Mutual pining, mental health representation, career focused FMC, no third act break up, and of course baby cows.

Ada finds herself 2 years after her divorce at a ranch in Wyoming on her biggest interior design project yet. The project that she knows will be the thing that takes her career to the next level. What she doesn't know is that her boss on the project is the mystery cowboy that pushed her against the bar wall in the hottest kiss of her life. Ada fights to maintain her professionalism as she struggles with her own self doubt and her feelings for her new boss.

This was such a fun really fun read. I loved the entire cast of characters but specifically loved Ada. She is such an independent FMC who was able to maintain her independence while also learning to let people in. The romance between Wes and Ada was sweet and satisfying. I specifically loved the mental health representation and realities of living with depression.

Review will be posted to goodreads
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I wasn’t expecting to cry over a cowboy romance, and yet here we are. Swift and Saddled is everything I want in a romance: fabulous characters, lots of heart, and electric chemistry. I’m already putting it in my top tier of romance books because it was just that good. I’ll admit I read this before reading Done and Dusted so I can’t compare the two, but I will be running to my nearest bookstore to pick it up ASAP.

Lyla Sage takes us back to Meadowlark and the Ryder family in “Swift and Saddled”, the second in the Rebel Blue Ranch Series. When I read “Done and Dusted” last fall, I have been impatiently waiting on the second Rebel Blue book.

Weston Ryder and Ada Hart have my heart!! Ada comes to Meadowlark and Rebel Blue Ranch to work with Weston to remodel the original “big house”, and to escape the confines of the life she’d found herself living in California.

Lyla managed to take two broken people and make them whole again through the twists and turns of falling in love with each other. Ada isn’t the typical sunshine in a bottle FMC to the grumpy, standoffish MMC. Ada has been burned in the past, she walks to the beat of her own drum and is happy in her own skin, regardless of whether anyone else is happy with her. She tries so hard to push people away because she doesn’t want to be hurt again and also because she doesn’t believe anyone could want her exactly how she is. Weston Ryder isn’t your typical MMC either. He isn’t completely a sweetheart cinnamon roll, but he’s not the resident grump either. Wes struggles with depression and he’s fiercely loyal to his family. I’m thankful to Lyla for incorporating the healthy discussion of mental health issues within this story. As a mental health advocate, reading how open Wes can been about his struggles made my heart sing. Ada and Wes are sweet and frustrating and you can’t help falling in love with them.

I once again, can’t wait for the next installment of Rebel Blue, with “Lost and Lassoed”!

If you love cowboy romance, small towns, found family, he falls first, opposites attract, dual POV and mental health representation, then this is the book for you!

Favorite Quotes:

“Wes looked so happy. But I guess depression wasn’t really about what you looked like or how you appeared but more about what you felt like.”

“James Taylor,” I said. There was nothing more calming than James Taylor, right?” This one got me, oh Lyla, James Taylor had been my calm since my mama sang me to sleep with “Sweet Baby James”. You won me over forever with this!

“So when you feel that sweet spot, you’re going to give more on the gas,” he said. “A little give and a little go.” “Are you”—I looked at him, knowing a smile was working its way up my cheeks—“quoting How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?”

“Kissing Wes was the closest thing I’d ever had to a religious experience. It felt like the sky opened up and stars started falling around us, like lightning struck every place where our skin touched and like my heartbeat had turned into a thunderstorm.”

“The little things are the big things, Ada. They’re the things all the big things are made of. I might not know you all the way, but I want to, and I’m just asking you to give me a chance to do that.”

“You say you’re not nice, or warm, or bright, or any of these other stupid fucking words that people use to describe the sun, but I never asked you to be the sun.”

“You’re the moon,” he said. “And I’m the tides. You pull me in without even trying, and I come to you willingly. I always will.”

Thank you to Lyla Sage, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of “Swift and Saddled”.

I absolutely adored this romance!! From the cover to characters and story, everything worked for me. The writing was engaging and Sage made me fall in love with Wes and Ada. Such a cozy read!

Am i obsessed with this series? Yes, yes I am.

