3.5 stars

I’m used to this author’s books being over 350 pages, with her novellas closer to 100 pages. This story was moving super-fast and I realized, although it’s not a novella, it’s not as long as I’m used to with her books. Not that this is a bad thing. I enjoyed that the story didn’t meander about too much. Juniper and Chance may be enemies, but maybe that’s why they get straight to the point with each other.

The premise of this story, Chance losing his memories and Juniper telling him he’s her ranch hand, is so much fun. I was afraid it would turn out being problematic, though. Not so! Maisey Yates does a spectacular job of straddling that line with Juniper trying to do the right thing and kind of falling into this opportunity. Then still, albeit weakly, trying to do the right thing. And seriously, there is a reference to the original Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russel version of Overboard and, for a bit, this book totally has that fun and quirky vibe.

I don’t know if it’s because the story is a bit more condensed, but there were some blatant timeline issues that I’m not used to from this author. While they gave me a blip when they came up, they weren’t really a big deal when it came to the story itself. Just my picky brain noticing and getting stuck. There’s also a bit of telling and not showing once the couple’s relationship picks up. Again, something I’m not used to with her books. It’s not a problem throughout, but does happen for a bit of time in the middle of the story.

Juniper and Chance have chemistry that is so obvious to everyone, even while they were hating on each other. It was the unspoken truth in both sets of siblings that they love to hate each other because they don’t want to admit they actually have sparks when they’re together. Like I mentioned earlier, there’s a bit of telling at one point. But overall, the chemistry is felt.

There is some beautiful heritage stories, especially with Juniper. With Chance being a cishet white male, there is a lot he really has been blind to when it comes to Juniper’s family. For his part, when Juniper starts opening up to Chance he is not only aghast over how she was treated, but also upset with himself for not seeing these things that were going on around him. If nothing else, this book has a very strong message that I wasn’t expecting. It’s done in an organic way so it flows right in with the story seamlessly.

There’s a lot to learn about the Carson family. I have a feeling their series will be a wild and fun ride.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

You can find an excerpt of this book on my blog, All In Good Time.

Overboard x Hatfields and McCoys. This tale is essentially a ranching version of a combination of Overboard (take your pick on the 1980s version or the 2010s version) and the saga of the Hatfields and McCoys. Throw in two people dedicated to their families yet who have always wanted each other despite their families... and you get some pretty intense hate sex and a romance that Shakespeare could never be bothered with. (Yes, some might try to go the Romeo and Juliet route in their comparisons, but those were immature teenagers with a remarkably high body count. Here, our leads are more established - late 20s/ early 30s ish - and more importantly *don't get anyone killed*.) As a series starter, it works in establishing that our male lead has several brothers and our female lead has a sister... who may be interested in one of said brothers. Overall a solid romance that elevates its basic elements into a more mature - and arguably more enjoyable for it - tale where people actually try to do the right thing, even when it may cost them everything. Very much recommended.