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How to tame a City Slicker
She has grit, scars, and a ranch to run. He has designer loafers and a major scandal. This summer is going to get messy.
Beau Sterling is Dallas royalty. Or he was, until a scandal got him exiled to Oklahoma with nothing but a trust fund survive a summer of hard labor on a working ranch, or lose everything.
Naomie "Winnie" Jameson doesn’t have time for spoiled city boys. She’s holding her family’s legacy together with stubborn pride and duct tape. The last thing she needs is babysitting the rich boy who broke her heart years ago—even if he doesn't remember doing it.
Forced together by circumstance, they clash over everything from mucking stalls to dodging a homicidal rooster named Pickles. But beneath the prairie dust and champagne stains, a childhood connection begins to simmer into something dangerously hot.
Winnie taught herself never to depend on charm. Beau never learned how to offer anything else. But when Dallas calls him home, Beau has to is he willing to risk it all for the girl who taught him how to stay?
How to Tame a City Slicker is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, forced proximity romance featuring a grumpy sunshine pairing, lost childhood friends, and found family on the ranch.
• Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
• Forced proximity (stuck on a ranch)
• City boy vs. Country girl
• Found family
• Spice Level 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Beau Sterling is Dallas royalty. Or he was, until a scandal got him exiled to Oklahoma with nothing but a trust fund survive a summer of hard labor on a working ranch, or lose everything.
Naomie "Winnie" Jameson doesn’t have time for spoiled city boys. She’s holding her family’s legacy together with stubborn pride and duct tape. The last thing she needs is babysitting the rich boy who broke her heart years ago—even if he doesn't remember doing it.
Forced together by circumstance, they clash over everything from mucking stalls to dodging a homicidal rooster named Pickles. But beneath the prairie dust and champagne stains, a childhood connection begins to simmer into something dangerously hot.
Winnie taught herself never to depend on charm. Beau never learned how to offer anything else. But when Dallas calls him home, Beau has to is he willing to risk it all for the girl who taught him how to stay?
How to Tame a City Slicker is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, forced proximity romance featuring a grumpy sunshine pairing, lost childhood friends, and found family on the ranch.
• Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
• Forced proximity (stuck on a ranch)
• City boy vs. Country girl
• Found family
• Spice Level 🌶️🌶️🌶️
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2025
8 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Review of advance copy received from Author
"You don't avoid love because it might hurt, son. You chase it because it's the only thing that makes the hurt worth surviving."
— Pops.
💚 Spoiled city boy x sassy country girl
💚 Childhood friends reunion
💚 First person dual POV
💚 Forced proximity
💚 Interracial couple (He’s white, she’s Black)
💚 A five pound terrifying villain with a killer aura
💚 Small town romance
If I had to make a list of the most beautiful male names, Beau would definitely be on it. I mean it’s literally the shortened version of "beautiful" and the pronunciation alone sounds sexy :) I’ve been in love with this name ever since I read Mercy by Sara Cate. Thankfully, Simard managed to make me love her Beau, too!
He’s funny, idiotic, chaotic, and definitely needed protection from all the terrifying monsters with soulless eyes aka chickens.
Then why, you ask?
1. THE INSTA LOVE + INSTA LUST.
The beginning gave me red alerts. On their first reunion, Beau is already smitten with Winnie in less than a week which felt ugh, meh. I expected more from him because he was written as a himbo coded, reformed playboy with charisma and daddy issues. Instead, he’s clearly lusting over Winnie’s body BEFORE really getting to know her.
And then we get Winnie’s POV, which isn’t any better. In fact it’s worse bcs she openly admits seeing Beau’s muscles sets her hormones on fire. I’m sorry, is this omegaverse?
Hold your horses, guuurl.
These double instas scared me because it’s number three on my no thanks list.
Not to mention how fast Beau adapted to his new life. Am I aware this is fiction? Yes. Do I realize people wouldn’t act like this in real life? Of course. But if a spoiled billionaire heir is sent to a ranch, I expect him to struggle more than a week before fully embracing a yeehaw cowboy persona. For someone who threw tantrums when banished from his empire, Beau adapted too quickly. Less than a month, he’s already found his "home".
2. WRONG TROPE.
The author marketed this as a reverse grumpy x sunshine romance. But nope, it wasn’t. You can’t call Winnie "grumpy" when she softens almost immediately. In fact, she’s never truly angry, just teasing, bantering. Which was actually fun, but I wish the author hadn’t slapped a false trope label on the promotion and raised my hopes, oof.
3. THE 2D OTHER WOMAN.
Midway through the book, a new drama appears: let’s call her Solene. She’s described as a typical Regina George with nice hair, Dior bags, audacity. She was Beau’s ex fling, supposedly meant to drag him back to Dallas. But really, she was just there to highlight how special Winnie is. Hw Winnie doesn’t wear makeup, works hard, and is independent.
BUUUT
Here’s my problem: what’s wrong with makeup? You can celebrate natural beauty without putting down anyone who chooses cosmetics, it’s tired and dated. Adding a racist undertone to Solene just because Winnie is Black? The story is set in 2025!? Was that really necessary, instead of crafting a well written other woman who would naturally make Winnie feel insecure, regardless of race?
4. THE SMUT.
This book is clearly a slow burn romance. Winnie and Beau flirt and talk about feelings for chapters, so sexy times doesn’t happen until about idk, 60% of the book maybe?? which is fine for me (I reads YA and clean fantasy hehe). Except Beau says "come for me" twice in separate scenes, which gave me the ick. One moment is fine, two? No. Serve your woman and don’t just tell her what to do???
5. IT DRAGS.
Romcoms usually run 250–300 pages, but this one is almost 450 pages, mostly cozy with little conflict. That’s wayyy too much. 450 pages is more like romantasy level, with complex worldbuilding. For example, the repeated "oh no, we got interrupted!" scenes didn’t need to happen twice. Some monologues could have been cut. By the middle, the push and pull between Beau and Winnie stopped being cute and just became repetitive.
Valuable lesson learned: always check word count when applying for ARCs.
The author clearly has a talent for romcoms, but she could benefit from an editor or at least honest beta readers to trim repetitive phrases. Examples "more expensive than", "like it offended X personally" or "my stomach dropped." Pleasseeeee vary your wording a bit.
Also, some timeline inconsistencies were confusing :
Pops tells Winnie he was with Nana for 47 years (“I proposed to your grandmother three weeks after we met. Everyone said we were crazy. We had forty-seven years.”)
Earlier with Beau, it was only 44 years (“But havin’ her? Those forty-four years? Worth every single second of pain that came after.”)
Then there’s Nana’s death timeline:
Beau says Nana died when he was 12 ("We'd spent every summer together from ages eight to twelve, until her grandmother died and my family stopped visiting.").
But later Winnie references an event when she was 14, which should’ve been after Nana passed ("Remember when I placed third at that junior rodeo when I was fourteen? She had it in the local paper within twenty-four hours.").
Bonus: why did Sterling family never come back? Who leaked Beau and Winnie's photos at Rusty Spur?? My dramatic brain had so many theories and none of them proved right or wrong and I'm so frustrated there's still unanswered questions in a thick book like this!
Hi, editor???
Also, this is personal preference, but I actually prefer the artwork over the final cover especially the one with Pickles staring straight at the readers and judging us. The final cover feels, well, bland. Flipping it might have attracted more readers. There’s nothing wrong with showing an interracial couple on the cover, there are also plenty of readers who’d still pick a book with blond dudes on it (like me, hello!).
Now now, I’m not going to say How to Tame a City Slicker is bad. A three star rating for me means the book is okay, just with room for improvement. It’s actually a fun read on several levels.
1. THE HUMOR IS GENUINELY FUNNY.
It made me laugh. The comedy works, and there are plenty of lol moments that had me chuckling out loud.
2. THE CHARACTERS ARE LIKEABLE.
Like I said, I love Beau, from his name to his personality. I also like Winnie, though I wish the author would stop constantly emphasizing how "special" she is. She already is! We don’t need endless monologues from Beau praising her beauty, kindness, and greatness.
