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Wild About You
Not yet published
Expected 27 Aug 26
Trouble just moved in next door.
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who can’t seem to stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who can’t seem to stop clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who can’t seem to stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who can’t seem to stop clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
444 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 27, 2026
About the author
Madison Score
7 books689 followersMadison Score is the author of the Claire Hartley Accidental Mystery series (and the younger, weirder sister of Lucy Score.) She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and perpetually-shedding corgi. For some reason her parents allowed her to get a degree in Creative Writing, which she now utilizes to craft stories with comedy, romance, and sometimes a hefty dose of crime.
When she’s not writing or chasing after her tornado of a toddler (seriously, how many times can he upend our rubber tree?) you can find her blatantly ignoring recipes in the kitchen, flailing her body around in the gym, or bingeing true crime podcasts, TV, and movies.
Follow her on Facebook and Instagram if you want to see an excess of poorly-photographed foods during her weekly Madison Tries It segment.
When she’s not writing or chasing after her tornado of a toddler (seriously, how many times can he upend our rubber tree?) you can find her blatantly ignoring recipes in the kitchen, flailing her body around in the gym, or bingeing true crime podcasts, TV, and movies.
Follow her on Facebook and Instagram if you want to see an excess of poorly-photographed foods during her weekly Madison Tries It segment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
August 17, 2026
This was the cutest damn book I have ever read! Er, listened to. Emma Wilden is freaking incredible, I sincerely thought this was a duet reading. Nope. Just Emma knocking it out of the park. It was my first time listening to her as a narrator and I am definitely making a to-be-listened-to list of her work. Wow!
Cassie Thompson was not having a good time. A veterinarian whose marriage is over, her career is in shambles, and looking for traces of her birth mother and family; she’s trying to find a place to start over. Landing in a small town in Maryland sounds like the perfect answer to her problems. Other than the large escaped tiger she encounters on her way into town, and the grumbly lumberjack who is definitely good looking but also a grade A asshole. What could go wrong?
Narrator: Everything.
This was absolutely adorable and I am now in love with Madison Score’s writing style. It was funny, fresh, and real. The humor was refreshing and natural, and by the way, the word lumbersnack is never going to leave my lexicon.
The emotions Cassie worked through dealing with her parents’ neglect, her toxic marriage, and how it affected her sense of self were incredible and authentic. I could feel the hurt that Cassie had around her life, and seeing her pull through and build her confidence was incredible. Noah too, he had a serious issue that was stunting his emotional growth. It was real and understandable, to get to see him heal on the page not just for Cassie but for himself was beautifully done. This was an absolutely perfect book to read that was spicy and filled with love.
Five super cute fuzzy pawprints for this one!
The way Cassie and Noah interact is perfect and you can’t help but root for them, even when they’re being boneheaded dingbats. I loved everything about this. Grab it when it comes out August 27!
Thank you to Madison Score and Hambright PR for the gifted copy (in both formats, which was awesome). All opinions are my own.
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town
😡 Enemies to Lovers
🐾 Furry Sidekick
☯️ Opposites Attract
🧲 Forced Proximity
❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
#HPRWildAboutYou
#MadisonScore
#HambrightPR
Cassie Thompson was not having a good time. A veterinarian whose marriage is over, her career is in shambles, and looking for traces of her birth mother and family; she’s trying to find a place to start over. Landing in a small town in Maryland sounds like the perfect answer to her problems. Other than the large escaped tiger she encounters on her way into town, and the grumbly lumberjack who is definitely good looking but also a grade A asshole. What could go wrong?
Narrator: Everything.
This was absolutely adorable and I am now in love with Madison Score’s writing style. It was funny, fresh, and real. The humor was refreshing and natural, and by the way, the word lumbersnack is never going to leave my lexicon.
The emotions Cassie worked through dealing with her parents’ neglect, her toxic marriage, and how it affected her sense of self were incredible and authentic. I could feel the hurt that Cassie had around her life, and seeing her pull through and build her confidence was incredible. Noah too, he had a serious issue that was stunting his emotional growth. It was real and understandable, to get to see him heal on the page not just for Cassie but for himself was beautifully done. This was an absolutely perfect book to read that was spicy and filled with love.
Five super cute fuzzy pawprints for this one!
The way Cassie and Noah interact is perfect and you can’t help but root for them, even when they’re being boneheaded dingbats. I loved everything about this. Grab it when it comes out August 27!
Thank you to Madison Score and Hambright PR for the gifted copy (in both formats, which was awesome). All opinions are my own.
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town
😡 Enemies to Lovers
🐾 Furry Sidekick
☯️ Opposites Attract
🧲 Forced Proximity
❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
#HPRWildAboutYou
#MadisonScore
#HambrightPR
August 15, 2026
4.5⭐️
This audio & narration by Emma Wilder was so fun! While I would have probably preferred a duet for this, she did a great job & absolutely carried this one!! This is 3rd person, so it was a bit confusing at times since chapters weren’t labeled by characters. However, I still loved it!
My first book by Madison Score & I can’t wait to read more. This was cute, fun, & swoony, but also had emotional aspects to it that kept me loving these characters! It does cover a heavy topics, so make sure to check your triggers, but I love how well done the topic of infertility was done in this book!
Animal lovers, this one is for you!! I was so captivated by the zoo/ vet talk, & animal aspect of this one & loved everything about it. Animals have my heart & this one definitely pulled at that!
I loved Noah & Cassi, both a little closed off and dealing with their past & trauma, but they had so much chemistry! Their relationship was so enemies to lovers & full of banter that I couldn’t help but cackle at their encounters!! It just made this one such a fun ride. While this one was fun, it also had emotional depth with the scars these two carried and I loved the healing journey they were able to take together! Truly a beautiful story, that has you swooning, laughing, and loving every second!
Thank you Hambright for this early arc & alc!
This audio & narration by Emma Wilder was so fun! While I would have probably preferred a duet for this, she did a great job & absolutely carried this one!! This is 3rd person, so it was a bit confusing at times since chapters weren’t labeled by characters. However, I still loved it!
My first book by Madison Score & I can’t wait to read more. This was cute, fun, & swoony, but also had emotional aspects to it that kept me loving these characters! It does cover a heavy topics, so make sure to check your triggers, but I love how well done the topic of infertility was done in this book!
Animal lovers, this one is for you!! I was so captivated by the zoo/ vet talk, & animal aspect of this one & loved everything about it. Animals have my heart & this one definitely pulled at that!
I loved Noah & Cassi, both a little closed off and dealing with their past & trauma, but they had so much chemistry! Their relationship was so enemies to lovers & full of banter that I couldn’t help but cackle at their encounters!! It just made this one such a fun ride. While this one was fun, it also had emotional depth with the scars these two carried and I loved the healing journey they were able to take together! Truly a beautiful story, that has you swooning, laughing, and loving every second!
Thank you Hambright for this early arc & alc!
August 16, 2026
I loved that this was a small-town romance but still had a fun twist with the wild animals and her being a vet. It made the story feel a little different from your typical small-town book, and I really enjoyed that!
thanks hambright for the ALC!
thanks hambright for the ALC!
August 15, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I really loved this one! ❤️
The small-town vibes + animals + veterinarian storyline was such a fun combination. And an exotic animal sanctuary?! 🐾 I was completely here for it.
I really liked Cassie and Noah together. Their banter, arguing, chemistry, and grumpy/sunshine dynamic made their relationship so much fun. 😂🔥 I loved watching all that tension slowly turn into something more.
There were plenty of funny moments, some emotional ones, and just enough spice to keep things interesting. I also really enjoyed Cassie’s fresh start and getting to watch her find her place in a new town and with her newly discovered family.
It’s narrated by Emma Wilder, she did a fantastic job with the narration and really brought the characters to life.
I really loved this one! ❤️
The small-town vibes + animals + veterinarian storyline was such a fun combination. And an exotic animal sanctuary?! 🐾 I was completely here for it.
I really liked Cassie and Noah together. Their banter, arguing, chemistry, and grumpy/sunshine dynamic made their relationship so much fun. 😂🔥 I loved watching all that tension slowly turn into something more.
There were plenty of funny moments, some emotional ones, and just enough spice to keep things interesting. I also really enjoyed Cassie’s fresh start and getting to watch her find her place in a new town and with her newly discovered family.
It’s narrated by Emma Wilder, she did a fantastic job with the narration and really brought the characters to life.
August 16, 2026
ALC.
This was different to your normal romance & I liked that.
I liked the FMCs career, vet? But works with lions & dolphins.. what a meet cute 😂 I liked the mental health representation. I like a small town romance it’s cute. There was humour in it which I always enjoy. I wasn’t blown away but it was a really cute unique romance.
This was different to your normal romance & I liked that.
I liked the FMCs career, vet? But works with lions & dolphins.. what a meet cute 😂 I liked the mental health representation. I like a small town romance it’s cute. There was humour in it which I always enjoy. I wasn’t blown away but it was a really cute unique romance.
August 16, 2026
Wild about you… But third-person POV and I are still enemies
3.75 ⭐️ | 2.25 🌶️
Listen, Wild About You had a tiger, a grumpy lumberjack, an emotionally bruised veterinarian, forced proximity, neighbors-with-benefits energy, and enough unresolved baggage to fill an entire exotic animal sanctuary.
I should have been feral for this book. And in a lot of ways? I was having a good time. But there was one tiny little problem. THE BOOK IS IN FUCKING THIRD PERSON. And apparently third-person POV is my personal literary supervillain.
This was my first Madison Score book, and I genuinely enjoyed her writing. The story itself is cute, heartfelt, funny, occasionally sexy, and has that comforting small-town-romance energy where everyone is carrying at least one emotional wound and desperately pretending they’re fine.
Cassie is coming off a massive life implosion. A surprise divorce has completely rerouted the future she thought she had, and instead of simply heading home, she finds herself stopping in a quaint Maryland town while trying to navigate something even bigger: discovering the half-sisters and birth mother she never knew. She’s a veterinarian, she’s starting over, and she’s trying to figure out where (and with whom( she actually belongs.
