I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of the Rebel Blue Ranch series. I loved the first book and loved Wes so I knew I had to read this one. Little did I know I'd relate so much to Ada!

She was like me in so many ways; we thought alike. I liked what the author did for her character, though I wish there were more development on her past. The same goes for Wes--he reveals that he's on antidepressants, so there's some struggling there, yet there's never any struggle. Which is FINE since this is the type of book that isn't going to get into all that. Same as Done and Dusted, they aren't diving deep into the character's problems and pasts and traumas. It's mentioned briefly then literally (pretty much) never again. That's why these are great fluff books, but it still hurts to see that potential not used.

Ada's struggle with making friends and holding female friendships was one that I really don't see used often in romance books. The majority (almost all) romance books I've read had their FMCs have besties since the beginning, which is always nice because who doesn't love a good friendship? But I loved watching Ada navigate through something I used to struggle with too.

Which is why I deducted a star. That and the third-act breakup were so unnecessary.

The thing I love most about these books is the found-family. Ada felt that tremendously with the Ryders in this book and I honestly felt it more in this one than I did in the first one. It makes sense that way since Emmy was. a Ryder and Ada was an outsider. But Ada's experience for the first time being on the ranch just really made me want a damn cowboy! Wes feeding a baby cow shirtless at the dead of night??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME

I really loved what Sage did with Wes and Ada's romance. The kinda one-night stand, the working relationship. It was a good though light conflict to have, keeping them separate but tense. Especially since she basically lived with them.

The side characters are who I really love. Amos for sure, and Gus. I cannot wait to see Teddy and Gus (I peeped the first chapter at the end! Oh I am SO excited!) And of course Emmy and Brooks.

This is a fun series. I definitely plan to keep reading.

I like Wes. Ada is a decent character but not necessarily a standout. She kept saying she wasn’t likable but I didn’t get that vibe from her.

The author does a good job with small town, cowboy romance. It’s pretty on par with the genre as far as characters, setting, etc. so it can feel fairly similar if you read a lot of that.

I like the Ryder family and all the side characters.

I do think the first book was better; the sequel didn’t have as many exciting elements. Though, I’m looking forward to the next one—really hoping Teddy and Gus don’t disappoint.

A MUST PURCHASE once it is officially published. I'm incredibly excited. I found their dynamic really sweet. I also loved the amount of actual communication that happened between Ada and Wes. An addictive and fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for giving me an eARC of Swift and Saddled. I absolutely loved Done and Dusted when I first read it, but I loved Swift and Saddled even more. I loved the relationship between Ada and Wes and was quite literally kicking my feet in the first couple chapters. Were there some aspects that could have been fleshed out a little more? Yes, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book, especially since I had read Done and Dusted previously and knew what the guest ranch meant to Wes. Overall, I loved Lyla's sophomore novel and can't wait to read the rest of the series!

It was so fun to have the Rebel Blue gang back!! I love Brooks and Emmy but Wes and Ada blew me out of the water! Black Cat FMC and Golden Retriever MMC 😍😍😍😍 UGHHH I LOVE IT SO MUCH. The mental health representation in this book was done with such grace. As someone who struggles I really appreciate that.🫶🏻

I LOVED Done and Dusted but I definitely love Swift and Saddled more.🥹

P.S. this book has an excerpt of book 3 at the end and i am unwell. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!!

Lyla Sage is now one of my favorite western romance/cowboy romance writers. Like Done and Dusted, swift and saddled is a fast read that will keep you smiling. We do touch the subject of depression and another character who has a bit of trust issues to being left without any word from their partner. I love that Lyla brings in topics that some other authors may never put into their book. She makes he characters relatable by showing us that the characters she writes are not perfect but everyday life isn’t perfect. I really hope the next book she writes is about Gus! I really can’t wait to devour more of her writing and see what else she has in store for us!

I definitely feel like I am in my cowboy romance era! The writing was so poignant and rich that I felt myself in the good old south! The romance between the main characters also had me in a chokehold. The chemistry and angst they shared throughout the whole read is what I absolutely adore in every romance read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a beautiful romance with cowboys that will leave a mark in your hearts!

