WRANGLING RILEY (Whiskey and Roses 2) by Cassie Colton-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 28, 2026

Abandoned by his mother at age seven, Garrett Johnson learned that trusting women only leads to disappointment. Raised by his hard and abusive grandfather, Garrett built his life on self-reliance, loyalty, and brotherhood. Landing a job at Serenity Ranch feels like a second chance, working alongside his brothers-in-arms and finally belonging somewhere that feels like home.

Fleeing an abusive father, Riley Stewart will do anything to protect her younger sister. When Garrett’s estranged mother and her violent biker boyfriend threaten her sister, she’s left with an impossible choice. Get close to Garrett. Find out where he’s hiding his inheritance. Or risk losing everything she loves.

When Garrett uncovers Riley’s role in his mother’s twisted scheme, the betrayal cuts deeper than any wound he’s ever endured. Torn between love and betrayal, Garrett must decide how much he’s willing to risk to wrangle Riley.

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REVIEW: WRANGLING RILEY is the second instalment in Cassie Colton’s contemporary, adult WHISKEY AND ROSES romantic suspense series. This is rancher Garrett Johnson, and Riley Stewart’s story line. WRANGLING RILEY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. There is a slight paranormal aspect to the prologue which does not affect the outcome of the story.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspectives (Garrett and Riley) WRANGLING RILEY focuses on the protection of our story line heroine, and her younger sister Tara. Riley Stewart and her sister Tara are on the run but find themselves trapped by the past, and under the control of a local biker gang. Their target, Garrett Johnson,is a man determined to keep his personal life close to his heart but when he discovers he has been targeted by our story line heroine, Garrett begins a deep dive searching for the truth.

The world building follows several intersecting pathways as Riley and her sister Tara become pawns. Greed and a local biker gang take aim at not only our story line heroine but Garrett Johnson as well. Garrett’s past has returned demanding everything, and Riley will find herself choosing between her sister and the man with whom she had fallen in love.

The relationship between Riley and Garrett is tempestuous and acrimonious. Riley wants nothing to do with our story line here, and with issues of trust on both sides, neither one is looking to settle down for the long haul. The $ex scene are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is another large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and often questionable secondary and supporting characters including several team members at Serenity Ranch. From the outside, Serenity Ranch presents itself as something different, and in this, Garrett is quick to suspect there is more than meets the eye.

WRANGLING RILEY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, mistrust and misunderstanding, family and friendships, relationships and love. The slow building premise is intriguing and engaging; the romance struggles in the face of misperception and mistrust; the characters are desperate and determined.

I want to address the ‘paranormal’ aspect of the story line prologue, which in my opinion, is a non-sequitur, and a red-herring. It left me feeling off-balance throughout most of the story. There is no apparent connection to the story or the series. I struggled to find a connection to one of the author’s previous releases or if there is going to be a new series focusing on shifters and ranchers.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy