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Wilder Estate #1
Blue Jean Summer
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26Opposites become unlikely allies when a desperate cowboy needs to marry in order to save his grandfather's land.
Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife - pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather's death, he's shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can't buy - more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he'll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather's legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will.
Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother's death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather's funeral.
Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a He'll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults - after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage.
Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common - enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.
Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife - pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather's death, he's shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can't buy - more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he'll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather's legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will.
Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother's death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather's funeral.
Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a He'll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults - after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage.
Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common - enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Maggie C. Gates
28 books2,592 followersMaggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 25, 2026
I feel pretty neutral about this book. It was a sweet romance and mostly mindless entertainment, but nothing to write home about. However, there were definitely some positives that made this book worthwhile.
First, the tropes were fun and feature pretty high stakes. I love a good marriage of convenience and the reason for the couple’s arrangement was high stakes enough to keep me invested but not too intense to make me stressed. No complaints there!
Next, I loved Catherine’s character. She was such a pure and sweet person and I throughly loved reading her POV. I liked that she was Miss Virginia and was a beauty pageant queen. I also appreciated the details she shared with Hayes about child pageantry and the immense pressure you get put under at such a young age. There are definitely some darker parts of child pageantry that go untold, so I loved that this book touched on it.
Hayes, oh Hayes. You know, he was a sweetie pie, but not a very memorable character. In the moment he was a good fake husband to read about, and the “my wife” moments were just delicious, but he did feel a little underdeveloped. He had Asperger’s, (high functioning autism) but it was only brought up once even though it clearly seemed to be a larger part of his life. I just wish that part of him was expanded on.
Lastly, I thought Lewis was a very unrealistic character. Yeah I get he was supposed to be the villain, but he was so over the top and juvenile about it. He would literally gag at people, stomp his feet, and slam the door. Because he was not portrayed as a realistic character, he became pretty distracting.
Other than that, this book was okay. Nothing too bad but also nothing that made it stand out a whole lot. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, which is what made me pick it up in the first place. If the blurb sounds interesting to you, you should definitely give it a try too.
3 stars ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
📆 Publication date: September 14, 2026
First, the tropes were fun and feature pretty high stakes. I love a good marriage of convenience and the reason for the couple’s arrangement was high stakes enough to keep me invested but not too intense to make me stressed. No complaints there!
Next, I loved Catherine’s character. She was such a pure and sweet person and I throughly loved reading her POV. I liked that she was Miss Virginia and was a beauty pageant queen. I also appreciated the details she shared with Hayes about child pageantry and the immense pressure you get put under at such a young age. There are definitely some darker parts of child pageantry that go untold, so I loved that this book touched on it.
Hayes, oh Hayes. You know, he was a sweetie pie, but not a very memorable character. In the moment he was a good fake husband to read about, and the “my wife” moments were just delicious, but he did feel a little underdeveloped. He had Asperger’s, (high functioning autism) but it was only brought up once even though it clearly seemed to be a larger part of his life. I just wish that part of him was expanded on.
Lastly, I thought Lewis was a very unrealistic character. Yeah I get he was supposed to be the villain, but he was so over the top and juvenile about it. He would literally gag at people, stomp his feet, and slam the door. Because he was not portrayed as a realistic character, he became pretty distracting.
Other than that, this book was okay. Nothing too bad but also nothing that made it stand out a whole lot. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, which is what made me pick it up in the first place. If the blurb sounds interesting to you, you should definitely give it a try too.
3 stars ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
📆 Publication date: September 14, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
guyss, this was actually soo good?? they're literally so meant to be and i love them sm!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• catherine foster
i love her and her big heart! she's literally the sweetest person ever and i felt so bad for her when her dad turned out to be such an asshole. loved how she stood her ground too!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• hayes wilder
he's such a green flag!!! loved the "my wife" moments sm! also like the tattoo??? someone sedate me, i cant! (you'll know when you read the book, i don't wanna spoil anything~)
also i've never hated a person more than i hated lewis smh, im glad he got what he deserved in the end! literally whenever his name came on the page, i wanted to strangle him so hard
anyways this is my first book by maggie and certainly not my last! probably gonna go read her entire backlist when i have time
⤷ thank you to netgalley, berkley publishing group and maggie c gates for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
18/07/2026 — eeek i guess i'm starting this now! idk much about this book so fingers cross it delivers!!1!
14/07/2026 — the scream i let out when i saw the email, also i think it's one of my fastest approvals ngl! and omg the cover!!1! absolutely stunning!!!
guyss, this was actually soo good?? they're literally so meant to be and i love them sm!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• catherine foster
i love her and her big heart! she's literally the sweetest person ever and i felt so bad for her when her dad turned out to be such an asshole. loved how she stood her ground too!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• hayes wilder
he's such a green flag!!! loved the "my wife" moments sm! also like the tattoo??? someone sedate me, i cant! (you'll know when you read the book, i don't wanna spoil anything~)
also i've never hated a person more than i hated lewis smh, im glad he got what he deserved in the end! literally whenever his name came on the page, i wanted to strangle him so hard
anyways this is my first book by maggie and certainly not my last! probably gonna go read her entire backlist when i have time
⤷ thank you to netgalley, berkley publishing group and maggie c gates for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
18/07/2026 — eeek i guess i'm starting this now! idk much about this book so fingers cross it delivers!!1!
14/07/2026 — the scream i let out when i saw the email, also i think it's one of my fastest approvals ngl! and omg the cover!!1! absolutely stunning!!!
May 2, 2026
“I ached for her. I craved her. She was every spring breeze that brought new life. Every summer sun that warmed and sustained. She was the reprieve of fall and the magic of winter.
Catherine Wilder was everything”
I wanted to love this one so much… and I did in parts, but wow this was such a weird reading experience for me because I kept waiting for it to become a different book. 🥲 let me explain...
Going in I was fully prepared for some obsessed, down bad, possessive cowboy man energy. I wanted the “my wife” obsession. I wanted a man who was one inconvenience away from growling at someone in public. And Hayes… he did eventually give me little glimpses of that man, but it took so long to get there that I spent most of the book sitting there like ma’am where is he?! 🤦🏼♀️ 🤦🏼♀️
But once his internal thoughts finally start spilling out?? suddenly I understood the vision.
LIKE THERE YOU ARE MANNN
That’s the Hayes I thought I was signing up for.
The problem is… I didn’t feel enough of that buildup before we got there. Cath had the childhood crush, she always knew him, she had that history of wanting and watching from afar, but Hayes realizing she’s suddenly the perfect woman for him and falling hard felt a little too fast for me. I needed more tension. More lingering. More “I absolutely should not want my fake wife like this” panic. Instead it felt like one second we were setting up the arrangement and the next we were 10 steps ahead and i was searching for when it escalated. 👀 And for a marriage of convenience story, I really need that emotional slow burn suffering.
That being said, there were definitely still moments that got me.
SEE THATS THE STUFF I WANTED
I just wish there had been more of it, sooner.
Also… I have to say it. The blurb gave me cowboy energy so personally I showed up expecting boots, dirt, hands-on ranch(ish) life, rugged man doing rugged cowboy things 🤠
But what I got was… estate owner with horses nearby??? Hayes is giving slacks and button-up office man more than rough cowboy fantasy 😭 and Cath is a beauty pageant girlie, which honestly made the whole vibe feel very different from what I had pictured.
Not bad at all, just not what my brain had preordered. Even the stakes felt oddly soft. There was technically a lot on the line, but the writing made everything feel very easy, very smooth, very low urgency. Nothing felt like it hit as hard as it should have. Honestly by the end I was like… "wait did that much actually happen?" 😭 because it somehow felt like both a full book and also like nothing major happened at all. (it definitely could’ve been shorter 🫣)
BUT —and this is important— I still enjoyed reading it.
Cath’s character arc really worked for me, especially watching her slowly realize she was enough after growing up feeling unwanted. That emotional thread felt genuine and I loved it for her. 😌 And the side characters? Loved them. Absolutely loved them. Honestly I’m more excited for some of their future books than I was for this one by the end.
And because I couldn't end the review without showing a few more delicious lines from Hayes ↓
Yes. More of that. Inject it directly into my bloodstream.
There were definitely cute moments here. Sweet moments. The love was soft and genuine and easy to read. It just never fully consumed me.
I wanted obsession. I wanted intensity. I wanted to feel the chemistry in my chest. Instead, this felt more like a soft, simple palate cleanser with a sweet romance and pretty writing. 🤷🏼♀️ Decent? Absolutely. Cute? Definitely.
Life-changing? Unfortunately no.
And maybe that’s why I feel so conflicted, because I didn’t dislike it at all. I just kept mourning the version of this book I thought I was about to get. 😔
Still, Maggie Gates’ writing style is one I genuinely enjoy, and even when I’m frustrated, I want to keep reading. So for me, this lands at 3 ⭐️. Cute, easy, sweet, and enjoyable… just missing the depth and emotional chaos I was hoping for.
things to know about the book ↓
💙 childhood crush
💙 marriage of convenience
💙 forced proximity
💙 secret tattoo (LITERALLY SO SWEET)
💙 age gap (she’s 25 / he’s 35)
💙 small town romance
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes
Thank you NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group & Maggie Gates for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
the way I squealed when i saw this in my inbox 😭🫶🏼
please please be as good as i'm hoping 🤞🏼
Catherine Wilder was everything”
I wanted to love this one so much… and I did in parts, but wow this was such a weird reading experience for me because I kept waiting for it to become a different book. 🥲 let me explain...
