Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5⭐️
I love a cowboy romance and especially a holiday theme! Eli is a former rodeo bull rider but tragedy struck his family and he hasn’t been the same since. Willow was in an abusive relationship and has a lot of scars (physically and mentally).

3 months ago these two kissed and Willow pushed Eli away because she want ready. Now, the two need to help Willow’s charity.

This is a 3rd person POV, fake dating story with two characters plagued by the past.

Themes/Tropes: Healing after trauma, Spicy romance, Small town, Christmas season, HEA

Lone Wolf In Lights is the second book in the Naked Moose series but can be read as a stand alone. This cozy cowboy Christmas novel tells the story of healing after trauma for both Willow and Eli. Willow is dealing with the aftermath of an abusive ex and Eli the death of his sister and his mother. Together they learn how to love again set in the magic of the holiday season.

I found this book to be exactly what it promised, a cozy Christmas romance story. It has some heavy themes but there is so much hope and healing in this story. It made me want to go live in this small town of Timber Falls and be part of this little community. The friendships of the women who run The Naked Moose bar make you want to plan a girl’s night. I found the characters easy to root for and easy to like. This is a moderately spicy novel that is also a little bit of a slow burn. The romance is not lacking in this story and doesn’t feel rushed. Since it does deal with sensitive subjects of abuse that is done with a lot of care and consideration for the characters.

Overall if you want a sweet romance story set in a small town in Montana this is a good one to add to your reading list.

Lone Wolf In Lights brings readers back to TIMBER FALLS!

Stacey Kennedy invites readers back to Timber Falls in Lone Wolf in Lights, a heartwarming continuation of the world introduced in Devil in Blue Jeans. This time, we follow Willow Quinn, one of the esteemed owners of The Naked Moose, as she navigates both personal and professional challenges. Willow’s commitment to community-building makes her a target of online harassment, leading her to agree to a fake relationship with Eli Cole—a perfect setup for fans of the fake dating trope. As the pretend romance progresses, genuine emotions begin to surface, building into a touching, passionate connection.

Kennedy once again masterfully blends lighthearted romance with deeper, more poignant themes. While Lone Wolf in Lights delivers a feel-good romance, it also tackles weighty topics such as domestic violence and grief, adding an emotional depth that elevates the story. Readers should be mindful of potential triggers, but the story’s impact is undeniable, with its powerful message and heartfelt storytelling.

With its mix of sweet romance, spicy chemistry, and meaningful themes, this novel is sure to resonate with longtime fans of Stacey Kennedy and newcomers alike. Don’t miss out—you’ll regret it if you do!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book. While I have not read the first book in this series, I don't feel like I really missed too much. This was a fun holiday romance set during Christmas. It has fake dating and cowboys and is an "open door" romance, so proceed with caution if thats not your jam. Overall I am giving this 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. Cute, fun, low stakes.

Willow Quinn and her two best friends open a bar in Montana. The three friends left their old lives behind to start over. Eli Cole is a former bull rider and comes into the bar all the time. They are attracted to each other but is Willow ready to let another man into her life after the abuse she suffered from her former boyfriend.
They decide to try a fake relationship to help each other out. Of course, they leads to more problems.
Great story.

I wanted to like this story. However, I could not connect with the characters. Unfortunately, this book was a DNF.

Willow Quinn moves to Timber Falls, Montana, with her friends Aubrey Hale and Charly Henwood to open a bar, hoping to leave behind her traumatic past, including her abusive ex, Niko Sanchez, now in jail. She’s struggling to feel safe again. Eli “The Storm” Cole, a quiet and patient man, understands this feeling of guilt and loss, having lost his sister to domestic violence while he was away on the rodeo circuit. He feels drawn to Willow and wants to protect her, though she initially pulls away after a passionate kiss.

As Christmas approaches, Willow starts a support group at the bar called “Empowerment Elves” to help local women by making and selling Christmas decorations for a women’s shelter. However, when Willow receives threatening messages, Eli suggests they pretend to date for her safety. As they grow closer, they begin to confront their pasts and build trust.

Just as things are looking up for Willow, disaster strikes, shaking both her and Eli to the core. It takes time and deep reflection before they can find their way back to each other, but ultimately, they achieve their happy ending. This steamy, fake-dating Christmas story highlights Eli’s caring nature and how he helps Willow regain her confidence. The story sets up anticipation for Aubrey and Gunner’s future romance in the series.

This one wasn't for me. Admittedly, I didn't read the first of this series but I don't think you really needed to. Willow immediately pissed me off and it never went away throughout the whole book. Eli was "meh" as a main character. I think the only character I sorta liked was Betty. This book took on some heavy things and I don't think it was done well. Writing pace was all over the place and it just never really came together for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found that this book was missing something. It covers deeper topics a like grief and domestic violence but it lacks deep development of the romantic plotline. I think that both character’s back stories were handled well and realistic. I was left wanting to see more of that deep connection developing between Eli and Willow- it fell flat to me, felt more surface level. I think fans of Rein Me In by Kayla Grosse will enjoy this book.

This was completely my bad, but I did not realize that this was book two in a series I have not read lol. But the premise intrigued me and I have to admit that the author did a pretty good job balancing a mix of heavy, important topics while still not missing out on the romance, or making the romance dull the importance of the discussed topics.