The secondary characters are great, too. I liked Pops, Auntie Elise, and Cassie. I would have loved to see Cassie’s story explored maybe a reverse scenario where she wants to leave Oklahoma and explore big city? Oohhooo, yes please!
3. THE SETTING.
This book is an easy relaxing read. You don’t need to think too hard. It transports you straight to Oklahoma, complete with rodeos, farms, and the noisy, curious, yet lovable locals. I could practically smell the ranch and hear the roosters. I felt like I was riding Bandit! The narration is light, and the dialogue lively, hmmm though I did get a little confused with Z’s text (“Z: Beau, that’s not—he’s going to lose his shit.”) HOW does one stutter in text?
The premise of a city boy/girl stranded in a small, rusty town isn’t new, I’ve read a similar story from Karen White. I think writers tackling this trope need to work hard to make their story stand out, to add unique flavor. A noodle is the same in every country, but it’s how each chef prepares it that makes it special right?
I hope my review and rating don’t discourage the author, because while this book isn’t my favorite, I would definitely love to read more from her.
Huge thanks to Joanie Simard for the eARC!
— Pops.
💚 Spoiled city boy x sassy country girl
💚 Childhood friends reunion
💚 First person dual POV
💚 Forced proximity
💚 Interracial couple (He’s white, she’s Black)
💚 A five pound terrifying villain with a killer aura
💚 Small town romance
If I had to make a list of the most beautiful male names, Beau would definitely be on it. I mean it’s literally the shortened version of "beautiful" and the pronunciation alone sounds sexy :) I’ve been in love with this name ever since I read Mercy by Sara Cate. Thankfully, Simard managed to make me love her Beau, too!
He’s funny, idiotic, chaotic, and definitely needed protection from all the terrifying monsters with soulless eyes aka chickens.
Then why, you ask?
1. THE INSTA LOVE + INSTA LUST.
The beginning gave me red alerts. On their first reunion, Beau is already smitten with Winnie in less than a week which felt ugh, meh. I expected more from him because he was written as a himbo coded, reformed playboy with charisma and daddy issues. Instead, he’s clearly lusting over Winnie’s body BEFORE really getting to know her.
And then we get Winnie’s POV, which isn’t any better. In fact it’s worse bcs she openly admits seeing Beau’s muscles sets her hormones on fire. I’m sorry, is this omegaverse?
Hold your horses, guuurl.
These double instas scared me because it’s number three on my no thanks list.
Not to mention how fast Beau adapted to his new life. Am I aware this is fiction? Yes. Do I realize people wouldn’t act like this in real life? Of course. But if a spoiled billionaire heir is sent to a ranch, I expect him to struggle more than a week before fully embracing a yeehaw cowboy persona. For someone who threw tantrums when banished from his empire, Beau adapted too quickly. Less than a month, he’s already found his "home".
2. WRONG TROPE.
The author marketed this as a reverse grumpy x sunshine romance. But nope, it wasn’t. You can’t call Winnie "grumpy" when she softens almost immediately. In fact, she’s never truly angry, just teasing, bantering. Which was actually fun, but I wish the author hadn’t slapped a false trope label on the promotion and raised my hopes, oof.
3. THE 2D OTHER WOMAN.
Midway through the book, a new drama appears: let’s call her Solene. She’s described as a typical Regina George with nice hair, Dior bags, audacity. She was Beau’s ex fling, supposedly meant to drag him back to Dallas. But really, she was just there to highlight how special Winnie is. Hw Winnie doesn’t wear makeup, works hard, and is independent.
BUUUT
Here’s my problem: what’s wrong with makeup? You can celebrate natural beauty without putting down anyone who chooses cosmetics, it’s tired and dated. Adding a racist undertone to Solene just because Winnie is Black? The story is set in 2025!? Was that really necessary, instead of crafting a well written other woman who would naturally make Winnie feel insecure, regardless of race?
4. THE SMUT.
This book is clearly a slow burn romance. Winnie and Beau flirt and talk about feelings for chapters, so sexy times doesn’t happen until about idk, 60% of the book maybe?? which is fine for me (I reads YA and clean fantasy hehe). Except Beau says "come for me" twice in separate scenes, which gave me the ick. One moment is fine, two? No. Serve your woman and don’t just tell her what to do???
5. IT DRAGS.
Romcoms usually run 250–300 pages, but this one is almost 450 pages, mostly cozy with little conflict. That’s wayyy too much. 450 pages is more like romantasy level, with complex worldbuilding. For example, the repeated "oh no, we got interrupted!" scenes didn’t need to happen twice. Some monologues could have been cut. By the middle, the push and pull between Beau and Winnie stopped being cute and just became repetitive.
Valuable lesson learned: always check word count when applying for ARCs.
The author clearly has a talent for romcoms, but she could benefit from an editor or at least honest beta readers to trim repetitive phrases. Examples "more expensive than", "like it offended X personally" or "my stomach dropped." Pleasseeeee vary your wording a bit.
Also, some timeline inconsistencies were confusing :
Pops tells Winnie he was with Nana for 47 years (“I proposed to your grandmother three weeks after we met. Everyone said we were crazy. We had forty-seven years.”)
Earlier with Beau, it was only 44 years (“But havin’ her? Those forty-four years? Worth every single second of pain that came after.”)
Then there’s Nana’s death timeline:
Beau says Nana died when he was 12 ("We'd spent every summer together from ages eight to twelve, until her grandmother died and my family stopped visiting.").
But later Winnie references an event when she was 14, which should’ve been after Nana passed ("Remember when I placed third at that junior rodeo when I was fourteen? She had it in the local paper within twenty-four hours.").
Bonus: why did Sterling family never come back? Who leaked Beau and Winnie's photos at Rusty Spur?? My dramatic brain had so many theories and none of them proved right or wrong and I'm so frustrated there's still unanswered questions in a thick book like this!
Hi, editor???
Also, this is personal preference, but I actually prefer the artwork over the final cover especially the one with Pickles staring straight at the readers and judging us. The final cover feels, well, bland. Flipping it might have attracted more readers. There’s nothing wrong with showing an interracial couple on the cover, there are also plenty of readers who’d still pick a book with blond dudes on it (like me, hello!).
Now now, I’m not going to say How to Tame a City Slicker is bad. A three star rating for me means the book is okay, just with room for improvement. It’s actually a fun read on several levels.
1. THE HUMOR IS GENUINELY FUNNY.
It made me laugh. The comedy works, and there are plenty of lol moments that had me chuckling out loud.
2. THE CHARACTERS ARE LIKEABLE.
Like I said, I love Beau, from his name to his personality. I also like Winnie, though I wish the author would stop constantly emphasizing how "special" she is. She already is! We don’t need endless monologues from Beau praising her beauty, kindness, and greatness.
The secondary characters are great, too. I liked Pops, Auntie Elise, and Cassie. I would have loved to see Cassie’s story explored maybe a reverse scenario where she wants to leave Oklahoma and explore big city? Oohhooo, yes please!
3. THE SETTING.
This book is an easy relaxing read. You don’t need to think too hard. It transports you straight to Oklahoma, complete with rodeos, farms, and the noisy, curious, yet lovable locals. I could practically smell the ranch and hear the roosters. I felt like I was riding Bandit! The narration is light, and the dialogue lively, hmmm though I did get a little confused with Z’s text (“Z: Beau, that’s not—he’s going to lose his shit.”) HOW does one stutter in text?
The premise of a city boy/girl stranded in a small, rusty town isn’t new, I’ve read a similar story from Karen White. I think writers tackling this trope need to work hard to make their story stand out, to add unique flavor. A noodle is the same in every country, but it’s how each chef prepares it that makes it special right?
I hope my review and rating don’t discourage the author, because while this book isn’t my favorite, I would definitely love to read more from her.
Huge thanks to Joanie Simard for the eARC!
January 5, 2026
I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it! It is a story above love and fighting for love. Do you choose money and being comfortable or do you choose hard work and fighting for what you want. I found Joanie on TikTok, she is a young Canadian author and I so happy to be able to read her book before it becomes available. Please check her out and read this book. You won’t be disappointed 😊😊❤️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦
January 2, 2026
The characters were sweet and funny but this needed a good editor! There were too many insta plot lines, no real slow burn, and it was waaaaay too long. Pickles was the best and I loved the idea of this book, but it fell flat!
