If you’ve been looking to fill that Yellowstone-size hole in your TV lineup… or maybe that degree of violence just isn’t your brand, but you like the idea of a cowboy-filled drama with perhaps fewer “visits to the train station” and a little more heart, Netflix has you covered.

Ransom Canyon is the latest in book-to-screen adaptations by the streaming giant. From Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center to Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, Netflix has been scooping up IP from across the entire reading spectrum. But perhaps few are lining up with BookTok as well as the new 10-episode series based on Jodi Thomas’ beloved books.

Starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, this beautiful Texas-set story follows a small town as they try to manage modern life, ranching legacies and a whole lot of secrets. After suffering tragic losses, Staten Kirkland is trying to keep his ranch out of the hands of a company desperate to buy him out, while struggling to integrate back into town life. Quinn O’Grady left her budding music career to return home in the wake of these tragedies, offering her loving support to Staten and attempting to bring him back from the darkness. As they navigate complicated feelings and impending threats, they’ll have to decide if love is even an option for them. Meanwhile, a stranger–Yancy Grey–has rolled into town and he’s keeping secrets that could change Ransom Canyon forever.

If this sounds like your brand of drama and romance, She Reads has you covered. After an early screening of the first season, we’re excited to share a spoiler-free review of what viewers (and fans of the book) can expect.

If Yellowstone, Virgin River and The OC had a baby…

Yellowstone came to a clumsy and uncertain end after a number of must-watch seasons, but the appetite for Western-set story lines hasn’t faded.  Taylor Sheridan-esque shows are in high demand. Perhaps it’s a craving for something nostalgic and timeless, but whether it’s Montana or Texas, TV lovers are lining up for shows that follow ranch life.

When it comes to Ransom Canyon, it hits all the right notes. A beautiful, country backdrop, a ruggedly good looking cast, storylines that range from generations-long feuds to corporate land grabs, and the ever-encroaching threat of modern life on tradition. Ransom Canyon meets the standard without feeling redundant. The story stands very much on its own two feet, drawing on what we love about the modern Western while introducing fresh characters facing their own lineup of difficulties in a way that captures you from the start.

For me–and perhaps this is my elder millennial talking–the story found that perfect balance between soapy drama and grounded performances. I felt nostalgia for shows like The O.C. where both the teens and the adults played balanced parts. Like this predecessor, Ransom Canyon has a relentless avalanche of secrets and drama to unfold, but skillfully avoids skewing into the ridiculous and unbelievable. First loves are as central to the storyline as second chances. I found myself cozily at home in the narrative structure, eager to press play on the next episode and delighted when the fireworks started between a number of reluctant couples.

Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly Sizzle and Shift the Western Paradigm

We’re really starting to see an era in which women have a much bigger role in a Western-set storyline. In the past, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood set the tone, centering the cowboy and occasionally letting a dessert flower share some screen time. Beth, of course, brought a new meaning to the word tough in Yellowstone, but I’m also reminded of Josephine from Tombstone (1993) who started to turn the corner on how a woman could be played in a Western. And Minka Kelly brings her own brand of soft and strong to the star-studded cast. A perfect counter to Josh Duhamel’s brooding and broken, but utterly lovable role.

The two leads bring a lot of tension-filled chemistry to the table as well as tenderness, but you never get the feeling like one has the upper hand over the other. They play a delicate game of push and pull that has you rooting for them the whole way through.

I found Kelly’s interpretation of Quinn O’Grady to be a thoughtful and nuanced portrayal. There were plenty of times where her “take-no-shit” response had me saying “hell yeah”. Yet, she was still so feminine and vulnerable in a way that Beth Dutton was not (for better or worse). So it felt like a merging of the old with the new. As for Duhamel, his wounded and flawed character, Staten, is what we hope for in a romantic male lead. Impenetrable at times, but capable of immense gentleness for the right one. Duhamel seemed right at home in this role, and perhaps he was having built a secluded cabin on a large property of his own.

For Lovers of Western Romances and Beyond

This show and the books are marketed as a Western romance and for fans of authors like Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage, it will absolutely hit the mark. With multiple relationships unfolding and more than a few steamy scenes, you’ll get your romance fix. I don’t, however, feel this is exclusively a romance. While the show has a ton of heart and each character is motivated by love in their own way (whether it’s romantic, familial or friendship), there’s a lot more at play here. There is action and mystery, betrayal and scheming that make this a much more universal series. Still, Netflix appears to have a very specific audience in mind for this show… and readers, I think it’s us.

Thirst Traps and Plot Twists

Two words… Yancy Grey. Okay another word.. rode-ooooooohmygawd. Yes, there is plenty of universal appeal in the storyline, but there is also an awareness that the BookTok girlies are always on the prowl. And Netflix did not pull punches when appealing to us. From soap opera hunk, 00’s heartthrob and leading man Josh Duhamel to Jack Schumacher, who we caught a glimpse of as “Omaha” in Top Gun: Maverick, this is a show that understands its primary audience. And we have a feeling the She Reads crowd will get a kick out of its willingness to let a camera linger.

But if you aren’t in it solely for the heat index, there are also more than a few shocking reveals and episodic cliffhangers that will have you clicking “Next Episode” every time. Ultimately, the blend is delightful and familiar to those of us who crawl into books for a safe place to hide. Whether you’re in it for the steamy romance or the heart-wrenching small-town drama, you won’t be disappointed. Ransom Canyon mixes a fast-paced plot with just the right amount of shirtless slow-mo’s. I mean, what more could we ask for as readers?