Trail Rides and Starry Eyes

A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she's tasked with turning into a cowboy--perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!

Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Sterling can't imagine life beyond her family's Wyoming ranch. Her days are filled with colt breaking, cattle rustling, and an online Intro to Astronomy class. Seventeen-year-old Wilder Nash also has his sights set on the stars--the ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A teen heartthrob, he's now he's ready for the big time. To land a lead role as a cowboy in a prime-time mini-series, he must convince the casting director he's an experienced horseman. The problem? He's all hat and no cowboy.

With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.

Cassidy's quiet life is disrupted when Wilder arrives. As he mucks out stalls and grooms horses, Wilder begins to see there's more to life than his looks. And Cassidy starts imagining a future beyond the ranch. The growing spark between them threatens to ignite into something more, but Cassidy must decide if she's brave enough to take the reins of her own life. Meanwhile, Wilder faces a choice: the glamorous life of a star or a simpler life under the stars.

Author: Katrina Emmel
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Published: 12/09/2025
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780593904060
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/15/2025
School Library Journal 10/17/2025 pg. 1
Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2025
Booklist 12/01/2025

About the Author
Katrina Emmel is the author of Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses and Trail Rides & Starry Eyes. She grew up in New Hampshire, moved to the Midwest for graduate school, and continued traveling westward until she reached the Pacific. Now a SoCal resident, Katrina lives in an active household with her husband, two children, father-in-law, and their twin beagles, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. In addition to writing fiction, she loves science, crafts, making up silly songs for her kids, and supporting monarch conservation by planting lots of milkweed.