Review of advance copy received from Author
My original, in real time review of the book is rather long. So I have decided to give a few upfront thoughts if anyone doesn’t have the time/paitience to wade through that and just wants a quicker review of the story.
Here’s a short summary of my entire essay/review. This part is spoiler free. The spoiler section is clearly marked below.
The name Beau is just such a cute name, it’s a beautiful name that’s also kinda cute and soft in the most perfect way. Which perfectly embodies the character of Beau Stirling. I need more Beau named MMCs.
Things I loved: Short and sweet edition.
1. The characters are nice
Even a bad story can be transformed by great characters. If the characters were different, I would have absolutely LOATHED this story, but because of Pop, Winnie, Beau and Cassie, I enjoyed it so much. They carried the story on their backs. They were the story.
Yes, they’re cliche (loving doting grandfather, spunky fiery bestie, etc.) but I liked them enough that the clicheness wasn’t too overbearing.
2. LMFAOOOOOO
It’s a funny story. And if nothing else, I got my fair share of laughs and giggles. The humour was amazing.
3. Place
The setting was solid: ranch, bar, maybe a diner and feed shop. I didn’t feel fully immersed due to the telling vs showing, but the descriptions were vivid and painted a proper visual image. Ranch/cowboy books are popular, and while this wasn’t the BEST cowboy book I’ve read, it was unique enough to keep me reading, though it could have been more.
4. The chicken
Mr Pickles. I love you.
Things I didn’t like: Short and sour edition.
1. Insta everything
Insta love, insta lust, insta change, insta found family. Just INSTA INSTA INSTA.
The insta lovelust and telling-not-showing really annoyed me. Beau having sexual thoughts after one week made me roll my eyes, and Winnie noticing how he fills out his t-shirts after two days felt ridiculous. It didn’t feel like yearning or pining, it felt rushed and obvious.
Beau’s instant transformation from city billionaire playboy to dirt-under-the-nails cowboy was also wildly unbelievable.
2. The exes
Tyler = boring and bland. He added nothing to the story and could have been cut completely. He exists purely to make Beau jealous and then disappears.
Solene = WHY?
If Tyler was a WHYYYYYYYYY?! Then Solene is a WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! To the power of two. I hated that storyline even more than Tyler’s, which is saying something. Solene exists purely to be pitted against Winnie to show us how amazingly unique Winnie is. Why are we still doing this in 2025?! We shouldn’t be pitting women against each other like this, it’s cliche and overdone.
She’s the makeup-wearing blond b*tch who’s racist, obsessed with appearances, constantly dieting, and clearly written to be everything Winnie isn’t. Instead of letting Winnie shine naturally, Solene is used to make an already great FMC seem greater by comparison, which felt soooooooooooo overdone and boring.
Winnie doesn’t wear makeup, doesn’t have fancy clothes, her nails aren’t done and her only nail polish is horsesh*t, polar opposites. Solene could have been a much more rounded character, and the conflict didn’t need to rely on tearing another woman down.
3. The slow-burn that wasn’t a slow-burn
I will not be elaborating.
4. Editing
This book needed a stronger developmental editor and better alpha/beta readers. There is so much potential here, but too many issues made it fall somewhat flat.
Final spoiler-free thoughts
I really liked this story. I loved Winnie and Beau, and I see SO much potential in the author. This is her first published book and I don’t want to discourage her at all, I genuinely hope she continues writing, and I’ll be first in line to support her future work.
That’s why I’m giving this a 3.5 star rating. It wasn’t good enough for a 4 or 5, but it’s much better than every book I’ve rated one or two stars. I really want to see this author thrive.
SPOILERS START HERE
**IF YOU DO NOT WANT MAJOR SPOILERS ON MAJOR BOOK EVENTS, STOP HERE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**
My review was written in real time FYI. I wrote each part when I saw something in the book or when I felt something about a scene/chapter. So if my feelings seem mixed and sometimes I’m really happy and in love with the story and then immediately irritated; that’s not me being bipolar, that’s genuinely how I felt while reading.
Great story idea and premise. It basically had everything I wanted in terms of tropes, characters and setting. For those things alone, I could give the book a solid one star rating. When I first started this story, I genuinely thought it had the potential to be a five star read, easily. Sadly, it did not meet those expectations.
TELLING vs SHOWINGGGG
This was my biggest issue. There was far too much telling and not enough showing, which made the entire love story hard to believe. I KNOW this isn’t exactly meant to be a slow-burn, but I needed more buildup. One second there’s nothing, the next Beau is acting wildly possessive and I’m supposed to accept that as proof that he likes her.
The only consistent indicators of attraction were Beau’s jeans getting tight and his d*ck getting painfully hard. WHICH IS FINE, but only when there’s a proper buildup to justify it. We don’t get lingering looks, accidental touches, knees brushing, or tension-filled silences. We’re just told that Winnie suddenly can’t stop thinking about Beau because he’s filled out his muscles and his hands are harder. I’m being told, not shown.
Outside characters like Cassie and Pop constantly pointing out how “obvious” things are between them made me genuinely wonder: what on God’s good earth are they seeing? Because I wasn’t seeing it. I was just being told that it was there.
The porch scene where Beau waits for Winnie and Cassie was very cute, but it felt like it came too soon. Then suddenly he’s flirting heavily and talking about unspoken tension after THREE WEEKS. THREE. WEEKS. Please notify me when this tension arrived.
“You finally said something.”
WHAT. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO SAY.
“That boy wants you bad.”
If I, the reader, who is literally inside Beau’s head, can’t deduce that from his actions, why can everyone else apparently see it?
“There was no way he just decided to flirt with me like that out of nowhere.”
Winnie… it was out of nowhere. I’m f**king confused.
That said — when the flirting did work, IT WORKED.
“Hearts don't mend as easy as fences.” Cliche? Yes. Did I love it? Also yes.
“For what it’s worth? Those jeans are worth losing sleep over.” okay sir, that was cute. THIS is the kind of showing I wanted more of.
I also loved Beau going with Pop to Nana’s grave. That scene genuinely tugged on my heart strings and made me love Beau even more.
The third-act breakup
Predictable. I knew it was coming the second financial issues were mentioned. Predictable isn’t always bad, so I didn’t hate reading it, but I hated how it was handled.
Beau’s billionaire family using money to manipulate him is gross, but Winnie acting like Beau accepting money that would literally save her ranch and her family is some massive betrayal made me roll my eyes into another dimension. The whole thing is framed as “Beau choosing love over money,” which is supposed to make us swoon, but instead I was just annoyed.
“Why? Why give all that up? You could've taken the deal, worked in Dallas, visited on weekends. Had everything.”
YES, WINNIE. THAT WAS THE RATIONAL OPTION. YOU WERE BROKE.
And then, shocker of the century, Beau reappears with money and everything is magically fine. Dumb. Overdone. Exhausting.
The ending
I did love the proposal and the engagement. It was sweet, satisfying, and a lovely way to close the story. There’s another moment near the end that also helped soften my feelings, and overall the ending left me happy enough that I will continue the series.
Final spoiler thoughts
Even though I b*tched and moaned a lot, I really only had good intentions. I loved Winnie and Beau as characters, and I see SO much potential in this author. With stronger editing and more showing instead of telling, future books could easily be five-star reads for me.
I cannot wait to return to this series.
Here’s a short summary of my entire essay/review. This part is spoiler free. The spoiler section is clearly marked below.
The name Beau is just such a cute name, it’s a beautiful name that’s also kinda cute and soft in the most perfect way. Which perfectly embodies the character of Beau Stirling. I need more Beau named MMCs.
Things I loved: Short and sweet edition.
1. The characters are nice
Even a bad story can be transformed by great characters. If the characters were different, I would have absolutely LOATHED this story, but because of Pop, Winnie, Beau and Cassie, I enjoyed it so much. They carried the story on their backs. They were the story.
Yes, they’re cliche (loving doting grandfather, spunky fiery bestie, etc.) but I liked them enough that the clicheness wasn’t too overbearing.
