A Steamy Grumpy Single Dad Cowboy Romance Full of Texas Heat

Goodreads | Colt

Release date: August 18, 2026

Publisher: Bloom Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Narrators: Vanessa Edwin and Aiden Snow

Synopsis:

She isn’t supposed to care about a ranch.
She definitely isn’t supposed to fall for the foreman.
And his six-year-old son is absolutely, definitely not supposed to capture her heart.

Lainey Brown is not ranch material. She’s a city girl who landed on the legendary Wallace Ranch to give the place a fresh coat of branding—and get her career back on track. She’s got no interest in cowboys, cattle, or the infuriatingly gorgeous foreman who clearly wants her gone.

Colton Wallace has spent every day since losing his wife building something worth leaving his son: a spotless reputation, a thriving operation, and a life with no room for complications. The last thing he needs is a firecracker from Austin with a sketchbook full of big ideas and a smile that makes him forget every reason he swore off wanting things he can’t keep.

But somewhere between their very first fight and a Texas night sky that stretches on forever, something shifts. Lainey stops counting the days until she can leave. And Colt stops pretending he wants her to.

The ranch has always been the Wallace legacy. But Colt is starting to wonder if the best thing that’s ever happened to it—and to him—just walked in wearing city shoes.

Review:

Jessica Peterson has done it again. Colt is the first book in her new Double U Ranch series, and it is exactly the kind of steamy cowboy romance I know I can count on this author to deliver. If you’ve read the Lucky River Ranch series, the transition into this new Texas world feels completely seamless, but you absolutely don’t need to have read those books first. This is a fresh series with a new cast of characters, and it’s already off to a fantastic start.

Lainey and Colt had the kind of chemistry I love in a romance. Their relationship develops with just the right amount of push and pull, with plenty of tension, back and forth banter, and that delicious feeling of two people trying very hard not to give in to what is clearly happening between them. I especially loved how naturally their relationship developed rather than feeling rushed.

And then there’s Dean. Colt’s relationship with his six year old son was one of my favorite parts of the book. Their bond was absolutely adorable, and seeing Lainey fit so naturally into their little world made the romance even more enjoyable. Colt may be a grumpy cowboy who has built walls around himself, but his relationship with Dean shows just how much heart he has underneath all that grumpiness.

The audiobook was also fantastic. Aiden Snow absolutely nailed Colt’s grumpy, guarded energy, while Vanessa Edwin brought Lainey’s sunshine, happy go lucky personality to life perfectly. Their performances worked so well together and made all that banter and tension even better.

I adore the Texas world Jessica Peterson has created, and honestly, no one writes a steamy cowboy romance quite like she does. Colt gives this new series a seriously strong start, and if this book is any indication of what’s coming next, I already know the Double U Ranch is going to be another favorite.

Perfect for readers who love:

• 🐎 steamy cowboy romances
• 😤 grumpy single dads with soft hearts
• ☀️ sunshine heroines who shake up their world
• 🔥 enemies to lovers chemistry with serious tension
• 🤠 Texas ranch settings and found family vibes
• 🎧 audiobooks with fantastic dual narration

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher and Valentine PR for the review copy.

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