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by Maggie Gates
September 15, 2026
Book 1 of 2: The Wilder Estate Series
Opposites become unlikely allies when a desperate cowboy needs to marry in order to save his grandfather’s land.
Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife—pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather’s death, he's shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can’t buy—more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather’s legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will.
Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother’s death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather’s funeral.
Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a bargain: He’ll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults—after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage. Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common—enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.
A really nice read- heartwarming, sexy, poignant, funny, great animal characters, and the bad guys get their dues. Ms. Gates did a great job on keeping the story in "I do not want to put this book down" mode.
Each character was set in place to be reacting to each other in a realistic manner that made you get into their hearts and agree with them or think what a miserable human being you are- and a great story line to boot- see, a reference to cowboys.
I give Ms. Gates 4 Baaarts with a few Baahs thrown in for good measure.
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Author Maggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, collecting vinyl record, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.