Will I keep rereading this and Done and Dusted over and over again? Yes, yes I will.

I loved Done and Dusted and I couldn’t wait for this book! I loved every minute of it and couldn’t put it down. Ada is a strong female MC and Wes is the swoonest cowboy. After a steamy kiss in a bar, they think they will never see each, but things get interesting when they realize they have to work together. 😏

Grab this one to witness all the steam and shenanigans.

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Firstly, I just need to say I have become so obsessed with Rebel Blue Ranch it's no joke!!!! The characters, the setting, the vibes, I love it all!!!! I really loved Done and Dusted a LOT, so I was curious to see how this would compare for me, and I'm so happy to report I ate up every last page just as much as I did in the previous book!

This one follows Wes and Ada, and they were truly giving black cat x golden retriever excellence. I really loved getting to know Wes a lot more as a character in this book and understanding his motivations instead of only seeing him as the happy-go-lucky ball of sunshine he outwardly is. The mental health rep was so well done!!! It was also so fun meeting Ada and seeing an outsider fit into the Rebel Blue dynamic. she definitely had her walls up at first, but I loved seeing not only her development as she worked through that but also how Wes gave her the space to work through her issues at her own pace. They just felt so real as individuals and I really appreciate that! One thing I'm always going to love about these books is the communication — even if it takes a while to get there, no conflict feels too silly or contrived because it eventually gets worked out in a realistic way.

But of COURSE the standout is the small community of people we get to know and love even more in this book. Who wouldn't want to be a part of the Ryder family and their inner circle???? All the group scenes were everything, and part of what makes this book is so great is how much I truly enjoy every single character. Everyone is so fleshed out and I don't find myself feeling indifferent towards any of them, which is a pretty difficult feat to manage. Overall, this is such a great story and if you love small town romance, I cannot emphasize enough that this series is a must read!!!!

ALSO I NEED GUS AND TEDDY'S BOOK YESTERDAY it's no joke. Like I actually do not know how I'm going to wait for it, it's easily one of my most anticipated releases of the rest of the year now. Counting down the days until I have Lost and Lassoed in my hands!

I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Lyla Sage for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!🫶🏻

Oh man where to beginnn🤠 I adored this book with my absolute whole heart. I mean it. It was phenomenal. No words. Lyla Sage has done an amazing job with this one and I am so excited for the third book!! Wes and Ada were so damn adorable from their very fist meet in that bar🥺 Ada was so feisty and so lovable I adored her so much. I literally wanna be best friends with her so bad. Wes???? he was the most adorable cowboy I’ve ever read about!! A pure heart of gold towards Ada and so damn soft with her and so adorableeeee with herrr😭 he always took care of her🫶🏻 this book was that good that I sprinted to get myself a physical copy!!! I’ll be thinking about this one for a good while🥺🫶🏻

5 yeehaw stars!!!🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

Where do I begin?! first off, thank you netgalley for this arc, I was so excited when I saw it!

This book makes me want to be in a small town and have myself a cowboy! Wes was everything I didn’t know I needed in an mc, he was the perfect book boyfriend, and Ada was so badass,I think I’m in love with her too! This was wholesome, made me cry because it was soft and felt like a warm hug at times. I loved everything about this and I CANNOT wait for the next book!!

I’ve been swiftly saddled!

Stunning. Ada Hart is my soul character ❤️‍🔥 I have been waiting forever for a fmc that’s not the bright light in a wounded man’s dark world. Ada is so incredibly written, she has so much grit and realness that I cried like a little baby. She is a recovered pick me girl and the most self aware character I’ve read in a long time. Thank you Lyla Sage for showimg women that even if they’re the moon, their sun will make them shine.
Two books are all I need to know that Meadowlark, WY is my bookish home!!! This book gets a 4.5/5 ⭐️from me because I was foaming at the mouth for more 😭
What to expect:
✨cowboy romance
✨ small town
✨ mental health representation
✨ Taylor Swift & Heartland references

P.S. I am Amos Ryder’s #1 fan <3

Massive thank you to Lyla Sage, The Dail Press, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! 💖

