Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

In Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother. Any woman who did, ended up dead—or so the rumor goes. Townies call it a curse. But I’ve lived it, and I won’t survive it again.

I’m not a cop anymore, but I’ve seen enough danger to know that Laney Young, the beautiful stranger who just showed up in my small town, is running from it. She’s lying about where she came from and what she’s doing here.

I don’t want her near my family or the quiet life I’ve made for myself. But my brothers have other plans. Now she’s everywhere–working at my distillery, living in our guest house, calling me ‘cowboy’ and skinny-dipping in my horse trough.

But it’s the way she dishes out attitude from that pretty mouth of hers that has me wanting things I’ve sworn to myself I’d never want again. I should push her away, forget how her lips taste, and ignore how she makes me want more out of life again.

When her past shows up and mingles too closely with mine, her lies begin to unravel. The rules don’t matter anymore. I mess up, dig too far, and get too close. Only two things have the power to keep her safe now: bourbon and lies.

My Review:

This book was such a fun ride, equal parts sweet, swoony, and just the right amount of spice. I love a good cowboy romance when it’s done right, and this one absolutely delivered. The plot was easy to fall into, the romance felt natural, and I found myself completely along for the ride from start to finish.

I listened to the audiobook while reading, and let me just say… the male narrator? Whew. His voice was smooth like satin but had that rough edge like bourbon poured over ice. Yeah, I said it, and I stand by it.

One thing that really surprised me was how much I liked the FMC. In books like this, I usually struggle with female leads who come off immature or overly dependent, but not here. She was smart, capable, and had her own sense of self outside of the MMC which made the relationship feel so much stronger. And honestly? Even if she wanted to make him her whole world, I don’t think he would’ve let her. We love a man who keeps things grounded.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this one and will definitely be continuing the series. If you’re into broody cowboys who would burn the world down for their woman, with a mix of romance and a touch of suspense, this book might be exactly what you’re looking for.