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My late wife made a bet with me: if I marry her brother, I have to take his last name.

“That's the rule. You marry two Navarros, you become one of us.”

Renée always did have a sense of humor—even as she was dying—but I’ll never love anyone the way I loved her. Falling for my brother-in-law? Psh. Desi’s almost twenty years younger than me and far too pretty.

Besides, my son would never forgive me.

Still, it's getting harder and harder to deny our chemistry with every encounter. I just want to pretend that none of this is happening.

God, what if I can’t keep pretending?
The worst kept secret at Rebel Sky Ranch is that I’m deeply, tragically in love with Wyatt Goodnight.

Not only is he my late sister’s husband, but he may have changed my diapers once upon a time. And his son, my best friend, hates the fact that I’m in love with his father.

Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it.

There are times when I think I’m the only person who sees the real Wyatt. The man who sacrificed everything for my sister, who moved heaven and earth to try to save her. The man who wants a life beyond the ranch.

But he denies us, ignores his own feelings, and pretends that his hands don’t know the exact weight and measure of me.

What if he never sees how good we could be together?

Age gap, hurt-comfort, size difference.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2021

189 people are currently reading
379 people want to read

About the author

Kelly Fox

57 books788 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
Profile Image for ellie.
356 reviews3,746 followers
January 9, 2022
do you ever read a character and think “i bet they smell bad”?? bcos wow, reading this all i could think was “bet Wyatt is stinky as fuck”.

don’t ask me to explain further, i just churned out a 2500 word essay so i don’t even know my own name at this point.

and someone needs to pay for my therapy at the implication Desi was fucking a giant tub of Vaseline while pining for Wyatt and reading Wyatt “feasting” on Desi’s armpits and licking between his toes👁👄👁 topped off by Desi saying “no prep. im not in high school anymore”. wtf has that got to do with having a giant schlong shoved in your dry arsehole??

this gets 2 stars for my SamTrip crumbs💅🏻
Profile Image for Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish).
931 reviews186 followers
June 29, 2023
The dead ex trope - when will I ever learn…

I mean - I know. The Rebel Sky Ranch books are revolving around Renée, Wyatt’s beloved wife who died of leukaemia 2 years before these events happen. She was the shining star everyone and everything revolved around: not only her son Trip, but Wyatt, and her brother Desi’s, too.

But… uh. It’s a bit much for me sometimes.

This book is about Desi, her younger brother, who’s been in love with Wyatt for as long as he remembers. Desi is actually one of my favourite characters ever written by Kelly Fox, and I’ve been looking forward to his story. He’s 30ish, bright and colourful, always there to brighten the mood, and he stepped up when the ranch was in financial difficulties.

Now he’s living there, with Wyatt, despite the fact that it hurts him seeing Wyatt slowly waking up from his grief and going on dates.

Then there’s Wyatt. Full of grief and guilt because he doesn’t love the ranch as much as Renée did. And behaving like a man MUCH older than 49. Idk. Maybe it’s because the loss of his wife was such a hard blow that in a way, he lost his joy of life, too.

And on top of that, he feels guilty for being attracted to Desi, whom he “changed his diapers” (honestly, the diapers were mentioned SO often, you’d think Desi is a teenager and Wyatt his grandfather 🙄)

But anyway. Back to the dead ex.

I’ve read my share, and some of the books with this trope are good, and some not. I honestly don’t even know in which category to put this one: it was (probably) realistic for the unlikely scenario that the grieving widower falls for his brother-in-law. On the other hand, Renée (and talking about her. Remembering her) was SUCH a huge part of this book, that the relationship between Wyatt and Desi almost felt like a threesome.

So yeah. Not really my kind of book, but I stayed with it because of the (really good) narration and Texas twang by Declan Winters.

Finishing off the series now with the final installment, Warwick, which is mmm and I’m very curious to see how the author pulled it off 🙂
Profile Image for Martin.
807 reviews604 followers
January 23, 2022
Aaaaw, that's so sad.

I really wanted to like this story. Wyatt is an interesting character who isn't a typical muscle sex god. He's almost 50, hairy, has two nipple piercings and is a posterboy of a silver fox bear.

But sadly, this story didn't work for me.

