Review: Hit the Ground by Julia Wolf (The Kelly Ranch #3)

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Valentine PR.

"I'm all the way gone for you." 

She let loose one of her spring-breeze laughs. "Finally."

They say that third time's the charm, and in the case of Julia Wolf's The Kelly Ranch series, it's the third novel that's charmed its way on to my list of favorite reads for 2025. Hit the Ground is the eldest Kelly sibling's book, with Caleb, who I'm guessing is in his early thirties, turning out to be quite a bit of a clueless cinnamon roll hero. Now, what do I mean by "clueless"? Well, as good as he may be when it comes to being in charge of the family ranch and taking care of his thirteen-year-old son, Jesse, but he seems to be totally unaware of the fact that the woman who's been his server at Joy's has had a thing for him ever since she first approached his table four years ago. Which is why he's taken aback when twenty-nine-year-old Alice Clark decides to go for it and kisses him...and he does the one thing that feels right--he kisses her back. Unfortunately, he soon makes it clear to Alice that he isn't looking to date anyone. So, she decides it's time to move on. The last thing she needs is for Caleb to keep showing up and acting as if he's finally seeing her for the first time. Is it too little, too late or can Caleb make up for the lost time?

As much as I loved Caleb, especially when he came to his senses and realized just what--or who--he may have missed out on, Alice was an absolute star in this story of (nearly) unrequited love. Her decision to choose herself and explore her options as far as romance and dating were concerned was admirable, and I cheered her on because she deserved to be loved for who she was, to have someone not just notice her but to take note of the details that made up the person that was Alice Clark. From Caleb Kelly and Alice Clark, readers get to see these two become Cay and Allie, two people who may not have that explosive kind of initial attraction and sizzling chemistry, but had more of a quiet kind of recognition and growth--from acquaintances to friends to lovers and then far beyond that. Their story could have followed a well-worn path, but Julia Wolf surprised me at almost every turn, and as avid a reader as I am, I always appreciated when an author offers me something unexpectedly wonderful. Hit the Ground deservedly receives five-plus stars, and I wouldn't say no to Shadow of the Isle actually coming to fruition sometime.

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Read my reviews for the Kelly Ranch series:

See It Through (book one) - five stars - My Review

Hold the Line (book two) - five stars - My Review

Hit the Ground (book three) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 06 November 2025

Date Read: 31 October 2025

Learn more about Julia Wolf.

Pre-order Hit the Ground via Amazon.