Going in I was fully prepared for some obsessed, down bad, possessive cowboy man energy. I wanted the “my wife” obsession. I wanted a man who was one inconvenience away from growling at someone in public. And Hayes… he did eventually give me little glimpses of that man, but it took so long to get there that I spent most of the book sitting there like ma’am where is he?! 🤦🏼♀️ 🤦🏼♀️
But once his internal thoughts finally start spilling out?? suddenly I understood the vision.
“I was jealous of anything that her eyes gazed upon. Jealous of anything that was touched by her fingers. I was jealous of the coffee cup she had been sipping from when I came down to the kitchen this morning. And I was definitely jealous of the bed that held her over the last few nights”
LIKE THERE YOU ARE MANNN
That’s the Hayes I thought I was signing up for.
The problem is… I didn’t feel enough of that buildup before we got there. Cath had the childhood crush, she always knew him, she had that history of wanting and watching from afar, but Hayes realizing she’s suddenly the perfect woman for him and falling hard felt a little too fast for me. I needed more tension. More lingering. More “I absolutely should not want my fake wife like this” panic. Instead it felt like one second we were setting up the arrangement and the next we were 10 steps ahead and i was searching for when it escalated. 👀 And for a marriage of convenience story, I really need that emotional slow burn suffering.
That being said, there were definitely still moments that got me.
“I couldn’t wait to marry Catherine Foster, if only for one more kiss.”
SEE THATS THE STUFF I WANTED
I just wish there had been more of it, sooner.
Also… I have to say it. The blurb gave me cowboy energy so personally I showed up expecting boots, dirt, hands-on ranch(ish) life, rugged man doing rugged cowboy things 🤠
But what I got was… estate owner with horses nearby??? Hayes is giving slacks and button-up office man more than rough cowboy fantasy 😭 and Cath is a beauty pageant girlie, which honestly made the whole vibe feel very different from what I had pictured.
Not bad at all, just not what my brain had preordered. Even the stakes felt oddly soft. There was technically a lot on the line, but the writing made everything feel very easy, very smooth, very low urgency. Nothing felt like it hit as hard as it should have. Honestly by the end I was like… "wait did that much actually happen?" 😭 because it somehow felt like both a full book and also like nothing major happened at all. (it definitely could’ve been shorter 🫣)
BUT —and this is important— I still enjoyed reading it.
Cath’s character arc really worked for me, especially watching her slowly realize she was enough after growing up feeling unwanted. That emotional thread felt genuine and I loved it for her. 😌 And the side characters? Loved them. Absolutely loved them. Honestly I’m more excited for some of their future books than I was for this one by the end.
And because I couldn't end the review without showing a few more delicious lines from Hayes ↓
“She was indescribably beautiful. Nothing compared to her. Not the mountains. Not the skies. Not the valley and every flower in it.”
“I would have given every penny to my name and every blade of grass in the valley just to have her close”
Yes. More of that. Inject it directly into my bloodstream.
There were definitely cute moments here. Sweet moments. The love was soft and genuine and easy to read. It just never fully consumed me.
I wanted obsession. I wanted intensity. I wanted to feel the chemistry in my chest. Instead, this felt more like a soft, simple palate cleanser with a sweet romance and pretty writing. 🤷🏼♀️ Decent? Absolutely. Cute? Definitely.
Life-changing? Unfortunately no.
And maybe that’s why I feel so conflicted, because I didn’t dislike it at all. I just kept mourning the version of this book I thought I was about to get. 😔
Still, Maggie Gates’ writing style is one I genuinely enjoy, and even when I’m frustrated, I want to keep reading. So for me, this lands at 3 ⭐️. Cute, easy, sweet, and enjoyable… just missing the depth and emotional chaos I was hoping for.
things to know about the book ↓
💙 childhood crush
💙 marriage of convenience
💙 forced proximity
💙 secret tattoo (LITERALLY SO SWEET)
💙 age gap (she’s 25 / he’s 35)
💙 small town romance
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes
Thank you NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group & Maggie Gates for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
the way I squealed when i saw this in my inbox 😭🫶🏼
please please be as good as i'm hoping 🤞🏼
July 12, 2026
“If I’m your valley, your flowers, and your sky, then you’re my cowboy.”
Maggie Gates just consistently putting out bangers.
I just finished this while sitting on my back deck in the morning summer sun. Only thing that could’ve made this more ideal is a lemonade.
Catherine & Hayes
Miss Virginia and a millionaire bachelor
10 year age gap
Little grumpy x sunshine vibes
Small town vibes
Ranch setting
Big estate home with found family vibes
Marriage of convenience : hot damn done so well
“My wife” vibes
Characters with depth filled backgrounds
Just one of those couples you fall in love with.
You know they’re gonna make it long run.
Netgalley arc review ✨
Maggie Gates just consistently putting out bangers.
I just finished this while sitting on my back deck in the morning summer sun. Only thing that could’ve made this more ideal is a lemonade.
Catherine & Hayes
Miss Virginia and a millionaire bachelor
10 year age gap
Little grumpy x sunshine vibes
Small town vibes
Ranch setting
Big estate home with found family vibes
Marriage of convenience : hot damn done so well
“My wife” vibes
Characters with depth filled backgrounds
Just one of those couples you fall in love with.
You know they’re gonna make it long run.
Netgalley arc review ✨
March 21, 2026
The way that all my other books immediately got pushed to the side as soon as this entered my kindle. So first up big thanks to Maggie Gates, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. To say I was highly anticipating this is an understatement. I’m a huge Maggie Gates fan and when I heard she was coming out with a new cowboy romance. Immediately my hands went GIMME GIMME. And the publishers were so kind to bless me.
Blue Jean Summer is a fun, sexy marriage of convenience between two former friends. Our two main characters are both dealing with the aftermath of losing a parental figure. Catherine is trying to figure out what to do next with her life while also trying to unbury herself from the mountain of medical debt. Hayes is trying to ensure his family ranch legacy stays with him. They both form a pact to marry each other to solve each other’s problems. Thinking they won’t fall in love. Oh sweet baby child 😉
Y’all I loved this book from beginning to end. Seriously Maggie Gates never misses. The attraction, the yearning and the chemistry between Hayes and Catherine was amazing. They are also one of the most healthy fictional couples I’ve ever read. I love how open they both are with each other and how they didn’t shy away from communicating with one another. They definitely had some bumps along the way. But the didn’t let that break them. Also because they were freaking adults there’s no third act break up. God bless, because I can’t stand when authors randomly throw that trope in.
My only complaint and I say that loosely. I wish our villain in the story got more Karma than what they did. I felt like that whole scenario was wrapped up really fast and I just wanted that butt to suffer more. But I digress. Besides that Blue Jean Summer is an amazing read that I will be recommending all the time. And I can’t wait to own my trophy when it releases this September
Blue Jean Summer is a fun, sexy marriage of convenience between two former friends. Our two main characters are both dealing with the aftermath of losing a parental figure. Catherine is trying to figure out what to do next with her life while also trying to unbury herself from the mountain of medical debt. Hayes is trying to ensure his family ranch legacy stays with him. They both form a pact to marry each other to solve each other’s problems. Thinking they won’t fall in love. Oh sweet baby child 😉
Y’all I loved this book from beginning to end. Seriously Maggie Gates never misses. The attraction, the yearning and the chemistry between Hayes and Catherine was amazing. They are also one of the most healthy fictional couples I’ve ever read. I love how open they both are with each other and how they didn’t shy away from communicating with one another. They definitely had some bumps along the way. But the didn’t let that break them. Also because they were freaking adults there’s no third act break up. God bless, because I can’t stand when authors randomly throw that trope in.
My only complaint and I say that loosely. I wish our villain in the story got more Karma than what they did. I felt like that whole scenario was wrapped up really fast and I just wanted that butt to suffer more. But I digress. Besides that Blue Jean Summer is an amazing read that I will be recommending all the time. And I can’t wait to own my trophy when it releases this September
March 19, 2026
I liked this book, it was relatively low angst and it was very sweet. Hayes Wilder’s grandfather has just passed away leaving him is vast estate and ranch. At the time his grandfather made his will Hayes had been engaged and his fiancee was granted a parcel of land. In order for Hayes to inherit the conditions has to be just as the will stipulated. Hayes however was no longer engaged, and he’s in need of a wife. He asks Catherine, a family friend, to temporarily marry him and he’ll help get her non profit started and pay off her debts in exchange.
This story was so close to being amazing, there were just a few things that fell short for me. The attraction between Hayes and Catherine was evident, and once they started sleeping together and sharing their feelings I really thought they were going to talk about the future. But each one of them kept thinking about the end date of the marriage. I wish they would have communicated sooner, rather than just live in the moment. I’m glad that neither one assumed the other one wanted out though, that would have been frustrating.
I really liked that Hayes was so supportive of Catherine’s ideas and saw the good she was doing. Catherine’s heart was so big, and I loved that she was the first person Hayes told about being on the spectrum. Hayes’s brother Lewis trying to undermine them was a bit predictable and I was glad when he got what was coming to him. Overall the book was good and I enjoyed it.
No third act breakup
4/5 on the Spicy Scale
M/F
Death/Grief
Contemporary Romance
This story was so close to being amazing, there were just a few things that fell short for me. The attraction between Hayes and Catherine was evident, and once they started sleeping together and sharing their feelings I really thought they were going to talk about the future. But each one of them kept thinking about the end date of the marriage. I wish they would have communicated sooner, rather than just live in the moment. I’m glad that neither one assumed the other one wanted out though, that would have been frustrating.
I really liked that Hayes was so supportive of Catherine’s ideas and saw the good she was doing. Catherine’s heart was so big, and I loved that she was the first person Hayes told about being on the spectrum. Hayes’s brother Lewis trying to undermine them was a bit predictable and I was glad when he got what was coming to him. Overall the book was good and I enjoyed it.
