Book: Saddle Storm: A Must-Read Spicy, Small-Town Cowboy Romance! by Roxanne Tully
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 3.5/5
Saddle Storm by Roxanne Tully
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
I enjoyed Silas and Storm's former best-friends-to-lovers romance.
I really liked Silas. While it was uncool that he ditched his friendship with Storm in high school, his intentions were completely noble. He truly believed what her father said about him: that he wasn't good enough for her and would only drag her down with him. My heart broke a little for teenage Silas and a lot for the adult who grew up thinking his family didn't believe he was worthy of learning how to run the family ranch. Despite making it to the NHL, he still sees himself as less than. I spent most of the book wanting to give him a giant hug.
I had a bit more trouble with Storm. She has one of my favorite personalities: independent, strong, and hardworking. I definitely vibed with her. But her insistence on keeping the identity of her son Max's father a secret from Silas really frustrated me. At one point, she straight-up lies to Silas, which isn't the foundation for a strong relationship. I understand her worry about his reaction, but learning that she lied is guaranteed to upset him, even if the paternity itself doesn't. And it felt super unrealistic that in their tiny town, every single person wouldn't already know her business. An unmarried pregnant eighteen-year-old would be HUGE gossip fodder.
As a couple (aside from the lying), I liked the chemistry between Silas and Storm. They have a lot of tension-filled banter and plenty of steam once they finally get together. I wish we had gotten to see more of their friendship as children rather than just being told about it, but that's a personal preference.
I'm sad that this is the last trip to Blue River Springs, but I'm happy to see that each brother got his happy ending.
Thank you to the author, Embla Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC.