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Honeyed and Muddied
To Come!
- GenresRomanceContemporary
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2026
About the author
Taylor Wilson-West
16 books145 followersTaylor Wilson-West is a firm believer that the magic of words on a page can transport readers to new places, and finds comfort in making new, albeit fictional, friends. Currently residing in a small town in North Carolina with her husband and two perfect kiddos, she lives off Cheerwine, potatoes, and ranch dressing. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found shopping at bookstores, adding to her never ending bookshelves. Taylor finds it necessary to have a bookish candle that fits every genre and book character that she has ever fallen in love with. Her favorite moment in any consumable media is when confident, fat main characters get their happily ever after.
If you’ve made it this far, please leave a review! Reviews are an author's best friend, and readers obviously! :P
If you’ve made it this far, please leave a review! Reviews are an author's best friend, and readers obviously! :P
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 17, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
I really loved the premise of this book. It was interesting with Summer’s past and trying to figure out what was going on with her. There was suspense and mystery there that I wasn’t expecting. It was something I wasn’t used to in romance novels and I enjoyed it.
I will say that I feel like there might have been too much spice in this one. Or maybe the reliance on spice to form a bond between the MCs is what I had issue with. I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of emotional connection and chemistry with the MCs. I didn’t feel a pull between them and honestly Summer’s crassness about sex bothered me. Yes, I think she uses it to deflect and cope when things get serious, but it furthers the feeling of sex= love/chemistry that I kept feeling throughout the story. I never quite felt like the MCs had an intimate or emotional connection.
I definitely feel like this book will hit all the right notes for some, but it just wasn’t for me. But I do hope to read any other sapphic story the author writes!
I really loved the premise of this book. It was interesting with Summer’s past and trying to figure out what was going on with her. There was suspense and mystery there that I wasn’t expecting. It was something I wasn’t used to in romance novels and I enjoyed it.
I will say that I feel like there might have been too much spice in this one. Or maybe the reliance on spice to form a bond between the MCs is what I had issue with. I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of emotional connection and chemistry with the MCs. I didn’t feel a pull between them and honestly Summer’s crassness about sex bothered me. Yes, I think she uses it to deflect and cope when things get serious, but it furthers the feeling of sex= love/chemistry that I kept feeling throughout the story. I never quite felt like the MCs had an intimate or emotional connection.
I definitely feel like this book will hit all the right notes for some, but it just wasn’t for me. But I do hope to read any other sapphic story the author writes!
Review of advance copy received from Author
2.75 ⭐
I’ll try to keep this review short, mostly because I honestly don’t have that much to say, which is kind of disappointing because this book had so many elements that sounded perfect for me on paper. Summer camp setting? Cowgirl vibes? Mystery subplot? Sign me up immediately. But unfortunately, the execution just didn’t live up to my expectations.
My biggest issue was with the romance itself and how the relationship between the MCs develops. Early on, I didn’t really see the point of the annoyance-to-lovers trope. It felt very one-sided, and there wasn’t a convincing reason for the tension between them in the first place. The trope seemed to exist only to create forced chemistry, almost like foreplay, because they quickly moved past that stage and jumped straight into sleeping together. Honestly, this book is very centered around sex.
Normally, I have zero issues with spicy romances. I actually love when intimacy is used to deepen the connection between characters. But here, it often felt like the physical side replaced that deeper bond instead of strengthening it. The insta-lust kicks in extremely early, and because so much focus is placed on the sexual aspect of their relationship, the emotional progression never felt fully developed to me. So when the story eventually expects me to believe these characters deeply trust and love each other, I struggled to buy into it. The emotional buildup simply wasn’t there.
A lot of this came down to Summer’s character for me. I really wanted to sympathize with her because it was obvious from the start that her behavior came from unresolved trauma and trust issues. But despite understanding why she acted the way she did, I still had a hard time connecting with her personality. At times, it felt like the book wanted her to come across as mysterious and confident, but instead she often felt emotionally unavailable and unnecessarily crass. Honestly, there were moments where I felt like she needed therapy more than a romantic relationship, especially considering how unfair some of her behavior felt toward Indy.
What ultimately stopped this from being a much lower rating was the mystery storyline because THAT part genuinely had me invested. I was fully engaged trying to figure out who was behind Summer’s stalker, and I loved analyzing all the creepy notes, the disappearances, and the suspicious behavior from basically every character. At one point I genuinely distrusted everyone because the atmosphere made it feel like every single person had something to hide. So when the reveal finally happened, I was actually surprised in the best way because I truly didn’t expect that character to be the culprit.
At the end of the day, I can absolutely see this book working for readers who prioritize heavy sexual chemistry in romance. But personally, I tend to connect more with stories that focus on emotional intimacy, vulnerability, and character growth, and sadly this one just didn’t fully give me that.
Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll try to keep this review short, mostly because I honestly don’t have that much to say, which is kind of disappointing because this book had so many elements that sounded perfect for me on paper. Summer camp setting? Cowgirl vibes? Mystery subplot? Sign me up immediately. But unfortunately, the execution just didn’t live up to my expectations.
