I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but the first few chapters give good background. Three friends decide to return to the small town of Timber Falls if they are still unsettled ten years after high school. They are now running the small town bar called The Naked Moose. This book deals with Willow and Eli.

Willow is very cautious about getting involved with any man after being abused, but she is committed to getting holiday donations together. When she puts together a fund raiser for the bar, everything is trashed when one of the volunteers gets a visit from a past partner. This story deals with spousal/partner abuse.

Eli Cole would like to help Willow. He has some past bad experiences around partner abuse so he know what Willow has gone through. He's willing to engage in friends with benefits even though he wants more from Willow.

This was a classic, friends to lovers romance. There aren't many surprises here and while I liked the story, I lacked a certain something to have me connect to the story. So that is why I'm rating this 3 stars.

Willow Quinn is determined to leave her past behind and start fresh in a small Montana town, opening a bar with her best friends. She’s trying to heal from the scars of an abusive relationship, all while making The Naked Moose a safe space for women. But when her bar becomes the subject of local drama, she strikes a deal with Eli Cole, a former bull rider with just as many secrets as she has.

Their fake relationship to save Willow’s reputation quickly turns real—maybe too real. Eli’s got his own baggage, and he’s unsure if he can fully give Willow the love she deserves, especially when he’s still haunted by his past. But with some Christmas magic and unexpected support from the people around them, both of them learn to take a leap of faith.

This book blends humor, heartache, and healing in the best possible way. Kennedy does a beautiful job of tackling heavy subjects like abuse and trauma while still keeping the story light and full of heart. Willow and Eli’s journey is raw and real, and by the end, you’ll be rooting for their happily ever after. If you love a steamy romance with a touch of holiday spirit and a lot of emotional growth, Lone Wolf in Lights is a must-read.

Willow is determined to breathe new life into her Montana bar, but trouble soon comes her way. Enter Eli—he might just be exactly what she needs. As their friendship deepens, it begins to blossom into something more, if they’re willing to take the leap. I thoroughly enjoyed Eli and Willow’s journey. Both have personal challenges to overcome, but they complement each other beautifully. The story unfolds at a steady pace, capturing the natural growth of their relationship into something unexpected. Their romance is sweet, filled with just the right mix of heartfelt emotion and a sprinkle of Christmas magic.

Lone Wolf in Lights is a deeply emotional and beautifully written romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling some heavy, real-life issues. Stacey Kennedy weaves a story of love, healing, and hope that will tug at your heartstrings while keeping you hooked from start to finish.

The book follows the journey of Willow and Eli who are both grappling with their pasts while trying to find their way forward—together and individually. The romance is tender and steamy, balancing the weight of the topics at hand with moments of warmth and connection. It’s impossible not to root for them as they navigate their struggles and slowly open up to one another.

Willow is trying to find a fresh new way with her bar in Montana but soon trouble finds her. Could Eli be just what she needs? Their friendship may lead to something more if they let it.
I enjoyed Eli and Willow’s journey. Both may have their own issues to work through yet they are good together. Their story moves at a good pace and It was nice to see how their relationship grew into something neither of them expected. Their romance was sweet and has the right amount of emotions and Christmas magic.

I was obsessed with The Devil in Blue Jeans, so diving into Lone Wolf in Lights was a no-brainer!

This book is all the things: small-town vibes, holiday charm, and some spicy cowboy moments that had me hooked from start to finish.

Eli Cole? The protective green-eyed, brooding cowboy. Former bull rider with a mysterious past and enough smolder to melt the Montana snow? Yes, please! 😍🔥

And Willow Quinn? Total boss babe! She’s everything you want in a leading lady—strong, independent, but still navigating her healing journey. After everything Willow went through in book one, I just had to see where her story would go, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

She’s trying to escape her past, open a bar in a small-town, and kick off her Empowerment Elves craft circle (because obviously, she’s a legend 💅).

But when her plans ruffle some cowboy feathers and her bar goes viral for all the wrong reasons, things get a little wild.

Enter fake dating with the hottest cowboy in town. Oh, the tension! The banter! The sparks flying faster than reindeer on Christmas Eve. 🎄✨

One of my fave lines: "You can’t escape your past, but you can rewrite your future—especially when love comes knocking." I mean, cue the swoon 😍

Highlights:
🎄Fake Dating with a side of sass: Fake? Who are we kidding—those sparks are real.
🎄Empowerment Elves: Willow creating a craft circle for women to slay the holidays and life? Queen behavior. 👑
🎄Holiday vibes, cowboy style: Snow, small-town drama, and a whole lot of festive feels.

I laughed, I swooned, I plotted ways to move to Timber Falls and find my own cowboy. Eli and Willow’s chemistry is off the charts, and the drama? Pure chef’s kiss.

