This is the 21st book by Jennifer Ryan that I have read and it did not disappoint. I just absolutely loved Layla and Jax. Jennifer Ryan has several books with serious topics but I think the topics in Wilde for You may be some of the more serious ones she has done.

I loved Layla and Jax together. They helped each other heal and Jax was extremely protective. Based on the plot, he had every right to be overly protective. I really thought Michael was behind everything but I’m glad I was wrong. He had some serious growth from the beginning of the story to the end. I loved that part as well.

I can’t wait to continue not only with this series but backlist books by Ryan.

This was so much better than the first book. Jax and Layla have great chemistry. Both have been burned by previous partners, but this was one look and instant attraction. Like all good romantic suspense novels, there is trouble to come, secrets to be told.

Layla and Jax were good characters and had great chemistry on the page. I loved the setting of the ranch, and Layla's passion for art. The side characters were also fun. I felt like the book got a bit bogged down in the backstories, which took forever to actually be explained, and the "stalker" and brother-in-law angles were overkill and unnecessary to the plot. Overall, a good read.

Wilde For You is a heartfelt romance that showcases Jennifer Ryan’s talent for crafting emotionally resonant stories. Jax Wilde, a devoted cowboy with a deep love for his family and his ranch, discovers that life has more to offer when Layla Brock, a widowed landscape artist, enters his stage right. The chemistry between Jax and Layla is palpable. Though Layla carries the weight of secrets, the connection they share is undeniable and powerful. While it might not be my favorite among Jennifer Ryan’s works, it’s still an engaging and satisfying read that captures the essence of love, hope, and the strength of family bonds. A wonderful addition to Ryan’s collection, perfect for those who love a romance with depth and heart.

I really enjoyed this second installment of the Dark Horse Dive Bar, and I don't see a new one upcoming so I hope the series is continuing! This is a very satisfying story of love at first sight between Layla, a famous artist and Jax, a horse rancher. It was fun to revisit characters from the first book. The instant chemistry between the characters was fun, as was the healing they both had to do from past hurts. It was sad, and happy, and a little mysterious. It was all good!

I'm just going to say it, I don't love cowboy romances. I think often they play way too far into the trope that cowboys are nothing but dumb ranch hands and I can't stand it. It's like no cowboy in a cowboy romance is allowed to have taken a shower in the past decade or he's not a "real" cowboy.

That being said, I adored the Wildes. Wilde Love was such a great read that I was excited for Wilde for You. Jax and Layla are a fun, sexy, snarky couple and their chemistry plays well off of each other.

A great read for the summer!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Layla and Jax. The minute they meet there is instant heat. Layla is a widow and an artist. Jax is the manager of the family’s ranch. Lay has been commissioned to do a painting.. she is living in one of the cabins on Jax’s ranch. They start dating. Jax moves in with her. Someone is harassing Layla. Jax anthe police figure out who is hurting Layla. Layla and Jax fall in love.

Give me all the cowboys living the ranch life. It packs the mystery, romance, and swoon all in one. I adored the characters!

Ryan hits it out or the park again with this thrilling, heartfelt cowboy romance.

Layla Brock needs a pause on her life and goes to the Wilde's ranch in Wyoming to work on her latest landscape painting commission. Jax Wilde runs the guest ranch, takes care of his siblings and works some shifts at the family's dive bar in town. He's too busy for romance, especially after his last relationship ended badly. He's not looking for love, but one look at Layla and he’s a goner.

This one is everything I love in a great cowboy romance. Beautiful scenery, quirky small town, strong but vulnerable characters, and an element of mystery with some jaw-dropping twists. Captivating, heartfelt, and suspenseful, you won’t want to miss this phenomenal romance.

*Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a pre-release edition.

Jax Wilde is a typeA personality; his days are spent managing the Wilde W ind Ranch and his nights are at the bar he owns with his three sisters, Dark Horse Dive Bar. Layla Brock is a very talented landscape artist who is still in recovery from her husband's death and the results of the hidden life he had. She takes a cabin at the ranch in Wyoming -- asking for them to build her a glass studio and all -- hoping to find her muse once again. Jax is totally smitten (yeah I know!) the instant he sees her, and discovers in Layla a kindred spirit. Both had been deceived by love and both are workaholics. He wants it all, she's lost it all. Could they trust one another? A bit trite, but it works. Throw in a threat from outside and there's the story.

I read the first in the series and hoped this would be as good; it's close. I'm also hoping that the other two sisters get stories, there's hanging threads in both books for each of them.

Jax’s life is all about work. He spends his day working the Wilde Wind Ranch. His nights are spent managing the Dark Horse Dive Bar. A bitter betrayal by the woman he cared about crushed any interest he had in dating.

Layla Brock knows what betrayal feels like. She was on the verge of divorcing her husband after discovering his startling secrets when he was killed in a freak accident. Now she lives for her art. A commission for a wealthy client brings her to Wyoming. Jax is happy to provide her a quiet, comfortable place where she can bring the beauty of the area to life on canvas.

Upon first meeting Jax and Layla feel a comfortable rapport. While Layla wants to get lost in her painting, she surprises herself by taking the time to get to know Jax, who, for his part, finds himself ignoring the work he's supposed to be doing. Instead, he takes to looking for excuses to spend time with Layla.

Both Jax and Layla are still fighting a sense of despair from their individual betrayals and the grief at what they lost. While neither feels ready for another relationship, in each other they recognize a kindred spirit. This allows for a natural development of the relationship and is the main reason the relationship feels natural.

I’ve been a fan of Jennifer Ryan since I first read her Hunted series. I can always count on her for escape into a warm, sweet romance with a fair dose of suspense. That’s just what this story delivers

After reading the first book in the series I was looking forward to this one. It was a bit of a letdown. The mystery was not much. The big secrets, especially Layla's, were a bit too much drama. Overall not a great read from this hit or miss author.

WILDE FOR YOU A Dark Horse Dive Bar Book 2 by Jennifer Ryan
This is Jax and Layla's story. Jax is caught the first time he meets Layla. She is a professional painter who is able to sell her work for serious cash. She meets Jax when her assistant convinces her to go to Wyoming, she needs time away to get her inspiration back for painting, and she is caught off guard by Jax. I enjoyed this sweet story that has mystery, romance, twists with turns. This is 4 stars

This was another heartwarming story of two people from different walks of life coming together. Layla is starting a new chapter in her life and what better way than to stay on a Ranch and paint all of the beautiful landscapes. When she meets Jax she knows her life is about to change. Jax is positive she is the most beautiful person he has ever seen and he wants nothing more than to get to know her. Will things work out for them or will their past interrupt what they have?

Layla was recently widowed but now wants to move on with her life. She wants to rediscover her passion, so she takes a contract to complete a painting for a wealthy client. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with Wyoming and a hard-working rancher. Jax works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He has no time for a relationship, and he sees no end in sight for how much work he has. He certainly doesn't expect to fall for the artist staying on his family's ranch. They seem like opposites but maybe they are the perfect balance. Can they find out who is threatening Layla before it's too late? Can they figure out how to make a life together?

The author made a good choice making Layla a recent widow. That decision gave Layla a chance to grow from sadness to happiness. It was a nice growth curve. I thought her falling in love with Wyoming and Jax was believable. The story of her relationship with her husband was good and really showed Layla’s strength. The search for her tormentor was good and also really believable. I was totally invested in her finding happiness. Jax had so much room to grow and change. I like Jax and his commitment to his family and businesses. I thought his attraction to Layla was believable as was how he got to know her slowly. I was rooting for him to find a balance between his businesses and his life. The side characters added to the story. I really like the setting.

The bad guy wasn’t my favorite part of the story. I don’t want to give too much away because it is integral to the relationship between Layla and Jax. I felt like the author could do more with it somehow, but I can’t quite pinpoint what.

This is a contemporary romance set primarily in Wyoming. The main characters are both adults with busy and demanding careers. This book can be read as a stand-alone although why when there’s more to read? I will definitely read more from the author in the future.

Tough on the outside, with a heart as big as Wyoming. Protective to the core, fairness and kindness running in blood. And when the tough have to wage a battle for love, heart and soul takes to the knees. Let’s meet the Wilde cousins running the Dark Horse Dive Bar.

Jax Wilde loves his close knit family, his ranch and the Dark Horse Dive Bar that has been in the family. A cowboy to the core and grateful for what was given to him, he never realized what was missing in his life until Layla Brock stepped onto his ranch and into his life.

Landscape artist and widowed Layla Brock is mesmerized by the vast Wyoming beauty and even more enamored by the kindhearted cowboy. As much as she’s attracted to Jax, she comes with a baggage of secrets that she intends to take to her grave.

Two beautiful souls, hearts filled with hope and love, Jax and Layla let the spark of attraction ignite into a fire that has no intention of dying down. With Jax and his family as her protection, Layla will fight every evil shadow that is dogging her.

Every story that Jennifer Ryan pens, is always a surprise read for me as she plots and narrates with intense insight. Just when I think they can’t get any better, she weaves a stunning story of two people, hearts as big as the Wyoming sky and pure as snow, as they vow to battle any demons that come their way.

An alluring story!!

I fell in love with how hard Jax and Layla fell for each other. This story is very instalove, yet the characters held back at first. Both have had bad experiences in the past, especially Layla, so they don’t exactly trust these intense feelings at first. Whether they’re doing things as friends or later when they delve into a romantic relationship, they’re so in tune with each other.