First, there are simply too many characters who have their say in Wyatt's and Desi's relationship, worst of all Wyatt's son, who - as it turns out - is gay or bi himself and got together with a cam porn actor that he wants to raise children with. On their horse farm.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Wyatt lost his wife two years ago to leukemia. Her brother Desi is 20 years younger than Wyatt and also lives on the same ranch with them. Everyone knows that Desi is in love with Wyatt. And Wyatt is so affectionate and hands-on with Desi that it seems downright cruel if he didn't love the boy back.

So there's a lot of back and forth between them, but my main issue was that Desi always went to find a hook-up whenever he felt hurt by Wyatt. And Wyatt got jealous over it.

Also, on this horse ranch, there seem to be a number of very unlikely people who dress glamorously and need walk in closets for their fashionable stuff, even though they're on a farm!!

And Wyatt is a sad widower on the one hand, and a horny sex beast on the other, always describing the sexual conquests he had with his wife in their open bisexual relationship.

Not to forget Wyatt's son Trip and his sex noises with his fiance that Wyatt comments about on the next day over breakfast.

The summary of all that freaks me out a bit, even though I love age gap romances with imperfect characters.

To be honest, I'm not sure I want to see where Desi and Wyatt will end up together.

DNF at 50%
Profile Image for Kati *☆・゚.
1,313 reviews700 followers
September 24, 2022
4.25**** stars


I honestly feel quite flabbergasted with this book. I intended to only fly through it real quick, get all the insides on what I need to know for the 4th and last book in the series and be done with it. I wasn’t really interested in Wyatt’s and Desi’s romance. So I wasn’t expecting to love it so much. But honestly their love story was so beautiful. Painful, but beautiful.


Let me tell you about Renée. She lost her fight against cancer a while back but she still remains a very strong presence at her beloved Rebel Sky Ranch. She was Wyatt’s wife, Trips mother and also Desi’s big sister. And she was loved so so much by all of these men. So you may see the very delicate situation here when it comes to a romance between Wyatt & Desi.

“It's never been a secret that Desi Navarro loves Wyatt Goodnight. The real secret,” [...] “is that Wyatt Goodnight loves Desi Navarro right back.”


And really, like everyone could see that in the previous book(s).

It was so wonderful to witness how powerful and giving this woman was even if she was no longer alive. Renée was so observant, loving and generous and she trusted her little brother to take care of the love of her life… after.

[from Renées letter to her son, Trip:]
The only person capable of loving your father as much as I did is my brother.


♡♡♡




And wow, all this other twisted stuff Kelly Fox dropped on us in this one. Shit, all the pain we see enfold for so many of the side characters. I can’t wait to get to Warwick and to Sworn Enemy right after. I don’t even know for whom my heart breaks the most right now.


************
Rebel Sky Ranch Series:

Book 1 - Goodnight - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Sparrow - 3.5 stars
Book 3 - Navarro - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Warwick - 4.0 stars
Profile Image for ML.
1,625 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2025
Soap Opera level drama

First off, I REALLY wanted to love this book….

This book is like a season of Dallas, very
soap opera-y. Everyone has had sex with everyone else in this town. It’s very, if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you are with, kind of book. Thank you Stephen Stills for that great old song 🎶.

Desi has been in love with his brother-in-law for most of his life. Wyatt isn’t aware of this until much later. Then, their passive aggressive journey to love begins. Push/pull. 3 steps forward 5 steps back love story. NGL, you get a bit of emotional whiplash. AND why love has to be a competition was cringy for me. Wyatt loved Desi more than his dead wife. Why that needed to be a thing was troublesome for me. Like why couldn’t their love just be different, not better or worse but not the same. I really did NOT like this plot point. AND the way Trip found out about them was VERY predictable and sort of more cringe on top of cringe. Ugh.

Then a convenient letter is thrown into the plot and everything changes.

The HEA was off page and you have to do the author’s newsletter to read it. Not a fan of that! After you went through all the emotional struggles with this couple, then you miss reading their wedding.
Seriously. 😣 UGH. No, just no.
I’m crying uncle. The irony.
Profile Image for Dani.
1,707 reviews335 followers
January 18, 2025
I really, really was loving this right up until they finally got together 😂

Honestly the pining, the angst, the absolute adoration.... soooo good! Absolute catnip to me! I loved the build up for these guys so much and I loved how it was a really good slowburn.

