West of Forever

Heartstone Ranch #1

by Corinne Michaels, Connor Crais (Narrator), Vanessa Vasquez (Narrator)

Tristan Stone is off limits.

It doesn't matter that the grumpy, single dad did nothing wrong. He's a cowboy and his last name means I'm bound by blood to hate him. My family would never be okay with me having feelings for our enemy.

When he stops—in the pouring rain—because I have a flat tire, the last thing I expect is for him to help me. I do my best to ignore the water sliding off his hat and how he fills out those jeans. My best, however, is not good enough. Each night I close my eyes and dream of a future we can never have.

And after he defends me at the bar and we share a magical dance? It only gets worse. I know I should forget about him, but when I find him alone one night, I offer up a no-strings attached relationship that we both promise to keep secret. Sidelong glances across property lines morph into clandestine meetings under the stars wrapped up in each other's arms.

Never mind that our families will never approve or that he told me he can never love again, I crave him.

Soon our no feelings agreement is in tatters, and my heart belongs to that broken cowboy. Will he break it or will he defy them all and choose us instead?

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Westerns, Cowboy Romance, Small Town Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

11 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 16, 2026

About the author

Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.


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Reviews

[Nadja]

DNF

I was SO excited for this book. Like genuinely excited. The cover? Gorgeous. The premise? Right up my alley. Small-town romance, grumpy widower rancher, family drama, neighboring properties? Sign me up immediately. Unfortunately, after about 15% of this book, I was sitting there wondering if literally anyone in this town had survived long enough to make it to chapter two.

Because holy shit.

The amount of dead people in this book is actually impressive.

We start with Tristan mourning his wife, Emmy Jo (yes, Emmy Jo. Hold onto that thought because the names only get worse from here). It's been nine years since he lost her. Sad. Tragic. Understandable.

Then almost immediately we're informed that three years ago he almost lost his daughter, Sadie Jo.

Then we find out his family lost his mother six years ago.

Then we learn his sister lost her fiancé two years ago.

And this is all within the first 3 chapters.

At one point I genuinely started wondering if there was some sort of serial killer loose in this town because every time a new character was introduced I was bracing myself for another funeral announcement.

"Oh, here's Bob."

How long before I learn Bob died in a tractor accident? Five pages? Ten?

The emotional impact of tragedy kind of disappears when EVERYONE has one. At some point it stops feeling heartbreaking and starts feeling like I'm reading the town obituary section.

And the way we're told all of this information is somehow even worse.

This book is absolutely addicted to telling instead of showing.

Every time a character appears, we don't get to naturally learn who they are through interactions or dialogue. No, the book practically slams on the brakes so it can hand me their entire Wikipedia page.

A cop shows up? Here's his life story. Here's how he knows Tristan. Here's how he knows Tristan's family. Here's his connection to everyone in a fifty-mile radius.

Like please. Let me discover literally anything on my own.

The dialogue wasn't helping either because it felt so juvenile and corny. Everyone talks like they're performing a Hallmark movie script written by someone who's only ever heard conversations described secondhand.

But my favorite part was Lark.

Lark spends the entire beginning of the book insisting Tristan is a good man despite what her family says.

Aww. How sweet.

Except.

She's ALSO constantly accusing him of being responsible for the vandalism and property damage happening to her family's land.

And when he tells her he's not doing it? She doesn't believe him. So which is it, babe?

Because those two thoughts cannot coexist forever.

You either think he's a fundamentally good guy and therefore believe him when he says he didn't do it.

Or you think he's capable of repeatedly destroying your family's property.

You don't get to stand in the middle going, "No, no, he's a really good person, I just think he's committing ongoing acts of sabotage."

The math is not mathing.

I had absolutely no idea this was a dead-wife romance. Now, dead-spouse tropes can work. I've read them done beautifully. This immediately felt like it wasn't going to be one of those times.

In the very first chapter Tristan is basically like, "After nine years, for the first time, I felt something."

Sir.

What?

First of all, the interaction that supposedly awakened his soul wasn't remotely powerful enough to justify that reaction.

Second of all—and this is the part that broke my brain—he and Lark literally live next to each other.

They've been neighbors.

For years.

They see each other regularly.

And apparently Lark was friends with his wife.

YOU ARE TELLING ME THIS MAN HAS BEEN SEEING THIS WOMAN AROUND FOR YEARS, SHE WAS CLOSE TO HIS WIFE, THEIR LIVES ARE ALREADY INTERTWINED, BUT THIS RANDOM INTERACTION IS THE MOMENT HE FEELS SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NINE YEARS?

Okay.

Sure.

Whatever helps us get to chapter two.

And then I made the mistake of reading other reviews.

Which is where I discovered that the mystery of who's actually damaging the property doesn't even get resolved by the end of the book.

Excuse me?

That was literally one of the only things still keeping me remotely interested.

