*Riders Block* by Waitlyn Andrews brings together a grumpy cowboy and a city-girl writer in a cozy, heartwarming romance set against the backdrop of ranch life, a close-knit small-town community, and family charm—qualities that make it feel like a Hallmark movie in book form. For fans of the cowboy romance trope, this book hits the mark with its simple yet endearing storyline and likable leads, especially Eric, whose character evolution keeps readers invested.

That said, the story's pacing and character depth had mixed responses. While some readers appreciated the steady, feel-good vibe without typical romance drama—no miscommunications or jealousy—others felt the narrative needed more tension or emotional stakes to keep it engaging. Certain scenes, like repeated rodeo visits or Amelia’s trips to Penny’s store, felt repetitive and slowed down the story without adding new insights. Though Eric and Amelia’s personalities are lightly sketched, a bit more detail would have made them more vivid and relatable.

For those who enjoy lighthearted romances with minimal conflict, *Riders Block* delivers a sweet and satisfying read. Andrews’ choice to focus on the positive aspects of the relationship gives the book a wholesome quality, though some readers might wish for a bit more complexity or challenge to the plot. Despite some minor hiccups in dialogue and pacing, it’s a charming, cozy romance that’s perfect for a quick, feel-good escape.

Plot-wise, this book was everything I look for in a romance novel. A grumpy cowboy paired with a city-girl writer, set against the charm of ranch life, a loving family, and a close-knit small-town community. It all brought a cozy, feel-good warmth that reminded me of a Hallmark movie. However, certain areas fell short, which is why my final rating landed at three stars.

First of all, there were many repetitive scenes, like everyone going to the rodeo, which didn’t add much to the story beyond establishing the cowboy lifestyle, or Amelia’s frequent visits to Penny's store. Often, these scenes led to similar conversations—like discussion of Dean or revisiting things we already knew. This repetition affected the pacing, and I found myself skimming through parts instead of fully enjoying the read.

The characters didn’t display much personality beyond surface traits, especially Eric, who felt particularly lacking in depth. While we did get some insight into the motivations behind Amelia’s behaviors, I still felt her character could have been more fully developed. I also found it hard to picture them; though I’m not a huge fan of paragraphs dedicated to appearance, a bit more detail beyond her strawberry-blonde hair or his height would have made them more vivid.

I understand that Waitlyn Andrews aimed to write a book free from typical romance drama—no other woman, miscommunications, or cheating—focusing instead on the positive aspects of the relationship. However, in my opinion, every novel needs some level of conflict or tension to keep it engaging, and this can certainly be achieved without those tropes. While there were a few elements of tension in the story, they weren’t fully developed enough to sustain my interest. Without deeper challenges or emotional stakes, the narrative felt somewhat flat, making it harder to stay fully engaged.

This book is so fun! As a fan of cowboy romances, I adored the setting in Colorado and the grumpy cowboy. I also particularly loved the inclusion of a tornado since it satisfied my looking for a Twisters-like novel. Overall, I loved the banter, the descriptions and details about ranch life, and the tension between both Mia and Eric. While there were times some situations were drawn out a little long, I was so in for the ride. Thanks so much for this early request Netgalley and Waitlyn Andrews!

I'm actually screaming over how cute this is.

My cowboy era isn't going away any time soon, so this book came at the most perfect timing. It's simple but not too simple, absolutely adorable, and I love both leads (especially Eric, but that's to be expected).

I practically devoured this book and while it felt longer than expected - it's an average number of pages, but reading it on my phone made it seem longer - there was never a moment I felt should have been cut or a page that should have been removed. The pacing of the story was perfect, though I would have appreciated a better/longer/more fleshed-out transition from grumpy Eric to "I'm about to make this woman fall for me" Eric. It sort of felt like I blinked and suddenly he's happy and not as grumpy as when we started this book with him as a bit of a crabby jerk. I miss the crabby jerk.

There were a couple of conversations that read a bit clunky to me. I'm not sure if it was the pacing or the words or what, but it was only a handful of moments where I was jarred out of my immersion because it was a bit weird.

