Rustler Mountain, Oregon, is a tourist town known for its portrayal of a shootout in the 1800s where the sheriff, Lee Talbot, shot and killed outlaw Austin Wilder. The current Austin Wilder and his family are still thought of as outlaws and are shunned by many of the town’s residents, even though they run a successful ranch.

Millie Talbot is a descendant of Sheriff Lee Talbot. She wants to reopen the historical museum and needs help from Austin. He ends up agreeing because he’s trying to write a book that more accurately portrays past events and has documents he believes will change the history of the town. He also wants access to anything Millie might have. He also agrees to help with the upcoming Gold Rush Days celebration.

As the two spend more time together, feelings start to grow. But can good girl Millie and bad boy Austin really have a future together?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I feel like contemporary romance hasn’t really been my thing lately, but I saw a Threads post for this release, and it mentioned things like “bad boy hero who likes the library” and “good girl librarian” and also hinted at sexy library loving and I realized that maybe I should jump back on the contemporary wagon again with this opposites attract, enemies to lovers, small town romance.

This is the story of a small Oregon town, Rustler Mountain, who’s history is rich with tales of the wild west, shootouts, outlaws and lawmen, and those stories continue to influence the current resident’s everyday lives. It all started with the Talbots and the Wilders, one a lawman and one an outlaw.

Millie Talbot is the town’s librarian and a direct descendant of the original sheriff of Rustler’s Mountain. She is quiet, steadfast in her beliefs, and perhaps a bit mousy. She needs help with her plans for Rustler Mountain’s Gold Rush Days and reestablishing the history museum, she just requires one more vote at the council meeting and she can secure the funding needed. The only outstanding vote she can think of is Austin Wilder, who is a member of a founding family. So, she heads up to his ranch, ready to ask for his assistance.

Austin Wilder is tired of his family being shunned for the illegal actions of his ancestors, but the Wilders are still considered the villains and outlaws of the town. After reading his ancestor’s, and namesake, journal he’s convinced that the town’s history isn’t completely correct and there is more to the story that has been passed down through the years. When Millie comes calling, asking for his vote, his first reaction is to say no, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes this might be his opportunity to get his hands on documents and artifacts that might prove his theory true.

First thing I want to say is that while I did have some nitpicky issues with redundancy of certain words and phrases, I read this book cover to cover last night. Not only was I drawn into the romance between Millie and Austin, but I was also quite taken with the history of the town itself and getting to know all of the characters, both main and secondary. Millie and Austin are enemies only in that her ancestor killed his in a shootout all those years ago. They don’t really know each other, but Millie is the town librarian, and Austin is an avid reader, and by his book choices Millie knows there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the town bad boy.

As they become partners in the planning of Gold Rush Days and reopening the town museum, they begin to unearth new information about town’s history and their ancestor’s legacies. Which threatens to crumble the foundation of both Millie and Austin’s ideas about their identities. There is tremendous growth in both of their character arcs as they work through figuring out who they are without the preconceived notions, and who they want to be going forward. There are a lot of themes that come up throughout this story- people being a product of their upbringing and environment, how hard it is to break free of other people’s boxes and labels, and that not all “good” people are actually good, some just want the appearance of being good. I really enjoyed reading the journal entries at the start of every chapter as Milie and Austin slowly begin to uncover the truth of the town’s history and their ancestor’s place in it.

I liked the romance and the spice level. There is definitely no insta-love, but there is insta-attraction and yes, I can report that there is a sexy library scene. I’m absolutely interested in reading more stories in this world. I think the set-up for the other Wilder sibling’s stories is well done. The next book in the series will feature Perry and Carson, which makes me happy, but I’m also kind of fascinated by Cassidy and Flynn. I feel like I have an idea of who their love interests will be in future books, but I could be wrong.

I quite enjoyed this romance and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Final grade- B

Content notes- FMC’s fiancé cheated on her in past, mentions of historical violence and prejudice, mentions of secondary character’s wife’s sudden death

I devoured this in one sitting. I absolutely loved this. It was a little bit repetitive and the end was a little much for me, but overall I had a blast. I am a cowboy romance enthusiast and this was a TREAT.

I loved the FMC and her inner thought process. Her thoughts specifically after the first time they have sex are SO real and so good and something I have never read before, it was incredibly refreshing.

I loved the setting. I love the family and the stories that will follow this one, I am deeply invested in all of them.

I am so, so glad to have gotten this arc. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing

Another good read by Ms. Yates.

I enjoyed watching the interaction between Austin and Millie throughout the story and discovering the true story of what happened between the notorious outlaw Austin Wilder and Sheriff Lee Talbot. (Austin Wilder is Austin's ancestor and Lee Talbot is Millie's ancestor)

Another one you don't want to miss.
Pick up your copy in February 2025

Ugh all of the small town romance feels! This book was so bingeable and I loved all of the characters so much

Millie Talbot and Austin Wilder should not be attracted to each other, at all. History says that his ancestors were killed by one of her ancestors way back in the 1860s. They've managed to pretty much ignore each other until now, when they discover that maybe that history that everyone has learned and believed just might not be what really happened. Now Millie and Austin must try and sort out what really did happen, all the while dealing with their attraction to each other. (The only real problem I had withi the book was a seeming overuse of elipses [...]; maybe some of them could've been eliminated?).

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing and Masiey Yates for this preview copy. I can't wait for the next in the series.

Millie Talbot and Austin Wilder live in the small northern Oregon town of Rustler Mountain. They shouldn’t be attracted to each other. There’s bad blood between their families that’s been lingering for generations since the Wild West of the 1800s. The town’s history says they should hate each other. But sometimes the history that was passed down through the years isn’t the history that actually happened and so Millie and Austin must sort through not only the present feelings that they have for each other but also solve the mystery of what really happened in the past. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its publication date in exchange for an honest review. I liked it and will read more of this series.

4🌟/5
Vibes: 📚🐎🫂❤️‍🩹✨☕

"Emocional, dulce y adictivo"
Perfecto para fans de sagas como Blue Rebel Ranch series 🥹🫶🏻

Qué cosita de libro más tierna y linda. Con los elementos que más amo en este tipo de lecturas:

🐎 Familia de vaqueros? ✓
🐎 Small town? ✓
🐎 Un romance puro y conmovedor? ✓
🐎 Grumpy and Sunshine trope? ✓✓✓

Amé mucho la dinámica entre Austin y Millie, quienes vivían bajo la presión del legado de sus antepasados, y a gracias a su amor, aprender a liberarse de una vida sin magia, para empezar a creer otra vez.

Son personajes entrañables, con los que hice una buena conexión. Y adoro que habrá más de ellos en más libros!

Oh, y ese final... lloré tanto que no me alcanzaron las servilletas 😭😭😭🥹🫶🏻✨

Al principio sí me costó un poco agarrar el ritmo, pero me alegra haber llegado hasta aquí, porque es de las historias más bonitas que he leído este año.

Recomendado 100%

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC

3.5⭐️

Enjoyable good girl/bad boy small town romance. The old timey family feuds were a lot, I get that the town is built around the feuds but there’s needed to be just a bit more.

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 !!