Customers say
Customers find the storyline engaging and realistic. They describe the book as sweet, heartwarming, and sexy. The emotional content is heartfelt and conveyed accurately. Readers love the characters and appreciate their character development. They appreciate the perfect mix of sweetness and spice, with the writing style being well-written and easy to read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
A city girl fleeing an abusive marriage suddenly finds herself working on a cattle ranch with a sexy but grumpy rancher as her boss in this spicy cowboy romance from the author of Seeing Red and Change of Hart.
He’s worried she won’t stay. She’s worried she will.
City girl Cecily Kennedy never expected to step foot on a cattle ranch, but when her already strained marriage takes a violent turn, a kind friend offers her a job and refuge at Wells Ranch.
Ranch life is hard enough without her new boss, Austin Wells, sending mixed signals about whether he wants her or hates her. But Cecily can’t risk getting involved with her grumpy yet alluring employer—she has nowhere else to go, and getting over her ex by getting under Austin isn’t worth the potential fallout.
As far as Austin’s concerned, Cecily won’t be sticking around for long. He’s learned the hard way that nobody ever stays, and the indent on her ring finger makes him certain the sexy city gal is no exception.
But when Cecily’s troubled past threatens her safe haven, Austin realizes that somewhere between their trail rides and late night talks, she’s branded herself on his heart. He desperately wants her to stay, and whether or not she feels the same, he’ll be damned if he lets anyone or anything hurt her under his watch.
Don’t miss any of Bailey Hannah’s steamy Wells Ranch series:
ALIVE AND WELLS • SEEING RED • CHANGE OF HART
ASIN : B0DLB98CXX
Publisher : Dell (November 20, 2023)
Publication date : November 20, 2023
Language : English
File size : 3.5 MB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 324 pages
by JB
Yes to everything about this book!
Iâm blown away that this is Hannahâs debut novel, her writing is that of a seasoned author whoâs been at this along time. So like a lot of other readers out there Iâm in my cowboy era right now and Iâm really happy I read this after reading a handful of other cowboy romances. Starting out with this guy would have set the bar way too high, while I love the country vibes and cowboy fluff from most other books in this genre, Alive & Wells is in a league of its own. Youâre still going to get that here but this book gives you so much more. I really loved the insight detail to the lifestyle and the insight to living, working and running a ranch.Austin & Cecily are amazing characters, written beautifully, theyâre both strong but vulnerable, stubborn but open, and grow so much throughout the book. I loved the progression of their relationship and their relationships with other characters in the book as well. This oneâs a slow burn but when you get to the spice itâs perfect! I really loved this one, the writing was fantastic, the story roped me in and kept me captivated the whole time and I think Hannah did a great job portraying the heartbreak these two have been through and the healing they both experience.This was a top read for me so far this year with a great mix of Cowboy/ranch life, grumpy sunshine, romance, found family, humor and overall amazing storytelling. Canât wait for the next book!
by Sasha
A swoony slow burn!
âï¸ small townð¤ cowboy mmcâï¸ workplaceð¤ forced proximityCecily is trying to recover and restart her life after finally escaping her abusive (soon-to-be) ex-husbandAustin has had the weight of a generational farm on his shoulder for years while being left by those heâd hoped would stayWhen these two get constantly forced together on the Wells family ranch, their love story is inevitableThis was a slow burn that had me tearing through it in mere HOURS! This was such a dynamic story that gave a refresher to the countless small town cowboy romances Iâve read.My heart hurt for Cecily. She had so much life, fire, and love inside her and her ex snuffed it out slowly over time. Watching her regain herself was so heartwarmingAUSTIN WELLS THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. While he was grumpy at first and didnât communicate how he wanted, he was quick to learn how to NOT lose Cecily. Watching him have a soft spot for her, give her the grace she needed along the way, all the while trying to grow from his past heartbreak was soooo swoony!! I couldnât have loved them moreâ¤ï¸âð¥
by Gaela
solid spicy cowboy romance
I liked it. The characters were endearing and Iâm always a sucker for grumpy sunshine. I feel like the abusive husband fell a little flat and wasnât all that believable but overall a solid start the the series.
by Lu and her Books
I love a good cowboy romance!