Then there’s Noah. Grumpy. Overworked. Emotionally constipated. Basically allergic to allowing himself happiness. He’s still carrying the grief of losing his best friend three years earlier, has enough responsibilities to crush a lesser man, and absolutely does not need the opinionated new veterinarian next door inserting herself into his life or his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary.
Naturally, these two immediately get along beautifully. By which I mean: they absolutely fucking do not. Their antagonistic chemistry is fun, their attraction has that delicious I cannot stand you, so why am I thinking about you naked? energy, and underneath all the bickering there are two people dealing with grief, abandonment, change, fear, and the terrifying possibility of letting themselves want something again. And that emotional side of the story worked for me.
What didn’t work was the POV. I know third person is completely normal. Plenty of readers love it. Some probably won’t even notice it after ten pages. I notice it. I always notice it.
For me, romance hits hardest when I’m buried inside the characters’ heads. I want the obsessive thoughts. The internal spiraling. The oh fuck, I’m falling for them realization directly from the source. I want dual POV to feel intimate, messy, and almost intrusive.
Here, we technically move between Cassie and Noah, but because everything is written in third person, it felt like a fake dual POV to me. I could see their emotions, but I never felt completely inside them.
That distance kept me from becoming as emotionally attached as I wanted to be, especially because this story has enough emotional material that I think I could’ve been completely wrecked by these two in first person.
The audiobook unfortunately made that separation harder for me. I was gifted the ALC, and because it’s narrated by one person, if you’re listening while driving, cleaning, working, or doing anything that divides your attention, it can occasionally take a second to realize whose perspective you’ve moved into. With alternating characters already written in third person, I personally would’ve preferred stronger vocal distinction or dual narration. Not a dealbreaker. Just… not my favorite choice.
And that’s really the theme of my experience with Wild About You. The book isn’t bad. It simply wasn’t written in the format that makes my romance-reader brain go absolutely rabid. Because the actual story? Sweet. Chaotic. Sexy. Emotional. Occasionally ridiculous in exactly the way a romance involving an escaped tiger should be.
Cassie and Noah both have wounds that existed long before they met each other, and I appreciated that romance wasn’t treated like some magical Band-Aid capable of instantly fixing everything. There’s grief here. Reinvention. Family. Belonging. The fear of rebuilding after the life you planned disappears.
And after the rough, genuinely wild beginning these characters are handed, the warmth of the ending felt deserved.
So while Madison Score and I may have a serious POV compatibility issue, I can absolutely see this working much better for readers who enjoy third-person romance.
If you love:
🏡 small towns
😡 enemies-to-lovers tension
🧲 forced proximity
🐾 animals causing absolute chaos
🪓 grumpy, overworked men with emotional baggage
❤️🩹 wounded characters learning to want more
🔥 and chemistry that eventually becomes considerably less neighborly…
You’ll probably have a very good time here. For me? 3.75 ⭐️ because I liked the story considerably more than I liked the way I had to experience it. And 2.25 🌶️ because things definitely get heated, but we’re not setting the sanctuary on fire.
Thank you to Hambright PR for gifting me the ARC and ALC of Wild About You. And congratulations in advance to Madison Score on the upcoming release on August 27th.
Maybe third-person POV and I will reconcile one day. Today is not that day.
3.75 ⭐️ | 2.25 🌶️
Listen, Wild About You had a tiger, a grumpy lumberjack, an emotionally bruised veterinarian, forced proximity, neighbors-with-benefits energy, and enough unresolved baggage to fill an entire exotic animal sanctuary.
I should have been feral for this book. And in a lot of ways? I was having a good time. But there was one tiny little problem. THE BOOK IS IN FUCKING THIRD PERSON. And apparently third-person POV is my personal literary supervillain.
This was my first Madison Score book, and I genuinely enjoyed her writing. The story itself is cute, heartfelt, funny, occasionally sexy, and has that comforting small-town-romance energy where everyone is carrying at least one emotional wound and desperately pretending they’re fine.
Cassie is coming off a massive life implosion. A surprise divorce has completely rerouted the future she thought she had, and instead of simply heading home, she finds herself stopping in a quaint Maryland town while trying to navigate something even bigger: discovering the half-sisters and birth mother she never knew. She’s a veterinarian, she’s starting over, and she’s trying to figure out where (and with whom( she actually belongs.
Then there’s Noah. Grumpy. Overworked. Emotionally constipated. Basically allergic to allowing himself happiness. He’s still carrying the grief of losing his best friend three years earlier, has enough responsibilities to crush a lesser man, and absolutely does not need the opinionated new veterinarian next door inserting herself into his life or his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary.
Naturally, these two immediately get along beautifully. By which I mean: they absolutely fucking do not. Their antagonistic chemistry is fun, their attraction has that delicious I cannot stand you, so why am I thinking about you naked? energy, and underneath all the bickering there are two people dealing with grief, abandonment, change, fear, and the terrifying possibility of letting themselves want something again. And that emotional side of the story worked for me.
What didn’t work was the POV. I know third person is completely normal. Plenty of readers love it. Some probably won’t even notice it after ten pages. I notice it. I always notice it.
For me, romance hits hardest when I’m buried inside the characters’ heads. I want the obsessive thoughts. The internal spiraling. The oh fuck, I’m falling for them realization directly from the source. I want dual POV to feel intimate, messy, and almost intrusive.
Here, we technically move between Cassie and Noah, but because everything is written in third person, it felt like a fake dual POV to me. I could see their emotions, but I never felt completely inside them.
That distance kept me from becoming as emotionally attached as I wanted to be, especially because this story has enough emotional material that I think I could’ve been completely wrecked by these two in first person.
The audiobook unfortunately made that separation harder for me. I was gifted the ALC, and because it’s narrated by one person, if you’re listening while driving, cleaning, working, or doing anything that divides your attention, it can occasionally take a second to realize whose perspective you’ve moved into. With alternating characters already written in third person, I personally would’ve preferred stronger vocal distinction or dual narration. Not a dealbreaker. Just… not my favorite choice.
And that’s really the theme of my experience with Wild About You. The book isn’t bad. It simply wasn’t written in the format that makes my romance-reader brain go absolutely rabid. Because the actual story? Sweet. Chaotic. Sexy. Emotional. Occasionally ridiculous in exactly the way a romance involving an escaped tiger should be.
Cassie and Noah both have wounds that existed long before they met each other, and I appreciated that romance wasn’t treated like some magical Band-Aid capable of instantly fixing everything. There’s grief here. Reinvention. Family. Belonging. The fear of rebuilding after the life you planned disappears.
And after the rough, genuinely wild beginning these characters are handed, the warmth of the ending felt deserved.
So while Madison Score and I may have a serious POV compatibility issue, I can absolutely see this working much better for readers who enjoy third-person romance.
If you love:
🏡 small towns
😡 enemies-to-lovers tension
🧲 forced proximity
🐾 animals causing absolute chaos
🪓 grumpy, overworked men with emotional baggage
❤️🩹 wounded characters learning to want more
🔥 and chemistry that eventually becomes considerably less neighborly…
You’ll probably have a very good time here. For me? 3.75 ⭐️ because I liked the story considerably more than I liked the way I had to experience it. And 2.25 🌶️ because things definitely get heated, but we’re not setting the sanctuary on fire.
Thank you to Hambright PR for gifting me the ARC and ALC of Wild About You. And congratulations in advance to Madison Score on the upcoming release on August 27th.
Maybe third-person POV and I will reconcile one day. Today is not that day.
Review of advance copy
It's been a while since I have read a contemporary romance that does Romance Job™️ this well. We have two incredibly competent characters who have bananas jobs and just so happen to always be in the right place at the right time to showcase their talents. No notes.
Thanks to Hambright for the complimentary ARC and ALC of Wild About You.
Cassie Thompson has left her entire life—including her job, social circle, ex-husband, and her name—behind in California as she heads home to Maryland to start over. Born and raised in Baltimore, Cassie intends to crash with her parents while she applies for jobs at zoos on the East Coast. But she has one stop to make before getting there. She plans to stop in Aster Hollow, a small town about an hour from where her parents live, to find her biological half-sisters and see what she can learn about her birth mother. As Cassie heads into town, she is waylaid by a tiger in the road. Luckily, she's an exotic animal vet with experience handling big cats and is able to take charge and help the hapless man who was transporting the tiger get him sedated and to the local animal sanctuary.
That hapless man is Noah Reed, local carpenter, landlord, and son of the animal sanctuary owner. He was doing his mom a favor and picking up an emaciated tiger for the sanctuary when the animal slipped its cage and a random exotic animal vet stumbled on the incident. Noah isn't good at accepting help and resents this stranger's involvement in his mother's business. Things get even more complicated when Cassie decides to stay in Aster Hollow and buys the house next door to him. She is chipper, full of ideas, the whole town loves her, and now she lives next to him. And unfortunately for Noah, she's also the only woman he's been attracted to in three years.
There was a lot to love about this contemporary romance. I was pleasantly surprised that it was written in dual, third-person, past-tense POV. Typically, when I see this kind of cover, I am expecting first-person, present tense, and they're usually heroine-only POV. I actually did a full double take when I started the audiobook and it was in third person. Thank you, Madison Score!
Back in the good old days of category romance (the '80s and '90s), women often had super interesting jobs in romance. Just the most outrageous careers you can imagine on the page. Considering the plethora of nannies, event planners, and professional athletes today, I really long for the time when you had smoke jumpers or ICU nurses as professions in romance. Wild About You was peak Romance Job™️. Not only is Cassie a veterinarian, she has worked at the San Diego Zoo for years and specializes in exotic animals. She has also worked in large animal and companion animal medicine at different points in her career, which is just not reasonable in the real world. Gotta love Romance Job™️. Noah also has a Romance Job™️ as a bespoke project carpenter who also owns a ton of properties in the area and somehow works for his mom's animal sanctuary in the little free time he has. Magnificent.
The stakes were sufficiently high for all the characters in this book. Cassie is escaping her abusive ex-husband, who has made it so she can't find work on the West Coast. Part of why she chooses to stay in Aster Hollow is to have a career he can't influence. She is also dealing with some intense family drama, both with her biological and adoptive families. I loved the relationships she has with her sisters across the novel. Noah's mother is on the verge of losing the animal sanctuary due to financial struggles, so the stakes are plenty high for him, as well.
