I really enjoyed Millie and Austin's story. They started out as enemies, based on the history of their two families, found out some truths that would impact the entire history of their home town and along the way found lasting love in each other as they overcame the biases of generations. Can't wait to read the next in the series!

This one started out really strong and I was loving the vibe between Austin and Millie, right from the outset. I'm always down to see a gruff cowboy (or even an outlaw!) go soft for his one woman so I was ready for it. I was intrigued to learn more about their ancestors and the town, as well as getting to know Austin's family and Millie's best friend. I felt these characters were well developed and I liked to see them involved in the book - no doubt they'll appear again in other books from Maisey! Sadly though, I didn't gel with the rude and condescending way Austin was treating Millie, and how she just let him? I wanted more for this woman who was rediscovering herself and trying to shed this nice girl image she was being smothered by. I didn't feel the chemistry between them which had me skipping over the spicy scenes, but I did like the way their relationship seemed to develop with the small moments outside of that. I can totally see what this book was trying to do and it's a shame that with all this talk of the town traditions and Gold Rush Day it seems to really skim over all of that and I really wanted to see more going on - when did they actually plan these events? What did they put on? How did the town react to their revelations? As I said, it began really well but it lost its muster half way through and for me, it needed more substance.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This book took a little getting into as there was a lot going on but I loved the outlaw premise. A great “forbidden” story where both characters were likeable and worthy of each other. My first by this author and won’t be the last

I cant really sum up m thoughts hence no rating because I’m also not sure where it falls on the scale for me. Please don't take that as I hated the book because I didn't, I finished it but it just didn't have me hanging on threads to finish it.

Personally I wouldn't label this as a cowboy romance in the slightest. Its a western style Romeo and Juliet vibe in the sense of battle of the last names and previous family drama.

family feuds in small town romances are always good especially when the main couple change that narrative by getting together. This aspect of the book I really enjoyed.

The chapter headers being snippets of the Wilder diary was a cute touch.

I feel like Maisey did such a good job at explaining the history of the town and I was enjoying uncovering the truth along with the main characters but I feel like we were missing that connection with the town as it was “today”. Yes we were introduced to a few side characters but I didn't connect with them or feel like I could visualise the town.

I’m glad I finished the book and I would possibly pick up assumingly the next book based on one of the Wilder brothers.

this one was my very first book by maisey yates and i really appreciated it! i’m always in the mood to read a good small town story where the opposites main characters fall in love and this case we have an apparently bad guy and a local librarian that will team up and will try to uncover the mystery of what really happened in the past and redeem his family name!

it was so cute and funny to read about austin’s story but i have to say that i’m very curious to get to know better the rest of the gang in the next books because what a family!!

if u are in the mood for a short romance with mystery and a funny and lovely fam this one’s for u :)

a lot of thanks to netgalley and headline for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

This cover! 😍 I’ll be honest, it’s the reason I picked up this book - it was giving all the cute small town, cowboy vibes.

What I liked about this book:
- It did cowboy romance with a twist, adding a bit of a Wild West vibe, which differentiates it a little from other books out there in this genre.
- The found family. One of the main things I enjoy about these types of books is the found family, and Rustler Mountain delivered. I liked the cast of characters and am already intrigued to see how the other stories/couples play out, particularly Carson and Perry’s in book 2.
- Austin and Millie’s mutual love of the town’s history, books and research made me buy into them as a couple in it for the long haul. There was more to their relationship than mutual attraction.

What I wasn’t so keen on:
- Constantly referring to Millie as “mousy” (luckily that tapered off in the second half).
- It was just a bit too cheesy at times for my personal taste.
- Despite the main character referencing the fact that the story is set in the modern day, she still sometimes spoke and acted like someone from the 1900s.
- The ending felt too rushed and a bit too Hallmark (again, for my personal taste).

Overall, while not a new favourite, it was a super quick and easy to binge read, and a nice palate cleanser.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

I hate having to write these reviews, especially when I was so looking forward to this book because it fitted so well with my current *cowboy era*

But, I struggled. I made it 60% of the way through. And sometimes you just have to admit defeat even with the guilt that it brings.

I enjoyed the character and world building. Two rival families who hate each other for no other reason than their last names. Because of something that happened between their ancestors in the late 1800’s had me so intrigued. The diary entries of the old Wild West kept me going. But...

The plot? I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure the storyline justified the union of the main characters. Yes, we all love a bad boy, but Austin Wilder is unnecessarily cruel. And I found that the majority of what I was reading was dialogue. That was the main issue that I struggled with the most. It’s hard to connect with characters and truly understand what is going on when so much of the plot is talking.

I’m giving it 2 stars, because there’s potential. And the cover? *chefs kiss*

But it was a DNF for me, and they don’t come easily. And this review does not come without guilt.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Maisey Yates is an amazing writer. She creates stories that entice the reader in, and characters who become so real and engaging that you are happy to spend time with them. Her prose flows easily and I love her voice. This is a 5 star read. I was almost tempted to knock off a star as the terrible duo of Danielle and Michael seemed to escape any comeuppance, but I am hoping they’ll be dealt with in subsequent books.

However, (and it is not the author’s fault), I found this story sometimes difficult to read because I was reminded of the current political landscape in the USA; and there were elements in the book which made the divisions and hostility in the country really hit home. The way in which history and truth can be twisted and manipulated was so well illustrated in the story of Rustler Mountain and it really brought a lump to my throat.

A fun opposites attract romance, the story of Millie and Austen, the librarian and the outlaw. She needs his help and gets more than she bargained for. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Also love the cover!

unfortunately i couldn’t gel with this one. i found the pacing really slow and honestly, i didn’t like the characters which resulted in an ultimate dnf