Book: Colt by Peterson, Jessica
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 5/5
Colt by Jessica Peterson
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
When we got a glimpse of the dynamic between Colt and Lainey in Ryder, the final book of the Lucky River Ranch series, I thought they were going to be pretty run-of-the-mill enemies-to-lovers. I don't know why I doubted HRH Jessica Peterson, because it was so much more.
Yes, Colt and Lainey butt heads from the moment they meet (largely because Colt is an ass who refuses to accept that Lainey is at the ranch to provide them with the branding help they desperately need), but they also recognize that the other sparks a competitiveness in them that is a HUGE turn-on. As a fellow competitive person who loves being pushed, this felt so relatable. Like Colt, I want someone real, not someone who only shows you the sides they think you want to see.
And Lainey is REAL. She lets Colt see her frustrated, angry, sad, happy—all of it. She feels her feelings deeply and trusts him with them. I appreciated that the dynamic between Lainey and her mother was complicated and nuanced. Opening up to Colt and getting to know the rest of the Wallace family also lets Lainey examine that relationship more deeply and start figuring out how to put her own needs first.
I love that Colt has enough emotional intelligence to recognize how rare Lainey's authenticity is, respect it, and find it wildly attractive. Something about a man who isn't afraid of a woman being challenging lights me up. And Colt had me lit like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.
Colt is EVERYTHING: hardworking ranch foreman, loving single dad, dedicated oldest child, sexy cowboy. He's a man who keeps a set of real handcuffs in his truck as a way of flirting (IYKYK). Maybe that's the crux of what makes Colt so appealing—he's a man in every sense of the word. One second I'm melting over him building Legos with his young son, and the next I'm panting over his commanding bedroom voice. He might be my favorite Jessica Peterson MMC yet, and I absolutely ate up how finding love with Lainey helped him rediscover his fun side.
I am loving the Wallace family dynamics and am so excited to see what's in store for Colt's younger brothers—Beck, Mack, Tate, and Nash. So far, we've only really gotten a feel for Beck, and I am thrilled that his book is next.
Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for providing an ARC.