It's all the holiday romance magic with a side of small-town scandal and cowboy charm.🤠💋

This series keeps getting better, and I’m already dying for the next one!

I wish this book was longer and included more character and relationship development.

I liked the idea of this book, but it felt a little underdeveloped to me. If it was longer, there would have been space for both characters to actually make some meaningful change amongst themselves. I wasn't overly invested in either character, and I wish there had been a little more focus on the inner work the two of them were doing. The main plot didn't really have any impact on their backgrounds, other than in a couple of scenes.

The whole plot focused on another character's relationship and trauma, and the main couple's own issues were secondary.

I understand this is a second book in a series, but if it is going to be portrayed as a stand-alone, interconnected series, it should be possible to read any of the books and still understand what's happening. This book opened up with a prologue that made no sense to me. I had no idea what these two character's relationship was with each other, or how we got to this place. It would have been nice to see a little more background or explanation of how these two knew each other.

Overall, I loved the scenery of this book, but the characters and plot were underdeveloped.

Willow left her abusive ex-boyfriend and moved to Montana with her two best friends. She is attracted to Eli but she doesn’t feel ready to give him a chance. Eli wants to be with Willow and he’s willing to wait until she’s ready. When someone starts to harass Willow, Eli comes to her rescue. The two pretend to be a couple to try and convince whoever is messing with her to leave her alone. They know their fake relationship has an expiration date but will they be able to walk away when the time come or will love win out?

I like that the author chose not to focus on Willow’s abuse by her former boyfriend but instead focused on how Willow is moving forward with her life. The fact that she has started a group for abuse victims was a nice addition to the story because it gave Willow a goal and focus outside of her relationship with Eli. Willow has a good family and strong friendships. She doesn’t really change or grow as part of the story. Eli has a lot of history that plays a part in the story. I’m not sure it’s totally realistic for someone to enter a bull riding competition after not riding for a few years but it made for a really good scene in the book. Eli’s friendships and his job on his friend’s ranch were nice elements of his story. Eli doesn’t have much of a growth curve during the story. He does reevaluate certain aspects of his life and I really liked the fact the author included that. There is a bad guy. That part of the story is taken care of pretty quickly but it helps the author set up a lot of situations that help move the characters along.

This is a small-town romance. It includes an abuse victim, nosy neighbors, a former bull rider, and holiday cheer.

This was one of those books; I wasn’t sure what I would get when I read it. Would it be super charming, spicy, full of dramatic twists and turns? It’s always a fun experience when you venture into the unknown when reading. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It starts off super Hallmark-ish. The dialogue is about boosting others up and supporting one another, and it is sometimes a bit cheesy. The small town this book is located in feels charming and has the added bonus of being located near a farm full of gorgeous cowboys. As Willow and Eli grow closer, things start to heat up, and there are some spicier moments between them. There are also a few twists when an unknown threat is directed at Willow. All of these different elements blended together really nicely.

This is a short story, and it might even be considered a novella because it is under 200 pages. This means that things progress quickly both in the overarching plotline and with the relationship between Willow and Eli. Both MCs are struggling with past traumas, making taking that first step into a romantic relationship difficult. Willow is coming out of an abusive relationship and is trying to heal and find herself. Eli’s sister was murdered by her abusive ex, and he is dealing with the grief of losing his sister in such a traumatic manner. Stacey did a great job at handling the topic of abuse and grief in a thoughtful and careful manner. I thought including this difficult topic added a sense of realism to the story. It gave it some depth. Of course, both characters grow from the support of each other and some self-reflecting.

The romance in this book is enjoyable. There is a bit of friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and a protective hero. It’s pretty clear to see that these two have chemistry. There is also this mutual understanding of the emotional difficulties they are going through. I liked both the fun, flirty banter and the more serious, quiet chats. Their relationship does progress at light speed, but that is to be expected for a shorter story.

Lone Wolf in Lights is a fun cowboy romance with a dash of Christmas magic.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: This is the 2nd book in the Naked Moose book series. I hadn’t read the first book but it was easy enough to catch up and I was quickly wishing I could be apart of this friend group in Timber Falls.

A group of three best girl friends move from Phoenix to rural Montana for a fresh start and befriending three guys who are childhood best friends. And you guessed it, the set of three begin to pair up.

This had all the perfect elements for a cowboy Christmas romance. Willow is so sweet and finally living out the redemption part of her journey. Eli has had a rough go of it too but the way he is steadfast for Willow had me swooning.

Read for:
📍 Small Town Montana
🐴 Cowboys
🚦Fake Dating
🎄 Christmas Setting
❤️‍🩹 Healing from Trauma
🥃 Friends are Family

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy
Book two in Naked Moose series

This series is all about finding your place.  Three best friends make a pact of they aren't happy by 28 they move to a remote town in Montana.  This is Willows' story.

