I let myself fall for Cormac when we both know this summer is all the time we have?
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2026
About the author
Julia Wolf
50 books3,622 followersJulia lives in Maryland with her patient husband and three crazy, beautiful kids!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
May 20, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
This book is dedicated to an important public service announcement: Communication is free.
Unfortunately, nobody informed the main characters.
The result is years of longing, missed opportunities, emotional devastation and enough "what ifs" to power an entire small town.
Fortunately, one of those people was Cormac Kelly. Carrying the emotional weight of this romance like ranch equipment.
What worked for me
(aka: Wyoming's leading supplier of yearning)
The strongest part of this book was never the mystery, the financial investigation or the future logistics.
It was always Cormac.
This man spent years quietly loving Zara while convincing himself she deserved whatever made her happiest, even if it wasn't him. He wasn't possessive, manipulative or keeping score. He simply showed up. Again and again. Through grief, mistakes, distance, misunderstandings and enough missed opportunities to fuel several therapy sessions.
And when the yearning finally clocked in? It immediately started collecting overtime.
Suddenly the emotional moments started landing harder, the history mattered more and Cormac Kelly was out here collecting emotional damages from the reader.
The emotional vulnerability worked far better for me than the romance's bigger declarations. The moments that stuck with me weren't necessarily the grand speeches but the quieter ones. The history. The familiarity. The certainty that these two knew each other better than anyone else.
The friends-to-lovers foundation was incredibly well established. The flashbacks did a lot of heavy lifting for me because they grounded their connection in something deeper than attraction. Every glimpse into their younger years reinforced why they mattered to each other and why losing that friendship hurt so much.
I also loved how affectionate Zara became once she finally got out of her own way. When she was in, she was all in. The playful affection, the comfort, the complete inability to stop touching his face - it felt earned because it grew out of years of friendship rather than appearing overnight.
And despite my complaints elsewhere, I absolutely bought that these two belonged together.
Where it lost me
(aka: communication's longest origin story)
The pacing was moving at ranch speed.
This book had a habit of delivering a really strong emotional reveal...and then spending several chapters slowly processing information I already knew.
The reveals themselves worked. The space between them sometimes didn't.
There were stretches where I felt like I was waiting for the next meaningful development while the story circled emotional territory it had already covered. Several conversations hit similar beats and by the final third I found myself wondering if we really needed quite so many pages to reach conclusions that felt inevitable.
The side plot never stood a chance.
The subplot involving Zara's ex-husband, the investigation and the financial drama wasn't bad.
I just wasn't nearly as invested in it.
Every time the story shifted away from childhood history, unresolved feelings and cowboy emotional devastation, my interest noticeably dipped.
I understood why it existed. It gave Zara closure, growth, and the opportunity to fully see her marriage for what it was.
But emotionally? I was significantly more interested in whatever Cormac was doing.
Breaking News: talking helps.
I appreciate that the book acknowledges grief, timing, insecurity and emotional avoidance as genuine obstacles.
But eventually I reached the point where I wanted less "what if?" and more "please use your words."
The irony is that communication is literally the central theme of the novel.
Which means the final conflict resolution mostly boils down to everyone finally having the honest conversations they should have been having all along.
Emotionally satisfying? Yes.
Slightly frustrating after watching them avoid those conversations for hundreds of pages?
Also yes.
Final thoughts
This was one of those romances where I liked the relationship more than I liked the actual reading experience.
I absolutely believed in Zara and Cormac as a couple.
I loved the childhood-friends-to-lovers foundation. I loved the history. I loved the devotion. I loved the yearning once it properly arrived.
I just think it could have reached the same emotional destination with fewer pages, fewer detours and a little more urgency.
Final verdict
A sweet, heartfelt second-chance romance with a strong emotional foundation, an elite yearning cowboy and enough missed communication to keep an entire small town employed.
Cormac Kelly deserved every single one of his flowers. The pacing and I, however, were not always on speaking terms.
3.5 ⭐️ - Sometimes the love of your life is waiting by the river. Sometimes all you need is one honest conversation. Unfortunately, these two required 350 pages to figure that out.
Tropes and Vibes:
• Childhood best friends to lovers
• Second chance romance
• Small-town Wyoming setting
• Summer nostalgia
• Years-long yearning
• Emotional caretaker hero
• Divorcee FMC fresh start
• "I've loved you forever" energy
• Domestic intimacy
• Mutual pining
• Found family/community feel
• Long-distance dilemma
• Emotional support grandparents
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Pre-read: Preparing myself for: summer nostalgia, divorced FMC fresh starts, cowboy yearning and one misunderstanding ruining multiple lives
As nature intended ✨️
This book is dedicated to an important public service announcement: Communication is free.
Unfortunately, nobody informed the main characters.
The result is years of longing, missed opportunities, emotional devastation and enough "what ifs" to power an entire small town.
Fortunately, one of those people was Cormac Kelly. Carrying the emotional weight of this romance like ranch equipment.
What worked for me
(aka: Wyoming's leading supplier of yearning)
The strongest part of this book was never the mystery, the financial investigation or the future logistics.
It was always Cormac.
This man spent years quietly loving Zara while convincing himself she deserved whatever made her happiest, even if it wasn't him. He wasn't possessive, manipulative or keeping score. He simply showed up. Again and again. Through grief, mistakes, distance, misunderstandings and enough missed opportunities to fuel several therapy sessions.
And when the yearning finally clocked in? It immediately started collecting overtime.
Suddenly the emotional moments started landing harder, the history mattered more and Cormac Kelly was out here collecting emotional damages from the reader.
The emotional vulnerability worked far better for me than the romance's bigger declarations. The moments that stuck with me weren't necessarily the grand speeches but the quieter ones. The history. The familiarity. The certainty that these two knew each other better than anyone else.
The friends-to-lovers foundation was incredibly well established. The flashbacks did a lot of heavy lifting for me because they grounded their connection in something deeper than attraction. Every glimpse into their younger years reinforced why they mattered to each other and why losing that friendship hurt so much.
I also loved how affectionate Zara became once she finally got out of her own way. When she was in, she was all in. The playful affection, the comfort, the complete inability to stop touching his face - it felt earned because it grew out of years of friendship rather than appearing overnight.
And despite my complaints elsewhere, I absolutely bought that these two belonged together.
Where it lost me
(aka: communication's longest origin story)
The pacing was moving at ranch speed.
This book had a habit of delivering a really strong emotional reveal...and then spending several chapters slowly processing information I already knew.
The reveals themselves worked. The space between them sometimes didn't.
There were stretches where I felt like I was waiting for the next meaningful development while the story circled emotional territory it had already covered. Several conversations hit similar beats and by the final third I found myself wondering if we really needed quite so many pages to reach conclusions that felt inevitable.
The side plot never stood a chance.
The subplot involving Zara's ex-husband, the investigation and the financial drama wasn't bad.
I just wasn't nearly as invested in it.
Every time the story shifted away from childhood history, unresolved feelings and cowboy emotional devastation, my interest noticeably dipped.
I understood why it existed. It gave Zara closure, growth, and the opportunity to fully see her marriage for what it was.
But emotionally? I was significantly more interested in whatever Cormac was doing.
Breaking News: talking helps.
I appreciate that the book acknowledges grief, timing, insecurity and emotional avoidance as genuine obstacles.
But eventually I reached the point where I wanted less "what if?" and more "please use your words."
The irony is that communication is literally the central theme of the novel.
Which means the final conflict resolution mostly boils down to everyone finally having the honest conversations they should have been having all along.
Emotionally satisfying? Yes.
Slightly frustrating after watching them avoid those conversations for hundreds of pages?
Also yes.
Final thoughts
This was one of those romances where I liked the relationship more than I liked the actual reading experience.
I absolutely believed in Zara and Cormac as a couple.
I loved the childhood-friends-to-lovers foundation. I loved the history. I loved the devotion. I loved the yearning once it properly arrived.
I just think it could have reached the same emotional destination with fewer pages, fewer detours and a little more urgency.
Final verdict
A sweet, heartfelt second-chance romance with a strong emotional foundation, an elite yearning cowboy and enough missed communication to keep an entire small town employed.
Cormac Kelly deserved every single one of his flowers. The pacing and I, however, were not always on speaking terms.
3.5 ⭐️ - Sometimes the love of your life is waiting by the river. Sometimes all you need is one honest conversation. Unfortunately, these two required 350 pages to figure that out.
Tropes and Vibes:
• Childhood best friends to lovers
• Second chance romance
• Small-town Wyoming setting
• Summer nostalgia
• Years-long yearning
• Emotional caretaker hero
• Divorcee FMC fresh start
• "I've loved you forever" energy
• Domestic intimacy
• Mutual pining
• Found family/community feel
• Long-distance dilemma
• Emotional support grandparents
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Pre-read: Preparing myself for: summer nostalgia, divorced FMC fresh starts, cowboy yearning and one misunderstanding ruining multiple lives
As nature intended ✨️
Review of advance copy received from Author
5 stars
There are so many Julia Wolf books/series I love, but I think her ‘Kelly Ranch’ series is my top favorite!
Cormac Kelly’s book is the final book of the series, and it’s with his childhood best friend, Zara. First off, if you’ve read Julia’s backlist, you know both of their parents, which makes this book/connection so much sweeter!
I adore a childhood friend-to-lovers romance. The trust this couple has in each other, the history, and most importantly… the pining! Gah! It was truly the sweetest, and I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I was reading.
Set it Right was a slow-burn, small-town, friends-to-lovers romance that hit all the right spots! I loved that these two had to get back to bff status before anything romantic happened between them. The Kelly Ranch books are so special to me, and I highly recommend them!
There are so many Julia Wolf books/series I love, but I think her ‘Kelly Ranch’ series is my top favorite!
Cormac Kelly’s book is the final book of the series, and it’s with his childhood best friend, Zara. First off, if you’ve read Julia’s backlist, you know both of their parents, which makes this book/connection so much sweeter!
I adore a childhood friend-to-lovers romance. The trust this couple has in each other, the history, and most importantly… the pining! Gah! It was truly the sweetest, and I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I was reading.
Set it Right was a slow-burn, small-town, friends-to-lovers romance that hit all the right spots! I loved that these two had to get back to bff status before anything romantic happened between them. The Kelly Ranch books are so special to me, and I highly recommend them!
May 24, 2026
Me siento muy feliz porque es el segundo libro que termino 😫
May 6, 2026
This was like watching the wrong color paint dry - frustrating and boring. 😑
I read and loved the other books in the series and am so sad and disappointed that this is how it ended.
Zara ❤️ Cormac
This follows childhood best friends through their college years, then through the years when their friendship faltered, and then to present day where they reconnect on the Kelly Ranch. We see their past through various long and yawn-y flashback memories.
I would have liked this story more if the things that drove them apart made more sense. It just didn’t hang together for me.
Dropped stars:
1) The story starts w a ‘misunderstanding’ that’s dumb. The night before her wedding she overhears Cormac telling her idiot fiancé not to marry her. She was already having doubts and listening around a corner, but doesn’t think for a moment “hmmm, why would he (my once trusted soulmate friend) say that?”. She just feels betrayed and marries the guy anyway.
2) I really disliked Zara - I found her self-centered and emotionally immature. I get why she could have fallen for and married the wrong guy and I understand she was distraught after her mom’s illness. What. Ever. I don’t care. Cormac was literally by her side through everything. Then she gets to college and just… drifts away and leaves him for someone else? Also, when was the illness in relation to college? That whole timeline confused me.
3) Cormac was great; loved him. But also, wtf - you just let your “best friend” think for years that you’re friends with her boyfriend, when you actually can’t stand him and know he’s a douche who’s likely cheating on her? And you ‘tried to stop him’ but it never occurred to you to talk to Zara?