There were a couple of things in this book that didn't work for me. There are two flashback chapters that go back to traumatic incidents for both Cassie and Noah. I thought they were unnecessary to the overall plot and didn't add enough value to have been included. I also thought Noah's backstory had too much going on. He is dealing with guilt from his father's death and then his best friend's. I honestly think the best friend part could have been left out entirely. His father's death and the resulting financial strain on his mom was plenty to drive his motivation. The best friend kind of felt like gilding the lily.
I tandem read Wild About You in both audio and ebook. The audio narrator did a great job. I really enjoyed her performance, especially the character work. Her choices for each character were so specific that they added a lot to my experience of the novel.
Overall, this was a lot of fun. I'd definitely read a book by Madison Score again. 4 stars.
Thanks to Hambright for the complimentary ARC and ALC of Wild About You.
Cassie Thompson has left her entire life—including her job, social circle, ex-husband, and her name—behind in California as she heads home to Maryland to start over. Born and raised in Baltimore, Cassie intends to crash with her parents while she applies for jobs at zoos on the East Coast. But she has one stop to make before getting there. She plans to stop in Aster Hollow, a small town about an hour from where her parents live, to find her biological half-sisters and see what she can learn about her birth mother. As Cassie heads into town, she is waylaid by a tiger in the road. Luckily, she's an exotic animal vet with experience handling big cats and is able to take charge and help the hapless man who was transporting the tiger get him sedated and to the local animal sanctuary.
That hapless man is Noah Reed, local carpenter, landlord, and son of the animal sanctuary owner. He was doing his mom a favor and picking up an emaciated tiger for the sanctuary when the animal slipped its cage and a random exotic animal vet stumbled on the incident. Noah isn't good at accepting help and resents this stranger's involvement in his mother's business. Things get even more complicated when Cassie decides to stay in Aster Hollow and buys the house next door to him. She is chipper, full of ideas, the whole town loves her, and now she lives next to him. And unfortunately for Noah, she's also the only woman he's been attracted to in three years.
There was a lot to love about this contemporary romance. I was pleasantly surprised that it was written in dual, third-person, past-tense POV. Typically, when I see this kind of cover, I am expecting first-person, present tense, and they're usually heroine-only POV. I actually did a full double take when I started the audiobook and it was in third person. Thank you, Madison Score!
Back in the good old days of category romance (the '80s and '90s), women often had super interesting jobs in romance. Just the most outrageous careers you can imagine on the page. Considering the plethora of nannies, event planners, and professional athletes today, I really long for the time when you had smoke jumpers or ICU nurses as professions in romance. Wild About You was peak Romance Job™️. Not only is Cassie a veterinarian, she has worked at the San Diego Zoo for years and specializes in exotic animals. She has also worked in large animal and companion animal medicine at different points in her career, which is just not reasonable in the real world. Gotta love Romance Job™️. Noah also has a Romance Job™️ as a bespoke project carpenter who also owns a ton of properties in the area and somehow works for his mom's animal sanctuary in the little free time he has. Magnificent.
The stakes were sufficiently high for all the characters in this book. Cassie is escaping her abusive ex-husband, who has made it so she can't find work on the West Coast. Part of why she chooses to stay in Aster Hollow is to have a career he can't influence. She is also dealing with some intense family drama, both with her biological and adoptive families. I loved the relationships she has with her sisters across the novel. Noah's mother is on the verge of losing the animal sanctuary due to financial struggles, so the stakes are plenty high for him, as well.
There were a couple of things in this book that didn't work for me. There are two flashback chapters that go back to traumatic incidents for both Cassie and Noah. I thought they were unnecessary to the overall plot and didn't add enough value to have been included. I also thought Noah's backstory had too much going on. He is dealing with guilt from his father's death and then his best friend's. I honestly think the best friend part could have been left out entirely. His father's death and the resulting financial strain on his mom was plenty to drive his motivation. The best friend kind of felt like gilding the lily.
I tandem read Wild About You in both audio and ebook. The audio narrator did a great job. I really enjoyed her performance, especially the character work. Her choices for each character were so specific that they added a lot to my experience of the novel.
Overall, this was a lot of fun. I'd definitely read a book by Madison Score again. 4 stars.
Review of advance copy
Wonderful Story & Narration🎧 Heartfelt & Delightful!
Wild About You
By: Madison Score
Narrated by: Emma Wilder
It is always great to check out new-to-me authors, even greater when their story immediately grabs your attention and then holds it hostage straight to the end. Madison Score did just that with “Wild About You”, a small-town romance featuring characters who are realistic, relatable, and easy to connect with. Veterinarian Cassie Thompson, recently divorced, is moving back to her hometown in Maryland, but made a pit stop in a small town where her biological mother had lived. On her way to the inn she was staying in, she rolled up to an unbelievable scene: a tiger boxed in by trucks with men pointing guns in its direction. Not thrilled with the way they were handling the situation or with the person responsible for the escaped tiger, she took action and got the scene and the tiger under control. Noah Reed rescued the tiger from being euthanized and did not have time to have it properly transported, so he went and picked him up himself, placing him in a secured crate, but the tiger was severely emaciated and slipped through the bars. After that scene, I knew then I needed to learn more about Cassie and Noah, the town of Aster Hollow and even the Willow Bend Wildlife Sanctuary and Gloria, Noah’s mom, too. Cassie only intended to stay in town for a couple of days before heading back to Baltimore and the house she grew up in, to start over again. However, so many things fell in place, the town needing a Veterinarian, because their’s retired, the sanctuary needing help, half sisters she wanted to get to know, and the realization there was really nothing there for her in Baltimore. Her half-sister gave her a journal her mother kept, and in the end Cassie finds out she was loved and wanted, as well as who her biological father was. We also learn why Noah is the way he is, super grumpy, super closed off. My heart went out to the two leads, both battling their own inner demons, hers abandonment and self worth issues, and his with guilt that was eating him alive, also causing self worth issues and allowing himself to be happy and to live. It was great watching them get to know each other and see their relationship morph into somthing so much more, that is until he blows it. This masterfully crafted multi-layered story has the perfect balance of drama, angst, humor, witty dialogue and banter, heartwarming moments, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. The writing, plot, and world-building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Madison Score, thank you for this wonderfully entertaining story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 Emma Wilder did an amazing job bringing the characters and story to life. She delivered a fabulous performance, covering the roles of all the characters, giving each their own distinct voice making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. and was believable in every role, males included. Wilder embodied each character completely, grasping every facet of their personality, and excelled not only as Cassie, but was just as fabulous in Noah’s role, when in the role. Her expressive delivery conveys all the characters’ emotions, making you feel each one and she handled the witty back-and-forth banter effortlessly, never missing a beat. Wilder’s versatility and talent as a voice artist truly shined in her performance, an engaging performance that not only keeps you hooked and entertained, but it also takes the already wonderful story to another level.
Wild About You
By: Madison Score
Narrated by: Emma Wilder
It is always great to check out new-to-me authors, even greater when their story immediately grabs your attention and then holds it hostage straight to the end. Madison Score did just that with “Wild About You”, a small-town romance featuring characters who are realistic, relatable, and easy to connect with. Veterinarian Cassie Thompson, recently divorced, is moving back to her hometown in Maryland, but made a pit stop in a small town where her biological mother had lived. On her way to the inn she was staying in, she rolled up to an unbelievable scene: a tiger boxed in by trucks with men pointing guns in its direction. Not thrilled with the way they were handling the situation or with the person responsible for the escaped tiger, she took action and got the scene and the tiger under control. Noah Reed rescued the tiger from being euthanized and did not have time to have it properly transported, so he went and picked him up himself, placing him in a secured crate, but the tiger was severely emaciated and slipped through the bars. After that scene, I knew then I needed to learn more about Cassie and Noah, the town of Aster Hollow and even the Willow Bend Wildlife Sanctuary and Gloria, Noah’s mom, too. Cassie only intended to stay in town for a couple of days before heading back to Baltimore and the house she grew up in, to start over again. However, so many things fell in place, the town needing a Veterinarian, because their’s retired, the sanctuary needing help, half sisters she wanted to get to know, and the realization there was really nothing there for her in Baltimore. Her half-sister gave her a journal her mother kept, and in the end Cassie finds out she was loved and wanted, as well as who her biological father was. We also learn why Noah is the way he is, super grumpy, super closed off. My heart went out to the two leads, both battling their own inner demons, hers abandonment and self worth issues, and his with guilt that was eating him alive, also causing self worth issues and allowing himself to be happy and to live. It was great watching them get to know each other and see their relationship morph into somthing so much more, that is until he blows it. This masterfully crafted multi-layered story has the perfect balance of drama, angst, humor, witty dialogue and banter, heartwarming moments, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. The writing, plot, and world-building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Madison Score, thank you for this wonderfully entertaining story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 Emma Wilder did an amazing job bringing the characters and story to life. She delivered a fabulous performance, covering the roles of all the characters, giving each their own distinct voice making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. and was believable in every role, males included. Wilder embodied each character completely, grasping every facet of their personality, and excelled not only as Cassie, but was just as fabulous in Noah’s role, when in the role. Her expressive delivery conveys all the characters’ emotions, making you feel each one and she handled the witty back-and-forth banter effortlessly, never missing a beat. Wilder’s versatility and talent as a voice artist truly shined in her performance, an engaging performance that not only keeps you hooked and entertained, but it also takes the already wonderful story to another level.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
WILD ABOUT YOU by MADISON SCORE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After the breakdown of her marriage, veterinarian Cassie Thompson decides on a fresh start, beginning with meeting the two half-sisters she didn’t know existed.
On her way to to meet them, Cassie has a serendipitous encounter with a tiger and grumpy, closed off lumberjack Noah Reed, which eventually leads to Cassie starting to rebuild her life right there in Aster Hollow volunteering at the sanctuary and living as Noah’s neighbour whilst trying to resurrect her career.
Despite both Cassie and Noah having their own emotional issues, they find themselves fighting the undeniable attraction between them but are there too many obstacles ahead??
