This wasn't a bad read, but the pacing just felt a little messy. I didn't care much for the characters or their relationship, which always results in a not to enjoyable read. The representation was lovely though!

I will admit, this didn't end up incredibly high on my list of reads. It wasn't terrible, but the plot pacing felt off. Elena goes from jaded in love to wanting to jump Julia's bones a bit too suddenly for my taste. The budding attraction didn't have a good build up for me. On a side note, I'm never a fan of present tense storytelling, but that isn't necessarily breaker for me.

Despite that though, I did enjoy the plot twist and drama that is introduced about halfway through. The store didn't get stale at any point. I also enjoyed the side characters a lot. They all had a lot of personality.

Julia Finch is a city girl used to constantly run away from her conflicted past and never settle anywhere. After dealing with her biological parents' rejection she leaves Chicago towards the west. Her car breaks down somewhere in rural Colorado. Alone and without money, she gets a job as a ranch hand but when she meets the enigmatic and gorgeous ranch owner Elena Bennett, all bets are off. Will their attraction be enough to stop Julia from running?

This is an entertaining romance set in rural Colorado where the author grew up. Her descriptions of nature and the landscape are very picturesque along with her accounts of what ranch life is all about.

'Breaking down her walls' is written in third person in present tense from the exclusive point of view of Julia. Some readers might not be comfortable with the choice of present tense despite it isn't as uncommon as one would think. Normally present tense provides a more intimate and immediate relationship with the character, it intensifies the emotions and the connection with the character's consciousness. I personally haven't issues with the present tense narrative but I think that Ms. Zak doesn't use the intimacy with her character in its full potential. There were moments when the author tells us how Julia feels instead of showing it and the closeness is temporarily lost. But other moments, like Julia's connection with her horse are really well done. Hands down, Leia is the best horse character I've read in lesfic.

It took me approximately half the book to feel the chemistry between the mains possibly because Elena's character was harder to grasp. Maybe that was the author's intention as it shows how Julia sees her. However, once the connection is established, the chemistry is strong and the intimate scenes are very realistic and hot. Unlike many lesfic books, the conflict around 80% mark doesn't feel contrived or forced and the resolution makes sense within the plot.

Overall, an entertaining romance for nature and horse lovers. 3.5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com

I was a fan of Erin Zak back when she was still writing Swan Queen fanfic and posting her updates on Tumblr. That’s how we met and hung out in a time that all our gay little hearts were furiously hoping that the showrunners would take Regina and Emma’s obvious love for each other to the next level. As we know they ultimately chickened out, but we will always have fan fic that celebrates their love and a whole slew of new and exciting talent that originated from that fandom.

It took me until a few weeks ago to figure out that fanfic writer EtotheSwan was in fact Erin Zak (duh!) and so I had to start reading Breaking Down Her Walls in a screaming hurry! I read it as a work in progress when it was a Swan Queen fic but I never saw the finished product and kinda forgot about it.

It was as good as I remembered. I had no problem switching to the format (be it first or third person present time) and I loved the ranch setting. It is very much Zak’s love letter to her birth state Colorado as she lovingly gives us a taste of the mountains in all their finery. If you love horses this is a must read. If you are a romance fan you don’t want to miss this either. The romance is slow burn as both women have some emotional hurdles to climb but oh man, when they do get busy it will melt your socks. That is one seriously sexy snu snu scene.

Too bad for that obligatory angst at the 80% mark to happen. I know it’s the go-to romance format of the moment, but personally I’m not a fan. It does nothing for me to be honest.

But other than that… I’m thrilled to bits Erin got snatched up by Bold Strokes. Not that I’m surprised because she was already a natural and can only grow further as an author. Looking forward to more!

f/f explicit

Themes: city girl, mountain ranch, horses, trust issues.

4 stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. for an honest review.

I loved this book. What's not to love about cowgirls and horses. This is Erin Zak's 2nd book and is wonderful. Full of scenery and angst. Julia is damaged goods by her own admission. She is also a runner. When things get bad, off she goes. She breaks down in a small town in Colorado and is offered a job on a ranch while her car is fixed. Meet Elena Bennet. The owner of the ranch and very standoffish. They meet somewhere in the middle and start breaking down each other's walls. Excellent read.

3.5 stars.