2. LMFAOOOOOO
It’s a funny story. And if nothing else, I got my fair share of laughs and giggles. The humour was amazing.
3. Place
The setting was solid: ranch, bar, maybe a diner and feed shop. I didn’t feel fully immersed due to the telling vs showing, but the descriptions were vivid and painted a proper visual image. Ranch/cowboy books are popular, and while this wasn’t the BEST cowboy book I’ve read, it was unique enough to keep me reading, though it could have been more.
4. The chicken
Mr Pickles. I love you.
Things I didn’t like: Short and sour edition.
1. Insta everything
Insta love, insta lust, insta change, insta found family. Just INSTA INSTA INSTA.
The insta lovelust and telling-not-showing really annoyed me. Beau having sexual thoughts after one week made me roll my eyes, and Winnie noticing how he fills out his t-shirts after two days felt ridiculous. It didn’t feel like yearning or pining, it felt rushed and obvious.
Beau’s instant transformation from city billionaire playboy to dirt-under-the-nails cowboy was also wildly unbelievable.
2. The exes
Tyler = boring and bland. He added nothing to the story and could have been cut completely. He exists purely to make Beau jealous and then disappears.
Solene = WHY?
If Tyler was a WHYYYYYYYYY?! Then Solene is a WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! To the power of two. I hated that storyline even more than Tyler’s, which is saying something. Solene exists purely to be pitted against Winnie to show us how amazingly unique Winnie is. Why are we still doing this in 2025?! We shouldn’t be pitting women against each other like this, it’s cliche and overdone.
She’s the makeup-wearing blond b*tch who’s racist, obsessed with appearances, constantly dieting, and clearly written to be everything Winnie isn’t. Instead of letting Winnie shine naturally, Solene is used to make an already great FMC seem greater by comparison, which felt soooooooooooo overdone and boring.
Winnie doesn’t wear makeup, doesn’t have fancy clothes, her nails aren’t done and her only nail polish is horsesh*t, polar opposites. Solene could have been a much more rounded character, and the conflict didn’t need to rely on tearing another woman down.
3. The slow-burn that wasn’t a slow-burn
I will not be elaborating.
4. Editing
This book needed a stronger developmental editor and better alpha/beta readers. There is so much potential here, but too many issues made it fall somewhat flat.
Final spoiler-free thoughts
I really liked this story. I loved Winnie and Beau, and I see SO much potential in the author. This is her first published book and I don’t want to discourage her at all, I genuinely hope she continues writing, and I’ll be first in line to support her future work.
That’s why I’m giving this a 3.5 star rating. It wasn’t good enough for a 4 or 5, but it’s much better than every book I’ve rated one or two stars. I really want to see this author thrive.
SPOILERS START HERE
**IF YOU DO NOT WANT MAJOR SPOILERS ON MAJOR BOOK EVENTS, STOP HERE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**
My review was written in real time FYI. I wrote each part when I saw something in the book or when I felt something about a scene/chapter. So if my feelings seem mixed and sometimes I’m really happy and in love with the story and then immediately irritated; that’s not me being bipolar, that’s genuinely how I felt while reading.
Great story idea and premise. It basically had everything I wanted in terms of tropes, characters and setting. For those things alone, I could give the book a solid one star rating. When I first started this story, I genuinely thought it had the potential to be a five star read, easily. Sadly, it did not meet those expectations.
TELLING vs SHOWINGGGG
This was my biggest issue. There was far too much telling and not enough showing, which made the entire love story hard to believe. I KNOW this isn’t exactly meant to be a slow-burn, but I needed more buildup. One second there’s nothing, the next Beau is acting wildly possessive and I’m supposed to accept that as proof that he likes her.
The only consistent indicators of attraction were Beau’s jeans getting tight and his d*ck getting painfully hard. WHICH IS FINE, but only when there’s a proper buildup to justify it. We don’t get lingering looks, accidental touches, knees brushing, or tension-filled silences. We’re just told that Winnie suddenly can’t stop thinking about Beau because he’s filled out his muscles and his hands are harder. I’m being told, not shown.
Outside characters like Cassie and Pop constantly pointing out how “obvious” things are between them made me genuinely wonder: what on God’s good earth are they seeing? Because I wasn’t seeing it. I was just being told that it was there.
The porch scene where Beau waits for Winnie and Cassie was very cute, but it felt like it came too soon. Then suddenly he’s flirting heavily and talking about unspoken tension after THREE WEEKS. THREE. WEEKS. Please notify me when this tension arrived.
“You finally said something.”
WHAT. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO SAY.
“That boy wants you bad.”
If I, the reader, who is literally inside Beau’s head, can’t deduce that from his actions, why can everyone else apparently see it?
“There was no way he just decided to flirt with me like that out of nowhere.”
Winnie… it was out of nowhere. I’m f**king confused.
That said — when the flirting did work, IT WORKED.
“Hearts don't mend as easy as fences.” Cliche? Yes. Did I love it? Also yes.
“For what it’s worth? Those jeans are worth losing sleep over.” okay sir, that was cute. THIS is the kind of showing I wanted more of.
I also loved Beau going with Pop to Nana’s grave. That scene genuinely tugged on my heart strings and made me love Beau even more.
The third-act breakup
Predictable. I knew it was coming the second financial issues were mentioned. Predictable isn’t always bad, so I didn’t hate reading it, but I hated how it was handled.
Beau’s billionaire family using money to manipulate him is gross, but Winnie acting like Beau accepting money that would literally save her ranch and her family is some massive betrayal made me roll my eyes into another dimension. The whole thing is framed as “Beau choosing love over money,” which is supposed to make us swoon, but instead I was just annoyed.
“Why? Why give all that up? You could've taken the deal, worked in Dallas, visited on weekends. Had everything.”
YES, WINNIE. THAT WAS THE RATIONAL OPTION. YOU WERE BROKE.
And then, shocker of the century, Beau reappears with money and everything is magically fine. Dumb. Overdone. Exhausting.
The ending
I did love the proposal and the engagement. It was sweet, satisfying, and a lovely way to close the story. There’s another moment near the end that also helped soften my feelings, and overall the ending left me happy enough that I will continue the series.
Final spoiler thoughts
Even though I b*tched and moaned a lot, I really only had good intentions. I loved Winnie and Beau as characters, and I see SO much potential in this author. With stronger editing and more showing instead of telling, future books could easily be five-star reads for me.
I cannot wait to return to this series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)
A Swoony Cowboy Romance with Heart (and One Terrifying Rooster)
I went into How to Tame a City Slicker expecting a light, fun cowboy romance, and while I definitely got that, I also got so much more. This book surprised me in the best ways—especially with how much depth the characters had beneath all the banter and heat.
The Good:
First off, Winnie is EVERYTHING. A Black FMC in a cowboy romance who's tough, independent, running her family's ranch, and training for barrel racing? Sign me up. She's not waiting around for anyone to save her, in fact, she's the one doing the saving (literally, Beau almost dies on a horse at one point and it's both hilarious and heart-stopping). I loved that she was allowed to be guarded and prickly without being "fixed" by the hero. Her walls come down slowly, realistically, and on her own terms.
Beau Sterling is a cinnamon roll wrapped in a six-pack. He starts out as this spoiled Dallas heir who's never worked a day in his life, but watching him transform into someone who genuinely loves manual labor and waking up at dawn? Chef's kiss. There's a scene where he's mucking stalls and Winnie catches him smiling to himself, and she realizes he's not faking it anymore. He's actually happy. That moment hit me harder than I expected.
The chemistry between them is OFF THE CHARTS. From the moment Beau shows up at the ranch, the tension is palpable. One of my favorite lines: "I would do anything just to taste you. Just thought you should know." Like, SIR. How is Winnie supposed to resist that?! The slow burn is delicious, and when they finally give in, it's WORTH IT. The shower scene? The barn scene? I had to put my Kindle down multiple times. This book delivers on the spice.