You mean to tell me we're spending all this time accusing people, talking about damaged property, creating enough dead relatives to populate a cemetery expansion project, and we don't even get an answer?

At that point I was done.

Completely done.

I do not care who is destroying the property.

I do not care about the neighboring ranches.

I do not care about the mystery.

I do not care about Emmy Jo, Sadie Jo, future Jo, or any other Jo that may be hiding in later chapters.

This book can keep its damaged fences, its endless family tragedies, its identity crisis of a mystery plot, and its collection of increasingly ridiculous names.

I came here for a romance.

Instead I got a small-town grief convention featuring suspicious property damage and approximately fourteen funerals.

Unfortunately, West of Forever and I were not meant to be.

[kimberly ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡. · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

‎❝ i love you. without permission, you stole my heart, and i never want it back. it's yours, as is my love. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎i need someone to explain why two families have dedicated MULTIPLE GENERATIONS of their existence to hating each other because the stones and gatlins have apparently been beefing since god invented dirt. somehow the only people interested in resolving this interstate livestock cold war are two individuals who would rather take their clothes off than have a productive conversation. all in all, i had fun.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎west of forever follows tristan stone, a grumpy single father who spends his days raising his twelve-year-old daughter, sadie, running the family horse business, and generally maintaining the emotional accessibility of a locked barn door. he's a widower, a devoted father, and a man who has essentially decided that romance is an unnecessary agricultural expense.

enter lark gatlin, a horse trainer from the ONE family he's supposed to hate. she's stubborn, outspoken, fiercely independent, and unfortunately for tristan's blood pressure, the woman he cannot seem to stop thinking about. the stones and gatlins have been feuding for generations. congratulations on your birth! here's your social security number and an exhaustive list of people you're legally required to hate.

but after tristan helps lark during a dangerous storm, something starts shifting between them. because nothing says i hate your entire bloodline quite like risking your own safety to rescue someone and then spending an unreasonable amount of time thinking about her afterward.

and naturally, rather than confront the fact that they're attracted to each other, these two emotionally compromised ranch employees decide a secret, no-strings-attached arrangement would be the most sensible course of action. because apparently the solution to generations of family conflict is clandestine fucking. very responsible. very sustainable. i'm sure the horses will respect their privacy.

what follows is a forbidden romance filled with secret meetings, family expectations, unresolved grief, small-town gossip, and two adults discovering that repeatedly sleeping together while insisting nobody will catch feelings is not actually a sustainable business model.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ ii. tristan stone. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎unfortunately, i am not immune to a grumpy single dad cowboy. apparently all a fictional man has to do is own horses, wear boots, love his daughter, and look vaguely miserable in the countryside, and suddenly i'm considering abandoning my degree to pursue a career in agricultural management.

i have never worked on a ranch. i would probably get bullied and absolutely pummled by a goat. my knowledge of lifestock begins and ends with breeding animals on minecraft. but for tristan stone? i am willing to submit my application.

what i appreciated about tristan was that his emotional reservations actually came from somewhere. losing his wife, emmy jo, to cancer and raising sadie without her have shaped nearly every aspect of his life. he knows exactly how devastating it is to lose someone you love, and the possibility of experiencing that kind of pain again terrifies him.

and i appreciated that his grief wasn't something he could simply switch off because a pretty woman showed up wearing cowboy boots. emmy jo was his wife. the mother of his daughter. someone he had loved deeply and imagined an entire future with. and losing her fundamentally changed the way he understood love.

so tristan's insistence that he'll never love again isn't necessarily because he's incapable of it. it's because he knows precisely what loving someone can cost. which is heartbreaking. BUT ALSO. SIR. YOU CANNOT PUT YOUR HEART IN A BARN, PADLOCK THE DOOR, AND EXPECT THE ROMANCE GENRE TO RESPECT YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS.

and then there's his relationship with sadie, which was easily one of my favorite parts of his character. he loves that little girl so much, but his protectiveness also comes from fear. after losing emmy jo and nearly losing sadie following her horseback riding accident, tristan has developed an understandably complicated relationship with anything that might put his daughter in danger.

his heart is essentially a smoke detector with dying batteries. everything is an emergency. everything is a threat. and while i wanted to shake him occasionally, i could understand why he was so terrified of losing the people he loved. HOWEVER.

this man is also a walking contradiction in cowboy boots. tristan: "i absolutely cannot pursue lark. our families would never allow it." also tristan: continues pursuing lark.