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Ada and Wes are so cute. I love how Wes is such a good hearted guy and takes care of Ada while giving her the reassurance she needs. He's a gentlemen through and through. I loved the force proximity and push and pull between the two. I also found Ada and Wes to be very relatable in this book. Ada is stubborn and reserved and has social anxiety. I think that is something many readers can relate to in their everyday lives. I also love how this also touches on a toxic marriage and the struggles that arise after coming out of said toxic marriage. I can also relate to Wes when he mentions his depression and how some days are darker than others and how he has to take medication and go to therapy. This book is heartwarming, spicy and swoon worthy. It has all the tropes I like in a small town romance. This book makes me want to move to Wyoming and live on a ranch. I can't wait to see what the 3rd book will bring! I'm ready for Gus' story!

Favorite quotes:
"That's it Sweetheart, take what you need"

"He was like the sun. No matter what, he would keep coming up."

“Open your eyes, Ada. There’s no one coming, no one to catch us. You can’t run away from me here. I want you to look at me when we come together.”

“Those city boys don’t know how to fuck you right, do they?”

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a highly anticipated read for me, I really enjoyed Done and Dusted last year so was super excited to read Swift and Saddled.
I was not disappointed with this! It touched on some tougher topics that some books tend to avoid and I loved our main characters dearly.
We also got some more interaction with some of my faves from Done and Dusted like Brooks and Emmy, as well as Amos, Teddy and Gus.

Overall was a great small town, cowboy romance.
I can’t wait for this series to continue at this point, Lyla’s smashing it.

Lyla Sage has truly done it again! This story really kept the pages turning and I was so invested in the plot in addition to the development of the characters and their romance. I might like this one more than Done and Dusted - it was a very very compelling read for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

”You’re the moon”, he said. “And I’m the tides. You pull me in without even trying and I come to you willingly. I always will.”

Y’all, I am back in my cowboy romance era, and this book DELIVERED!

Dare I say I loved Swift & Saddled even more than Done & Dusted? Yes, yes I dare. Wes was the absolute perfect MMC and he’ll be living in my head rent free from now on, thank you very much miss Sage.

He remembers her favorite foods and makes them for her? 🥹
He’s patient, kind, and gentle, but also likes to talk dirty in the sheets? 🥵
He’s honest and vocal about his depression and wants to communicate? 🫠

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

I absolutely loved Ada’s character development. She starts off a little prickly and apprehensive due to her past relationship and upbringing, but she’s an absolute sweetheart and falls head over heels for hot cowboy Wes. Reading about them falling in love was absolutely amazing!

Things I loved:

🤠 He falls first
🤠 He’s technically her boss
🤠 Found family (I just love the Ryders so much)
🤠 Black cat x golden retriever energy

“At his core, Weston Ryder was gentle, and I thought that was the best thing that a man could be.”

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't as great as the previous book but it was still really good. It captures everything I love about hte romance genre: there's humor and steamy moments, along with tackling some serious subjects.

I enjoyed returning to the ranch and seeing characters from the last book. The writing is vivid and I can easily imagine the scenery in and around this small town.

Ada and Wes are hot 'n heavy from the get go. There was strong chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time. While this is focused on their love story, there's also emphasis on putting oneself first and pursuing dreams.

I anxiously await the next book in the series!

The highly coveted sequel to Done and Dusted did not miss the mark! Ada Hart has a hot new job, and a fresh start, waiting for her Meadowlark, Wyoming. After months of preparation, she's ready to take on the renovation of an old house on the Rebel Blue Ranch. What she's not ready for is the hot cowboy (and her new boss) that quickly captures her attention. Wes Ryder is smart, kind, charming and not at all what he seems on the surface. Plus did I mention he's a hot cowboy?

I feel like this book was made for hopeless romantics. A ranch in Wyoming. A cowboy/rancher who saves a baby calf. A found family feel. And a love story that had me curling my toes and squealing with happiness. I absolutely adored this book. I love Ada, she's strong but definitely has some insecurities to work through, and she's passionate about her job. And ya'll, Wes!? A dreamboat. I love love love him. He's cute & romantic, and FALLS. FIRST. This book is perfect.

