**Book Review: "Swift and Saddled" by Lyla Sage**

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars)

"**Swift and Saddled**" by Lyla Sage, the second installment in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, is a captivating small-town romance that delivers on every level. With engaging characters, heartfelt emotions, and an authentic portrayal of real-life struggles, this novel is a delightful and compelling read that will leave readers yearning for more.

**My Thoughts:**
"Swift and Saddled" is a beautifully written romance that resonates with depth and authenticity. Lyla Sage skillfully explores sensitive topics such as depression and self-esteem with grace and sensitivity, offering a portrayal that feels genuine and relatable. As someone who struggles with mental health, I appreciated the nuanced representation of these issues within the context of a romance novel.

The communication between Ada and Wes is refreshingly honest and nuanced, allowing for more difficult conversations to be addressed with empathy and understanding. Their relationship feels raw and real, with both characters navigating their own flaws and insecurities while learning and growing together.

What sets this romance apart is its ability to portray real-world stakes and hurdles that affect relationships. Rather than glossing over the challenges, the author confronts them head-on, creating a narrative that feels both authentic and emotionally resonant.

Ada and Wes are captivating protagonists who not only share undeniable chemistry but also possess a deep understanding of each other's struggles. Their journey towards love is both heartwarming and transformative, leaving readers rooting for their happily ever after.

In conclusion, "Swift and Saddled" is a standout romance novel that excels in its portrayal of authentic emotions, genuine relationships, and real-life challenges. Lyla Sage has crafted a captivating story that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Rebel Blue Ranch series.

This book was sooo fucking beautiful!!!!

"I see you, Ada. I always see you, even when you won't look at me."

Things to expect:
• Cowboy Romance
• Small town
• Forced proximity
• Found family
• City girl × country boy
• Black cat × Golden Retriever
• Tattooed FMC
• Insta- lust
• 2/5 🌶
• Slow burn
• Dual POV
• HEA

TW: divorce (in the past), depression

I wasn't ready for how good this book is!!!

Ada and Wes are everything. I loved their relationship, how Wes treated Ava and comforted her all the time, how he made her feel secure amd loved!!!! Have to say, I wanted more of those driving lessons because they were soooo hot!!!!🔥

There were a couple of things that I wanted more from this book and that's why this isn't a 5 star read.
• It would have been awesome to learn more about Ada and her ex. What went wrong, how he acted with her and everything. It felt like we only got some crumbs of their relationship
• I wanted to learn more and Wes and his trouble with depression. It was mentioned a few times, but it would have made this seem sooo much more real if it would have been mentioned and explained a bit more
• What was that phone call from her ex at the end of the book?

This was such an amazing read and I can't wait to be back at Rebel Blue Ranch in the next book!!!!


Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author, Lyla Sage for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus and Lyla for the early review copy.

Ada’s first night in Meadowlark sees her kissing a stranger and leaving behind her bag which contains everything she needs to start the most important project of her career tomorrow. What she doesn’t expect is to find her mysterious and handsome stranger on Rebel Blue as her new boss. Can they finish this project without giving in to the temptation?

After loving Done & Dusted so much, I knew this was going to be awesome. Lyla writes the most fantastic romances, it’s sweet, it’s swoony, and it’s low stress. Wes and Ada definitely give black cat x golden retriever vibes in the very best way and I adore them both. Lyla continues to include mental health rep in her books which I loved. Returning to Rebel Blue felt like a warm hug, I already can’t wait for Gus and Teddy’s book next, Lost and Lasooed.

small town romance
workplace romance
Insta love
Forced proximity
cowboy x introvert
dual POV

Spicy Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating 4.5 stars

I felt that the relationship between the MMC and FMC in this book was a much more in depth than in the first Rebel Blue Ranch book. I always have loved seeing the characters from the previous books make an appearance throughout the books especially when they are directly from the same place. The family dynamic at Rebel Blue Ranch so beautiful, making me want to read about all of their stories and wishing i had this within my own life.

Overall, a grappling read from beginning to end.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Lyla Sage for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Yeeee haaaww 🤠
I really loved returning to Meadowlark and spending more time with the Ryder boys! The spice was good, the family dynamic was amazing and I love a female mc with tattoos!!

If you haven’t gotten into cowboy romance yet, this series is one you need to read asap!

