Kicking Dust

by Nesi L. Stone

After a hot one-night stand, Jasper Harlow discovers his hook-up worked at his family's ranch and was twelve years younger. Unable to resist his attraction towards Sparrow. Can Jasper resist his feelings for Sparrow or does he blow up his whole family over the girl he can't have?

Follow Jasper and Sparrows Story in book one of Swallow Road Ranch.

Paperback

Published April 13, 2026

About the author

When not daydreaming in the worlds running rampant in her brain Nesi is loving life with her two cats and German Shepard puppy.

Reviews

[Jamie]

DNFd on April 11th, 83 pages in (41%)

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this as an early arc. Thoughts under spoilers, since it's mostly negative.

This book, was incredibly shallow. While the chemistry was there and great, the MMC was way too hot and cold, to the point where I questioned if he was actually in his mid-thirties. The FMC definitely acted her age by playing games with the MMC when he upset her. Other than them having sex, we don't really see them interacting. We're told they text, but we don't see it. We're told the MMC's brother is in the hospital, but why? We don't know.

Overall, I felt like this book, this writing, could have been way more fleshed out.

[Isla 💚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

First things first: thank you for letting me read this book! I really enjoyed it. 🤍

In this book, we’re in a small town in Canada, following the lovely FMC Sparrow Montgomery and the handsome MMC Jasper Harlow.

They officially meet for the first time in a bar. Jasper and his friend Noah are taking bets on whether our fierce, beautiful, blue-haired girl Sparrow is a buckle bunny or not. Every man is buying her drinks, but she’s not interested in anyone - until she overhears them and comes over for a drink.

Things get heated and really hot real fast. Holy smokes - let’s just say I really want a man with a truck now. 🥵 Also, I want a man who takes my effin’ panties and wraps them around his gearshift. That kinda sounds wrong and right at the same time 🤣😭🤭

Both our MMC and FMC have really dirty mouths. The way she praises him and he praises her… holy cow.

After this one-night stand, they both find out real fast that Jasper is none other than: yes, you guessed it right - SURPRISE - her boss. And again, surprise: she’s only working there for a hot minute.

So of course, Jasper wants to do the only “right” thing and not think about her again. But he just can’t stop thinking about a certain blue-haired woman. Maybe also because he still has her panties wrapped around his gearshift. Damnit… 🤭

The middle part of the book was a little bit too fast-paced for me. That’s why it’s only ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ stars. In some parts, there wasn’t much dialogue between them, and suddenly it’s two weeks later. I also have to say, at times I wanted to strangle Jasper for being so hot and cold all the time. Yes, my friend, we get it—you’re her boss and you’re older… yada yada yada.

But we can literally hear your thoughts, Mr. Harlow, saying things like: “The little dog looked at her like she hung the moon and the stars for him. Me too, buddy. Me too.”

I was one second away from getting whiplash from him. All she wants is to be loved loudly and proudly, and you keep fighting it - even though you want her. You keep your distance, and then the next day you f**k her. Literally. And she really deserves to be loved the right way.

But overall, the story was really cute, and I loved the ranch setting. It’s a found-family situation, and it’s wholesome. Mama H is begging for more grandchildren so get it on, Jasper and Sparrow.

Even if it’s fast-paced at times, there’s a lot going on in this book. And I mean a lot!! You really have to read it to find out what is going on.

I also love that there’s no third-act breakup. The ending felt like a full-circle moment for the whole story! 🤍

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a night out with a friend, Jasper sees a beautiful blue-haired girl and knows he needs to have her. After a wild encounter in his truck, he takes her number, hoping to repeat the experience, but when his brother has an accident which forces him to take over his responsibilities on the family ranch, in addition to his own, he is shocked to find that his blue-haired beauty is not only an employee of the ranch, but twelve years his junior. As much as he would like to get closer to her, and even after they both give in to temptation again, he knows he needs to stay away, even if it costs him his one chance at happiness.

Sparrow has been working as a ranch hand on Swallow Road Ranch for the past 6 months, and while she has made it a point not to come across as a buckle bunny, there is something about Jasper that drew her to him the first time she saw him in the bar. While the fact that they work together is an inconvenience, she doesn’t see it as a deal breaker, until he does. Refusing to be anyone’s dirty little secret, she tells him if he can’t be all in, then he needs to walk away, as much as it hurts her to say it.

I received an early copy of this book from the author, and while I enjoyed the story itself, the writing could use some work. The chemistry between the characters was high, but I found that the spicy scenes especially were repetitive, with the same terms used multiple times in a paragraph (I know there’s only a number of words you can use to describe certain anatomical parts, but there’s definitely more than 2). Given that they started with a one night stand, it makes sense that their relationship started off physical but Jasper’s hot and cold game, while somewhat warranted given his position of authority, felt off. I also wish we had gotten more than a few glimpses of the characters and their pasts, as the book seems more focused on their physical relationship than anything else. I can’t decide whether the book was too long or too short, with some parts overly descriptive, but other parts which might have been significant, only getting a paragraph. I think the book has a lot of potential, but it just missed the mark for me.

