A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she's tasked with turning into a cowboy—perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Sterling can't imagine life beyond her family's Wyoming ranch. Her days are filled with colt breaking, cattle rustling, and an online Intro to Astronomy class. Seventeen-year-old Wilder Nash also has his sights set on the stars—the ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A teen heartthrob, he's now he's ready for the big time. To land a lead role as a cowboy in a prime-time mini-series, he must convince the casting director he's an experienced horseman. The problem? He’s all hat and no cowboy.
With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.
Cassidy's quiet life is disrupted when Wilder arrives. As he mucks out stalls and grooms horses, Wilder begins to see there's more to life than his looks. And Cassidy starts imagining a future beyond the ranch. The growing spark between them threatens to ignite into something more, but Cassidy must decide if she's brave enough to take the reins of her own life. Meanwhile, Wilder faces a choice: the glamorous life of a star or a simpler life under the stars.
On sale: December 9, 2025
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 288 Pages
ISBN: 9780593904060
Katrina Emmel is the author of
Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses and
Trail Rides & Starry Eyes. She grew up in New Hampshire, moved to the Midwest for graduate school, and continued traveling westward until she reached the Pacific. Now a SoCal resident, Katrina lives in an active household with her husband, two children, father-in-law, and their twin beagles, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. In addition to writing fiction, she loves science, crafts, making up silly songs for her kids, and supporting monarch conservation by planting lots of milkweed.
Praise for
Trail Rides & Starry Eyes:
"Alternating narration
delightfully wrangles disarming
repartee, farm animal
hijinks, tight
plotting, and an intimate
western setting into a
swoony love story."—
Publishers Weekly
"Emmel
transports readers...a
swoony romance with a well-developed sense of a place."—
Kirkus Reviews
"A
fun,
summer novel for readers who love animals and romance."—
School Library Journal
"Perfect for young teens wanting a
gentle and
sweet summer romance."—
Booklist