I loved this follow up to Sage’s Done and Dusted. She does a great job of working in mental health struggles while also writing swoon-worthy romance. Wes was so sweet and caring and a breath of fresh air compared to Ada’s ex-husband. I was happy to see a strong, independent woman like Ada open herself up to the people at Rebel Blue and find a new home for herself. Highly recommend and these books are becoming a new comfort series for me.

An addictive read and I read it in under 24 hours. This book was so good to I left a dinner party early to go home and finish this book. Wes and Ada’s story is absolutely beautiful. Wes is an all time favorite book boyfriend. He is so sweet and nurturing, but understands that Ada is her own person and respects the space she needs. Their story felt so real. This books will always be special to me and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy in March.

I will add a link to my reviews once they are shared.

This was so cute! I really enjoyed the vibes and the female friendships. Suddenly I want to visit Wyoming? I had a couple issues with backstories not being fleshed out but this was a really sweet and spicy yeehaw romance!

I freaking LOVED this book so so much! This was such a joy to be back in Meadowlark at Rebel Blue Ranch with some of my favorite characters. As one of my most anticipated reads, I truly had to pace myself so that I could cherish this sweet world and the beautiful words that Lyla has written.

I feel like Lyla did such a fantastic job with the tension and passion between these characters while creating these sweet and soft moments of care and growth. We meet Ada, a black cat-esque character that is currently grappling with negative thoughts from her loveless marriage to her ex-husband. She's left her home state of California to help restore the old big house with Wes. What I loved about Ada's character is that we get a secondary, outside perspective of Rebel Blue Ranch and these characters that we've grown to love from Done and Dusted.

The romance between Ada and Wes is honestly perfection. There's an incredible amount of tension and passion radiating from the two ever since they made out in a hallway at the Devil's Boot. As the novel progression and the tension overflows, we get these beautifully soft and tender moments between the couple that made my heart so happy. They both help each other grow from their respective pasts and overall create such a joyful read.

Lyla truly puts crack in these books because I'm already UNWELL preparing for Teddy and Gus's story.

Thank you Lyla Sage, Dial Press, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I definitely get Elsie Silver vibes. But I'm not mad about it! Granted, I haven't read Done and Dusted. This was a super quick, enjoyable, good-time read!

Shortly after arriving in Meadowlark to begin her first BIG interior redesign, on a whim, Ada Hart makes out with a hot cowboy at a local bar. Turns out that hot cowboy is actually Weston Ryder… her new boss.

This book has all the goods you want in a small-town romance: a little forbidden love, forced proximity, found family, lots of tension, a golden retriever MMC with a dirty mouth, and pays off in the right amount of spice. That kitchen scene? 🥵🥵

I read the whole thing in one afternoon and literally couldn't put it down. I love a quick, fun, palate cleanser like this in between heavier books. But just because it is light and funny, doesn't mean Sage totally shies away from darker content. We've got an FMC who was basically abandoned by her emotionally abusive ex and an MMC who is open about his struggles with depression.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

I am convinced Lyla somehow captures joy and puts it into her books. Like the first book in this series, Done and Dusted, this book is absolute sunshine. I smiled and giggled through this whole story and those not things I do often 😂 I also cried towards the end of this, not because it was sad, but because I related to our FMC so much and so appreciated how well she was written. I will never get enough of Rebel Blue Ranch. 🖤

Despite the instant attraction, the slow burn was welcome and I appreciated that it took some time for them to have their relationship even slightly functional. A steady and constant development is key to an enjoyable romance that makes you cheer for the main couple and become invested. The epilogue was like balm on a wound and I thought it was a perfect bright sunny day in the end of years of rain. Definitely a full 5 stars read.

Loved this, what a fun read! Ada and Wes and the entire Blue Rebel Ranch cast of characters are a delight. Loved the alternating narrators, loved the frank mental health conversations, and loved that it wasn’t overly Westerny. Can’t wait to read more in this series!

3.5 STARS

I have championed Done and Dusted to Wyoming and back this year - I absolutely loved the book and could not wait to see what else Lyla Sage had in store for our favorite Cowboys. I cannot thank Random House and Netgalley enough for providing me with an arc of Sage's second book.

