Done and Dusted

This was such a fun sexy read. I am so jacked to start the next in the series. I love romances told in alternating perspectives. Done and Dusted is about Clementine - a barrel rider at the top of her game who after a terrifying fall from her horse comes back to her family's ranch with her tail between her legs and Logan - a sexy cowboy who is best friends with her brother and is a royal pain in the ass. The two grew up together in mutual dislike - but Luke hasn't seen Clementine in years and he is blown away by how sexy she has grown. How is this the same girl he up making fun of?! Clementine has never been impressed with Luke or his looks and she always thought he was an immature and vain man. But maybe there is more lurking beneath show more the surface? A fantastic, smutty western romance with unbelievable chemistry. It's also a super quick read - I finished it in only two sittings! show less

I had such a good time with this book! After reading quite a few positive reviews for this book, I decided to give it a go myself, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Emmy and Luke were fantastic characters and I wanted nothing more than to see them find their happily ever after. Once I started listening to this gem, I did not want to stop!

Emmy moved back home to her family’s ranch after a riding accident left her unable to get back on a horse. This is a big problem since she races horses for a living. Luke is her brother’s best friend and has always been almost like a member of the family. When Luke offers to help her get over her fears so that she can ride again, she takes him up on that offer. The chemistry between show more this pair is palpable and they can’t resist each other for very long.

These two were perfect together. Even though they have known each other for years, I felt like they truly learned to understand each other once they spent some time together. It was great to see them fall for one another. I liked that they were able to help each other work through some things and stood up for each other when necessary. The secondary characters were incredibly well-developed and added a lot to the story. I can’t wait to see more of them in future books in the series.

Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter did a fantastic job with the narration of this romance. I thought that they were both able to bring their characters to life which added to my enjoyment. Both narrators had very pleasant voices which complimented each other’s very nicely. I thought that they were able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading which helped to heighten the listening experience. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. This was a fun romance with characters that were easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of this entertaining series.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio. show less

Did I ever think I would love cowboys.... no..... do I now love cowboys.... absolutely. Lyla's writing is so well done, creating a world and characters that are terribly relatable. The world of Rebel Blue Ranch was created in such a way that makes me feel like I could drive to WY and find myself there in town. You want to know and be friends with all of these people. I found myself identifying with various parts of Emmy, even though I'm not a horse rider in WY. This is also the first book I have read in a while that writes ADHD in the most realistic way.

Luke Brooks has officially became my 2023 book boyfriend of the year. The dual POVs help readers understand both characters motivations and emotions behind their actions and I found show more myself wanting more of their story. I cannot wait for the rest of the series and to read more about my favorite cowboys :) show less

Sometimes you just need a book that follows a formula with good characters. The dad, Amos, is wonderful (more of him, please); Teddy, the BFF, is *chef's kiss* (can't wait for her story!); and the main characters, Luke and Emmy are flawed yet perfect for each other.

And the female MC name, Clementine Ryder -- it is so perfectly ridiculous, reminds of the spice farmer (Cinnamon) and the cheese-monger (Brie) in That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon.

I started this series a few weeks ago with book 3, which I absolutely loved. This was really good, but not as good as that one. On the one hand, I wish I had read these sequentially because Gus and Teddy's story in book 3 has some set-up here. On the other hand, I liked this, but I loved book 3 so much that I raced to read this one. Had I read this one first, I would definitely have read the others, but I don't think I would have felt the same urgency to return to Meadowlark, Wyoming I did after reading Lost and Lassoed.

This is a brother's best friend cowboy romance, two of the least compelling romance tropes for me. The brothers in these kinds of books often have what I find to be a creepy investment in their sisters' love lives. Here show more that was mostly not the case. Gus, Emme's brother, wanted to keep Luke away from Emme because Luke had sex with everyone and committed to no one. Gus' concern, though outsized, still felt semi-normal.

I loved Emmy and Luke; their support for one another in difficult life moments was beautiful. The way they bonded over their love of the land and Emmy's family (who had sort of taken Luke in during high school when his family continually failed him) was moving. And the sex was hot. I also liked the way Sage depicted Emmy's ADHD. It impacted her life but was not always front and center. That is how neurodiversity is. It is sort of like the way things look different in sunlight and shade -- it impacts how we experience a moment, but we are still seeing the same things. I said a few things in my review of Lost and Lassoed that apply to this book, so I am copying them here:

It has been a tough few weeks in my work life, and I jumped into this looking for escape. Lucky for me, this was a couldn't tear myself away one-day read. This, despite my not being a particular fan of cowboys or small towns in my romance reading (or outside of my romance reading, for that matter.)

Super sweet and swoony, and also delightfully smutty.

Is it damning with faint praise to say this is the best cowboy porn I have ever read?

Where this did not measure up was in pacing and depth. I wanted to see more of their interactions, I wanted to see what made them realize they were in love after years of being antagonists, and I wanted to see Emmy's healing apart from her time with Luke. There were a lot of sharp turns here that were not present in book 3. Sage is a decent writer here, but a good one by book 3. That is a pretty impressive arc. Go Lyla. Heading off ot read books 2 and 4 soon! show less

4 True Rating | Cute. Uncomplicated. Cowboy.

At just over 300 pages, this book went so quickly! I think it was the perfect toe-in-the-water for the first of many cowboy romances that I plan to read in May.

As someone who grew up in a rural small town, I loved the too-real moments of a small town, the differences in families, the local places where you run into everyone, and the emotions of going back.

With a somewhat short book, she did a good job of making it so the romance wasn't the only plot line but also no second-act breakup, so it was an uncomplicated storyline. That made it a super easy read with a cute couple that you really just get to watch fall in love and go through some things together.

★ Why Not a Five Star Rating?
It show more was a very mild book for me. I don't mean that in the way of spice levels, but in that the romance felt inevitable and there never really felt like there was any conflict. The conflict that was *kind of* wrapped itself up in like 1 chapter.
With that being said, I think it was a great story about a girl finding love and getting back on her horse.
I also think the author has great promise because she was so good at bringing you into their emotions, making side characters interesting enough that you want to know more about them, and the fun banter that felt real. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series! show less

Yes, apparently I am fully in my cowboy romance era. This was a fun, quick read. I liked the setting, the plot, the main characters, all of it. I really liked Emmy's mental health representation and how they worked through it.