My biggest issue was with the romance itself and how the relationship between the MCs develops. Early on, I didn’t really see the point of the annoyance-to-lovers trope. It felt very one-sided, and there wasn’t a convincing reason for the tension between them in the first place. The trope seemed to exist only to create forced chemistry, almost like foreplay, because they quickly moved past that stage and jumped straight into sleeping together. Honestly, this book is very centered around sex.
Normally, I have zero issues with spicy romances. I actually love when intimacy is used to deepen the connection between characters. But here, it often felt like the physical side replaced that deeper bond instead of strengthening it. The insta-lust kicks in extremely early, and because so much focus is placed on the sexual aspect of their relationship, the emotional progression never felt fully developed to me. So when the story eventually expects me to believe these characters deeply trust and love each other, I struggled to buy into it. The emotional buildup simply wasn’t there.
A lot of this came down to Summer’s character for me. I really wanted to sympathize with her because it was obvious from the start that her behavior came from unresolved trauma and trust issues. But despite understanding why she acted the way she did, I still had a hard time connecting with her personality. At times, it felt like the book wanted her to come across as mysterious and confident, but instead she often felt emotionally unavailable and unnecessarily crass. Honestly, there were moments where I felt like she needed therapy more than a romantic relationship, especially considering how unfair some of her behavior felt toward Indy.
What ultimately stopped this from being a much lower rating was the mystery storyline because THAT part genuinely had me invested. I was fully engaged trying to figure out who was behind Summer’s stalker, and I loved analyzing all the creepy notes, the disappearances, and the suspicious behavior from basically every character. At one point I genuinely distrusted everyone because the atmosphere made it feel like every single person had something to hide. So when the reveal finally happened, I was actually surprised in the best way because I truly didn’t expect that character to be the culprit.
At the end of the day, I can absolutely see this book working for readers who prioritize heavy sexual chemistry in romance. But personally, I tend to connect more with stories that focus on emotional intimacy, vulnerability, and character growth, and sadly this one just didn’t fully give me that.
Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2026
honeyed and muddied by taylor wilson-west 🍯🐴🧲
thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this eARC!
📖 summary: this is a standalone spinoff from taylor wilson-west’s raven peak ranch series. it’s a wlw romance with a suspense/mystery subplot. it follows indy, the ranch owners daughter who doesn’t have time to focus on her wants and needs because she’s an overworking, overachieving, people-pleasing southern girly. she’s running the summer camp, harvesting honey from her bees, and making sure the ranch doesn’t go under again. summer is a a new camp counselor who is running from her traumatic past. she immediately sets her sights on indy, and the two have a steamy “no strings attached” situationship that quickly develops into much more. especially once summer begins receiving threatening notes anonymously. from someone who knows her past, and what she’s done…
💭my review: i have to say this is my first cowboy/cowgirl/western novel. it’s not my typical vibe, but since it’s sapphic i gave it a try! it’s not my fave for sure but my rating is not lower due to me not lovinggg the setting.
🐝💖🌶️the romance — at first indy was annoying how much she “hated” summer. then i was annoyed at summer for how emotionally distant she was acting (she needs therapy lol). her ex tried to kill her and she didn’t get serious psychological help, really???? but i do like summers persistence and overt confidence in getting indy. she’s def hot and their sexual chemistry is amazing. the spicy scenes were one of the best parts of the book…which typically id say the spice is not my favorite thing about a novel.
🔥🧯🚔the mystery — the suspenseful part of the plot was a bit slow, but ended up being pretty good. it wasn’t a crazy plot twist or anything—it was decently predictable but still a satisfying ending to the mystery. i liked following the notes being left and trying to piece it all together.
check out this one if you like:
❤️🔥 manyyy spicy sapphic scenes
💪🏼 muscle mommy masc x 🍯 sweet sultry plus-sized femme
🌈 lgbtq+ character rep (not only the MCs!)
⛺️ missing camp counselors
🤠 small-town cowgirl romance
🪿 a silly pet goose
thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this eARC!
📖 summary: this is a standalone spinoff from taylor wilson-west’s raven peak ranch series. it’s a wlw romance with a suspense/mystery subplot. it follows indy, the ranch owners daughter who doesn’t have time to focus on her wants and needs because she’s an overworking, overachieving, people-pleasing southern girly. she’s running the summer camp, harvesting honey from her bees, and making sure the ranch doesn’t go under again. summer is a a new camp counselor who is running from her traumatic past. she immediately sets her sights on indy, and the two have a steamy “no strings attached” situationship that quickly develops into much more. especially once summer begins receiving threatening notes anonymously. from someone who knows her past, and what she’s done…
💭my review: i have to say this is my first cowboy/cowgirl/western novel. it’s not my typical vibe, but since it’s sapphic i gave it a try! it’s not my fave for sure but my rating is not lower due to me not lovinggg the setting.