Overall I liked the read. The characters were nice, the plot wasn't too standard, the animals are always lovely and done well in this book. The supporting cast also works for the most part except the whole ex situation. The last 20% or so kinda ruins what could have been a 5 star read for me. The drama was too forced and completely unnecessary. Kinda the definition of communication issues. It's one of the tropes I dislike most. Yet the first two-thirds were enjoyable. Great start, unfortunate ending that's still HEA but with a bad aftertaste.

Good book. Gets you thinking and keeps you guessing.
Thank you to both NetGalley and bold strokes book for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion and review

It took me just a bit to get into this book since it's written in present tense. Nothing wrong with that, I just had to switch my brain over to reading it more like a screenplay. After I got into the groove of the book, I found it very entertaining.

I liked the character of Julia a lot, and probably Elena even more so. They had great chemistry, and I also really liked that there was a bit of an age gap but it was barely brought up. They made more of an issue about Julia being a "city girl" than the age difference.

The side characters were equally as great, especially Cole and Elijah. Even Leia the horse had her own little personality that I enjoyed getting to know. This book also has a bit of a love triangle going on that I wasn't expecting from the description, but it definetly added some tension.

My least favorite part was the epilogue. It felt like the whole parent's relationship was just thrown in at the end. It felt weird and misplaced, like it was just thrown in there to appease an Editor's note. I could have done without it, and actually liked the book even more.

I enjoyed this book. A classic opposite attracts and an age gap. The ranch hand/horse whisperer that pierces the impenetrable walls of the ranch owner. Throw in an antagonist who does her best to throw a wrench between the main characters. With some angsty moments but mostly tender moments while Julie and Elena bond with each other.

When Julia Finch meets with her birth parents it doesn’t go well so she decides to take a road trip with really no idea where she was going. She just had to go. When her car breaks down in a small town in Colorado she takes a job working as a ranch hand until her car can get repaired. She has no intentions of staying here. The owner of said ranch is Elena Bennett and she isn’t in a good place at all. When her partner dies she left with the task of running her ranch while also raising her son. This is a very emotional read that once you start reading you won’t want to put the book down. Very good read.
ARC via NetGalley

I didn't think I would be reading this book, "Breaking Down Her Walls" by Erin Zak until I read Rachael Byrne's review posted on Les Rêveur that piqued me interest. Not having had any experience with this author or her books, I dug in without any expectations, really. Am I glad I did because the first act itself hooked me right in!

First off, I have to mention that the style in which Zak utilised was something I'd only experienced once before (if me memory serves me right!) or let's just say, a rarity in me reading history - third-person in present tense. Me reckons it's not a common style authors use. In fact, the only time (if I remember correctly!) I came across it whilst reading, I remember it being very jarring for me that I noticed it immediately. I had to really get used to it. Fortunately the storytelling and the writing was solid so I didn't mind it one bit. THIS book, however, I must say, I didn't even notice it until my realisation hit after I finished because Zak somehow infused the style with such smoothness in the word flow that I read it like it was in any other usual style of writing! Another thing to point out about Zak's use of this unusual style that instantly comforted me reading experience is that all throughout, I felt like I was in a convo with Zak (albeit she was the only one talking!) where she'd just observed an event (story) in its entirety and was now recapping everything to me ever so meticulously whilst I was listening to her intently, quietly taking in everything. That was how her third-person-in-present-tense storytelling style felt for me! It was strangely soothing, like I was listening to the story rather than reading it meself! Yup, first time experiencing this effect with this particular style. So, I think it's Zak's way of structuring the word flow and expressions that did the trick! I absolutely loved it and enjoyed that feel!

Now that I've got me viewpoint about Zak's brilliantly expressed writing style squared away, I have to comment on her story plot. Ok, a story about a woman arriving in a small town to live a new life (in town or on a farm, a ranch, etc..) is no stranger to lesfic and I've read several of them. But Zak's version of this type of plot tweaked into something that piqued me sense of curiosity and interest almost right away! I honestly didn't expect it. So, well done, Zak, for creating a refreshing take on this trope. I was instantly curious about Julia and what she was running from. The fact that Julia was a "runner" just upped the game of curiosity and intrigue for me as a reader! Zak's storytelling style, dropping a series of nuggets strategically as she weaved Julia's journey from the town to the ranch just made it addictive that I couldn't put down the book until I finished it because I HAD to know what it was that Julia was hiding from! *Yes, that's why I'm an unapologetic binge-watcher AND binge-reader, so there!*