4). The ridiculous drama w the ex’s. Dumb and pointless. Why is any of this in the story? And of course, he has to fall off his horse and she needs to rescue him, and there’s a fire…. My eyes can’t roll that far.
5) The whole “what will we do, I can’t stay more than the summer” back and forth. Yes, you can. You literally have no reason to leave.
Lastly, the writing was overly detailed and focused on unnecessary parts of the story. I truly don’t care about Phoebe’s bakery stand at the town market. Nope. Don’t need 3 pages about it.
- no third act breakup
- miscommunication all over the place
- spice - starts around 50%
- MMC who’s been in love with her the whole time
- found family - yes, all the other Kelly families are present in the story
- Nicknames - Maccie and Sweetheart
- Matching tattoos - ‘To the river and back’
- OM/OW - No, they are each dedicated to each other; Cormac even breaks up w the woman he’s been seeing as soon as he sees Zara. Zara is fully over the terrible ex.
- Dual POV; HEA; 4 yr later epilogue married w children
I’m sad and mad. And slightly worried about Julia Wolf. This feels like she got tired, threw tropes on a board, and hoped they’d all stick together.
I read and loved the other books in the series and am so sad and disappointed that this is how it ended.
Zara ❤️ Cormac
This follows childhood best friends through their college years, then through the years when their friendship faltered, and then to present day where they reconnect on the Kelly Ranch. We see their past through various long and yawn-y flashback memories.
I would have liked this story more if the things that drove them apart made more sense. It just didn’t hang together for me.
Dropped stars:
1) The story starts w a ‘misunderstanding’ that’s dumb. The night before her wedding she overhears Cormac telling her idiot fiancé not to marry her. She was already having doubts and listening around a corner, but doesn’t think for a moment “hmmm, why would he (my once trusted soulmate friend) say that?”. She just feels betrayed and marries the guy anyway.
2) I really disliked Zara - I found her self-centered and emotionally immature. I get why she could have fallen for and married the wrong guy and I understand she was distraught after her mom’s illness. What. Ever. I don’t care. Cormac was literally by her side through everything. Then she gets to college and just… drifts away and leaves him for someone else? Also, when was the illness in relation to college? That whole timeline confused me.
3) Cormac was great; loved him. But also, wtf - you just let your “best friend” think for years that you’re friends with her boyfriend, when you actually can’t stand him and know he’s a douche who’s likely cheating on her? And you ‘tried to stop him’ but it never occurred to you to talk to Zara?
4). The ridiculous drama w the ex’s. Dumb and pointless. Why is any of this in the story? And of course, he has to fall off his horse and she needs to rescue him, and there’s a fire…. My eyes can’t roll that far.
5) The whole “what will we do, I can’t stay more than the summer” back and forth. Yes, you can. You literally have no reason to leave.
Lastly, the writing was overly detailed and focused on unnecessary parts of the story. I truly don’t care about Phoebe’s bakery stand at the town market. Nope. Don’t need 3 pages about it.
- no third act breakup
- miscommunication all over the place
- spice - starts around 50%
- MMC who’s been in love with her the whole time
- found family - yes, all the other Kelly families are present in the story
- Nicknames - Maccie and Sweetheart
- Matching tattoos - ‘To the river and back’
- OM/OW - No, they are each dedicated to each other; Cormac even breaks up w the woman he’s been seeing as soon as he sees Zara. Zara is fully over the terrible ex.
- Dual POV; HEA; 4 yr later epilogue married w children
I’m sad and mad. And slightly worried about Julia Wolf. This feels like she got tired, threw tropes on a board, and hoped they’d all stick together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2026
5🌟, 3🌶️
I went into this not knowing what to expect, and it completely pulled me in.
This was my first time reading this author and stepping into this series, and I was honestly surprised by how quickly I got attached. Even coming in here at the end of the series, the world felt so easy to slip into, warm and lived in, with that small town comfort that just wraps around you.
Cormac and Zara really won me over. Their shared history felt natural and grounded, and the slow way they come back to each other carried this quiet kind of longing that never felt forced. Cormac is the steady, all in type of love that just feels safe in the best way, and Zara’s journey of finding herself again made their connection feel even more meaningful. Together, they just make sense in a really soft, understated way.
This story leans more into emotion than big drama, and that actually worked in its favor for me. It’s about timing, healing, and finally choosing what has been there all along without being able to see it clearly before.
It left me with such a full, satisfied feeling.
I’m genuinely excited to go back and explore the rest of this author’s work and the earlier books in the series.
~~~~
Huge thank you to Julia Wolf and The Author Agency for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨
I went into this not knowing what to expect, and it completely pulled me in.
This was my first time reading this author and stepping into this series, and I was honestly surprised by how quickly I got attached. Even coming in here at the end of the series, the world felt so easy to slip into, warm and lived in, with that small town comfort that just wraps around you.
Cormac and Zara really won me over. Their shared history felt natural and grounded, and the slow way they come back to each other carried this quiet kind of longing that never felt forced. Cormac is the steady, all in type of love that just feels safe in the best way, and Zara’s journey of finding herself again made their connection feel even more meaningful. Together, they just make sense in a really soft, understated way.
This story leans more into emotion than big drama, and that actually worked in its favor for me. It’s about timing, healing, and finally choosing what has been there all along without being able to see it clearly before.
It left me with such a full, satisfied feeling.
I’m genuinely excited to go back and explore the rest of this author’s work and the earlier books in the series.
~~~~
Huge thank you to Julia Wolf and The Author Agency for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨
May 1, 2026
I read this book in one sitting. Honestly, if there’s one thing Julia does well, it’s writing about great love stories, with sweet, gentle, romantic romances. Kelly Ranch is honestly my favorite of all the books I’ve read by her, and omg, I’m so sad it’s over. I’m excited for what’s next; I’m taking all the beauty and sweetness of this world with me.
April 10, 2026
Literally the sweetest book I cannot even deal 😭😭😭😭
May 8, 2026
I was not ready for Cormac.
I thought Caleb would be the Kelly sibling who would do me in - but it turns out Maccie had a deeper well of emotions he was carrying around than his easy going nature lead me to believe.
Oh my HEART!
And ZARA! Of COURSE she's the daughter of Amir and Zadie. It's just - perfection. SHE'S perfection. Well, actually no. She isn't. She's a hot mess who is trying to put herself back together again in the most honest and true fashion there could be written about a strong woman who was almost destroyed by a controlling man. So - perfection in fiction.
These two just utterly destroyed me emotionally, and yet it is was the perfect ending to the Kelly Ranch series. It was the perfect farewell to Elena and Loch's children.
Maccie shares more in common with both of his parents than he has ever let on and it poured out onto these pages.
As a long time reader of this author, it was so fun (and emotional) to see these two characters flourish, grow, and rebuilt on the page.
If you are a first time reader to this series, or this author - DO NOT RUN AWAY.
One of the things I love the most about this author is her ability to make any book you pick up by her easy to read no matter where in her world you pick up in.
She's also one of those fabulous authors who fills you in on the "if you want to know the lore- here are the origin stories" in her notes sort of gal. Truly a readers author.
So. Maccie and Zara.
Once the childhood friends who couldn't be separated.
Who secretly fell in love with each other over those years.
As the author notes in her story and her flashbacks - two years is an ocean at some points in your life. At a certain age, it's not even a trickle of time.
So what happened?
Well, life happened.
A lot of life happened really quickly for Zara and she couldn't keep up. And Maccie felt that he was being closed out. (Beware these parts and keep tissues close at times. Zara goes through LIFE.)
So those two years stayed an ocean and these two just....drifted.
Zara pops back into Maccie's life as hers has reached a turning point after a failed marriage. Maccie has just finally gotten to the point of dating, finally giving up on the girl of his dreams, when Zara appears in town - and it floors him.
This story is poignant in that the characters know that they truly love each other - but they are more focused on healing their friendship first.
When the friendship fractured neither one of them had confessed their deeper feelings due to life things.
The story builds and layers as these two work on repairing the friendship with just that goal - friendship.
Watching them not only heal their past hurts, but also fall in love with the person who is standing in front of them now was a heartache of sweet and hard.
I wanted them to say things to each other sooner than the story did. (but I'm one of those readers who is all about instant gratification)
The story really needed the rebuilding of friendship and that bedrock of trust to be rebuilt for the love story to unfold the way it did.
It wasn't a miscommunication trope.
It was more friends to lovers with an undercurrent of second chance - a second chance that both characters felt but had never verbalized to each other before.
As for any miscommunications from their youth - the story resolves them in a way that removes any miscommunication tropes between the main characters.
These two go from misunderstanding things that were said, things that were unsaid but felt, and things that were said and misunderstood all through the course of their story.
Both characters also own up to their pasts, their actions, and take ownership for their past selves as well as their past actions.
It's more of a story that cleans up the miscommunication, allows the characters a chance to grow up and be the adults they are now, and to own their past mistakes and make repairs.
I like that this is a healthy growth story with both characters having their eyes opened to things that they have done in the past.
I liked the growth of communication between the two of them as well as Zara actively following up on things that she said with actions.
I liked seeing Maccie open up to her with actions and then with words. For him, that's the way his character shows trust and openness to another human.
I'm not saying it doesn't take the entire length of the book for some things to be solved. It wouldn't be a romance novel if there weren't things hanging over their heads that felt huge and unsolvable until the very end now would there be.
Additionally some things needed time for both characters to work through what really mattered to them in life in order to make it through the roadblocks. Which took the entire journey of the story to travel and solve.
And solve these issues they did. In a really wonderful way.
I loved how beautifully alive both Cormac and Zara were on the page.
How fully fleshed out they were as adults.
However, having the author add in the past/flashbacks to help fill in the gaps and to help us understand how the friendship had crumbled- it was just .... it was like watching a character grow from a child to a teen to an adult on the page. You could read the progression of both Cormac and Zara through those flashbacks, and also come to understand where some of their sticking points and pain points would be now given what they had lived through in the past.
This is a gentle ride through heartache a few times over, but also a soft blooming of a friendship formed in childhood and the characters' first love not only rekindling, but growing into an adult love and appreciation for the other person in the relationship.
Cormac and Zara are no long the college kids infatuated with their childhood crush. They are now adults who have lived through losing their person and finding them again. First as a friend, and then as a lover.
This is a beautiful story and one that I will definitely be rereading.
It also made for a gorgeous ending to this series. I couldn't have asked for a better goodbye to this part of the Kelly Ranch.
Yes I say that hoping desperately that some day Jesse pops up in a book. LOL.
I thought Caleb would be the Kelly sibling who would do me in - but it turns out Maccie had a deeper well of emotions he was carrying around than his easy going nature lead me to believe.
Oh my HEART!
And ZARA! Of COURSE she's the daughter of Amir and Zadie. It's just - perfection. SHE'S perfection. Well, actually no. She isn't. She's a hot mess who is trying to put herself back together again in the most honest and true fashion there could be written about a strong woman who was almost destroyed by a controlling man. So - perfection in fiction.
These two just utterly destroyed me emotionally, and yet it is was the perfect ending to the Kelly Ranch series. It was the perfect farewell to Elena and Loch's children.
Maccie shares more in common with both of his parents than he has ever let on and it poured out onto these pages.
As a long time reader of this author, it was so fun (and emotional) to see these two characters flourish, grow, and rebuilt on the page.
If you are a first time reader to this series, or this author - DO NOT RUN AWAY.
One of the things I love the most about this author is her ability to make any book you pick up by her easy to read no matter where in her world you pick up in.
She's also one of those fabulous authors who fills you in on the "if you want to know the lore- here are the origin stories" in her notes sort of gal. Truly a readers author.
So. Maccie and Zara.
Once the childhood friends who couldn't be separated.
Who secretly fell in love with each other over those years.
As the author notes in her story and her flashbacks - two years is an ocean at some points in your life. At a certain age, it's not even a trickle of time.