🐝💖🌶️the romance — at first indy was annoying how much she “hated” summer. then i was annoyed at summer for how emotionally distant she was acting (she needs therapy lol). her ex tried to kill her and she didn’t get serious psychological help, really???? but i do like summers persistence and overt confidence in getting indy. she’s def hot and their sexual chemistry is amazing. the spicy scenes were one of the best parts of the book…which typically id say the spice is not my favorite thing about a novel.
🔥🧯🚔the mystery — the suspenseful part of the plot was a bit slow, but ended up being pretty good. it wasn’t a crazy plot twist or anything—it was decently predictable but still a satisfying ending to the mystery. i liked following the notes being left and trying to piece it all together.
check out this one if you like:
❤️🔥 manyyy spicy sapphic scenes
💪🏼 muscle mommy masc x 🍯 sweet sultry plus-sized femme
🌈 lgbtq+ character rep (not only the MCs!)
⛺️ missing camp counselors
🤠 small-town cowgirl romance
🪿 a silly pet goose
Review of advance copy received from Author
🐝“JESUS,” I BREATHE, HOLDING A HAND TO MY CHEST.
“NAH,” SHE LEANS CLOSER, “BUT IF YOU ASK ME NICELY, I MIGHT SHOW YOU GOD.”🐝
Honeyed and Muddied by Taylor Wilson-West
eARC @authortaylorwilsonwest
🐝
⃜⃜⃜⃜⃜⃛⃛⃗This novel is an entire vibe. (Let me state at the start of this eARC- the author requested we don’t quote from the ARC. So the only quote I used is from the promo info) Moving on- Summer and Indy immediately captured my attention.
There’s a very fluid feel to all the actions and interactions between these two. Even when there’s an attempt NOT to engage. They have a hot AF relationship- but it goes beyond that by far. The interwoven suspenseful and danger undercurrent hit the right notes (no pun intended) from the start.
I had a good time reading this one!
𓐌𓐌𓐌𓐌
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 & 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦:
•Sapphic Romance
•Twatla 🪿
•Resurfacing past
•Plus size FMC
•Slutty little glasses
•Good girl
•Suspense
•Small Town
•Lake Spice
•Forced Proximity
•Annoyance to Lovers
•”It’s Only Physical”
———-🐝
———-🐝
The overall theme, plot and pace worked really well.
Liked the use of the secondary characters. And, obviously loved our primary characters.
The dialogue got a wee bit glitchy/hiccuped a few times for me. It was not a problem consistently or anything of that nature. It didn’t take me out of the story but it was noticeable. Absolutely still enjoyable & honestly it was a small thing when it would happen.
Otherwise- I’ve got nothing but 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 & 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀,
𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 4. 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁🐝
𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎
🐝
“NAH,” SHE LEANS CLOSER, “BUT IF YOU ASK ME NICELY, I MIGHT SHOW YOU GOD.”🐝
Honeyed and Muddied by Taylor Wilson-West
eARC @authortaylorwilsonwest
🐝
⃜⃜⃜⃜⃜⃛⃛⃗This novel is an entire vibe. (Let me state at the start of this eARC- the author requested we don’t quote from the ARC. So the only quote I used is from the promo info) Moving on- Summer and Indy immediately captured my attention.
There’s a very fluid feel to all the actions and interactions between these two. Even when there’s an attempt NOT to engage. They have a hot AF relationship- but it goes beyond that by far. The interwoven suspenseful and danger undercurrent hit the right notes (no pun intended) from the start.
I had a good time reading this one!
𓐌𓐌𓐌𓐌
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 & 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦:
•Sapphic Romance
•Twatla 🪿
•Resurfacing past
•Plus size FMC
•Slutty little glasses
•Good girl
•Suspense
•Small Town
•Lake Spice
•Forced Proximity
•Annoyance to Lovers
•”It’s Only Physical”
———-🐝
———-🐝
The overall theme, plot and pace worked really well.
Liked the use of the secondary characters. And, obviously loved our primary characters.
The dialogue got a wee bit glitchy/hiccuped a few times for me. It was not a problem consistently or anything of that nature. It didn’t take me out of the story but it was noticeable. Absolutely still enjoyable & honestly it was a small thing when it would happen.
Otherwise- I’ve got nothing but 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 & 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀,
𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 4. 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁🐝
𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎
🐝
May 28, 2026
Summer’s life changed one horrific night and she’s been running from it ever since. Hoping to find some kind of peace and solace for the summer, she takes a job as a kids camp counselor at the Turner ranch. There she meets the irresistibly cute Indy who is the daughter of the Turners and co owner of said ranch. Indy loves the following: her horse Echo, her parents, her friends, her bees, and honesty. And there’s something about Summer that sets off her inner alarm. Indy knows Summer is hiding things and it bothers her of course, but why must the annoying new girl who makes Indy so flustered also be so damn hot and flirtatious? Summer’s secrets won’t stay hidden for long though because someone from her past has been following her but who?