No third act breakup
4/5 on the Spicy Scale
M/F
Death/Grief
Contemporary Romance
April 2, 2026
Reading a new Maggie Gates book always feels like coming home. I was so excited when I was approved for this ARC that I dropped everything I was reading. And I was not disappointed but there’s no surprise there. A marriage of convenience is always a fun read but mix that with the found family aspect that Maggie so expertly writes and you have the perfect combination. The little bit of hints of what’s to come in this series has me so excited. I really couldn’t get enough of Hayes and Catherine and their chosen family.
June 10, 2026
Received an advance copy from NetGalley.
This book was cute. I had a good time reading it. However there was a few things that bugged me. I felt like some of the scenes were over exaggerated and didn’t need to be over the top, it was like the author was creating drama all in the wrong places. Something that I had a real problem with is that the author wrote the MMC with Asperger’s Syndrome (a type of autism) but the MMC had no characteristics of having Asperger’s. It was like she just threw it in just to put it in.
This book was cute. I had a good time reading it. However there was a few things that bugged me. I felt like some of the scenes were over exaggerated and didn’t need to be over the top, it was like the author was creating drama all in the wrong places. Something that I had a real problem with is that the author wrote the MMC with Asperger’s Syndrome (a type of autism) but the MMC had no characteristics of having Asperger’s. It was like she just threw it in just to put it in.
July 14, 2026
Maggie Gates is an author I'm so grateful I discovered through Berkley Romance. Blue Jean Summer gives you the same feeling as The Griffith Brothers series, but it feels elevated and feels contemporary. It's exactly the kind of book needed in the crowded cowboy romance landscape.
The Wilder Estate, lovingly built and cared for by the late Walt Wilder, is left to his two grandsons, Hayes and Lewis. But Hayes faces one major condition: to inherit the ranch, the house, and everything his grandfather built, he must be married. Or it all goes to his loud, philandering younger brother (seriously he's obnoxious and has a penchant for slamming doors).
Enter Catherine, the outgoing Miss Virginia, who's nearing the end of her reign and desperately needs money to pay off her mother's medical debt while bringing her dream charitable initiative to life: creating a program that introduces children to agriculture and horticulture. (The book opens with her being rejected from a reality dating show, which is such a fun and unexpected start.) Hayes and Catherine enter into a marriage of convenience that benefits them both, but what begins as an arrangement naturally blossoms into something much deeper. By the end, neither can imagine a life apart. More than anything, this story highlights the beauty of companionship of having someone to. lean on, and that's where it truly shines.
Set in Honey Hollow, Blue Jean Summer gave me nostalgic callbacks to Kristin Ashley's original small-town romances. There's a wonderful ensemble cast that feels like a true found family, the setting radiates warmth and charm, and every interaction carries an intimacy that makes you want to stay awhile. Maggie Gates also plants plenty of intriguing threads for future books in The Wilder Estate series, and I'm already completely invested in what's coming next (Mason and Hallie had my eyebrows jumping in shock!)
There are also so many beautiful quotes in the book but one stunner: "You were the first person I didn't have to lose to find".
Thank you so much Berkley Romance and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital arc! #BerkleyPartner
The Wilder Estate, lovingly built and cared for by the late Walt Wilder, is left to his two grandsons, Hayes and Lewis. But Hayes faces one major condition: to inherit the ranch, the house, and everything his grandfather built, he must be married. Or it all goes to his loud, philandering younger brother (seriously he's obnoxious and has a penchant for slamming doors).
Enter Catherine, the outgoing Miss Virginia, who's nearing the end of her reign and desperately needs money to pay off her mother's medical debt while bringing her dream charitable initiative to life: creating a program that introduces children to agriculture and horticulture. (The book opens with her being rejected from a reality dating show, which is such a fun and unexpected start.) Hayes and Catherine enter into a marriage of convenience that benefits them both, but what begins as an arrangement naturally blossoms into something much deeper. By the end, neither can imagine a life apart. More than anything, this story highlights the beauty of companionship of having someone to. lean on, and that's where it truly shines.
Set in Honey Hollow, Blue Jean Summer gave me nostalgic callbacks to Kristin Ashley's original small-town romances. There's a wonderful ensemble cast that feels like a true found family, the setting radiates warmth and charm, and every interaction carries an intimacy that makes you want to stay awhile. Maggie Gates also plants plenty of intriguing threads for future books in The Wilder Estate series, and I'm already completely invested in what's coming next (Mason and Hallie had my eyebrows jumping in shock!)
There are also so many beautiful quotes in the book but one stunner: "You were the first person I didn't have to lose to find".
Thank you so much Berkley Romance and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital arc! #BerkleyPartner
August 4, 2026
First of all, a huge congratulations to Maggie Gates on the publication of her first traditionally published novel! Such an incredible accomplishment, and one she is so deserving of.
Blue Jean Summer follows Hayes Wilder, who must find a wife in order to inherit his late grandfather's estate. When he unexpectedly reunites with Catherine Foster at his grandfather's funeral, the two strike up a marriage of convenience that benefits them both, allowing Hayes to protect his family's legacy while giving Catherine the opportunity to pursue a project that brings her purpose and joy.
As always, Maggie's writing is effortless, and the premise immediately pulled me in. Catherine was definitely the standout character for me. She felt the most fully developed, and I really enjoyed following her journey. The supporting cast was also lovely, and I'm already looking forward to Hallie's story.
That being said, I did find myself wanting a little more depth from both the characters and the romance. Hayes, in particular, felt like he had so much potential, but I wanted to spend more time with his grief and see more of how he navigates life with his ASD rather than simply being told about it. I also would've loved more yearning and slow-burn tension throughout the marriage of convenience. There were so many opportunities for those quiet, angsty moments, and I found myself wanting just a little more.
The conflict toward the end also felt a bit underdeveloped, and I think a little more tension would've made the payoff even stronger.
I think what ultimately shaped my reading experience is that I'm such a longtime Maggie Gates fan. Her last book was a five (maybe even six) star read for me, so my expectations were incredibly high going into this one. While this wasn't my favourite of hers, it's still a cute, enjoyable, easy-to-read romance that I think will introduce so many new readers to Maggie's work, and for that, I'm so excited!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom for trusting me with an early copy.
Blue Jean Summer follows Hayes Wilder, who must find a wife in order to inherit his late grandfather's estate. When he unexpectedly reunites with Catherine Foster at his grandfather's funeral, the two strike up a marriage of convenience that benefits them both, allowing Hayes to protect his family's legacy while giving Catherine the opportunity to pursue a project that brings her purpose and joy.
As always, Maggie's writing is effortless, and the premise immediately pulled me in. Catherine was definitely the standout character for me. She felt the most fully developed, and I really enjoyed following her journey. The supporting cast was also lovely, and I'm already looking forward to Hallie's story.
That being said, I did find myself wanting a little more depth from both the characters and the romance. Hayes, in particular, felt like he had so much potential, but I wanted to spend more time with his grief and see more of how he navigates life with his ASD rather than simply being told about it. I also would've loved more yearning and slow-burn tension throughout the marriage of convenience. There were so many opportunities for those quiet, angsty moments, and I found myself wanting just a little more.
The conflict toward the end also felt a bit underdeveloped, and I think a little more tension would've made the payoff even stronger.
I think what ultimately shaped my reading experience is that I'm such a longtime Maggie Gates fan. Her last book was a five (maybe even six) star read for me, so my expectations were incredibly high going into this one. While this wasn't my favourite of hers, it's still a cute, enjoyable, easy-to-read romance that I think will introduce so many new readers to Maggie's work, and for that, I'm so excited!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom for trusting me with an early copy.
July 18, 2026
ㅤꨄ︎ marriage of convenience
ㅤꨄ︎ small town
ㅤꨄ︎ age gap
I am OBSESSED !!!!!! I enjoyed this story so much from the start to the finish!!! And marriage of convenience ? Sign me in directly !!
You don’t understand how much I enjoy small town vibes romances, it’s always with a found family and supportive friends and some family drama like always hehe, and this was so it…
I loved Hayes and Cath so much, they were so meant to be together from the start. And their chemistry was undeniable.
I usually prefer kind of slow burn but this felt for me like a fast paced in a relationship (and slow burn like emotionaly speaking), which didn’t bother me honestly because it all felt so natural and so good written.
I loved Hayes!! He was such a green flag since the beginning, even if he married for convenience, he always wanted a deep bond, and a relationship til death separates and I’m so happy he got it. And the hot vibes and how protective he was of “his wife”. OBSESSED.
And Cath? She was a strong women, with beautiful project. And I loved how there was a lot of depth to her character. And god, how much I hated her dad. It was so sad seeing her hoping for a dad-daughter relationship. But also omg I love how she was such a sunshine, and so kind to everyone.
I smiled through the whole book (except some passage but if you know you know), and you’re gonna have tension, jealousy, protective MMC, sunshine and strong FMC, found family and so much laughter and happiness but also emotional moments !
Also the ending was so beautiful that I need more of them…. :) So excited for more !!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc!
ㅤꨄ︎ small town
ㅤꨄ︎ age gap
I am OBSESSED !!!!!! I enjoyed this story so much from the start to the finish!!! And marriage of convenience ? Sign me in directly !!
You don’t understand how much I enjoy small town vibes romances, it’s always with a found family and supportive friends and some family drama like always hehe, and this was so it…
I loved Hayes and Cath so much, they were so meant to be together from the start. And their chemistry was undeniable.