—————————
Right I’m going to dive right in there and say that this is definitely one of my favourite books so far this year. Ms Score’s writing is undeniably maturing with each new book. This book starts with an interesting twist and draws you in right from the first page, I couldn’t put it down
Wild About You has everything you look for in a Small Town Romance- a great setting, interesting and quirky characters, an interesting storyline, cute fur balls, a touch of angst and a soupçon of humour.
Cassie is a strong, independent woman rising from a difficult childhood and abusive marriage. Her issues with her adoptive parents and meeting her siblings were dealt with interestingly and respectfully. I particularly found this aspect of the story interesting as my own father was adopted, fortunately into a loving family and he was able to meet his birth mother before her death and is still in contact with his half siblings, so this part of the story resonated with me.
Noah has his own misplaced but understandable issues which really tug at your heartstrings. Whilst his actions are frustrating at times, he is such a likeable, caring person you can’t help but cheer him on. If only he could get over his misplaced guilt and self loathing!
The MCs careers are fascinating and add an extra dimension to the story. I loved that Cassie was a veterinarian as this gave plenty of scope for interesting scenes and events and Noah’s furniture building gave him somewhere to pour his love and feelings towards the townsfolk.
The MCs chemistry is off the charts right from the off despite them absolutely detesting each other at the beginning. They bicker constantly and this draws them reluctantly together. This means that when they do finally connect there is a small amount of explosive but tastefully written open door spice.
I read an ebook version of this book, with around 410 pages, a pretty, bright cover and super editing. The book is written in third person pov with each chapter from alternate MCs aspect. This book releases on August 27th
With grateful thanks to Madison Score and Hambright PR for the chance to read an early copy of this delightful book. All comments are my own honest, unbiased opinion.
🐅 Slow Burn
🐅 Enemies To Lovers
🐅 Small Town Romance
🐅 Grumpy/ Sunshine
🐅 Veterinarian
🐅 Forced Proximity
🐅Found Family
After the breakdown of her marriage, veterinarian Cassie Thompson decides on a fresh start, beginning with meeting the two half-sisters she didn’t know existed.
On her way to to meet them, Cassie has a serendipitous encounter with a tiger and grumpy, closed off lumberjack Noah Reed, which eventually leads to Cassie starting to rebuild her life right there in Aster Hollow volunteering at the sanctuary and living as Noah’s neighbour whilst trying to resurrect her career.
Despite both Cassie and Noah having their own emotional issues, they find themselves fighting the undeniable attraction between them but are there too many obstacles ahead??
—————————
Right I’m going to dive right in there and say that this is definitely one of my favourite books so far this year. Ms Score’s writing is undeniably maturing with each new book. This book starts with an interesting twist and draws you in right from the first page, I couldn’t put it down
Wild About You has everything you look for in a Small Town Romance- a great setting, interesting and quirky characters, an interesting storyline, cute fur balls, a touch of angst and a soupçon of humour.
Cassie is a strong, independent woman rising from a difficult childhood and abusive marriage. Her issues with her adoptive parents and meeting her siblings were dealt with interestingly and respectfully. I particularly found this aspect of the story interesting as my own father was adopted, fortunately into a loving family and he was able to meet his birth mother before her death and is still in contact with his half siblings, so this part of the story resonated with me.
Noah has his own misplaced but understandable issues which really tug at your heartstrings. Whilst his actions are frustrating at times, he is such a likeable, caring person you can’t help but cheer him on. If only he could get over his misplaced guilt and self loathing!
The MCs careers are fascinating and add an extra dimension to the story. I loved that Cassie was a veterinarian as this gave plenty of scope for interesting scenes and events and Noah’s furniture building gave him somewhere to pour his love and feelings towards the townsfolk.
The MCs chemistry is off the charts right from the off despite them absolutely detesting each other at the beginning. They bicker constantly and this draws them reluctantly together. This means that when they do finally connect there is a small amount of explosive but tastefully written open door spice.
I read an ebook version of this book, with around 410 pages, a pretty, bright cover and super editing. The book is written in third person pov with each chapter from alternate MCs aspect. This book releases on August 27th
With grateful thanks to Madison Score and Hambright PR for the chance to read an early copy of this delightful book. All comments are my own honest, unbiased opinion.
🐅 Slow Burn
🐅 Enemies To Lovers
🐅 Small Town Romance
🐅 Grumpy/ Sunshine
🐅 Veterinarian
🐅 Forced Proximity
🐅Found Family
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A cute read featuring a sunshine exotic-animal veterinarian FMC meets grumpy-carpenter-landlord-wildlife volunteer MMC. And they get WILD for each other.
Cassie's life has been turned upside-down post divorce from her A*hole abusive ex-husband--she's jobless, and has a strained relationship with her adoptive parents, so she decides to go on the hunt for her biological half-sisters.
What she doesn't expect is to encounter a tiger in an intersection requiring her exotic animal veterinarian skills---and the seemingly incompetent transporter--who happens to end up being her neighbor, oh and her landlord for her new veterinarian practice space. WHAT!?
The chemistry is undeniable between these two - but Noah is all tied up in his self-hatred due to a traumatic incidence in his past, and Cassie is continuously running away from the wrath of her ex while still on a journey of self-discovery. Do they have the emotional capacity to dive into something new together?
This book was a nice read! I like that it had not just the romance, but good side stories for both FMC and MMC, leading to personal growth for each of them all while finding their way to each other. I had the privilege of obtaining both the digital and audio copies for this book and I loved the immersive read--the narrator, Emma Wilder (okay wait--did they plan that with the title?) did a phenomenal job. She captured the feeling in her voice so beautifully!
I highly recommend this book for those wanting a nice romance with some fun side stories and fun animals (Hello Taco the dog!).
Thank you to Hambright PR for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!
BOOK Club Qs:
1) Why do you think Andromeda is so hesitant to warm up and open up to Cassie's sudden appearance in their lives?
2) How did both Cassie and Noah's characters personally evolve over the course of the book?
3) What did you think of the horse's names at the race track? 🫣😝
4) How was the scene at the beach towards the end of the book a point of healing for Noah's past trauma?
5) Discuss all of the characters who hired Cassie for her veterinary services and the role they played in keeping Cassie in town.
6) Discuss Cassie's adoptive circumstances - what did you think of how everything unfolded? What could this mean for her relationships with her half sisters?
Cassie's life has been turned upside-down post divorce from her A*hole abusive ex-husband--she's jobless, and has a strained relationship with her adoptive parents, so she decides to go on the hunt for her biological half-sisters.
What she doesn't expect is to encounter a tiger in an intersection requiring her exotic animal veterinarian skills---and the seemingly incompetent transporter--who happens to end up being her neighbor, oh and her landlord for her new veterinarian practice space. WHAT!?
The chemistry is undeniable between these two - but Noah is all tied up in his self-hatred due to a traumatic incidence in his past, and Cassie is continuously running away from the wrath of her ex while still on a journey of self-discovery. Do they have the emotional capacity to dive into something new together?
This book was a nice read! I like that it had not just the romance, but good side stories for both FMC and MMC, leading to personal growth for each of them all while finding their way to each other. I had the privilege of obtaining both the digital and audio copies for this book and I loved the immersive read--the narrator, Emma Wilder (okay wait--did they plan that with the title?) did a phenomenal job. She captured the feeling in her voice so beautifully!
I highly recommend this book for those wanting a nice romance with some fun side stories and fun animals (Hello Taco the dog!).
Thank you to Hambright PR for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!
BOOK Club Qs:
1) Why do you think Andromeda is so hesitant to warm up and open up to Cassie's sudden appearance in their lives?
2) How did both Cassie and Noah's characters personally evolve over the course of the book?
3) What did you think of the horse's names at the race track? 🫣😝
4) How was the scene at the beach towards the end of the book a point of healing for Noah's past trauma?
5) Discuss all of the characters who hired Cassie for her veterinary services and the role they played in keeping Cassie in town.
6) Discuss Cassie's adoptive circumstances - what did you think of how everything unfolded? What could this mean for her relationships with her half sisters?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Madison Score’s Wild About You was my latest tandem read and listen, and somewhere between Cassie meeting an escaped tiger and declaring war on her grumpy landlord, I knew I was in for a good time. Thank you to Hambright PR and That’s What She Said Publishing for the gifted eARC and ALC. How often does a romance give you a veterinarian, an escaped tiger, newly discovered sisters, and a grumpy lumberjack?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cassie is starting over after her life takes a turn she definitely didn’t plan for. Discovering two half-sisters brings her to Aster Hollow, where she gets involved with an exotic animal sanctuary and immediately butts heads with Noah, her landlord, neighbor, and resident grump.
And these two can BICKER.
Their neighbor war had me laughing because Cassie gives it right back to him. Noah has opinions. Cassie has more. Neither knows when to quit, and somehow all that arguing turns into serious chemistry and a neighbors-with-benefits situation.
Underneath the fun, though, they’re both carrying some heavy stuff. Cassie is figuring out what she wants after having some big choices taken out of her hands, while Noah has been carrying guilt for years. The infertility storyline hit harder than I expected, and I appreciated that it was part of Cassie’s story without becoming her entire identity.
And Cassie’s ex? By the time that man showed his true colors, I was ready to give the tiger his address and call it a day.
I loved the animal sanctuary, Cassie being a veterinarian, and the family she never knew she had. There was always a little chaos happening.
I bounced between reading and listening, and Emma Wilder made switching ridiculously easy. This is solo narration, and she gives Cassie and Noah distinct voices while absolutely nailing their banter. She also knows when to pull back for the emotional moments. I would have loved duet narration, but Emma carries this audio beautifully.
Funny, romantic, spicy, emotional, and a little chaotic. Exactly what I wanted.
Which fictional ex has made you want to unleash the tiger?
#WildAboutYou #MadisonScore #RomanceBooks #GrumpySunshine #EnemiesToLovers #AudiobookReview #TandemRead #Bookstagram
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cassie is starting over after her life takes a turn she definitely didn’t plan for. Discovering two half-sisters brings her to Aster Hollow, where she gets involved with an exotic animal sanctuary and immediately butts heads with Noah, her landlord, neighbor, and resident grump.
And these two can BICKER.
Their neighbor war had me laughing because Cassie gives it right back to him. Noah has opinions. Cassie has more. Neither knows when to quit, and somehow all that arguing turns into serious chemistry and a neighbors-with-benefits situation.
