Happy pub day to Swift & Saddled!!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this - thank you to NetGalley and Random House - and I devoured it in about a day.

Swift & Saddled leads us back to Rebel Blue Ranch, this time with Wes and Ada. Wes is the middle child of the Ryder family. A chronic people pleaser, Wes loves his family fiercely but is looking for something he can call his own. This leads him to meeting Ada Hart, a designer who is traveling to Wyoming to help Wes renovate an old building on the ranch into a guest house. Ada is intelligent and driven, but also a little fragile as she still recovers from her divorce.

Together, Ada and Wes beautifully encapsulate grumpy x sunshine and I loved reading their story. My favorite character, though, is Rebel Blue. I love the setting. I mean, what romance isn’t made better by mountain sunsets and bottle-fed baby cows? And I NEED Gus & Teddy’s book. I have a feeling that story is going to gut me in the best way.

Give Swift & Saddled a try if you want:
•mental health rep
•shirtless cowboys
•found family
•an appreciation for female friendships
•black cat girlfriend / golden retriever boyfriend

Swift and Saddled~Lyla Sage: Arc Review

This series just keeps getting better and better. I love a small town romance. Add a cowboy, you got yourself a yeehaw good time.

Ada is an interior designer. She is hired to make West’s dream come true. She’s very guarded. Trust just doesn’t come easy for her anymore. West is up for the challenge to bring those walls down. After their accidental meet cute that night. They can’t seem to shake each other.

Ada and West are just perfect for one another. I loved the growth they had as individuals. As they supported each other. West is so kind hearted and patient. Ada is very understanding and supportive. They truly are what they both need for each other. I loved the mental representation in the book. I feel that matters so much.

I really loved this book. I did still have a question toward the end. I do, think it’s possible it could be answered later on. As the series goes on.

Beyond grateful for being able to read and review such a sweet story.

Happy pub day! I had a lot of fun with this story.

Dare say I liked it more than the first? Gasp. Loved the main relationship and getting to be back with all the characters we know and love. This series feels like a warm hug. It's just so comforting and is the perfect escape.

5/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️

I am 190% (that was a fat finger 100, but it's true, so I'm running with it) obsessed with Lyla Sage and Blue Rebel Ranch. These cowboys are so dang hot, sweet and their flaws make them feel so human and relatable, it's so easy to fall in love with them.

I loved the mental health rep here, especially since it barely had anything to do with the plot. It was there, it was discussed, but it wasn't the whole story and it was wonderful. It's so nice seeing yourself in stories and being portrayed as "normal" and it not being there just as a plot device. It's only purpose was to make you fall even harder for Weston Rhodes Ryder.

Ada was wonderful as well, even as a hot mess flight risk. I constantly wanted to wrap her up and tell her it was going to be okay, she was loveable, and thankfully Wes did just that. I loved watching her fall in love with her found family, who accepted her right away for who she was.

I couldn't decide if I wanted Teddy and Gus or Cam and Dusty first, but when I saw the sneak for Lost and Lassoed and Teddy was in big bold letters, I may have squealed with joy. I know this (fr)enemies to lovers romance is gonna be so, so good.

Howdy friends 🤠

Did you think I was done with my cowboy romance loving phase?

Not when Wes and Ada have lassoed my heart and @authorlylasage has brought me back to Rebel Blue Ranch ♥️

Ada comes to Rebel Blue Ranch to work on Wes Ryder’s newest project; a BnB that will be soon to become the baby of the ranch. But with a little shove from the rest of the RBR crew Ada and Ryder won’t just fall in love with work, but also with each other. Will it be enough to keep Ada to stay once finished though?

I loved that we got both honesty and patience from Wes and how Ada was allowed to explore her relationship with her feelings. These characters bring so much depth. And no one can resist the 🐈‍⬛/ 🐶 combo.

Thank you to @authorlylasage for writing a book I can enjoy even while sick in bed and @netgalley for a review copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've fallen for this small Wyoming ranch and town! I love series that follow families and I enjoyed Wes and Ada. They have an instant connection and their development felt real. I loved how the siblings and friends helped Wes demonstrate how he cares to Ada, it was very sweet. I am really excited for Gus and Teddy next!