Literally surprise to no one but I really enjoyed yet another book by Taylor. I was so freaking excited when she announced her next book would be sapphic set at the Turner ranch. The summer camp vibes? Immaculate. The suspense? Made me anxious but loved that ‘what’s gonna happen next’ feeling. The romance? Smoking. A girl couldn’t ask for more. Can’t wait to see where Taylor takes us next.
4⭐️
4🔥
What to expect:
Sapphic romance
Small town
Suspense
Boss x camp counselor
F*ck buddies to lovers
Camp shenanigans
Toys as teammates
“Crawl”
Dirty talk
Plus size FMC
Bee keeping
TW/CW:
graphic sexual content, violence, on page retelling of an attempted murder (includes knife attack/arson), stalking, threats, animal death (mentioned but not in detail), bodily harm, kidnapping (does not involve children)
Literally surprise to no one but I really enjoyed yet another book by Taylor. I was so freaking excited when she announced her next book would be sapphic set at the Turner ranch. The summer camp vibes? Immaculate. The suspense? Made me anxious but loved that ‘what’s gonna happen next’ feeling. The romance? Smoking. A girl couldn’t ask for more. Can’t wait to see where Taylor takes us next.
4⭐️
4🔥
What to expect:
Sapphic romance
Small town
Suspense
Boss x camp counselor
F*ck buddies to lovers
Camp shenanigans
Toys as teammates
“Crawl”
Dirty talk
Plus size FMC
Bee keeping
TW/CW:
graphic sexual content, violence, on page retelling of an attempted murder (includes knife attack/arson), stalking, threats, animal death (mentioned but not in detail), bodily harm, kidnapping (does not involve children)
May 24, 2026
I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC and with how much the art was hyping up the release I am SO glad I did not have to wait. Summer finds herself running away from her past and going pretty much wherever the wind takes her. She finds herself working at the Turner summer camp that Indy and her parents own. Before even starting at the camp though she sees Indy in town and instantly falls for her. It is not until she arrives at the camp the following day that she realizes the girl she is head over heels for is her boss. Indy who is a gorgeous plus size baddddieeee just got the camp/farm away from the brink of bankruptcy and is looking forward to a completely booked summer. While that is now the main source of income she can’t forget what helped keep them afloat at their absolute lowest, her bees and honey business. Indy is reluctant to the shared attraction because of the work dynamic they share but eventually they turn into friends with benefits. At the same time something sinister is going on and no one knows who is to blame. The mix of romance and thriller really made this story standout to me and kept me engaged. Listed below are some of the tropes, details and characteristics I enjoyed most about this book.
-sapphic romance
-thriller & mystery aspect as well
-plus size FMC with apron belly rep!!
-found family
-instant connection
-cute nicknames
-character crossover from previous series
-grumpy/ sunshine
-sapphic romance
-thriller & mystery aspect as well
-plus size FMC with apron belly rep!!
-found family
-instant connection
-cute nicknames
-character crossover from previous series
-grumpy/ sunshine
Review of advance copy received from Author
Disclosure: I received a complimentary eARC directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you are a sapphic reader, strap in—Taylor Wilson-West has just delivered one of the absolute hottest couples of the year. Honeyed and Muddied is a spectacular, five-star read that beautifully balances a slow-burning WLW romance with a fast-paced mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Indy Turner loves her quiet, small-town life, her family's summer camp, her horses, and her bees. The very last thing she wants is trouble, but she becomes an absolute magnet for it when Summer Holt arrives. Summer is a gorgeous, muscular, red-headed camp counselor with a hidden past who smells like something completely forbidden. After running for two years straight, Summer just wants anonymity, but she cannot stop herself from flirting with her new boss's daughter.
The physical attraction here is fast-burning, heavy, and incredibly hot. But just as Summer begins to imagine putting down real roots, her past barrels straight into her new haven. The contrast between the sweet, wholesome summer camp vibes and the sudden, tense thriller elements is flawlessly executed.
It is an addictive, beautifully written love story that you absolutely need on your 2026 TBR. Go get it immediately!
If you are a sapphic reader, strap in—Taylor Wilson-West has just delivered one of the absolute hottest couples of the year. Honeyed and Muddied is a spectacular, five-star read that beautifully balances a slow-burning WLW romance with a fast-paced mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Indy Turner loves her quiet, small-town life, her family's summer camp, her horses, and her bees. The very last thing she wants is trouble, but she becomes an absolute magnet for it when Summer Holt arrives. Summer is a gorgeous, muscular, red-headed camp counselor with a hidden past who smells like something completely forbidden. After running for two years straight, Summer just wants anonymity, but she cannot stop herself from flirting with her new boss's daughter.
The physical attraction here is fast-burning, heavy, and incredibly hot. But just as Summer begins to imagine putting down real roots, her past barrels straight into her new haven. The contrast between the sweet, wholesome summer camp vibes and the sudden, tense thriller elements is flawlessly executed.
It is an addictive, beautifully written love story that you absolutely need on your 2026 TBR. Go get it immediately!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2026
This book is the first in a spin-off series from The Raven Peak Ranch Duet. This new series, Goldspur Ridge has an explosive start to the western world.
