Hunter Calloway is a small town smokeshow and the kind of man my father warned me about.
He’s got a reputation a mile wide, a smile that could burn through any girl’s good sense, and did I mention he’s also the man my sister once loved and left behind?
He strolls through town like he owns it, tips his hat with a promise in his eyes, and slides those calloused hands across my bakery counter like they haven’t been haunting my dreams for years. He’s six feet of pure temptation wrapped in worn Wranglers, and every time I’m near him, it’s like striking a match during a drought…
Dangerous, inevitable, and exactly what I shouldn’t want.
I try to convince myself I don’t notice the way his gaze lingers, or the way he says my name as if he’s tasting it. But all my good intentions crumble to dust when we find ourselves alone under a sky full of stars with nothing but whiskey and want between us.
And it changes everything.
We promise each other we’re just having fun, yet his fingertips brush across my skin when no one’s watching, and we pretend we don’t ache for each other in a room full of people who would never understand. Every kiss stays in the dark, every desire whispered like a secret, and every touch brands me with guilt.
I know better than to fall for a cowboy like him.
I know better than to want my sister’s past.
But when his eyes find mine, I forget every reason I’ve ever had to say no.
Every touch feels like a risk and every secret like a countdown. I’m lying to everyone, falling harder for a man who never promised me anything, and wondering how much longer I can pretend I don’t care whether I’m just another notch on his well-worn belt.
Because I’m in love with Hunter Calloway regardless of the cost.
Ever since reading Cowboy Casual, I’ve been impatiently waiting for Hunter and Maggie’s story. Their chemistry practically jumped off the page in the first book, so my expectations for Small Town Smokeshow were sky-high. Somehow, Holly Renee still managed to exceed them.
Hunter and Maggie are pure fire. Not the explosive, instant-combustion kind of chemistry, but the kind that simmers for years until one spark threatens to burn everything down. The pining in this book was absolutely delicious. Every lingering glance, every accidental touch, every moment where they found themselves standing a little too close had me turning pages faster and faster waiting for one of them to finally snap.
“Maggie Dawson was gasoline and a lit match, and every time I got near her, I wanted to burn.”
What I loved most is that their history never felt like unnecessary drama. Yes, Hunter once dated Maggie’s sister, and yes, that history hangs over them for much of the book. But it quickly becomes clear that what existed between Hunter and Maggie was always something entirely different. They were the story all along. The right people, just stuck in the wrong circumstances for far too long.
“I’ve wanted this for so long I can’t even remember what it’s like to not want you.”
Hunter Calloway completely stole the show for me. This man was so unbelievably down bad for Maggie that I was grinning through half of his chapters. He wasn’t just attracted to her—he genuinely saw her. He noticed the things no one else did, showed up when she needed him most, and consistently made space for her to become the person she wanted to be. The way he loved her was patient, steady, and completely unwavering. Grandma June was right: all this man needed was to finally find his balls and stop pretending he could live without her.
“So, are you going to find your balls, Hunter?”
And Maggie? My heart hurt for her. Growing up in the shadow of her sister and surrounded by a family that seemed determined to make her feel like she was never enough left scars that ran deep. There were moments when I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop running from her happiness, but I also understood exactly why she struggled to believe someone like Hunter could truly choose her. Watching her slowly realize that she deserved more—more love, more support, more joy—was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire story.
But she was sunshine, and God help me, I’d worried I’d burn if I got too close. Even when she tried to hide that light, tried to shrink herself down to a flicker, I could still feel her warmth lighting up the darkest corners of this place, of me, and fuck, I didn’t deserve her.
The found family aspect was every bit as wonderful as the romance. The Calloways continue to be one of my favorite fictional families, and seeing Maggie welcomed into their circle made my heart so happy. Between Blaire’s antics, Colt and Ruby making appearances, and Grandma June delivering some of the best lines in the book, Willow Grove felt just as much like home as the characters themselves.
And listen… the chemistry was chemistry-ing. The tension was so thick at times I thought my book was going to spontaneously combust. Holly Renee balances emotional intimacy and physical attraction so well, making every moment feel earned. By the time Hunter and Maggie finally stopped fighting what had always been there, I was fully invested in every second.
“I want to ruin you for anyone else. And you’re going to let me. Aren’t you, Sunshine?”
At its core, Small Town Smokeshow is an it’s-always-been-you romance wrapped in cowboy boots, small-town charm, and years of unresolved feelings. It’s about choosing yourself, finding the people who truly see your worth, and taking a chance on the person who has been standing in front of you all along.
Hunter and Maggie were so stupidly, hopelessly in love with each other, and honestly? They never stood a chance.
Now if Holly Renee could kindly hurry up and give us McCoy’s book, that would be great.