So what happened?
Well, life happened.
A lot of life happened really quickly for Zara and she couldn't keep up. And Maccie felt that he was being closed out. (Beware these parts and keep tissues close at times. Zara goes through LIFE.)
So those two years stayed an ocean and these two just....drifted.
Zara pops back into Maccie's life as hers has reached a turning point after a failed marriage. Maccie has just finally gotten to the point of dating, finally giving up on the girl of his dreams, when Zara appears in town - and it floors him.
This story is poignant in that the characters know that they truly love each other - but they are more focused on healing their friendship first.
When the friendship fractured neither one of them had confessed their deeper feelings due to life things.
The story builds and layers as these two work on repairing the friendship with just that goal - friendship.
Watching them not only heal their past hurts, but also fall in love with the person who is standing in front of them now was a heartache of sweet and hard.
I wanted them to say things to each other sooner than the story did. (but I'm one of those readers who is all about instant gratification)
The story really needed the rebuilding of friendship and that bedrock of trust to be rebuilt for the love story to unfold the way it did.
It wasn't a miscommunication trope.
It was more friends to lovers with an undercurrent of second chance - a second chance that both characters felt but had never verbalized to each other before.
As for any miscommunications from their youth - the story resolves them in a way that removes any miscommunication tropes between the main characters.
These two go from misunderstanding things that were said, things that were unsaid but felt, and things that were said and misunderstood all through the course of their story.
Both characters also own up to their pasts, their actions, and take ownership for their past selves as well as their past actions.
It's more of a story that cleans up the miscommunication, allows the characters a chance to grow up and be the adults they are now, and to own their past mistakes and make repairs.
I like that this is a healthy growth story with both characters having their eyes opened to things that they have done in the past.
I liked the growth of communication between the two of them as well as Zara actively following up on things that she said with actions.
I liked seeing Maccie open up to her with actions and then with words. For him, that's the way his character shows trust and openness to another human.
I'm not saying it doesn't take the entire length of the book for some things to be solved. It wouldn't be a romance novel if there weren't things hanging over their heads that felt huge and unsolvable until the very end now would there be.
Additionally some things needed time for both characters to work through what really mattered to them in life in order to make it through the roadblocks. Which took the entire journey of the story to travel and solve.
And solve these issues they did. In a really wonderful way.
I loved how beautifully alive both Cormac and Zara were on the page.
How fully fleshed out they were as adults.
However, having the author add in the past/flashbacks to help fill in the gaps and to help us understand how the friendship had crumbled- it was just .... it was like watching a character grow from a child to a teen to an adult on the page. You could read the progression of both Cormac and Zara through those flashbacks, and also come to understand where some of their sticking points and pain points would be now given what they had lived through in the past.
This is a gentle ride through heartache a few times over, but also a soft blooming of a friendship formed in childhood and the characters' first love not only rekindling, but growing into an adult love and appreciation for the other person in the relationship.
Cormac and Zara are no long the college kids infatuated with their childhood crush. They are now adults who have lived through losing their person and finding them again. First as a friend, and then as a lover.
This is a beautiful story and one that I will definitely be rereading.
It also made for a gorgeous ending to this series. I couldn't have asked for a better goodbye to this part of the Kelly Ranch.
Yes I say that hoping desperately that some day Jesse pops up in a book. LOL.
May 22, 2026
I have loved this entire series, and it always hits me in my feels when the last installment rolls around, but this book? There was something so pure and magical about it. I don't know if it's because I've been on a friends to lovers kick, or the fact that Cormac was *such* an amazing hero and I just wanted to give that mountain man a giant hug, or the fact that Zara is setting BOTH of their hearts right once and for all.
These two used to be the best of friends-- truly inseparable. Cormac has always been in love with her, but never knew just how or when to tell her without ruining their friendship. Once they hit college, their friendship hits a real rough patch, especially when Zara falls for his college roommate.. and when she hears an out of context conversation between her fiance and Cormac the night before her wedding. Now, she is officially divorced and is once again returning to the Kelly Ranch as an outdoor guide, and she and her ex best friend are slowly mending their hearts and getting closure as to what actually happened between them, and maaaaan -- just have the tissues ready!
I truly loved Zara, but my heart was with Cormac through and through! I love a MMC who has only ever loved the heroine even though he's tried to move on from her, who wants to help her despite the personal cost to himself, and who cries because not having her is like missing a vital part of himself? AND the secret tattoo?!?! I need this sweet angel baby now!
I just love how everything unfolded, and I love this series so much! I love seeing Elena any chance we get, I love all the couples, and I know I will be reading this series again and again!!
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest **
These two used to be the best of friends-- truly inseparable. Cormac has always been in love with her, but never knew just how or when to tell her without ruining their friendship. Once they hit college, their friendship hits a real rough patch, especially when Zara falls for his college roommate.. and when she hears an out of context conversation between her fiance and Cormac the night before her wedding. Now, she is officially divorced and is once again returning to the Kelly Ranch as an outdoor guide, and she and her ex best friend are slowly mending their hearts and getting closure as to what actually happened between them, and maaaaan -- just have the tissues ready!
I truly loved Zara, but my heart was with Cormac through and through! I love a MMC who has only ever loved the heroine even though he's tried to move on from her, who wants to help her despite the personal cost to himself, and who cries because not having her is like missing a vital part of himself? AND the secret tattoo?!?! I need this sweet angel baby now!
I just love how everything unfolded, and I love this series so much! I love seeing Elena any chance we get, I love all the couples, and I know I will be reading this series again and again!!
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest **
April 20, 2026
I gave this a 5⭐️ for the simple fact that this couple was so freaking cute and had me loving every second of it. Cormac was the gooiest man I think I have ever read. This man was so down bad for so long, he yearned for Zara for sooooo many years. And Zara, she was just as sweet, calling this man cute.
This book made me so sad for Cormac. Zara getting married to someone that wasn’t him in the beginning, hit me right in the feels because you could tell how much he really cared for her. Give me a sad boy any day though because yearning is back and it has never been better.
Zara and Cormac’s story is truly the most precious of all the Kelley clan because they were best friends who always sought each other out and thought that this would be forever. But with a falling out and not speaking for years, Zara showing back up back at the ranch, divorced and working there for the summer, it’s like no time has passed for Zara and Cormac. And their saying, “to the river and back,” right in the feels. When you read this, you’ll know why. I just will never be over how protective Cormac was or how much he just wanted to take care of Zara like she always wanted to be treated. This book was a breath of fresh air like all of Julia Wolf’s books.
It’s so sad to see this series end. I love each and every one of these books. The ending gutted me a little and made me miss something I never had to begin with but got to read about.
Thank you to Julia Wold and The Author Agency for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
✨Small ton
✨Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
✨Second chance
✨Light suspense
✨Family saga
This book made me so sad for Cormac. Zara getting married to someone that wasn’t him in the beginning, hit me right in the feels because you could tell how much he really cared for her. Give me a sad boy any day though because yearning is back and it has never been better.
Zara and Cormac’s story is truly the most precious of all the Kelley clan because they were best friends who always sought each other out and thought that this would be forever. But with a falling out and not speaking for years, Zara showing back up back at the ranch, divorced and working there for the summer, it’s like no time has passed for Zara and Cormac. And their saying, “to the river and back,” right in the feels. When you read this, you’ll know why. I just will never be over how protective Cormac was or how much he just wanted to take care of Zara like she always wanted to be treated. This book was a breath of fresh air like all of Julia Wolf’s books.
It’s so sad to see this series end. I love each and every one of these books. The ending gutted me a little and made me miss something I never had to begin with but got to read about.
Thank you to Julia Wold and The Author Agency for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
✨Small ton
✨Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
✨Second chance
✨Light suspense
✨Family saga
April 13, 2026
A beautiful, wholesome novel about young love, missed opportunities, and the chance to set it right… and boy did they.
I loved Zara and Maccie so much. Their story just flowed so naturally, and it felt easy to read, especially after all the crap Z’s ex pulled. Cormac gave her the love she’d always wanted and deserved, and honestly, the maturity in this book was everything. No resentment, no hate; just accepting the past and choosing to build something better.
I cried a few times. Cormac is just so cute 🥹🫣
I also have to mention the side characters; some from previous books in the series and some from the Savage U series. I loved seeing them older but still completely themselves. The side characters were brilliant; Jett and his mum, Zane and Steven… and Javier and Henrik’s little mini arc 🥹 it made me so happy! And of course, we can’t forget Mrs K.
“To the river and back” 🕊️
I honestly can’t wait to see what comes next. 🩷
I loved Zara and Maccie so much. Their story just flowed so naturally, and it felt easy to read, especially after all the crap Z’s ex pulled. Cormac gave her the love she’d always wanted and deserved, and honestly, the maturity in this book was everything. No resentment, no hate; just accepting the past and choosing to build something better.
I cried a few times. Cormac is just so cute 🥹🫣
I also have to mention the side characters; some from previous books in the series and some from the Savage U series. I loved seeing them older but still completely themselves. The side characters were brilliant; Jett and his mum, Zane and Steven… and Javier and Henrik’s little mini arc 🥹 it made me so happy! And of course, we can’t forget Mrs K.
“To the river and back” 🕊️
I honestly can’t wait to see what comes next. 🩷
April 14, 2026
I am never disappointed when reading one of Julia Wolf’s books. In my opinion this book has some serious “The Notebook” level quotable quotes on love. I refuse to share them because I need for you to enjoy them in the moment. This is one of those books I wish I could read for the first time all over again. Absolutely hands down stunning writing about love, loss and what it means to be able to have a second chance.
Cormac (Maccie) and Zara’s story is no different . Each set of characters holds a place in my heart! The Kelly kids though… oh boy the Kelley kids are Elaina and Lach’s ( from Sweet Like Poison) children and now grandchildren are a favorite for sure. They are the best of their parents and this story is extra special because it connects back to two books/ couples from the Savage U series. Zara is Zadie and Amir’s ( from Bright like Midnight)daughter.
Zara and Cormac have been best friends since they were babies. They spent every summer together growing up and always were together. These characters are so amazing. Cormac is sweet, emotionally intelligent, kind and so much more. As they grew up they drifted apart for a number of reasons…now Zara is looking for a fresh start after her divorce, trying to find who she is again and decide going back to her favorite place where she spent every summer is where she will be able to do that best. She agrees to be an adventure guide on the Kelley Ranch. The only problem is Cormac is there.
Cormac is going through the motions in life not really sure why he and Zara stopped talking. When she comes back into town he is very sure he cannot keep living his life the way he is without her in it.; even if he isn’t sure what that means exactly.
This one is so good. The Kelley crew is out in full force and routing for Zara and Cormac to find their friendship again… hopefully more. These two were so connected their whole lives and coming back to each other reminds them just how much.
A little something for everyone
- second chance romance
- friends to enemies to lovers
-starting over
- coming into her own
-strong female characters
-family support all around on both sides
-spice, chemistry, and connection
-a little post divorce pot stirring from the ex…
***Honest review from an advanced reader copy ***
Cormac (Maccie) and Zara’s story is no different . Each set of characters holds a place in my heart! The Kelly kids though… oh boy the Kelley kids are Elaina and Lach’s ( from Sweet Like Poison) children and now grandchildren are a favorite for sure. They are the best of their parents and this story is extra special because it connects back to two books/ couples from the Savage U series. Zara is Zadie and Amir’s ( from Bright like Midnight)daughter.
Zara and Cormac have been best friends since they were babies. They spent every summer together growing up and always were together. These characters are so amazing. Cormac is sweet, emotionally intelligent, kind and so much more. As they grew up they drifted apart for a number of reasons…now Zara is looking for a fresh start after her divorce, trying to find who she is again and decide going back to her favorite place where she spent every summer is where she will be able to do that best. She agrees to be an adventure guide on the Kelley Ranch. The only problem is Cormac is there.
