I head to the mailbox, swooning with excitement. Crack open the envelope, hug Untamed Heart to my chest. There’s something deliciously comforting about cracking open a romance novel, and knowing that no matter the chaos, a happy ending is waiting for me. Escaping the mess of my real life, abandon the to-do list that I have promised myself i’d stop doing. My inbox pinging, I turn off the notifications. Run a bath, soapy bubbles coating the water. A bath bomb fizzing, essential oils drenched in chamomile and lavender. Opening that first page. The romance novel where there’s order and familuarity. Someone that gets their forever. The bad guy that gets their karma. I wave goodbye to time anxiety, and settle in to read. My cheeks flushed rosy red, the steaming water engulfing my skin. I’ve gone through all the phases: hard-hitting literary fiction, twisty thrillers, memoirs that leave me breathless. Right now? I’m knee deep in guilty pleasure reads. Passionate historical romances with duchesses that fall apart over a stolen kiss. Fantasy worlds with enemies to lovers arcs that burn like slow magic. Contemporary rom-coms with cinnamon roll heroes and second chance tropes.
There’s a reason why we gravitate towards romance. They remind us of soft things in sharp times. Going against time anxiety. Structure in uncertain worlds. Creativity, escapism, catharticism. Some are bitter-sweet angsty love stories. Twisted Games by Ana Huang. One of my favourite authors, combining a royal bodyguard romance, with forbidden desire, spice, family affairs, and political chaos. Add to the mix, PTSD, trauma, and loved ones lost, and you have all the makings of a perfect romance read. Maybe you are more into spicy romance reads, like The Book Of Azreal (better than Fourth Wing in my opinion. A slow-burn that turns into a steamy love story with detailed sex scenes, fantasy worlds, morally gray main characters, and redefining what it means to be a villian. Or perhaps like me, you like to time travel into the past. Watching Philippa Greggory recount Anne Boleyn’s tragic love story cut short by Henry VIII. A woman who was intelligent, fierce, and revolutionized the country.
The appeal remains the same. It is about escapism with heart. At its core, romance fiction taps into something deeply human. Our longing to be seen, loved, and chosen. Don’t take me wrong. It’s not about falling in love with someone else. It is about characters falling in love with themselves. Learning their worth. Finding healing in connection. To me, that is at the core of what a good romance can give you. From a sweet slow burn, to a high-heat enemies to lovers situation, a spicy book is about the intimacy. About characters being vunerable. About the build up, the longing and the payoff. That’s why Untamed Heart appealed to me immediately. A small town romance, with hot cowboys, a charming main character, and a novel waiting to wrap you up in its pages. Honestly. There’s worse ways to spend your evenings than falling in love over and over again!
Untamed Heart: The Plot
Lottie Wright thought she knew success. She had the perfect corporate job. The perfect banker boyfriend. The perfect life in London. But her life of cards comes tumbling down. She’s fired. She catches her boyfriend cheating. Realizes that she spent her whole life chasing a life that didn’t exist. It wasn’t real, an illusion that she wishes she could take back. So, she does what an city girl would do. Swaps the big city for The Diamond Back Ranch. Where the cowboys are hot, the drama is real, and Lottie’s questioning her life choices. Was she right to swap the mess of London for her family’s ranch in Wyoming? From the start, I could relate. I was the small-time country girl, who swapped cow-fields for the big city of London. Who had to rebuild herself after trauma, loss, and personal turmoil. Relationships left behind. Except, I never had that perfect life. Why? Because it dosen’t exist.
Meanwhile, our other protagonist is Cole Miller. A rugged ex-rodeo star, who ‘isn’t interested’ in a city girl playing cowgirl on the Diamond Back ranch. I mean, sure they did end up in a steamy tangle on her arrival in Jackson Hole. It gave me flashbacks to The Long Game (Elena Armas), when Cameron and Adalyn go from ‘enemies to lovers’. She thinks he’s a brute. He thinks she’s stuck up. Two people stereotyping each other based on where they live, and what job they do. Untamed Heart is similar. As Lottie trades designer suits for cowboy boots, she starts to realise she might be a little more country than she thought. After all, London never felt like home, did it? When a rival ranch threatens everything she has come to love, she’s not about to let them win. Especially when it means proving to Cole (and herself), that she’s not just a city girl.
As someone who has devoured cowboy romances like ‘Flawless’ ( Elsie Silver), ‘Holding The Reigns’ (Paisley Hope), and Done And Dusted (Lyla Sage), Untamed Heart is my new cowboy obsession. Sure, it takes a while for the spice to hit. I am normally someone who prefers an instant high-heat romance, with a plot that builds, and twists and turns to keep it exciting. However, this is a sweet, light-hearted read that is perfect for summer. Whether you read it on the plane, at the pool, in a bubble bath, or while cuddling your cats, this book will make you swoon with ‘awww’s’ and ‘oohs’. For starters, Lottie as the main character is relatable. Sure, she starts off in designer suits. But when she swaps them out for cowboy boots, she is refreshingly grounded. Meanwhile Cole, is the ‘Black Cat’ archetype, delivering brooding cowboy energy. Their slow-burn chemistry feels realistic, and not forced. They banter, they bicker. They have moments of emotional vunerability, and show character growth. Sometimes romance authors paint their characters as one-dimensional people, that you can’t relate to. This is not one of those books. With both protagonists I smiled, laughed and cried. Yes, it was a light-hearted read, but at times it was emotional.
One of my favourite things about Untamed Heart, was that it wasn’t just a family novel. It had themes of family legacy, finding your identity, redefining loss, and facing rivals. These topics blended well with the central romance to create a fuller emotional arc. It is also well paced, with the romance simmering in the early chapters. The heat turns up at the right moments, and is counteracted with lighthearted tropes, for comedic relief. The location is also dreamy. Immediately transporting you into the landscape, offering cozy Western charm and wide open skies. Imagine yourself as Lottie in the Rockies. Spending time with horses. Learning how to do ranch work. Flirting with cute guys. Making new friends. Could you think of anything more fitting? I don’t want to give too much away, but all I want to say is that there are some storyline arcs that even I didn’t see coming. I was invested from page one, and my only bug bear was how short it was. As this is Gemma Morr’s debut novel, I really hope she’ll turn this into a series rather than a stand-alone book. Towards the end, the romance did seem a little rushed, but for a first book, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
What Stood Out
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A charismatic, flawed heroine with real stakes.
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Slowly built romantic tension and sizzling payoff scenes.
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A setting that becomes its own character—a rough‑and‑ready ranch that tests and strengthens the protagonists.
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Emotional resonance beyond the bedroom door—a romance that feels healing and earned.
What Didn’t Fully Land
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It’s a debut novel, so some secondary character arcs and subplots occasionally felt underdeveloped.
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Predictable plot tropes—cheating ex, rival ranch drama—are executed well, but there’s little narrative surprise. That being said, sometimes predictability isn’t a bad thing.
Final Verdict
Untamed Heart is a sweet, light-hearted cowboy romance with slow-burn chemistry, and a setting that transports you into the American West. Fans of Devney Perry and B.K Borison will feel right at home with Lottie and Cole’s ‘will they, won’t they’? tension. Saddle up, grab a Pickleback, and dust off your cowboy boots, this summer. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Are You A Fan Of Cowboy Romance Novels?
Disclaimer
Please note, I was gifted this book in exchange for this review but all thoughts are my own.
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