[Crista Sedlacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to say for me this was a 3.5-4 star read. It is a short read and I felt like it really could have used more. We were introduced to some cool story lines but I felt like we didn't get enough time explore those things. There was a lot of spice in this book which was a big focus of it, it started with a one night stand so i'm good with that! I just wish we got a bit more of their story!

I love the ending, I felt like the book was a bit rushed for time but I still really enjoyed the happy ending. It was super cute. Jasper was pretty hot and cold, struggling internally with the age gap, but i'm glad he got his shit together in the end!!

I thought that they had some cute banter and I very much appreciated that they didn't use the word "folds" during the sex scenes!! I liked the spice and i'm glad it took the time to explore it!

If you're looking for a shorter read with spice, this would be a great option!

[Shay Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has so much potential, however, I was left with a lot of questions.

The concept of the book is so much fun, but there were multiple areas, relationships and scenes that felt underdeveloped and lacking in tension. Or something would happen and then there would be a change but no description on how that shift happened.

There were also a few moments where information was needed but never given, or it wasn’t given out until much later in the story. I was not aware of the MMCs age until the story was almost over even though, that was one of the main plot points.

There were also characters who were supposed to be the FMCs best friends that weren’t introduced until the final chapters, which would have added a lot more to the storyline.

I also felt like there was a lot of story/plot lines happening but none ever felt fully flushed out or developed beyond the surface.

I believe this book has the potential to be great, unfortunately there is a lot missing at the moment.

[Anna Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, hear me out—this wasn’t a bad book, but it really needed to be longer. We moved from major issues to no issues very quickly, and the pacing made some of those resolutions feel rushed. There were also a few really interesting story developments that could have been explored more, but instead felt cut short.

All in all, I did enjoy this read. The vibes were definitely there—I just wanted more depth and time to sit with the story. That said, it’s a great option for anyone looking for a quick read

[Bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Thank you to the author, Nesi L. Stone, and the publisher, LostStone Publishing, for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.**

✨️ Book Title: Kicking Dust
✨️ Author: Nesi L. Stone
✨️ Genre: Romance
✨️ Tropes: Age gap (12 years), small-town, country romance, found family, boss x employee relationship

⭐️ Star Rating: 1.5 / 5 stars
🌶 Spice Level: 3.5 / 5 peppers
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Explicit language, explicit sexual content (breeding kink), mentions of prior animal cruelty & death, drunk driving

📅 Release Date: April 13, 2026


When a night out ends with a hot hook-up, Jasper Harlow doesn’t anticipate seeing Sparrow Montgomery again for anything more than the occasional hook-up. Little does he know that in a few short hours, he’ll see Sparrow again as one of his family’s ranch hands. Will they be able to put aside their feelings for each other, or will they risk it all for each other?

With a promising premise (and inspiration from small towns in Ontario, Canada), I was excited to jump into this short, but sweet and spicy, small-town country romance. While the chemistry between the MMC and the FMC was clear, Kicking Dust seemed to end there

Overall, I struggled with the flow of the storyline and the lack of imagery throughout the book. The way the MC’s moved from having some issues to sort out, to then flip on a dime, did not help with the flow of the storyline. Additionally, while I can pull from personal experience with small towns in Ontario, I had a hard time seeing where the Canadian inspiration was infused and felt that this could be a small town anywhere in North America. When it came to the romance between the MC’s, I found they were more lust-driven instead of there being any romantic depth to their relationship. This was furthered by the lack of emotional depth between the characters (at 34, Jasper really should know how to behave better).

Finally, the inclusion of drunk driving, and the insinuation that drunk driving is acceptable, solidified my struggle with Kicking Dust. Just because drunk driving is something that happens doesn’t mean it is okay to add it into a book like it is no big deal with no consequences or remorse for the character's actions.

All in all, while I was super excited to read a book with a storyline that was inspired by small towns in Ontario, Kicking Dust ultimately wasn’t the book for me.

[Enelyae Is Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I normally don’t read too many Cowboy Romances unless they have paranormal aspects but this was super cute and fun! It was fast paced and cozy. It centred around a Ranch in a (fake) small town in Ontario! (Yay go Canada!) We focuses on the relationship between Jasper, a bit of a quiet broody guy who doesn’t know what he wants and our spunky and sassy farm hand Sparrow! She was definitely full of life and I quite enjoyed their dynamic!

So if you like sweet, quick cowboy romance reads, this is definitely one you will need to put on your list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 🌶️🌶️.5

[Amber Falleaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review of an advanced copy.

This is a short read.
Jasper and Sparrow’s banter was fun.
Jasper and Sparrow meet in a bar. They have a wild one night stand and go their separate ways. So they think.
Sparrow works at a ranch which just so happens to be owned by Jaspers family.
This book did seem a bit rushed but I enjoyed it.