Cormac is going through the motions in life not really sure why he and Zara stopped talking. When she comes back into town he is very sure he cannot keep living his life the way he is without her in it.; even if he isn’t sure what that means exactly.
This one is so good. The Kelley crew is out in full force and routing for Zara and Cormac to find their friendship again… hopefully more. These two were so connected their whole lives and coming back to each other reminds them just how much.
A little something for everyone
- second chance romance
- friends to enemies to lovers
-starting over
- coming into her own
-strong female characters
-family support all around on both sides
-spice, chemistry, and connection
-a little post divorce pot stirring from the ex…
***Honest review from an advanced reader copy ***
May 8, 2026
4.5⭐️ 2🔥 [ARC]
I swear this series gives me the warm and fuzzies every single time. I was grinning like a fool through the entire book.
You want a man who yearns? Read this.
You want a man absolutely desperate for her? READ THIS.
These two had such a natural connection, and that’s what made me fall so hard for them. Even when they crossed the line from friends to something more, there was no awkwardness or forced tension, just two people who fit together so effortlessly. The touchiness, the praise, the comfort they found in each other… I couldn't get enough.
Set It Right is the perfect “right person, wrong time” romance, and their love story genuinely made me tear up. Beautiful, emotional, and full of heart. I loved them so much!
• Small town romance
• Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
• Second chance
• Family saga
I swear this series gives me the warm and fuzzies every single time. I was grinning like a fool through the entire book.
You want a man who yearns? Read this.
You want a man absolutely desperate for her? READ THIS.
These two had such a natural connection, and that’s what made me fall so hard for them. Even when they crossed the line from friends to something more, there was no awkwardness or forced tension, just two people who fit together so effortlessly. The touchiness, the praise, the comfort they found in each other… I couldn't get enough.
Set It Right is the perfect “right person, wrong time” romance, and their love story genuinely made me tear up. Beautiful, emotional, and full of heart. I loved them so much!
• Small town romance
• Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
• Second chance
• Family saga
May 4, 2026
I was lucky enough to read this as an ARC and as a huge Julia wolf fan and a lover of the Kelly clan I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me, I love a book that drags me in and refuses to let go while the characters feel like they are a part of my life and I’m just a fly on the wall. I didn’t get any of that with Set it Right. If you like cute some mild spice between friend to lovers, small town, found family then give the book a whirl and see how you get on.
May 2, 2026
Amazon
Cormac wasn't sure he'd ever see his former best friend, Zara, again, but she's back now, and maybe he can finally get answers. He's always loved her, still loves her, and if he has his way, she'll know it, feel it, and reciprocate that love.
Zara never planned on coming back here to Sugar Brush, but she needs a new start, and a new job. She knows she'll have to see Cormac at some point, but until then she's going to figure out how to act when she does see him. She wasn't, but should have been, prepared for the way her heart reacts to him, even though she can't help remember the awful things he said about her the night before her wedding. But just maybe the words he said had a context she didn't know. Will that context mean they can go back to being the best friends they used to be? Or even more...
Ahhh, these two are so freaking sweet! Our man Cormac is down bad, has always been, for his girl Zara. I can't remember the last time I read a more adorably in love hero. Zara may have avoided him, but there was no way she was going to escape a man as intent as he, in his sweet, persistent way. I loved spending my time with the men and women of Kelly Ranch, and I'm sad this is the last of them. But if it had to end, Julia picked the sweetest couple for the conclusion.
ARC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review.
Review Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.
Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub | StoryGraph | Linktree
May 20, 2026
This was the perfect ending to the Kelly Ranch series. What a special ending this was. It was the second-generation children of both parents who were from Savage U. Cormac “Maccie” Kelly had a deep well of emotions he was still carrying around. More than his easy-going nature led us to believe. And guess who his heart has belonged to since forever? You know her parents, they would go to the ranch every summer, Zadie and Amir. Their daughter Zara is two years younger than Cormac.
Her life after college became a hot mess when she married Jackson. Actually, it started before that. She had been so excited to get to college to be with Cormac. But on the day they met, it was extremely overwhelming for her. They met in the cafeteria and every five minutes, the girl wanted to say hi and the guys wanted to invite him to a party. She realized that when they were at the ranch, or he had come to her house she got his undivided attention.
She never had to share him because he was all hers. “I’m glad you finally decided to hang out with me. I was beginning to think you were too cool for me.” “The opposite. Do you really want to be seen with a lowly freshman when you’re a junior? I’ll destroy your reputation.” He barked a laugh. “What reputation?” Right after he’d asked her that, a group of pretty girls walked by, all of them flirting with him. A minute later, a couple of guys clapped him on the shoulder and asked him about a party happening that weekend.
And a minute or two after that, a guy and a girl stopped to ask him about a study group. Her stomach twisted tighter and tighter each time. I wasn’t used to this. Sharing him made her feel like a top spinning out of control. Her jealous mind wanted to bundle him up and run away with him, so she could have him to herself. They were supposed to be best friends, but they’d never been a regular part of each other’s lives. Not in person for an extended period.
What if he saw right through her? What if everything changed? Her fingers clenched in her lap, and her eyes started to burn. What was that? It wasn’t a good feeling, and she always felt good with Cormac. If things were off or teetering in the wrong direction, he’d always been the one to set it right. “You should come with me,” he said, knocking her out of her mental spiral. “Where?” “The party Ben and Cam were talking about. It should be fun.”
The ones he’d introduced me to, putting his arm around me and telling them I was his best friend. His Zara. And they’d already known who she was. They had both lit up when he’d said her name. It should have made her feel better. Why hadn’t it made her feel better? When she didn’t answer, he rushed out, “If you don’t want to be stuck with me all night, you could bring some of your new friends. I’d like to meet them.” “I’ll let you know. I’m not really sure what’s going on this weekend.”
He slowly nodded. “Right. You might get a better offer.” I forced a smile. “You never know. I’ve got to keep my options open.” His laugh sounded just as forced. “Hopefully I’ll make the cut.” It was after that that things started going downhill. Then his new roommate, Jackson was a bad omen waiting to happen. But here she is at twenty-six, divorced, no job, no home, and heading to Montana to be a guide at Kelly Ranch. But the hard part will be seeing Cormac after hearing him try to talk Jackson out of marrying her and him not talking to her at the reception. They were due for a talk. The only ones that don’t know they're in love is them.
Her life after college became a hot mess when she married Jackson. Actually, it started before that. She had been so excited to get to college to be with Cormac. But on the day they met, it was extremely overwhelming for her. They met in the cafeteria and every five minutes, the girl wanted to say hi and the guys wanted to invite him to a party. She realized that when they were at the ranch, or he had come to her house she got his undivided attention.
She never had to share him because he was all hers. “I’m glad you finally decided to hang out with me. I was beginning to think you were too cool for me.” “The opposite. Do you really want to be seen with a lowly freshman when you’re a junior? I’ll destroy your reputation.” He barked a laugh. “What reputation?” Right after he’d asked her that, a group of pretty girls walked by, all of them flirting with him. A minute later, a couple of guys clapped him on the shoulder and asked him about a party happening that weekend.
And a minute or two after that, a guy and a girl stopped to ask him about a study group. Her stomach twisted tighter and tighter each time. I wasn’t used to this. Sharing him made her feel like a top spinning out of control. Her jealous mind wanted to bundle him up and run away with him, so she could have him to herself. They were supposed to be best friends, but they’d never been a regular part of each other’s lives. Not in person for an extended period.
What if he saw right through her? What if everything changed? Her fingers clenched in her lap, and her eyes started to burn. What was that? It wasn’t a good feeling, and she always felt good with Cormac. If things were off or teetering in the wrong direction, he’d always been the one to set it right. “You should come with me,” he said, knocking her out of her mental spiral. “Where?” “The party Ben and Cam were talking about. It should be fun.”
The ones he’d introduced me to, putting his arm around me and telling them I was his best friend. His Zara. And they’d already known who she was. They had both lit up when he’d said her name. It should have made her feel better. Why hadn’t it made her feel better? When she didn’t answer, he rushed out, “If you don’t want to be stuck with me all night, you could bring some of your new friends. I’d like to meet them.” “I’ll let you know. I’m not really sure what’s going on this weekend.”
He slowly nodded. “Right. You might get a better offer.” I forced a smile. “You never know. I’ve got to keep my options open.” His laugh sounded just as forced. “Hopefully I’ll make the cut.” It was after that that things started going downhill. Then his new roommate, Jackson was a bad omen waiting to happen. But here she is at twenty-six, divorced, no job, no home, and heading to Montana to be a guide at Kelly Ranch. But the hard part will be seeing Cormac after hearing him try to talk Jackson out of marrying her and him not talking to her at the reception. They were due for a talk. The only ones that don’t know they're in love is them.
May 10, 2026
Alright… let’s talk about this one.
Because I have mixed feelings.
And they are all centered around one person.
Zara.
---
📚 **The Situation**
This is the final book in the Kelly Ranch series by Julia Wolf, and this is Cormack and Zara’s story.
Now listen—
This series as a whole?
Beautiful.
Well-written.
Emotionally grounded.
But THIS book?
Had me struggling in one very specific area.
---
💀 **Character Energy**
**Zara (FMC):**
Let’s go ahead and say it:
Everything about Zara felt self-serving.
And that’s why I struggled to connect with her.
Because throughout this book, it was always:
– what Zara needed
– what Zara wanted
– what Zara felt
Meanwhile she’s:
– holding onto secrets (like that job interview in Oregon 👀)
– asking Cormack what it will take for him to love her again
– fully aware that this man would go above and beyond for her
And still moving like… it’s all about her.
Even when she *knew*:
> “His needs mattered just as much as mine.”
Ma’am.
You said it.
Did you believe it???
Because your actions were telling a different story.
---
**Cormack (MMC):**
Now let’s talk about the REAL star.
Cormack???
Sir.
The man that you are.
Emotionally intelligent.
Emotionally available.
Kind. Patient. Steady.
The longing this man had for Zara???
Should be studied.
Even when she walked away from their friendship…
Even when she chose someone else…
Even when she came back into his life like nothing happened…
He still showed up with care.
With honesty.
With intention.
Top five book boyfriends.
Easily.
---
👑 **MVP (no discussion): Zane**
Zara’s brother?
A real one.
He tells her the truth.
Doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
And his relationship with his husband Steven???
So soft. So sweet.
Loved that.
---
😒 **What Didn’t Work**
My issue was never the writing.
It was Zara.
Because I could never fully get behind her motivations.
She:
– lost herself in her marriage
– abandoned an important friendship
– came back expecting emotional access
And then continued to move in ways that felt…
self-centered.
Even her healing felt like it revolved around what she needed—
not necessarily what she had broken.
And while her redemption arc was:
– slow
– intentional
– realistic
It just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to.
Because even at the end…
It still felt like it was always about Zara.
---
😏 **What Worked**
Now THIS is where the book shines:
– The writing is beautiful
– The characters feel real and grounded
– The emotional depth is there
– The series continuity is seamless
Julia Wolf knows how to build a world and let you live in it.
You meet these characters.
You understand them.
You watch them grow.
And that’s exactly what happened here.
Even if I didn’t fully connect with Zara…
I connected with the story.
---
🔥 **Spice Rating (13Pages Scale)**
🌶️🌶️ — Soft heat, emotionally driven
---
📊 **Book Rating (13Pages Scale)**
⭐⭐⭐⭐ — I liked it… even if I had notes
---
🧨 **Final Verdict**
This was a beautiful, emotional, character-driven story.
But my connection to it was held back by Zara.
Cormack carried this book on his back.
Respectfully.
And while her journey made sense…
It just didn’t hit for me the way I needed it to.