SIR. you are the architect of your own emotional livestock emergency. and the funniest part is how spectacularly bad he is at pretending he doesn't care. he's constantly thinking about her, finding reasons to see her, and becoming increasingly bothered by the possibility of another man being interested in her. my brother in christ, you are not indifferent.

and yes, his softer moments with lark were genuinely sweet. but there were also times when i wanted to grab him by his cowboy hat and ask whether it was restricting oxygen to his brain. because tristan, sweetheart, you cannot spend half your time insisting that lark is forbidden territory and the other half behaving like a man who would personally rearrange the entire state for her. pick a struggle.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ iii. lark gatlin. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎i genuinely liked lark, especially because she wasn't afraid to give tristan exactly as much attitude as he dished out. this woman works with horses for a living. she deals with stubborn animals professionally. one emotionally constipated cowboy was never going to intimidate her.

and THANK GOD. because someone needed to remind tristan that owning a ranch does not automatically make him the supreme court of romantic decision-making.

lark is passionate about her work, loyal to her family, and determined to make her own choices even when those choices conflict with what everyone expects from her. i appreciated that her identity wasn't entirely consumed by the romance. her love for horses and her desire to build a future on her own terms remained important parts of her character.

and honestly, her frustration with the family feud was completely understandable. imagine having to organize your entire romantic life around an argument that started before you were even conceived. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

but what made me appreciate lark even more was her connection to emmy jo. because lark wasn't some stranger wandering into tristan's life with absolutely no understanding of the woman he'd lost. she knew emmy jo through her friendship with mary lou, emmy jo's sister. she loved her, remembered her, and understood how important she would always be to tristan and sadie.

and i REALLY appreciated that. because there's something especially tender about a heroine who doesn't see a late wife as competition. lark isn't trying to replace emmy jo or pretend she never existed. she recognizes that emmy jo will always be part of this family, and that loving tristan means respecting the life he had before her. and the fact that lark can connect with sadie through memories of her mother makes their relationship even sweeter. because falling for a single dad means there's another person involved, and i appreciated that the book didn't completely forget about that responsibility whenever tristan and lark decided to engage in extracurricular ranch activities.

lark wasn't just falling for tristan. she was slowly becoming part of a life that already had a history, a daughter, and a love that didn't disappear simply because one person was gone.

and that was genuinely lovely.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ iv. romance. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎now let's discuss the romance, because this is where i was simultaneously entertained and occasionally tempted to throw my kindle into a pasture. on paper, tristan and lark have practically everything required to turn me into an emotionally unstable farm animal.

forbidden romance? yes. rival families? yes. grumpy single dad? unfortunately. secret relationship? delicious. a man who's convinced he can never love again? pshh, please. and to be fair, the chemistry is definitely there.

their banter was fun, the physical attraction was convincing, and i enjoyed how their relationship gradually moved beyond something purely physical. the stolen moments together were especially sweet because they could finally exist without the expectations of their families hanging over their heads.

the ridge became their little escape from reality, and i liked how those moments allowed them to actually get to know each other without constantly performing their respective roles as a stone and a gatlin. because underneath the family drama, they're just two people who want something they're not supposed to have. which is romantic. and also incredibly inconvenient. because these two live in a SMALL TOWN. a small town where approximately seventeen people know your business before you've even finished conducting it. and they're attempting to maintain a SECRET RELATIONSHIP???

and then there's the whole no-strings-attached situation. i love this trope because nothing brings me greater joy than watching two fictional idiots insist that they're perfectly capable of separating sex from feelings while slowly constructing an entire emotional support system around each other. one string. two strings. seventeen strings. congratulations, you've accidentally crocheted a marriage.

but i especially liked that emmy jo's memory wasn't treated as some obstacle lark needed to overcome. tristan's feelings for lark don't erase what he shared with emmy jo, and i thought that was one of the more meaningful aspects of the romance. because moving forward after losing someone isn't necessarily about leaving them behind. sometimes it's about learning that your heart can make room for another person without taking anything away from the love that came before. and the fact that lark understands that makes their relationship feel more emotionally grounded. THAT is the kind of romance i wanted to see more of.

not just the forbidden attraction or the secret meetings, but those moments where tristan allows himself to confront what loving lark might actually mean. because while i enjoyed their chemistry, i also wanted MORE time with that emotional side of their relationship. and i don't mean that the vulnerability wasn't there. it absolutely was, particularly when tristan's grief over emmy jo and his fears surrounding sadie came into focus.

i just wanted those moments to linger longer. i wanted more quiet conversations between the stolen kisses and clandestine ranch activities. more opportunities for tristan and lark to explore what their relationship could look like beyond the secrecy. more time spent sitting with the fact that loving someone again is terrifying when you've already experienced the worst possible outcome.

because yes, the cowboy is hot. yes, the spice is spicing. yes, my dignity is currently wandering unattended through a field. but i also need emotional devastation.

i need a man staring at the ceiling at three in the morning because he's realized he's in love and doesn't know what to do with that information. i need yearning so severe that the livestock begin displaying symptoms. and tristan's history with emmy jo gave the story the perfect foundation for that kind of emotional depth. i just wanted the book to spend a little more time exploring it.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ v. why 3.5 stars? ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎here's the thing. i genuinely enjoyed west of forever. the premise is entertaining, the characters are likable, and the chemistry works. i loved the ranch setting, the family dynamics, and the quieter moments where tristan and lark could just be themselves.