Willow is on the path to healing from an abusive relationship.  She's determined to help others find their way to being stronger and taste money for a local woman's shelter.  When a threat comes from an unknown source, she agrees to a fake relationship with Eli. He's been a calm force since they first met, and the attraction is undeniable,  but they both still have demons to fight. 

Eli is at a crossroads,  he wants to take the big leap with Willow,  but still dealing with his own tragedies, he doesn't trust himself.  With a little Christmas magic and a little help from a wise woman, taking a chance turns into so much more.

This is book 2 in the Naked Moose series and can be read as a standalone but I do wish I had read the first book before reading this one because I do feel like I missed some information that would’ve helped my reading experience here. This is also in 3rd POV which I don’t really love as well.

Eli & Willow were cute and had good chemistry but I feel like I needed more from them. I did love the side characters and all the friendships in the story. I also like how the book covers topics of loss, grief and domestic violence and also liked the festive feels.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t something that wowed me but it could be for someone else!

Oh my gosh what a fun book!!! This book had everything! Emotional, spice, plot, secrets. SO good! Thank you NetGalley for the early e-copy!

This is a sweet romance that deals with some heavy topics. While I haven't read the first book in the series, and I did feel like I was missing some context in the relationships it wasn't too bad that I couldn't follow or enjoy the story.

Willow is an ex-marketing manager running a bar with her two friends. She is trying to move past the trauma of her abusive ex and help other women who went through the same trauma. Eli is dealing with his baggage from his sister being murdered by her ex. And he has had growing feelings for Willow for quite some time especially after they shared a kiss that neither of them could forget.

I liked both Willow and Eli separately and together, although I did feel like once they started fake dating their romance progressed really fast. Also even with Willow being in danger and both of them dealing with their past issues the stakes felt pretty low. There wasn't really and suspenseful or tense moment that made me not want to put it down.

Despite that, I thought the romance was cute, and I really enjoyed Willows and Eli's friend group and would like to go back and read the first book.

You are going to delve into the topic of domestic abuse. This book explores experiences while with the abuser and how it’s isn’t easy to get away. Sometimes it is physically dangerous to escape, plus the emotional complexity with moving on in life afterwards, and both. The author does a great job on this delicate topic with the use of multiple characters sharing their stories and the situations that occur throughout the story. Eli is an absolute gem and Willow is very lucky to have him in her life. It’s great having characters from the first book in the series as well, but you definitely can enjoy this without reading the previous one!

Lone Wolf in Lights is book two in the Naked Moose series by Stacey Kennedy.
I loved everything about this book! From the fun banter to the small-town vibes. This book was a fun read that I could not put down!
I loved Willow and Eli’s story.
This book has all the feels and a great happily ever after. Stacey Kennedy writes great complex characters. Don’t miss this book
I can’t wait to read book three The Rebel with Broken Strings.

Thank You NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Lone Wolf in Lights (Naked Moose #2) by Stacey Kennedy

I couldn’t wait to get back to this small town of Timber Falls Colorado, and The Naked Moose Bar! This emotional story is filled full of memories, love and pain. But it is also about a community with a big heart, and spirit coming together at Christmas time to help one of their own that has suffered and is trying to help others. From the moment I started reading this story it had my
heart and soul and it has stayed with me long after I finished reading it. The characters growth and development through this story pulled at my heart strings, but they also brought joy, so much joy and love to this story!

This is Willow Quinn and Eli Cole’s journey and it didn’t disappoint.

Willow Quinn moved to town with her two best friends to open up The Naked Moose, hoping to start a new life and leave her pain behind and heal.
But every time she was around Eli Cole her heart skipped a beat, and then there it was again, their off-the-charts chemistry. But she couldn’t go there again after what she had been through. Or Could she?

Eli Cole is a local cowboy who is drawn to the beautiful Willow. After hearing of her past he admires her unique combination of strength, sweetness and compassion that she possesses, because he is also dealing with his own grief and anger after losing his sister. But when Willow’s safety is threatened he comes to her with a course of action. They will fake date to keep her safe!

“They stay with us, in the stories we share, the memories we cherish. Grief has a way of isolating us, but it’s through these moments we remember that we’re not alone.”

What a beautiful, emotional, Christmas romance! It had so many uplifting, fun moments that brought so much to this story. I loved reading about the Empowerment Elves support group. But watching two broken people, heal and learn to trust and love again is what makes my heart happy!

“I have the power to shape my own future.”

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

I absolutely loved Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy! This second book in the Naked Moose series is packed with heart, emotion, and a dash of Christmas magic. It was a fast-paced, fun read that pulled me right in. Stacey Kennedy does such a fantastic job of creating characters you can’t help but root for, and I’m a huge fan of hers.