---
💬 **Signature Outro**
Cormack, the man you are.
Zara… we need to talk.
Because I have mixed feelings.
And they are all centered around one person.
Zara.
---
📚 **The Situation**
This is the final book in the Kelly Ranch series by Julia Wolf, and this is Cormack and Zara’s story.
Now listen—
This series as a whole?
Beautiful.
Well-written.
Emotionally grounded.
But THIS book?
Had me struggling in one very specific area.
---
💀 **Character Energy**
**Zara (FMC):**
Let’s go ahead and say it:
Everything about Zara felt self-serving.
And that’s why I struggled to connect with her.
Because throughout this book, it was always:
– what Zara needed
– what Zara wanted
– what Zara felt
Meanwhile she’s:
– holding onto secrets (like that job interview in Oregon 👀)
– asking Cormack what it will take for him to love her again
– fully aware that this man would go above and beyond for her
And still moving like… it’s all about her.
Even when she *knew*:
> “His needs mattered just as much as mine.”
Ma’am.
You said it.
Did you believe it???
Because your actions were telling a different story.
---
**Cormack (MMC):**
Now let’s talk about the REAL star.
Cormack???
Sir.
The man that you are.
Emotionally intelligent.
Emotionally available.
Kind. Patient. Steady.
The longing this man had for Zara???
Should be studied.
Even when she walked away from their friendship…
Even when she chose someone else…
Even when she came back into his life like nothing happened…
He still showed up with care.
With honesty.
With intention.
Top five book boyfriends.
Easily.
---
👑 **MVP (no discussion): Zane**
Zara’s brother?
A real one.
He tells her the truth.
Doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
And his relationship with his husband Steven???
So soft. So sweet.
Loved that.
---
😒 **What Didn’t Work**
My issue was never the writing.
It was Zara.
Because I could never fully get behind her motivations.
She:
– lost herself in her marriage
– abandoned an important friendship
– came back expecting emotional access
And then continued to move in ways that felt…
self-centered.
Even her healing felt like it revolved around what she needed—
not necessarily what she had broken.
And while her redemption arc was:
– slow
– intentional
– realistic
It just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to.
Because even at the end…
It still felt like it was always about Zara.
---
😏 **What Worked**
Now THIS is where the book shines:
– The writing is beautiful
– The characters feel real and grounded
– The emotional depth is there
– The series continuity is seamless
Julia Wolf knows how to build a world and let you live in it.
You meet these characters.
You understand them.
You watch them grow.
And that’s exactly what happened here.
Even if I didn’t fully connect with Zara…
I connected with the story.
---
🔥 **Spice Rating (13Pages Scale)**
🌶️🌶️ — Soft heat, emotionally driven
---
📊 **Book Rating (13Pages Scale)**
⭐⭐⭐⭐ — I liked it… even if I had notes
---
🧨 **Final Verdict**
This was a beautiful, emotional, character-driven story.
But my connection to it was held back by Zara.
Cormack carried this book on his back.
Respectfully.
And while her journey made sense…
It just didn’t hit for me the way I needed it to.
---
💬 **Signature Outro**
Cormack, the man you are.
Zara… we need to talk.
May 17, 2026
Practically perfect in every way! This was such a joy to read. It is exactly the kind of book I want to disappear into. Like sinking into a lovely, warm bubble bath.
Honestly, this is probably my favorite book of Wolf’s and I’ve read almost all of them. Several of them twice.
I can’t stress enough how much I appreciate a romance book filled with kindness, and this book was full of it. The romance between Zara and Cormac was so dang sweet! I loved everything about it.
And the spicy scenes were seriously so romantic and tender! Hot!!! But also achingly sweet. 😍🥵👌
This book is definitely going on my rereads list and is the top spot for my favorite book of 2026 so far.
Play by play and spoilers below (and honestly just a lot of me gushing and raving):
********************************
So far this is just such a lovely, sweet romance. I’m loving it. Hope I’m not jinxing anything by saying that. 😬 29%
Yes! Love direct communication! 34%
Zara wooing Cormac is everything! 😍 38%
Zara needs to call her dad. Amir will handle Jackson. 39%
I am seriously high off of this book! 😍 A good romance book is better than drugs! 49%
omg! It’s getting hot in here! 🥵🪭😍 51%
That was the hottest, sweetest, most romantic sex scene I’ve read in a very long time! 🥵🫠 Well done Ms. Wolf! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 54%
Oh my gosh. The Mac and cheese scene! 😍😍😍 57%
This book! So so good! Might have to put it on my “all time favorites” list. 60%
The sex is just so damn beautiful! 😭 63%
So glad Cormac didn’t hide the PI phone call from Zara! 66%
Ok Cormac. What’s the use of generational wealth if you can’t tell the love of your life to just stay with you on the ranch and not go back to the soul-destroying corporate world she doesn’t want to go back to! Propose already! 😂 71%
Mean girl Victoria is the first thing in this book that has felt unrealistic. Not too bad for being 74% in!
Ok. We have a confession of love. But we’re only at 75% My heart can’t handle a third act breakup. 😬
This is the most romantic shit ever!!!!! 😭😭😭😭
I might never recover. 💕❤️💕79%
“Everything else is details, as long as we agree on loving each other.” 😭
Omg. Is this the opposite of a third act breakup? Is this a third act double-down? 😍🤞🏻 85%
Boo. Melanie is the villain? 90% I’ll take it over a third act breakup.
This is probably a dumb question, but if a horse can access a trail, can’t a human access it? Like, I get that a vehicle can’t, but I’d be out there hiking with a headlamp and a flashlight! 93%
Oof. Knee injuries are the worst. I’m rewriting this part of the book in my head. 96%
I knew we weren’t gonna make it out of this book without some sort of high-stakes drama, but this isn’t too bad. Much better than the other books.
Henrik + Javier = 😍 97%
Ten million stars for this lovely book!
Honestly, this is probably my favorite book of Wolf’s and I’ve read almost all of them. Several of them twice.
I can’t stress enough how much I appreciate a romance book filled with kindness, and this book was full of it. The romance between Zara and Cormac was so dang sweet! I loved everything about it.
And the spicy scenes were seriously so romantic and tender! Hot!!! But also achingly sweet. 😍🥵👌
This book is definitely going on my rereads list and is the top spot for my favorite book of 2026 so far.
Play by play and spoilers below (and honestly just a lot of me gushing and raving):
********************************
So far this is just such a lovely, sweet romance. I’m loving it. Hope I’m not jinxing anything by saying that. 😬 29%
Yes! Love direct communication! 34%
Zara wooing Cormac is everything! 😍 38%
Zara needs to call her dad. Amir will handle Jackson. 39%
I am seriously high off of this book! 😍 A good romance book is better than drugs! 49%
omg! It’s getting hot in here! 🥵🪭😍 51%
That was the hottest, sweetest, most romantic sex scene I’ve read in a very long time! 🥵🫠 Well done Ms. Wolf! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 54%
Oh my gosh. The Mac and cheese scene! 😍😍😍 57%
This book! So so good! Might have to put it on my “all time favorites” list. 60%
The sex is just so damn beautiful! 😭 63%
So glad Cormac didn’t hide the PI phone call from Zara! 66%
Ok Cormac. What’s the use of generational wealth if you can’t tell the love of your life to just stay with you on the ranch and not go back to the soul-destroying corporate world she doesn’t want to go back to! Propose already! 😂 71%
Mean girl Victoria is the first thing in this book that has felt unrealistic. Not too bad for being 74% in!
Ok. We have a confession of love. But we’re only at 75% My heart can’t handle a third act breakup. 😬
This is the most romantic shit ever!!!!! 😭😭😭😭
I might never recover. 💕❤️💕79%
“Everything else is details, as long as we agree on loving each other.” 😭
Omg. Is this the opposite of a third act breakup? Is this a third act double-down? 😍🤞🏻 85%
Boo. Melanie is the villain? 90% I’ll take it over a third act breakup.
This is probably a dumb question, but if a horse can access a trail, can’t a human access it? Like, I get that a vehicle can’t, but I’d be out there hiking with a headlamp and a flashlight! 93%
Oof. Knee injuries are the worst. I’m rewriting this part of the book in my head. 96%
I knew we weren’t gonna make it out of this book without some sort of high-stakes drama, but this isn’t too bad. Much better than the other books.
Henrik + Javier = 😍 97%
Ten million stars for this lovely book!
May 11, 2026
✨ Romance Comfort-Read Alert ✨
This review comes from a reader who loves:
🛑 No cheating / no OW-OM drama
💞 Low angst (together > apart)
🚫💔 No third-act breakup — If there is one, I will tell you. NO!
👑 Strong FMC
💪 Take-charge MMC
🔥 Reformed playboy > current manwhore, but never manwhore is preferred
💬 Miscommunication allowed if resolved like adults
🏡 HEA ALWAYS
🌶️🌶️
📖
Format: 📖 on Kindle Unlimited
For the Plot:
Cormac & Zara are childhood friends. She would spend summers on Cormac's family's ranch and loved it. They are friends who have always loved one another in some capacity. At some point, it grew from kids loving their BFF to more, but that was never communicated. I'll spare all of the details, but there is a lot of history.
Zara returns to the ranch after a divorce from Jackson. We find out Jackson did some shady stuff and is looking at some trouble, but it really doesn't touch her too much. She and Cormac have gone estranged due to a misunderstanding. On the night before her wedding, she overhears Cormac tell Jackson not to marry her. Instead of asking him about it, because the whole reason she was there to overhear is that she was having doubts, she doesn't say anything. They had already grown apart by then.
So, when she returns to the ranch, it tips Cormac's world.
What I liked:
💞 Cormac was a very patient man. Honestly, I felt for him. He was in love with her when they were in college, which is when she met Jackson. She went through heavy stuff as a kid and leaned on Cormac heavily, so she felt the need not to cling to him in college. Essentially, pushing him away. He felt left behind by her b/c she got a boyfriend. He was pretty gutted. Always loving her.
💞 I like that as soon as he saw her, he dumped a girl he was very casually seeing. He would have dumped her anyway, but Zara's return pushed it for him. He knew he shouldn't be with her and even though he knew that, he said he was not the type of man to be with one woman, exclusively, while thinking of another. I can appreciate that.
💞 I love the Kelley Family. They are cute and fun.
💞 The extended ranch family is cute as well.
Honestly, there isn't a specific thing I didn't like here...it just didn't grab me as the others did. I was honestly surprised because I really expected to be super all in for Cormac and Zara. I didn't not root for them, but I wasn't consumed by them. It was honestly a bit of work for me to get through this one. I ended up skimming a lot of it.
It is a sweet story, I did like it. I think you'd like it, too. But if you've read the others, there was just something sort of flat for me about this.
This review comes from a reader who loves:
🛑 No cheating / no OW-OM drama
💞 Low angst (together > apart)
🚫💔 No third-act breakup — If there is one, I will tell you. NO!
👑 Strong FMC
💪 Take-charge MMC
🔥 Reformed playboy > current manwhore, but never manwhore is preferred
💬 Miscommunication allowed if resolved like adults
🏡 HEA ALWAYS
🌶️🌶️
📖
Format: 📖 on Kindle Unlimited
For the Plot:
Cormac & Zara are childhood friends. She would spend summers on Cormac's family's ranch and loved it. They are friends who have always loved one another in some capacity. At some point, it grew from kids loving their BFF to more, but that was never communicated. I'll spare all of the details, but there is a lot of history.
Zara returns to the ranch after a divorce from Jackson. We find out Jackson did some shady stuff and is looking at some trouble, but it really doesn't touch her too much. She and Cormac have gone estranged due to a misunderstanding. On the night before her wedding, she overhears Cormac tell Jackson not to marry her. Instead of asking him about it, because the whole reason she was there to overhear is that she was having doubts, she doesn't say anything. They had already grown apart by then.