The side characters are gold too. Pops is the wise, loving grandfather figure we all need, and his relationship with Beau made me emotional more than once. When he tells Beau,
"Family comes back. And you're family now," I literally teared up. And Cassie, Winnie's chaotic best friend, is hilarious. Every scene she's in had me laughing out loud. Plus, Pickles the rooster deserves his own spinoff. That bird is a MENACE and I loved every second of his reign of terror.
The Not-So-Good (Why 4 stars instead of 5):
While I loved the romance, I wish we'd gotten a bit more of the barrel racing competition subplot. It's mentioned throughout, but the actual race felt a little rushed at the end. I wanted to feel more of the stakes there since it was such a big part of Winnie's identity.
Also, the third-act conflict, when Beau has to choose between going back to Dallas or staying, resolved a little too quickly for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I loved that he chose Winnie without hesitation (when he says, "I want to stay in Oklahoma and work the ranch and prove to you that I choose this life," I melted), but I kind of wanted more push and pull there. Maybe see him struggle with the decision a bit more? It felt like he knew what he wanted immediately, which is romantic, but I wanted a tiny bit more angst.
And while the spice was excellent, some of the intimate scenes felt slightly repetitive in their setup. But honestly? This is me being nitpicky. They were still hot.
The Vibes:
This book is perfect for anyone who loves:
- Black cat energy x Golden retriever
- Forced proximity
- Billionaire hero who actually works for the happy ending
- Cowboys and ranch settings
- Open-door spice with emotion
- Found family
- Childhood friends reconnecting
How to Tame a City Slicker is a fun, sexy, heartfelt romance that delivers on its promises. Winnie and Beau's love story feels earned, the setting is immersive, and the humor (mostly courtesy of Pickles and Cassie) keeps things light even when emotions run deep. It's not perfect, but it's damn close, and I'll definitely be recommending it to anyone who asks for a good cowboy romance.
Also, if you're scared of roosters, this book will NOT help. Pickles is nightmare fuel and I respect him.
I’m especially happy to to push a Canadian author forward !
Recommended for: Fans of Kennedy Fox, Elsie Silver, and anyone who loves a cowboy who's willing to give up everything for love.
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Very spicy, explicit scenes)
Would I read more from this author? Absolutely. Give me Cassie's book next, please!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Okay first of all? A BLOND MMC in a cowboy romance?? FINALLY. I'm so tired of the dark-haired brooding cowboys (no shade, I love them too) but BEAU STERLING WITH HIS GOLDEN RETRIEVER ENERGY AND BLUE EYES IN A COWBOY HAT??? I was sold before I even opened this book.
Second of all, this book is LONG for a romance, like 400+ pages, and I would've kept reading for another 400 if I could. I desperately need bonus chapters. I need their wedding. I need to see Beau at his first rodeo competition watching Winnie. I need Pickles the rooster's villain origin story. GIVE ME EVERYTHING.
Winnie is a queen honestly. She's running a whole ranch, training for barrel racing, taking care of Pops, and somehow still has the patience to deal with Beau's city-boy nonsense (at first). The way she saves his life basically twice and he's just like "yeah that's my woman" had me yelling at the damn phone. And she's a Black FMC in cowboy romance which we desperately need more of!! Her confidence, her strength, her refusal to settle— absolute cinema y’all.
Beau starts out as a mess (affectionate). Rich boy, never worked a day in his life, gets shipped off to Oklahoma as punishment. But watching him genuinely and actually fall in love with ranch life? With waking up at 5 AM? With the dirt and the work and the purpose of it all? That character development hit so good. And when he tells Winnie, "I would do anything just to taste you. Just thought you should know," I AUDIBLY GASPED. The audacity! The confidence! The way he meant every word!!
The smut in this book?? Hello??? The shower scene will live rent-free in my head forever. The barn scene? The bedroom scene where she's reading that historical romance and he's like "I can do better than that duke"? bye. I was not prepared. This book is SPICY spicy and I loved every second of it. It did come with a warning at first, but I sure as hell ain’t disappointed.
Can we talk about Pickles the rooster though? That bird is a menace and I respect him so much. The way Beau is genuinely terrified of this chicken and Winnie finds it hilarious? Peak comedy. Anytime pickles would appear it did make me laugh af.
Cassie is the best friend we all deserve. Chaotic, blunt, calls everyone on their BS, thinks tequila is water. Every scene with her was gold. When she tells Winnie to ride that man like she rides horses I knew she was the hit girl.
The only "issue" I had is that this book ENDED and I wanted MORE. Like yes, they got their HEA and it was perfect, but I'm greedy. I want an epilogue. I want to see them five years later. I want to see Beau as a dad teaching his kids to ride horses while Pickles watches menacingly from the sidelines.
If you love:
- A BLOND MMC WHO DESERVES THE WORLD
READ THIS BOOK.
There’s more reasons obviously, and the found family will always make me love a book EVEN more.
Beau Sterling said "I'm in love with you, Winnie. Have been since you taught me to drive that damn truck" and I have not been the same since.
10/10 would recommend. 10/10 will be rereading. 10/10 need a sequel immediately. and I hope it’s going to be Cassie pleaaaaase
Review of advance copy received from Author
~ 3.5 stars — ARC read
Tropes
- city boy x country girl
- childhood friends to lovers
- forced proximity
—
Firstly, I want to thank Joanie for trusting me to be one of the first people to read one of her first published novels, and I am very excited to see where her author journey takes her <3
I thought this was a very sweet romance. There was great banter between the characters, and I found that the plot flowed quite nicely. The dual POV definitely worked well in this book, and I was very intrigued to hear about both of their thoughts on each other, as well as about themselves. Despite this romance book, I loved the found family subplot and brief references to personal/family struggles. Both their family dynamics felt very realistic to me, and something I always love to see in a book is just a little bit of realism. Understandably, I am reading fiction, but I appreciate when authors add some semblance of realism to their characters, as it adds great character dimension, allowing me as the reader to empathise with them, which is exactly what I did with both Beau and Winnie.
I did feel as if Winnie’s perspective was stronger than Beau’s, but that is something that is quite common in romance books, due to the female author's influence. I felt that at times, Beau’s inner dialogue came across slightly corny and would’ve benefited from a more mature personal voice, especially considering his age. Although I will say his city boy lifestyle may have contributed to the tone of his voice. I thought Winnie’s personal voice was well written nd resembled her character perfectly.
Although the romance did have a nice flow, I would’ve loved to see more than dialogue between the two MCs, especially in the beginning. The book was more dialogue-heavy than what I prefer, which can be a negative in romance stories, as I don’t exactly see a romantic development. More inner dialogue or general description to display the progression of their romance would’ve benefited this book massively. I could definitely tell Joanie’s writing developed and grew stronger throughout the book, as the last third was my favourite. Still dialogue-heavy, although the characters better express their emotions, which was something missing in the first half. Additionally, with both MCs having such a harsh childhood, fleshing out their emotions, feelings and inner battles would’ve allowed me as a reader to connect with them a little bit more, but, nevertheless, Joanie was still great at doing this.
I’m a romance reader who doesn’t really mind third-act break-up scenes, but this one especially was so valid, and it fit very well with the plotline. I applaud Joanie for constructing a conflict that didn’t feel out of place and definitely flowed well with the book. AND, the resolution was even better: truly my favourite dialogue in the book.
For a simple romance with MCs from juxtaposing experiences and upbringings, this was definitely a cute read, and I would love to see what more Joanie can write !! <3
Tropes
- city boy x country girl
- childhood friends to lovers
- forced proximity
—
Firstly, I want to thank Joanie for trusting me to be one of the first people to read one of her first published novels, and I am very excited to see where her author journey takes her <3
I thought this was a very sweet romance. There was great banter between the characters, and I found that the plot flowed quite nicely. The dual POV definitely worked well in this book, and I was very intrigued to hear about both of their thoughts on each other, as well as about themselves. Despite this romance book, I loved the found family subplot and brief references to personal/family struggles. Both their family dynamics felt very realistic to me, and something I always love to see in a book is just a little bit of realism. Understandably, I am reading fiction, but I appreciate when authors add some semblance of realism to their characters, as it adds great character dimension, allowing me as the reader to empathise with them, which is exactly what I did with both Beau and Winnie.