This is such an easy 4 star read. This book wasn’t what I expected at all, I thought it would be this cute cowgirl romance but wow this story offered much more. There was definitely cute cowgirl spice and romance vibes to it but the whole story just had me gripped!
I think everyone here knows by now that I am a sucker for spice and oooft, it did not disappoint… of all the 5 spicy scenes, each one had me blushing.
You have Indy, a loveable beekeeper and part owner of the Turner summer camp, and then you’ve got Summer Holt, a new camp counsellor who’s running from her past and receiving strange mysterious notes along the way. Summer crash lands into Indy’s life and neither knows what’s coming. Both MC’s are so loveable that it’s so easy to be drawn into their story and the suspenseful elements keep you hooked the entire time.
I would have loved this book to be longer - mainly because I just didn’t want it to end!
Thank you Taylor for this ARC, I honestly loved every word written!
This is such an easy 4 star read. This book wasn’t what I expected at all, I thought it would be this cute cowgirl romance but wow this story offered much more. There was definitely cute cowgirl spice and romance vibes to it but the whole story just had me gripped!
I think everyone here knows by now that I am a sucker for spice and oooft, it did not disappoint… of all the 5 spicy scenes, each one had me blushing.
You have Indy, a loveable beekeeper and part owner of the Turner summer camp, and then you’ve got Summer Holt, a new camp counsellor who’s running from her past and receiving strange mysterious notes along the way. Summer crash lands into Indy’s life and neither knows what’s coming. Both MC’s are so loveable that it’s so easy to be drawn into their story and the suspenseful elements keep you hooked the entire time.
I would have loved this book to be longer - mainly because I just didn’t want it to end!
Thank you Taylor for this ARC, I honestly loved every word written!
May 29, 2026
Having gotten the gift of getting an early read of Honeyed and Muddied, I loved the book and I think you will too.
It has a bit of everything- spice, sass, confidence, learning to trust again, falling in love, quirky animals, and a new chance at being the you YOU want to be.
I really liked Indy and Summer a lot- one thing I especially loved was how Taylor (shout out to you for kicking ass in this!) successfully wrote a plus size character who owned her body and is sexy to herself and others.
I think that’s one of the things that stuck out to me most- I’m a bigger girl, have been for a while, am attracted to other women who are sometimes bigger too, and you can be attractive and fat without apologizing for it or being full of shame. I want to see this more in books in general, but especially in sapphic books.
@authortaylorwilsonwest you wrote one hell of a beautiful book and I hope you feel as proud of you as you ought to be. I’m very happy to have had the gift of getting to read your work and will be sharing it with others!
It has a bit of everything- spice, sass, confidence, learning to trust again, falling in love, quirky animals, and a new chance at being the you YOU want to be.
I really liked Indy and Summer a lot- one thing I especially loved was how Taylor (shout out to you for kicking ass in this!) successfully wrote a plus size character who owned her body and is sexy to herself and others.
I think that’s one of the things that stuck out to me most- I’m a bigger girl, have been for a while, am attracted to other women who are sometimes bigger too, and you can be attractive and fat without apologizing for it or being full of shame. I want to see this more in books in general, but especially in sapphic books.
@authortaylorwilsonwest you wrote one hell of a beautiful book and I hope you feel as proud of you as you ought to be. I’m very happy to have had the gift of getting to read your work and will be sharing it with others!
May 19, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
Indy- farm girl at heart, homebody, loves her pet goose
Summer - muscle mommy, running from her past, loves sweet things like Honey
I really liked Indy and Summer at first but the spark fizzled really fast for me. The story just didn't flow well and eventually, I felt like I didn’t really understand why things were happening or how we arrived at certain points.
Scenes seemed to change a few times abruptly, and the mystery was just… something was missing. The concept was there, the chemistry was there at first but then it all fell flat. The writing style kept me interested until the end because I wanted to solve the mystery but even the ending was a little underwhelming. I would still recommend but I would also advise keeping your expectations low.
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
I will definitely be giving the other books a try even though this one didn’t live up to my expectations.
Indy- farm girl at heart, homebody, loves her pet goose
Summer - muscle mommy, running from her past, loves sweet things like Honey
I really liked Indy and Summer at first but the spark fizzled really fast for me. The story just didn't flow well and eventually, I felt like I didn’t really understand why things were happening or how we arrived at certain points.
Scenes seemed to change a few times abruptly, and the mystery was just… something was missing. The concept was there, the chemistry was there at first but then it all fell flat. The writing style kept me interested until the end because I wanted to solve the mystery but even the ending was a little underwhelming. I would still recommend but I would also advise keeping your expectations low.
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
I will definitely be giving the other books a try even though this one didn’t live up to my expectations.
May 21, 2026
This book was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the humour throughout. The characters were great, and I don’t think there was anyone I didn’t like. There was tension, sex, mystery and scenery. The setting was wonderful. The ranch felt fully alive to me, and the horse care was a lovely touch.