but the biggest thing keeping this from a higher rating was that i wanted the emotional development to feel a little more substantial. the family feud is obviously central to the story, and i understand why it creates so many complications, but there were moments when it felt like the conflict was doing more work than the actual romance.

i get it. your families hate each other. your grandparents probably hated each other. your ancestors were presumably throwing potatoes at one another before indoor plumbing existed. BUT GOOD LORD. at what point do we retire the beef???

have you considered knitting? birdwatching? perhaps a nice community pottery class? literally anything that doesn't involve forcing your descendants to participate in a multigenerational cold war with livestock.

and while the secrecy and forbidden attraction were fun initially, i found myself wanting the story to move beyond those obstacles sooner. i wanted more time spent exploring how tristan and lark could build something meaningful together rather than constantly circling back to why they shouldn't.

the pacing also felt uneven in places, particularly when the external drama began competing with the relationship itself. i love an emotional romance. i love angst. i love a little suffering. but sometimes i want the suffering to come from the characters' feelings rather than another crisis being dropped onto the plot like a piano from a cartoon.

and honestly, the story already had plenty of material for that kind of emotional conflict without relying quite so heavily on the family feud. tristan lost his wife. sadie lost her mother. lark knew and loved emmy jo. and now these two people are trying to build something new while honoring a past that neither of them wants to erase.

THAT is such a compelling emotional foundation. and i wanted the book to squeeze every last drop of emotional damage out of it. because the most interesting question wasn't simply whether the stones and gatlins would approve of their relationship. it was whether tristan could allow himself to love someone again without letting the fear of losing her dictate every decision he made. and whether lark could build a future with him without feeling like their happiness had to come at the expense of anyone else's.

i loved those elements. i just wish they had been given a little more room to breathe. instead, i enjoyed the romance without becoming completely consumed by it. which is fine!

not every book needs to rearrange my internal organs. but unfortunately, my five-star rating system does require a certain level of psychological disturbance.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ vi. final thoughts. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎overall, west of forever was a fun, steamy, emotional small-town romance that successfully reminded me why grumpy cowboys remain a direct threat to my independence.

i enjoyed tristan and lark's chemistry, the banter, the forbidden attraction, and the sweeter moments involving sadie. the ranch atmosphere was charming, and the complicated family dynamics gave the story plenty of tension. but what i appreciated most was the way emmy jo remained an important part of the story even though she was no longer there.

her memory shaped tristan's fears, sadie's childhood, and lark's understanding of the family she was becoming part of. and i loved that the book recognized that moving forward doesn't require forgetting the people you've lost. i just wish the emotional development had been given a little more room to breathe, because the potential for a truly devastating romance was absolutely there.

was i obsessed? not quite. was i entertained? absolutely. would i willingly subject myself to the entire stone-gatlin family feud for one opportunity to sit on tristan stone's lap? unfortunately, yes.

i would arrive with a suitcase, a questionable understanding of agricultural labor, and absolutely no survival instincts. and that, dear reader, is why fictional cowboys should come with government-issued warning labels.

— 3.5 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°.ᐟ


.° ༘🎧ྀི⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
❛ i love lark. she's the woman i want to be with. the woman who has shown me that hope can still exist, even when it doesn't seem possible. ❜

❛ i love you in spite of every reason we shouldn't be together and for every reason we should. let me love you in front of the world. i'll fight anyone and everyone who tries to come between us. ❜

❛ tristan stone, the man i'm supposed to hate more than anyone else, but i've never been able to. ❜

❛ i want to be loved, enough that you'd tell the world to fuck off if they had issues with us. i want to have a man who will fight for me, for us, for love. ❜


‎── ⟡ ˙ 🪻༘ ₊ main tropes. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
⟢ rival families
⟢ enemies to lovers (with benefits)
⟢ cowboy x cowgirl
⟢ forbidden romance
⟢ single dad
⟢ mutual pining


₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-review:
⤿ yeehaw or whatever the fuck cowboys say because i would like to ride tristan stone into the sunset and become a permanent liability to heartstone ranch. 🤠

⌗ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎started: oct. 1st, 2026. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌝
‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌞ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎finished: oct. 10th, 2026. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, damn. This had just about every single thing I love in a cowboy romance, and then we’re gonna sprinkle rival families on top? Oh my God, I freaking loved it.

I listened to this on audio, and it was actual perfection. The narrators did such an incredible job. I felt every damn emotion, especially because there’s so much tension and angst throughout this book. They’re sneaking around, it’s forbidden, and their families don’t just dislike each other they actually fucking hate each other. And I’m not talking about some petty little drama. I’m talking about a rivalry that’s been going on for generations. Okay… this shit is serious.