Normally, I shy away from stories involving farms or ranches (except if they're written by me favourite authors, that is!) because of certain reasons I won't bore you with. So imagine me surprise when I unwittingly discovered that I was really drawn to all the ins and outs, the inner-workings of a ranch - the horses, the farm animals, the herding, the manure collecting/storing, the barn cleaning, all the rest of the "farm/ranch" physical labour activities, basically! In fact, I couldn't get enough of all the details that Zak so richly depicted in the story especially the horse riding, training, and the herding! The way Zak described the surroundings had me feeling like I was actually there, breathing the same fresh air, smelling something distinctly (I'm sure!) "ranch" (you know what I mean!), observing what was going on with Julia as she went from behaving like "a bull in a China shop" to feeling more at ease, comfortable and eventually more (gasp!) at home...which was a foreign concept for her - for reasons you need to read to find out because it was very refreshing, compelling and heartbreaking.

I loved Elena, the ranch owner, the ice-queen. I wish Zak would have delved into her POV, though, but I understand why she decided not to because this story was primarily about Julia's journey of self-discovery, transformation and letting go. Elena, obviously much older than Julia and had a teenage son (I loved Cole! He was adorable!), was also going through something from her past that truly affected her, which lent to why she was the town's ice queen. Her story (past) was very resonating and heartbreaking, which you'll need to read it to find out.

Speaking of, I absolutely loved how scrupulous Zak was in weaving Julia and Elena's stories. They were uncovered at every stage of their journey at the right moment, with each secret or discovery revealed like the peeling of an onion - in layers. The slow-burn between Julia and Elena was authentically portrayed. It was never hurried but in-line with the very realistic circumstances in which Elena started to thaw when it came to her behaviour toward Julia, from being utterly against Julia being hired as a ranch help initially. It was truly exhilarating to read about the turn of the tide where Julia and Elena were concerned. Hence when their budding friendship began to take shape, slowly but surely progressing into something much, much more, I was well and truly captivated! Once again, Zak did brilliantly with writing situations that left me, the reader, wanting more!

Back to Elena, I loved how Zak developed and grew her character throughout the story even though much of it was from Julia's POV. But the way Zak structured Elena's dialogue and interaction with Julia was not passive at all. In fact, they were dominant, laced with strong emotions and feelings, her presence alone was so affecting that Julia could only react to Elena in every way that slowly gave rise to her own growth and eventual self-discovery. I ended up wanting to see more of Elena, not just with Julia but in her own element. Such a fascinatingly intriguing character Zak had created in Elena, which I'm sure you'll agree when you read this book!

And, let's not even mention just how sizzling their growing chemistry was! The abrasiveness of Elena toward Julia in the beginning was already fanning the undeniable flame. As they grew closer and more comfortable with each other, Zak's expressive description of their interactions, their push-pull, Julia's monologue was already erotic enough without any kind of physical intimacy. So when it eventually happened, it just exploded! So well worth the wait!

That's the thing about slow-burn romance. When weaved and crafted well, when the author knows what expressions and words to play with, the entire slow-burn build-up can be oh-so intoxicating! Oh...I especially loved Elena's confrontation with Julia toward the end of the final act - it was written with so much passion and emotion I could feel the helplessness in Elena's words and state of mind! And witty, too.

The heartwarming moments between Julia and Leia, her natural affinity with the horses were written with so much heart it endeared me deeply. She was literally a horse whisperer (there was one moment at the end between Elena and Julia where Elena alluded to that which was really funny!). Not being a horse person, yet I was captivated by every brush of the horses, their scent, how they interacted with Julia, their movements, from Zak's vivid descriptions. Throughout the book, I felt like I turned into a horse person! The natural simpatico that Leia and Julia instantly achieved (from the get-go, really), their bewitching affection toward each other were so endearingly depicted it was utterly mesmerising. Just wait until you read what happened with Leia and Julia in the final act. Guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and warm your soul! It was utterly sublime, tbh! Wow!