I did feel as if Winnie’s perspective was stronger than Beau’s, but that is something that is quite common in romance books, due to the female author's influence. I felt that at times, Beau’s inner dialogue came across slightly corny and would’ve benefited from a more mature personal voice, especially considering his age. Although I will say his city boy lifestyle may have contributed to the tone of his voice. I thought Winnie’s personal voice was well written nd resembled her character perfectly.
Although the romance did have a nice flow, I would’ve loved to see more than dialogue between the two MCs, especially in the beginning. The book was more dialogue-heavy than what I prefer, which can be a negative in romance stories, as I don’t exactly see a romantic development. More inner dialogue or general description to display the progression of their romance would’ve benefited this book massively. I could definitely tell Joanie’s writing developed and grew stronger throughout the book, as the last third was my favourite. Still dialogue-heavy, although the characters better express their emotions, which was something missing in the first half. Additionally, with both MCs having such a harsh childhood, fleshing out their emotions, feelings and inner battles would’ve allowed me as a reader to connect with them a little bit more, but, nevertheless, Joanie was still great at doing this.
I’m a romance reader who doesn’t really mind third-act break-up scenes, but this one especially was so valid, and it fit very well with the plotline. I applaud Joanie for constructing a conflict that didn’t feel out of place and definitely flowed well with the book. AND, the resolution was even better: truly my favourite dialogue in the book.
For a simple romance with MCs from juxtaposing experiences and upbringings, this was definitely a cute read, and I would love to see what more Joanie can write !! <3
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Firstly, I want to thank the author for the advanced copy and getting the opportunity to read the book early! (This is my first review, so it should say ARC by Author, not Publisher! Sorry!)
Now, to the review. This was a sweet book and you can tell reading it that it was written with a lot of heart. That being said, it needed an editor, or at least a stronger one. Let me get into the cons and then the pros, because there definitely are pros!
CONS
There were a lot of inconsistencies that made it tricky to read. Ex. I thought it was a fun idea to have the location and time at the top of the chapter, however, there were several times they and the chapter contents didn't match up so I ended up ignoring them after halfway through. Ex 2. The distance/time it took to get to Dallas to the ranch were all over the place (it's mentioned several times, that's why I bring it up).
I personally found it perhaps a little bit annoying seeing the various types of text conversations and inner thoughts, sometimes bold, sometimes italicized, no thought tags, etc.
I do wish that the Winnie in the beginning stayed through with her noticeable twang and attitude as it suddenly disappeared.
There was so much tell and not enough show! I can totally believe that Beau could learn to love the ranch -it seems like a great place- but we don't really see him struggle besides his initial arrival, after that, he's doing everything just fine unless we're told later in the book that he fumbled around. Just wish we had seen some more of that!
It was a bit too long though I can't pinpoint exactly what could be taken out, probably just some small "darlings".
PROS
The characters are fun! Winnie, Beau, Pops and Cassie are all fun, fairly well rounded characters that feel human in a touchable way as opposed to being too perfect or one note. Pops honestly reminds me of my own grandfather, who grew up on a farm and has been a small town man his entire life; both tough, weathered old men with a good heart. Winnie feels like she has a lot to prove but she doesn't make it so much so that she can't enjoy the little moments in her life with her best friend or family.
The ending was really sweet. It was probably my favourite part of the book.
Like I said up top, you can tell when you're reading it that Simard has put a lot of hard work and care into the book, which did keep me going when it dragged or as I passed inconsistencies.
Overall, it's a fun time but it could have used another beta reader or two/editor to really nail everything down so it could be the best possible version.
Now, to the review. This was a sweet book and you can tell reading it that it was written with a lot of heart. That being said, it needed an editor, or at least a stronger one. Let me get into the cons and then the pros, because there definitely are pros!
CONS
There were a lot of inconsistencies that made it tricky to read. Ex. I thought it was a fun idea to have the location and time at the top of the chapter, however, there were several times they and the chapter contents didn't match up so I ended up ignoring them after halfway through. Ex 2. The distance/time it took to get to Dallas to the ranch were all over the place (it's mentioned several times, that's why I bring it up).
I personally found it perhaps a little bit annoying seeing the various types of text conversations and inner thoughts, sometimes bold, sometimes italicized, no thought tags, etc.
I do wish that the Winnie in the beginning stayed through with her noticeable twang and attitude as it suddenly disappeared.
There was so much tell and not enough show! I can totally believe that Beau could learn to love the ranch -it seems like a great place- but we don't really see him struggle besides his initial arrival, after that, he's doing everything just fine unless we're told later in the book that he fumbled around. Just wish we had seen some more of that!
It was a bit too long though I can't pinpoint exactly what could be taken out, probably just some small "darlings".
PROS
The characters are fun! Winnie, Beau, Pops and Cassie are all fun, fairly well rounded characters that feel human in a touchable way as opposed to being too perfect or one note. Pops honestly reminds me of my own grandfather, who grew up on a farm and has been a small town man his entire life; both tough, weathered old men with a good heart. Winnie feels like she has a lot to prove but she doesn't make it so much so that she can't enjoy the little moments in her life with her best friend or family.
The ending was really sweet. It was probably my favourite part of the book.
Like I said up top, you can tell when you're reading it that Simard has put a lot of hard work and care into the book, which did keep me going when it dragged or as I passed inconsistencies.
Overall, it's a fun time but it could have used another beta reader or two/editor to really nail everything down so it could be the best possible version.
December 29, 2025
⭐️ 3.5 stars⭐️
Rounded to 4 because PICKLES!!
This debut was a pleasant surprise. When I started it, I expected a light, cutesy read - something that felt like a Hallmark movie and would work perfectly as a palate cleanser. For the most part, that’s exactly what it delivered. I found myself chuckling at the banter and enjoyed the situations Beau found himself in as he adjusted to life on the ranch & PICKLES!!
The writing style is strong for a debut. I’ve read plenty of ARCs that were complete train wrecks, and this one is nowhere close. While there were a couple of moments where details contradicted themselves, they didn’t affect the main plot, so if you can read with an open mind, it’s still a good and enjoyable read. One about finding yourself and making your own path.
The first half of the story felt a bit long. That’s not necessarily a negative, it provided insight into the characters & development of Beau, and most of the comedy lives there, but I did feel something was missing in the progression of Beau and Winnie’s relationship.
I went in expecting a low-drama romance, but around the 50–60% mark the spice kicked in, along with the drama (exes and parents!), followed by the inevitable third-act breakup. Beau’s internal struggle with ultimatums and stress felt genuine. I didn’t like him at first, which was clearly intentional, but he grew on me, and once he stepped into his true self, he really brought the heat.
Winnie was strong right from the start, and I appreciated how her character reflected struggles that people of color still experience today. After Solane 🙄 was inserted into the story to mouth a bunch of rubbish, Winnie’s moments of self-doubt made sense. Her friend Cassie stood out as well. I’d love to see a book for her in the future.
Thank you to the author for sharing an advanced copy. I’m looking forward to seeing more from her.
Rounded to 4 because PICKLES!!
This debut was a pleasant surprise. When I started it, I expected a light, cutesy read - something that felt like a Hallmark movie and would work perfectly as a palate cleanser. For the most part, that’s exactly what it delivered. I found myself chuckling at the banter and enjoyed the situations Beau found himself in as he adjusted to life on the ranch & PICKLES!!
The writing style is strong for a debut. I’ve read plenty of ARCs that were complete train wrecks, and this one is nowhere close. While there were a couple of moments where details contradicted themselves, they didn’t affect the main plot, so if you can read with an open mind, it’s still a good and enjoyable read. One about finding yourself and making your own path.
The first half of the story felt a bit long. That’s not necessarily a negative, it provided insight into the characters & development of Beau, and most of the comedy lives there, but I did feel something was missing in the progression of Beau and Winnie’s relationship.
I went in expecting a low-drama romance, but around the 50–60% mark the spice kicked in, along with the drama (exes and parents!), followed by the inevitable third-act breakup. Beau’s internal struggle with ultimatums and stress felt genuine. I didn’t like him at first, which was clearly intentional, but he grew on me, and once he stepped into his true self, he really brought the heat.
