Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I admit being a little confused when I started reading this because GoodReads bills it as a lesbian romance and cozy mystery, but there is no real mystery. There is plenty of romance, though. It employs the enemies to lovers trope, which is always entertaining. I love that the characters are in their forties and each have their own baggage they are bringing to the table. I love their connections to friends, families, and careers and how they defy the odds with their attraction to each other. I was very impressed with this debut novel and can’t wait to read more.

Good story, couldn't wait to keep reading all what was going to happen. The cover is what originally drew me into the story and it was a good one.

For a first time novel, this book was an okay read. The author had great ideas, but the execution was a little choppy, and I would have liked more fleshed out characters/setting/plot. So only 3 stars from me

In this beautiful debut novel, Annie McDonald introduces Cassidy "Sid" Harris, a physically strong and intelligent art gallery curator who has been called home to her family's ranch in Alberta Canada to help deal with cattle rustlers. She meets her new neighbor, Mia Jarvis, a dog trainer who is finding her way through intense grief. Mia's best friend from childhood, Leah is there to offer her support as much as possible but is also battling an intense personal issue. Mia and Sid butt heads at times as Sid is a bit grumpy and cantankerous. The pair are drawn together after a severe bull attack almost kills one of them.

You would never know that this is a debut novel, McDonald writes creatively and reflectively and has created warm and believable characters. The dogs Flynn and Milo are scene stealers too.

Looking forward to her next novel! Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very gentle love story with a Canadian setting. Mia Jarvis packs her life into her trailer after her wife dies to get a different pespective on her future. Her job as a herd dog trainer can be done from anywhere and she ends up parking on her best friend’s family’s farm while she trains a young border collie. Her first meeting of Cassidy Harris, the neighbour’s daughter, is not a pleasant one but Mia is not the type to back down. Cassidy (Sid) has a lot on her plate. Returning to the family farm to assist her father who injured himself, she also has to figure out who is stealing the cattle. Her reputation as a renowned art dealer in the city is also under a cloud with a colleague’s error.

I enjoyed the relationship development of Mia and Sid and it seemed to take much longer than the actual time period which was in the region of a month. They communicated, for the most part, like adults and it helped that Mia could read people fairly well. Their physical connection was a good one to with some very steamy scenes.

There are a number of threads in the story that muddied the story line a little bit. I felt that some of the threads could have been left out in favour of more in depth information into other’s. I enjoyed the dog training aspect but I felt the art appreciation came in to the story a little too late especially considering the difficulty Sid was having.

I will happily read more by McDonald and I’m looking forward to her second novel.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

3.5 stars - I was really looking forward to reading McDonald's first book when I heard it was set in Canada. As a Canadian, it's always nice to read stories set in my country. Overall, this was a good read. There wasn't anything bad about this book, but it definitely read as a first novel. The author had great ideas, but the execution was a little choppy, and I would have liked more fleshed out characters/setting/plot. The summary made it sound like this would be a (cozy) mystery, but the mystery was only happening in the background.

The writing was good, and even though this novel wasn't what I expected, I kept wanting to read it and know what would happen between Mia and Sid.

I read that the author wants to write a novel set in each province and I'm here for it! I hope she writes one set in Nova Scotia next! I'm definitely going to read whatever she writes next.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for providing me with a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

Mia Jarvis lost her long time partner a couple of years back and has now decided to go on the road with her herding dog trainer business. Cassidy (Sid) Harris is a successful art gallery curator but has been helping out on her family's cattle ranch while her father recovers from an accident.  There has been a series of cattle thefts from their ranch which has put them and the community on edge. Mia's dog training business leads her to Sid's neighbouring ranch where their paths cross and leaves Mia unimpressed with Sid's cantankerous attitude.
I quite enjoyed this book, it was set in mountains in Canada so that was a definite bonus. I  found the characters likeable enough and loved Sid's gruffness and kind of would have liked that attitude carries through out the book. I didn't particularly like the paranormal scenes with the dimes, I just don't believe in that stuff but fortunately the dimes didn't feature regularly.
A nice read, will definitely look out for this author again.

I'm always a sucker for stories that take place around a ranch and I wasn't at all disappointed by this book!

Mia is making her way across the country training dogs when she lands next to Sid Harris's family ranch. Sid Harris is an art gallery curator, who is called back to her family ranch to help out when she runs into Mia and her dog trespassing on her land. The two women clash at first, but even through all the turmoil in their own respective lives, their attraction is undeniable.

I always love seeing lesfic take place in Canada, there definitely isn't enough out there. The chemistry between Mia and Sid was excellent, I loved their connection. This was a slower paced book, very mellow, but a feel good story all around. The secondary characters were lovely, and really rounded out the story. And who doesn't love adorable dogs!

This looks like a debut novel from Annie McDonald, and I'm definitely already looking forward to the next.

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

A good book for a debut one.

Set in the nature of Alberta, Canada. Nomad and dog herding dog trainer, Mia, is staying in her camper while training a dog. Since her wife died Mia's only purpose is travelling the country with her dog to train herding dogs for farmers.