While there is a bit of a mystery/suspense when it comes to strange things happening to Layla, it doesn’t take over the story. This book is very much about love and the different ways love can present itself. Even different romantic love. Layla is a widow and deeply loved her husband, but he broke her trust and, even with their love, it felt different from her love with Jax. I appreciate that, although Layla’s husband did something terrible, the love from Layla’s marriage is not discounted.

Some inconsistencies popped up at times that really annoyed me…enough for me to change my star rating. Quite honestly, it’s not something that affects the story and a lot of people won’t notice. But these type of things jump out at me and it came up multiple times so I cannot ignore it.

Even so, I was all-in with this story and find myself looking forward to more HEAs for Jax’s family and friends.

Wilde for You is another book by Jennifer Ryan that kept me up reading well past my bedtime. Whether it's contemporary romance, romantic suspense, or women's fiction, this author has the ability to pull me into her stories and hold tight until I turn the last page. Even then, her characters linger in my mind for days after finishing their story.

This is the second book in Ryan's Dark Horse Dive Bar series and one of my favorites from this author. She always brings her western settings to life on the page but especially so in Wilde for You. Maybe it's because Layla is an artist and we see the scenery through her eyes but I found the sense of place to be exceptionally immersive and vividly depicted. I felt like I was right there with her as Jax showed her all the special places on his ranch, absorbing the soul-stirring majesty of nature's beauty.

The setting wasn't the only thing that captured my attention. Ryan has given readers a cast of characters I want to be friends with. I love the Wilde family and am totally invested in their happiness and well being. I want to stay at one of the cabins on their ranch, ride horses, go fishing, and dance the night away at their bar. These are characters it's fun to be around, characters who make me feel good, which is a large part of why it was so heartwarming to watch Layla be absorbed into the warmth of their family after coming through her two years of grief.

Ryan excels at weaving suspense into her stories, as is the case with Wilde for You. I liked that that portion of the story didn't show up until later in the book, devoting necessary time to growing the relationship between Jax and Layla before introducing the danger. Once it became part of the story though, I was on my toes trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind it.

If you enjoy contemporary romance with a western flavor, a thread of suspense, and a couple it's easy to cheer for, pick up a copy of Wilde for You. I loved it.

While Wilde for You is the second book in a series, it stands well on its own. You should be aware, however, that Lyric and Mason (the main couple from book one, Wilde Love, feature prominently in this book as well.

Content warning: suicide, abortion, miscarriage, adultery (all occur off page and before the story begins)

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan is the second contemporary romance in the Dark Horse Dive Bar. Set in Wyoming, Ryan gives us romance, suspense, family and wide open spaces. Come meet landscape artist Layla Brock and watch her fall for rancher Jax Wilde.

I was excited to return to the Dark Horse Dive Bar series. I feel in love with the Wilde family in Wilde Love, book one. In Wilde for You, we meet Layla Brock, a landscape painter who lost her husband and had to deal with an inheritance dispute. Secrets and pain have left her battered. Which is why she has accepted a commission in Wyoming and rented a cottage at the Wilde Ranch. She’s not looking for love, but fate has other plans. The tale that unfolds delivers romance, a touch of suspense and the Wilde family charm.

Jax Wilde thought he has a plan, and that all went to hell when his relationship ended with his girlfriend. Since then, he has thrown himself into the family business and is the center that keeps it all running. His life is about to change when he meets Layla Brock. For the first time in forever, he’s thinking about the future. Their first meet was cute, slightly awkward and let me know we were in for a sweet and touching romance. Ryan did not disappoint.

Layla is unsure of anything, including the marriage she had with her husband. How can she ever trust again? I loved Layla and her passion and excitement that shown in each painting she lost herself in. We slowly learn about her marriage, the inheritance issues, and the secrets she carries.

The romance was sweet and sexy as the two opened up to each other. Ryan hits on many relevant topics, including loss, pregnancy and abortion. I came to care for both of them and lost myself in their story. The suspenseful thread built throughout the story while it revealed secrets and pushed the couple closer.

I love the Wilde family. They are good people who work hard and love harder. They own the ranch and the Dark Horse Dive Bar. Jax oversees the operations of both and lives on the ranch with his parents. Some day the farm will be his and he couldn’t imagine a better life. We see characters from the previous novel and they are still adorable.

Fans of small-town romance with a touch of suspense, family and breathtaking views will want to grab Wilde About you. Each book in the series contains their own romance and HEA, but you’ll want to meet all the Wildes.

Wilde for You is book 2 in the Dark Horse Dive Bar series by Jennifer Ryan and another Wilde sibling meets his match.

Jax Wilde, part owner of Dark Horse Dive bar with his siblings, runs the family ranch, and renting the cabins on the ranch to tourists wanting a taste of ranch life. After a bad breakup he is just to busy until Layla Brock, landscape artist shows up with secrets but something stronger draws them together. Loss, secrets, threats, family and more keeps you turning the pages…

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.