Duke
One chance meeting on a Texas ranch.
One wild, too-charming cowboy.
One snowed-in night that changes everything.
Wheeler Rankin isn’t here for romance—she’s come to Lucky River Ranch to visit her best friend, wrangle a business deal, and prove herself to everyone who ever doubted her. But when she collides with Duke Rivers—resident heartbreaker, restless cowboy, and brother to her best friend’s new flame—sparks fly hotter than a Texas summer.
Duke has always dreamed of more than dusty trails and small-town life. He’s itching to see the world, but one unforgettable night with Wheeler changes his course. When a blizzard and a business road trip leave them stranded together, their no-strings flirtation ignites into something deeper.
But passion brings complications—and unexpected news threatens to upend everything Wheeler’s built. As family pressures, old wounds, and new dreams collide, Duke is determined to stand by her side, ready to forge a future neither of them ever imagined.
Can two fiercely independent souls trust in love, face their fears, and find home in each other’s arms? Or will the ghosts of the past keep them apart for good?
Welcome back to Hartsville, where family is found, love is hard-won, and every cowboy has a story worth telling.
DUKE is a standalone romance in the interconnected Lucky River Ranch Series. Coming December 2, 2025!
Jessica Peterson
In the world of contemporary romance, Jessica Peterson has carved out a space that feels as intimate and genuine as the Southern towns she brings to life on the page. Known for her warm, sensual love stories set in places like Charleston and the Carolina Highlands, Jessica writes the kind of romance that lingers long after the final kiss—full of emotional depth, Southern charm, and characters who feel like old friends.
Her journey to becoming a full-time writer wasn’t a straight line. Born and raised in North Carolina, Jessica once walked a very different path—a career in finance—before realizing her heart belonged to fiction. Fueled by the paperbacks she devoured as a teen (the swoonier, the better), she left behind balance sheets and boardrooms to chase stories instead. And readers are glad she did.
Lucky River Ranch
Tucked away in the wide-open hills of small-town Texas, the Lucky River Ranch series brings together slow-burning desire, second chances, and the kind of emotional intimacy that sneaks up on you like dusk on a summer day. These are stories about love that’s hard-earned—messy, tender, and deeply rooted in a place where family ties run deep and the land remembers everything.
Lucky River Ranch consists of five books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