I usually prefer kind of slow burn but this felt for me like a fast paced in a relationship (and slow burn like emotionaly speaking), which didn’t bother me honestly because it all felt so natural and so good written.
I loved Hayes!! He was such a green flag since the beginning, even if he married for convenience, he always wanted a deep bond, and a relationship til death separates and I’m so happy he got it. And the hot vibes and how protective he was of “his wife”. OBSESSED.
And Cath? She was a strong women, with beautiful project. And I loved how there was a lot of depth to her character. And god, how much I hated her dad. It was so sad seeing her hoping for a dad-daughter relationship. But also omg I love how she was such a sunshine, and so kind to everyone.
I smiled through the whole book (except some passage but if you know you know), and you’re gonna have tension, jealousy, protective MMC, sunshine and strong FMC, found family and so much laughter and happiness but also emotional moments !
Also the ending was so beautiful that I need more of them…. :) So excited for more !!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc!
July 23, 2026
Ugh Cath and Hayes are couple goals!!
Cath has a bleeding heart, and I absolute adore her and her love to help anyone or anything (especially Dorothy and Blanch). Hayes was all about Cath, total simp.
These two start off in a fake marriage which benefits them both, only for their feelings to turn real. Wish I could say Lewis has a redemption, but the trash really took itself out there (thankfully). I adored all the cowboy vibes in this book, and it was generally just a feel good romance. Ate UP the tension between Catherine and Hayes, and I loved the ending to their story!
“If I’m your valley, your flowers, and your sky, then you’re my cowboy.”
Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Cath has a bleeding heart, and I absolute adore her and her love to help anyone or anything (especially Dorothy and Blanch). Hayes was all about Cath, total simp.
These two start off in a fake marriage which benefits them both, only for their feelings to turn real. Wish I could say Lewis has a redemption, but the trash really took itself out there (thankfully). I adored all the cowboy vibes in this book, and it was generally just a feel good romance. Ate UP the tension between Catherine and Hayes, and I loved the ending to their story!
“If I’m your valley, your flowers, and your sky, then you’re my cowboy.”
Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
July 28, 2026
Devoured in one sitting. I loved this book! Absolutely obsessed with Hayes and Catherine. 🥹🥹 I’m so glad I was lucky enough to be selected as a part of Maggie’s content team and allowed access to this ARC! 😍
March 17, 2026
4.25* Oh this eats!!!
Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Secret tattoo
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Age gap
Cowboy/ranch adjacent
Found family
Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Secret tattoo
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Age gap
Cowboy/ranch adjacent
Found family
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Review - Huge thanks to Maggie Gates and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to receive a review copy of Blue Jean Summer!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded down - Let me start out by saying that the last thing I expected to do going into this one was to rate it under 5⭐️. I’m still relatively new to the Maggie-verse, but the books of hers that I’ve read so far had convinced me she was an auto-buy author with her strong writing and down bad MMCs. All that to say, this was quite a bit different than what I was expecting and I was pretty disappointed.
First things first, Blue Jean Summer is being billed as the first book in Maggie’s new cowboy romance series, and a cowboy romance it is not. It barely even feels cowboy adjacent? It’s a marriage of convenience between a millionaire/billionaire heir and a former beauty queen that takes place on a sprawling estate where the primary focus seems to be on horse racing and equestrian sports. If the Gold Rush Ranch series by Elsie Silver - where the FMCs are actually working hands-on with horses in a way that features pretty heavily in those stories - isn’t considered a cowboy romance series, Blue Jean Summer is even less eligible to claim this moniker.
This book draggeddd for me. It was much too long at nearly 450 pages - especially when so little happened (or when what DID happen could have been accomplished in much less space without the filler that did nothing to progress the plot).
I really did not feel much chemistry between the MCs at all. It felt more like a sibling energy where the much older brother was protective of his younger sister rather than a ‘take your hands off of MY WIFE’ kind of vibe. The Maggie MMCs I’m used to are down baddd dirty talkers who worship their women in ways that make their spicy scenes hot hot hot, but for me, MMC Hayes just didn’t have this same energy. I could see the attempt being made on Maggie’s part to cultivate this, but it didn’t land in the same way for me as the others, and the lack of chemistry probably had a lot to do with that.
Something else that seemed really out of left field - and that I think would be better left out of the book altogether since it isn’t given the level of focus and exploration it deserves - is the seemingly random reveal of the MMC’s Asperger’s/ASD diagnosis. It’s sort of dropped in as Hayes’s explanation for why he “need[ed] a minute to figure shit out,” and doesn’t come up again after this scene. Overall, it didn’t feel like this diagnosis was written clearly into Hayes’s mannerisms in any way that felt truly representative, so I was just kind of left wondering why it was there at all…
The book had a few funny moments and heartfelt speeches, but all in all, just fell flat for me. And while I’m unsure if this is actually the case or not, it felt like Maggie was trying too hard to meet a brief and check off boxes.
I’m willing to give the series another chance as I suspect I know which side characters will feature in Book 2, and I’m hopeful this will result in more of the “cowboy” element that was lacking in Blue Jean Summer.
Tropes and Microtropes:
Age Gap
Billionaire Romance
Childhood Crush
Found Family
Marriage of Convenience
Small Town
🌶️🌶️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded down - Let me start out by saying that the last thing I expected to do going into this one was to rate it under 5⭐️. I’m still relatively new to the Maggie-verse, but the books of hers that I’ve read so far had convinced me she was an auto-buy author with her strong writing and down bad MMCs. All that to say, this was quite a bit different than what I was expecting and I was pretty disappointed.
First things first, Blue Jean Summer is being billed as the first book in Maggie’s new cowboy romance series, and a cowboy romance it is not. It barely even feels cowboy adjacent? It’s a marriage of convenience between a millionaire/billionaire heir and a former beauty queen that takes place on a sprawling estate where the primary focus seems to be on horse racing and equestrian sports. If the Gold Rush Ranch series by Elsie Silver - where the FMCs are actually working hands-on with horses in a way that features pretty heavily in those stories - isn’t considered a cowboy romance series, Blue Jean Summer is even less eligible to claim this moniker.
This book draggeddd for me. It was much too long at nearly 450 pages - especially when so little happened (or when what DID happen could have been accomplished in much less space without the filler that did nothing to progress the plot).
I really did not feel much chemistry between the MCs at all. It felt more like a sibling energy where the much older brother was protective of his younger sister rather than a ‘take your hands off of MY WIFE’ kind of vibe. The Maggie MMCs I’m used to are down baddd dirty talkers who worship their women in ways that make their spicy scenes hot hot hot, but for me, MMC Hayes just didn’t have this same energy. I could see the attempt being made on Maggie’s part to cultivate this, but it didn’t land in the same way for me as the others, and the lack of chemistry probably had a lot to do with that.
Something else that seemed really out of left field - and that I think would be better left out of the book altogether since it isn’t given the level of focus and exploration it deserves - is the seemingly random reveal of the MMC’s Asperger’s/ASD diagnosis. It’s sort of dropped in as Hayes’s explanation for why he “need[ed] a minute to figure shit out,” and doesn’t come up again after this scene. Overall, it didn’t feel like this diagnosis was written clearly into Hayes’s mannerisms in any way that felt truly representative, so I was just kind of left wondering why it was there at all…
The book had a few funny moments and heartfelt speeches, but all in all, just fell flat for me. And while I’m unsure if this is actually the case or not, it felt like Maggie was trying too hard to meet a brief and check off boxes.
I’m willing to give the series another chance as I suspect I know which side characters will feature in Book 2, and I’m hopeful this will result in more of the “cowboy” element that was lacking in Blue Jean Summer.
Tropes and Microtropes:
Age Gap
Billionaire Romance
Childhood Crush
Found Family
Marriage of Convenience
Small Town
🌶️🌶️.5
July 24, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ | 2 🌶️
Maggie Gates sure knows how to write a sweet summer cowboy romance! This is a marriage of convenience story that is equal parts, comforting, and very sweet.
Hayes is a man, that up until this point, lived a very solitary life with his Grandpa. He is incredibly hard-working and prefers things to be clear cut. When his Grandpa had passed away, he receives the news that he will inherit the entire estate, but there’s a catch he has to be married first.
That’s where Catherine comes in to save the day. Catherine is someone that is in debt, but grew up in the same town as Hayes’s— just 10 years his junior. She’s had a crush on him back then and it seems it came back with a vengeance. This arrangement is mutually beneficial and the attraction is electric for both of them.
The romance between these two was fast, and very much so, love at first sight coded. At least from Hayes perspective. However, the novel doesn’t hide from this fact, if anything, it’s a conversation that is brought up even by our main characters. Despite it feeling very fast, it is exceptionally sweet how they fall for each other after they said “I do”.
These two were definitely bound to fall in love with one another. I found them to be incredibly compatible. I think where I struggled, though was I wanted this romance to be a slow burn. I was anticipating them falling in love slowly overtime, but instead it happened much quicker than I anticipated. I didn’t dislike that necessarily, but can’t say I wasn’t disappointed in their emotional intimacy because of it.
In addition, there were lots of dramatic plot points throughout the story, namely with Hayes half brother and Catherine’s Dad. Despite those stakes feeling very high I personally felt they lacked emotional depth. Especially with Hayes brother who felt more like a cringy villain with no back story. A lot was said, but I would’ve preferred to have been shown those feelings instead of being told. Also many of those high stakes conflicts were resolved so quickly— too quickly. I had a hard time connecting to the story because of it. I wish we would have focused in on one big plot point and unpacked more of our characters emotional baggage in other ways. Is it weird to say it was almost too much but not enough?
It did end very sweetly and I highlighted a ton of quotes. The romance was great overall and I would say this is a great light summer read.