Winnie was strong right from the start, and I appreciated how her character reflected struggles that people of color still experience today. After Solane 🙄 was inserted into the story to mouth a bunch of rubbish, Winnie’s moments of self-doubt made sense. Her friend Cassie stood out as well. I’d love to see a book for her in the future.
Thank you to the author for sharing an advanced copy. I’m looking forward to seeing more from her.
Review of advance copy received from Author
So yes, I absolutely stayed up until 1:30 a.m. to finish this book—and it was so worth it. It’s a city cowboy romance and easily one of the cutest reads I’ve picked up this year. Truly, Beau had me kicking my feet and smiling like a lovesick fool. This story was adorable from start to finish, and the dual POV made it easy to follow while giving meaningful insight into both Beau and Winnie’s hearts.
While I honestly don’t have any major complaints, I did find that some of the sentence structure could get a little confusing at times—especially when a line seemed to contradict something mentioned earlier. The pacing felt slightly uneven in places, but not in a way that made the story any less enjoyable. If anything, it just reminded me how much I didn’t want it to end.
It truly felt like watching a romantic movie unfold—the billionaire’s son and the strong, down-to-earth cowgirl with a heart of gold. The found family element was precious, especially Pops and Cassie, who completely stole my heart. And Beau? He was so respectful and tender with Winnie. Even when he flirted, he never crossed the line—always showing genuine care and admiration. He loved her unconditionally, and she gave it right back. I mean, come on—a devoted, golden-retriever-type boyfriend who’d do anything for you? What’s not to love? Honestly, this book made me want to pack my bags and head straight to Oklahoma.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wanting to dip their toes into contemporary romance—or even try out the cowboy romance subgenre. It’s a breath of fresh air, completely captivating, and yes, the spicy scenes were beautifully written too. I was hooked from the first page to the last.
While I honestly don’t have any major complaints, I did find that some of the sentence structure could get a little confusing at times—especially when a line seemed to contradict something mentioned earlier. The pacing felt slightly uneven in places, but not in a way that made the story any less enjoyable. If anything, it just reminded me how much I didn’t want it to end.
It truly felt like watching a romantic movie unfold—the billionaire’s son and the strong, down-to-earth cowgirl with a heart of gold. The found family element was precious, especially Pops and Cassie, who completely stole my heart. And Beau? He was so respectful and tender with Winnie. Even when he flirted, he never crossed the line—always showing genuine care and admiration. He loved her unconditionally, and she gave it right back. I mean, come on—a devoted, golden-retriever-type boyfriend who’d do anything for you? What’s not to love? Honestly, this book made me want to pack my bags and head straight to Oklahoma.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wanting to dip their toes into contemporary romance—or even try out the cowboy romance subgenre. It’s a breath of fresh air, completely captivating, and yes, the spicy scenes were beautifully written too. I was hooked from the first page to the last.
December 31, 2025
He’s a ten, but he’s terrified of chickens. Meet Beau, the male main character of How to Tame a City Slicker by Joanie Simard. He’s found himself in an unanticipated situation: from party king of Dallas to farmhand in Oklahoma, and if he doesn’t shape up before the summer’s over, his billionaire dad is cutting him off. Worst – or best? – of all, Winnie is there – the girl from his childhood he hasn’t seen since he was about twelve.
A lot happens in his first week or so: he quickly adapts to ranch life, is disliked by – and then liked – a lot – by Winnie, and realises he’s quickly falling for her. Her walls are up because he left once before, just after her grandmother died when they were kids. His walls are up, because this is supposed to be a temporary situation; he’s going back to Dallas in a few months. But he morphs into a near-natural cowboy, and who can resist that? Not Winnie.
How To Tame a City Slicker is a story of finding your identity. Winnie was abandoned when she was three days old, raised by white grandparents and was the only Black child in the area – and the micro- and macro-aggressions never went away. Beau never fit into the wealth and privilege of his high-profile family, and feels at home for the first time on the ranch.
It is also a story of pining, lust and release. At times more slow than slow-burn, the book eventually lets the two get together. There’s a lot of edging the reader before the first sex scene, but when it finally comes, it’s worth the wait. Plus the scene where Beau catches Winnie reading smut is one of the best I’ve read in a while. But you should read the book to fully appreciate that one.
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A lot happens in his first week or so: he quickly adapts to ranch life, is disliked by – and then liked – a lot – by Winnie, and realises he’s quickly falling for her. Her walls are up because he left once before, just after her grandmother died when they were kids. His walls are up, because this is supposed to be a temporary situation; he’s going back to Dallas in a few months. But he morphs into a near-natural cowboy, and who can resist that? Not Winnie.
How To Tame a City Slicker is a story of finding your identity. Winnie was abandoned when she was three days old, raised by white grandparents and was the only Black child in the area – and the micro- and macro-aggressions never went away. Beau never fit into the wealth and privilege of his high-profile family, and feels at home for the first time on the ranch.
It is also a story of pining, lust and release. At times more slow than slow-burn, the book eventually lets the two get together. There’s a lot of edging the reader before the first sex scene, but when it finally comes, it’s worth the wait. Plus the scene where Beau catches Winnie reading smut is one of the best I’ve read in a while. But you should read the book to fully appreciate that one.
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
“I knew she was special that first night. But knowin’ you’re in love? That happens in the quiet moments.” -Pops❤️
This was such an amazing first ARC read for me!! I absolutely loved this book and immediately fell in love with all of the characters (especially Pops). There are so many beautiful moments in this book, some that even made me tear up.
Taken from my notes app from a real “in the moment” reaction:
“If I see your faces, or hear my girl’s name— her real name— in print, I will end your careers. Do you understand me?” BEAU STERLING THE MAN YOU ARE!!!
However, there are definitely some things that I feel were skipped over and sort of ignored that I would have loved to learn more about. For example; why did the Sterling family stop showing up after Nana’s death? This seemed to be a big theme at the beginning of the book, yet we never find out WHY they stopped coming to the ranch?
Also! I don’t really believe it was reverse grumpy x sunshine at all because Winnie never really seemed all that grumpy and Beau wasn’t the cheery guy I had been expecting.
Nonetheless, I adored this book and it was a perfect and heartwarming story for me to end 2025! I am so looking forward to any future books Simard may write. I need a book on Cassie! You have definitely gained a fan!!❤️
This was such an amazing first ARC read for me!! I absolutely loved this book and immediately fell in love with all of the characters (especially Pops). There are so many beautiful moments in this book, some that even made me tear up.
Taken from my notes app from a real “in the moment” reaction:
“If I see your faces, or hear my girl’s name— her real name— in print, I will end your careers. Do you understand me?” BEAU STERLING THE MAN YOU ARE!!!
However, there are definitely some things that I feel were skipped over and sort of ignored that I would have loved to learn more about. For example; why did the Sterling family stop showing up after Nana’s death? This seemed to be a big theme at the beginning of the book, yet we never find out WHY they stopped coming to the ranch?
Also! I don’t really believe it was reverse grumpy x sunshine at all because Winnie never really seemed all that grumpy and Beau wasn’t the cheery guy I had been expecting.
Nonetheless, I adored this book and it was a perfect and heartwarming story for me to end 2025! I am so looking forward to any future books Simard may write. I need a book on Cassie! You have definitely gained a fan!!❤️
January 4, 2026
ARC Review:
3.5 ⭐️
“Home isn’t where you land — it’s where you choose to stay, and stay, and stay.”
Billionaire party boy beau has lost favour with his father and is sent off to pop and Winnie’s ranch to learn the meaning of hard work, and Winnie, the ranch manager and his childhood friend is ready to show him what hard work really is. This is a slow burn, friends to lovers RomCom+HEA(with a borderline murderous rooster!).
One of my favourite things about this book is the way beau speaks about Winnie with such devotion like “with dark skin that glowed in the afternoon sun like she’d been personally blessed by whatever deity was in charge of making people attractive” and calling her a “sun-drenched goddess”.
There were a few things in the book that felt a bit repetitive and I think the pages could have been better utilized with more depth into beaus and Winnie’s family dynamics (other than pops, he was great).
