Dixie Pearl is on a mission to make a name for herself in the country music world. And with a dad in the industry, it should be easy, but she doesn't want that easy fix. Turns out the universe agrees that things shouldn't be easy, because her van breaks down in a small town on the way to Nashville. Enter Jack Carter, a burly cowboy type who swoops in to save the day. He helps her into town, brings her van to a mechanic, and buys her dinner. When their chemistry becomes too much for Dixie to ignore, she sits on his lap in the middle of the bar. Which wouldn't be an issue, until Jack reveals his job.. the town's preacher.

This is such a great book! I love a badass, carefree main character who has an issue that makes her a bit more relatable. I am also such a sucker for a semi-grumpy love interest who falls first. Jack is such a sweetheart with a bit of a rough exterior, and the idea of a cowboy preacher made me giggle and kick my feet a bit more than I thought was possible. I definitely think there were some plot points that Marsh could have dug a bit deeper into. Specifically Jack's claustrophobia, Dixie's relationship with her grandfather, and how some things between side characters ended up. There was also a third-act miscommunication trope in there, which I am not a fan of. However! It was resolved so quickly that I wasn't sure if it truly mattered to the plot or not.

Thank you so much to Afterglow Books, Harlequin, and NetGalley for the eARC. Projected publishing date: February 24th, 2026