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage 💛
Rebel Blue Ranch, Book 2
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
320 pages
🗓️ March 5th (happy pub day 🥳)

⛰️ cowboy romance
🏠 small town
⛰️ workplace romance
🏠 grumpy x sunshine
⛰️ close proximity
🏠 found family

📍“I see you, Ada. I always see you, even when you won’t look at me.”

There are a lot of characters whom we like. Quite a few we love. But not always do we connect with them. Not always we see ourselves in them. Maybe it’s even why we do love them. Because they’re a version of ourselves we wish to be but never quite get there.

And then there’s Ada. In whom I see so much of me. So much of the ugly. So much of the hope. So much of the heartbreak. So much of the strength.

Ada who makes excuses for others’ shortcomings. Ada who tries to explain away why she can’t be loved, why she can’t be liked, why she can’t be thought of. Even if she, herself, has learned to love Ada.

No. Ada might not be nice. Or people-y. She might not make friends easily. She might not spread around warm fuzzies. But she sure is worthy of all the love, the friends, the hope. Of Wes.

📍 “You are earnest and talented, tenacious and funny. I would never insult you by calling you something as generic as nice.”

Wes. Wes is Wes. And that means he is the most imperfectly perfect Ryder. He is the h(e)art of that family and everyone whose life he touches🖤

A beautiful book 2. A perfect sequel to Done & Dusted. And also, yes… Teddy and Gus remain the owners of my heart even if I haven’t *met* them 🫶🏼

I adored this book! I love Wes and Ada and Lyla surely did it once again! I couldn't put this book down, I read it in two sittings. Small town romance, cowboys, whats not to love? Ada and Wes also had such an fun meet-cute, you can't not root for them!! I was so happy to receive this arc and it did not disappoint at all. I can't wait to obsess over Lyla Sage for a long time coming! Highly recommend this book!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after reading Done and Dusted (that I still cannot believe was a debut.) Sage has a gift with writing stories that make you warm and comforted. In fact, I was so wrapped up in the story that I read this one in one sitting.

I was obviously very excited to be back at Rebel Blue Ranch.

Be prepared to swoon! Because Weston Ryder is here and he is taking the crown, or in his case the cowboy hat. I was giddy reading every word he said to Ada and every though he had about her. He has set a new bar and I will forever be in love with him.

Ada is a bit complicated and based off of her past, she isn’t willing to give up her freedom. She is lonely, doesn’t trust easily, and insecure; however, she is also smart and funny. The dichotomy of her character is incredible especially as we see her grow.

In addition to a good storyline and spice, Sage threw in a mental health rep (depression). I thought this was handled with such care and highlighted the importance of finding what works for you in those moments.

Quick summary
Ada Hart is a fiercely independent city girl in need of a fresh start. She has worked her way up from the bottom as an interior designer & landed a huge project in Wyoming at Rebel Blue Ranch. When she arrives in Meadowlark, she finds her way in to a dive bar where she ends up planting an earth shattering kiss on a handsome cowboy. She doesn't even know this stranger's name. But you can bet she finds out when she arrives to her first day of work and realizes the man she kissed is none other than Weston Ryder. AKA, her new boss. Weston Ryder is loyal, happy, and loves his family. This cowboy was given his dream project to restore the old home on his family's ranch & he's can't believe his luck when the interior designer he hired turns out to be the mystery girl from the bar. Ada is doing everything in her power to ignore the electricity between them & Wes is drawn to her in ways he didn't think possible. Will they resist the pull or will they cave and take a chance on each other?

My thoughts
I loved this so much! I was worried we'd get a repeat of Done & Dusted but the author did SUCH a great job creating a unique love story while still holding true to the essence of Rebel Blue Ranch. The characters are so endearing and tender. He's sunshine & she's the moon. I flew through this book & read it in one sitting. 5/5 would recommend!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Swift and Saddled starts off with Ada visiting Rebel Blue to work on a renovation project with her boss Wes.
What starts out as a fluffy lighthearted book quickly turns into a deep meaningful love story between two people that have much to lose.
@authorlylasage has a way of delivering beautifully complex characters that you can’t help but fall for.
Everything about this book was perfect. The family Ada finds along the way is beautiful and irreplacable. Wes just understood and saw Ada when she didn’t see herself.