So, when she returns to the ranch, it tips Cormac's world.
What I liked:
💞 Cormac was a very patient man. Honestly, I felt for him. He was in love with her when they were in college, which is when she met Jackson. She went through heavy stuff as a kid and leaned on Cormac heavily, so she felt the need not to cling to him in college. Essentially, pushing him away. He felt left behind by her b/c she got a boyfriend. He was pretty gutted. Always loving her.
💞 I like that as soon as he saw her, he dumped a girl he was very casually seeing. He would have dumped her anyway, but Zara's return pushed it for him. He knew he shouldn't be with her and even though he knew that, he said he was not the type of man to be with one woman, exclusively, while thinking of another. I can appreciate that.
💞 I love the Kelley Family. They are cute and fun.
💞 The extended ranch family is cute as well.
Honestly, there isn't a specific thing I didn't like here...it just didn't grab me as the others did. I was honestly surprised because I really expected to be super all in for Cormac and Zara. I didn't not root for them, but I wasn't consumed by them. It was honestly a bit of work for me to get through this one. I ended up skimming a lot of it.
It is a sweet story, I did like it. I think you'd like it, too. But if you've read the others, there was just something sort of flat for me about this.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"To the river and back"
🩵
Cormac and Zara were all the big and small dreams come true and the Kelly Ranch was the perfect place to make them all happen, at least in my mind. Set It Right captured the feeling of coming home, surrounded by family, embraced by unconditional love, knowing that home isn't always a place, but a person. However, sometimes the place holds all the people who allow you to heal, find yourself, be your true self, and just a chance to breathe. That is the Kelly family experience and I bask in it every single time I step into their world.
The quote, "to the river and back", is used between Cormac and Zara throughout the entire book. From childhood to the present, they say it to one another, and it takes on different meanings from the very literal to something extremely special. ❤️ These two have a special bond, their families have known one another for decades, which is why it's so hard to understand why these two aren't already together. That is until you truly get to know them and remember that it doesn't necessarily take a big event to lose something you want or lead you off the path you always saw yourself taking. The same can be said when setting something right (you see what I did there😉)...While Zara took steps towards her healing by living on the Kelly Ranch, it was also time to rediscover who she was and time to heal her soul. During all that it doesn't take long for her to remember that half of her soul already belonged to Cormac Kelly.💖
Cormac and Zara have known each other their entire lives. Inseparable every time they were together, but time, circumstances, and experiences change people, or at least that's what they believed. Honestly, it doesn't take Cormac long when he sees Zara again to remember the connection he had with her. I mean this man was raised by Elena and Lock, so how could he not learn everything about being steadfast in his feelings and just being down right sweet. While Cormac wants everything with Zara, this time he'll wait for forever until the moment is just right.🥰
These two are a lovely, slow burn, friends to lovers romance. Their relationship is all about the journey and how their friendship blossomed over the years😍, to how it crumbled😭, and of course how they sizzled and steamed as they reconnected after years apart🥵.
Set It Right is family, which I love above all else in this series, along with a beautiful romance- that can be yearning and a bit unrequited at times, but also hot and definitely romantic as hell!!
Cormac and Zara were all the big and small dreams come true and the Kelly Ranch was the perfect place to make them all happen, at least in my mind. Set It Right captured the feeling of coming home, surrounded by family, embraced by unconditional love, knowing that home isn't always a place, but a person. However, sometimes the place holds all the people who allow you to heal, find yourself, be your true self, and just a chance to breathe. That is the Kelly family experience and I bask in it every single time I step into their world.
The quote, "to the river and back", is used between Cormac and Zara throughout the entire book. From childhood to the present, they say it to one another, and it takes on different meanings from the very literal to something extremely special. ❤️ These two have a special bond, their families have known one another for decades, which is why it's so hard to understand why these two aren't already together. That is until you truly get to know them and remember that it doesn't necessarily take a big event to lose something you want or lead you off the path you always saw yourself taking. The same can be said when setting something right (you see what I did there😉)...While Zara took steps towards her healing by living on the Kelly Ranch, it was also time to rediscover who she was and time to heal her soul. During all that it doesn't take long for her to remember that half of her soul already belonged to Cormac Kelly.💖
Cormac and Zara have known each other their entire lives. Inseparable every time they were together, but time, circumstances, and experiences change people, or at least that's what they believed. Honestly, it doesn't take Cormac long when he sees Zara again to remember the connection he had with her. I mean this man was raised by Elena and Lock, so how could he not learn everything about being steadfast in his feelings and just being down right sweet. While Cormac wants everything with Zara, this time he'll wait for forever until the moment is just right.🥰
These two are a lovely, slow burn, friends to lovers romance. Their relationship is all about the journey and how their friendship blossomed over the years😍, to how it crumbled😭, and of course how they sizzled and steamed as they reconnected after years apart🥵.
Set It Right is family, which I love above all else in this series, along with a beautiful romance- that can be yearning and a bit unrequited at times, but also hot and definitely romantic as hell!!
April 30, 2026
ARC Review of Set It Right Book 4 in The Kelly Ranch Series by Julia Wolf. This book is the final book in an interconnected series featuring the Kelly siblings but can be read as a standalone. I absolutely loved this book it is a 5 star read for me. I am sad to leave the Kelly siblings and the ranch but this was a fantastic conclusion to the series and I love that all the siblings got their HEA's. This book gave me all the feels. I loved the tension, light suspense, and all the moments that made my heart flutter. This is a book of friendship, love, loss, and regrets. About finding yourself and starting over. I love that both these MC’s are second generation. I loved reading both their parents stories in the Savage U Series and seeing glimpses of their parents again in this book. This is Zara and Cormac’s story. I love how Zara is starting over and finding herself again in a place she loves. I love Cormac so much he is definitely a favorite of mine. He is so sweet and I love him with Zara their connection is so deep. This is a slow burn, spicy, small town ranch, light suspense, family saga, divorced fmc, second chance, forced proximity, childhood friends to strangers to lovers romance. Set in the small town of Sugar Brush, Wyoming. Zara and Cormac have known each other their whole lives. They used to be close childhood friends but things changed when they went to college they became more like strangers and then she got married and they became even more distant. Now she is divorced and working on Cormac’s family’s ranch as an adventure guide for the summer. She needs a reset after her marriage ending and is trying to find herself and stand on her own feet again. Cormac works on his family’s ranch running the resort part of it. Cormac has always wanted Zara and she’s but always had a crush on him but a misunderstanding had her assuming he didn’t like her. Now that they are both working on the ranch and in close proximity to each other. They have a second chance and a pull and connection to each other that they can’t deny. They have so many memories of each other and such a deep connection. I love watching them get to know each other again and finally talking it out and letting all their true feelings be known. I love their HEA. I definitely recommend this book. I love Julia Wolf’s writing her books are such great reads I couldn’t put this one down
April 30, 2026
(I received a copy of this book to review)
Trigger Warnings include:
discussions of a loved one with cancer and treatments, discussions of the loss of loved ones, mentions of cheating (not between MCs), MC in a dangerous situation that results in injury (on page)
All the Kelly kids have their HEA! And the sweetest was saved for last! (Also, Cormac was my favorite throughout! That little softy!) Cormac and Zara grew up besties. Their parents were college friends (they also have their own books!) and they were inseparable every summer. They were together for the hard stuff, but then their lives just went in separate directions. When her life completely takes a nose dive, she runs to his hometown because it’s her safe place. She plans to spend the summer recuperating working at his family’s ranch. Zara just needed to get her head back on straight and go home on steady feet. She knew her and Cormac needed to have a very real conversation, but she never imagined where it would lead. And that sweet sweet man…He had such raw emotions, and he wasn’t afraid to show them. (Nearly brought me to tears a few times!) As they rebuild their friendship, and discover very real feelings that never actually went away, it truly was the perfect ending for this series! Zara and Cormac are both happy, sappy people. All heart eyes and adorable. And I genuinely loved these characters, individually, with each other, and especially with their (and each other’s) families.
My Favorite Quotes:
• “I’m going to give you what you need. Let me have it.”
• “Be as greedy as you want with me.”
• “Anything you want. I’m yours.”
• “You can call me whatever you want, as long as you keep coming back for me.”
• “My favorite person brought me to my favorite place. Why would I ever want to leave?”
• “I’m claiming what I’ve always known was mine.”
• “You are the love of my life. That’s just a fact.”
7/10 Dirty Birdy
7/10 Friends to Lovers
7/10 Second Chance
3/10 Workplace Romance
7/10 Series
This is my review for See It Through
This is my review for Hold the Line
This is my review for Hit the Ground
Trigger Warnings include:
discussions of a loved one with cancer and treatments, discussions of the loss of loved ones, mentions of cheating (not between MCs), MC in a dangerous situation that results in injury (on page)
All the Kelly kids have their HEA! And the sweetest was saved for last! (Also, Cormac was my favorite throughout! That little softy!) Cormac and Zara grew up besties. Their parents were college friends (they also have their own books!) and they were inseparable every summer. They were together for the hard stuff, but then their lives just went in separate directions. When her life completely takes a nose dive, she runs to his hometown because it’s her safe place. She plans to spend the summer recuperating working at his family’s ranch. Zara just needed to get her head back on straight and go home on steady feet. She knew her and Cormac needed to have a very real conversation, but she never imagined where it would lead. And that sweet sweet man…He had such raw emotions, and he wasn’t afraid to show them. (Nearly brought me to tears a few times!) As they rebuild their friendship, and discover very real feelings that never actually went away, it truly was the perfect ending for this series! Zara and Cormac are both happy, sappy people. All heart eyes and adorable. And I genuinely loved these characters, individually, with each other, and especially with their (and each other’s) families.
My Favorite Quotes:
• “I’m going to give you what you need. Let me have it.”
• “Be as greedy as you want with me.”
• “Anything you want. I’m yours.”
• “You can call me whatever you want, as long as you keep coming back for me.”
• “My favorite person brought me to my favorite place. Why would I ever want to leave?”
• “I’m claiming what I’ve always known was mine.”
• “You are the love of my life. That’s just a fact.”