It starts out really playful and fun, and I thought their banter was so freaking cute. They were trying so hard to be mean to each other, but it just kept coming off as flirtatious. There were a few moments that literally had me chuckling. This was such a feel-good read. I loved the slow burn. I loved the whole “we really shouldn’t be doing this” and I genuinely loved both characters.

Tristan had my buy in from the very beginning. He never once came off as the asshole Lark’s family made him out to be. He was making little comments right from the start that had me thinking, oh… that’s gonna be a down bad man. And he sure freaking was.

He’s a widower with a daughter, and I thought that entire storyline was handled so well. Lark also happens to be his deceased wife’s sister’s best friend (I know kind of a mouthful lol), so they’ve known each other for years. Sometimes the dead wife trope isn’t really my thing because it can feel like the FMC is living in someone else’s shadow, but this was done so perfectly. You can tell he has so much love for his wife and that something truly tragic happened to their family, but she never overshadows the story. Lark gets to shine on her own while still being incredibly respectful of his wife’s memory, and the way she builds a relationship with his daughter was filled with so much love and care. I just thought the whole thing was done beautifully. It actually made me pretty damn emotional.

I have to say, I think the emotion completely snuck up on me with this one. I was just over here having a good time, literally giggling and kicking my feet. It’s one of those books that’ll have you swooning so hard, and then suddenly you get smacked in the face with trauma and a whole lot of emotional turmoil toward the end. Honestly, I think that’s exactly what this book needed to tie everything together, especially when it came to bridging the gap between these two families that can’t stand each other.

You’re giving me small-town romance, forbidden love, menacing family members (hehe), town gossip, the dancing trope, and a flirty MMC who does not mind getting on his knees… what the fuck is not to love?

These two had immaculate chemistry, and I was so freaking locked into this audiobook. I was literally cleaning a house that already looked immaculate because I couldn’t stop listening and to me, that’s the sign of a five-star read.

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ this was so good!!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was so bingeable that I ended up listening to it all in one day! This one follows two rival families who are always messing with each other and their farms. One day when Lark is stranded in a storm with a flat tire, Tristan pulls over and helps take her home and make sure she gets back safely. Then begins them not able to stay away from each other, even though they know their families would need approve. Someone is sabotaging Lark's family's ranch, and they are adamant that Tristan is behind everything. But Tristan is busy taking care of his daughter as a single dad and trying to keep his own family's ranch together. I thought they were so cute as they fell for each other and how Tristan was just such a good guy wanting to help Lark out. Then they start sneaking around...

The family drama was fun and I thought this was the perfect start to a new series!

[Victoria Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

💖💖💖Corinne Michaels has absolutely blown me away with this book!
This was an EASY 6 STAR READ!!!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The banter is hands down some of the best she’s ever written. I literally could not put this book down without being annoyed that real life and adult responsibilities existed 😂

This small town romance delivered everything we love about the genre the town gossip line was working overtime ☎️but the tension and angst had me completely hooked from beginning to end! I was giddy the ENTIRE TIME 👏🏼

Tristan Stone is officially my new book boyfriend, and I refuse to leave Heartstone Ranch.
You 👏🏼 can’t 👏🏼 make 👏🏼 me 👏🏼😂

The second I finished, I was desperate for the next book in this series because I truly didn’t want it to end.

Bravo, Corinne this honestly is your best work yet!

Tropes:
💖Enemies to Lovers
💖Family Rivalry
💖Cowboy/Cowgirl
💖Forbidden
💖Single Dad
💖Small Town

I’ll be back in release day to share my fav quotes 🤭

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

There is something about a forbidden romance where the couple are from rival families that I just love. Corinne did an amazing job with this one. I loved Lark and Tristan! I can’t wait to read more from these families. I especially loved Tristan’s dad.

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Connor Crais & Vanessa Vasquez
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 10h 34m

[all.the.smut.things · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Lark and Tristan are everything. I absolutely loved them. Ans as someone who had been a fan of Corinne for years, I have to say that this is her best book yet.

I don’t change favorite books by and author I love very often, but this one is something special, and my new favorite. I have no words. The audio was also spectacular and really made this story EVEN better than it already was.

✨Small Town
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Rival Families
✨Single Dad
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Secret Relationship
✨ He Falls First

Corinne’s writing is always fantastic, but there was just something about the Chemistry between Lark and Tristan form chalet one. Thats forbiddeness just ramped up the tension and when they feel for each other…. Let me tell you, I fell with them.

They were so good for each other and Lark was so good with Tristan’s daughter as well which made me so happy. I love a good found family.

I cannot wait for more from this series!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

hahaha…haha…ha 😅😅😅 I didn’t get any sleep last night because I could NOT put this down ❤️‍🔥 top three of the year so far EASILYYYYYY.

perfect in every single way, no notes 🧑‍🍳💋

~ rivals/enemies to lovers
~ benefits to lovers
~ single dad
~ secret relationship
~ cowboy/small town
~ grumpy x sunshine
~ neighbors
~ fobidden love

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books you enjoy and then there are books you become completely obsessed with and West of Forever was absolutely the latter for me. I listened to this audiobook in a single day because I genuinely could not stop finding excuses to hit play. Between the rival families, secret relationship, and undeniable chemistry, this one had me hooked from the very first chapter.

