Ride Dirty, Cowboy by Elle Thorpe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Addie: Sunny Burke is the all-American life of the party. The golden boy everybody loves, a talented cowboy, and the man who warms my bed at night.

In rodeo circles, they call Kai Hunt “Frost” because of his determination to win and his icy exterior. He’s never made it a secret he can’t stand his best friend’s girl, which is me.

Then, the three of us got into a car, and everything changed.

Because only two left it alive.

In the aftermath, I slink back home to my little country town to lick my wounds. Yet, fate has other plans. When a job offer rolls in, the assignment is simple. Tour the US on the pro bull riding tour, write down the riders’ secrets, and then share them with the world in a weekly gossip column.

But how can I go when he’ll be there? The man who’s avoided me ever since the accident. He’s made it clear how he feels about me and what happened that night.

What does it matter if his gaze sets my body on fire?

What does it matter if my heart screams that he’s it? He’s the one.

It doesn’t.

Not when there’s more than just the ghosts of that night keeping us apart.

Ride Dirty, Cowboy

A Rodeo Romance Forged in Grief and Grit

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋🙂☺️😘🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Duet Narration

🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero: Kai

Kai was once a rodeo star with swagger and grit, but after a devastating car accident in Australia that claimed his best friend Sunny’s life and nearly Addie’s, everything changed. Kai had been behind the wheel. The guilt is bone-deep, and the memory of checking Addie’s pulse—finding none—haunts him. He saved her, but couldn’t save Sunny. Addie was always the woman he wanted but couldn’t have, so he kept her at arm’s length, masking desire with cruelty. At Sunny’s memorial, Kai slipped in unnoticed, head bowed, convinced the wrong man died.

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine: Addie

Addie, a small-town Australian reporter, met Sunny during the American rodeo tour. He was everything her hometown wasn’t—glamorous, worldly, and easy to fall for. Their whirlwind romance ended in tragedy, and Addie awoke in a hospital, drifting between pain and hallucination, convinced Kai’s presence was just a cruel dream. She returned home, only to be offered a high-stakes assignment: join the U.S. rodeo tour and write a series on the accident and the stars behind it. She hesitated—this wasn’t the story she wanted to tell—but ultimately agreed, determined to honor Sunny’s legacy and write with compassion. Even if it meant facing Kai again.

🔥 Plot Snapshot

Addie’s journey is one of integrity. She refuses to exploit grief for clicks, instead choosing to craft a tribute to the man they lost and the world he loved. Her proximity to Kai reignites old tensions and buried truths. What she thought was hatred turns out to be longing. What she feared would be manipulation becomes connection. And what began as a job becomes a reckoning—with grief, guilt, and unexpected love.

❤️‍🔥 What Worked

• The slow-burn tension between Addie and Kai is deliciously layered—her belief that he despised her makes his hidden devotion all the more poignant.
• Addie’s emotional arc is grounded in abandonment and resilience. Her foster care background adds depth to her longing for permanence.
• Kai’s internal war—between guilt, desire, and self-worth—is raw and compelling. His fear that Addie would reject him if she met his parents? Heartbreaking.
• The subplot with Kai’s ex adds just enough drama to stir jealousy and force Addie to confront her feelings.
• Kai’s bull riding isn’t just adrenaline—it’s ambition. His dream of owning a ranch gives his grit purpose.

🤨 Room for More

• A major race-related subplot felt jarring at first, but the resolution was thoughtful and added unexpected depth. Still, the execution could’ve used more finesse.
• There was a long time when Kai felt such guilt at having his best friend’s girl after the death of that friend and I wanted Addie to tell him that she was never in love with Sunny and that Sunny didn’t love her either, that would have helped his grief and guilt, though it took her a long time to finally tell him that. Though she had only dated Sunny a few months before he died so I thought more people would have figured that out, especially Kai.

🎧 Narration Vibes

Duet narration by Tor Thom and Sofia Lette brings this story vividly to life. Thom’s gravelly baritone is tailor-made for tortured heroes, while Lette’s authentic Australian accent and warm delivery make Addie feel real and relatable. The dual POV format enhances immersion—no awkward voice-switching, just seamless emotional flow.

📝 Final Thoughts

This audiobook blends grief, guilt, and longing into a romance that’s as emotionally resonant as it is rugged. Addie and Kai’s journey is messy, tender, and ultimately redemptive. If you love stories where the heroine reclaims her agency and the hero learns to forgive himself, this one’s worth the ride.

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