Homebound by Meredith Trapp 🤠💔

Gorgeous cover. Disappointing story.

Listen, I wanted to love this so bad. A female bull rider? Yes, please. That premise alone had me clicking buy now faster than a cowboy on a bucking chute. But honestly? This just didn’t hit.

We’ve got an “always been you” childhood friends to lovers vibe going on, but y’all, he had a baby with someone else while supposedly pining for Dakota the whole time? Be serious. That’s not swoony, that’s a red flag.

And speaking of Dakota… oof. I wanted to root for her. I tried to root for her. A tough, independent, bull riding woman in a cowboy romance is such a rare gem, but she was written like a textbook pick me girl. Like girl… you are the problem. She kept sabotaging everything, and instead of feeling complex or layered, she just came across as frustrating.

And the writing? Felt choppy. Like the emotional beats didn’t land, the chemistry was off, and the pacing was all over the place. The angst felt forced, and the supposed connection between Dakota and Wyatt didn’t impress me.

Was Wyatt cute with his baby? Sure. Do I still think this story could’ve been great if it leaned into the actual grit and glory of a woman dominating a male dominated sport? Absolutely. But instead, we got surface level girl boss energy and a romance that felt more like a plot convenience than a genuine emotional arc.

⭐ Only saving grace? The cover is stunning.
⭐ Female bull rider trope = underused, but sadly underdelivered here.

This was not the rodeo romance I wanted, and I’m honestly still a little salty about it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meredith Trapp, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.