Maybe it’s Beyoncé or maybe it’s all the rage. Either way, I finally caved and entered my cowboy romance era.

I recently read DONE AND DUSTED last month and really enjoyed it. Although the brother’s best friend trope is not my favorite, I liked how the two main characters, Emmy Ryder and Luke Brooks, had a lot of love for each other. What I liked the most though was how authentic the book felt in depicting ranch life, rodeos, and capturing the beauty of Wyoming. So, once I got a copy of the second book, SWIFT AND SADDLED, I immediately read it and ended up loving it even more. Right now it’s my favorite of Lyla Sage’s Rebel Blue Ranch series.

SWIFT AND SADDLED follows Wes Ryder and Ada Hart. Wes is the brother of Gus and Emmy Ryder and has hired Ada for a renovation project on his family’s ranch. Ada has just recently gotten out of a bad marriage that affected her self-esteem and is not at all interested in starting a new romance, especially not with the man who hired her despite how attracted she is to him.

The chemistry between Wes and Ada pulled me in and kept me hooked. Their first meeting was already sizzling. Apart from that, the best moments were how they got to know each other, from the little quirks they noticed to the personal details they shared. They’re both dealing with mental health and find themselves opening up and trusting one another more than any other person could have. 

Ada is guarded and never really had any close friends. So, I loved how the Ryder family welcomed her in as if they had known her for years. She becomes an audience surrogate in a way as I got to know more about the Ryders and some of the other characters mentioned in DONE AND DUSTED. Wes meanwhile is so sweet and attentive. I felt how much he cared about Ada, but the ways he showed it had me completely swooning. I’ve got the quotes to prove it 😉

Also, I have to praise Lyla Sage’s writing. You can tell how much she’s grown as a writer in this one.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like reading cowboy romances (I prefer billionaires but that’s Capricorn side of me) I guess you can say I’ve been lassoed and wooed.