This book also dives into the reality of mental health and what that entails in day to day life. I found myself really enjoying the raw and vulnerable moments Ada & Wes shared with each other. It just made their love all the more honest and deep.

If you love small-town romance and/or a cowboy romance this book is perfect for you. I cannot recommend this enough. This book was an easy 5 star read for me ✨

Rating: 4/5 stars
Pub date: March 5, 2024

To say I am obsessed with Rebel Blue Ranch and the Ryder family is an understatement. The charm of Meadowlark, Wyoming, and its residents is unmatched.

Lyla’s story telling really speaks to my soul. The characters, relationships, writing style, and the setting, are all simply perfection. I love a good cowboy romance and the plot was so fun in this one.

Weston and Ada had such different personalities, but fit together perfectly. They clearly had an undeniable attraction and I absolutely loved reading how they met. I was completely hooked from the first two chapters (IYKYK 😮‍💨) and being back at the Devil’s Boot just felt right. Clementine Ryder is a character I truly adore and Wes definitely joined the list as well. I have a feeling the Ryder siblings will be some of my favorites.

Emmy and Luke will always have my heart, but this was a great change up. There was a very different dynamic between the main characters, but I enjoyed the continuity between Done and Dusted.

If you’re looking for the perfect small town, country romance series, I highly suggest reading this one. I am incredibly excited for book three, Lost and Lassoed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC!

Swift and Saddled follows Ada and Wes. At end of Done and Dusted we learned that Wes had plans to turn an old house at Rebel Blue Ranch into a vacation spot. Wes is the middle Ryder brother and Ada is the designer hired to bring Wes' vision into reality.

My heart broke for Ada through much of this story. She never really fit in anywhere, didn't really have any close friends and was recovering from an awful marriage/divorce. Because of all of that, she also felt like she didn't deserve happiness or love. She was also terrified of falling and losing herself and losing her dreams.

Wes on the other hand, wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a golden retriever and I fell in love with him through this book. He was kind and funny and lovable. He knew how to give Ada her space, but also how to love her in the way she needed.

These two danced around each other for a good portion of the book, Ada really tried to keep Wes at arms length but Wes wore her down by just being there with kindness and supporting her.

This book was really like a warm hug, it gave super cozy vibes while also dealing with heavier themes. There is honest conversations about depression and I really appreciated that representation. There is also great themes of acceptance and belonging as well as found family. The Ryder family accepted Ada from the very beginning.

I love this world and these characters so much. I loved seeing Emmy and Brooks, and I am so VERY excited for a Gus and Teddy book. Rebel Blue Ranch is a place that I wish was real so I could visit.

This book surprised me in the best way. I absolutely loved it. Wes & Ada had this whole push & pull thing going on and it really just worked so well. There was so much tension between them!

Wes was the sweetest cinnamon roll…teaching her to drive a manual, leaving socks at her door, encouraging her to be free. I just 🥹🥹🥹 he was seriously *everything*.

Ada was so relatable to me…not thinking she’s likable, not having many friends, never being part of a grownup girls night. She was a little socially uncomfortable, but really funny & kind to the people that mattered.

The two of them together had undeniable chemistry & the sweetest moments. I loved the whole renovation aspect of the story & how they incorporated Wes’ mom & the history of Rebel Blue. Even the side characters were so well done & I’m already dying for Gus & Teddy!

This series is taking us through all of the Ryder siblings. In Done and Dusted we got to know Emmy and follow her relationship with Luke Brooks. In Swift in Saddled, it is time to get to know the middle child, Weston Ryder. Weston’s dream is to remodel his fathers childhood home and bring in more ranchers and visitors to Meadowlark Farm. His father and siblings believe in him, and encourage him to take the next step.

