West Line Ranch, Book 1
From the author:
A fish-out-of-water story about a New York City chef who inherits a ranch, discovers a family he never knew, and finds unexpected love with a fiercely loyal woman.
For fans of western romance superstars like Lyla Sage and Elise Silver.
New York City chef Jake West had it all, but a few strokes of a pen meant no more marriage. No more restaurant. No more big city lifestyle. Then he receives a letter explaining that his long-estranged father, Brett, has died, and he needs to return to the Canadian ranch he left as a child. Jake expects to go, sign more papers, and return to the city and rebuild his future.
Instead Jake learns that Brett’s left the ranch to him—and only him. Things might have been hot in his restaurant’s kitchen, but that’s nothing compared to what he faces now: a family he didn’t know existed, and a property he doesn’t want. Tanner and Brady, his half-brothers, don’t want him around. And while his stepmother, Peony, welcomes him, there’s Liz, Peony’s daughter. She’s not a West, but her loyalties lie with the family, not an outsider.
However, as Jake settles into the rhythms of the ranch, he wonders if he’s finally found something that’s been missing in his life—especially as he and Liz grow closer. At first, it’s just attraction, but when a sudden kiss ignites a heat in both of them, they can’t ignore this raging inferno. Maybe Brett West knew what he was doing when he summoned his eldest son back home–and gave him a chance to change his life forever.
Readers who love a spicy “enemies-to-lovers” romance combined with family drama will want to add this to their “to be read” shelves.
Western Heat kicks off the West Line Ranch series with a premise that hooked me immediately. Jake is in the middle of a complete life reset. He’s sold his New York City restaurant, finalized his divorce, and is suddenly summoned to Canada for the reading of a will. There, he learns that his estranged father has died and left him a ranch he never knew existed—along with two half-brothers who had no idea he existed either. The revelation throws all three men into an emotional and logistical mess. Jake is burned out from city life, and absolutely not prepared for any of this.
Liz grew up on the ranch when her mother married the boys’ father. She, along with her mother, became the glue holding this newly formed family together. Liz and Jake are thrown into each other’s orbit from the moment he steps onto the property, and their chemistry sparks long before either of them is willing to acknowledge it.
What really pulled me in were the quiet, intimate moments—sharing food, talking through the chaos, finding pockets of calm in the middle of family upheaval. Those scenes made their connection feel real and earned, even when the bigger conflicts kept tugging them apart.
The setting is vivid and alive: dusty roads, small-town gossip, wide-open skies. It feels like stepping into a western daydream without ever slipping into cliché. And the romance is a delicious slow burn that builds and builds until it finally breaks open in a way that’s tender, steamy, and deeply satisfying.
Both characters carry emotional baggage, and the story gives them room to grow. Jake’s struggle with identity and obligation is compelling, and while Liz could use a bit more polish as a lead, their dynamic still shines.
Caroline Richardson’s writing is warm, vivid, and easy to sink into. The pacing never drags, and I found myself reading “just one more chapter” long past when I meant to stop.
Western Heat is charming, sexy, emotional, and full of rugged western heart. If you love cowboy romance with family drama, forced proximity, and characters who feel imperfect in all the right ways, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
WESTERN HEAT by Caroline Richardson. W by Wattpad Books. (January 6, 2026). ISBN: 978-1998341375. 352p.
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