The family feud dynamics added so much tension to the romance. These families truly despise each other, yet Tristan and Lark simply couldn’t force themselves to fall in line and hate one another the way everyone expected. I loved every stolen glance, every secret meeting, and every moment of sneaking around. The forbidden nature of their relationship made every interaction feel even more electric, and the flirty banter was absolute perfection.

And can we talk about the audiobook? Connor Crais and Vanessa Vasquez may be one of the most elite narrator pairings out there. Connor continues to prove why he’s become one of my go to narrators, bringing so much depth and emotion to Tristan’s character. Vanessa was the perfect balance of sweet, witty, and sarcastic, making Lark impossible not to adore. Together they elevated an already fantastic story into an unforgettable listening experience.

This first book in a new series has me completely invested already, and that bonus epilogue? I was absolutely dying. Give me grumpy cowboy single dads, rival families, secret romances, and all the emotional tension any day.

[Morgan Ruffner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 really sweet small town western romance. Sadie was absolutely one of my favorite characters. There were certain moments where I didn’t like our MMC but then moments I really loved him. Wish we had a little more relationship building and REALLY wish we had a resolution on who is messing with her families farm. Without that part, the story just felt unfinished to me. But still enjoyed the book overall and will absolutely pick up more from this author!

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Tristan Stone and Lark Gatlin are a match made in hell. After all, their families have been feuding for as long as they can remember. Too bad they cannot seem to stay away from one another.

This book is such a vibe and I was there for every single second of it. I found myself immediately smitten with Tristan and Lark; their mutual distaste clearly overshadowed by their insane chemistry.

I loved the push-pull of the rival family dynamic and the introduction of both big, boisterous clans, who I have a sneaking suspicion will be tested once again with the pairing of another pair of siblings (and boy am I ready for that book!) And the added dynamic of Tristan and Sadie’s grief and complicated feelings over their mutual love of Lark gave an added emotional bang to the story.

🎧 The audio was fantastic. Connor Crais is dreamy as Tristan and Vanessa Vasquez was a very fun and feisty Lark, just what I had envisioned going in. I definitely recommend this format if you are an audiobook fanatic like me (though make sure to then get the shelf trophy).

Read if you like:
▪️cowboy romance
▪️single dad
▪️forbidden love
▪️rival families
▪️grumpy x sunshine
▪️small town

Thank you to the author for the gifted copies.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I started I literally couldn’t put it down. Truly beautiful. I loved this book from start to finish. Lark and Tristan had perfect chemistry. Even though they are meant to hate each other and their family rivalry runs deep, the attraction and the tension between them was undeniable.

I think this was the most well rounded story I’ve read from Corinne. It had fun light moments, steamy intense ones, and was really emotional too. This is exactly how you write forbidden romance.

I can’t wait for everyone to experience Heartstone Ranch on June 16th! I’m so excited for what’s to come in the series.

Cowboy x Cowgirl
Single Dad
Rival Families
Sneaking Around
Small Town

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic cowboy romance! You get a little of everything in this book! Cowboy romance, forbidden romance, single dad, small town, and TONS of banter! The banter in this book was unbelievable! I could not get enough!

I think Lark and Tristan were exactly what the other needed. They brought out the best in each other and Lark helped Tristan see that love was possible again. Tristan was also someone that Lark could rely on unlike her ex.

I loved all of the side characters and the drama! The rivalry between the families was too good and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart is full of joy and love. This book is so beautiful and the characters are really good.
It’s worth reading.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh this was SO good

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivers everything you could ever want from a cowboy romance!

Tristan and Lark’s families have been at odds for as long as they can remember. Each side has issues with the other, and it’s simply understood that they don’t mix. When Tristan sees Lark stranded on the side of the road, what begins as a simple act of kindness quickly develops into a full on entanglement. It was giving country Romeo and Juliet, and I ate it up!

Tristan was the most direct man I’ve read in a long time! He handled all his affairs straight on, and I fully respected that. He was always warring with his wants vs. “the way things are” in regards to Lark’s family. I seriously fell so hard for Tristan! He was sexy and compassionate; he always put Lark first. Also, he was a loving and caring father to his daughter, so literally the whole package.

Lark had the weight of her family’s approval on her back. That’s not a slight weight. I had mad respect that she made her own decisions. Honestly, I adored her. Through the entire book, she showed she was her own person, and that’s something I admire.

The chemistry between Tristan and Lark was off the charts! He gave her five days to decide if she wanted them to be “more.” My God! I would have died… but also, the anticipation! Let’s just say Tristan delivered!