What bothered me though was that as soon as they got together, the author reverted back to constant sex scenes! Some of them were great with lots of emotion and finally getting to be together, others were just there for the sake of it and kinda bored me! Again, I don't really find it interesting to read every single instance the characters decide to have sex, the same as I don't find it interesting to have their every meal of every day described in detail, or their clothing choices! Also the constant referencing of Trip and Sam having noisy sex was maybe funny the first time, but after the fifth it was sooo old and felt lazy to keep recycling the same embarrasment factor so much!

I really enjoyed the emotional turmoil though, especially where Trip was involved, because I could definitely see why he would be upset. The dead spouse trope doesn't bother me - life goes on, people deserve to move on and be happy - but there were some parts that just felt a little too good to be true.

I also enjoyed the set up to Warwick's book although I do hope there's actual emotional development and growth with all three characters and not just an endless book of boring sex scenes because I'm honestly bored of reading them now - I want plot and character development more than I want to know how many times they can orgasm in a day 😂
Profile Image for ♡{BookMarked}♡.
223 reviews
December 29, 2021
I understand what this book wanted to be, but it didn't get there.

It was a really REALLY long, drawn out mess that started out OK and quickly became melodramatic and laughably predictable. I also felt that the book was quite juvenile as it was full of familiar (and frankly, boring) tropes in terms of story/character conflicts, development, angst etc. Related to the predictable tropes; I absolutely hated that Wyatt and Desi's love had to be compared to Wyatt and Renee's, as though the only way to make their love truly valid was to find it superior. To highlight the superiority of Desi and Wyatt's relationship, the author made Renee seem really selfish and manipulative. The memory of her and her relationship with Wyatt was completely tarnished by this book. Lazy writing.

Looking forward, I'm not sure how I feel about the MMM set up of the next book. I'm totally fine with MMM in general, but I never warmed up to Joaquin because he always felt a bit more like a caricature than an actual developed character.

This is the third book I have read in the Rebel Sky Ranch series and I'm sorry to say I think there are better MM books with a ranch setting out there e.g., Farthingdale Ranch series by Jackie North.
Profile Image for Ana  Nimity.
1,306 reviews64 followers
December 24, 2021
This series speaks to my heart, and this book loudest of all. Having been through the death of a spouse myself, and having attempted to navigate relationships afterwards, I feel for Wyatt as he fights his attraction to Desi, his wife's younger brother. Kelly Fox writes grief so well, I feel every bit of every one in the family's pain as if Renee were one of my own family.

Then again, I feel like this cast of characters is family anyway, along with the Guardians, some of whom make cameo appearances in Navarro. This "forbidden" age-gap romance isn't all tears, though. As usual, there's plenty of laughter and snark, and the sex is off-the-charts hot. At this point, I feel like I've run out of superlatives for this author's work, but the thing that impresses me the most is her conversational style and relatable characters that makes me feel at home, as if I could head over to the Texas Hill Country and run into someone from Rebel Sky Ranch in Dripping Springs or surrounding towns.

I cried, I laughed, I swooned.. Although you can read Navarro as a standalone, I highly recommend starting at the VERY beginning with the Wrecked series, or even Scout and the Lavender Girl if you read FF. Or with the Wrecked: Guardians series, because they're awesome. At the very least, start with Goodnight, the first in this series, because they're all SUCH good books, you'll be glad you did.
Profile Image for Gabrielle.
88 reviews
November 5, 2022
This felt too long at times and while I’m all about honoring the memory of someone that’s passed, especially if it’s one of the MC’s wife, I got kinda fed up of hearing about her. It made Desi and Wyatt’s love seem tainted.
I started skimming a lot and I feel like I was over promised and it under delivered.
Profile Image for Aimee Nicole Walker.
Author 74 books2,016 followers
October 18, 2022
I was so excited to get back to this series. I’ve been craving this book from the beginning, and it didn’t disappoint. The story was sexy and emotional with an organic flow. There was so much intimacy, chemistry, and connection between Desi and Wyatt. I love all the ins and outs of ranch life and the found family bond shared by everyone associated with the ranch. Looking forward to book four.
Profile Image for Shelly.
279 reviews9 followers
December 28, 2021
I admit that I am a rabid Kelly Fox fangirl. Every book she's written seems to have that perfect mix of humor, action, and heart to make her characters some of the most memorable to me. But this book? Sweet baby Jesus. She somehow leveled up with this book and there needs to be a whole new ranking now. Everything -- absolutely everything in this book -- was dialed up to eleven for me.

