This was a fun, easy to read romance. Very light and amazing. I loved the chemistry between them so much!!

Thanks netgalley for this ARC

In Not Mine to Take by Kate Campfield, Rory is not having the best of days at her place of work, but what she doesn't know is that things are going to get from bad to worse. Not only is she getting dumped by yet another boyfriend, but her job is no more. She thinks that maybe fate is punishing her for breaking her high school boyfriend's heart, whom she has been avoiding for the past 10 years. The high school reunion is coming soon, and now that she needs a break from everything, she decides to attend and face her past.
Nate has never recovered from that high school breakup and hopes that one day Rory will reconsider her decision. Then the chance he has been waiting for appears, and he decides to take it, but no one knows what the future holds for the two of them. To find out, get a copy of this book, Not Mine to Take, by Kate Campfield.

I like the way the author describes the unspoken thoughts of the characters in the book; it makes the book very intriguing. I also like the way the dogs are incorporated in the story; they are simply hilarious.

I didn't like the way profanity is high in some chapters. Additionally, although the book is extremely fascinating, the epilogue has kind of changed the whole story.

I rate this book Not Mine to Take by Kate Campfield. 4 out of 5 stars.

I recommend it to those readers who like steamy books based on high school romance. The book will help them reflect on the past and find out if maybe there were decisions in their past that need revisiting.

I read this is one sitting, I just couldn't put it down! Stung by what she heard her parents say, Rory decided to break up with her childhood sweetheart Nate. She moved away from the town she grew up in, and decided she needed a fresh start away from it all. However, she still burnt a torch for Nate. In comes Nate, still pining after Rory, he offers her a place to stay when the 10 year school reunion comes about. I fell in love with both Rory and Nate as main characters, and fell in love with their romance with every page. If you need a feel good book to fill in a few hours then look no further, because when you pick it up, you wont want to put it down. I already cannot wait to read the second.

I really enjoyed the book and thought it was well written. The dialogue was interesting and so was the plot. Rory and Nate’s story was really sweet, but so real. Rory was very relatable but I love how she was open to Nate. And Nate’s pining for Rory was chef’s kiss - soooo good!

I can’t forget I love the dual POV, with a few special chapters from Ollie the dog! I loved those chapters.

My favorite part was the ending though because it set up book #2 so well with a bit of mystery and intrigue at the end. I will definitely be looking out for book 2 to come out!

I devoured this second chance romance. When a woman returns home for her high school 10 year reunion she needs to connect with her ex boyfriend who's heart she broke. And, oh boy, does she connect! This spicy story mixes racy romance with humor. It tells the tale with alternating points of view from the man, woman and dog. The dogs are very funny.

I read an ebook advanced copy but this review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. I loved this story, but got hit by the cliffhanger at the end. Now, I can't wait for book two.

Rory’s life just keeps kicking her when she’s down so when her last straw breaks she decides to stop overthinking and head back to her home town and to her first love Nate, the one she pushed away and broke his heart. But Nate isn’t heartbroken he’s ready and waiting for a second chance with his one that got away.

Straight away I was sucked into the story, Rory is relatable in that mid/late twenties way of feeling like you should have your life sorted by now and yet somehow you don’t. And Nate, sweet sweet very obsessed Nate. I love that for him there was zero hesitation he jumps in with two feet and despite being a little uptight when it comes to her scraggly little dog, he’s kind and caring to her feelings.

The plot moves at a relatively gentle place with not a whole lot of tension initially. They seem to fall into a happy routine quickly and despite a few things being hinted at we don’t get more than breadcrumbs until the last page (HELLO CLIFFHANGER! - this is me not realizing it wasn’t a standalone 😆) and now I’m immediately ready for book 2 to find out if Nate has a sneaky side!!

I would have loved a few more side character cameos and I’m not totally sure about the dog POV chapters but all in all I found this a really sweet and pleasantly spicy book. Like a hallmark movie but add a little spice!

Thank you to Kate Campfield, Young Cowboy Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Not Mine To Take by Kate Campfield

What would one do if life came crushing down and they would loose everything materialistic at one go? Sounds tough but Rory looks confident overhere.

Story focuses on two phase of life of characters - 1. Highschool and 2. 10 years later at Highschool Reunion. Rory and Nate have been highschool sweethearts but they parted ways before leaving for college. And now, situation arises where they meet and are ready to explore everything again.

📚 Both side of point of views are shown in the story. Still, it felt like we know very less about Nate, which became clear at the end of the story. Not revealing here!!
📚 Story shows a lot of animal care, which I hadn't explored earlier, so it was fun to see how they train their dogs.
📚 Plot revolves around smoothly from one event to another and it doesn't feel like anything is missing or skipped.
📚 However, there was a terror created in the book about the highschool bully Yvonne, but not much was shown about it. I guess will explore more in book 2 of the series.
📚 The character sketch is complete, habits, past, present is described well along with a bit of background on parents.
📚 Only thing I felt was that the story was very slow, not boring though, which kept me glued to the book till the end.

I am excited to read book 2 as this leaves us on a cliffhanger.