Underneath the fun, though, they’re both carrying some heavy stuff. Cassie is figuring out what she wants after having some big choices taken out of her hands, while Noah has been carrying guilt for years. The infertility storyline hit harder than I expected, and I appreciated that it was part of Cassie’s story without becoming her entire identity.
And Cassie’s ex? By the time that man showed his true colors, I was ready to give the tiger his address and call it a day.
I loved the animal sanctuary, Cassie being a veterinarian, and the family she never knew she had. There was always a little chaos happening.
I bounced between reading and listening, and Emma Wilder made switching ridiculously easy. This is solo narration, and she gives Cassie and Noah distinct voices while absolutely nailing their banter. She also knows when to pull back for the emotional moments. I would have loved duet narration, but Emma carries this audio beautifully.
Funny, romantic, spicy, emotional, and a little chaotic. Exactly what I wanted.
Which fictional ex has made you want to unleash the tiger?
#WildAboutYou #MadisonScore #RomanceBooks #GrumpySunshine #EnemiesToLovers #AudiobookReview #TandemRead #Bookstagram
Review of advance copy received from Author
Title: Wild About You
Author: Madison Score Narrator: Emma Wilder
Main Characters: Noah and Cassie P. 413
Book Type Reviewed: 📚E-Book, 🎧Audiobook Release Date: 08/27/2026
Tropes: Romance, Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Emotional Scars
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had to stop for the tiger in the street…said no one ever. Such a cute start. Loved the opening scene and it really captivated me and made me want to keep reading.
Cassie has to start over again; new job, new home, new life. Her travels don’t go quite as planned as she is introduced to the small town. The town was meant to be just a stopover, but when people start needing her, she has never felt that before. It’s nice to be wanted, needed. Although there is one person that doesn’t seem to want her help. Noah.
For the past couple of years, Noah pretends he is fine, but on the inside he is drowning. He has a lot on his shoulders, a lot of responsibilities, and also carrying the weight of grief and guilt. And he is determined he does not need help.
Both Noah and Cassie have a past that is keeping them from seeing a future. As the two start to spend time together, Cassie starts to find her voice and Noah starts to smile. But it’s going to be a long journey for these two as it often takes time to truly heal.
I really like reading and listening to this story. This is my first time hearing Emma Wilder and I had to research what was happening. I usually like duet narration but was pleasantly shocked by Emma’s talent in portraying numerous characters. She did a great job. Overall, I really enjoyed this. The story reflected real life issues and that hurt and trauma aren’t resolved overnight. Despite the weight of the hurt the story still reads sweet and lighthearted.
Thank you to #HambrightPR for this book. All reviews and opinions are my own.
Author: Madison Score Narrator: Emma Wilder
Main Characters: Noah and Cassie P. 413
Book Type Reviewed: 📚E-Book, 🎧Audiobook Release Date: 08/27/2026
Tropes: Romance, Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Emotional Scars
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had to stop for the tiger in the street…said no one ever. Such a cute start. Loved the opening scene and it really captivated me and made me want to keep reading.
Cassie has to start over again; new job, new home, new life. Her travels don’t go quite as planned as she is introduced to the small town. The town was meant to be just a stopover, but when people start needing her, she has never felt that before. It’s nice to be wanted, needed. Although there is one person that doesn’t seem to want her help. Noah.
For the past couple of years, Noah pretends he is fine, but on the inside he is drowning. He has a lot on his shoulders, a lot of responsibilities, and also carrying the weight of grief and guilt. And he is determined he does not need help.
Both Noah and Cassie have a past that is keeping them from seeing a future. As the two start to spend time together, Cassie starts to find her voice and Noah starts to smile. But it’s going to be a long journey for these two as it often takes time to truly heal.
I really like reading and listening to this story. This is my first time hearing Emma Wilder and I had to research what was happening. I usually like duet narration but was pleasantly shocked by Emma’s talent in portraying numerous characters. She did a great job. Overall, I really enjoyed this. The story reflected real life issues and that hurt and trauma aren’t resolved overnight. Despite the weight of the hurt the story still reads sweet and lighthearted.
Thank you to #HambrightPR for this book. All reviews and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy
This was a fun immersive read – Emma Wilder gave a fabulous performance, differentiating between Cassie, Noah and side characters!
🏡Small Town & Forced Proximity
🐅Rescue Tiger Escapee Meet-Cute
💥Enemies to Lovers
💖Opposites Attract
❤️🩹Emotional Scars & Healing
🐾Dog Sidekick named Taco 🌮
Cassie Thompson needs to start over — new town, new job and hopefully new relationships with half-sisters she’s never met. En route to her new beginnings, an escaped tiger makes her pause in her tracks, and Aster Hollow seems like the perfect place to rebuild…except for the war with her grumpy lumberjack neighbor and landlord, Noah. Noah, who has no time for a distractingly beautiful veterinarian that buys the house next door to him and sticks her nose into his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary with plans on how to save it — it’s his job to solve problems, not hers. But, when their contentious relationship blurs from professional to personal, addressing the elephant in the room (figuratively, of course) seems impossible with both of their livelihoods and fates on the line…
Cassie stole the show for me! Her backstory will instantly have you rooting for her, and the way she’s put in the work to help herself heal from being in a relationship with a narcissist was great to see. Cassie welcomed her new start, embraced the discomfort of unapologetically putting herself first, and didn’t accept less than she deserved. So, when she meets her grumpy neighbor and landlord, and the sexual tension is off the charts but he’s emotionally unavailable, she doesn’t settle for the bare minimum from him. Noah has been struggling for years after the loss of his best friend, feeling enormous guilt over a tragic accident, and while he has feelings that run deep for Cassie, it takes time for him to work on himself and for these two to find their footing. Aster Hollow is a wondrous place and its magic brought these two together!
Performance: 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤/5
Story:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️/5
🏡Small Town & Forced Proximity
🐅Rescue Tiger Escapee Meet-Cute
💥Enemies to Lovers
💖Opposites Attract
❤️🩹Emotional Scars & Healing
🐾Dog Sidekick named Taco 🌮
Cassie Thompson needs to start over — new town, new job and hopefully new relationships with half-sisters she’s never met. En route to her new beginnings, an escaped tiger makes her pause in her tracks, and Aster Hollow seems like the perfect place to rebuild…except for the war with her grumpy lumberjack neighbor and landlord, Noah. Noah, who has no time for a distractingly beautiful veterinarian that buys the house next door to him and sticks her nose into his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary with plans on how to save it — it’s his job to solve problems, not hers. But, when their contentious relationship blurs from professional to personal, addressing the elephant in the room (figuratively, of course) seems impossible with both of their livelihoods and fates on the line…
Cassie stole the show for me! Her backstory will instantly have you rooting for her, and the way she’s put in the work to help herself heal from being in a relationship with a narcissist was great to see. Cassie welcomed her new start, embraced the discomfort of unapologetically putting herself first, and didn’t accept less than she deserved. So, when she meets her grumpy neighbor and landlord, and the sexual tension is off the charts but he’s emotionally unavailable, she doesn’t settle for the bare minimum from him. Noah has been struggling for years after the loss of his best friend, feeling enormous guilt over a tragic accident, and while he has feelings that run deep for Cassie, it takes time for him to work on himself and for these two to find their footing. Aster Hollow is a wondrous place and its magic brought these two together!
Performance: 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤/5
Story:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️/5
Review of advance copy
🩷 Blurb-
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who won’t stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who keep clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
🩵 Review -
This was such a sweet and easy to follow read. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved Cassie and Noah's chemistry and I wanted them to have their happy ending. I also loved the other characters in the story. I loved the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I really enjoyed the novel and I would recommend it to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Hambright PR and the author Madison Score for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who won’t stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who keep clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
🩵 Review -
This was such a sweet and easy to follow read. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved Cassie and Noah's chemistry and I wanted them to have their happy ending. I also loved the other characters in the story. I loved the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I really enjoyed the novel and I would recommend it to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Hambright PR and the author Madison Score for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2026
What happens when a tiger gets loose in the middle of the road in Maryland you ask?? Oh just that a gorgeous vet trying to figure out her new life & a grumpy tatted lumberjack happen to encounter in an absolutely ｗｉｌｄ meet cute! Madison Score has done it again…and I have a new favorite book of hers! Cassie & Noah stole my heart from the beginning. Plus this takes place in one of my favorite states to visit…Maryland!
Here’s what else I loved…
💗 As someone that has been through infertility, I felt that Madison portrayed this in such a caring & relatable way. Cassie’s inner thoughts were very relatable & I loved her ending so much.
😭 Noah’s story really made me so emotional. I truly felt for his character & it was such a well written story to warrant his behaviors at times.
🐺 I loved Cassie’s ideas for how to help the sanctuary raise money…especially “feed your ex to the wolves”. 😂
🌮 Taco, his perfect name, his noise cancelling headphones, & all that is Taco (the dog)
👰🏼♀️ the wedding dress scene
🧈 I loved the butter references in this as an ode to Gatsby (Madison’s silly butter addicted orange kitty)
🪵 I loved that Noah was a carpenter! It was giving Ron Swanson.
☀️ loved the references to some of my favorite beaches! (I also hate the Bay Bridge,
🐬 while I loved the beginning of this book, the ending said “hold my beer” because what a brilliant emotional ending that was high energy & had me turning the pages so fast!
🎧 I went back & forth between the arc & alc of this & omg @ was absolutely amazing! It felt like I was listening to a full cast!
🚨 Madison once again stole my heart with this one. This was such a well written original story full of emotion & life.
Here’s what else I loved…
💗 As someone that has been through infertility, I felt that Madison portrayed this in such a caring & relatable way. Cassie’s inner thoughts were very relatable & I loved her ending so much.
😭 Noah’s story really made me so emotional. I truly felt for his character & it was such a well written story to warrant his behaviors at times.
🐺 I loved Cassie’s ideas for how to help the sanctuary raise money…especially “feed your ex to the wolves”. 😂
🌮 Taco, his perfect name, his noise cancelling headphones, & all that is Taco (the dog)
👰🏼♀️ the wedding dress scene
🧈 I loved the butter references in this as an ode to Gatsby (Madison’s silly butter addicted orange kitty)
🪵 I loved that Noah was a carpenter! It was giving Ron Swanson.