In this installment, we follow Willow Quinn, who moves to Timber Falls, Montana, with her best friends to open a bar and leave her painful past behind. Willow is trying to heal after surviving an abusive relationship with her ex, Niko, who’s now in jail. Eli "The Storm" Cole, a former rodeo star with his own tragic past, is drawn to Willow, feeling protective of her after losing his sister to domestic violence. Eli wants to help Willow feel safe again, but after one steamy kiss, she pushes him away, afraid to open her heart.

As Christmas approaches, Willow forms a group at the bar called "Empowerment Elves" to support local women and raise money for a women's shelter. When Willow starts receiving threatening messages, Eli convinces her to pretend they're dating for her safety. Slowly, their fake relationship turns real, and they begin to share their pasts and heal together. But just as things are looking up, disaster strikes, testing their bond. With the support of their friends, Eli and Willow must find their way back to each other to get their well-deserved happy ending.

This book has all the feels—a sweet, caring hero, a heroine rediscovering her strength, and a delightful mix of romance and holiday cheer. The fake dating trope was executed perfectly, and Eli was such a patient and supportive love interest. I can't wait to dive into Aubrey and Gunner's story next!

If you enjoy steamy Christmas romances with emotional depth and strong characters, Lone Wolf in Lights is a must-read!

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - July 16, 2024
Publication Date - October 22, 2024

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @staceykennedybooks, @harlequinbooks and @netgalley!

I was so excited to read Lone Wolf in Lights because one thing about me is how much I love country music and it’s on my bucketlist to go to a bar like The Naked Moose one day! This is a shorter book and I usually prefer longer ones but I kept that in mind while reading and still enjoyed it! I appreciated that it was not all light and fluffy, even though there’s nothing wrong with that either. This book involves some deeper topics and emphasizes how healing is not always linear, which is such an important message. I also liked how it had Christmas and holiday vibes but also some mystery and suspense, it all worked really well together! I know it’s not even Halloween yet but this book got me so excited for the holidays!

If you like books with cowboys, found family, small town and fake dating, you should give Lone Wolf in Lights a try!

Get excited to read Lone Wolf in Lights, available October 22! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

LONE WOLF IN LIGHTS – Stacey Kennedy
A Perfect 10
Naked Moose, Book 2
Afterglow Books
ISBN: 978-1-335-57485-5
October 22, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Timber Falls, Montana – Present Day

After a painful relationship in Phoenix that left her physically and emotionally battered, Willow Quinn has started afresh in Montana. Willow and her two friends have opened the Naked Moose bar which is becoming successful. One of the frequent visitors to the bar is former bull rider Eli Cole. There is a spark of attraction between Willow and Eli, which starts the night he kisses her. But due to her past, she pushed away from him and now tries to avoid him. He can only watch her from afar as he continues to want her.

The ladies at the bar have started a group therapy where women who have been abused in the past gather to connect and make Christmas ornaments. After Willow posts a picture of them on her social media, someone leaves a hateful and threatening message. Then she gets a similar text sent to her on her cell phone. It is Eli who comes to the rescue and helps her. He suggests that they pretend to be dating so his being around her won’t appear unusual. For Eli, he has a reason other than his attraction to Willow to help her. His sister was murdered by her abuser. He won’t let the same happen to Willow.

LONE WOLF IN LIGHTS deals a lot with the physical and emotional abuse some women receive while in an abusive relationship. It gives this tale an emotional edginess that will resonate with readers. Willow literally shakes in fear of it happening again, while Eli will do whatever it takes to protect her. Who is sending those hateful messages to her and is it connected to her or someone in the group? It turns out there are two parts to the answer. Readers will have to find out what they are. While this tale is part of the Naked Moose series, it can be read as a standalone, though we do see Charly and Jax from THE DEVIL IN BLUE JEANS in some scenes.

As for Willow and Eli, now that they are “together” in the sense that they are dating, they finally have the chance to get to know each other. She discovers that he is a nice guy, and he continues to treat her gently. Eli learns that Willow continues to remain strong even as the unknown threats swirl around her. She will do whatever it takes to help other women, and readers will root for them to be successful. Their attraction is both instant and slow building. It’s clear they really like each other, but their pasts put up a barrier. He has to be gentle with her, while she has to learn to trust again. But there’s no denying the passion that soon explodes between them.

I found LONE WOLF IN LIGHTS a book that was hard to put down. I had to find out who was sending the threatening messages and why. I had to find out if Willow and Eli would fall in love. For being a fascinating read I had to give it a Perfect 10, one of Romance Reviews Today's top ratings. Both Willow and Eli are engaging characters on their own, but together they are perfect. I highly recommend LONE WOLF IN LIGHTS, and I hope you fall in love with the story as much as I did.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today