Indy is an absolute sweetheart and competent queen. Emotionally intelligent and calm.
Summer is a cheeky woman with a heart of gold, and should be grateful Indy is quite as intuitive as she is!
I do like that there are interconnected stories and a diverse range of sexualities represented, slightly idealistic but it’s a world of the authors making, so why not make it so!?
The sex scenes really did show the characters passion and desire for one another, but maybe not for everyone, though nothing happens needing warnings!
This is a fun summer read and is more that just a “spicy sapphic romance”, the story is very enjoyable.
Indy is an absolute sweetheart and competent queen. Emotionally intelligent and calm.
Summer is a cheeky woman with a heart of gold, and should be grateful Indy is quite as intuitive as she is!
I do like that there are interconnected stories and a diverse range of sexualities represented, slightly idealistic but it’s a world of the authors making, so why not make it so!?
The sex scenes really did show the characters passion and desire for one another, but maybe not for everyone, though nothing happens needing warnings!
This is a fun summer read and is more that just a “spicy sapphic romance”, the story is very enjoyable.
June 10, 2026
I absolutely loved this outdoor mystery/romance. This is my first read with a plus-sized FMC and it was great to see so much confidence and fire in her. Her heart was so genuine, loving and accepting of Summer and everything that had come with her past.
Taking a chance on love, especially with so much on the line is something that we have likely all struggled with at some point. Knowing that the camp was in a vulnerable position makes Indy all the more brave for taking such a huge risk. Not to mention the missing people and a psycho on the loose? The strength that both FMC’s exude is something we can all hope to show when the time comes.
Another component I enjoyed was the setting of the farm and the cast of ethnically and sexually diverse characters. The cohesion of everyone working in harmony makes me wish I had attended such a cool camp as a kid!
Taking a chance on love, especially with so much on the line is something that we have likely all struggled with at some point. Knowing that the camp was in a vulnerable position makes Indy all the more brave for taking such a huge risk. Not to mention the missing people and a psycho on the loose? The strength that both FMC’s exude is something we can all hope to show when the time comes.
Another component I enjoyed was the setting of the farm and the cast of ethnically and sexually diverse characters. The cohesion of everyone working in harmony makes me wish I had attended such a cool camp as a kid!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Honeyed and Muddied was not what I was expecting! I absolutely loved the small-town vibe of this story, and Summer and Indy’s chemistry had me hooked right away. Their connection alone kept me turning the pages, but the added suspense fueled my curiosity so much that I couldn't put the book down! The storyline itself was excellent, and the humor was a wonderful added bonus. I really liked Summer’s character and her backstory, and I loved how Indy carried her baggage right along beside her. Their dynamic was incredible, and the spice perfectly complemented how well these two moved together. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely plan on buying a physical copy! Thank you so much for letting me be an ARC reader for this! ☺️
Review of advance copy
I want to spend a summer at Turner Summer Camp! Indy and Summer were such a hoot. I love the flirty banter between them. The twist and turns of Summers past and how it gave the plot an intriguing perspective. I loved all the fun and adventure that is Turner Summer Camp it reminded me of my childhood. Indy is such a strong FMC I love how independent she is and how she holds the weight of her family and their problems on her shoulders. And then the spunky Summer walks in and knocks her off kilter. Summer is such a fun FMC she brings spark into Indy’s life and though she has a troubled past she finds her way. Indy and Summer are a great match their spice was electric and you just smile when they are together. This was a great read I can’t wait to see what is next for the Golden Spur Ridge!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read as arc
Holy shit this was SO CUTE
I’d give it like 2-3 chilli peppers
The storyline was amazing, I was so captivated by the notes and stalker!! I actually felt nervous for 60% of the book bc WHAY WAS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?!!
Always something going on in this little town.
I love Indie and Summer, they really are perfect together. Summer just being a woman on the run from her traumatizing past while indie was putting everything into the ranch and summer camp. I think they balanced eachother so well🥰🥰
Taylor is an incredible writer and this book was so much fun to read thank you for the ARC
Holy shit this was SO CUTE
I’d give it like 2-3 chilli peppers
The storyline was amazing, I was so captivated by the notes and stalker!! I actually felt nervous for 60% of the book bc WHAY WAS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?!!
Always something going on in this little town.
I love Indie and Summer, they really are perfect together. Summer just being a woman on the run from her traumatizing past while indie was putting everything into the ranch and summer camp. I think they balanced eachother so well🥰🥰
Taylor is an incredible writer and this book was so much fun to read thank you for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
Was super excited to receive this one but felt it lacked in a few areas! I initially liked Indy and felt there was a lot of potential for her character, but Summer’s crassness and sometimes over sexual advances threw me. I felt they did not build a strong enough relationship where I saw them as compatible. We definitely needed to see more of Summer’s soft side for them to be believable.
The mystery aspect threw me as well! It felt incomplete and I was often back tracking to try and understand what was going on!
I would definitely read from this author again as I see the potential BUT this was a DNF for me!