☀️ loved the references to some of my favorite beaches! (I also hate the Bay Bridge,
🐬 while I loved the beginning of this book, the ending said “hold my beer” because what a brilliant emotional ending that was high energy & had me turning the pages so fast!
🎧 I went back & forth between the arc & alc of this & omg @ was absolutely amazing! It felt like I was listening to a full cast!
🚨 Madison once again stole my heart with this one. This was such a well written original story full of emotion & life.
August 19, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ This was such a cute and fun small town romance book and Emma Wilden did an amazing job narrating so I highly recommend listening to the audiobook! Thank you so much @hambright_pr and @madisonscore for this ALC, I flew through it!!
#HPRWildAboutYou #MadisonScore #HambrightPR
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town
😡 Enemies to Lovers
🐾 Furry Sidekick
☯️ Opposites Attract
🧲 Forced Proximity
❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
Book overview ✨
Trouble just moved in next door.
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who won’t stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who keep clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
#HPRWildAboutYou #MadisonScore #HambrightPR
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town
😡 Enemies to Lovers
🐾 Furry Sidekick
☯️ Opposites Attract
🧲 Forced Proximity
❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
Book overview ✨
Trouble just moved in next door.
Veterinarian Cassie Thompson wants one simple thing: to completely start over. New town. New job. New family. That’s not asking too much, is it?
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in her favor when an escaped tiger—yes, you read that right—and the two half-sisters she just discovered lead her to a fresh start.
She’s ready to start rebuilding her life one Maryland crab cake at a time. It would be smooth sailing if it weren’t for the rapidly escalating neighbor war with her grumpy lumberjack of a landlord.
Noah Reed has no time for distractions—especially not a spunky, house-stealing veterinarian who won’t stop making suggestions for saving his mother’s exotic animal sanctuary. He has work to do, tenants who keep clogging their toilets, and a literal ton of emotional baggage that he’ll get around to addressing someday.
Cassie would rather neuter a rabid chihuahua than get entangled with another life-ruining jerk. But when one night—and one girthy bottle of wine—changes everything, their contentious professional relationship gets a lot more personal.
With the fate of the sanctuary and Cassie’s career hanging in the balance, these neighbors with benefits will have to put aside their differences and their begrudging mutual attraction.
Review of advance copy
Newly divorced Cassie is on her way to meet her biological sisters and mother when she stops to help a tiger in distress. She’s a veterinarian and knows how to handle wild animals. Little did she know she would also meet Noah, the grumpy hottie that was trying to move the tiger to his family’s sanctuary. These two are enemies-to-lovers but have a few things in common. One they both like wildlife and have past traumas that still affect them today.
Coming to the small town was only supposed to be for a short time, but opportunities arose that kept Cassie in town permanently. Not only was she going to open her own veterinary clinic, but she was also helping with Noah and his mom’s wildlife sanctuary. Lastly, this was where her real family lived and she wanted to be close to them.
The banter and slow burn between Cassie and Noah was fun and made the listener wonder when they are just going to give in. While the chemistry is brewing Cassie is there to meet family. She has no idea how they will feel about her, but it’s something that’s she’s been wanting to do. During this time, she also learns to accept that her adopted parents held a big secret from her, that they have done nothing to show her she is loved, and the neglect just has her realizing she doesn’t need or want to be around them. It’s a sort of freedom that not feels good, but also feels appropriate.
Emma Wilder was fantastic and the when she did the voice of the mother, it reminded me of Peggy Hill from King of the Hill!
Read or listen if you enjoy small town, enemy to lovers, and working through past traumas.
Coming to the small town was only supposed to be for a short time, but opportunities arose that kept Cassie in town permanently. Not only was she going to open her own veterinary clinic, but she was also helping with Noah and his mom’s wildlife sanctuary. Lastly, this was where her real family lived and she wanted to be close to them.
The banter and slow burn between Cassie and Noah was fun and made the listener wonder when they are just going to give in. While the chemistry is brewing Cassie is there to meet family. She has no idea how they will feel about her, but it’s something that’s she’s been wanting to do. During this time, she also learns to accept that her adopted parents held a big secret from her, that they have done nothing to show her she is loved, and the neglect just has her realizing she doesn’t need or want to be around them. It’s a sort of freedom that not feels good, but also feels appropriate.
Emma Wilder was fantastic and the when she did the voice of the mother, it reminded me of Peggy Hill from King of the Hill!
Read or listen if you enjoy small town, enemy to lovers, and working through past traumas.
Review of advance copy
Oh, Noah! Life doesn’t stop because you think it should.
Cassie just wanted to make a quick stop in this small town before going on to her parent’s home in Baltimore after her divorce where she meets Noah trying to wrangle a loose tiger he’s rescued. Being a vet, Cassie takes over and they get off on the wrong foot. Good thing his mother liked her. So did one of her half-sisters, the real reason she was in town in the first place. Before the weekend’s over, Cassie’s also helped another farm with an emergency foal delivery as well and is asked to stay permanently. Without a job waiting and now learning her parents are moving, why not. Expect her new neighbor is Noah and he’s also her new landlord for the clinic she wants to open. Cassie’s warned not to fall for the tatted emotionally stunted bad boy but does her heart listen? So what happens when Noah starts thinking he doesn’t deserve happiness once again?
Cassie and Noah get their happy ending in this standalone book.
These two! They had both been through so much and you could tell who wanted to work on being better for themselves and who just wanted to wallow! I would have loved to have seen what became of Cassie’s ex and if he actually was the father of the baby, or if poor Cassie really did have medical issues preventing her from carrying a baby. I do have to wonder what Cassie’s dad did growing up that she never thought that he could be the one her biological mom was writing about. Or if because her mom had used initials for so long that it never clicked even when she started using his name.
I received an advance review copy from Hambright PR, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Cassie just wanted to make a quick stop in this small town before going on to her parent’s home in Baltimore after her divorce where she meets Noah trying to wrangle a loose tiger he’s rescued. Being a vet, Cassie takes over and they get off on the wrong foot. Good thing his mother liked her. So did one of her half-sisters, the real reason she was in town in the first place. Before the weekend’s over, Cassie’s also helped another farm with an emergency foal delivery as well and is asked to stay permanently. Without a job waiting and now learning her parents are moving, why not. Expect her new neighbor is Noah and he’s also her new landlord for the clinic she wants to open. Cassie’s warned not to fall for the tatted emotionally stunted bad boy but does her heart listen? So what happens when Noah starts thinking he doesn’t deserve happiness once again?
Cassie and Noah get their happy ending in this standalone book.
These two! They had both been through so much and you could tell who wanted to work on being better for themselves and who just wanted to wallow! I would have loved to have seen what became of Cassie’s ex and if he actually was the father of the baby, or if poor Cassie really did have medical issues preventing her from carrying a baby. I do have to wonder what Cassie’s dad did growing up that she never thought that he could be the one her biological mom was writing about. Or if because her mom had used initials for so long that it never clicked even when she started using his name.
I received an advance review copy from Hambright PR, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the audio and earc of this book!
I did an immersive read of this book and loved it. It was very personally relatable with the FMC being adopted and it playing such a huge role in the story. I read this in less than 24 hours, I loved how it wasn’t just focused on the romance since the FMC had a lot going on in her life and was struggling to overcome her past.
This story follows Cassie she’s a veterinarian who specializes in exotic animals, she’s recently divorced from the biggest ass in the world and just wants to start over. She was adopted as a baby and has discovered her half sisters, while meeting them she randomly makes the decision to stay and buys a house as she just wants a fresh start in life.
Noah is our emotionally unavailable man next door who’s mother just so happens to own the wildlife sanctuary in town, the exact one that Cassie is determined to help keep open. He’s moody, broody and has to much on his plate to deal with some city girl like Cassie coming in and making suggestions like ‘tiger yoga’ to help make money. Can they work together to get everything they each want? Or will they just end up makin each other’s lives harder?
I absolutely lovedddd Cassie as a FMC as an adopted woman with half sisters myself I found her really relatable with her struggles/family dynamic. She’s a really strong wiled character and I loved her journey of finding herself. To me this was way more than just a romance book!
Special mention- I loved the opening scene with the tiger!! Hooked me right away!!
I did an immersive read of this book and loved it. It was very personally relatable with the FMC being adopted and it playing such a huge role in the story. I read this in less than 24 hours, I loved how it wasn’t just focused on the romance since the FMC had a lot going on in her life and was struggling to overcome her past.
This story follows Cassie she’s a veterinarian who specializes in exotic animals, she’s recently divorced from the biggest ass in the world and just wants to start over. She was adopted as a baby and has discovered her half sisters, while meeting them she randomly makes the decision to stay and buys a house as she just wants a fresh start in life.
Noah is our emotionally unavailable man next door who’s mother just so happens to own the wildlife sanctuary in town, the exact one that Cassie is determined to help keep open. He’s moody, broody and has to much on his plate to deal with some city girl like Cassie coming in and making suggestions like ‘tiger yoga’ to help make money. Can they work together to get everything they each want? Or will they just end up makin each other’s lives harder?
I absolutely lovedddd Cassie as a FMC as an adopted woman with half sisters myself I found her really relatable with her struggles/family dynamic. She’s a really strong wiled character and I loved her journey of finding herself. To me this was way more than just a romance book!
Special mention- I loved the opening scene with the tiger!! Hooked me right away!!
Review of advance copy
ALC Review for Hambright PR and Madison Score
This was my first Madison Score book and I look forward to reading more in the future. This one really sucked me in as a die hard animal lover. I mean, come on, we started off the book saving a tiger!!
The main characters really have some spicy chemistry together. Noah is a grumpy, loner who has been keeping to himself to protect everyone around him. Cassie is coming to town looking or her half sisters and ends up finding a place that suits all of her dreams. She is starting all over after a horrible breakup with a man who is the a horrible narcissist. On top of that, she has the most disgusting parents.
I love books with a small town vibe. The community, aside from Noah, immediately embrace her. I enjoyed all the acceptance and warmth she received from the community. This only encourages her decision to stay and open her own practice.
