Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital galley of this book.

I may be a little late to the party on this one, sorry about that. I am determined to catch up on my entire backlog of review copies in this, the year of our pandemic, 2021. This one was a good start.

Rachel Duncan leads a pretty simple life. A rancher, she participates in long distance horse races and occasionally shares her bed with a cowboy when she needs to scratch that itch. She tries not to think of her childhood friend, and so much more, Amy. Nope. Horses and the ranch, that’s her uncomplicated life. That is, until her new veterinarian, Dr. Margaret Carson shows up and stirs feelings Rachel though were long buried. With the Tevis Cup race coming up, the women will have to work together to keep Rachel’s horse in great shape, and maybe they won’t have to do it while fighting their attraction to one another.

This book was a pleasant, uncomplicated read. There’s enough tension and action to move the plot forward, but it’s not overly dramatic, particularly the relationship part. There are elements of discovering (or rediscovering) sexuality, but it’s not necessarily the point of the story. The race, navigating a relationship, and the characters are at the heart of this one, and the characters are, for sure, what gave it heart.

I enjoyed the development of both the two main characters as well as the two minor characters who have already been in a relationship for some time. Kate, particularly, provides an insight into the queer women side of life for Rachel as well as offers a look into Indigenous culture often lacking in most types of literature.

Because I am so far behind, if you are looking for a quick escape that involves hot cowgirls, this one’s been available for quite a while.