Thank you to Random House for my ARC - I devoured it in less than 5 hours.

Lyla Sage knows how to write a story. I hope everyone loves this book as much I did!

4 Stars I was so excited to get an advanced copy of Swift and Saddled after quickly finishing the first book in the series, Done and Dusted, on audiobook and loving it. For those who love small town, cowboy romances from authors like Elsie Silver and Ava Hunter, you will love the Ryder family and Blue Rebel Ranch!

A year after her divorce, city-girl Ada Hart is hired as the interior designer for the renovation of a forthcoming inn at Blue Rebel Ranch in small town Wyoming. Just after arriving in Meadowlark, Ada shares a kiss in a dive bar with a cowboy whose name she didn’t catch before running off. But low and behold, that cowboy turns out to be Weston “Wes” Ryder, the man who hired her for the job and her boss for the next few months. Wes is thrilled to see Ada again after their kiss, but less thrilled that she seems to want nothing more to do with him, even though they both feel the pull between them.

I really enjoyed that both Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled were fast paced, easy, low-angst reads. They are the perfect palate cleanser after reading a “heavier” novel. A delightful read that I definitely recommend!

One thing I loved about this book (and it was something I loved about Done and Dusted) is how relatable these characters are. Ada had insecurities I can completely understand and Wes is just so sweet and has his own struggles and I appreciate the way they’re talked about.

Both Ada and Wes had their own issues but neither one tried to “fix” the other. They let their friendship build and their relationship develop and they have such a genuine connection that I was rooting for them from the start. It’s insta-lusty but I do find it to be a more of a medium-burn romance, and they have a really good level of open communication which I love!

This book is just sweet, spicy and so much fun. I love the side characters, they don’t take away anything from the story they just add some fun banter and just make the vibe of the story much more fun.

I love this series so far and I’m very excited to see where it goes! And thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Lyla Sage for the ARC!

Modern day cowboy romance. Really sweet and short read. Great banter among characters. Can’t wait for Gus and Teddy!

𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐧. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐖𝐲𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Took the words right out of my mouth, Ada.

This book starts with a bang in a bar hallway, and thus I was hooked.

Ada Heart is our FMC, city girl interior designer down on her luck and looking at the Rebel Blue Ranch as her big break.

Weston (Wes) Ryder is the middle brother of our three Ryder siblings and the cinnamon roll to end all cinnamon rolls. Listen if you like your MMC's sweeeeet and empathetic and communicative and also possess a dirty mouth you need not look any further. I have found him. And he's perfection.

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞.
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥.

Ada has been in a controlling former relationship and is still trying to trust people. All people. And always feels like no one is going to like her upon second thought. And she tends to run before she can be disappointed or let down.

Wes is solid. And good. And honestly she needed this adorable wonderful man to really allow her to trust that people can be good and have good intentions. He is her perfect match in that way.

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞—𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐦𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞.

I really appreciated the mental health rep we get from Weston - diagnosed with depression and on medication he manages his depression the best he can. He's so precious that you can't imagine he hasn't found a nice girl in their town but the truth is he didn't want a nice girl. He wanted a girl with an edge. That challenges him and makes him feel alive.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐟*𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧.” ... 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲.”

I also appreciated that even though he's sweet, he's sexy as hell with a dirty mouth. Praise be.

“𝐅*𝐜𝐤,” 𝐈 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐝𝐚’𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧. “𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐀𝐝𝐚.” 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝. “𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐩.”

Also massive props for the 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 and the spicy epilogue. All hail the spicy epilogue!!

I absolutely LOVED and adored this book. All the stars. I swooned and teared up and I just couldn't put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I was super grateful to receive this arc!! I really enjoyed this just as much as the first one maybe more! Wes has my heart. I love a bad boy but a good boy just hits different. I love how patient Wes was with Ada. He cared so much for her. It was nice to read the sweet cowboy side most of the time they are grumpy, which I do enjoy but I really liked this. And the spice woah it was so good. I also like Lyla writing style as an author it’s very easy to fall into and I can’t wait for the next one!! 4.25/5 stars!!