So I should definitely preface this entire review by saying that secret baby books are NOT my jam. Like the opposite of my favorite in fact. I'm also not a fan of dad's-best-friend books or age gap as a rule. Like ten year age gap - I can handle - but he's twice his age gap - not as much. So - just know in reading this book you are getting in to BOTH tropes. Sheesh. Also - my review may be biased by my inherit non-favoritism of those two tropes.

BUT I do LOVE AM Arthur - so maybe that offsets it all? Overall - this wasn't my favorite of the series - but it is well written and highly emotional. I do love grumpy Jackson and have since we first met him. We learn so many unexpected things about him in this book as well. He really became a very well-rounded character. Every action he takes in this story truly fits his character and background. I loved how careful he was with Wyatt and really how brave he was. Even when we reached the point of Jackson finding out the truth about Wyatt - I felt like the way both of them handled it was really well done.

Wyatt is - very young - and acts fully within that age range character wise. But he really is good for Jackson - despite the age difference. He brings some sunshine into Jackson's life that was very much needed.

Overall - this is definitely a good read and I can't wait for more from the Woods Ranch crew and family.

TW - Parental death, parental abandonment, adoption, sex work, and sexual assault (off page).

I’m torn… I liked the characters. I thought the pacing was good. I liked most of the plot— Wyatt wanting to find his father was very interesting. I don’t like that his boyfriend use to fuck his bio dad. 💀 I would have been shook if I was Wyatt, but no one even acknowledged it.

I didn’t like the “age is just a number” comment because I had an issue with the age gap between the characters in book one (they first hooked up at 16 and 24) and it reminded me of that. At least in this book the younger guy is 20, but that comment just made me roll my eyes.
I had no interest in continuing the series but wanted to read this book because Jackson intrigued me in book 1.

I was surprised and a little confused by randomly getting Brands POV a couple of times?? I liked the insight, though it was kind of abrupt.

3.5 stars, thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review an eARC.

There's a spoiler or 2 in this review.




I have read the whole "Clean Slate Ranch" series, and the two books in that series' offshoot "Woods Ranch" series so far, so definitely jumped at the chance to read the ARC of the third in the "Woods Ranch" series!

It was great to see Jackson get a story, hear some of his past, and see him find love. This book was definitely in line with the others in these two related series -- the cast of characters, the romance, a bit of drama/suspense, and it was sweet to see the romance and communication build between Jackson and Wyatt, and Wyatt growing up a bit along the way.... so it is a win there. I also liked Wyatt's quick thinking and putting others before himself at the conclusion of the suspenseful/dangerous plot line.

There were a couple of aspects that I wasn't quite as keen on, but more related to personal preference in romance tropes -- big age gap romances aren't usually my favorite (and that is the case here, with a 20 yr age gap), and it's really kind of accentuated by the additional storyline of Wyatt suspecting Brand is his biological father, and then dating a guy who's even older than Brand, and then the fact that Jackson has gotten together with both of them........

If you like the Clean Slate Ranch and Woods Ranch series -- you'll enjoy this next installment and revisiting the cast of characters you've come to know and love -- but as with each book, the couple portrayed is different in each one, and though I do have a soft spot for Jackson and this was a good installment, but the story wasn't my favorite in the series.

3.5*

Like the others in this series, there was just something that stopped me rating it higher, here it was a feeling of incompleteness about the major plot line involving Wyatt's search for his biological father.

I won't give any spoilers away but, for me, I didn't really feel like I got the whys behind what happened.

So, for most of the story I was waiting for an explanation that never came, or in a way which helped me to understand the rationale for it.

Anyways, the romance itself between Jackson and Wyatt is actually pretty sweet and goes a long way to making up the majority of what I liked about this book.

The big age gap between them doesn't ever really feel like it, because Wyatt's fairly mature in his approach to wanting to explore his sexuality and being involved with someone.

Jackson's past (and what is it with most of the characters in this series that they've had some level of trauma?! it's become less effective each time because I feel like oh, here we go again about it) means he's slow to commit and trust, which helps the friendship develop alongside the sexual side of their relationship.

Overall though, the plot just felt like it dragged on a bit too long to make the reveal as effective as it could have been. We're in Wyatt's head hearing him go over the same reasons for why he's not telling Jackson why he's really at the Woods Ranch and it ends up being repetitive.

And, talking of heads, we also get Brand's POV quite a few times in this book and the head jumping isn't clearly marked (something I've been critical of from this author's work before) so you're not always sure just who's thoughts you're reading!

Having said all of the above, this one is definitely my favourite out of the series so far. I'm not sure if there will be any more from Woods Ranch, there aren't really any people left hanging around unless A.M. goes back and tries to do a redemption for the former Sheriff of book two.

Either way, overall I definitely preferred the Clean Slate series as a whole.

His accidental cowboy tells the story of Wyatt and Jackson. Wyatt has come to the Woods' ranch to find his biological father, a man who he's heard is a terrible person all of his life. The first person he meets on his arrival is Jackson, a man twice his age who he just can't seem to resist.
I enjoyed this age-gap romance, although I don't know if the age gap is a little too much. I was prepared to put that to one side for this though as I enjoyed how the romance unfolded. Alongside the developing love story between Jackson and Wyatt, we also have the question of Wyatt's parentage and why things were hidden from him. If that's not enough, then there's also an added bit of intrigue when Wyatt finds himself in a spot of bother with some frightening people (not wanting to give things away, so that's all I'll say).
This was a good read and clearly part of a series, although I haven't read any of the other books there's plenty about the people who appeared in them and I think anyone who has read them would really enjoy it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Book three of a series. I didn’t read the first two. You don’t need to either but there were previous characters from the previous books, Though now I may go back to reading them.

A love story and a quest to find his biological father Wyatt, learned to be a cowboy and figure out if his father was worthy of knowing him. In doing so he learned so much about himself, his father and his love interest. Overall, it was cute story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.