I had been waiting for Wyatt and Desi's story, but I had no idea it would resonate to the depths it did. The heartbreak from the first page was visceral and I felt it acutely. (I still feel a unique sense loss that "I" never got to know Renee personally, until I remind myself that she's not actually a real person. *sob*) The pining and longing between Desi and Wyatt was three books and many decades in the making, which made it exceptionally potent and poignant. The unresolved sexual tension teased me to unmerciful levels. The humor and snark was used at perfectly placed moments to release the pressure and the pain, making those simple, sad moments into something bittersweet and profound and beautifully complicated instead. Plus we got to see all the characters I'd come to adore in this series and others.

The plot was also surprising and refreshing. But the biggest surprise to me was how much I loved hearing about Wyatt and Renee's marriage, even though I was routing for Desi and Wyatt since book one. But I genuinely loved reading about the healthy way they navigated their unique marriage. I also loved how Wyatt was portrayed as an older widow, but he was still very sexual and sensual. Older characters are so often written as crusty and boring until a younger lover comes along. Wyatt was older, but his experience and openness made him so much more intriguing. And Desi was so good and beautiful in every way, it made every moment of pain he endured like torture for me. But then the payoff was stratospheric because of this.

If I thought I cried sad tears during the beginning and middle of this story, it was nothing compared to the river of happy tears I sobbed at the end. Sobbed, people. Hands down, this was my favorite Kelly Fox book, which is saying something. But if I thought this one hurt, I think she might break me with Wick's story... 6 out of 5 stars!
Profile Image for Tammy Cody.
271 reviews19 followers
December 30, 2021
4.5/5

Age gap books are usually hard for me to love but this one was well-written and I really felt connected to the characters. This one also had the whole added dynamic of one MC being the brother of the second MC’s deceased wife. I felt like that aspect was explored really well and it actually made a lot of sense. The heat level was typical Kelly Fox and SO hot once they got there (hello slow burn!). Loved it!
Profile Image for Caity.
212 reviews6 followers
January 12, 2025
Still crying over this one. I have loved Desi and Wyatt since book one of this series but I had no idea how it was ever going to work, especially with Tripp (the son) not being supportive. This book was everything. My heart broke for sweet Desi. His love and longing for Wyatt lasting literal decades! I was rooting for them the whole book but this was definitely a hard fought win. Once Wyatt got his head on straight their love was so beautiful! I also loved that Desi was also rubbing on Wyatts belly and how needy he was for Wyatt. Ugh 10/10!!
Profile Image for Jaqueline.
116 reviews
December 29, 2021
Barely finished this to be honest. My 3 stars are for Desi, a bit for Wyatt and the subplot about Jason and Justin. But I almost gave it 2 stars. This was unnecessary long and the story dragged on A LOT. I skipped 3 sex scenes because I just wanted to read the development of other stuff.

Also, I can't read the name Renée without being fed up. The author tried to make Renée this amazing querky character but in the end, she was just selfish. I actually hate her. I understand people being submissive if that's their choice, but I feel like Wyatt was a hostage in their relationship. He isn't actually poly but because selfish Renée always got what selfish Renée wanted, he accepted an open relationship. He sacrificed a lot for her and it appears that she never did the same for him. Their relationship was unbalanced and kinda toxic. I like to think that if she didn't die, they would end up getting a divorce. Wyatt even says when he wakes up with Desi after making love for the first time, that he never felt so happy even before her diagnosis. So there you have it. He wasn't happy already. And it was obvious to me from the start that he loved Desi more than he loved her, because Desi respected him and didn't force his wants on him. Ugh, I really hate her. Also, they talk about her all the time, that can't be healthy.



I'm not reading the next book, because I hate MMM stories with a passion, so I'm only coming back for Patrick and Jason and I'm guessing Justin and Charlie.
Profile Image for Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers.
1,181 reviews436 followers
July 20, 2024
This wasn’t really a cowboy MM book, even tho it was. I’ll explain.

When I want to read a cowboy MM book, I want REAL cowboys, the tough, man-of-few-words, drawling, waters-run-deep type of man’s man. Hard work out on the ranch, bow-legged, stallion riding kind of man.

This was just set on a ranch, Wyatt (cowboy name) is actually a software developer who only bought the ranch bc of his dead wife’s dream. He doesn’t even want it.

