Stray

Rowe Ranch, Book 1

De: DJ Krimmer

Narrado por: Maxine Mitchell, Sean Masters

A Steamy Small-Town Romance with a Grumpy Cowboy, Found Family, and Heartbreak

"She’s a firestorm in scrubs, and I’m about to get burned."

Ozzy
Taking a job as a private nurse on a family ranch in Virginia was supposed to be a temporary fix—a way to disappear, lay low, and keep my past where it belongs. My patient? A grumpy old man with one foot in the grave and a foul mouth to match my own. Easy enough. His family? A whole different story. Jackson Rowe is a problem I don’t need. A rugged cowboy with a sharp stare, a sharper tongue, and a body carved by hard work and bad decisions. He’s watching me too closely, peeling back my layers with nothing but silence and those storm-cloud eyes. He wants to know my secrets. But trust isn’t something I give, and getting close to me comes with consequences.

Jackson
My father is dying, and my family is barely holding it together. The last thing we need is a sarcastic, guarded-as-hell nurse stirring up trouble. But Ozzy Davenport isn’t just trouble—she’s a goddamn hurricane in eight inch heels. She pushes, I push back, and somehow, that friction turns into something neither of us saw coming. She acts like she’s untouchable, like she’s already halfway out the door. But I see her. I see the fight in her, the fire. And I know one thing for sure—whatever she’s running from is catching up. And this time, I won’t let her run alone.

©2025 DJ Krimmer (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing, DJ Krimmer

Beautiful Story, Amazing Narration

Stray is a beautiful story about love, grief and healing. When Ozzy arrives at the Rowe ranch to take care of their dying father, she is just trying to move on and get her feet back on solid ground. She never expected to care about her patient and his family as much as does. And Jackson has no idea what to think of the tattooed, pierced and bratty Ozzy when she shows up with her full armor of attitude and sass.

As the relationship between Ozzy and Morris grows so does her relationship with the rest of the family and she starts to feel safer with Jackson especially. The way Jackson gives her back her autonomy while also making her feel cared for and beautiful is so amazing. The relationship they form is never easy, but he is steady and proves he is willing to put in the work for Ozzy.

This book is written so beautifully and the honesty with which trauma and C-PTSD is portrayed is perfection. There are no magic fixes for Ozzy. And even when things are great, she’s still healing. Those traumas will always be a part of her, and they will always be a part of their relationship.

The quality of the narration in this book is exceptional. Sean Masters and Maxine Mitchell are absolute perfection together and they play these characters so well. The emotion that Maxine always manages to evoke never ceases to amaze me. Her performance is beautiful. And Sean Masters is just flawless as always. That deep soulful quality that he gives to Jackson is just so perfect for his character and his voice is always just ear candy.

Stray tackles some very intense and possibly triggering subject so please take care of yourself and make sure this story is for you but if you choose to proceed, I think you will love this book. DJ had become an auto-read author for me, and I can’t wait to see what happens with the other characters in this series.

Five Stars Isn’t Enough! Devastatingly Beautiful.

I was an ARC reader for Stray when it first released, and it instantly became one of my top reads of 2025. But now that I’ve listened to the audiobook? It’s on an entirely different level.

This story was already heavy, raw, and deeply emotional on the page but hearing it performed by Maxine Mitchell and Sean Masters brought it to life in a way I didn’t think was possible.

Maxine as Ozzy? Absolutely flawless. No one else could’ve captured Ozzy’s strength, trauma, and vulnerability like she did. Ozzy has been through hell, yet she’s still so strong, so real, and so easy to love and Maxine felt every ounce of that in her voice.

And Sean Masters… wow. I’ve listened to plenty of his work, but this might be his best performance yet. He embodied Jackson… the gruff, guarded rancher with a heart that’s pure gold. His subtle emotion, quiet strength, and those vulnerable moments? Just breathtaking.

DJ Krimmer didn’t just write a love story she wrote a story about healing. The found family, the grief, the pain, and the hope, it’s all here. Ozzy and Morris’s bond will stay with me forever, and Ozzy and Jackson’s love story is one that truly earns every moment.

This audiobook was beyond five stars. It’s emotional, raw, and redemptive in all the best ways. For anyone who loves stories that hurt and heal, Stray is an absolute must-listen.

DJ strikes again!!

This book was fantastic. The narration was superb, and the story??? Oh my god. The way the trauma was spoken about, Jackson’s willingness to meet Ozzy where she was, MORRIS? All of it, just excellent writing. I cannot wait to hear more about the other Rowe siblings and their stories.

Absolute Perfection

I absolutely loved this audio. Maxine and Sean did such a wonderful job, I felt the emotion behind the characters. DJ Krimmer knocked it out of the park yet again. I love that this is slightly intertwined with the Hel's Ink series. I laughed, I cried, I was angry in moments. It was healing though.

I cannot wait to see where this series goes. I MUST know about the brothers and Theo. <3

Heartbreakingly Beautiful

This is an incredible story about trauma, grief, and love. I didn’t think DJ Krimmer could out do herself after Hell’s Ink but man this is just perfection. You will feel all the feels throughout this book. The narration by Sean Masters and Maxine Mitchell is so beautiful. They both brought this story to life. The emotions are intense and they elevate them with their narration. Highly recommend this one!