Rustler Mountain by Maisey Yates

Rustler mountain is a gold rush town where families remain locked into rigid social roles based on their ancestors. Local rancher Austin Wilder is seen as a troublemaker based on his namesake, outlaw ancestor. Millie Talbot, town librarian, is seen as an upstanding citizen, based on her sheriff ancestor. Their families have been enemies for over a hundred years, yet when they need to work together on a town project, they start to see each other quite differently.

Tropes in this novel include opposites-attract and enemies-to-lovers. It is low angst and a fast read, due to Yates’s clear, straightforward writing. The narration is third person, omniscient.

Interesting themes come up throughout the story: 1) People are complex and often not who you think they are. 2) Some folks care much more about the appearance of being good than actually being good people. 3) People are a product of their upbringing and their environment, including the time in which they live(d). 4) When existing history is found to be incorrect or biased, it should be corrected. And 5) It is hard to break free of the box or label you’ve been given.

In spite of the above, the overall feel of the book is light and uplifting. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and Maisey Yates for this ARC copy!

Austin Wilder is a man living under the expectations of his outlaw ancestor and namesake. The woman whose family has been painted as a heroes of their small town is about to ask for his help.

Millie Talbot has always fought to live up to a family legacy of do-gooders. Until she needs to rely on the resident bad-boy, who she's never allowed herself to want.

I absolutely adored "Rustler Mountain." The romance of the present day Austin and Millie was cleverly interwoven with the sub-plot of the Wild West mystery they set out to solve. Both characters had to work through not only other's expectations and family legacy, but also their views of themselves.

There's also a sneak peak of another story planned for the side characters, which I'll definitely read when it comes out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC

I really enjoyed this book. It was steamy and romantic. I love reading books that go from enemies to lovers. Maisey Yates wrote another great one this year. The ending was really good. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good and the character's were developed very well.

The Old West still lives in modern day Rustler Mountain with a feud between two founding families dating back 150 years. Millie Talbot wants to bring back the Gold Rush Days to boost the history of the area and restore the local museum. In the 19th century, Austin Wilder and his brothers were accused of murder. Millie’s ancestor, Lee Talbot, shot Austin in the middle of town. In the present day, Austin’s namesake does not believe his relatives murdered anyone. When Millie comes to Austin for help and support, he agrees with the condition that he wants to try to clear his ancestors’ names. This is a fun read with a few surprises that may change the perception of history in Rustler Mountain.

The old west has an infamous reputation, and that's no more apparent than in the California gold rush town of Rustler Mountain. The Wilders were the outlaws, the thieves and train robbers, and the Talbots were the upholders of the law. Generations later, their descendants still inhabit the town.

It's a small, tourist destination, and librarian Millie Talbot would love nothing more than to bring back the town's Gold Rush Days. She has some support, but without a vote from another founding family, the Wilders, Millie will be out voted. She bolsters her courage and approaches modern-day outlaw, Austin Wilder, to enlist his help.

As Millie and Austin work together to organize the festivities, they look through preserved artifacts from both families. Along the way to falling in love, they find that many historical facts and portrayals are less than accurate with the purpose of casting the perceived heroes in a positive light.

This was a slow start for me and I almost gave up on it a few times. By the time I was at seventy-five percent I was fully invested and glad I persevered. Millie and Austin's story is one of opposites, good girl and bad boy, and societal perceptions and expectations. It reminds us that things aren’t always as they seem, and that people reputed to be bad often have good in them.

Millie y Austin viven en Rustler Mountain, un lugar donde los pensamientos de muchos lugareños son anticuados y las personas son juzgadas según lo que sus antepasados hicieron. Ambos provienen de familias fundadoras: ella es una Talbot, conocida por su reputación de ser gente de ley, mientras que él es un Wilder, cuya familia tiene fama de ser forajidos.

Ambos crecieron con la idea de que deben ceñirse a los roles que la sociedad les impone: ella debe ser recatada, sumisa, una buena esposa, callada y servicial; mientras que él debe ser un delincuente, alborotador y mujeriego. Sin embargo, cuando comienzan a pasar tiempo juntos, se dan cuenta de que no deben dejar que los demás decidan cómo deben vivir sus vidas, y que es momento de mostrar sus verdaderas personalidades y hacer realidad sus sueños.



El siguiente libro es de Perry y Carson, y solo espero que él sufra por haber elegido a otra antes que a P.
Nota para mí: No creo que él haya amado a su esposa; más bien, creo que en el ejército la gente lo veía como alguien valioso, algo que no ocurría en Rustler Mountain. Cuando conoció a su esposa, probablemente la vio como una oportunidad para demostrar que todos en su pueblo estaban equivocados y que él era digno de respeto. Espero que eso se cumpla, y que la razón por la que no intentó nada con Perry haya sido por culpa.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Found this very enjoyable. Maisey Yates is very experienced romance writer, and I have read quite a few of her books. I personally enjoy her usual relationship dynamics, particularly her emphasis on the emotional turmoil of deciding to be vulnerable. I think Rustler Mountain is one of her best, I loved the premise, and particularly the centrality of the library and both characters love of reading. I really enjoyed the grappling with history, both as a community and indivudal characters. I also liked the way both of the characters had been so strongly impacted by the way their families were talked about but in different ways. I did think it was a bit funny that they talked about land back as something people should care about, when Austin owned a cattle ranch. Literally could give actual land back. I enjoyed the gradual way all of Millie's misconceptions were unravelled, and how she delt with the shock of discovering her ancestors were actually terrible (something some one in anyway aware of how America was founded probably shouldn't have found shocking).

Overall though, a very enjoyable romance read with a good balance of emotions, plot and character development.

