Oh my, I loved Brayden and Jesse! Save a horse, ride a cowboy!

Brayden Nielson is a hockey phenom who just ended a disappointing season and needs a break from his life and the pressure. So he heads out for an outdoor solo adventure, but when he ends up needing help, he is picked up by a cowboy and taken to his ranch. 

Jesse Huxley is grumpy, stoic, a bit older, and all of his time is taken up running his family ranch. He likes control and is a man of actions more than words. He does not really have much of a social life or even time for one, but when a charming, talkative, flirty, and unfiltered Brayden ends up hanging out for a while, he can only keep his restraint so long. Brayden is determined to crack the cowboy's resistance. 

These two have such an easy rapport despite their differences, and they complement each other well. They have wonderful chemistry, but they also provide understanding and companionship that they were both craving. I loved seeing them challenge each other and share experiences together. 

But Brayden has been keeping secrets and has obligations. And Jesse is tied to the ranch life, which is not for everyone. So they are aware that there will be an expiration date, and they will most likely get hurt. The tension is real, and my heart hurt for them knowing that things would eventually get messy.

This is a sweet, swoony, passionate cowboy-hockey player, grumpy-sunshine, opposites-attract, forced proximity, age gap romance about finding a safe place. It's about being lost, then found, but then having to figure out priorities, compromise, and make difficult choices. 

I adored both Brayden and Jesse, and they often had me smiling. They are just genuinely good guys, but have some definite challenges. I also liked the Huxley brothers, Rhett and Cooper, and the rest of the family. And I enjoyed a bit more with Brayden's brother, Jude, and his partner, Cody, from Offside Play by Becca Steele in this interconnected world that can all be read as standalones.