As Noah and Cassie grow together, she continues to learn more about her biological mother. This arc to the storyline was so intriguing. The way it all comes together is pretty shocking and the twist about her bio dad is really something else. I did not expect that coming.
This book was entirely narrated by Emma Wilder. I think she did an excellent job of carrying the entire cast. I always enjoy her work.
This was my first Madison Score book and I look forward to reading more in the future. This one really sucked me in as a die hard animal lover. I mean, come on, we started off the book saving a tiger!!
The main characters really have some spicy chemistry together. Noah is a grumpy, loner who has been keeping to himself to protect everyone around him. Cassie is coming to town looking or her half sisters and ends up finding a place that suits all of her dreams. She is starting all over after a horrible breakup with a man who is the a horrible narcissist. On top of that, she has the most disgusting parents.
I love books with a small town vibe. The community, aside from Noah, immediately embrace her. I enjoyed all the acceptance and warmth she received from the community. This only encourages her decision to stay and open her own practice.
As Noah and Cassie grow together, she continues to learn more about her biological mother. This arc to the storyline was so intriguing. The way it all comes together is pretty shocking and the twist about her bio dad is really something else. I did not expect that coming.
This book was entirely narrated by Emma Wilder. I think she did an excellent job of carrying the entire cast. I always enjoy her work.
August 20, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I am absolutely 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝔻 for this story, this couple, this emotional turmoil. 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙊𝙁 𝙄𝙏!!
Firstly, I have to say I immersive-read this one, and the audiobook is a work of art all on its own. 🅴🅼🅼🅰 🆆🅸🅻🅳🅴🆁 absolutely 𝙆𝑰𝙇𝘓𝐄𝐷 𝑰𝘛 with every single character. Her narration genuinely blew my mind a little.
Now, for the story…
Noah is the perfect 𝚐𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢, 𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛-𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 that he stubbornly refuses to deal with. He’s completely closed himself off from love and, honestly, withdrawn from life in general.
And then there’s Cassie.
Even though life has truly handed this woman the biggest damn bag of lemons, she still manages to make lemonade every single day. I love her. 𝚂𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚏𝚎𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚢, 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑. But her past experiences have also left her determined to reject any romantic feelings.
YET… here we are.
Because, as always, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮.
I absolutely adored their story. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, and I fell so ridiculously hard for these two.
This was my first Madison Score book, but it will most definitely not be my last. I am officially invested. 💕
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town 😡 Enemies to Lovers 🐾 Furry Sidekick ☯️ Opposites Attract 🧲 Forced Proximity ❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
I am absolutely 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝔻 for this story, this couple, this emotional turmoil. 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙊𝙁 𝙄𝙏!!
Firstly, I have to say I immersive-read this one, and the audiobook is a work of art all on its own. 🅴🅼🅼🅰 🆆🅸🅻🅳🅴🆁 absolutely 𝙆𝑰𝙇𝘓𝐄𝐷 𝑰𝘛 with every single character. Her narration genuinely blew my mind a little.
Now, for the story…
Noah is the perfect 𝚐𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢, 𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛-𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 that he stubbornly refuses to deal with. He’s completely closed himself off from love and, honestly, withdrawn from life in general.
And then there’s Cassie.
Even though life has truly handed this woman the biggest damn bag of lemons, she still manages to make lemonade every single day. I love her. 𝚂𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚏𝚎𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚢, 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑. But her past experiences have also left her determined to reject any romantic feelings.
YET… here we are.
Because, as always, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮.
I absolutely adored their story. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, and I fell so ridiculously hard for these two.
This was my first Madison Score book, but it will most definitely not be my last. I am officially invested. 💕
TROPES ✨
🏡 Small Town 😡 Enemies to Lovers 🐾 Furry Sidekick ☯️ Opposites Attract 🧲 Forced Proximity ❤️🩹 Emotional Scars
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was such a cute story! And the opening?! I LOVED it! This was fun and swoony but also emotional that kept me rooting for these characters!
If you enjoy animals in your stories this one is for you! This has an animal sanctuary that gives you actual moments with the animals and doesn't gloss over it! Noah and Cassi do not get off on the right foot and their banter with each other shines bright in this one! They had me laughing out loud multiple times! While this was fun and light these characters are also working through some past traumas and does have some emotional moments. It was beautiful to see them fall together and work through it like adults! I really enjoyed this one!
AUDIO: This was narrated in single narration in 3rd person by Emma Wilder and I thought she did a wonderful job!! Her male voice is so believable and loved how she gave each character a different voice so it was easy to follow along. I am a huge fan of Emma and after this one I think everyone will be too!
-Small Town
-Vet FMC
-Woodworking MMC
-Neighbors to Lovers
-Enemies to Lovers
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Opposites Attract
-Family Secrets
Thank you Madison and Hambright PR for this ARC and ALC!
If you enjoy animals in your stories this one is for you! This has an animal sanctuary that gives you actual moments with the animals and doesn't gloss over it! Noah and Cassi do not get off on the right foot and their banter with each other shines bright in this one! They had me laughing out loud multiple times! While this was fun and light these characters are also working through some past traumas and does have some emotional moments. It was beautiful to see them fall together and work through it like adults! I really enjoyed this one!
AUDIO: This was narrated in single narration in 3rd person by Emma Wilder and I thought she did a wonderful job!! Her male voice is so believable and loved how she gave each character a different voice so it was easy to follow along. I am a huge fan of Emma and after this one I think everyone will be too!
-Small Town
-Vet FMC
-Woodworking MMC
-Neighbors to Lovers
-Enemies to Lovers
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Opposites Attract
-Family Secrets
Thank you Madison and Hambright PR for this ARC and ALC!
Review of advance copy
I absolutely loved this one! A small-town romance with a wild tiger, a gorgeous grumpy lumberjack, a veterinarian, and enough banter to have me cackling throughout my entire work day.
Cassie and Noah had insane chemistry and gave major enemies-to-lovers energy. They were both carrying some serious baggage, so watching them work through their pasts and heal together made this so much more than just a cute, spicy romance. The infertility storyline was also handled with so much care and felt incredibly authentic, well done Madison!
The animal/sanctuary aspect was probably one of my favorite parts. Animal lovers, this one is absolutely for you! And Taco? My perfect little guy. Also, “feed your ex to the wolves” had me DEAD.
And can we talk about Emma Wilder’s narration?! I knew going in this wasn’t a duet and I was nervous but she absolutely crushed it and completely brought these characters to life. I would’ve loved a duet, but honestly, she carried this entire audiobook like a freaking champ.
This was my first Madison Score book and I am officially a fan. Funny, swoony, emotional, spicy, and just the right amount of chaotic. Plus… lumbersnack is officially part of my vocabulary now.
Cassie and Noah had insane chemistry and gave major enemies-to-lovers energy. They were both carrying some serious baggage, so watching them work through their pasts and heal together made this so much more than just a cute, spicy romance. The infertility storyline was also handled with so much care and felt incredibly authentic, well done Madison!
The animal/sanctuary aspect was probably one of my favorite parts. Animal lovers, this one is absolutely for you! And Taco? My perfect little guy. Also, “feed your ex to the wolves” had me DEAD.
And can we talk about Emma Wilder’s narration?! I knew going in this wasn’t a duet and I was nervous but she absolutely crushed it and completely brought these characters to life. I would’ve loved a duet, but honestly, she carried this entire audiobook like a freaking champ.
This was my first Madison Score book and I am officially a fan. Funny, swoony, emotional, spicy, and just the right amount of chaotic. Plus… lumbersnack is officially part of my vocabulary now.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
This book had me hooked from the very first chapter! A TIGER LOOSE IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN?! 🐅😂 I was immediately invested!
I absolutely loved the small-town vibe, and this was such a perfect read for animal lovers! 🥰
Cassie is a large animal vet who is escaping a nasty divorce and parents who have never really supported her. She decides to find out where her birth mother is from and get to know her half-sisters, which leads her to this little town and a whole new chapter of her life.
Noah is dealing with the grief of losing his best friend while also trying to help his mom keep the family’s animal sanctuary running. And let me tell you… these two definitely have that enemies-to-lovers dynamic! 🔥 Their relationship had me hooked.
I loved the combination of romance, animals, family, grief, and small-town charm. There was so much to love about this story!
The one thing that took me a little while to get used to was the third-person POV. I typically prefer first person, so it took me a bit to settle into the writing style, but once I did, I was completely invested!
Emma Wilder did a great job narrarating! I did an immersive read and loved it. Madison Score always delivers a great story.
This book had me hooked from the very first chapter! A TIGER LOOSE IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN?! 🐅😂 I was immediately invested!
I absolutely loved the small-town vibe, and this was such a perfect read for animal lovers! 🥰
Cassie is a large animal vet who is escaping a nasty divorce and parents who have never really supported her. She decides to find out where her birth mother is from and get to know her half-sisters, which leads her to this little town and a whole new chapter of her life.
Noah is dealing with the grief of losing his best friend while also trying to help his mom keep the family’s animal sanctuary running. And let me tell you… these two definitely have that enemies-to-lovers dynamic! 🔥 Their relationship had me hooked.
I loved the combination of romance, animals, family, grief, and small-town charm. There was so much to love about this story!
The one thing that took me a little while to get used to was the third-person POV. I typically prefer first person, so it took me a bit to settle into the writing style, but once I did, I was completely invested!
Emma Wilder did a great job narrarating! I did an immersive read and loved it. Madison Score always delivers a great story.
Review of advance copy
"Lumbersnack" 🥵
"Landlord McHandy Pants"
"#ZooDaddy"🤭
"Douchef**k"
I absolutely love the FMC's sassholeiness.
Madison Score's writing is thoroughly enjoyable and Emma Wilder blew it out of the park with the audio narration - because what do you mean this wasn't dual narration?!
(Immersive reading is fastly becoming a favorite way to read books.)
Wild About You is adorable & swoony. It did get heavy & emotional at times. I liked how Cassie and Noah navigated their past traumas and finally opened up and are beginning to heal in order to move forward.
The whole small town of Aster Hollow is one gigantic found family trope and it's exactly what Cass needs after the hell she's been through all her life. 🐦🔥 I fell in love with her strength and tenacity.
You. Go. Girl!!