Alrighty, should this spill into your TBR?
I really wanted to love this and instead thought it was okay. Nothing bad just a solid easy read, but not something I’d come back to. I would recommend this though to lovers of the genre. Just go into it solely for the quick burn romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance, and Maggie Gates for the chance to read this love story in exchange in exchange for an honest review.
Maggie Gates sure knows how to write a sweet summer cowboy romance! This is a marriage of convenience story that is equal parts, comforting, and very sweet.
Hayes is a man, that up until this point, lived a very solitary life with his Grandpa. He is incredibly hard-working and prefers things to be clear cut. When his Grandpa had passed away, he receives the news that he will inherit the entire estate, but there’s a catch he has to be married first.
That’s where Catherine comes in to save the day. Catherine is someone that is in debt, but grew up in the same town as Hayes’s— just 10 years his junior. She’s had a crush on him back then and it seems it came back with a vengeance. This arrangement is mutually beneficial and the attraction is electric for both of them.
The romance between these two was fast, and very much so, love at first sight coded. At least from Hayes perspective. However, the novel doesn’t hide from this fact, if anything, it’s a conversation that is brought up even by our main characters. Despite it feeling very fast, it is exceptionally sweet how they fall for each other after they said “I do”.
These two were definitely bound to fall in love with one another. I found them to be incredibly compatible. I think where I struggled, though was I wanted this romance to be a slow burn. I was anticipating them falling in love slowly overtime, but instead it happened much quicker than I anticipated. I didn’t dislike that necessarily, but can’t say I wasn’t disappointed in their emotional intimacy because of it.
In addition, there were lots of dramatic plot points throughout the story, namely with Hayes half brother and Catherine’s Dad. Despite those stakes feeling very high I personally felt they lacked emotional depth. Especially with Hayes brother who felt more like a cringy villain with no back story. A lot was said, but I would’ve preferred to have been shown those feelings instead of being told. Also many of those high stakes conflicts were resolved so quickly— too quickly. I had a hard time connecting to the story because of it. I wish we would have focused in on one big plot point and unpacked more of our characters emotional baggage in other ways. Is it weird to say it was almost too much but not enough?
It did end very sweetly and I highlighted a ton of quotes. The romance was great overall and I would say this is a great light summer read.
Alrighty, should this spill into your TBR?
I really wanted to love this and instead thought it was okay. Nothing bad just a solid easy read, but not something I’d come back to. I would recommend this though to lovers of the genre. Just go into it solely for the quick burn romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance, and Maggie Gates for the chance to read this love story in exchange in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC REVIEW- BLUE JEAN SUMMER
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🩵Cowboy Romance
🩵Marriage of Convenience
🩵Grumpy x Sunshine
🩵Age Gap
🩵Forced Proximity
🩵Found Family
_______________________________________________________
Thanks to Maggie Gates, Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC! I received an advance copy of the book and am leaving an honest review. All opinions are my own.
_______________________________________________________
I feel like I always know what I'm signing up for with a Maggie Gates book. Swoony men, strong woman and chemistry that is off the charts. I was so excited for Maggie with her trad release and could not wait to dive into this one. What I wasn't expecting was the slow build-up of emotion and connection that I found between Hayes and Catherine.
Hayes Wilder is set to inherit an enormous ranch estate after the death of his grandfather but he needs a wife to be able to inherit. Catherine Foster is the reigning Ms. Virginia who is set to pass the crown soon but doesn't have any idea of what she wants to do with her life. Her mother has suddenly and recently passed away and she is drowning in medical debt. What develops between them is a marriage of convenience that eventually gives way to something more meaningful and everlasting.
I really enjoyed the emotional slow burn of this book. Both Hayes and Catherine are determined to make this marriage work, even if they only see it as a business arrangement. But the secret moments they have between the two of them, the emotional conversations and how they let their guard down around the other made for such a sweet read. I adored the two of them together. Even once things became physical with them, there was still some emotional distance they put up that eventually was done away with.
The two of them really suited each other and both really came into their own as a couple but also as individuals. Catherine especially, with her social initiative and how she seemed to settle and find her place in the world. Hayes finally found someone he could just BE with. He was able to be vulnerable and feel safe with Catherine. Their romantic journey was really beautiful.
I ate this book up in one sitting. It had me kicking my feet, smiling and crying all at once. I fell in love with not only Hayes and Catherine but the entire found family on the Wilder estate. I really hope this continues into a series, I NEED a book with Hallie and Mason, especially with that twist at the end! Be sure to pick this one up on release!
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🩵Cowboy Romance
🩵Marriage of Convenience
🩵Grumpy x Sunshine
🩵Age Gap
🩵Forced Proximity
🩵Found Family
_______________________________________________________
Thanks to Maggie Gates, Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC! I received an advance copy of the book and am leaving an honest review. All opinions are my own.
_______________________________________________________
I feel like I always know what I'm signing up for with a Maggie Gates book. Swoony men, strong woman and chemistry that is off the charts. I was so excited for Maggie with her trad release and could not wait to dive into this one. What I wasn't expecting was the slow build-up of emotion and connection that I found between Hayes and Catherine.
Hayes Wilder is set to inherit an enormous ranch estate after the death of his grandfather but he needs a wife to be able to inherit. Catherine Foster is the reigning Ms. Virginia who is set to pass the crown soon but doesn't have any idea of what she wants to do with her life. Her mother has suddenly and recently passed away and she is drowning in medical debt. What develops between them is a marriage of convenience that eventually gives way to something more meaningful and everlasting.
I really enjoyed the emotional slow burn of this book. Both Hayes and Catherine are determined to make this marriage work, even if they only see it as a business arrangement. But the secret moments they have between the two of them, the emotional conversations and how they let their guard down around the other made for such a sweet read. I adored the two of them together. Even once things became physical with them, there was still some emotional distance they put up that eventually was done away with.
The two of them really suited each other and both really came into their own as a couple but also as individuals. Catherine especially, with her social initiative and how she seemed to settle and find her place in the world. Hayes finally found someone he could just BE with. He was able to be vulnerable and feel safe with Catherine. Their romantic journey was really beautiful.
I ate this book up in one sitting. It had me kicking my feet, smiling and crying all at once. I fell in love with not only Hayes and Catherine but the entire found family on the Wilder estate. I really hope this continues into a series, I NEED a book with Hallie and Mason, especially with that twist at the end! Be sure to pick this one up on release!
July 31, 2026
Thank you to Maggie Gates and Berkley Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy of Blue Jean Summer!!
WOW. This was a stunning novel of love, grief, friendship, and western beauty. Hayes Wilder is willing to do whatever it takes to save his late grandfather’s ranch—even if it means finding a wife. Catherine Foster, the reigning Miss Virginia, is buried under her late mother’s medical debt and needs to find a job fast. The two enter a marriage of convenience that benefits them both; however, their arrangement begins to feel less like a business deal and more like the real thing.
☆ marriage of convenience
☆ “that’s my wife”
☆ childhood friends to lovers
☆ small town cowboy romance
☆ age gap romance
I absolutely loved the chemistry between Hayes and Catherine. The way that he so tenderly cares for her is absolutely precious, even when their relationship was just an arrangement. I really liked that Wilder Estates meant as much to her as it did to Hayes—I felt like it was the perfect touch as well.
Hayes…perfection. I love a man who can look just as good in wranglers, boots, and a cowboy hat as he does in suits. But can we talk about the autism representation through his character?! This was such a touching addition to the story, and it endeared me to him even more. I love that he cares so much for those around him, regardless of who (or what) they are. The horses, the staff, Catherine—he may be stoney on the outside, but on the inside, he’s a big lover boy.
Catherine…impeccable. As someone who did one stint in the pageant world, I have complete respect for the women who pursue the pageant circuit. It’s difficult, especially when you’re being faced by the beauty standards people hold. Catherine, however, pours into the service aspect of being the reigning Miss Virginia, and I really admired that. Her passion for those in underserved communities was beautiful and I love what she did what that passion in the book.
I’m SO EXCITED to read Hallie and Mason’s story in book two…waiting is going to be TORTURE!! The way I just want to hug the two of them, especially after the end of the book NO SPOILERS.
Thank you again to Maggie Gates, her team, and Berkley Publishing for this amazing opportunity!
WOW. This was a stunning novel of love, grief, friendship, and western beauty. Hayes Wilder is willing to do whatever it takes to save his late grandfather’s ranch—even if it means finding a wife. Catherine Foster, the reigning Miss Virginia, is buried under her late mother’s medical debt and needs to find a job fast. The two enter a marriage of convenience that benefits them both; however, their arrangement begins to feel less like a business deal and more like the real thing.
☆ marriage of convenience
☆ “that’s my wife”
☆ childhood friends to lovers
☆ small town cowboy romance
☆ age gap romance
I absolutely loved the chemistry between Hayes and Catherine. The way that he so tenderly cares for her is absolutely precious, even when their relationship was just an arrangement. I really liked that Wilder Estates meant as much to her as it did to Hayes—I felt like it was the perfect touch as well.
Hayes…perfection. I love a man who can look just as good in wranglers, boots, and a cowboy hat as he does in suits. But can we talk about the autism representation through his character?! This was such a touching addition to the story, and it endeared me to him even more. I love that he cares so much for those around him, regardless of who (or what) they are. The horses, the staff, Catherine—he may be stoney on the outside, but on the inside, he’s a big lover boy.
Catherine…impeccable. As someone who did one stint in the pageant world, I have complete respect for the women who pursue the pageant circuit. It’s difficult, especially when you’re being faced by the beauty standards people hold. Catherine, however, pours into the service aspect of being the reigning Miss Virginia, and I really admired that. Her passion for those in underserved communities was beautiful and I love what she did what that passion in the book.
