A review by bribreez
Homebound by Meredith Trapp

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

*Thank you to Love Notes PR and Meredith Trapp for providing me with an E-ARC of this book, I greatly appreciate it! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Please check trigger warnings before reading 

4.75⭐️/ 4🌶️

I’d like to think I’ve read my fair share of small town, cowboy romances, but the way Meredith wrote this book, it LITERALLY combined all of my favorite tropes! This story had, childhood friends to lovers, small town, slow burn romance, forced proximity, single dad, no third act breakup, and more! Most of the stories I’ve read, it’s been the man that was the cowboy, but in this story, Dakota was a professional bull rider and cowgirl! YES! I LOVED THAT! Also, this book had another one of my favorite things in a story which was, Wyatt was an NHL hockey player! Bringing together my two loves of Cowboy (cowgirls in this instance) and a hockey player! The best of both worlds! This story had so much to it that just from the beginning few chapters, I was loving every moment of it!

When Wyatt came back to the small town, Granite Falls, he would always visit in the summers, it was nostalgic, but it also held meaning from the memories of his best friend, Dakota. Right from the beginning, it was clear that Wyatt was determined to reclaim his chance at being around Dakota, but not so much in the friend capacity, but more so in the way he had always dreamed of since he was a kid, to have Dakota as his. If you love the, “it’s always been you” trope, then you’ll love how Wyatt is in this book because, OMG THIS MAN HAD IT BAD FOR DAKOTA. There were so many instances that jumped out at me that highlighted how much Wyatt cared for Dakota, but also how much he wanted to be with her. This book didn’t just show how Wyatt and Dakota slowly worked their way back to being familiar around each other, but the determination in Wyatt that he would finally take the shot of having Dakota. Also, the fact that Wyatt was a, southern gentleman, a single dad to a precious baby girl and an NHL player, I wanted Wyatt for myself, PLEASE AND THANK YOU! 

Dakota was known as the, “Cowboy Killer”, an amazingly, strong bull rider, and her fierceness was shown throughout the book, but even the strongest people often hide their deepest vulnerabilities behind closed doors. When I read that this book was going to have a female bull rider, I was immediately excited because, I don’t thin I’ve ever read a book where the female was both the cowgirl and a bull rider! Basically, Dakota was a baddie, and I was cheering for her the whole way through reading! Woo! Dakota was a grumpy gal, but from time to time she enjoyed causal hookups, flirting with men, and going about her life as she saw fit. The one thing or namely one person who knew Dakota better than anyone else was her best friend, Wyatt, or at else he was her best friend, before her cut all contact with her suddenly three years ago. I could tell that Dakota was disheartened by the way Wyatt stopped talking to her because, he was her best friend, and not having the one person she always counted on was a blow to the heart. Having Wyatt back in Granite Falls was a reminder of all those past memories, but Dakota was insistent on not getting hurt again by Wyatt, no matter how much of his optimism he tried to bring in her life. 

Get yourself a man like, Wyatt because he was not only determined to leave the friend zone, but he was also always there for Dakota when she needed him. Despite the brief three years of Dakota and Wyatt not talking, once Wyatt was back in town, he made it his mission to prove to Dakota he would have her back just like the good old days, and even more. The way Wyatt was head over heels in love with Dakota was honestly amazing because, right away through his actions and his words I could see the adoration and respect he had for Dakota. Plus, with all the sweet and sexy things Wyatt did for Dakota, I was swooning and squealing, as well as audibly gasping multiple times! I wish I could tell you all the fantastic things that Wyatt said and did, but I don’t want to spoil it for you! Just know, that when you read this book, Wyatt will become your newest obsession and new book boyfriend because he was that for me! 

I’m a HUGE FAN of slow burn romances, and I am very happy to report that Meredith NAILED IT! Throughout the story, Wyatt wanted Dakota to see him as the man who wanted more with her, and that gradually worked in his favor because, Dakota saw him in a whole new favorable light. The fact that Dakota and Wyatt had been friends since they were kids meant that their eventual romance was a build up of all those feelings and it was well worth the wait. I think the way Meredith Trapp wrote this slow burn romance was great, and it didn’t feel rushed at all. Everything smoothly transitioned from Wyatt and Dakota being friends, to a steamy and passionate romance with depth. 

I LOVED THIS STORY! When I tell you I was legitimately squealing for joy, swooning over  the romantic gestures, audibly gasping over the sexy things Wyatt and Dakota said and did, there was just so much I couldn’t get enough of! Dakota and Wyatt’s friendship going to lovers was seamlessly written that was natural, passionate, and wonderful. Paired with the slow burn romance and you basically got a fantastic build up of Dakota and Wyatt’s years of knowing each other to finally becoming this beautiful relationship. Dakota was such an incredible woman, and even with her overthinking tendencies and occasional worries of doubt, I still loved how she was a force to be reckoned with especially being the only female bull rider in the circus she competed in. Wyatt is definitely added to my book boyfriend list because, this man went above and beyond with HOW MUCH HE LOVED DAKOTA! From being an incredibly loving single dad to his precious baby daughter, to supporting Dakota’s bull riding career, and going after the woman he loved. Set within a small town, having that easy laid back feel when Dakota and Wyatt were surrounded by their friend and family, I got a really good feeling about how much they themselves found a beautiful family of their own with Vienna (Wyatt’s daughter). So many wonderful elements to this story, and Meredith Trapp did an excellent job writing Dakota and Wyatt’s story! I loved the way the story ended, and that very last chapter was the absolute perfect way to illustrate Wyatt and Dakota finding their happy ending together. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!