I'd read Andrews' other book and felt like the ending was rushed a tad. Here, the ending was dragging its feet and I couldn't be happier. Sure, it was wild, but in the best way possible.

Honestly, I'm so grateful to have been able to read this.

thank you Netgalley for the arc

A sweet, swoony closed door Cowboy Romance! This story was filled with layered and realistic characters, beautifully descriptive settings and rich character development. I loved seeing these characters layers get peeled back, showing they weren’t just their cheesy stereotypes while seeing their romantic connection grow. This story shows us a lot of love, loyalty among family members and deep appreciation/gratitude for the careers we love (even when things are hard or becoming more challenging to continue loving)

This is such an adorable book.

I LOVED the references to Great Gatsby - not wanting to build without the other.

Can anyone dislike a grumpy hot cowboy who wants to woo and wait for their lady to be ready? Happy Sighes.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, normally I won't read HEA that has zero smut, but this hallmark cowboy love story is just what I needed.

Now to find this author's backlist and devour.

This book was so enjoyable! There was so much depth in the characters and I loved the descriptions of the area she went to. I also loved the soundtrack of the chapters. I think this cowboy romance was so good

There truly is nothing like a cowboy or small town romance, I will never fail to eat it up every time. Love, love, loved this book.

Rider's Block is a quirky story and just up my alley! I loved the way the MMC and FMC got along (ish) the banter they shared was great, it was good to see a grumpy cowboy!

Rider’s Block caught my interest because of its unique setup: a cowboy romance featuring a writer heroine searching for real-life inspiration. The small-town setting and tight-knit community added so much warmth to the story, and so did the relationships—whether it was family, friends, or romantic partners. I loved the atmosphere Andrews created and would happily read more about this community and its characters in future stories.
However, there were a few areas where the book fell short for me. The pacing was a bit uneven, and at times it felt like scenes stretched on without adding to the romance or the characters’ journeys. Although the story builds up slowly, the shift to the relationship turning romantic felt sudden, with the main characters going from tentative feelings to a relationship to marriage in what felt like the blink of an eye. Having dual perspectives could have added depth to the MMC’s character, making his feelings and actions more understandable to readers.
For readers who prefer adult romance with a bit of spice, it’s important to note that this is a closed-door romance. While I think a closed-door romance can still carry plenty of tension, here it felt somewhat lacking, especially as the characters' interactions remained limited to minimal kissing. A bit more emotional and romantic buildup could have enhanced the chemistry, and I’d suggest making it clearer in the book description that this is a closed-door romance, as I know many readers appreciate knowing what to expect in that regard.
The writing style was overall enjoyable, though at times the dialogue felt a bit artificial, and character dynamics a bit juvenile, particularly given the characters’ ages. This didn’t detract from the charm of the characters, but it did impact how relatable they felt as adults.
Overall, Rider’s Block has some wonderful elements—a unique premise, lovable characters, and a cozy small-town backdrop. With a bit more development in pacing and character perspectives, I think it could be an even stronger read. I’d give it 3.5 stars overall

I paused the book 19% thinking that I would pick it up again in a few days. But I really felt like I would have to force myself to pick it up again. I came to the concludusion that I love the idea of cowboy romances and I also loved the general plot of this book. But sadly lots of cowboy romances include animal cruelty like the rodeos. I thought that I could handle it cause it is fictional but I can't.
Still 3 stars causr the book itself is not bad I just don't like the topics it contains.