Everything from the third quarter of the book onward was incredible. The challenges that came up were unexpected, and the emotional moments hit hard. I truly loved their story!

[ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah so she calls him ‘ben thrustin’ and he calls her ‘jenna talia’ …. feel like that should be reason enough for a 1 star

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

West of Forever is fun and sweet and with the right amount of cheesy smut. I like it very much. I enjoy it. I am happy with Miss Michaels finally giving her audiences her signature story.

Wonderful book.

4 stars

[Irina (trying to catch up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

”I fell in love with you on this ridge, beneath the stars as we stared off to the west of a forever that could never be ours.”

After reading this author’s Consolation Duet (Consolation and Conviction), I expected this book to be much darker. In fact, it was a rather lighthearted read.

It’s about the forbidden love between two antagonized neighbors in the small town of Infinity Ridge, Colorado. The feud between the Stones and the Gatlins has lasted for more than a century, and recent events are only adding to the hatred. However, when Lark Gatlin has a flat tire in the pouring rain one night and Tristan Stone comes across, he doesn’t hesitate to help her. It’s the first step toward a secret affair that is condemned from the beginning but too good to give up. And of course, despite best intentions to keep their relationship strictly sexual, they fall in love.

Both main characters are likeable and their banter is awesome. Lark is a gifted horse trainer and a sweet, super nice girl. There’s not much more to say about her, she’s reasonable and perfect in every way. Tristan is a “hot” cowboy with a ranch and “hundreds of horses“, though it’s not quite clear whether he’s a breeder or a horse dealer; probably he’s both. His daily farm life is pretty much in the dark, the author only vaguely mentions “chores“, such as repairing fences, making hay, and delivering horses to buyers. No farmhands or other cowboys are mentioned, only family (Tristan and his daughter, his aging father, and three sisters–all of whom live together on the ranch). Tristan is a widower and a very protective single dad, who doesn’t let his twelve-year-old daughter back on a horseback after a riding accident three years ago. He doesn’t even want her near the horse she had the accident with, and I had a hard time buying that, given his livelihood. The man is a horse man, ffs! He’s broken, says the blurb, but I didn’t feel that. He has just a strong fear of loss and is overprotective after losing his wife and almost his daughter.

Overall, it was a nice read, but a little bit boring with all the sex scenes after they started their affair. And after the inevitable third-act breakup and the following crisis are resolved, the story drags on even more for about another fifty long-winded pages, including two epilogues. I also wish the author had put more effort into the details, such as the everyday farm life mentioned above and, above all, a surveillance camera that, miraculously, only records what serves the plot.

3.5

[Kirsty Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

All of you saying 6 star reads are so wrong about this.
Zero yearning, zero banter, zero anything.

[Bianca | bookd_by_bee 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up; 3 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Team Corinne Michaels and Corinne Michaels for #gifted ALC 💞

If I’m being completely honest, it was the cover that initially grabbed my attention before I even knew what this book was about. I love it. That being said, this book surpassed my expectations. To me, this book felt different than your run-of-the-mill cowboy romance in the best of ways. Characters in their 30’s, a family rivalry that is multi-layered that truly defines the enemies-to-lovers trope, and side-characters dealing with their own struggles that don’t distract from the main story.

FMC Lark grew on me as the story progressed and I LOVED MMC Tristan. Both of them had good character development that didn’t distract from the romance. No insta-love, I appreciated the slow build of their love for one another (without skimping on the spicier bits 😉 ❤️‍🔥). The author really created the most protective, ROMANTIC MMC in Tristan, and although he wasn’t perfect and was dealing with his own traumas, I love how he showed up for Lark and went out of his way to protect their relationship- he is definitely top 10 cowboy romance boyfriend FOR SURE. There are some pretty serious topics in this book, but the author did such a good job of navigating life’s heartbreaks and traumas and grief without being heavy-handed or preachy. A very realistic and heart-felt portrayal of overcoming past traumas and not letting them scare you away from opening up your heart and mind to new experiences ❤️‍🩹

I’m ALL IN on the Heartstone Ranch crew and can’t wait to read the next book in the series 🤠💜💛!

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

West of Forever is a small town, first in a new series (Heartstone Ranch), cowboy x cowgirl, single dad, grumpy x sunshine, rival families, forbidden romance with mutual pining!

Tristan Stone + Lark Gatlin! This is the start of the Heartstone Ranch series and I’m so excited for what’s to come with the characters we’ve met already. I love a rival families set up and this generational rival families set up between the Stones and Gatlins is so real. The story kicks off with her having a flat tire and him being the one to stop and help her (her current boyfriend doesn’t even come help). They run into one another again at a bar and he helps her out and then they share a dance. Tristan and Lark are super pulled to one another but because of their family dynamics they sneak around at first instead. He’s a widowed, single dad and his daughter is super cute and loves Lark immediately.

The audiobook is definitely the way to go, duet narration by Vanessa Vasquez and Connor Crais. I received an ALC from the author, all thoughts in this review are my own.

[Karly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute cowboy romance! I loved the feuding families plot. Lark and Tristan were cute together and the sneaking around was fun! There was also some good emotional aspects to the characters that made the sorry even better. I think Sadie and lark’s relationship was a nice addition to it all too!

[Sarah | Sarahs.BookCorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩5

✦What to Expect✦
•Cowboy X Cowgirl
•Rival families
•Enemies to lovers
•Forbidden
•Grumpy x sunshine
•Single dad
•Mutual pining
•Small Town

✦Characters✦
•Lark Gatlin
•Tristan Stone

✦Fav Quotes✦
This is what a cowgirl’s dreams are made of. Sneaking around in the barn with the boy who is forbidden.

“When you’re ready to love me out loud, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll do anything for her.”

“I’m yours?”
“Yes, and I’m yours,”

“Hello, beautiful.” “Hello, cowboy.” “Care to take a ride with me?”

“I love you. Without permission, you stole my heart, and I never want it back. It’s yours, as is my love.”

✦Thoughts✦
My new fav Corinne book!
This book was just so dang good & just an all around a good time!

I loved the characters & loved the story!

Right away these two had me HOOKED! I really enjoyed their banter & loved their connection. Their chemistry 🤤🤤🤤 HAWT

That ending, I was in my feels hard & couldn’t help but get emotional & tear up🥹

I loved meeting both of these families, they are truly rivals & HATE each other!

Clyde had me crackingggggggg up!
Also Sadie was so funny! I loved her relationship with Tristan and the one she formed with Lark.

I am so excited for the rest of this series!



•ARC Read•

✦ Bookish links to follow ✦
Bookstagram • Goodreads • BookBub • Storygraph • Fable

[Mads · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

(⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5/5) It was a light & cute palate cleanser. It felt a little surface level & somewhat silly in certain parts but it was sweet. Lark & Tristan had a cute dynamic, but her feelings progressed so quickly that it didn’t feel as natural to me when she knew what it was going in & then like immediately fell in love. It was fast paced without much sustenance as to how she got there. It’s missing a layer of emotional depth that would’ve pulled it together. Still a sweet read. I can say I’m not a fan of having a shitty boyfriend to breakup with at the beginning just for the sake of there being one. She’s a raging feminist & has a crappy boyfriend?? It’s overdone & it just didn’t fit her character. Feels like a filler more than anything else, it doesn’t really add anything to the story imo. I enjoyed the glimpses into the other characters though & look forward to reading about them.

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.25 stars

I am so excited for this new town that we are visiting because I can already tell I’m going to fall in love with every single one of these stories. Corinne Michaels knows how to create a small town that immediately feels like home, and I’m already invested in everyone.

The fact that this romance is between two people whose families are neighbors and rivals? Absolutely everything to me. The sneaking around, the tension, the history between the families… it was so good. I was eating up every single interaction between them.

And Sadie? She completely stole the show for me. The way she added so much heart and softness to the story made me adore this book even more.

There’s also a deeper layer of grief woven throughout the story for both main characters, and I really loved watching them work through those emotions together. It made their connection feel even more meaningful and sweet.

This was such a strong start to a new series, and now I desperately need everyone else’s books immediately.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just ok ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If Jessica Peterson and Hannah Bailey's writing style is your small town bag, then you'd probably enjoy this one.

Overall, it felt like a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, especially with the dialogue and the dynamics within each family, as well as between the rival families. And dare I say that it may have had an overcrowded cast of characters? Does every family need seven brothers and sisters... I think not.

I'd say that my biggest bugbear was that we never really got to the root of the "nemesis" plot line, which made the book feel a bit unfinished, and in my opinion, brings down the tension of enemies to lovers, as well as lowers the stakes in the "will they/won't they" of it all.

The resolution of the pranking revealed in the epilogue disappointed me, it really was not worth all of that up and down journey throughout the entire book - surely there could have been a better explanation.

And why did they already have each other's numbers?!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just...No. That was awful. Adults acting like children does not make a good story.

[EmJustReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I listened to an ALC, and really enjoyed the story! It was an easy listen, and the characters felt down to earth and relatable.

The side characters really tied the story together, and Sadie and her grandpa working on the chicken coop was so adorable and endearing. I think this may be the first book I’ve read with a single dad and tween age child, which was fun and attitude heavy.

I love the secret “relationship” trope — so this was really good. But it also felt somewhat childish because they were afraid to tell their families… which I feel like an adult should have the courage to do and then deal with the consequences.

My biggest gripes: the way the FMC talked about how she and the siblings interacted with the mom made her feel childish (like how the Mom would scold them for talking with food in their mouth), and how quickly the L word was thrown around.

The narrators were great, and duet style is always my preferred method!

I really appreciated the epilogue where we learned who was behind the pranks and the why behind it 💕