As for the secondary characters, I really enjoyed their presence especially when interacting with Julia. All the banters that made for some facetious humour that I thoroughly enjoyed! Grounded Julia's journey and the entire story about her, Elena, her son, the "family" and the ranch with much realism, really. There was one secondary character, in particular, that whilst others may not appreciate her presence, and normally I wouldn't but surprisingly I did, primarily because I thought Zak did very well in creating this cloud of uncertainty, angst (light), sense of threat in this character, not to mention an opportunity to highlight the cantankerous mood of everyone involved. So, well done, Zak!

All in all, I absolutely enjoyed this story from start to finish. Personally, I didn't think the epilogue was necessary because the ending already presented me with utter satisfaction. There was one development in the end that I thought was a little superfluous, imo, but I reckon Zak wanted to give Julia a full circle kind of closure. I loved Zak's take on how Julia's character evolved and her style of using the uncommonly used third-person-present-tense format heightened the level of authenticity for me as a reader. In the end, I thought I just finished hearing Zak telling me the entire story in person in our "fake" convo...in me mind, if you know what I mean!

Sidenote: Can I just say, Julia's insistence on wearing her Chucks and baseball cap whilst working on the ranch was simply adorable and downright hilarious? Speaking of Chucks, I'd seen quite a few covers with them on other book covers before but they were all pretty much for aesthetics purposes only, imo. So naturally I expected the same for this book. Never would I have guessed its utter significance to the story! Brilliant cover! Love it! Especially its significance!

This splendidly crafted age-gap, slow-burn romance with quite a few compelling reveals about the protagonists' past made this story even more captivating and so well worth a reading experience!

In other words, a BLOODY GOOD read! Totally RECOMMENDED!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley & BSB in return for an honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43157427-breaking-down-her-walls" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Breaking Down Her Walls" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544653859m/43157427.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43157427-breaking-down-her-walls">Breaking Down Her Walls</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17290455.Erin_Zak">Erin Zak</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2625959246">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The author has written an angst filled romance. The ranch setting, descriptions of beautiful Colorado scenery and leads Elena and Julia combine in a storyline that both pleases and frustrates.<br />A pleasant enough read rated 3.5 stars.<br />I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for review.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

This was an engaging read with much family drama. Julia Finch is upset after her interaction with her birth family, so she runs. Her car breaks down in a small town with some interesting characters that enhance the story. Elena Bennett is a sour puss with a son she loves very much. She has been hurt in love and takes it out on the people around her. the interaction between Julia and Elena is complex especially with Julia's self talk of will I or will I not. I thought the read had you thinking about the importance of family and family does not have to be blood related.

5 Stars, I really enjoyed this book, even more than I thought I would. This story is about Julia Finch, an orphan who runs away from everything, including a disastrous meeting with her birth parents. Her car breaks down in a small town in Colorado, as she does not have the money to fix it. Elijah, who works on a ranch, offers her a job as a ranch hand in order to pay off her car. Once she gets to the ranch, she meets the beautiful owner, Elena Bennett, who is cold and does not seem to like Julia at first. Julia cannot keep her eyes off her as she tries to pay off her car. Julia assumes she will just run again once her car is paid off. Her heart has another plan in place as she spends more time with Elena.

This book was a solid piece of writing. It has a lot of tension and I loved every second of it. They both try to avoid their connection and do not want to fall in love. The interactions between the two characters are great and I just wanted to keep reading. There is of course, some drama within the ranch and it was not all the drama I would have expected. I would definitely recommend this book, as I enjoyed it and may read it again at some point.

If I could describe this book in one word it would be this: annnngggssstt. I don't really go for overwrought romances, but this was just right for me. I think it was because we were only in one of the main characters' head space. She is a great lead and it was fun to see her crush on Elena, the other lead, for most of the book.

I thought the romance was well done up to the very last bit of drama. The author was teasing a big blowup for most of the book, but when it happened, it still kind of made my eyes roll. It was an acknowledgment that Julia still had to work through some of her feelings of abandonment. I thought it would have been nice to end a little before that, because we know those types of things take time. But other than that, I thought it was fun reading about the ranch, the supporting cast, and seeing Julia and Elena dance around each other.

If angst is your thing, this a great book for you. I enjoyed it for the most part, and I think my issues with it are more nitpicky than anything, and I did enjoy Cole. Cole is good people.