I’m SO EXCITED to read Hallie and Mason’s story in book two…waiting is going to be TORTURE!! The way I just want to hug the two of them, especially after the end of the book NO SPOILERS.
Thank you again to Maggie Gates, her team, and Berkley Publishing for this amazing opportunity!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
BLUE JEAN SUMMER is the first book in Maggie Gates’s newest series set in Honey Hollow. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse at this fun little town and the Wilder Estate where the majority of the book takes place. But, as excited as I am about the location, the characters, a group of friends who work at, live at, and own the Wilder Estate, are what I’m most looking forward to seeing in later books (a ferrier! The leatherworker/clothing designer who is a little wild! The single mom who manages everything for the Wilder family! The estate’s head landscaper who is head over heels for her!)
BLUE JEAN SUMMER itself, however, was full of so many things that romance readers are going to absolutely swoon for. Though I’ve never been crazy about fake relationships, Maggie Gates had these two characters–Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia who is drowning in debt following her mother’s passing and struggling to bring her community initiative to life without the necessary resources, and Hayes Wilder, the newest owner of the Wilder Estate after the death of his grandfather who will only truly inherit the estate once he’s married–absolutely yearning for one another from the very first moment they meet again as adults. And each were so complex and three dimensional that I had no problem believing that they would fall in love with one another, but also that this situation would work out for them or be probable in general. I also loved the quirky animals and nosy townspeople who only added to the story.
There were quite a few conflicts in BLUE JEAN SUMMER, but they felt natural rather than thrown into the mix for the sake of creating plot points. I would love to see these villains pop up again in later books too, even if just so we the readers can see them get their comeuppance!
Overall, this novel was a great introduction into this newest world, something that is increasingly rare, and I can’t wait to meet up with this little found family again.
BLUE JEAN SUMMER is the first book in Maggie Gates’s newest series set in Honey Hollow. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse at this fun little town and the Wilder Estate where the majority of the book takes place. But, as excited as I am about the location, the characters, a group of friends who work at, live at, and own the Wilder Estate, are what I’m most looking forward to seeing in later books (a ferrier! The leatherworker/clothing designer who is a little wild! The single mom who manages everything for the Wilder family! The estate’s head landscaper who is head over heels for her!)
BLUE JEAN SUMMER itself, however, was full of so many things that romance readers are going to absolutely swoon for. Though I’ve never been crazy about fake relationships, Maggie Gates had these two characters–Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia who is drowning in debt following her mother’s passing and struggling to bring her community initiative to life without the necessary resources, and Hayes Wilder, the newest owner of the Wilder Estate after the death of his grandfather who will only truly inherit the estate once he’s married–absolutely yearning for one another from the very first moment they meet again as adults. And each were so complex and three dimensional that I had no problem believing that they would fall in love with one another, but also that this situation would work out for them or be probable in general. I also loved the quirky animals and nosy townspeople who only added to the story.
There were quite a few conflicts in BLUE JEAN SUMMER, but they felt natural rather than thrown into the mix for the sake of creating plot points. I would love to see these villains pop up again in later books too, even if just so we the readers can see them get their comeuppance!
Overall, this novel was a great introduction into this newest world, something that is increasingly rare, and I can’t wait to meet up with this little found family again.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to Berkley for approving me for this ARC through NetGalley! I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review Blue Jean Summer!
Okay but the gasp I gasped when I got approved for this one 😭 I have had books by Maggie Gates sitting on my TBR for way too long, and after this?? Yeah I need to fix that immediately.
This book completely pulled me in from the start. Catherine and Hayes were just so easy together the kind of couple that makes you believe in it just fits. I absolutely loved that they already had history and that their relationship didn’t feel forced at all. For a marriage of convenience story, I really appreciated that they were all in from the beginning it made their connection feel even more natural and real.
The ranch and small town vibes were everything. This book made me want to pack up my life and go live my own blue jean summer immediately 🤠 And can we talk about Dorothy the cow? I am obsessed. I need one. No further questions.
One of my favorite parts of this story was the representation. Hayes’ character added such a meaningful layer to the book, and I loved how his perspective and focus on work life balance were woven into the story. It felt thoughtful and important without ever feeling heavy handed.
I also really appreciated the more emotional elements, especially the complicated relationship between Catherine and her dad. It added depth to her character and made her journey feel even more real.
And that ending? I was flying through those pages 👀 I need more immediately, Mason and Hallie have my full attention, and honestly I would not be mad about a Levi and Savannah story either!
This book had heart, charm, and characters that felt so easy to love. If you’re into small town romance, marriage of convenience, and couples who just click, you need to pick this one up.
Okay but the gasp I gasped when I got approved for this one 😭 I have had books by Maggie Gates sitting on my TBR for way too long, and after this?? Yeah I need to fix that immediately.
This book completely pulled me in from the start. Catherine and Hayes were just so easy together the kind of couple that makes you believe in it just fits. I absolutely loved that they already had history and that their relationship didn’t feel forced at all. For a marriage of convenience story, I really appreciated that they were all in from the beginning it made their connection feel even more natural and real.
The ranch and small town vibes were everything. This book made me want to pack up my life and go live my own blue jean summer immediately 🤠 And can we talk about Dorothy the cow? I am obsessed. I need one. No further questions.
One of my favorite parts of this story was the representation. Hayes’ character added such a meaningful layer to the book, and I loved how his perspective and focus on work life balance were woven into the story. It felt thoughtful and important without ever feeling heavy handed.
I also really appreciated the more emotional elements, especially the complicated relationship between Catherine and her dad. It added depth to her character and made her journey feel even more real.
And that ending? I was flying through those pages 👀 I need more immediately, Mason and Hallie have my full attention, and honestly I would not be mad about a Levi and Savannah story either!
This book had heart, charm, and characters that felt so easy to love. If you’re into small town romance, marriage of convenience, and couples who just click, you need to pick this one up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Review: Thank you to Maggie Gates, Berkley Romance, and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of Blue Jean Summer to read and review.
Never has a book made me want to put down roots in a small town like Blue Jean Summer did. Everything from Savannah at her saddle shop, the Moo Brew crew, and everything in between. I loved all of the characters. If only we could all be as efficient as Hallie in running an estate. I’d love to book a one-way ticket to Honey Hollow as soon as possible. I can’t wait to see where the next book goes. I can’t say enough good things about this book.
Now on to the main characters:
I really liked Hayes’s character. He’s so easy to like. He’s a businessman who is comfortable in tailored shirts and slacks, but will wear out the hell out of a pair of jeans and boots just to make Catherine happy.
I loved that he always considered Catherine his equal. He has complete faith in her to reach for what she wants, and he’ll hand over his credit card to help her get it. The moments from Hayes’s POV were some of my favorites. I love how he stands up for the people he cares about. While his half-brother is playing checkers, Hayes is playing chess, and I love how this book played out.
Catherine is one of the most likable FMCs. She's a beauty queen with a heart of gold. She’s just coming to the end of her reign as Miss Virginia when Hayes went to her asking for her hand in marriage so he could keep his family’s estate out of the hands of his half-brother. I really loved getting those bits and pieces of the history that Hayes and Catherine share that helped their chemistry feel so natural. I laughed out loud at the scene where Catherine pulled up to the estate with a calf in the front seat of Hayes’s luxury SUV because the poor thing had been abandoned at the feed store.
Never has a book made me want to put down roots in a small town like Blue Jean Summer did. Everything from Savannah at her saddle shop, the Moo Brew crew, and everything in between. I loved all of the characters. If only we could all be as efficient as Hallie in running an estate. I’d love to book a one-way ticket to Honey Hollow as soon as possible. I can’t wait to see where the next book goes. I can’t say enough good things about this book.
Now on to the main characters:
I really liked Hayes’s character. He’s so easy to like. He’s a businessman who is comfortable in tailored shirts and slacks, but will wear out the hell out of a pair of jeans and boots just to make Catherine happy.
I loved that he always considered Catherine his equal. He has complete faith in her to reach for what she wants, and he’ll hand over his credit card to help her get it. The moments from Hayes’s POV were some of my favorites. I love how he stands up for the people he cares about. While his half-brother is playing checkers, Hayes is playing chess, and I love how this book played out.
Catherine is one of the most likable FMCs. She's a beauty queen with a heart of gold. She’s just coming to the end of her reign as Miss Virginia when Hayes went to her asking for her hand in marriage so he could keep his family’s estate out of the hands of his half-brother. I really loved getting those bits and pieces of the history that Hayes and Catherine share that helped their chemistry feel so natural. I laughed out loud at the scene where Catherine pulled up to the estate with a calf in the front seat of Hayes’s luxury SUV because the poor thing had been abandoned at the feed store.
May 4, 2026
Hayes Wilder is not a cowboy and he will be the first one to tell you that. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t look killer in a pair of blue jeans.
Maggie Gates’ has once again graced us with a small town romance that sets the bar so high. Hayes and Catherine are perfection.
After the death of his grandfather Hayes Wilder finds himself in need of a wife and quickly if he hopes to inherit the estate that was left to him. Otherwise it’ll go to his terrible half-brother Lewis. Enter Catherine, grieving the death of her own mother, the two reunite for the first time since childhood at Hayes’ grandfathers funeral. Brought together my circumstances, Catherine agrees to marry Hayes so he can inherit the estate and Hayes will help her catch up on her mothers medical bills. Very quickly the fake marriage starts to feel real for them both and the chemistry was explosive.
