I loved Done and Dusted, but Swift and Saddled was even better. Lyla Sage has created two fantastic characters in Ada and Wes. You can't help but hope they work it out from the beginning.

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

With lines like that, I'll be counting down the days to Lost and Lassoed. Swift and Saddled is a sweet, comforting cowboy romance where adults handle their issues like adults. There's little miscommunication, no third act break up, and both of the main characters are likeable as people. I can't wait to see what Lyla Sage does next.

As a bonus, the covers for this series are gorgeous.

I was so glad to be back at the ranch, this time with Wes and Ada! I loved the first book in this series and book number two did the series justice! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Wes based on book one, but “Swift and Saddled” made me fall in love with him! Patient and gallant, he was such a great love interest and exactly what Ada needed! I can’t wait to keep reading this series and learn about Gus and Teddy! This author has definitely become and auto-buy author for me that I’ll be recommending every time someone asks me for a romance recommendation!

This book and series are absolute gems!! Both of Lyla Sage’s books make me want to hop on the next flight to Rebel Blue Ranch and overcome my fear of horses and take it all in. Swift and Saddled sucked me in from the get go. The characters are so richly written and you can’t help but fall in love with them and their story. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

We have purchased this book for our system, it's a fun and fast read! I loved the romance aspect while not losing focus on the story itself.

Loved, Loved, Loved. Lyla Sage is now one of my favorite romance authors. I cannot wait until the third book comes out.

I seriously don’t know why I do this to myself. I need to stop waiting to read such spectacular books! Wes and Ada are just perfect. The sun and the moon 😭 I seriously don’t know how Lyla always finds away to break me and put me back together with these one liners. Don’t even get me started on his sketchbook. I immediately bought baby blue ranch merch. I cannot wait for Gus and Teddys story. I was already salivating for it after the girls night encounter!

Another wonderful cowboy romance from Lyla Sage ! Cute and fluffy with just enough spice. All of those in your cowboy eras must pick it up!

This is the second in the Rebel Blue Ranch series and it did not disappoint. I really liked “Done and Dusted”, so I was hopeful for Lyla Sage’s follow up, “Swift and Saddled.” I absolutely love the Ryder family and the unique dynamic they all bring to Rebel Blue including Weston Ryder. I very quickly became attached to Ada Hart, Weston’s love interest and the designer that he hired on to help him with his dream of renovating the original home on the farm. I thought the storyline great and continue to enjoy the characters that the author further builds in this series. I also really like the fact that the author has highlighted mental heath struggles in both books and thus really helped me to relate those struggles. I am already so excited for her third release later this year.

I am completely in love with this series and these characters!

The entire setup was perfection - the meet cute, the “we can’t do this feelings….but of course we are going to because how can we not”. So much chemistry, tension and spice!

The entire family of side characters also add so much to the story and I loved seeing everyone back from book one. The mental health rep and Ada realizing her worth made this one even better.

The relationship is cozy, lovely and no third act break up equals a huge win for me!

“She’s the city girl who refuses to be saddled with a man. He’s the cowboy who wants her anyway.”


Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am in love with Rebel Blue Ranch and all its characters! I was sucked in my Done and Dusted, then received Swift and Saddled from the publisher! Thank you @dialpresstrade for this gem! Ada is a relatable character who just wants to heal, Wes is immediately head over heels for her after their chance encounter in the bar- then realizing she is the interior designer he hired! This book is tender, relatable and touches on more in depth mental health issues. The narration and descriptions had me wanting to pack my bag and move to Wyoming.

Synopsis: The last thing Ada Hart needs is a man to take care of her. Not anymore. After failing out of her interior design program and the disaster that was her short-lived marriage, Ada clawed her way up from her rock bottom. Now, the only person she trusts is herself, and that has gotten her further than ever before. She has her own business, and one of the largest ranches in Wyoming just hired her for the most important project of her career.

When Ada arrives in Meadowlark, she finds herself in a dive bar where she can’t seem to shake the eyes of a handsome cowboy. When she leads him to the back of the bar, he leaves her with a kiss that most people can only fantasize about. She almost regrets that she’ll never see him again . . . except it turns out he’s her new boss.

Weston Ryder is a happy guy. Even happier now that the mystery woman from the bar is the interior designer for his dream project on his family’s ranch. He feels like he hit the jackpot. It’s too bad she wants absolutely nothing to do with him outside of work. Ada is convinced the pull she feels toward Wes will go away, but Wes can’t stop thinking about her. Even though walls are coming down around Rebel Blue, Ada’s walls are firmly in place.

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain.