The other MC, Desi, is definitely not a cowboy. He’s the “pretty” one vs Wyatt as the big Daddy bear.

So, that’s kinda disappointing.

The dead wife being a hurdle, and the son too, was pretty old throughout the book. Then, the author had to make sure we all knew that as much as Wyatt grieved for his wife that he loved so very much, he loves Desi more. But… I never really felt it. At most, I can see that he might love Desi AS MUCH. The demonstration of love between them, a grander one than he had before, was not done properly.

So, I’m just left annoyed at all the airtime given to the dead wife, then annoyed that I don’t believe he and Desi were the ultimate love match after all. Makes me feel the dead wife was just a stepping stone, born earlier, met him sooner and got in the way.

Which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Every time I read about passionate lovers who had each other for a long time when, really, they could have been potentially happier loving someone else, I cringe. It’s not the kind of True Love I want to read in my romance novels.

BUT.

I learned something new: compersion. When you enjoy watching someone else sexually pleasure your partner. Huh.
Profile Image for DJO.
1,280 reviews18 followers
July 17, 2023
Bailing on this series. I somehow skipped over book 2 and landed on this, book 3. But it’s just not for me. The story went round and round and never seemed to go anywhere until around the 75% mark. And then shit happened and then at 85%, all kinds of groundwork was being laid for what I assume is the next book in the series. Just not working for me. And the guy on the cover? He’s supposed to be in his mid-40’s? Looks at least 60. Blah.
Profile Image for Marthea.
1,016 reviews15 followers
October 1, 2022
Ten tom miał zbyt dużo podobieństw - przynajmniej jak na moje upodobania - do opery mydlanej. Drama goniła dramę, a od mniej więcej 2/3 wszyscy tak bardzo płakali - w pojedynkę, w tandemie, w trzech, nawet w czterech - że cud, że w moim laptopie nie powstało krótkie zwarcie bądź totalne przepalenie czego się tylko dało od tych wszystkich łez 😜
Profile Image for Steph (Teacups & Tropes).
872 reviews131 followers
April 23, 2022
2/5 ★
2/5 🌶

I had such high hopes for this one but it fell very flat for me. And Wyatt was an absolute cock for 80% of this story. I just can’t.
Profile Image for ⋆。°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°。⋆.
1,195 reviews240 followers
December 12, 2022


I didn't like this story.

I'm giving it 3⭐ solely because of Desi Navarro, because I really, really liked him. When I think of this series, it's Desi that's the first one I think about. I like his style, his personality and I was really rooting for his heart, because he's been hopelessly in love with his half-sister's husband for pretty much most of his life.



I know Desi is more fashionable and all that, but in general, this is how I imagined him.

So, with the story being delicate, I was really hoping the author would make that distinction very clear about Desi being very different and more for Wyatt (than his late wife).
It was mentioned in one therapy session that Wyatt had different feelings for Desi, and it was not enough (for me).

The whole book was about Renee, Desi's late sister, Wyatt's late wife. Everything was about her, up to the very last page and I found it a bit inappropriate, especially when Desi and Wyatt were finally together, and yet, they still talked of the late wife and sister, all the time.
Isn't that weird? Like, give it a rest already and breathe, have a new start.

💔I didn't feel like Desi got the love he deserved. He was in love with Wyatt, fine, great, but for Wyatt he should have been a lot, lot more than his late wife. There should have been something that would let me know how special and different Desi was to Wyatt even before they got together, how he was pulled in that direction through the years, but I didn't feel it. Because there wasn't. Even when Wyatt was beginning to crush on Desi, I didn't feel it. And I didn't buy it when he suddenly realised he loved him.
Up to about 50% of the book I thought Wyatt was a total asshole and I almost didn't read the rest of it.

It felt like Desi was in a firm second place, getting crumbs and some. And he had so much to give. I don't like Wyatt and I don't like the development of the events for Desi.


I however do like Luke and Sparrow, they seem solid, they get secretly married, I love seeing them together. I think I didn't rate their book high enough. They're a really good couple.

Trip was a bit annoying with accepting his dad and Desi, he's almost 30 and his family accepted him, so I don't know, I think he was a bit childish, but him and Sam get married at the end of this book and it's beautiful.