Please, remember to read the content warnings before reading.This book had everything I could ever need in a romance: small town, cowboys, a broken hero, a heroine getting her life back together and very good spice.The story follows Cecily and Austin. Cecily is a city girl desperately running away from her abusive husband. On her way to freedom, she finds a new home at Wells Ranch, where she meets Austin.Austin runs the ranch and seems kind of grumpy, but heâs not. Heâs used to keep his feelings at bay (he has his valid reasons), and is doing his best at trying to avoid the attraction he has towards Cecily. Off course he fails miserably, he didnât stand a chance.These two were made for each other! Austin is a gentleman, he cares so deeply for Cecily, and respects her boundaries and totally understands what sheâs going through. And despite her horrible marriage, Cecily is willing to give love a chance, and she wasnât hesitant about him.Despite being a slow burn, there is a lot of tension built up, but once that tension breaks, the spice was FR*EAKING DELICIOUS! I was a goner for Austinâs mouth! That man was HOT! Plus, thereâs a sexy and steamy barn scene that will live in my mind rent free. You have to read it!
by Em
Alive and Wells
If you like a grumpy not-a-cowboy with a dirty mouth, youâll like this book ð®âð¨ Our main characters both had some struggles to overcome, and the slow burn/learning to trust each other was so sweet and heartfelt! All of the supporting characters were so fun and Iâm looking forward to reading Redâs book next!Read if you love:â«ï¸ Grumpy x sunshineâ«ï¸ Slow burnâ«ï¸ Small town/ranchâ«ï¸ Protective MMCâ«ï¸ Wear the hat, ride the cowboyGenre/type: Cowboy RomanceRating: âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸Spice: ð¶ï¸ð¶ï¸Series or standalone: First in a seriesTropes or themes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Cowboy Romance, Small Town, Spicy, Protective MMC, Slow Burn, Wear the Hat Ride the Cowboy
by Cassandra
Loved This!!
Oh my gosh was this so freaking good!! This had such a great balance of plot and spice! I loved the slow burn and tension between Austin and Cecily. Aus was so protective and caring of Cecily and I ate that up! I loved Cecily character growth and how she worked through the domestic violence she experienced.If you loveâ¦- Yellowstone (tv show)- Cowboy Romance- Ranch- Small Town- Found Family- Forced Proximity- He Falls First- Slow Burn- Grumpy x Sunshine- City Girl x Not a Cowboy- Touch Her and Die- Spice- FMC in Hiding- Protective MMCPlease be sure to check the TWs!
by Dani
Definitely worth reading!!
My TBR is undoubtably a mile long and this got pushed down for longer than Iâd meant for it to. So when I say Iâm glad I took the time to read it thatâs the truth. I think the way the entire DV story was handled was done well and shone a light on the hardships that come with navigating through it. I loved Austin and Cecilys story and the tender love and care they developed throughout the book!
by Jana Kim
This story. Heart-wrenching, hot, hilarious, and hopeful. (All the H’s? Just go with it.)Bailey Hannah did an incredible job in this debut, weaving suspense, raw emotion, and humor together so beautifully. Set on a gorgeous rural property, everything about this story really came alive (AND WELLSâhad to, sorry) and I was absolutely pulled in by the very first chapter, all the way to the end. I loved the unique setting on a cattle ranch with our rugged Not-A-Cowboy Austin and a ragtag bunch of actual cowboysâwho I am so excited to read more about in the rest of the series!Austin is prime book boyfriend material (the stern brunch daddy who would scoff at the very idea of brunch) and who doesn’t love a man with a past tragic heartbreak learning to love again? Cecily was a fantastic character who had me rooting for her (and her relationship with Austin) from the get-go. I love love looooved this book. The slow burn was perfect for who they were and where they were in their lives, and the spice was fantastic when it finally hitâand there was plenty of it! An easy five stars from me.
by Jen a
Bra bok vad man kan förvänta sig av en första bok i en serie. Sättet han hanterade situationen med hennes trauma var så fint.
by Maryam Fayzi
Excuse me but how did I not read this one the minute I put it in my library?Austin and Cecily are just the most precious and awesome characters Iâve read in a while!These was slowburn but the tension and physical attraction between them made it so worth to wait for it!I loved who Austin handele the ex and everyone involved ðCanât imagine being in Cecilys position but if I was in her position, I would do the same and have no regrets about anythingCecily and Austin are perfect for each other and I canât wait to see more of them in the coming books â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
by sanjana
One of the best books I have read this year. Loved the character arc for the characters. This book brought me back to my small-town/cowboy/rancher romance era.
by Eve
I loved this. Totes in my cowboy era and this book gave me all the feels. Makes me wanna just find a ranch to runaway to and find myself an Austin. I loved everything about this book. The laughter, friendship and definitely the love. Cecily was a strong, sad and feisty character. I love how she tried no matter how much she felt she never gave up and got the most wonderful reward in the name on Austin and the family/ love of the wells ranch. Austin was a broody, grumpy, deffo filthy and loving character. I loved how he worked to get Cecile and never pressured her into anything too tough. Their ending was everything and Iâm so so glad they got it together. Look forward to continuing the rest of this series!