7/10 Dirty Birdy
7/10 Friends to Lovers
7/10 Second Chance
3/10 Workplace Romance
7/10 Series
This is my review for See It Through
This is my review for Hold the Line
This is my review for Hit the Ground
April 23, 2026
4.5⭐️
Oh boy, this one was very emotional because is the last book in this series and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them 🥹❤️
I’ve been lucky enough to received the arcs of this series since book 2, and I became attached to all this characters and it was so perfect and beautiful to read them together and having their happy endings ✨but before I talk about that, let’s talk about Cormac and Zara 🙂↔️
They were childhood best friends and he was in love with her for so many years but never say a word about it, but when he went to college and two years later she was there too, things were different and she fell for another guy (hate him btw) and the night before their wedding Zara heard Cormac trying to convince the groom to not get married to her, and that’s the reason Zara’s heart broke complete and became even more distant from him 😭 and of course it was all a misunderstanding but I’m not going to spoil anything 👀
Three years later, Zara returned to Wyoming to work at Cormac’s parents ranch that’s turns out to be her favorite place in the world, and now she’s divorced and ready to start again, but then she had to spend time with Cormac and finding out many things about him and his feelings for her 🙂↔️❤️ and oh my god, Maccie is just so perfect!!! He’s so sweet and protective of Zara, he only wants her to be happy and he was gladly accepting only her friendship if that was the only way to have her in his life, but thankfully, Zara realized how much she cared and loved him, and that maybe her feelings for him were more than just friendship 🙈💖
I really enjoyed this book, it was more in the lighter side than the previous ones, but it was equally perfect and swoony, Cormac and Zara were so cute together (iykyk) and it was so good reading them while they were discovering the new feelings for each other 🥹❤️ and now I’m ready to talk about all the Kelly family ahhhh!! I loved reading Hanna with Remi, Phoebe with Deke and Caleb with Alice and all the cute little babies there 😭💖💖💖 I loved them all and I was just so happy reading the epilogue, because when it’s the final story she get to see glimpses of everyone and it feels like the perfect way to say, until next time 🥹💖
Even when I’m sad this series came ti an end, I’m so ready to see what’s next 🙂↔️💖
Oh boy, this one was very emotional because is the last book in this series and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them 🥹❤️
I’ve been lucky enough to received the arcs of this series since book 2, and I became attached to all this characters and it was so perfect and beautiful to read them together and having their happy endings ✨but before I talk about that, let’s talk about Cormac and Zara 🙂↔️
They were childhood best friends and he was in love with her for so many years but never say a word about it, but when he went to college and two years later she was there too, things were different and she fell for another guy (hate him btw) and the night before their wedding Zara heard Cormac trying to convince the groom to not get married to her, and that’s the reason Zara’s heart broke complete and became even more distant from him 😭 and of course it was all a misunderstanding but I’m not going to spoil anything 👀
Three years later, Zara returned to Wyoming to work at Cormac’s parents ranch that’s turns out to be her favorite place in the world, and now she’s divorced and ready to start again, but then she had to spend time with Cormac and finding out many things about him and his feelings for her 🙂↔️❤️ and oh my god, Maccie is just so perfect!!! He’s so sweet and protective of Zara, he only wants her to be happy and he was gladly accepting only her friendship if that was the only way to have her in his life, but thankfully, Zara realized how much she cared and loved him, and that maybe her feelings for him were more than just friendship 🙈💖
I really enjoyed this book, it was more in the lighter side than the previous ones, but it was equally perfect and swoony, Cormac and Zara were so cute together (iykyk) and it was so good reading them while they were discovering the new feelings for each other 🥹❤️ and now I’m ready to talk about all the Kelly family ahhhh!! I loved reading Hanna with Remi, Phoebe with Deke and Caleb with Alice and all the cute little babies there 😭💖💖💖 I loved them all and I was just so happy reading the epilogue, because when it’s the final story she get to see glimpses of everyone and it feels like the perfect way to say, until next time 🥹💖
Even when I’m sad this series came ti an end, I’m so ready to see what’s next 🙂↔️💖
May 10, 2026
Thank you to The Author Agency and Julia Woof for the advanced copy for my honest review.
I went into this book really excited because the tropes sounded exactly like something I would love, and I’ve enjoyed this author’s writing in the past. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time fully connecting with both the story and the characters.
The book follows Zara after her life implodes following a failed marriage, leading her to spend the summer at the ranch of a family friend. There she reconnects with Cormac, her former crush, who still harbors deep feelings for her. Together they must decide if a second chance at love is worth taking or if they’re going to let it slip away forever.
One of the strongest aspects of the story for me was the setting. The ranch atmosphere was cozy and immersive, and I also really enjoyed the family and found family dynamics woven throughout the book. Those relationships added warmth and heart to the story and kept me invested even when I struggled elsewhere.
Where the book lost me was in the character connection and overall progression of the conflict. The central issue revolves around Zara only having one summer there, but I felt like that tension was stretched across the entire book without enough growth or development to keep it emotionally engaging. I also struggled with Zara as a character. I think the intention was for her to come across as stubborn and stuck, but for me it leaned more into complacency and emotional wallowing, which made it difficult for me to connect with her journey.
Another thing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story was the use of repetitive phrasing such as “please, please, please” and “Maccie, Maccie, Maccie.” While I understand the 🍵 intention behind it, it became distracting for me over time and impacted my immersion in the emotional scenes.
The book also promised a light romantic suspense subplot, but unfortunately it felt underdeveloped and more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story.
Overall, this was a 3-star read for me. I think the story had a lot of potential with its tropes, setting, and emotional foundation, but I ultimately needed stronger character development and more progression within the central conflict to fully connect with it.
I went into this book really excited because the tropes sounded exactly like something I would love, and I’ve enjoyed this author’s writing in the past. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time fully connecting with both the story and the characters.
The book follows Zara after her life implodes following a failed marriage, leading her to spend the summer at the ranch of a family friend. There she reconnects with Cormac, her former crush, who still harbors deep feelings for her. Together they must decide if a second chance at love is worth taking or if they’re going to let it slip away forever.
One of the strongest aspects of the story for me was the setting. The ranch atmosphere was cozy and immersive, and I also really enjoyed the family and found family dynamics woven throughout the book. Those relationships added warmth and heart to the story and kept me invested even when I struggled elsewhere.
Where the book lost me was in the character connection and overall progression of the conflict. The central issue revolves around Zara only having one summer there, but I felt like that tension was stretched across the entire book without enough growth or development to keep it emotionally engaging. I also struggled with Zara as a character. I think the intention was for her to come across as stubborn and stuck, but for me it leaned more into complacency and emotional wallowing, which made it difficult for me to connect with her journey.
Another thing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story was the use of repetitive phrasing such as “please, please, please” and “Maccie, Maccie, Maccie.” While I understand the 🍵 intention behind it, it became distracting for me over time and impacted my immersion in the emotional scenes.
The book also promised a light romantic suspense subplot, but unfortunately it felt underdeveloped and more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story.
Overall, this was a 3-star read for me. I think the story had a lot of potential with its tropes, setting, and emotional foundation, but I ultimately needed stronger character development and more progression within the central conflict to fully connect with it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“Our souls know each other, and they fit because they’re supposed to. We set each other right.”
Set It Right was such a sweet, tender, and emotionally satisfying conclusion to the Kelly Ranch series, and I absolutely fell for Cormac and Zara. Their childhood friends to lovers story felt like coming home — soft, nostalgic, and full of the kind of longing that never really fades. Their friendship may have fractured years ago, but the love beneath it never disappeared; they were just too scared to name it.
“Cormac has been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of friend.”
Now that Zara is back at Kelly Ranch after her divorce, the two of them slowly rebuild what they lost. And watching that reconnection — the hesitancy, the hope, the spark that never died — was everything.
“She was entrenched in my past, stuck deep in my heart, woven into the core of what made me who I was.”
Cormac has my whole heart. The way he holds onto their shared past, cherishes every memory, and still sees Zara as the girl who once meant the world to him… it got me right in the feelings. He’s steady, loyal, and quietly devoted in a way that makes you melt.
“I belonged with him. He was who I’d longed for when the summers were over.”
Zara, on the other hand, is all fire and heart. Feisty, stubborn, and finally rediscovering who she is after years of being stifled, she brings such life to the page. Watching her reclaim her voice and her joy was a breath of fresh air.
“Where she went, I followed. That was how it had always been.”
Their chemistry is this perfect blend of soft and swoony — full of banter, tension, vulnerability, and the kind of emotional honesty that only comes from years of knowing each other. The flashbacks woven through their story made their present day connection even richer.
“For me, it’s always you. You set it right.”
This book had me fully in my feelings from start to finish. Set It Right is swoony, sweet, and emotionally pitch perfect. I’m sad to say goodbye to Kelly Ranch, but I’m already excited to see what comes next.
Set It Right was such a sweet, tender, and emotionally satisfying conclusion to the Kelly Ranch series, and I absolutely fell for Cormac and Zara. Their childhood friends to lovers story felt like coming home — soft, nostalgic, and full of the kind of longing that never really fades. Their friendship may have fractured years ago, but the love beneath it never disappeared; they were just too scared to name it.
“Cormac has been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of friend.”
Now that Zara is back at Kelly Ranch after her divorce, the two of them slowly rebuild what they lost. And watching that reconnection — the hesitancy, the hope, the spark that never died — was everything.
“She was entrenched in my past, stuck deep in my heart, woven into the core of what made me who I was.”
Cormac has my whole heart. The way he holds onto their shared past, cherishes every memory, and still sees Zara as the girl who once meant the world to him… it got me right in the feelings. He’s steady, loyal, and quietly devoted in a way that makes you melt.
“I belonged with him. He was who I’d longed for when the summers were over.”
Zara, on the other hand, is all fire and heart. Feisty, stubborn, and finally rediscovering who she is after years of being stifled, she brings such life to the page. Watching her reclaim her voice and her joy was a breath of fresh air.
“Where she went, I followed. That was how it had always been.”
Their chemistry is this perfect blend of soft and swoony — full of banter, tension, vulnerability, and the kind of emotional honesty that only comes from years of knowing each other. The flashbacks woven through their story made their present day connection even richer.
“For me, it’s always you. You set it right.”
This book had me fully in my feelings from start to finish. Set It Right is swoony, sweet, and emotionally pitch perfect. I’m sad to say goodbye to Kelly Ranch, but I’m already excited to see what comes next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm back in Sugar Brush, where Cormac Kelly and Zara Vasquez have now taken the top spot as my favorite couple in Julia Wolf's Kelly Ranch series. Set it Right is the final book in this beautiful, wild, Wyoming setting and I'm really going to miss this warm and welcoming extended family so much!
With a marriage gone wrong, mistakes, misunderstandings and regrets are many. Zara's life hasn't turned out how she hoped so far. A summer working on the ranch, her favorite place on earth, chilling, seeing old friends and figuring out what her next move should be sounds like a plan. If only her former lifelong best friend wasn't going to be there too.
Cormac still doesn't know what drove Zara away years ago, but it feels like a rock weighing him down and he can't seem to move on from it. Right here, I am feeling SO much empathy for Cormac's loss, tears were actually shed. He'd kept his feelings to himself then, but now he's going to have to face her again. Man, does Julia know how to pull hard on those heartstrings or what! His longing and pain were killing me too.
When Zara ends up back with the Kelly family where she spent every summer for as long as she can remember, it feels like coming home again, but avoiding Cormac is going to be harder than she imagined.
He lives and works here too, turning up in town and everywhere on the ranch. There's no escaping it.
The slow burn of their close proximity, and letting each other back in, little bits at a time? Anticipation times a million! Looking back stirs up a ton of emotions that are dying to burst free. I wanted Cormac (SO hot and sweet) and Zara (free-spirited and beautiful) to give in and find their way back where they belong- together, hopefully forever!
This is a story of friendship and love, loss and regrets and repairing scarred and battered hearts. Cormac and Zara's unbreakable connection was formed and nurtured from birth, and embedded with memories so deep, neither could ever forget.
This one was hard to set aside for the real world, but there was something about Cormac and Zara that kept me glued to these pages. I loved them and was completely invested in their happiness. I stayed up late and woke up early to see where their story would go next. And then kept right on going.
Julia wrapped the Kelly Ranch series in a homey and heartwarming hug, with all the characters and closure fans of this series will be dying to see, love like crazy and totally appreciate. Will we see any of them again? I hope so, but only Julia Wolf really knows for sure!
* I received an early copy to read and this is my honest and freely given review of Set it Right.
With a marriage gone wrong, mistakes, misunderstandings and regrets are many. Zara's life hasn't turned out how she hoped so far. A summer working on the ranch, her favorite place on earth, chilling, seeing old friends and figuring out what her next move should be sounds like a plan. If only her former lifelong best friend wasn't going to be there too.
Cormac still doesn't know what drove Zara away years ago, but it feels like a rock weighing him down and he can't seem to move on from it. Right here, I am feeling SO much empathy for Cormac's loss, tears were actually shed. He'd kept his feelings to himself then, but now he's going to have to face her again. Man, does Julia know how to pull hard on those heartstrings or what! His longing and pain were killing me too.
When Zara ends up back with the Kelly family where she spent every summer for as long as she can remember, it feels like coming home again, but avoiding Cormac is going to be harder than she imagined.
He lives and works here too, turning up in town and everywhere on the ranch. There's no escaping it.