💔💔💔

I realised I should've read Jason and Patrick's book before this one, because in this book they're already together and since I've read Sworn Enemy before any other book, and the books in this series are giving me additional details on Justin, I think I'll have to re-read Sworn Enemy after I finish the series.
Profile Image for Denise H..
3,250 reviews272 followers
August 5, 2022
Marvelous tale of unrequited love finally being satisfied...
* Wyatt, on cover, about 47, a big , serious

cowboy who runs the Rebel Sky Ranch, a sliver fox, bearded, and pierced nipples, lost his wife and her brother, Desi is very much in the family's life. Wyatt is Trip's father, who is with Sam.

* Desi Navarro, 33, dark hair and blue eyes, with vitiligo (skin condition) is vivacious and confident, a finance specialist, who helps out the ranch. He's a smaller guy and out and proud, plus he's been in love with Wyatt forever.

We see Wyatt and his wife in a verbal flashback 20 years ago, and then 2 years ago when she was fighting cancer.

Each of our men are fighting the attraction because neither wants to disappoint Wyatt's son, Trip. Therefore they spend lots of time avoiding each other. When they have a drunken encounter it rocks their souls. How will they ever let go of what the others will think and just be together?

We meet up with other characters from the series and find out their updates. We get deep thoughts, a well paced tale and eventually the two MCs get to tell their true feelings to each other, and after that we get lots of sizzling hot sexiness for our silver bear and his gorgeous twink. It's an intense love, deeply passionate, a forever bond.



This is a full bodied story that gives us a wide look at Wyatt's relationships, and there's more to his story than being Trip's father and Renee's husband. In between all of that drama, we have old friends who have a crisis, attempted suicide and much help given.

Everything for Wyatt has changed, but he's happier than ever, until he hurts Desi's feelings and Desi runs away. Once they make up and talk, it's a marathon of ecstasy, pleasure, bliss and love, making up for the lost years. They still do have the worry of Trip's reaction.



The epilogue is super sweet and has surprises ! I have liked each story in this series !
ENJOY !

(there is an attempted suicide of a friend, and a warning in the front) Our author kindly has a warning at the beginning of each book for different issues.

=====
Profile Image for Astro.
27 reviews13 followers
February 20, 2023
Bro this whole book was wall to wall frustration, and not In a good way. I wanted to like it so much with the buildup from the previous ones, I'm very familiar with losing people close to you and grief so curious to see how it would be handled but this was... Something else. Straight up ignoring last wishes and shit
Waaaay too many people had to be involved in this mess
Also wtf is with everybody fucking everyone and being so freaking touchy for like no reason? Got a big ick vibe

"if renee were here she would flick me in the forehead so hard" dude she should have punched you in the mouth

Also shotgun (which doesn't have bullets but shells I'm pretty sure) aimed at the face but hey it missed the cranium so all good I guess? :')
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nanna Mørk-Sander.
711 reviews43 followers
January 9, 2022
Good premise; less than stellar execution.

I love unrequited love stories, and that part I felt was well done here. What I did not like as much, was the shift away from that.

There is a lot of telling and not a lot of showing emotions to the point where I didn't completely see the connection between Desi and Wyatt. I'm just told it is there, and then everything becomes a whirlwind.

I don't know if it would have helped having read the other books in the series first, but I had not. Maybe that is my fault. Ultimately, I was just left a little disappointed, but not enough to not finish the book.
Profile Image for J.L..
Author 14 books71 followers
February 7, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an electronic ARC of this novel from the author.

“The worst-kept secret at Rebel Sky Ranch is that Desi Navarro loves Wyatt Goodnight.”

Fox has been planting the seeds of this romance from the very beginning of this series, and with this book, she absolutely delivers. But before we get to the romance, we have to talk about the characters, including Wyatt’s wife and Desi’s older sister, who passed away a few years ago. It would have been easy enough for Fox to create Renee through the liberal use of flashbacks, but we get exactly two that feature her (and one of them isn’t even in this book). Instead, her personality is created through both her absence as the heart of the ranch and the long-lasting effect she has on every single character, even those not related to her. She is a complete presence in this series, especially in this book.

If you’re easily moved to tears, have the tissues handy for this one. The “hurt/comfort” tag is real here, as Wyatt and Desi circle each other with a delicious push and pull dynamic. Wyatt is wildly conflicted about his level of attraction toward Desi, while Desi has lived with his feelings for what feels like his entire life. Cue the angst. Like, all of the angst, especially after certain alcohol-induced shenanigans. Both men retreat to lick their wounds in their own fashion, none of which is helped by Wyatt’s son’s vocal derision toward any idea of his father and uncle in a romantic relationship.