Close by is Sid's family land. Sid's family has been dealing with disappearing sheep's which is tje reason she temporary leaves her curators job behind to help her father and cousin track down the robbers.

Sid is closed off and rude to Mia. Slowly they become friends while dealing with several happenings.

A cosy read for the cold months.

This book is a pleasant read with two MCs that are interesting together and apart. There is nature, dogs, a tense first meeting, and a nice, slow-burn romance.

However, it didn’t really knock my socks off.

If this wasn’t a debut, I think I might give it a bit lower rating. The POV flip-flops between Mia and Sid, sometimes changing in the middle of a scene, which gets confusing after a while. There was an odd addition of paranormal with the dimes, which I was never sure if it was just a coincidence, or if magic really does exist in this world. The issue of cell phone addiction isn’t really addressed, and a few other plot points that had the potential to add tension were handwaved after a while.

The positives outnumber the negatives, though and the story is quite enjoyable. At the start, the two mains don’t really interact, but when they do it’s hot and sweet and tense. Both of them are older, Sid is forty but she seems less mature than Mia. They both have issues and a few times they cross each other, but they communicate well and ultimately reach common ground.



My rating: 3.5 stars

3 Stars for Annie McDonald’s debut novel.

For a year, Mia Jarvis has traveled back and forth across Canada in her motorhome, training herding dogs. Mia finds herself only 10 miles from where she grew up in Alberta, Canada. She has set up her camp on her best friend’s parent’s property and has just begun training a young, undisciplined, border collie, Milo. It was here on the border of the property that she meets Cassidy (Sid) Harris. It was not a good first meet between the two women. Sid and her cousin were on ATVs on their property when they came close to hitting Milo. Sid angrily tells Mia not to trespass.

Sid is an interesting character. She is an art gallery curator in Toronto, but has returned home to run her family’s cattle ranch. Her father is out of commission after shoulder surgery and on top of that, they recently have been missing cattle which they suspect were being stolen thus losing a significant amount of money. Sid is frustrated, angry and stressed, one because her father didn’t call her sooner (actually her cousin called her) and two, it is the worst time for her not to be at the gallery. She was unaware of a bad art deal that was made by a new employee and the deal has put her reputation, her job and the gallery in jeopardy.

They started off on the wrong foot but I'm not sure if it qualifies to be an enemies to lovers romance. Close though. What I liked – both MC’s (and the side characters) and Sid and Mia’s chemistry were well written. Also, art has always been an interest to me. So why only 3 stars? The art deal specifics didn’t hold my interest and in the middle of the book somewhere I began to get bored. It didn’t help that I quickly figured out the mystery of the missing cattle. You would think it would be satisfying to get it in one clue. It isn’t.

I will check out McDonald’s next novel.

Entertaining story about loss and finding self. Description of the Canadian landscape was breathe taking and the historical perspective related to culture was greatly appreciated. In general, the story was choppy and I was confused in some places as to who was speaking and what was going on and why. Mia Jarvis, working through loss and grief with the help of family, friends, and her awesome dog, Flynn. Cassidy Harris, works very hard as an art gallery curator. She is also tired of relationship settling and that maybe to some why she goes from hot to cold in her attitude toward Mia. I enjoyed the strong connection with family, friends, the land, cultural history, and the two dogs.

4 stars
A very good debut romance with a nice plot and setting and some well done characters. I liked a lot the dynamics between the leads. It was the best segment of the story for me. Really well done for a first time author. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Recommended to all fans of romance novels.

I almost did not get this book, but am I ever glad my partner talked me into it!

There are layers to this story that I've not seen in many other books. It is so much more than I expected. The characters are well-drawn and realistic, but this book's gifts go beyond just that. They've each suffered a loss that had brought them to their knees, and when we meet them, they've learned how to pick themselves up and move forward. One of the main characters, Sid, is an art gallery curator. In the book, there is a description of a painting hanging in her father's great room. From the description alone, without knowing who the artist was or the title of the painting, I knew which painting it was. The description was that good! Sid and Mia have a discussion about the Group of Seven, and I admit, I was surprised at the level of intelligence and depth in that conversation. I did not expect to find the Group of Seven in this book, so that was a nice surprise. Another gem was the dimes that kept popping up throughout the story. (Read it, you'll see what I mean).

All in all, this is an intelligent enemies to friends to lovers tale. The romance is complicated, as it should be. The two main characters are both experienced in life and love, smart, headstrong, and driven. Another thing that impressed me was the love scenes. Even they were a cut above most I've read. There was an emotional connection, which is rare in most fiction, straight or same-gender. The physical reactions weren't the same old thing we've seen a hundred times, the descriptions weren't over-done and even I read them in their entirety. (Which my partner can tell you is rare)

This was my first exposure to this author, and I have every intention of getting every one of her books as she writes them. If I could give her more than five stars, I would. Sharp writing, great characters, dogs, and all that food... This one deserves 8 stars for sure!

This book has been fine, but just ok. The story is about two women who know each other in an environment of the Canadian mountains, they are facing important changes in their lives and although at first it does not seem that there will be even a friendship between them, many aspects of the situation in which both are will cause them to end up coming together.

