It felt like the author really phoned this one in. I've read a lot of Leslie North's novels so I know there is a certain amount of formula to them but usually there's something about the characters or their romance that grabs your interest. Zoe and Jake are pretty bland characters and there's nothing especially interesting about their relationship. I thought there would be more about their previous relationship and break-up but Jake never talks to her about it. I understood why Zoe was so upset about Jake not being able to keep his promise to accompany her to NY for her interview but she didn't even seem to really be listening to him when he was explaining what was going on. One thing that confused me was how Jake was able to afford to buy a house when throughout the entire book he's going on and on about how much financial trouble the ranch is in.

Zoe was a great character choice. Her artist eyes gave us an unique view of the surroundings. I could see it as if I were watching a movie. I loved reading, Wild Love.

A well written second chance romance story with both characters dealing with their own issues., and how they help each other to overcome them along the way.

you got to love a Leslie North story. They are so great to read and fun stories. They are ones to not disappoint when you read them.

Wild Love, the first book in the Cafferty Ranch series by Leslie North, is a touching second chance romance that leaves you with heartwarming emotions after the last page is turned. With believable characters, and an over aching theme that pulls at the heartstrings for the characters and their individual experiences, this story is sure to create anticipation for what comes next in the Cafferty Ranch series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I picked up this book because I love horses and ranch life. Though we don’t have ‘ranches’ where I’m from, I love the idea of the traditional ranches that are always displayed in movies, and I think a book that takes place in such a setting is so interesting. I also saw that this author has many other books that take place on ranches that have fantastic ratings.

In this book, we follow a second chance/best friend’s brother romance between Zoe and Jake. Zoe is a web designer that is terrified of horses. Jake works on the ranch owned by his family, and he’s also the brother of Zoe her best friend. Zoe never planned on going back to the ranch, primarily because she’s had a relationship with Jake which didn’t end well. When Zoe’s best friend asks her to update the ranch’s website, she can’t stay away from the ranch anymore.

In the beginning, I got the idea that Jake was a bit of a grumpy character. As the oldest sibling, Jake is the one responsible for keeping the ranch up and running, which is causing him major stress. Along with the fact that his ex is now constantly hanging around the ranch, which only further increases his grumpiness. Though, he started opening up a bit more once he started _really_ talking to Zoe again. Eventually, once he got used to having Zoe around again, he was an absolute sweetheart. I loved Jake and his personality.

Zoe is… complicated. I would say that she is a bit of a hothead; she would get angry quite fast over little things. I didn’t like that side of her. Although in some situations I could understand her perspective, in others I felt like she was being a bit self-centered and she didn’t care about Jake and his responsibilities.

I also felt like her fear of horses was a bit extreme and unrealistic. In one scene she was already so scared even though the horses weren’t even close to her. I have never known anyone that is _that_ scared of horses as Zoe is. Also, the fact that when Jake asked her to ride she was willing to do it without barely any hesitation and got on without any problems, is a bit unrealistic considering how scared she was earlier on.

Zoe and Jake had this amazing chemistry from the beginning, which wasn’t surprising seeing as they’ve been in a relationship before. Though, I would say that it progressed a bit fast; I felt like we skipped a lot of important moments between them because from one chapter to the other they would be much more intimate than they were before. Seeing as this book is focused primarily on romance I think that’s a shame. I also feel like they have a lot of unresolved troubles from the past that they should work through first before getting together again. I think that is noticeable in multiple situations.

I also think it's such a shame that Shannon (and Eli) is just a side character, only there to progress the romance between Zoe and Jake. Another important theme in this book (and in ranch life) is family and community, and I feel like that wasn’t a big part of this story at all. Especially seeing as what happened to the Caffery’s, I feel like it would have been nice to see a bit more of the interactions between Jake and his sisters.

One other critique I would have is that the scenes in my eyes don’t form a coherent story. Like I stated before, I feel like we miss a lot of important stuff between chapters which is a shame.

I loved the rest of the book tho. Such a fun short read. I loved the ranch vibes that it gave me. I also love Jake, but most importantly, I love Eli <3 I’m expecting there to be a Fiona and Eli book in the future!!

Wild Love by Leslie North is a really quick read. This book is a second chance romance between Jake and Zoe. Both characters are likable and you root for them as a couple. This was a sweet book that I really enjoyed. It was well written and fast paced.