I can’t go into too much detail to avoid spoilers, but I appreciated Fox’s emphasis on both men’s character development regarding their journey through their grief. The emotions are strong on all fronts, even when the pair does “get together,” but I shed my share of tears even as they adapted to the new facets of their relationship. Because the story doesn’t end there—Wyatt’s son Trip has OPINIONS on this new development.

Fox breaks pattern here by giving readers a scene from Trip’s point of view. This is probably most appreciated by readers who have read the entire series so far, but I think even newcomers recognize the importance of Trip’s blessing of this union in the grander scheme of how life at Rebel Sky Ranch needs to evolve. (Be prepared for more tears, though they were happier here than the ugly crying I experienced earlier.)

So, why is this book called Navarro when the handsome Wyatt Goodnight is on the cover? It’s not because Fox already used Goodnight as a title in this series. Yes, you’ll probably cry again when you find out.

I’m not sure how many more books Fox has planned for this series. However, in much the same way she led us toward the inevitability of this book, threads for two more are woven here. I’m intrigued by both for very different reasons, and I’m definitely into this amazing series for the long haul. I don’t know when I’ll be emotionally ready to read this particular book again. Still, I have the feeling it will eventually happen because of how truly enjoyable I found it (even amidst all the crying).

February 2023: Audiobook
Profile Image for Meg (queer_book_recs).
929 reviews61 followers
January 18, 2026
In the years since his wife’s death, mired in guilt, middle-aged Wyatt has been suppressing his feelings for his much younger brother-in-law Desi. Meanwhile Desi has been in love with Wyatt for as long as he can remember, but thinks Wyatt will never choose to be with Desi knowing Wyatt’s son (and Desi’s best friend) Trip would be devastated.

Navarro is the third book in Kelly Fox’s Rebel Sky Ranch series, and it might be my favorite so far, but I’ve given all of them five stars. I have just loved this series! This book deals with a lot of grief, guilt, shame, feelings of inadequacy, and unrequited love, making it an incredibly emotional read. It felt really authentic to me, especially the scenes where Wyatt is coming to terms with his feelings while talking to his grief counselor. Wyatt, Desi, and Trip all have so many complicated feelings about the situation and I felt like it was all handled really well. I loved that the three of them allowed themselves to be vulnerable and emotional. This book also has plenty of humor in it too so it doesn’t get too dark, and it’s incredibly steamy!

As much as I love a bi-awakening story, I loved that Wyatt has known he’s bisexual for a long time, and I love that he and Renee were open and that they dabbled in polyamory, and that he has so many good memories of their lives together before she got sick.

Navarro also includes a lot of set up for future books and I’m so excited to read the rest of the series! If you haven’t started this series yet, now is the perfect time to catch up! It’s a spin off of the Wrecked:Guardians series, but it is not necessary to read those books although the characters are mentioned occasionally. I thought Wrecked:Guardians was a fantastic series though, so I recommend reading them if you like a more action-packed/dark humor/vigilante justice type series.
Profile Image for Cat.
1,139 reviews17 followers
December 28, 2021
Another beautifully crafted romance from Kelly Fox!

This is one of the most romantic books I read in 2021 and the most romantic that Kelly has written to date. I adored every bit of it. Wyatt and Desi are in the previous two books and are constantly dancing around their feelings. Wyatt is clueless and hiding within his grief. Desi thinks he’s obvious with his feelings but also doesn’t want to say something and ruin everything. This is one of those stories where most of the side characters know the two MCs are in love, but then Kelly throws in an extra element - there’s a lot of hurt, pain, grief and just general messiness between these two.

The way their love unfolds was genuinely beautiful and I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything like it. These men wear their hearts on their sleeves. They cry openly. They own their faults. They love deeply. And? They speak to therapists and process their emotions in a healthy way! Kelly always includes these elements in her stories and they add so much depth and emotion to the story and her characters.

My favorite part of the book is Wyatt’s journey to reconciling his love for his late wife and his love for Desi (his wife’s brother), plus coming to terms with being a different person after the death of his wife. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book takes you on an emotional journey!