As far as trope lists go we had all the good ones, marriage of convenience/fake dating vibes, he falls first for sure, protective mmc and of course the most precious animal sidekick. I honestly could not get enough of these two. I loved Hayes’ character and I always love to see neurodivergence representation in books. Catherine was a sweetheart, she just wanted to work with the community and help people.
In true Maggie Gates’ fashion the side characters caught me right away as well. So I have my fingers and toes crossed that we get to find out more about Hallie.
Blue Jean Summer is equivalent to lying in the perfect temperature of the sun. It’s sunshine and so sweet, but of course with a little darkness to give it life. Thank you so much to the Berkley team for letting me read this early. I cannot recommend it enough to everyone, this will be the perfect summer read.
Maggie Gates’ has once again graced us with a small town romance that sets the bar so high. Hayes and Catherine are perfection.
After the death of his grandfather Hayes Wilder finds himself in need of a wife and quickly if he hopes to inherit the estate that was left to him. Otherwise it’ll go to his terrible half-brother Lewis. Enter Catherine, grieving the death of her own mother, the two reunite for the first time since childhood at Hayes’ grandfathers funeral. Brought together my circumstances, Catherine agrees to marry Hayes so he can inherit the estate and Hayes will help her catch up on her mothers medical bills. Very quickly the fake marriage starts to feel real for them both and the chemistry was explosive.
As far as trope lists go we had all the good ones, marriage of convenience/fake dating vibes, he falls first for sure, protective mmc and of course the most precious animal sidekick. I honestly could not get enough of these two. I loved Hayes’ character and I always love to see neurodivergence representation in books. Catherine was a sweetheart, she just wanted to work with the community and help people.
In true Maggie Gates’ fashion the side characters caught me right away as well. So I have my fingers and toes crossed that we get to find out more about Hallie.
Blue Jean Summer is equivalent to lying in the perfect temperature of the sun. It’s sunshine and so sweet, but of course with a little darkness to give it life. Thank you so much to the Berkley team for letting me read this early. I cannot recommend it enough to everyone, this will be the perfect summer read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
I loved this! I've read several of Maggie Gates' indie published books so I was so excited to see she had gotten a traditional publishing deal! And this did not disappoint!
We get right into the story on page 1 as we learn that Hayes is getting ready to attend his grandfather's (the man who raised him) funeral. But Hayes quickly learns he has a dilemma on his hands because he needs to be married to have a solid claim on his inheritance, which happens to be an absolutely gorgeous and massive ranch and estate. And it is imperative that he locks down a bride because his money hungry half-brother wants to contest the will to gain ownership of the ranch so he can sell each parcel of land off to the highest bidder.
What ensues is a marriage of convenience with Catherine who is still grieving her own family member's death and desperately wants to open a youth agriculture program. So she gets some land for her nonprofit and he gets a 1-year bride. Super simple, right? Well except for the fact that there is some serious chemistry between them. And they genuinely love each other's company. And they compliment each other perfectly.
I loved seeing how they first became allies in this deception, then genuine friends, then lovers, then IN LOVE. It was a perfect slow burn and just so sweet. Found family is one of my favorite tropes so I also loved that this had such a great friendship dynamic between Samantha, Hallie, Levi, and Mason. And wowww those last few pages have me sooo intrigued by Mason and Hallie's book.
Such a compulsively readable and fun read! A strong start to Maggie Gates' trad publishing career!
I loved this! I've read several of Maggie Gates' indie published books so I was so excited to see she had gotten a traditional publishing deal! And this did not disappoint!
We get right into the story on page 1 as we learn that Hayes is getting ready to attend his grandfather's (the man who raised him) funeral. But Hayes quickly learns he has a dilemma on his hands because he needs to be married to have a solid claim on his inheritance, which happens to be an absolutely gorgeous and massive ranch and estate. And it is imperative that he locks down a bride because his money hungry half-brother wants to contest the will to gain ownership of the ranch so he can sell each parcel of land off to the highest bidder.
What ensues is a marriage of convenience with Catherine who is still grieving her own family member's death and desperately wants to open a youth agriculture program. So she gets some land for her nonprofit and he gets a 1-year bride. Super simple, right? Well except for the fact that there is some serious chemistry between them. And they genuinely love each other's company. And they compliment each other perfectly.
I loved seeing how they first became allies in this deception, then genuine friends, then lovers, then IN LOVE. It was a perfect slow burn and just so sweet. Found family is one of my favorite tropes so I also loved that this had such a great friendship dynamic between Samantha, Hallie, Levi, and Mason. And wowww those last few pages have me sooo intrigued by Mason and Hallie's book.
Such a compulsively readable and fun read! A strong start to Maggie Gates' trad publishing career!
April 10, 2026
Maggie Gates is becoming an auto buy, automatic read, obsessed with author for me!
Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC of Blue Jean Summer! This is book 1 in what looks like to be interconnected standalone romances taking place in Honey Hollow! This book follows Hayes.
WHAT TO SAY ABOUT HAYES! He wears his heart on his sleeve, is fiercely loyal and protective, is autistic with some great rep, and has the most tragic life ever but at least he’s rich. When his grandfather dies and the Wilder estate is left to him with a wife condition, his half brother is trying to ruin his inheritance and take it for his own. Enters his childhood crush, the girl who swore in the middle of his grandfathers funeral, and the best friend of the person who runs his families household, CATHERINE FOSTER!
Catherine, Cath, Catie! You are so true to you andI love it. After losing her mom and being in desperate need of some money and a job, the offer to be Hayes wife is too good to be true. Catherine added the humor to this book, the sunshine, the love. I adored her and her big heart. When she picked up Dorothy in the SUV with a pup cup and a banana bread latte I actually died.
This book has everything you want:
- marriage of convenience
- COWBOY
- non profit work
- COWBOY WHO WEARS SUITS TO WORK
- forced proximity
- COWBOY WHO SECRETLY IS IN LOVE WITH HIS FAKE WIFE
- grief rep
- DID I MENTION COWBOY?
- autistic rep
PICK IT UP COME SEPTEMBER!!
Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC of Blue Jean Summer! This is book 1 in what looks like to be interconnected standalone romances taking place in Honey Hollow! This book follows Hayes.
WHAT TO SAY ABOUT HAYES! He wears his heart on his sleeve, is fiercely loyal and protective, is autistic with some great rep, and has the most tragic life ever but at least he’s rich. When his grandfather dies and the Wilder estate is left to him with a wife condition, his half brother is trying to ruin his inheritance and take it for his own. Enters his childhood crush, the girl who swore in the middle of his grandfathers funeral, and the best friend of the person who runs his families household, CATHERINE FOSTER!
Catherine, Cath, Catie! You are so true to you andI love it. After losing her mom and being in desperate need of some money and a job, the offer to be Hayes wife is too good to be true. Catherine added the humor to this book, the sunshine, the love. I adored her and her big heart. When she picked up Dorothy in the SUV with a pup cup and a banana bread latte I actually died.
This book has everything you want:
- marriage of convenience
- COWBOY
- non profit work
- COWBOY WHO WEARS SUITS TO WORK
- forced proximity
- COWBOY WHO SECRETLY IS IN LOVE WITH HIS FAKE WIFE
- grief rep
- DID I MENTION COWBOY?
- autistic rep
PICK IT UP COME SEPTEMBER!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
unfortunately i couldn't find a reason to care about this book...
in the past, i've read books by maggie gates that were in the same genre, cowboy romances with some slight mystery happening in the background. those were fun, all around a four star, this one, which should've been the same thing, just fell really flat. hayes and catherine are getting married so that he can access the entirety of his grandfathers estate and she can pay off some debt, fake (but very real) marriage with a side of forced proximity should work for me, sadly i just didn't connect with either of the characters.
the first fifty percent was fine, thats why i feel like a three and not a 2.5, but after that we lost all the tension and we started focusing on businesses and drama with a governor and embezzlement, just stuff i did not care about. i really enjoyed cath's friendship with hallie and savannah, you can clearly see whose story is next and what this book was setting up for. i am interested in hallie and mason but at the same time i am over it. more warren is what i need. a mysterious man who lives like a recluse and rescues animals that are being abused, yeah i gotta know more about him!!
if you're looking for another cowboy romance to read this wouldn't be the worst option but the story is just so low in stakes and there's no real relationship conflict which leads to the book being mostly drama free.
*thank you berkley and netgalley for the copy*
in the past, i've read books by maggie gates that were in the same genre, cowboy romances with some slight mystery happening in the background. those were fun, all around a four star, this one, which should've been the same thing, just fell really flat. hayes and catherine are getting married so that he can access the entirety of his grandfathers estate and she can pay off some debt, fake (but very real) marriage with a side of forced proximity should work for me, sadly i just didn't connect with either of the characters.
the first fifty percent was fine, thats why i feel like a three and not a 2.5, but after that we lost all the tension and we started focusing on businesses and drama with a governor and embezzlement, just stuff i did not care about. i really enjoyed cath's friendship with hallie and savannah, you can clearly see whose story is next and what this book was setting up for. i am interested in hallie and mason but at the same time i am over it. more warren is what i need. a mysterious man who lives like a recluse and rescues animals that are being abused, yeah i gotta know more about him!!
if you're looking for another cowboy romance to read this wouldn't be the worst option but the story is just so low in stakes and there's no real relationship conflict which leads to the book being mostly drama free.
*thank you berkley and netgalley for the copy*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this marriage-of-convenience romance. Set in Virginia, we see Hayes and Catherine embark on a journey of fall in love, set under the guise of a marriage in order to protect an inherited property from falling in the wrong hands.
The first half of the book is the build up to the wedding, while the second half is the actual marriage. Split into dual perspective first person POV chapters, readers see each main characters' perspective and that helps guide the story and make you really invested in both Hayes and Cath.
What was unique about this is that unlike most romances, Hayes was really the protagonist rather than Catherine. He is nuanced and complex, and a good man. He owns his mistakes, accepts things, but does not take a backseat to his own life. He is clear and forthright and plays not games. Catherine, 10 years his junior, is reigning Miss Virginia. She is smart, sweet, honest and more mature than her 25 years.
I loved the cast of characters, the plot, and relationship development. I did feel, however, as though the pacing wasn't feasible for the two months in which the story was set.
All in all, I recommend this for anyone looking for a soft and cozy romance.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
The first half of the book is the build up to the wedding, while the second half is the actual marriage. Split into dual perspective first person POV chapters, readers see each main characters' perspective and that helps guide the story and make you really invested in both Hayes and Cath.
What was unique about this is that unlike most romances, Hayes was really the protagonist rather than Catherine. He is nuanced and complex, and a good man. He owns his mistakes, accepts things, but does not take a backseat to his own life. He is clear and forthright and plays not games. Catherine, 10 years his junior, is reigning Miss Virginia. She is smart, sweet, honest and more mature than her 25 years.
I loved the cast of characters, the plot, and relationship development. I did feel, however, as though the pacing wasn't feasible for the two months in which the story was set.
All in all, I recommend this for anyone looking for a soft and cozy romance.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2026
This one feels like coming home for me!!
I honestly hate that everyone has to wait until September to pick this up because this truly was the best summer read!
Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, we have the Wilder ranch, where grandpa Wilder recently passed away and the entire estate is now Hayes’ responsibility. However, in order for Hayes to keep the estate, he has to be married.
Catherine- AKA - Miss Virginia, is an old childhood friend who is back in town to pay her respects and hopefully get a grant approved from the Wilder Foundation for a project she hopes to start. However when the grant application is denied, Hayes may have a mutually beneficial arrangement… cue the delicious marriage of convenience!
I loved knowing that these two were childhood friends because it made the relationship more believable. You could tell they had chemistry from the very start and it just flourished beautifully and when things got hot, they were HOT 🥵🔥
Also, our man Hayes was a little possessive, popping off with some delicious “my wife” moments and a fist to his brother’s face. I would also honestly love it if a man handed me his credit card and challenged me to hit his daily limit, cause my ass would probably head straight to the book store 😂
•
I cant help but also mention the found family in this book. I absolutely love the little family they’ve created on the ranch and I cannot wait to see what comes next! Ms Maggie for sure set us up for more books to come!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley and Maggie Gates for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
I honestly hate that everyone has to wait until September to pick this up because this truly was the best summer read!
Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, we have the Wilder ranch, where grandpa Wilder recently passed away and the entire estate is now Hayes’ responsibility. However, in order for Hayes to keep the estate, he has to be married.
Catherine- AKA - Miss Virginia, is an old childhood friend who is back in town to pay her respects and hopefully get a grant approved from the Wilder Foundation for a project she hopes to start. However when the grant application is denied, Hayes may have a mutually beneficial arrangement… cue the delicious marriage of convenience!
I loved knowing that these two were childhood friends because it made the relationship more believable. You could tell they had chemistry from the very start and it just flourished beautifully and when things got hot, they were HOT 🥵🔥
Also, our man Hayes was a little possessive, popping off with some delicious “my wife” moments and a fist to his brother’s face. I would also honestly love it if a man handed me his credit card and challenged me to hit his daily limit, cause my ass would probably head straight to the book store 😂
•
I cant help but also mention the found family in this book. I absolutely love the little family they’ve created on the ranch and I cannot wait to see what comes next! Ms Maggie for sure set us up for more books to come!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley and Maggie Gates for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
AHHHHH SIX STARS I LOVE THEM SO
this is without a doubt the BEST marriage of convenience i have ever read, i loved every single last thing about this book and i could have lived in catherine and hayes orbit forever.
this book made me feel FERAL, hayes wilder has the most big dick energy i have ever read in an mmc. every time he was on page i fell to my knees squealing ESPECIALLY when he was taking care of cath. “thats mr. wilder to you.” KNOCKED ME OUT. not to mention he gets so jealous barely two days into their fake engagement that shes checking out another cowboys wrangler but that he excuses himself, marches right upstairs to change out of his button and slacks to put on his own pair of wranglers and an old t-shirt to go strut in front of her for a crumb of her attention.
catherine the woman you are my goodness. she is disney princess level of kind and sunshine incarnate and i just fell head over heels for her. there were so many times where i just wished i could give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be okay like she was SO important to me 😭
this book had me captivated from start to finish, i could squeal about them all damn day but id ruin 95% of the book if i allow myself to keep rambling. i am SO excited to see whats to come of this series and i cannot wait to check more of maggie’s work out!!
this is without a doubt the BEST marriage of convenience i have ever read, i loved every single last thing about this book and i could have lived in catherine and hayes orbit forever.
this book made me feel FERAL, hayes wilder has the most big dick energy i have ever read in an mmc. every time he was on page i fell to my knees squealing ESPECIALLY when he was taking care of cath. “thats mr. wilder to you.” KNOCKED ME OUT. not to mention he gets so jealous barely two days into their fake engagement that shes checking out another cowboys wrangler but that he excuses himself, marches right upstairs to change out of his button and slacks to put on his own pair of wranglers and an old t-shirt to go strut in front of her for a crumb of her attention.
catherine the woman you are my goodness. she is disney princess level of kind and sunshine incarnate and i just fell head over heels for her. there were so many times where i just wished i could give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be okay like she was SO important to me 😭
this book had me captivated from start to finish, i could squeal about them all damn day but id ruin 95% of the book if i allow myself to keep rambling. i am SO excited to see whats to come of this series and i cannot wait to check more of maggie’s work out!!
July 30, 2026
“𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓕𝓸𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓲𝓯 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼.” 💙
𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒕.
From the moment that I saw the aesthetic and vibes that Maggie was going for when writing this, I knew I was going to love this book with every part of me.
I grew up in the heart of the blue ridge mountains and know the magic that lies in the Shenandoah Valley and Maggie captured that beauty and magic 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲. The way she described the Wilder estate and the charming town of Honey Hollow, I was immediately transported into some of my favorite places growing up.
Can we talk about the man that Hayes Wilder is? This man and the way he loves so deeply stole my breath away. The autism spectrum rep that Hayes brings to the table was also done beautifully and as an autism mama, it meant so much to see that represented in this book.
Catherine was such a fun character and I absolutely adored her. I love that she is a beauty pageant queen, but also isn’t afraid to get dirty or speak her mind. The banter between her and Hayes was top tier.
The way these two fall for each other and help each other heal from the darkness in their lives that they’ve been running from was swoon-worthy and beautiful and this one is definitely a top favorite read of the year for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much to Maggie, Team Maggie, and Berkley for the chance to read this one early!
𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒕.
From the moment that I saw the aesthetic and vibes that Maggie was going for when writing this, I knew I was going to love this book with every part of me.
I grew up in the heart of the blue ridge mountains and know the magic that lies in the Shenandoah Valley and Maggie captured that beauty and magic 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲. The way she described the Wilder estate and the charming town of Honey Hollow, I was immediately transported into some of my favorite places growing up.
Can we talk about the man that Hayes Wilder is? This man and the way he loves so deeply stole my breath away. The autism spectrum rep that Hayes brings to the table was also done beautifully and as an autism mama, it meant so much to see that represented in this book.
Catherine was such a fun character and I absolutely adored her. I love that she is a beauty pageant queen, but also isn’t afraid to get dirty or speak her mind. The banter between her and Hayes was top tier.
The way these two fall for each other and help each other heal from the darkness in their lives that they’ve been running from was swoon-worthy and beautiful and this one is definitely a top favorite read of the year for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much to Maggie, Team Maggie, and Berkley for the chance to read this one early!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Maggie Gates is a one-click author for me and Blue Jean Summer did absolutely nothing to change that. If anything, she just made it worse. 😭
This is the first book in a brand new series and what an entrance. Forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and a hero who falls first and falls HARD. My whole heart. The slow simmer on this one is chef's kiss. Maggie Gates knows exactly how to make you feel every single moment of two people fighting what is so clearly inevitable.
The bachelor and bachelorette elements fit these characters perfectly and felt so authentic to who they are. And the wedding day and night? I need MORE. Like, immediately. Everything about it just worked.
Without giving anything away, there is a moment involving a tattoo that lives in my head rent free. You'll know it when you get there. 👑
What really got me was how Hayes showed up for Catherine, no questions asked. That kind of quiet, unwavering support wrapped in a slow burn romance is everything.
I cannot wait for the audiobook version when this releases September 15th. My ears are ready. 🎧
Highly recommend and I am already counting down for the next book in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the opportunity to devour this ARC.
This is the first book in a brand new series and what an entrance. Forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and a hero who falls first and falls HARD. My whole heart. The slow simmer on this one is chef's kiss. Maggie Gates knows exactly how to make you feel every single moment of two people fighting what is so clearly inevitable.
The bachelor and bachelorette elements fit these characters perfectly and felt so authentic to who they are. And the wedding day and night? I need MORE. Like, immediately. Everything about it just worked.
Without giving anything away, there is a moment involving a tattoo that lives in my head rent free. You'll know it when you get there. 👑
What really got me was how Hayes showed up for Catherine, no questions asked. That kind of quiet, unwavering support wrapped in a slow burn romance is everything.
I cannot wait for the audiobook version when this releases September 15th. My ears are ready. 🎧
Highly recommend and I am already counting down for the next book in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the opportunity to devour this ARC.
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