Ree Drummond, author of the award-winning ThePioneerWoman.com, once advised her readers interested in blogging themselves to “write as if you’re talking to your sister”. Charmingly self aware, Drummond possesses a voice not unlike what she describes, one that pervades her writing and narration of The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Listening to her tell the story of how she fell in love, you quickly feel as though you’ve known Drummond for years.

The Pioneer Woman is an enchanting retelling of how Drummond made a life-altering transition from city girl to country girl. Fresh out of college in Los Angeles, where she studied Journalism at USC, it would be uncharacteristic for Drummond to trade her black pumps for a pair of cowboy boots to be with a Marlboro Man in rural Oklahoma, but that’s just what she did. On paper, one may prejudged her as a whimsical woman just dropping everything for a man, but Drummond convinces the listener that life is not always about doing what you’re expected to do, even if the unexpected involves settling down right where you grew up. Her love story is ballsy, passionate, and captivating.

This is not a conventional love story, yet Drummond does incorporate a playful Harlequin romance tone — which is charming and effective, especially as it extends into her narration. A delight not just for fans of Drummond’s blog, The Pioneer Woman is a satisfying listen from a quick-witted, charismatic woman with an endearing love story. —Suzanne Day