I'm not really sure what to think of this one. I enjoyed the plot and characters a lot, but I found myself having to push myself to finish it because I was just so bored by it. I can't put my finger on why.

I really liked the main character, Julia. She is running from her past when her car breaks down in small town Colorado. I always enjoy stories of people on the run from their past, and I also love stories where city people find themselves falling in love with the country.

The author really had a way of describing Colorado. I came away from the book a little bit in love with the mountains and ranch life.

Elena is everything I want in someone, so I definitely loved her a lot. Older, more serious, but with a soft side?? Hell yes. I also really adored her son, Cole, though it's mentioned that he's 16 and everyone seems to treat him way younger. Even going as far as still calling him 'little man'. I have no idea if that's normal in small town Colorado, but I can tell you that no 16 year old boy here would tolerate that.

It was not a bad book at all and I did enjoy it, but something is holding me back from rating it higher. I just wish I knew what.

When Julia's car breaks down in a tiny town in Colorado, her only hope is to work on a local ranch in exchange for fixing her car. She vows to be on the run again the second it's fixed. That's what she's done all her life. Run. But there's something about the harsh but beautiful Elena that draws her in. Elena's been hurt several times before, and she's not keen to fall into a relationship with someone so obviously ready to leave town the second she can. But love had other plans in store.

The writing style was definitely a bit of a challenge to get used to, but once you got used to the rhythm the story, the setting and the warmth of the characters really drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Not sure if this used to be a SwanQueen fanfiction but I was definitely getting that vibe and it made me love it even more.

Seriously, the setting was just gorgeous, really nicely described. I loved the interaction Julia had with the horses, it added so much to her character and to the realness of the story. I loved the whole cast of characters, they were warm and interesting. I loved the sense of family and community.

Julia and Elena had insane chemistry. I loved also how well matched the two characters were, the way they could talk to each other and challenge each other but at the same time be there for each other in a way that no one could before.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I've read by Erin Zak. Overall I felt connected to the main characters of Julia and Elena. Elena's backstory seemed realistic and solid to me, however Julia's backstory was a little bit convoluted. I thought the secondary characters, especially Cole and Elijah, and their interaction with the main characters added depth to the story. The chemistry between Julia and Elena sizzled, but Penn's return seemed to detract from the story rather than add a layer of complexity. The ending of the story with Penn's antics just seemed unrealistic given Elena's stated devotion to Julia.

Overall I would rate this book as 3.5 stars.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

This book left me very conflicted. I love age gap stories and characters with troubled pasts, but the third-person present tense was very clunky for me to read. I love first-person present but this was just hard for me to read. I enjoyed the tension between Elena and Julia but agree that Penn just wasn't necessary. There were some timeline issues for me and the ending felt odd and disjointed. But the scenery was fantastic.

This is a very good story about how two broken women who have strong protective walls around themselves meet and a little by little begin to penetrate each other's wall . The story revolves around two women, the first is Julia who is running away, but doesn't know where she's running too. And her journey from Chicago to wherever , her car breaks down in a small town in Colorado where she meets a ranchhand named Elijah who offered her a job at a ranch for money to pay for her car repair. The ranch is owned by Elena Bennett , A hard woman who is very demanding of people and always appears sad. Elena lives on the ranch with her son Cole. Cole is the son she conceived while married to the love of her life, a woman, who died unexpectedly and left Elena to retreat into her self in grief. Julia who is very much a city girl learns quickly what it means to work on a cattle ranch and take care of horses. Both women learn to live and work together and slowly they begin to penetrate each other's wall with a little acts of kindness . It seems every time and I act of kindness appears both women retreat back into their shell. All the while both women are attracted to one another and yet are afraid for a variety of reasons. Both women tried to figure out each other's history and what turn them into the women they are today.
As life on the ranch becomes an easy give-and-take for the two women suddenly their peaceful existence is interrupted whenElena ex lover appears at the ranch and wants to get back with Elena. No one at the ranch is happy when Penn arrives at the ranch especially Cole and Elijah.
Julia suddenly is determined that Penn will not get back with the Elena because she realizes that she wants to be with her.
From this point in the story there are twist and turns with many surprising revelations . Will Julia and Elaina ever be able to be open and honest with each other and develop a life together or will Elena go back to Penn ?
Erin Zak develops each character in the story in such a compelling way that keeps the reader involved until the surprising end.