Never Left You by Stefanie K. Steck: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

After the death of her husband, Abi Hartwell Acosta poured her heart and soul into two things: her son and her family ranch. Hartwell Hills Ranch is her home, and Abi is the sunshine to everyone on it. With the responsibilities of the ranch falling to her more and more, she’s finding it harder to wear that happy face all the time, especially when an old ‘friend’ shows up, bringing way too many memories with him.

Cash Callahan is the epitome of the saying ‘when push comes to shove’. Everything in his life fell apart after his best friend died: his career, his marriage…the friendship he valued more than anything. He never thought he’d find himself back at Hartwell Hills Ranch, but when the opportunity pops up for him to use the training arena, he can’t say no. Even if that means he’d finally see Abi after assuming he’d lost her forever.

Tensions rise as Abi and Cash find themselves battling for the same space, one that isn’t big enough for all the feelings they’ve been bottling up over the past five years. Can they find a way back to each other? Or will they finally realize that neither of them ever truly left the other behind?

The Author

Stefanie K. Steck has always wanted to be an author, and she’s excited to be finally accomplishing her dream. She began writing from a young age, after reading Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s book Demon in my View. From then on, she was always writing stories in her trusty notebook that went everywhere with her. Since junior high she has always kept her characters close, even giving them all signatures. She’s happy to say she still has all her first stories, though those are for her enjoyment only.

Stefanie grew up in Park City Utah, and currently resides in Salt Lake City with her husband Spencer, three kids, two dogs (who she loves almost more than writing), and a newly adopted cat. She works as a full-time dental assistant in Park City, which she rather enjoys. When she’s not harassing the Dentist she works for with her many Disney facts (she swears he actually likes them), assisting on a root canal or cleaning her house; you can find her writing her new novels or cuddling with her dogs and kids. She enjoys reading, is an avid Pokémon GO player and loves all the Marvel movies (Iron Man and Spiderman are her favorites, oh and she will never leave out Loki).

Book Review

Never Left You is the second book in the Hartwell Hills series. While those who have read the previous books will see some familiar characters and may have a better understanding of the Hartwell family dynamics, I think this could be enjoyed just fine as a standalone. 

Cash and Abi--- oh, how they have my heart! Having met Abi in the previous book and knowing a little bit of her history, I knew that her story would inevitably be an emotional one... and Stefanie didn't waste any time before bringing on the tears with the story of Sylas's passing right in the very first chapter. It was the first of many moments that had me reaching for the tissues in this tender romance. Those tearjerker moments were also balanced with plenty of more lighthearted ones to keep the story from feeling too heavy--- her brush throwing, their very first meeting, and Stetson--- who has to be the cutest little cowboy ever! Cash and Abi had their fair share of hurts to work through, but the chemistry was absolutely undeniable, and I loved seeing them work through it. Stefanie K. Steck is an absolute master at creating cowboys (and girls) who will absolutely win your heart and have you looking for the nearest rodeo to experience it for yourself. If you already love a good cowboy romance, this is definitely one you won't want to miss... and if you don't, well, this one might just win you over! 

Never Left You is a fade-to-black romance. Though it cuts out before the actual act, there is definitely some innuendo and much steamier buildup (clothes come off, arousal is mentioned, etc.) before ultimately fading out, leaving absolutely zero question as to what is happening off the pages. There is also quite a bit of language, to include multiple uses of the f-word. The author does a great job of laying out reader expectations (to include some potential triggers) in her author's note, so definitely be sure to check that out to decide if it's right for you! 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4iT9oS3