This was such a cute cowboy romance! Weston is 10/10 a golden retriever with a dirty mouth 😉

Swift & Saddled starts out on hot and heavy. Ada meets a stranger in a bar of the new town she’s working in. This leads to a steamy make out in a dark hallway & shocks her when she arrives at her new job to find that hot cowboy….. is the guy she’s working with. These two are so drawn to each other but Ada refuses to act on the tension now that she knows who he is.

The chemistry and tension in this book had be kicking my feet waiting for the “f*ck it” moment. I found myself so invested in the mental health aspect. Wes has dealt its depression and he’s been nothing but open and honest with Ada. Which was a refreshing aspect to read. I love that we also get to skip the 3rd act breakup because of how confident Wes is when it comes to his feelings for Ada, he doesn’t let her push him away.

This was such a good fun read filled with hot cowboys, house renovations, undeniable attract & the best found family vibes.

4 ⭐️ | 2 🌶️

Fantastically unique cover and then the writing is immediately so good! Lyla Sage imparts such a strong sense of character in a great setting. I was actively smiling and laughing as I read and didn't want to put it down.

Some highlights for me -
The mental health rep was well done and I was especially pleased to see it experienced by the male lead! Both Wes and Ada had great depth and the exploration and growth through their personal challenges was great. I also loved the respect of the boundaries paired with trusting persistence. I feel like that had been lacking in recent contemporary romances and it was so well done here.

The only thing that didn't work for me was Ada's actions later in the story - it fizzled a bit for me, but the first two-thirds were exceptional.

"Swift and Saddled" is the second in the series, but can be read as a standalone if you don't mind a few spoilers for the first book. I'm looking forward to going back to read the first book in the series and reading future releases!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

God I'm obsessed with Weston Ryder. I already was in Done and Dusted and he. did. not. disappoint. in Swift and Saddled! I WANT MORE. I am looking forward to reading this book many times over, ESPECIALLY in audiobook format.

I smiled the entire time reading this. I cannot handle Weston Ryder. I fell in love with him in Done and Dusted— and his own full book is both too much and not enough. I’ll be back to write more, but my only complaints about this book right now are:
1) not long enough! Never long enough! Gimme more!
2) I’ve finished book 2 and it’s not even out yet and I’m already fucking dying for book 3 (and tbh book 4)

Bless you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me even if I’m never approved for anything else ever again 😆

---

Update: I've read via audiobook now as well and it was SO. GOOD. The narrators (Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin) were absolute perfection for Wes + Ada. Another 5 stars!!!

4.5 Stars

I loved this book! Ada and Wes were everything. I loved their chemistry and the fact it didn't necessarily end with Ada just staying at the ranch, that she was able to still pursue her career while getting the guy. So far, Wes is my favorite Ryder.

Absolutely LOVED this second installment of the rebel blue ranch series! Ada and Wes's tension was palpable from the start, and their tension and apprehension was very real and relatable. I think Lyla Sage really hit her stride with this one, and I'm even more excited to dive into Dusty and Cam's story, even though I know that won't come for a while

I. LOVED IT. The way that Ada’s character struck so many chords I didn’t even know were in me. 🥺 And Wes is just a DOLL. He’s exactly the dosage of golden retriever we all needed!!

I don't think I loved this perhaps as much as I expected to? I've noticed there's something about Lyla Sage's writing that I sort of have to get over when I start one of her books? Like I noticed this with Done and Dusted also and it's weird to describe. Anyway, I think I just like romances with a bit more pining and angst. And while this had some, I felt like it didn't really go super deep into that. I did love the representation in this one with Wes's major depressive disorder and I liked that there were so many moments when we really got to see how that was for him. I think this book could have benefitted from being a little longer. It's a bit shorter than the first and I think an extra 40-50 pages would've addressed my biggest criticisms.

Overall, I like the characters. It was nice to see so much of Luke and Emmy especially since Emmy was my favorite character in Done and Dusted. I didn't really like Ada quite as much, but adored Wes (which is funny since I didn't like Luke as much in the first one for half the book). I do think I'll be reading book 3 because I really am invested in Rebel Blue, but I do hope I like it more than I did this one!

I liked this one more than the first one but it was still only about a 4 star read. I enjoyed the growth of the main character and the romance plot. I appreciated the mental health rep.

This book solidified Lyla Sage as being one of my favourite authors of all time. Wes and Ada are two of my favourite characters of all time and I absolutely loved the two of them and their chemistry. Their story means the world to me and this book has instantly become an all time favourite and a comfort read.

Absolutely obsessed with this! I want someone to call me the moon! I loved done and dusted but this one was just so good I adored this one.