I read this in one sitting, it was so freaking good. This is how you write a romance book!! Literally fell head over heels in love with Ada and Wes. The plot was amazing and the pace of both that and the romance was perfect. Nothing felt rushed, it all felt so natural and mature. Chapters were short which I always love, and thank you for the openness about depression and taking antidepressants.

Also the teaser for the next book which is an enemies to lovers, absolutely yes please, I want it now!!!

4.5/5

okay I LOVED THIS BOOK! Wes was everything and i just loved every interaction he and Ada have. I could not put this book down.

I loved the pie scene so much and gosh i don't think i'll ever stop thinking about these characters, i never want to leave rebel blue ranch.

before we get into this review, i’d like to say a huge thank you to netgalley & lyla sage for an arc of this incredible book!!🫶🏽

in this book, we follow.. ada & wes. ada is an interior designer from the city. she’s reserved, lonely, kinda complicated & not to mention.. beautiful. wes is an extremely understanding, caring, golden retriever kinda guy who is a (gorgeous) cowboy. together, they work to bring wes’s dream, a guest house on the family ranch, otherwise known as ‘Baby Blue’ to life🩵

when i was reading book 1 (done & dusted), i thought there is no way any of the other books in this series could even compete with it but here we are.. because swift & saddled swept me off my feet in every way possible🫶🏽

this book gave me everything i needed and more. this was an incredibly heartwarming story with very deep lessons. this was more than just a cowboy romance.. it’s about finding your home in person🫂

this book had the perfect combination of a heartwarmingly, steamy romance. there’s just something about lyla’s writing that speaks to me. something about it is just really comforting. whilst reading this book, i found myself connecting to both of the main characters SO much. i just love this entire world and the characters in it so incredibly much🥹

the tropes in this book were screaming my name. we had a cowboy romance, forced proximity, workplace romance, “employee/boss”, found family, small town romance, city girl x country boy & grumpy x sunshine🫶🏽

swift and saddled releases on amazon & KU on march 5th so all my cowboy romance lovers, make sure you preorder or mark your calendars🩵🥰

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. I loved Done and Dusted (a 5 star) so I knew I was going to like Swift and Saddled, but for me, this one was even better! It was fun, comforting, exciting, and also very relatable, which really made it stand out for me.

Ada was such an incredible character and her journey in the book both with herself and with Wes was so enjoyable to read. This was one of those page turners, where I was just so hooked to find out what was going to happen next and I became so invested in the connection between Ada and the Ryder family right from the get-go.

I think what makes these books a 5 star for me is how atmospheric Rebel Blue Ranch is when you read about it. I always feel transported to the landscape and it seems to always fit within the tone of the scenes perfectly. I can't wait for more from Lyla Sage, and now I also want to book a trip to Wyoming...

Small town cowboy romance. Easy and enjoyable read. Will definitely continue series.

(There is a typo for Wes more than half way through and there is a lot of needless explaining throughout.)

It’s GREAT to be back at Rebel Bell Ranch - YEEHAAAA

City girl? With cute golden retriever boy… girl you had me. I was sold. Sign me up for this beautiful relationship.

And while the romance is 🥵 SIZZLING 🥵 the characters are so lovable. Ada is complicated with conflicting feelings and honestly, I enjoyed that slightly cautious approach to love.ENTER Weston the cutest boy with the biggest heart ready to love her with his whole heart!!!

The spice was 🥵🥵🥵


Shoutout to all the side characters because I’m so invested in each one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

after loving Done & Dusted, I couldn't wait to read Swift & Saddled, however, I must admit that I preferred the first book. even though Ada and Wes' story was sweet, it felt too insta lust turned insta love for my taste.

I loved the the black cat x golden retriever dynamic, how Ada found strong female friendships with the other women and the mental health rep. I was also a sucker for any mention of Emmy x Luke.

apart from the insta love, there were a few other things that I didn't really like. for example, the end conflict felt quite rushed and unnecessary, and I was a bit annoyed at how selfishly she behaved when Wes was so considerate of her needs and feelings throughout. I also wanted to know more about her past with the ex-husband, that would've helped us understand more of her character.

thank you to Netgalley, Quercus and Lyla Sage for the e-arc in return for my honest review.

