Roping in a Wrangler by Julianne Baclayanto

 

Published on November 10, 2026

335 pages

I read the e-book

Back Cover

Charlotte Taylor is doing great. She’s finally back on her feet after losing her dad last year, and the Dude Ranch she runs with the help of her mom and brother is more successful than ever. Sure, her love life is at a standstill, thanks to the small detail that she’s been secretly in love with her rodeo-star best friend for years, but it’s fine. Hudson Bennett is off-limits, out on the circuit, and definitely not looking for anything serious, so Charlotte throws herself into work to forget about him… until he comes home early with a proposition.

Hudson Bennett is in trouble. After a brutal losing streak leaves him indebted to his roping partner and an accident puts his horse in need of expensive surgery, he’s desperate for cash. Unfortunately, the only people with pockets deep enough to get him out of his mess are his parents. They’ve never supported his rodeo dream, and when Hudson asks for help, they give him an ultimatum: they’ll lend him the money (with interest) only if he quits the circuit and “settles down.”

So Hudson pitches a plan that just might be wild enough to work: fake date Charlotte long enough to convince his parents he’s building a real life. And despite the fact it’s basically signing up for emotional torture, Charlotte can’t say no. Not when she can help his horse get the surgery he needs, and not when pretending to be Hudson’s girlfriend is the closest she’s ever been to what she really wants. The only problem? The longer they sell the story, the harder it gets to remember it’s supposed to be a lie.

If only she knew Hudson’s been keeping his own secret, too. 

My review

It’s the third book I read by this local author, and I was never disappointed. Since I’m currently working on a smalltown romance, I looked forward to reading this one. If you’re searching for a cowboy story, this one isn’t exactly that, but you can see that Hudson cares about his horse.

I’m not a huge fan of fake dating stories, the relationship between Charlotte and Hudson is special because they have known each other for more than a decade. The whole time I read reading, I was wondering which one of them will tell the other about their feelings first.

I have to admit that Hudson disappointed me at first when he asked his parents for money at 25 years old. I understand it’s for his horse, but I also understand his parents’ reaction. At the same time, it’s because of that event that he’s getting close to his best friend.

It’s a cute friends to lovers novel. I felt the smalltown romance vibe and I enjoyed following the evolution of the two protagonists and reading the two points of view.

My interview with the author