Swift and Saddled follows our favorite golden retriever as he attempts to charm his way into his interior designer's black-cat heart. I started this book without an understanding of the dynamics at play. I kept thinking Ada was supposed to be the "grumpy" to Wes's sunshine, but that just didn't feel right. Ada wasn't grumpy, she was traumatized.

I enjoyed getting to see Ada come out of her shell and I always appreciate the intention Sage employs when writing about her characters. Wes's openness about his depression was one of my favorite parts of the book. Now, if all I have to say so far is great things, you may be wondering why this book has fallen a star and a half behind Done and Dusted. I hope I can articulate my qualms.

Ada and Wes have no history. They jump into our story (and almost down each other's pants) in the first chapter at the fan favorite bar featured in book one. The instant chemistry can be fun and flirty, but in this case, it felt too much like insta-lust. Wes jumps in feet first, running start, no looking back. I love that about him, but I kept asking myself why? WHY would he choose now is the time to finally, and quite suddenly, fall in love with a supposed stranger. It felt especially odd given these two were in fact, NOT strangers. Wes had entrusted Ada with his coveted Bed and Breakfast remodel. They had presumedly spent months emailing and discussing Wes's vision. Yet, they have no idea what each other sound like or look like and this background involvement does not permeate forward into the present story. It felt very odd, like the detail had completely slipped the author's mind when it could have been instrumental and bolstering to the story. We see Ada struggle with her attraction to Wes and work throughout the entire book, working through her insecurities and growing her new relationships with the Ryder family. Wes's pov was there to show us how supportive and loving he was of Ada, but otherwise he really didn't have any plot himself. In contrast to Ada's "girls night", Wes's boys night felt disjointed. The Baby Blue house is supposed to be his (figurative) baby, but we don't get any of the passion or story of why this house is so important to him. I almost felt like I had a better understanding of what drives Wes from the first book when he was NOT a pov character. I wish he had been expanded upon, especially if the author was going to play up the insta lust to (admittedly slower but still) insta love.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cowboy romance, especially fans of Elsie Silver. I am extremely excited to hear that the next book in the series will feature Teddy and Gus. I'm hopeful it will be my favorite Lyla Sage yet.

I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint! Their relationship was so fun and cute, but the book also had its deeper moments. Despite how much I loved it, there is just something holding this book back from being as good as Done and Dusted. I think this story needed a little more time and space to dig into some of the deeper aspects as times. But overall, the romance and story was still great and I will continue looking forward to each release from Lyla Sage!

I am really enjoying the world that Lyla Sage is creating with this series! I love all of the complex characters and storylines and cannot wait for the next book!

lyla sage has done (and dusted) it again!!!

i absolutely ate this up, just as i knew i would. i am completely in love with ada and wes, the sun and the moon <3 ever since reading d&d i fell in love with rebel blue ranch and i’m so happy that i got to go back to that world. weston is such a golden retriever i was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time (as well as crying at the end…) ada is such a bad ass and i saw so much of myself in her, especially the want for a friend group like emmy, teddy and cam :,) also… i absolutely devoured the teddy and gus crumbs, i fear the woman i’ll become when that book comes out. also also… me thinks i know who book four is about and if i’m correct, oh man it’s gonna be so good. anyways, can’t wait to reread this already because i miss all of my cowboy besties and their badass girlies

Don’t talk to me. I am sick and tired of falling in love with every guy Miss. Sage writes. It’s not ok. I live in a small town, so where are my polite and sexy cowboys??? I need to move to Wyoming. I also am so sad I devoured this because now I have to wait until forever for Teddy and Gus’ book which I already know is going to be absolutely beautiful because it’s enemies to lovers. Anywho Wes is such a good man. He is so respectful and nurturing and hot like what?? Loved Ada, I feel like we’re kinda similar I just didn’t love how she ran away from him at the end and constantly told him that he didn’t actually love her, I understand it’s coming from insecurities of her past marriage but kinda wasn’t the vibe after he reassured her every time. Other than that, absolute perfection..