This was a sweet enjoyable book. Ada was a likeable leading lady, even when she was holding Weston and the rest of the Rebel Blue crew at a distance. It’s very relatable having that fear that once you let people in they won’t really like you and I thought LS handled Ada’s insecurities really well. Weston was just adorably wonderful and layered. Loved him and his unwavering loyalty and love not only to his family but to Ada. Great chemistry with our hero and heroine and a wonderfully colourful cast of supporting characters bringing this world to life. Can’t wait for Teddy and Gus’ story!! 4 🌟

I enjoyed this one a lot! The main guy Wes (golden retriever) was swoony and made me giggle and kick my feet! Ada (black cat) was a sweetheart and I did see parts of myself in her. The mental health representation was done really well I felt, and something I would like to see more of in other books!
Overall I love Rebel Blue Ranch and I want to live there okay. I love the whole family I think they're so wholesome and they all love each other and just want the best for each other which is lovely to read about.
Also I need book 3 now, due to all the crumbs Lyla gave us about Gus and Teddy !!!

"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 Net Galley and Lyla Sage for the arc! <3

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC - this review is voluntary.
Oh my lord.. This book❤️‍🔥
I was apprehensive about Swift and Saddled having the second book curse, but Lyla came through and dare I say, I think I loved this more than the first! The vibes were hitting and I could not put it down. I devoured it in one whole sitting!
Wes was an actual dream. The way he always put Ada first and showed her all the ways he paid attention to her and calmed her fears had me absolutely swooning. Especially him cooking the spanakopita for her when he is useless at cooking🥹 I absolutely loved watching Ada grow and become one of the family. Her having the girls night and finally feeling as though she could have the possibility of friends made my heart melt. I adored her fire and spirit from the very first chapter, and the 'How to lose a guy in 10 days" references!
Lyla, this is an absolute masterpiece and you're doing amazing sweetie. I am falling in love with every single character and I truly cannot wait to read all about Teddy and Gus the next instalment of the Rebel Blue Ranch series.

God, I love a cowboy romance. This series just keeps getting better and I'm so happy the author got a publishing deal after her great debut.

This is so aggressively black cat x golden retriever and I ate it up!! Ada was such a relatable and interesting heroine, and her relationship was Weston was so romantic I felt like I fell in love alongside her,

4.5 stars, and I really recommend checking it out.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lyla Sage and Quercus for the free e-arc. All opinions are my own (I just really enjoyed it).

This was a while heap of cuteness, I absolutely adored everything that is west and ada.

There were a few moments I found abit cliche and not the most enjoyable but overall super cute and fun.

as you can see i finished this book in literally a day. i couldn’t put it down. any chance i got to grab my phone and open the net galley app to read, i took it 🫣

one of my favourite quotes — “i see you, ada. i always see you, even when you don’t look at me” AHHHH 💖💖💖💖💖

so i haven’t read the first book and i totally wish i had before being approved for this arc because i would’ve had better context for some of the characters but it’s okay because you don’t feel lost at all! i loved every single character and their personalities. they were all so different but meshed so well together. i’ll definitely be going back to read the first book in the series.

ada and wes had my heart from the very start! i absolutely love a black cat x golden retriever vibe in a book, i eat it up. i loved how ada was a complicated character and she also just wants to be loved and be free and wes gave her that :’) wes was such a sweetheart and i just love his golden retriever vibes, he was so good to ada. i did love their conversation about the past, like ada’s divorce and wes’s depression and it wasn’t just lightly skimmed over, it was dealt with in a great way.

this story was just perfection to me. i’m absolutely obsessed with ada and wes and i can’t stop thinking about them. the perfect combination of sweet, steamy and cosy!!

new obsession? cowboys in romance novels.

read this book if you love:
💌 black cat x golden retriever
💌 city girl x country boy
💌 small town romances

There’s something so comforting about a story that even though you know where it’s going and how it’s going to end, you just know you’ll enjoy it every step of the way. And I so did with this story. The relationship between Ada and Wes is delicious, sweet and comforting. He’s a pillar of strength for her. When her instincts tell her to run, he remains stable and strong. There’s lots of sweetness, a good dose of spice and a whole lot of goodness.

The mental health rep was great, I particularly enjoyed how it was just a fact of who Wes was, not a flaw in him or an excuse for poor behaviour - it was just a fact that his brain worked differently.

I loved Ada, her prickliness, and her wanting to feel like she belonged somewhere. She may have been hesitant, but Wes just allowed her to come to her own realisations without fuss or pressure, he was always there, communicating with her then giving her the space to find herself.

Such a great book.

City girl meets country boy trope makes me weak in the kneeeeeeeees!!!

Thank you to Lyla Sage and Netgalley for letting me read this!!

I loved every single minute of this one, 5/5 stars for me, and I'm omw to grab the first!!