This is such a sweet, clean cowboy romance. I really enjoyed the banter between Mia and Eric. I loved how the reader gets to learn about cowboy culture right along with Mia while she is doing her research for her book. I fell in love with Eric's family and was rooting for each of them. It would have been fun to have a separate book for Dean and Penny but I think there is still enough of their story maybe we can get another swoony cowboy romance. Each chapter being a different song was fun. The author's note at the end was so sweet and I appreciate that she will provide the clean romance stories without a 3rd act breakup. I don't know if I loved this book or her other book, Yes, Chef, more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

sweet cute book that fed my chestnur springs hangover but nothing tops queen elsie silver to m this was still a good book though

Rider’s Block by Waitlyn Andrews is about a woman who is a writer but down on her luck when her newest written novel gets sent back several times and told to basically redo all of it. She’s writing a subject she hasn’t written about before and therefore needs to do some research. This research finds her settled in a horse ranch with rodeo cowboys and one in particular grumpy cowboy.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were lovely and I found myself feeling like they were all my friends too. The relationships are my favorite part of the book. It was very well done and great for people who love the love without it being spicy. It was sweet and innocent. Exactly how I love my romance novels. The only thing that I would have changed is how there seemed to be a lot going on towards the middle/end of the book. It started out at a normal pace and then it seemed like a lot was crammed into the last portion. Despite this, it is still an awesome read!

This was a very cute and heartwarming read! This is the book that introduced me to my cowboy era! It’s almost like those hallmark movies, a great filler and nice soft plot throughout it. To me this was a great filler read in between my usual dark romance. I would love to read more by Waitlyn!

If you know me, you know I’m gonna put away a cowboy romance. I plowed through this one in only two days and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are a long time fan of slow burns like me, just know, this one is an exceptionally slowwww burn, but that just makes it all the more irresistible. The only things holding this pristine novel back for me are just simply some reader’s preferences; this is still, without a doubt, a phenomenal read. I couldn’t put it down. Not to mention, I was physically unwell waiting for Eric and Mia to fall madly in love, but I promise you, it was so worth the wait.

Amelia is an author with over a dozen books published but her current book is not being picked up and she is being told by her agent that she needs to go to a place for it to be more authentic. So she heads for a ranch in Colorado hoping to find just that. What she finds is the beauty that she was looking for, the animals and people in the small town. She was not expecting the grumpy cowboy who she met the first day when her car was stuck and for him to be around her most of the time. This is a very good story with wonderful characters.

Author Amelia was on the fast track for being the best selling author every single time she wrote a book. However, after several rejections for her recent book she can’t figure out how to rework her book. One thing is blatantly clear, she does not know how to write about Colorado in a way that makes the readers know she knows about Colorado. So for three months she is packed up and ready to learn about small town cowboy Colorado. To her surprise she finds more than inspiration and he comes in the form of a quiet and slighty grumpy cowboy.
You want a sweet romance that’s clean?! Then this is the book for you! I have never wanted to move to a rural farm in Colorado so fast in my life before.

This was my first cowboy romance and i ABSOLUTELY devoured it!! As someone who moved from california where the beach was to Tennessee this was all to relatable! The golden retriever boys in this book are the cutest things! Lets go to a ranch with a hot grumpy cowboy, yes please!! The Randall brothers will be added to my never ending group of men in my brain that i LOVE! Eric, Eric, Eric.... the way that boy made up his mind and would wait however long until she came around, ugh, PERFECTION! I need a short novel with The randall brothers where are they now type stuff because on year later doesnt scratch my itch to know how they are all living! These couples are the best and this was the perfect way to jump into the cowboy romance theme! I NEED a physical copy to sit on my shelves now so i can always be reminded of the cowboy s that stole my heart! There was no spice in this book and honestly it didnt need it! This was the perfect grumpy x sunshine, golden retriever type themes that if done well you dont have to add spicy scenes and this was done well! I was kicking and giggling and blushing with that man Eric Randall. I wish i could read it again for the first time! I NEED this on my shelves!

I love a good cowboy romance! This book delivers on the cowboy and a slow burn romance. I loved the city girl coming to the country and falling in love with the town, the family, the animals, and the cowboy. Where this book lost me was the sloooooow burn, I was loving the tension and inner monologue of the FMC but I felt like it went on longer than believable. This is a closed door romance/no spice except for kissing which isn’t the issue necessarily, but it did feel a little unbelievable at times if it were to be real life. While I was reading this, I feel like it would be perfect for a hallmark movie and would thrive!