Do I think this book was bad? No. Do I think this book was for me? Also no. My main issue with the book was that it was trying very hard to be a cozy small town romance but I just couldn't buy into it. The pose were cringey in places and awkward in others. If small town romance with minimal character development is for you go right ahead but this just didn't meet my expectations for a romance novel

I did not finish this book. The story line does not seem to work well and it seems like there are so many thought processes happening at the same time.

Not sure at first due to the "if we don't find someone by... we'll get together" plot been done alot. Well, I needn't have worried. This one stood it's ground and stood it tall! It was sweet and lovely and all the things you look for in a romance.
And it was right down my alley for the heartfelt and man does right by thr lady he wants to be with. Sometimes yes, we need a bit of that even if the world isn't showing it to us. It was nice to put faith in these two.
It was full of hope. Not sacrin sweet either. Just the right amount.
Great book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC provided by Victory Editing in exchange of an honest review.
I always have a soft spot for second chance romances and actually had a great time reading this story.
Our FMC Rory might be a little childish sometimes, but that did not annoy me because I can understand her insecurity and her fear of not being good enough.
And Nate, our MC, was such a sweet man. He was patient and did not treat Rory with coldness after what happened in the past.
And the dogs !!! They are so adorable !!! Ollie’s POV (yes Ollie is one of the dogs 😆) were awesome !
The cliffhanger at the end made me curious about the second book. I’ll definitely read it.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and I loved it.

It’s a story of letting go after your life seemingly falls completely apart, and letting in whatever good may come after. It’s a story of second chances, if you open yourself up and let them happen. It’s a story about holding out hope. Filled with all of the feel-good rom-com vibes, plus dogs!

Looking forward to what comes next in HiLo!

This was a strong start to the High Lonesome series, it had that feel that I was looking for and was written well. I was hooked from the first page and was enjoying the way the characters were in this universe. Kate Campfield has a strong writing style and am excited for more in this series.

The way that I looooooveeee a "if we're not taken, we'll take each other" plot!! And this one by Kate Campfield delivered on all of the joy and deliciousness that the premise has to offer. 10/10!

This was an easy-to-read second chance romance that definitely had its cute moments. It started off pretty strong then I felt it just went flat about 1/3 of the way in. The author has potential though, so I'll definitely be following her work.

This book was not a good fit for me. I was excited to read Kate Campfield's book. She has great reviews and I like the authors that influenced her work. It is a story of second chances. Ten years after high school ends and the couple broke up, the couple attends a high school reunion together. Nate appears to be a successful police officer in the same town and Rory is returning home after her life kind of falls apart. The marriage pact is not a major plot point for the story, but it does come up.

I think my biggest challenge was not connecting with Rory. I didn't really like her as a main character which made it difficult to root for the couple. I liked Nate and was no put off by his opinions of her dog.

My favorite part of the book was the chapters by Olie. Those I laughed out loud for!

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC.

Not Mine to Keep by Kate Campfield was a fun, delightful book that was easy to read and kept me laughing and rooting for the characters throughout the book.

The opening paragraph set the tone for the humor of the main character, Rory, and what I knew to expect throughout the book - a FMC who didn't take herself too seriously and could laugh at really crappy things (literally) happening to you.

When Rory and Nate reunite after ten years and can they find love? I'm not spoiling it for you, but if you like characters that you root for, dogs that have their own chapters :) and a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, this is for you.

I can't wait for the rest of the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in consideration of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A light-hearted easy-to-read romance with dual POV. Tropes included; second chance, small town, steamy. This author was new to me but I'd read more of their books. Recommend to fans of this genre. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Review is up on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon Australia on release day. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Small-Town Second Chances with a Side of Dog POV

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Not Mine To Take by Kate Campfield, and let me tell you—this one checks all the boxes! Small-town charm, second chances, fake dating, and yes, even a POV from a lovable German Shepherd named Ollie.

Rory’s relatable quirks—like forgetting packages she ordered, leading to surprise mail days—had me laughing and nodding along because, same, girl. Her return to her hometown after heartbreak and job loss felt genuine, and her slow-burn reconnection with Nate, the small-town cop who never stopped loving her, was equal parts cozy and swoony.

The romance had Hallmark vibes but with an edge, keeping the story engaging and heartfelt. While I would’ve loved to see Nate’s personality fleshed out a bit more beyond his love for Rory and his cop duties, his quiet, steadfast devotion made me root for him. The small-town dynamics and angsty plot twists added depth, and the reunion felt like slipping into a warm blanket.

Oh, and the ending? I’m officially begging for book two! Kate, we need it ASAP.

Why You’ll Love It:
🐾 A dog POV that’s just too adorable
🏔️ A charming small-town setting
💌 Second-chance romance with all the feels

This is a heartwarming rom-com that’s perfect for fans of small-town romances with humor, charm, and a dash of angst. Highly recommend!

Loved this one so much! Can't wait for book 2. Fast paced, funny. Couldn't put it down. The world building of the small town was perfect- I want to move to High Lonesome!