The descriptions of the landscapes of the area where the story takes place are really beautiful and engaging.This saves much of the book, although it may sometimes seem too detailed. It was not boring for me this time.It also deals with some themes of tradition of the native cultures and of the first colonizers arrived from Europe, it is very normally the fact of the mixture of races although one of the protagonists is mostly Amerindian in their ancestors, she is blonde with blue eyes, I do not know If anyone can feel sensitive about this. It is not my culture so for me it has been a bit strange but nothing more. It is also a bit strange, the change in attitude of one of the protagonists, Sid, regarding her feelings towards the other protagonist, Mia.From hate to love and a little insta-love or maybe too much.

And maybe it was my problem and only mine, Mia/Sid/Mia, I had trouble remembering who was who and that has been distracting at times

In short, it is a book that has an romance that is ok, a lot of beautiful nature, some Canadian history and culture, two dogs and some other animal. Nothing extraordinary but it can be a good read.

Mia is a dog trainer for herding dogs. She's also getting over the death of Riley, her love, as she travels from place to place doing the training. Then she winds up next to Sid's family's land. They do not get off to a good start, but, slowly they become closer and closer. With some bumps in the road, but, honestly, not as many as I thought there'd be.

There's also a couple of subplots that were interesting. one with Sid and her job as an art gallery manager, and one with stolen cattle and other nefarious goings around Sid's farm and the neighboring ones as well.

The characters were all fun to read about and very varied, and the plots kept me engaged as well. It was a very very fun read.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.

This was a nice read from a new author. I love when pets have a role almost as integral as the main characters. There is mystery, loss, history, art and more. Lots of topics to keep the book interesting and moving forward. The scenery descriptions were immersive. It was also nice to read a book with older main characters. I look forward to this author's next Canadian story.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A True Classic Romance, YAY!!!
Mia is a widow working her way back to life with her trusty dog Flynn. Together they are traveling across Canada while Mia takes on jobs as a herding dog trainer. While on her latest job training a pup called Milo, she runs into the rancher next door, Sid. Sid is less than pleased to have a stranger and a dog on her property and has no qualms loudly informing Mia of this. Art gallery curator Sid isn’t really the monster she comes across as. She has a TON of stuff on her plate and everything seems to be crashing down around her. There is a SERIOUS possible career ending problem at work, her dad has hurt himself and needs help on the ranch and now there are cattle rustlers on the loose and memories won’t let her be. In spite of how stressed she is, there is something about the little spitball trespasser that makes her take pause. As their paths cross again and again, the animosity fades while the interest and desire flares.

This is such an AWWWW book!! Mia and Sid are so much alike. They are strong willed, hardworking, deliciously sexy balls of fire! They love the great outdoors and appreciate the little things, just to name a few of the similarities. They are both just trying to find their way through this part of their lives. There are mishaps after blunders but they just can’t stay away from each other and that’s a very good thing!! They are so loveable and easy to care about both to me and to the other. I loved watching them fall in love. The dogs are totally adorable too, not to mention all the other characters!! Sid’s dad and the “housekeeper” are funny and caring people who love both women and even love Mia as their own daughter too. There was a lot going on in this book but the most important thing to know is its super, super sweet. Things happen really quickly but just be a true believer and love it for what it is, a classic romance with a lot of heart!

This was a debut novel by this writer and as far as debuts go, this is a solid one. I liked the dogs as side-kicks and the slowly developing romance between the two MC's.

On one hand Mia, a dog herding trainer who has lost her wife 2 years ago and on the other hand Sid Hariis, an art curator now helping out on the ranch of her father who is still struggling with the loss of her mother.
They meet and a slightly antagonistic meeting slowly leads to more as they learn more about eachother. With the added bonus of indegenous background stories and a stunning Alberta setting this was an enjoyable read.
For me personally it got a little too slow and boring nearing the end, but this could also very well have been my mindset at the time, for me though it felt like we were going through the motions to wrap up the story. Nevertheless: interesting setting and background, relatable and like-able main characters and dogs. I will most certainly pick up another one of this writer's books.

**Many thanks to Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

I thank NetGalley and Bold Stroke books for this preview for an honest review.
This is Annie McDonalds debut book and have to say it’s a solid one.
I really enjoyed the backdrop of the story which is set in Canada and loved how McDonald painted a portrait with her words on how beautiful it is. Now I’ve never been to Canada but will be booking a trip to go..lol
This story is about Mia Jarvis, a dog herding trainer who makes out to find her way after the loss of her wife due to cancer. She ends up after a year back where she grew up in a cattle community training a young pup. This is where she meets Cassidy “Sid” Harris. Now Sid is an art curator who is also back at home after an art deal has gone wrong and could destroy her career. Her dad has mysteriously lost some cattle to unknown thieves and has come back to help since he got injured.
Now sparks fly when these two MC’s meet and although it starts off cold, there is no denying the attraction for one another they feel.
The only issue with this book I had was that there were so many side plots that just ended and never resolved themselves. So in reading it sometimes I felt a little lost.
Overall a solid first book and look forward to more from this author.
3.75 stars.