And I'm always a fan of an elderly wise soul to guide along the young-ins, so Betty really sold it for me!

Lone Wolf in Lights is the second book in the Naked Moose series, set in the small town of Timber Falls, Montana. Eli and Willow are the focus of this story and it was both heartwarming and hopeful. These two have been through some tough things that color how they approach relationships, and I enjoyed how they figured out how to overcome them.

There is a threat of danger that gives Willow and Eli a reason to spend more time together and sparks fly. These two have great chemistry and there are some seriously romantic interactions between them.

This story is set at Christmas time and the town of Timber Falls really shines. Willow and her friends start the Empowerment Elves to help raise money for a local women’s shelter and the community shows up in force to help. Eli even revisits his bull riding days to contribute.

I really like the friend groups in this series and cannot wait for Aubrey & Gunner.

Please review the author’s content warnings at the beginning of the book and take care while reading.

Really enjoyed this book - thought it touched on some hard topics well and I could relate to some experienced the characters went through.

Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy is a captivating holiday-themed novel filled with drama, darkness, tension, and budding love. The story delves into the lives of Eli and Willow as they navigate through challenges to ultimately find their happy ending. While the plot took a darker turn than expected, it added depth to the narrative. However, some aspects of the story, such as the rushed development of the characters' relationship and the occasionally awkward dialogue, left room for improvement. Despite these minor flaws, the novel offers a unique blend of sweetness, fast-paced action, and a touch of darkness that is perfect for the holiday season. Lone Wolf in Lights is a compelling read that may surprise readers who are looking for a holiday-themed book with a twist.

Gosh I really liked the premise of this book, I mean..fake dating a cowboy in Montana during the holidays? It’s a trope dream come true! I just couldn’t vibe with the writing style and I wasn’t as patient as Eli with Willow. This one just wasn’t for me.

Book 2 of Naked Moose of everything I loved about the first in this series. Surprisingly poignant in its dealing with difficult topics that are unfortunately the reality of many especially in rural communities. Eli and Willow's romance was tender and earned. Give it a read!

Thank you to Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 9/16/24. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.
We’re back in the world of Timber Falls! After escaping her abusive relationship, Willow isn’t sure if she can trust her heart or gut when it comes to men. Having opened a bar with her friends in a new town, Willow is determined to create a sense of community and empower women who faced the same challenges. Will Willow be able to trust herself when her feelings for Eli started to get stronger?
Eli came back to Timber Falls after the death of her sister due to domestic violence. He’s filled with a lot of regrets but is determined to settle down and never make any mistakes again. When Willow comes into his life he finds himself wondering what parts of his past he’ll have to face in order to get the girl.
This was a good read. Be aware that there is talks of domestic violence, threats, and cyber stalking in this book. I thought the author handled it was done with sensitivity. I really liked Eli and Willow together and appreciated that they had their own things to face before they could come together. There was one part of the books where a character was called another’s fiance before we got to see the actual engagement. That was probably my biggest gripe.

I enjoyed this but but felt like it dragged in a few places. It could have been a bit more for me but I think it will really be for a lot of other readers out there

So, first off this book hits some heavy topics. In my opinion they were handled well and really added to the development of Eli and Willow’s characters. This book is the second in the series, but can be read as a stand alone (I haven’t read book 1, but will add it to my TBR). I already want to move to Montana, and this book is just adding fuel to the fire. There were some slow and repetitive parts that I skimmed over, but overall, this was entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I fear my cowboy romance phase may not be just a phase, this was a delight. It may be 300 degrees out in Florida but I left lone wolf in lights in the coziest holiday feeling. I loved this so much, I can’t wait to get more from this author.

Willow Quinn moved to Timber Falls, Montana along with her best friends Aubrey Hale and Charly Henwood to open a bar. They all are leaving something from their past behind and in Willow's case it is her abusive ex-Niko Sanchez, who is now in jail after nearly beating her to death. Willow is trying to gain back feeling safe again.

Eli "The Storm" Cole knows a thing about feeling safe. He lost his sister Miranda when she was murdered by her boyfriend. Eli has strong guilty feelings when it comes to his sister because he was out on the rodeo circuit when she was killed. Now he feels a certain pull towards Willow and wants to make her feel safe. After one very steamy kiss Willow freaks out and gives Eli the cold shoulder. Eli is a quiet and patience man and just bides his time until Willow is ready.

As Christmas is right around the corner, Willow decides to start a group at the bar....Empowerment Elves as a support group for women who needed a safe space and safe friends where they will make Christmas decorations and sell them at the annual Christmas Market with the proceeds going to Hailey's Place....the local women's shelter.

After Willow gets some scary messages threatening her Eli convinces her that they should pretend to be dating for her safety. Along the way Willow decides to actually give Eli a chance and they both start opening up about things from their past. Just when everything in her life is finally looking up, disaster hits and ruins everything. Eli is beside himself and even his best friends Gunner Woods and Jaxon Reed are having a hard time getting through to him. When the dust finally settles, it will take some deep internal searching before Willow and Eli can find their way back to each other but once they do, they will finally get their fairy tale ending.

I really enjoyed this steamy, fake dating, Christmas story. Eli was such a sweet, caring guy and only wanted the best for Willow. Willow was having a hard time trusting again, but Eli helped her to believe in herself again. Overall this was a fun addition to this series. I cannot wait for Aubrey and Gunner's story!