Butterflies and Bridles
(2025)(The fifth book in the Kingsleys Sweet Short Stories series)
A novel by JC Savoy
She came for classroom credit…not a lesson in love.
Marina Lopez, a dedicated middle school teacher from Missoula, signs up for a summer program at the Kingsley Ranch to earn in-service hours—and maybe a little perspective. She expects to observe equine therapy with at-risk kids, take notes, and head back to her classroom in the fall. What she doesn’t expect is Nate Everhart, the ranch’s patient but rugged instructor, whose quiet strength and flashes of humor make every dusty afternoon unforgettable.
Nate knows the power of horses to heal—and he’s seen more than a few volunteers quit once they realize ranch life isn’t all wide skies and pretty sunsets. But Marina surprises him with her willingness to try, her kindness with the kids, and the way she lights up the arena just by being there.
What begins as a professional commitment slowly turns into something neither of them expected: shared laughter, stolen glances, and rides across the Montana hills that feel like freedom. Yet with Marina’s world pulling her back to Missoula and Nate’s life rooted at the ranch, they’ll have to decide if what’s growing between them is only a fleeting summer connection—or the start of something worth holding on to.
Genre: Romance
Marina Lopez, a dedicated middle school teacher from Missoula, signs up for a summer program at the Kingsley Ranch to earn in-service hours—and maybe a little perspective. She expects to observe equine therapy with at-risk kids, take notes, and head back to her classroom in the fall. What she doesn’t expect is Nate Everhart, the ranch’s patient but rugged instructor, whose quiet strength and flashes of humor make every dusty afternoon unforgettable.
Nate knows the power of horses to heal—and he’s seen more than a few volunteers quit once they realize ranch life isn’t all wide skies and pretty sunsets. But Marina surprises him with her willingness to try, her kindness with the kids, and the way she lights up the arena just by being there.
What begins as a professional commitment slowly turns into something neither of them expected: shared laughter, stolen glances, and rides across the Montana hills that feel like freedom. Yet with Marina’s world pulling her back to Missoula and Nate’s life rooted at the ranch, they’ll have to decide if what’s growing between them is only a fleeting summer connection—or the start of something worth holding on to.
Genre: Romance
Used availability for JC Savoy's Butterflies and Bridles