Weston reaches out to Emmy's best friend, Teddy, who connects him with Ada Hart, an interior designer. Ada agrees to take the job on and heads out to the middle of nowhere, Wyoming to start fresh after a few really bad years in LA. She sees this project as a fresh start and knows she needs to stay focused. However, it is hard to stay focused when she meets a good looking cowboy her first night in town at the local hole in the wall dive bar. On impulse, she ends up kissing him, and when they are interrupted she does the only logical thing she can think of, she runs.

Ada and Weston are both surprised when they discover the mystery person in the bar happens to be the person they have been communicating with over the last few months. But Ada refuses to allow any distractions to come in between her and her dreams, so she makes sure to keep Weston at a distance. But that can only last for so long when the good looking, kind cowboy is around every corner.

Review
This book is amazing. I love everything about it. Being able to connect with Emmy and Brooks from Done and Dusted, as well as the other characters we have grown to love in this novel is the chef’s kiss. I love being able to visit with previous characters while having the main focus still be on Weston and Ada. Weston is such a great character. He is full of charisma and charm, and is open and honest with his depression and struggles in life. Ada has the most growth throughout the book and made me like her even more. Her character was bold with a side of compassion.

Swift and Saddled is the perfect amount of slow burn and spice. You can feel the chemistry radiating off the page and it made me not want to put it down. I devoured this book in less than 48 hours and already am anxious to be able to dive into the oldest Ryder brother’s story. I know this is a trilogy, but I am wondering if maybe Lyla will surprise us with a fourth book.

4.5 - Swift and Saddled was such a perfect cowboy/small town romance! I was so beyond excited to receive this arc after reading and loving Done and Dusted recently and falling in love with the Rebel Blue world. I loved getting to see more of the different characters in this book, seeing the Ryder family all together, and loved the little snippets of Brooks and Emmy in this book.

I really loved this romance because of the depth of the characters and how they slowly opened themselves up to each other, showing each other their darker parts. I loved that we had mental health representation with a male main character, and I really found myself relating to Wes and his inner thoughts surrounding his depression. I also loved Ada and her inner struggle with wanting to be loved and fit in and fighting the urge to run away whenever things get tough. I found both of the main characters incredibly relatable, and I really loved the way they both supported each other and helped each other thrive.

Overall, such a cute romance and I am so beyond excited for this series to continue and to learn more about the Rebel Blue family!! I need Gus and Teddy's book asap!!! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dial Press Trade/Random House Group for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the first book in the series, Done and Dusted, so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy and I loved it just as much. I adored everything about Wes and loved the chemistry with Ada. The insta love / opposites attract tropes worked so well here and as always I’m so glad we got dual POV! Bonus points for the Taylor Swift mentions.

Wes and Ada were wonderful. Watching Wes go from "I'm just Wes" to "I belong here" warmed my heart. Sweet baby boy needed that. Ada was the perfect foil to him. He takes care of everyone else and she can't stand to be taken care of, but eventually she lets him, but more importantly he let her do the same for him. While this book starts out hot and bothered, it cools off almost immediately to a simmer that has you rooting for them chapter after chapter. The pacing of this story was great and seeing the rest of the Rebel Blue family, whether they be Ryders or people the Ryders have taken in over the years, bring Ada along with them healed me a little. Found family will always be one of my favorite things to experience.

I’ve been waiting for Swift and Saddled from the moment I finished Done and Dusted. This was my most anticipated book for the early months of 2024 and it did not let me down.

I love this series, it’s so big on found family, and i love how welcoming they are to new and old people. Wes and Ada are perfect, I love how well they balance each other out and are exactly what the other needs. I think Ada will be relatable to so many readers and I love when I can that from the outset. Wes is just the near perfect man and is such a contrast to how Ada describes Chance. I’d love to read this story again for the first time!

I can’t wait to continue this series!

At times, I really loved this book, I enjoyed the setting, characters, and world building so much in Done and Dusted that I was pumped to read this book.

Partially I felt like book one didn’t set up Wes enough of as a character - I was actually surprised he was the hero of this book. I felt like this entire book lacked any real stakes like yes Ada had been left but we didn’t learn that much about the emotional impact of this.

While I think the author does a great job creating atmosphere, pacing, and non cringey spicy scenes - I felt like overall this book felt lazier than the previous.