The mystery aspect threw me as well! It felt incomplete and I was often back tracking to try and understand what was going on!
I would definitely read from this author again as I see the potential BUT this was a DNF for me!
May 28, 2026
Woooo boy! Y’all, I felt like I was reading a murder mystery mixed with a spicy cowgirl romance and it was good! Indy is a boss babe getting ready for a fresh new summer at the ranch, and Summer is her new camp counselor running away from a traumatic past and unwanted notes being left wherever she goes.
The connection between Indy and Summer is instant. I love the way Wilson-West describes our two MCs. The beautiful softness of Indy and the strong muscle of Summer. Also, the banter and the full personalities of the characters that show through were a delight to read. I appreciate how the two come together when things get harder instead of unnecessarily drifting apart. What a great read!
The connection between Indy and Summer is instant. I love the way Wilson-West describes our two MCs. The beautiful softness of Indy and the strong muscle of Summer. Also, the banter and the full personalities of the characters that show through were a delight to read. I appreciate how the two come together when things get harder instead of unnecessarily drifting apart. What a great read!
May 31, 2026
arc review 🖤
this book was not at all what i was expecting (in a good way) though that’s my fault for seeing “sapphic” and running to the sign ups with no other knowledge 😂
i think the mystery plot is what really kept me in the story. while the romance was fun, the plot really had me on the edge of my seat and questioning every single person for who was behind all of the things happening.
indy and summer work really well together, being each others balance when the other was falling apart. that was my favorite thing about them together 🖤
thank you to the author for an early review copy!!
this book was not at all what i was expecting (in a good way) though that’s my fault for seeing “sapphic” and running to the sign ups with no other knowledge 😂
i think the mystery plot is what really kept me in the story. while the romance was fun, the plot really had me on the edge of my seat and questioning every single person for who was behind all of the things happening.
indy and summer work really well together, being each others balance when the other was falling apart. that was my favorite thing about them together 🖤
thank you to the author for an early review copy!!
June 22, 2026
Thank you to Taylor Wilson-West & her publishing team for giving me the opportunity to read the eARC of this book.
I wasn't thoroughly impressed. I was bored a lot of the time & it took me quite a bit to even get through this one. I felt I would've done a disservice by DNF'ing it, but this was very mid level to me. It didn't keep me interested. The angst wasn't there. I was really expecting more, especially with it being a wlw relationship. Indy was boring to me. Summer was just naive. Friend group lacked depth. I appreciated the LGBTQIA+ recognition & understanding, which is making this rating 2 stars. This just wasn't it for me.
I wasn't thoroughly impressed. I was bored a lot of the time & it took me quite a bit to even get through this one. I felt I would've done a disservice by DNF'ing it, but this was very mid level to me. It didn't keep me interested. The angst wasn't there. I was really expecting more, especially with it being a wlw relationship. Indy was boring to me. Summer was just naive. Friend group lacked depth. I appreciated the LGBTQIA+ recognition & understanding, which is making this rating 2 stars. This just wasn't it for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
💛Plus size FMC
💛Boss X Employee
💛Trauma
💛Slutty little glasses
💛Forced proximity
💛”It’s only physical”
💛Small Town
Indy and Summer are hot 🥵 together. Summer is down bad as soon as she sees Indy. Indy tries really hard into resist summer due to her being an employee.
I enjoyed the story line but at some points I felt like it was all over the place. That’s totally a me a thing
If you haven’t read the first 2 books in this series I would suggest you do. You don’t have to but it would help to better understand the characters
💛Boss X Employee
💛Trauma
💛Slutty little glasses
💛Forced proximity
💛”It’s only physical”
💛Small Town
Indy and Summer are hot 🥵 together. Summer is down bad as soon as she sees Indy. Indy tries really hard into resist summer due to her being an employee.
I enjoyed the story line but at some points I felt like it was all over the place. That’s totally a me a thing
If you haven’t read the first 2 books in this series I would suggest you do. You don’t have to but it would help to better understand the characters
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW:
This was not my first venture into Taylor Wilson-Wests writing and will not be my last!
This however was the first time I have read an FF romance and I was not disappointed. The characters of Summer and Indy are so well written, and their story is so raw at points that it made me kind of anxious (but that's a me problem lol). This story also has a suspenseful tone too a lot of it which I honestly enjoyed.
Summer and Indy deserve everything and I would definitely recommend if you like some suspense with your smut! But be prepared to have a lot of feelings bubble to the service
This was not my first venture into Taylor Wilson-Wests writing and will not be my last!
This however was the first time I have read an FF romance and I was not disappointed. The characters of Summer and Indy are so well written, and their story is so raw at points that it made me kind of anxious (but that's a me problem lol). This story also has a suspenseful tone too a lot of it which I honestly enjoyed.
Summer and Indy deserve everything and I would definitely recommend if you like some suspense with your smut! But be prepared to have a lot of feelings bubble to the service
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to Taylor for the arc opportunity!
As always Taylor knows how today deliver an incredible story! "Honeyed and Muddied" is an incredible sapphic romance full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and romance.