One more thing - Wyatt is openly bi and open about being involved in a poly relationship in the past with his late wife. I love bi awakening stories, but it’s nice to read about someone who is confident in their s*xuality and how they identify.

This could be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the series in order to get the full emotional impact.
Profile Image for Shana_Bobana.
404 reviews4 followers
December 28, 2021
This story was incredible, and fit in so we’re with the rest of the Rebel Sky series perfectly.

To be honest I wasn’t sure if I was going to read this story, and had to really think hard about it. There were two reasons I wasn’t sure if I would read this story 1) Wyatt and his late wife Renee were poly and I don’t really connect to those stories. I knew it would be discussed in this book and I wasn’t sure if that would impact my connection to this story, and 2) Desi is Renee’s younger brother making this a “forbidden” romance. I also don’t usually feel connected to “forbidden” romances like that.

So with all that said you have to understand how amazing this story was to not only have me actually finish it, but absolutely love it.

While reading the previous books in the series we got a very clear view that Desi loved Wyatt, and we saw hints that Wyatt might have feelings for Desi. Kelly Fox is so great at writing three dimensional characters that even though we already knew a lot about them, they made very interesting main characters.

I don’t need to repeat what the blurb says (because I’m assuming of you are reading reviews you’ve already read the blurb) So what I will say is that this book discuss grief in a very real way. We see many characters dealing with grief because they all knew Renee. She was their wife/mother/sister/friend/boss. This makes Wyatt & Desi’s romance mean something different to everyone, and that really added a nice layer to this story.

Kelly Fox wrote this story exactly as it needed to be told. It has sweetness, humor, acceptance, grief, a good amount of angst, steam and a perfect HEA. This book needs to be read!

I did receive a free ARC of this book but that did not influence my review.
251 reviews8 followers
December 30, 2021
I love Kelly Fox's Rebel Sky Ranch series, and how it has ties to the Wrecked and Wrecked: Guardians Series because the characters from those stories are some of my all-time favorites.

Wyatt Goodnight and his family are still grieving the loss of his wife, Renee to cancer a couple of years earlier. Wyatt seems to be the only person on the ranch - including his late wife, who is unaware that Desi - Renee's younger brother, has been in love with him for years.

Slowly, Wyatt begins to understand his feelings for Desi run much deeper than platonic brother-in-law love. Desi is the only person in Wyatt's life, including Renee, who has ever seen him clearly, and encouraged him to follow his own dreams, instead of changing his plans and desires to accommodate people he loves.

Wyatt's son, Trip, is only a couple of years younger than Desi, and the two have been best friends since they were children. When Trip starts to suspect that Desi's feelings about his dad aren't just a joke meant to gross him out, he has to accept that his dad is ready to move on, and his mom's death becomes even more real. He doesn't have an easy time of it at first, but the love and support of his fiance and all the others who make up the family at Rebel Sky Ranch, he finally gets it.

As with all of Kelly Fox's books, Navarro is full of delicious heat and loads of swoony feels. Wyatt Goodnight may be my favorite character ever, and that is saying a LOT! Fortunately there is at least one more book in the Rebel Sky Ranch series on the way, so I don't have to say goodbye to Wyatt and Desi just yet!
Profile Image for Santy.
1,260 reviews76 followers
December 28, 2021
Ugh this book! Loved it so hard.

You know when you read a series and there is a paring that you look forward to getting their book, and when that happens it just kind of flops? THIS WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE.

From the previous books in this series, we already knew Wyatt and Desi were destined to be together. This book just cemented just how perfect they were for one another.

They say “nothing good comes easy” and boy o boy do both these men go through the emotional wringer to end up together . I fell Desi had it tougher than Wyatt but each man had their own heartaches to go through. Coupled with the sensitive nature of their situation , this made this book angstier than the previous two books and I absolutely loved it all. Usually I stay away from that much angst but the way it was written here was just great.

Also, these two evoked so many emotions that even when my heart ached for them (and it did for quite a number of times), I just could not stop reading and hoping for a resolution to their predicament which fortunately there was (no matter how “convenient” it seemed to be lol)

I think if you’ve read the review to this point, it’s more than obvious how much I enjoyed this book. I will definitely be continuing the series and have just one thing left to say, GO READ THIS and if you’ve not read the series, GO READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS TOO! I bet you’d like it!

eARC Provided by Publisher in Exchange for An Honest and Unbiased Review
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