True to their family name, the Wilders of historic Rustler Mountain, Oregon, have an outlaw lineage and a wild nature to match. But when it comes to love, an untamed heart might know best . . .

Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.

Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two-plus decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.

Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail-order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it’s too late?

Titles in the Rustler Mountain series include:  Rustler Mountain ~ Outlaw Lake ~ Lonesome Ridge ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Outlaw Lake
Series:  Rustler Mountain #2
Author:  Maisey Yates
Published:  September 30, 2025
Publisher:  Kensington Books
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Outlaw Lake is the second title in the Rustler Mountain series, featuring Perry (Periwinkle) and Carson, who have been best friends, well, forever it seems, but in reality since their childhood. In their thirties now, Perry has finally accepted that the man she’s loved for years will never, ever see her as more than his best friend… and it’s time to cut the ties that bind, move to another small town for her business (and her sanity), and start looking at dating apps, because there just has to be someone “out there” who will love her for herself, beyond best friend status.

Carson believes in his family’s bad luck, the reputation of his outlaw ancestor that has always been a noose around his neck.  He wants to be a hero; he enlisted in the military, and that didn’t ease the ache in his soul. He married, and his wife died suddenly, so he’s no good at the happy ending relationship thing.  Now, he’s just going through the motions of life, convinced that he doesn’t deserve anything good to come into his life.  He has the ranch, he has his best friend, Perry, and that will just have to be enough… but he’s discovering that even best friends (who happen to be in love with you) have limits, and Perry has reached hers.  If he wants to keep Perry in his life, he’s going to have to man up and make some changes before he loses the woman he’s finally realizing is far more than just his best friend.

I enjoyed Perry and Carson’s friends-to-lovers romance. Although there were times that I wanted to reach into their story and smack Carson upside the head for being so focused that he couldn’t see the treasure of his life right in front of him, or to tell Perry that she deserved to be loved, exactly as she is.  Frustrated with them both?  Yeah, at times.  Yet, sometimes we have to be hit with the boulder of reality before we see clearly, and that boulder for Carson was losing the best thing that ever happened to him…Perry.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust.  It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

If you enjoy this author’s work, please visit our Maisey Yates page for other titles you may have missed over time.

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