Indy and Summer had great chemistry throughout the book with fantastic spicy scenes. The mystery surrounding the camp, the suspense throughout the story keeps you on edge and wanting more, and every page is has you eagerly turning to the next.
This is definitely one you dont want to miss, Taylor has such a way with words that just makes you keep coming back for more!
As always Taylor knows how today deliver an incredible story! "Honeyed and Muddied" is an incredible sapphic romance full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and romance.
Indy and Summer had great chemistry throughout the book with fantastic spicy scenes. The mystery surrounding the camp, the suspense throughout the story keeps you on edge and wanting more, and every page is has you eagerly turning to the next.
This is definitely one you dont want to miss, Taylor has such a way with words that just makes you keep coming back for more!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC READER***
This was NOT what I expected when I cracked open this book! I was expecting spicy sapphic camp story but omg there’s a really cool suspense story!! Summer and Indy are amazing together once they each figure out their feelings about their “no attachments” fling.
I was totally sat trying to figure out some of the twist and turns. I so glad to hear that this is a series and not a stand alone because I want MORE. Plus I don’t have to wait!!
This was NOT what I expected when I cracked open this book! I was expecting spicy sapphic camp story but omg there’s a really cool suspense story!! Summer and Indy are amazing together once they each figure out their feelings about their “no attachments” fling.
I was totally sat trying to figure out some of the twist and turns. I so glad to hear that this is a series and not a stand alone because I want MORE. Plus I don’t have to wait!!
May 31, 2026
Indy & Summer
Indy is trying to make sure summer camp goes smoothly for the kids and helps bring money in for her family.
Summer is still trying to move on from her past, but she is getting creepy notes from someone. Summer helps out as a counselor at Indy’s camp while flirting with her. Indy is trying to not entertain Summer’s flirting because she is an employee but everyone keeps putting them together so it is inevitable that she caves and falls for Summer. This was a really good book! Loved the suspense (trying to figure out who is writing the creepy letters), the flirting and the cute banter between Summer and Indy. Can’t wait for the next book.
Indy is trying to make sure summer camp goes smoothly for the kids and helps bring money in for her family.
Summer is still trying to move on from her past, but she is getting creepy notes from someone. Summer helps out as a counselor at Indy’s camp while flirting with her. Indy is trying to not entertain Summer’s flirting because she is an employee but everyone keeps putting them together so it is inevitable that she caves and falls for Summer. This was a really good book! Loved the suspense (trying to figure out who is writing the creepy letters), the flirting and the cute banter between Summer and Indy. Can’t wait for the next book.
May 16, 2026
Taylor did it again! I love her writing!
This one is a sapphic romance. There is found family,banter,plus size FMC,suspense and of course spice!
The characters were perfect! Summer and Indy’s love story was amazing and so sweet!
Add Twatla to the story and it is even better!
Thank you to Taylor for this ARC! I can’t wait to read the rest of The Goldspur Ridge series.
💛 Sapphic Romance
💛Plus Size FMC
💛Suspense
💛Small town
💛Found Family
This one is a sapphic romance. There is found family,banter,plus size FMC,suspense and of course spice!
The characters were perfect! Summer and Indy’s love story was amazing and so sweet!
Add Twatla to the story and it is even better!
Thank you to Taylor for this ARC! I can’t wait to read the rest of The Goldspur Ridge series.
💛 Sapphic Romance
💛Plus Size FMC
💛Suspense
💛Small town
💛Found Family
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had no idea what to expect from this book. It turned out to be a fun quirky mystery loaded with sapphic spice! I ate this book. I had to know what and who and why! Plus the heat between the two main characters *chef's kiss* Honey Bees, horses, camp, and a porch goose! Who knew we needed this chaos? Taylor Wilson-West thats who! Thank you so much for the ARC and sharing your world with us!
May 31, 2026
This was amazing. I loved Summer and Indy so much. The twists and turns, the suspense. And that spice, oh my. This one had me turning the pages like my iPad was going to run out of battery like before I finished lol. I had the best time with these two. Such a well written story. Absolutely loved it.
June 5, 2026
A great sapphic read, TWW really wrote a great story!
Summer and Indy work, their dynamic, their connection, their stories. It all works and it’s written so well.
The plot is there and it’s captivating and holds you in the story.
An overall great read, I’d recommend
Summer and Indy work, their dynamic, their connection, their stories. It all works and it’s written so well.
The plot is there and it’s captivating and holds you in the story.
An overall great read, I’d recommend
June 5, 2026
Oooo this one was my favorite yet! It was also my first FF book and I throughly enjoyed it. I won't say much to not give anything away. If you enjoyed the first 2 books, I would suggest reading this one.
Happy reading 🌻
Happy reading 🌻
June 10, 2026
Rancher/Bee Keeper & Employee, Country girl/New To Town, Romantic, Spicy and suspenseful! Indy and Summer had heat and chemistry from the start. Loved the mystery of who was leaving suspicious letters and the wild Summer backstory. Grab it Today!
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