Family history has deeply colored the lives of Austin Wilder and Millie Talbot, affecting their interactions as they go about living and working in Rustler Mountain. When Austin and Millie unexpectedly find themselves working together to bring back the town’s Gold Rush Days event, they uncover – and bond over – historical family secrets that will change everything for the town, and for themselves.

I love stories of the old west, so I was really excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley for this one. I can’t wait to read more in the series!

I love Maisey Yates books. This was a quick read, good characters and setting. I enjoyed the book very much.

this book wasn’t perfect, but it was real and soo incredibly addicting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The characters had flaws and made you feel frustrated when they were their own worst enemy. Millie truly is a different kind of female main character. She is indecisive, wanting, and a little bit lost. What is so special about this book is you get to see her get her spark, to grow into the person SHE wants to be.

I imagine our male main character to look like a grumpy cowboy Henry Cavill (with reading glasses?!) 🔥🔥

“Was this pining? This wrenching, aching, horrible…need?” He is so down bad for Millie 🥹

Austin is lonely and exhausted, tired of living in a town that can never see him as anything more than his last name. The name of the infamous Austin Wilder (his namesake), an outlaw of the Wild West who is notorious in their small town. But is the story of this so called villain even true?

Austin and Millie team up together to restore the Gold Rush Days and find themselves exploring both their families history. Sparks begin to fly but Millie is a Talbot- descendent of the man who shot Austin Wilder dead and led his family to be ostracized for years how could he ever fall for someone like her…

but oh god does he 😏 in his own words

“He was pretty damn obsessed with her. Touching her, kissing her, looking at her. Talking to her.”

“You do this to me. I don’t even understand what it is. Magic, maybe. I’ve been turning it over in my head all day.” 😫😫😫


Give me Perry and Carson’s book IMMEDIATELY !!

This book is the first of I believe will be a saga. The story of Austin Wilder and Millie Talbot goes back 150 years when his namesake ascendency was a villain and her 5 times grandfather as her own father was the town Sheriff. On the opposite sides of the tracks she always avoided him, but after becoming an orphan and seeing her wedding being called off weeks before the date left her alone and hollow. Her only passion was history. And that’s where Austin come along and they relive a great love story that break misconceptions and prejudice and mostly find their happily ever after. In this book we got to know precious, imperfect, strong and depth characters that I’m sure will come back on their owns stories in this series. Can’t wait.

The slow burn of their relationship, filled with witty exchanges and simmering tension, had me flipping pages late into the night. This book isn’t just about a rodeo or a town’s revival; it’s about breaking free from the shadows of history and finding love where you least expect it. I can’t wait for more from this author!

I loved this contemporary western romance between the “outlaw” Austin and the librarian Millie. But this was a unique contemporary romance in that it had a bit of a parallel historical twist. I greatly enjoyed the family dynamics between Austin and his siblings and hope that they will be featured in future novels. I loved that Millie was a strong character who knew her own mind and that both Austin and Millie deep down just always want to do the right things. Maisey Yates sure knows how to write them! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this swoon-worthy ARC. Loved it.

Maisey Yates does it again. She is the queen of cowboy romance. Rustler Mountain is an enemy to lover, uncovering secrets of the past type story and it does not disappoint!

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Rustler Mountain by Maisey Yates

Pure entertainment by Maisey Yates. Just what you would expect. Now we are invited to research the outlaw history of the Wild West. Current rancher being one Austin Wilder. Austin has outlived all his male relatives. They’ve all been gunned down as murderers. Austin has never believed that about his family. Yes they were outlaws and bank robbers but not killers.
Millie Talbot is another story altogether. Her forefathers were lawmen. And in fact instrumental in interrupting the chaos wrought by the Wilder boys and men.
Ironically, they have more in common than meets the eye. Interest in the stories true and fabled surrounding their town. Just one couple of families that are generationally sworn enemies.
Sometimes there’s a message in books. Perhaps on purpose, other times just an amazing integral part of a story. It only takes one person to break a spiral of hate, distrust and lies. That person has to be strong since the immediate reaction to their actions will in all likelihood be met with derision. Someone has to be brave and open up the floodgates to allow the truth to file through. In RUSTLER MOUNTAIN that person was Millie Talbot, better known as Mouse to the community. But to Austin Wilder, Millie was his salvation. His relationship with Millie’s mom had opened that gate. His life moved onto something no one would have expected.
The relationship, and I use that term very loosely, between Millie the Mouse and Austin the outlaw depends on developing a shared trust and interest in bringing to light the true story of their forefathers. Millie has always felt like an outsider in her hometown. This goes back to school and lack of friends. Millie’s one real friend was also considered an outsider. The one person Millie respected and adored was her mother. Millie followed her becoming the town’s librarian. The one unexpected visitor was Austin Wilder. As they get to know each other Millie realizes that it was her mother that had opened Austin’s world and accepted him. Something Austin would always be thankful for.
Millie is on a mission. She begins to realize that much of the historical legacy celebrated by the town isn’t really based on facts. In order to set this straight she has to stand up to the townsfolk, some friendly – others not so. The person Millie needs to get her vision running is none other than Austin Wilder.
Maisey Yates took the words out of an outlaw’s journal and fashioned it into one of the best western romances. It’s what fans have become used to. History has a way of repeating itself. RUSTLER MOUNTAIN is a lesson on respecting historical truth and then working diligently to prevent repeating it. Still a valuable lesson, even in today’s rather tumultuous times.

Immoral and Crude. Could not finish. Will not recommend nor will I read it. Bleech.

1 star
I don't have anything else to say.

Just by looking at the cover of Rustler Mountain, I knew I was gonna love this book. I was not mistaken. This one was a winner. Period