Wild Trail by A.M. Arthur

Wild Trail by A.M. Arthur

Review by Lauren

Source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Mack Garrett loves the rolling hills surrounding his Northern California dude ranch. Leading vacationers on horse trails with his two best friends is enough – romance is definitely not in the cards. When a sexy tourist shows up at Clean Slate, he’s as far from Mack’s type as can be. So why is the handsome city slicker so far under his skin in less than a day?

Roughing it in the middle of nowhere isn’t anywhere near Wes Bentley’s idea of fun. Then he lays eyes on the gruffest, hottest papa bear he’s ever seen. But Mack is as hard to pin down as he looks – distant, sharp-tongued, and in desperate need of a shave. Until a campout gone wrong strands both men in the mountains with nothing to do but get to know each other.

Mack intends to keep his closely guarded heart out of Wes’ very talented hands. But for a seven-day cowboy, Wes is packing some long-term possibility. The cold country air can do wonders for bringing bodies together – but it will take more than that to bridge the distance between two men whose lives are worlds apart.

Review: A.M. Arthur is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to check out Wild Trail, which is the first in her new Clean Slate Ranch series. I’m not usually someone to gravitate toward “cowboy romance” but I think Arthur has persuaded me to read more of them. Mack and Wes have both been burned by romance in the past, so while Wes is willing to engage in some vacation romance, Mack isn’t sure he wants to get involved with someone who will only be visiting for a little while. I loved all the details about the ranch Mack lived and worked on, and it really showed his love and passion for the place. It wasn’t his first choice of a career – you learn more about this in the book – but it’s become a safe haven for him. Wes, of course, threatens to upset that a bit. However, the two eventually get to know each other and create a relationship that both of them would love to keep going after Wes leaves, if only they could figure out how to make it work. There isn’t too much drama in the book (between Wes and Mack), and there is even a little bit of a mystery in Wild Trail! I definitely recommend, and I can’t wait to see who the next book focuses on.