Fueled by a love of romance novels, Luna Starr was destined for a life with her head in the clouds. Her delusional tendencies serve her well…or at least they used to. When life throws her a curveball, she decides it’s time to turn her cowboy fantasies into reality and purchases a tiny farm in Celestial, Texas. After all, don’t all heroines try to outrun grief?
Tate Jacobs hates cowboys, which is a small problem, considering his family happens to own the largest ranch in Celestial. Life might not have gone the way he wanted, but as head coach at his old high school and the town’s best (and only) handyman, he’s figured out how to stay busy and keep his head down—until the new girl in town shows up. Luna’s new property is a bad accident waiting to happen unless someone helps her with her DIY home renovations.
As Tate and Luna spend more time together fixing up her house, unexpected feelings and undeniable chemistry bubble to the surface. Luna might’ve moved to Celestial to make her cowboy dreams come true, but somewhere beneath the vast Texas skies, she discovers that love in the real world can be far better than she imagined.
Release Date: May 26, 2026
Series: Starlight Ridge
Book: 1
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $10.99
Slow burn, small town, low angst – sign me up!
Add Alexa Martin to the list of contemporary authors writing delicious cowboy romance. The first in what I hope is a multi-book series, By The Bootstraps. Martin brings her usual talent for interesting characters, girl’s girl heroine’s, and a story that captures dealing with grief so well.
We have our heroine, Luna Starr, who decides, after her mom’s passing, that she needs a change of pace and space. She packs up and moves to Celestial, Texas. The small town with an astrological name has to be the right place for her, especially when she locates a house that speaks to her. With Pinterest and mood boards in tow, along with a ton of romance books and a love for cowboys, she arrives not sure of much besides planning on completing a ton of DIY.
Of course, that doesn’t prevent her from running into not one, but two, fine men within her first forty-eight hours in town. Even better, one of them is a cowboy. Though we quickly discover that the mysterious Tate, who happens to coach the local high school football team, is really the one Luna is ga-ga for. From there, it’s all shenanigans and fantastic first-person adventure that had me giggling, cheering, and swooning in various intervals.
What worked for me? The small-town aspect. The tales of Texas from the football to the rodeo and the culture. The characters were larger than life, and I wouldn’t mind moving to Celestial myself. Especially if it means I got to sit in for the knitting club or go to a Friday Night Lights-style football game. The emotional hits feel a bit like women’s fiction, but the truth behind the story is straight romance. This is also a slow burn, which I enjoyed because it kept me on my toes.
Why not a five? This book had a slow start, and I was finding myself easily walking away. It took a few chapters to get into, but it’s worth the read. After that point, the pacing evened out, and I was invested. I’m so invested I need more books for Silas and Ciara… I would even love to see Luna’s bestie get a tale of her own.
If you enjoy contemporary romance with plenty of heart, this one is definitely for you. This is like Maisey Yates meets Brenda Jackson – fans of both Copper Ridge and Catalina Bay would get a kick out of Celestial.
~ Landra
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