What We’re Reading in October 2024

**CURRENTLY READING**

*Done and Dusted*
by Lyla Sage

Giddy-up! It’s time to grab a saddle and ride a cowboy. We’re reading a small-town contemporary western romance that’ll have you dreaming of the wild west.

Have you ever woken up and felt like you were seeing the world for the first time? Or have you ever walked into a room, spotted someone you’ve known your whole life and felt a spark? If you answered yes to either of those, then this book is for you. If you answered no, but you want to know what that feels like, then this book is for you.

We kick off the Rebel Blue series with Clementine “Emmy” Ryder and Luke Brooks. They’ve known each other their whole lives because Luke is Emmy’s eldest brother’s best friend. He’s spent his whole life looking out for her (aka antagonizing her), but when she walks back into his life, he starts to wonder if that’s why he can’t seem to look away.

Get your copy of Done and Dusted (Amazon) and read with us!

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

I devoured this book. Emmy and Luke’s story is so sweet — i just wanted to lock myself away in their little bubble and to feel safe in this circle of trust. When a traumatic event sidelines Emmy, she struggles to get out of her head and move on from the event… until help comes from the most unexpected source.

This love story follows the local troublemaker with the playboy reputation (who turns out to be patient, caring and shows up for the people he cares about) and his best friends little sister. I always root for the sibling’s best friend because you already know they have your sibling’s approval, ya know?

Oh, and then there’s how Luke shows up behind closed doors with an insanely filthy mouth that actually made my jaw drop… Throw in the fact that he’s a cowboy and I’d happily ride that off into the sunset.

While Emmy and Luke’s story isn’t my favorite in this series (that title goes to book #3), they definitely draw you into the Rebel Blue Ranch series.

Listen to our Done and Dusted playlist, inspired by Emmy and Luke, the Devil’s Boot and Rebel Blue Ranch (Spotify).

What the Book Club Loved

FIREWORKS & STEAM: 5/5
We learned a lot about ourselves with this book — some of us liked the dirty talk, some of us liked the thrill of almost getting caught. But we were all drawn to the “PC forbidden romance” of a sibling’s best friend AND THE WHISKY. OMG the whisky (aka we heard: “I liked when he spit whisky in her mouth. I don’t even drink, but I’d have sex with him after that.”) So, buckle up because Luke Brooks knows his way around the ranch, the bar, and the bedroom.
WRITING STYLE: 4.25/5
We were so pleasantly surprised by this cowboy romance. For many of us, this was our first time exploring this sub-genre and it’s safe to say, we’re fans! Lyla also built a beautiful world in Rebel Blue Ranch and Meadowlark, Wyoming, we just want to hang out on a horse ranch, stay at the guest house, and watch all these stories unfold (without our husbands / partners, if you catch our drift)!
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
Lyla developed characters that made us want to keep reading the series. She sprinkled in details along the way and built a beautiful community of characters that made you want to befriend them and become part of their world. The side characters weren’t just side characters — their dynamic was fun, the women were strong and fierce, and the men are HOT. She filled their stories in just enough within Done and Dusted that we’re hooked and committed to reading the rest of the series to read their own stories.
THE LOVE STORY: 4.75/5
We loved it so much. We have no other comment.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting— I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Western.’ I thought they were going to be in spurs, out on a prairie, wearing conservative dresses buttoned up to their necks, but from the opening lines describing her skirt, I knew [Done and Dusted] wasn’t going to be what I previously thought.”

- JACQUI

If You Loved Done and Dusted, You’ll Love These

BASICALLY THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT: Holding the Reins (Silver Pines Ranch #1) by Paisley Hope (Amazon)
1) She comes home after quitting a toxic relationship and is ready for a fresh start. 2) He’s a retired pro-athlete who owns the town bar. 3) He’s her older brother’s best friend. 4) The setting is idyllic. This little romance has a lot of our favorite elements from Done and Dusted, but with its own small-town twists— including hockey (yay!) and ‘touch her and die’ energy.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
ANOTHER RANCH, MORE COWBOYS: Flawless (Chestnut Springs #1) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
This series got me hooked on cowboys and western romance. A professional bull-rider and an off-limits minder in forced-proximity (plus ONE BED!) is bound to result in some tension-filled banter. While Rhett and Summer will draw you in, you’ll stay for the rest of the family and the homeyness of Chestnut Springs (and you should because some of these stories are FIRE).
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
SIBLING’S BEST FRIEND: This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune (Amazon)
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to reach into a book, grab characters’ shoulders and shake them more than while I read this book. Don’t get me wrong — it was stupidly cute and I think that was the problem. I just want everyone to find love… screw the list of reasons it’s a bad idea because of being together makes them happy, they should just do it.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
A DIFFERENT KIND OF OUTDOORSMAN AND A DIVE BAR: It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sister #1) by Tessa Bailey (Amazon)
A fisherman and a socialite meet at a dive bar… and it’s every bit as entertaining as you think it will be. Piper is a fish-out-of-water (pun intended) whose blown into town to run her late father’s dive bar and can’t seem to stop running into the local grump. Tessa Bailey’s books are usually a hit or a miss for me — and this one is definitely the former!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
NOT THE DEVIL’S BOOT AND A RUNAWAY: Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score (Amazon)
The start of a suspenseful, small-town series featuring a local business owner (yup, it’s a bar) and a runaway bride whose life, unsurprisingly, implodes in spectacular fashion leaving her deserted in town with no job, no car, no plan, and a surprise child to take care of. Basically, nothing a little forced proximity and a love triangle can’t fix.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5

BY THIS AUTHOR:
- Swift and Saddled (Rebel Blue #2) by Lyla Sage (Amazon)
  Meet and fall in love with a FMC who learns to love herself, a town, a group of friends, and a man with a dream. Ada and Wes are embarking on a new venture — a clean slate, a fresh start. And what complements a new beginning better than a little love interest? The answer: He. falls. first.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
- Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue #3) by Lyla Sage (Amazon)
  Teddy and Gus. If you’ve read books #1 and #2 in this series then you know THIS IS THE ONE WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. And it lives up to the hype!! I can read this book over and over and over again.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5