The slow burn of their close proximity, and letting each other back in, little bits at a time? Anticipation times a million! Looking back stirs up a ton of emotions that are dying to burst free. I wanted Cormac (SO hot and sweet) and Zara (free-spirited and beautiful) to give in and find their way back where they belong- together, hopefully forever!
This is a story of friendship and love, loss and regrets and repairing scarred and battered hearts. Cormac and Zara's unbreakable connection was formed and nurtured from birth, and embedded with memories so deep, neither could ever forget.
This one was hard to set aside for the real world, but there was something about Cormac and Zara that kept me glued to these pages. I loved them and was completely invested in their happiness. I stayed up late and woke up early to see where their story would go next. And then kept right on going.
Julia wrapped the Kelly Ranch series in a homey and heartwarming hug, with all the characters and closure fans of this series will be dying to see, love like crazy and totally appreciate. Will we see any of them again? I hope so, but only Julia Wolf really knows for sure!
* I received an early copy to read and this is my honest and freely given review of Set it Right.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a bittersweet feeling knowing this is the final book about the Kelly siblings! I’ve had so much fun following the journey of Elena and Lock’s kids throughout the series.
As always, Julia Wolf’s writing is incredibly easy to fall into. The story flows so naturally that before you know it, you’ve flown through half the book without even realising. I always find myself completely absorbed in her stories.
I especially loved the flashback moments showing Zara and Cormac’s past—their sweet, caring connection before everything became complicated. It added so much depth to their relationship and made their present-day dynamic even more meaningful.
After her divorce, Zara returns to Sugar Brush—her safe haven—to reset, which brings her back into Cormac’s orbit. Watching them reconnect was such a joy. Their chemistry feels effortless: the easy conversations, the comfort they find in each other… it all just works. And honestly, why is something as simple as him feeding her mac & cheese so swoon-worthy? I was genuinely squealing at that scene 🤣
Zara is such a strong and endearing character. I loved her outdoorsy nature and how warm and easy she is to root for. Her tendency to get startled so easily was also hilarious—and very relatable 😆
And Cormac… the yearning from this man. It genuinely broke my heart at times. You can feel how deeply he cares, how cautious he is because of that, and then that inevitable “fuck it” moment just hits so well.
One of my favourite things about this series is still getting glimpses of Elena and Lock—years later and still so in love. Total scene stealers every time! The same goes for Phoebe and Deke (still my favourite couple!)—I love catching up with them and seeing where they are now.
Overall, this was such a satisfying and emotional way to close out the series—full of heart, chemistry, and that signature warmth that makes these books so addictive.
If you like second-chance romance, strong emotional connections, and interconnected family series with lovable characters, this is definitely for you.
As always, Julia Wolf’s writing is incredibly easy to fall into. The story flows so naturally that before you know it, you’ve flown through half the book without even realising. I always find myself completely absorbed in her stories.
I especially loved the flashback moments showing Zara and Cormac’s past—their sweet, caring connection before everything became complicated. It added so much depth to their relationship and made their present-day dynamic even more meaningful.
After her divorce, Zara returns to Sugar Brush—her safe haven—to reset, which brings her back into Cormac’s orbit. Watching them reconnect was such a joy. Their chemistry feels effortless: the easy conversations, the comfort they find in each other… it all just works. And honestly, why is something as simple as him feeding her mac & cheese so swoon-worthy? I was genuinely squealing at that scene 🤣
Zara is such a strong and endearing character. I loved her outdoorsy nature and how warm and easy she is to root for. Her tendency to get startled so easily was also hilarious—and very relatable 😆
And Cormac… the yearning from this man. It genuinely broke my heart at times. You can feel how deeply he cares, how cautious he is because of that, and then that inevitable “fuck it” moment just hits so well.
One of my favourite things about this series is still getting glimpses of Elena and Lock—years later and still so in love. Total scene stealers every time! The same goes for Phoebe and Deke (still my favourite couple!)—I love catching up with them and seeing where they are now.
Overall, this was such a satisfying and emotional way to close out the series—full of heart, chemistry, and that signature warmth that makes these books so addictive.
If you like second-chance romance, strong emotional connections, and interconnected family series with lovable characters, this is definitely for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Set It Right is the 4th and final book in the Kelly Ranch series. It was the perfect conclusion to the series and Julia nailed it with this swoony friends to lovers romance. This series is my absolute favorite from Julia because I adore the Kelly parents, Elena and Locke. The whole family gives me all the feels and I have loved every moment with this beautiful family.
Cormac and Zara were childhood best friends with a deep and loving connection. Their moms were best friends from college, Zara's parents are from Bright Like Midnight. Zara would spend her summers at the Kelly Ranch and it was her happy place. Unfortunately, they started growing apart when Zara came to college and started dating his roommate. Things completely fell apart between them when she overheard Cormac trying to talk her fiancé out of marrying her the night before her wedding.
Now, a few years have passed and Zara is trying to start fresh in her life after ending her marriage to her loser ex. She is spending the summer working as a guide at the Kelly Ranch and reconnecting to her true love of being outside. Cormac was in love with Zara forever and now he is forced to deal with how things fell apart between them.
Zara and Cormac start to rebuild their friendship after dealing with the issues from their past. They have such a beautiful connection that finally leads to so much more. I loved watching these two finally deal with their feelings and grow together. Their communication was perfection and they were true soulmates.
One of my favorite things was how Cormac showed his love by act of care. This man is a caretaker and loves taking care of his woman in every way. He is so swoony! I also LOVED that there was no 3rd act breakup, especially since I waiting for the conflict to happen, but they actually communicated and worked through it.
The epilogue was amazing and I will forever love the Kelly family.
Thank you to The Author Agency for providing the ARC.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Set It Right is the 4th and final book in the Kelly Ranch series. It was the perfect conclusion to the series and Julia nailed it with this swoony friends to lovers romance. This series is my absolute favorite from Julia because I adore the Kelly parents, Elena and Locke. The whole family gives me all the feels and I have loved every moment with this beautiful family.
Cormac and Zara were childhood best friends with a deep and loving connection. Their moms were best friends from college, Zara's parents are from Bright Like Midnight. Zara would spend her summers at the Kelly Ranch and it was her happy place. Unfortunately, they started growing apart when Zara came to college and started dating his roommate. Things completely fell apart between them when she overheard Cormac trying to talk her fiancé out of marrying her the night before her wedding.
Now, a few years have passed and Zara is trying to start fresh in her life after ending her marriage to her loser ex. She is spending the summer working as a guide at the Kelly Ranch and reconnecting to her true love of being outside. Cormac was in love with Zara forever and now he is forced to deal with how things fell apart between them.
Zara and Cormac start to rebuild their friendship after dealing with the issues from their past. They have such a beautiful connection that finally leads to so much more. I loved watching these two finally deal with their feelings and grow together. Their communication was perfection and they were true soulmates.
One of my favorite things was how Cormac showed his love by act of care. This man is a caretaker and loves taking care of his woman in every way. He is so swoony! I also LOVED that there was no 3rd act breakup, especially since I waiting for the conflict to happen, but they actually communicated and worked through it.
The epilogue was amazing and I will forever love the Kelly family.
Thank you to The Author Agency for providing the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“To the river and back."
This book is second chance done perfectly.
Cormac Kelly and Zara Vasquez have been friends their entire lives, thanks to their parents' friendship; Lock & Elena and Amir & Zadie from Julia's SU universe.
But as they grew and the summers of the past spent racing around Cormac's family ranch in Sugar Brush were a childhood memory, life interrupted their friendship, much to Mac's devastation as he'd always harboured feelings for his best friend.
Watching her marry someone else ended that friendship; but as Zara aims to move on with her life after her divorce, she returns to spend one more summer at the Kelly Ranch, the place her soul felt happiest.
And despite the issues between Zara and Mac, she's determined to set it right; and I'm so happy she does!
Mac and Zara are just perfect together. I fell totally head over heels for these two.
Set It Right is such a sweet, beautiful, emotional read.
Mac and Zara's story is a case of the right person, the wrong time. And I'm so glad they got the chance to set things right. This couple absolutely belonged together, and their love for each other was a delight to witness.
'We were new, but at the same time, decades old. There’d always been an “us.” Our parents had pictures of toddler Mac holding newborn baby me. He was as much a part of me as the marrow in my bones.'
I got utterly swept away in the beautiful background of Wyoming. I adore the characters Julia has created and how the past is so perfectly interwoven with the present, we've seen Lock and Elena, Amir and Zadie, Lock's parents - who reduced me to a sobbing mess as they spoke of their love and regrets from losing each other in their younger years - and now we've been entranced by the Kelly children's stories.
I'm really sad this is the last in the Kelly children's series, but I hope it's not our last visit to the Kelly Ranch and Sugar Brush... maybe we'll see those grandchildren in the future 😍🙏
Cormac and Zara join each of Julia's couples in capturing a piece of my heart. I hold them dearly and fondly and will definitely be visiting them again with rereads.
This is a series I could easily see onscreen, a sweeping romance, a gorgeous backdrop, and love stories for the ages; do yourself a favour and read this entire series, you honestly won't regret it.
All the stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
'I took a moment to acknowledge how natural this was. There was nothing awkward or wrong about kissing this man I’d known all my life. Every time our mouths touched, I only wanted more. Kissing Cormac Kelly was another extension of our connection. Maybe this had been inevitable; we’d just needed it to be the right place and the right time.'
“For me, it’s always you. You set it right.”
“Set what right?”
“Everything. Me, my mind, my heart, my soul.”
This book is second chance done perfectly.
Cormac Kelly and Zara Vasquez have been friends their entire lives, thanks to their parents' friendship; Lock & Elena and Amir & Zadie from Julia's SU universe.
But as they grew and the summers of the past spent racing around Cormac's family ranch in Sugar Brush were a childhood memory, life interrupted their friendship, much to Mac's devastation as he'd always harboured feelings for his best friend.
Watching her marry someone else ended that friendship; but as Zara aims to move on with her life after her divorce, she returns to spend one more summer at the Kelly Ranch, the place her soul felt happiest.
And despite the issues between Zara and Mac, she's determined to set it right; and I'm so happy she does!
Mac and Zara are just perfect together. I fell totally head over heels for these two.
Set It Right is such a sweet, beautiful, emotional read.
Mac and Zara's story is a case of the right person, the wrong time. And I'm so glad they got the chance to set things right. This couple absolutely belonged together, and their love for each other was a delight to witness.
'We were new, but at the same time, decades old. There’d always been an “us.” Our parents had pictures of toddler Mac holding newborn baby me. He was as much a part of me as the marrow in my bones.'
I got utterly swept away in the beautiful background of Wyoming. I adore the characters Julia has created and how the past is so perfectly interwoven with the present, we've seen Lock and Elena, Amir and Zadie, Lock's parents - who reduced me to a sobbing mess as they spoke of their love and regrets from losing each other in their younger years - and now we've been entranced by the Kelly children's stories.
I'm really sad this is the last in the Kelly children's series, but I hope it's not our last visit to the Kelly Ranch and Sugar Brush... maybe we'll see those grandchildren in the future 😍🙏
Cormac and Zara join each of Julia's couples in capturing a piece of my heart. I hold them dearly and fondly and will definitely be visiting them again with rereads.
This is a series I could easily see onscreen, a sweeping romance, a gorgeous backdrop, and love stories for the ages; do yourself a favour and read this entire series, you honestly won't regret it.
All the stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
'I took a moment to acknowledge how natural this was. There was nothing awkward or wrong about kissing this man I’d known all my life. Every time our mouths touched, I only wanted more. Kissing Cormac Kelly was another extension of our connection. Maybe this had been inevitable; we’d just needed it to be the right place and the right time.'
“For me, it’s always you. You set it right.”
“Set what right?”
“Everything. Me, my mind, my heart, my soul.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews