Review: This Ain't Our First Rodeo

This Ain't Our First Rodeo by Liara Tamani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This Ain't Our First Rodeo by Liara Tamani

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance / Coming-of-Age
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars — heartfelt, grounded, and emotionally sincere)

Tagline:
Second chances ride hardest when hearts never healed.

🤠❤️ Tropes & Story Elements

• Contemporary Western Romance
• Second Chance Love
• First Love, Grown Up
• Small Town / Family Legacy
• Cowboys & Rodeo Life
• Childhood Connection Rekindled
• Emotional Coming-of-Age
• Ambition vs Expectations

⚠️ Content & Trigger Warnings

• Alcohol abuse
• Family conflict and pressure
• Grief and parental loss
• Emotional turmoil and relationship strain
• Mild sexual content

(Emotionally introspective themes handled with realism.)

🩸 Full Thoughts

This Ain’t Our First Rodeo is a grounded, emotionally honest second-chance romance that prioritizes growth over grand gestures. Liara Tamani doesn’t rush love here—she examines it. This is a story about what happens after the spark, after the fantasy, when real life and real responsibility step in.

Josie and Shawn don’t just reunite—they reckon with who they’ve become.

💔 First Love, Revisited

The chemistry between Josie and Shawn is tender rather than explosive. Their connection feels lived-in, shaped by shared history and unfinished feelings. This isn’t a whirlwind reunion; it’s cautious, layered, and sometimes fragile.

What makes their relationship compelling is how time has changed them. The sweetness of first love is still there, but now it’s complicated by grief, ambition, pride, and expectations neither of them fully chose. The romance becomes less about “do they still love each other?” and more about “can they love each other as they are now?”

That question gives the story emotional weight.

🐎 Legacy, Pressure & Identity

Josie’s conflict between family expectations and personal identity adds depth beyond the romance. The tension surrounding her family’s restaurant empire versus her longing for something different feels authentic and relatable. She isn’t just choosing between two boys or two paths—she’s choosing between obligation and self-definition.

Shawn’s arc is equally layered. His grief and the pressure of living up to a rodeo legacy he didn’t fully ask for shape much of his internal struggle. The emotional undercurrent of loss and responsibility gives his character grounding and vulnerability.

Together, their struggles mirror each other: both are trying to honor where they came from without sacrificing who they want to become.

🌾 Setting as Emotional Anchor

The rodeo setting is more than aesthetic—it’s integral. Houston, the ranch, the competition circuit, the culture of rodeo life—all of it feels textured and authentic. The atmosphere grounds the emotional stakes in something tangible.

The sense of place reinforces the story’s themes: tradition versus independence, legacy versus reinvention.

⚖️ Why Not 5 Stars?

The pacing in the middle occasionally circles the same emotional conflict before progressing. Some conversations feel like they revisit familiar ground rather than pushing the relationship forward. While this mirrors real-life hesitation, it slightly slows narrative momentum.

Still, the emotional sincerity carries the story through, and the resolution feels earned rather than rushed.

🖤 Final Thoughts

This Ain’t Our First Rodeo is a soft, reflective romance about choosing love when reality sets in. It understands that second chances aren’t about recreating the past—they’re about building something stronger from it.

It’s less about dramatic declarations and more about commitment. About learning that love isn’t just the first spark—it’s the choice to keep showing up long after.

A warm, emotionally grounded read with real growth and heart.

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