The banter & chemistry between Cassie & Noah makes them a very adorable book couple.
The plot twist had my eyes bulging out of my head.
The ending with the dolphin rescue had me holding my breath. I actually loved all the animals.
And the epilogue.. oh my heart! 🥹
Do yourselves a favor and Read This Book!
Thank you to Hambright PR and Madison Score for this ARC and ALC.
All thoughts are my own and given freely.
"Landlord McHandy Pants"
"#ZooDaddy"🤭
"Douchef**k"
I absolutely love the FMC's sassholeiness.
Madison Score's writing is thoroughly enjoyable and Emma Wilder blew it out of the park with the audio narration - because what do you mean this wasn't dual narration?!
(Immersive reading is fastly becoming a favorite way to read books.)
Wild About You is adorable & swoony. It did get heavy & emotional at times. I liked how Cassie and Noah navigated their past traumas and finally opened up and are beginning to heal in order to move forward.
The whole small town of Aster Hollow is one gigantic found family trope and it's exactly what Cass needs after the hell she's been through all her life. 🐦🔥 I fell in love with her strength and tenacity.
You. Go. Girl!!
The banter & chemistry between Cassie & Noah makes them a very adorable book couple.
The plot twist had my eyes bulging out of my head.
The ending with the dolphin rescue had me holding my breath. I actually loved all the animals.
And the epilogue.. oh my heart! 🥹
Do yourselves a favor and Read This Book!
Thank you to Hambright PR and Madison Score for this ARC and ALC.
All thoughts are my own and given freely.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
Wild About You by Madison Score
5/5 stars
Romance, emotions, and tigers , oh my! Madison Score has done it again with another emotional romance that will claw at your hearts and make you swoon.
I really enjoyed both Cassie and Noah as they cautiously try to open up their hearts to the possibility of romance. I really enjoyed their journey and just the realness of harrowing and sad emotions. It takes talent to handle and navigate those emotions with two characters, but it adds so much depth to both the individual and couple emotions , and Madison Score does it so well!
CASSIE. We love a strong and independent lead that comes back but still has to deal with wrongs that were not caused by her in childhood and in marriage. I'm glad that she has found all the love she needed and deserved.
NOAH! We love a man that is healed by not only external love, but learns to love himself in the process. What I loved about him is that he means well, but goes about it in a roundabout way. At the center is a man that loves deeply and I love that about him.
Catch this book out on Aug. 24th!
Thank you to @madisonscore and @hambright_pr for an eARC copy for review!
Wild About You by Madison Score
5/5 stars
Romance, emotions, and tigers , oh my! Madison Score has done it again with another emotional romance that will claw at your hearts and make you swoon.
I really enjoyed both Cassie and Noah as they cautiously try to open up their hearts to the possibility of romance. I really enjoyed their journey and just the realness of harrowing and sad emotions. It takes talent to handle and navigate those emotions with two characters, but it adds so much depth to both the individual and couple emotions , and Madison Score does it so well!
CASSIE. We love a strong and independent lead that comes back but still has to deal with wrongs that were not caused by her in childhood and in marriage. I'm glad that she has found all the love she needed and deserved.
NOAH! We love a man that is healed by not only external love, but learns to love himself in the process. What I loved about him is that he means well, but goes about it in a roundabout way. At the center is a man that loves deeply and I love that about him.
Catch this book out on Aug. 24th!
Thank you to @madisonscore and @hambright_pr for an eARC copy for review!
Review of advance copy
Romance, wild hearts, and the whisper of tiger claws! Madison Score spins another tale that prowls straight into your soul.
Cassie and Noah move through this story like two wounded constellations learning how to shine again. Their tenderness, their hesitation, their aching hope - every moment feels like a soft bruise you press just to remember you’re alive. Madison doesn’t just write emotion; she conducts it, letting sorrow and longing braid themselves into something breathtaking.
Cassie rises like a sunrise after a storm - strong, steady, and still carrying the shadows of a childhood and marriage that she shouldn’t have endured. Watching her claim the love she has always deserved feels like witnessing a phoenix choose flight.
Noah is a quiet miracle. A man who learns that healing isn’t gifted to you, but a truth you grow inside yourself. He loves so deeply and profoundly, even when he takes the long way around. That devotion, that softness beneath the scars, makes him unforgettable.
This story doesn’t just make you swoon, it makes you feel. It makes you remember. It makes you believe - five enthusiastic stars!
Cassie and Noah move through this story like two wounded constellations learning how to shine again. Their tenderness, their hesitation, their aching hope - every moment feels like a soft bruise you press just to remember you’re alive. Madison doesn’t just write emotion; she conducts it, letting sorrow and longing braid themselves into something breathtaking.
Cassie rises like a sunrise after a storm - strong, steady, and still carrying the shadows of a childhood and marriage that she shouldn’t have endured. Watching her claim the love she has always deserved feels like witnessing a phoenix choose flight.
Noah is a quiet miracle. A man who learns that healing isn’t gifted to you, but a truth you grow inside yourself. He loves so deeply and profoundly, even when he takes the long way around. That devotion, that softness beneath the scars, makes him unforgettable.
This story doesn’t just make you swoon, it makes you feel. It makes you remember. It makes you believe - five enthusiastic stars!
Review of advance copy
Thank you Madison Score & Hambright PR for the ALC of Wild About You
🎤 Narrated by Emma Wilder
🗓 August 27, 2026
~~
This was so amazing! I loved every minute of it. Cassie and Noah were perfectly written and they were surrounded by so many great characters (🩷 Noah's mom, Gloria).
There is so much to this book: It's funny, entertaining, emotional, romantic, and there's also a little bit of mystery!
I loved the funny exchanges between Cassie and Noah when they were "enemies" - so much of that made me laugh. And... the sweet moments when they were romantically involved, but "not looking for anything serious" 😉
The animal sanctuary/animal care aspect of the book was so good. I think Madison did such a great job with putting an emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation and treating all animals with respect.
Emma Wilder was the perfect narrator for this. She did a great job with the male and female characters, and especially with the emotions.
I could really go on and on about Wild About You 😍 It is definitely a must-read!!
🎤 Narrated by Emma Wilder
🗓 August 27, 2026
~~
This was so amazing! I loved every minute of it. Cassie and Noah were perfectly written and they were surrounded by so many great characters (🩷 Noah's mom, Gloria).
There is so much to this book: It's funny, entertaining, emotional, romantic, and there's also a little bit of mystery!
I loved the funny exchanges between Cassie and Noah when they were "enemies" - so much of that made me laugh. And... the sweet moments when they were romantically involved, but "not looking for anything serious" 😉
The animal sanctuary/animal care aspect of the book was so good. I think Madison did such a great job with putting an emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation and treating all animals with respect.
Emma Wilder was the perfect narrator for this. She did a great job with the male and female characters, and especially with the emotions.
I could really go on and on about Wild About You 😍 It is definitely a must-read!!
August 16, 2026
This is an absolute gem of a small-town romance, and what a fantastic introduction to a new-to-me author!
Cassie and Noah meet in the most unforgettable way—rescuing an escaped, abused tiger on a dark road at night. From there, their story only gets better. Cassie is starting fresh after escaping an abusive marriage, coming to town to meet her half-sisters and opening a vet practice. Noah is her grumpy landlord and neighbor, heavily burdened by grief and guilt while managing his family's animal rescue.
What made this book work so well:
* Natural Dynamics: The relationships between all the characters felt incredibly authentic and relatable.
* Deep Emotion: Score does an amazing job making you feel for both Noah and Cassie as they heal from past trauma together.
* A Top-Tier Villain: Cassie’s ex-husband is written so well that you will despise him with a burning fire.
If you love small-town romance, grumpy-meets-sunshine, animal rescues, and deeply emotional character growth, don't sleep on this one. Highly recommend!
Cassie and Noah meet in the most unforgettable way—rescuing an escaped, abused tiger on a dark road at night. From there, their story only gets better. Cassie is starting fresh after escaping an abusive marriage, coming to town to meet her half-sisters and opening a vet practice. Noah is her grumpy landlord and neighbor, heavily burdened by grief and guilt while managing his family's animal rescue.
What made this book work so well:
* Natural Dynamics: The relationships between all the characters felt incredibly authentic and relatable.
* Deep Emotion: Score does an amazing job making you feel for both Noah and Cassie as they heal from past trauma together.
* A Top-Tier Villain: Cassie’s ex-husband is written so well that you will despise him with a burning fire.
If you love small-town romance, grumpy-meets-sunshine, animal rescues, and deeply emotional character growth, don't sleep on this one. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy
Thank you to Hambright PR and the author for both the ALC and eArc of this book. The narrator did an amazing job.
As someone who lived in baltimore I loved all the call outs to: old bay, crab cakes, berger cookies, and Natty bo.
This was more than just a romance story. This was a book about two people finding themselves again and it felt so authentic and true to life. Noah had to overcome grief and guilt and Cassie had to overcome being a people pleaser, victim of an abusive ex, and abandoment.
Wild about you is a true slow burn. The two of them try to fight their connection until they can’t. Noah’s love language was acts of service and was done so well. I love that Cassie had her story and personality outside of Noah. She was such a badass being a zoo vet and I’m happy she persevered through all the trauma of her last and figured out what her true passion and place was.
Highly recommend this to readers who love rivals to lovers, grumpy MMC, really smart FMC, she’s a vet for exotic animals, and healing and overcoming trauma
And grief.
As someone who lived in baltimore I loved all the call outs to: old bay, crab cakes, berger cookies, and Natty bo.
This was more than just a romance story. This was a book about two people finding themselves again and it felt so authentic and true to life. Noah had to overcome grief and guilt and Cassie had to overcome being a people pleaser, victim of an abusive ex, and abandoment.
Wild about you is a true slow burn. The two of them try to fight their connection until they can’t. Noah’s love language was acts of service and was done so well. I love that Cassie had her story and personality outside of Noah. She was such a badass being a zoo vet and I’m happy she persevered through all the trauma of her last and figured out what her true passion and place was.
Highly recommend this to readers who love rivals to lovers, grumpy MMC, really smart FMC, she’s a vet for exotic animals, and healing and overcoming trauma
And grief.
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