Overall I definitely enjoyed the book and would like to see more from this young Canadian author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Okay but listen,
after reading the other reviews, I was lowkey nervous. Like side-eyeing the book, bracing for impact. However, Joanie clearly clocked the feedback, took notes, and said bet, because I absolutely devoured this book.
And when I say devoured, I mean I was feral. Rabid. Emotionally unavailable to anything that wasn’t Beau and Winnie. I needed more of them. Needed it injected into my bloodstream. The story runs about 380 pages and honestly? Hell yes. No crumbs.
AND THE TEASER FOR THE NEXT BOOK??? Jail. Immediate jail. I’m not okay. I’m vibrating with anticipation and counting down. I just knooow who it's about.
So yeah, if you love spice, if you crave chemistry that crackles, if you enjoy staring at the wall afterward like “wow… that altered my brain chemistry”—this one is for you.
Also… respectfully… I need my own Beau. Universe, please handle that.
Thank you so much for the ARC copy 🫶✨
I’m seated. I’m ready. I’m waiting.
after reading the other reviews, I was lowkey nervous. Like side-eyeing the book, bracing for impact. However, Joanie clearly clocked the feedback, took notes, and said bet, because I absolutely devoured this book.
And when I say devoured, I mean I was feral. Rabid. Emotionally unavailable to anything that wasn’t Beau and Winnie. I needed more of them. Needed it injected into my bloodstream. The story runs about 380 pages and honestly? Hell yes. No crumbs.
AND THE TEASER FOR THE NEXT BOOK??? Jail. Immediate jail. I’m not okay. I’m vibrating with anticipation and counting down. I just knooow who it's about.
So yeah, if you love spice, if you crave chemistry that crackles, if you enjoy staring at the wall afterward like “wow… that altered my brain chemistry”—this one is for you.
Also… respectfully… I need my own Beau. Universe, please handle that.
Thank you so much for the ARC copy 🫶✨
I’m seated. I’m ready. I’m waiting.
December 26, 2025
Thank you for trusting me with the ARC 💛
I’m a sucker for the country girl x city boy trope so I was so excited to read!
Let’s start with the story itself: The chaotic and sarcastic vibe adds so much personality. The humor and banter make it such an easy, fun read. I was genuinely giggling and kicking my feet more times than I can count.
The characters are written so well that it’s impossible not to love them (except the Sterlings and Tyler… obviously).
Beau and Winnie’s relationship really shines as they face hardship and uncertainty together. It shows that real love isn’t about money but about loyalty, deep understanding and choosing each other when everything else falls apart..
Also their chemistry and Beau flirting were my favorite parts 😩❤️🔥
Overall, this was one hell of a cute, emotional and entertaining read — especially considering this is Joanie’s sophomore novel. 🌾🚜🌄👢
I’m a sucker for the country girl x city boy trope so I was so excited to read!
Let’s start with the story itself: The chaotic and sarcastic vibe adds so much personality. The humor and banter make it such an easy, fun read. I was genuinely giggling and kicking my feet more times than I can count.
The characters are written so well that it’s impossible not to love them (except the Sterlings and Tyler… obviously).
Beau and Winnie’s relationship really shines as they face hardship and uncertainty together. It shows that real love isn’t about money but about loyalty, deep understanding and choosing each other when everything else falls apart..
Also their chemistry and Beau flirting were my favorite parts 😩❤️🔥
Overall, this was one hell of a cute, emotional and entertaining read — especially considering this is Joanie’s sophomore novel. 🌾🚜🌄👢
Review of advance copy received from Author
If you're looking for a slow-burn with an amazing storyline about a boy who falls hard and fast for a girl from his past, this book is for you!
By about 70% through the book, I absolutely could not put it down!
Beau is sent back to Jameson Ranch where he is reunited with Winnie and has to shape up or be cut off and give up his safety net in Dallas.
Beau undergoes a huge transformation in a short time, learning to love the quiet life that the small town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma can provide. But when a person from his past shows up at the ranch and ruins that peace and budding relationship with Winnie, he's faced with some hard choices.
When he's forced back to Dallas and given the choice between saving the Ranch or going back to Winnie, will his old life pull him back, or will the love he has for Winnie be enough to bring him home?
By about 70% through the book, I absolutely could not put it down!
Beau is sent back to Jameson Ranch where he is reunited with Winnie and has to shape up or be cut off and give up his safety net in Dallas.
Beau undergoes a huge transformation in a short time, learning to love the quiet life that the small town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma can provide. But when a person from his past shows up at the ranch and ruins that peace and budding relationship with Winnie, he's faced with some hard choices.
When he's forced back to Dallas and given the choice between saving the Ranch or going back to Winnie, will his old life pull him back, or will the love he has for Winnie be enough to bring him home?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
okay, I enjoyed these so much. it was funny, sometimes cheesy, at times tense, but also sweet.
what I loved even more was the fact that the mmc was the "city slicker" and the fmc is the cowgirl. the head boss basically on the ranch, alongside her pops. Winnie' story really intrigued me. I loved her character.
Beau was a great character too, did he mess up...yea a bit. but still, he had good intentions. not to mention his character growth.
Him and that dang rooster, Pickles though. 🤣 Who needs a guard dog when you have a territorial and protective rooster. 😅
the ending was sweet, after some tense moments. but seriously, that epilogue. 🥹
my heart.
simply enjoyed.
thank you so much Joanie for the arc. 🫶🏻
what I loved even more was the fact that the mmc was the "city slicker" and the fmc is the cowgirl. the head boss basically on the ranch, alongside her pops. Winnie' story really intrigued me. I loved her character.
Beau was a great character too, did he mess up...yea a bit. but still, he had good intentions. not to mention his character growth.
Him and that dang rooster, Pickles though. 🤣 Who needs a guard dog when you have a territorial and protective rooster. 😅
the ending was sweet, after some tense moments. but seriously, that epilogue. 🥹
my heart.
simply enjoyed.
thank you so much Joanie for the arc. 🫶🏻
January 5, 2026
Sweet, funny, and genuinely charming
This was such a fun, easy read with a lot of heart. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and how their personalities played off each other. The dialogue felt natural, the pacing kept me engaged, and there were several moments that made me smile. It’s light, romantic, and entertaining without feeling shallow. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with humor and warmth. I’m definitely interested in continuing the series.
This was such a fun, easy read with a lot of heart. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and how their personalities played off each other. The dialogue felt natural, the pacing kept me engaged, and there were several moments that made me smile. It’s light, romantic, and entertaining without feeling shallow. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with humor and warmth. I’m definitely interested in continuing the series.
January 5, 2026
Thank you to the author for an ARC of this. I’m honestly a sucker for a cowboy/western romance. This was so cute and I loved the chemistry between Winnie and Beau. I also enjoyed the twist of a city boy and not a girl. Also, the reverse grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity and childhood friends was chefs kiss!! I loved Beau’s character growth from when he first got to the ranch and how he was by the end of the book.
January 8, 2026
This book, le sigh, Beau is adorable (and he's blond lol). I love Winnie's strength and snark. The feels I had across their story. Some characters I wanted to smack upside the head to knock some sense into them but I stuck it out to read their whole story. I love how he flirted lightly until one day he was done waiting and the charm went up to 11. I fully recommend this book its such a great story plus Pickles the rooster.
January 5, 2026
First time I actually dabbled into cowboy romances and fewwwww…. do a need a Beau for myself. This romance kept me on my toes and i couldn’t actually predict where it was going. Of course I knew there would be a third kind of breakup arc but this was so well done I didn’t mind at all !!
I can’t wait to see more of what this author does
I can’t wait to see more of what this author does
January 1, 2026
I absolutely loved this book! Took me a bit to get into it but once I did I couldn’t put it down!
January 4, 2026
How to tame a City Slicker is a fun, sweet & spicy read.
Joanie Simard has be laughing out loud with the hilarious banter in this book.
I really enjoyed it and could not put it down.
Joanie Simard has be laughing out loud with the hilarious banter in this book.
I really enjoyed it and could not put it down.
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