Swift and Saddled Book Review
Check out my review of Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage, a spicy small town cowboy romance set at the Rebel Blue Ranch in Wyoming.
When my husband and I watched Yellowstone together, Rip and Beth were my favorite part of the show so it shouldn't have surprised me that I'd get sucked into the cowboy romance series by Lyla Sage.
I started with Done and Dusted and then jumped right into Swift and Saddled. I've already got Lost and Lassoed queued up on my phone for my next errands run.
I'm officially hooked on the Ryder clan and will be happy to revisit the Rebel Blue Ranch soon.
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
Summary of Swift and Saddled
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.
Can they make it through this project without giving in? Or will they both put their dreams on the line for a chance at love?
What I Liked
Here's what I would tell my best friend about the book:
- Audiobook Narration: I 100% believe I enjoyed this series because I listened to it on audio. If I had simply read the book myself, I would have missed out on the awesome back-and-forth inner thoughts as narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin.
- Weston Ryder: The sweet Ryder brother, he's steady as a rock, patient, and thoughtful. Watching him fumble to show Ada how he cares at the beginning of their relationship had me literally laughing out loud in my car. One word: Spanikopita
- Emotionally Intelligent Cowboys: The men of Rebel Blue Ranch set a high bar for the kind of men you'd want in your family. Father-Son, Brother-Brother, and Brother-Sister relationships are shown as strong, sweet, and stable. This is a family worth marrying into!
- Swoony Romance: Cowboy, take me away. I never thought I'd get into cowboy romances but Lyla Sage has a way of pulling at the heartstrings. Oh my.
- Home Improvement Subplot: The updates to the Baby Blue guest house are a key subplot but they don't take up too much of the storyline. I loved the details we were given about Ada's interior design techniques and how she made the home personal.
- Amos Ryder: I hope we see more of Amos, the patriarch of the Ryder family, in the other Rebel Blue books because I love how he seems to be playing matchmaker in the background.
What I Didn't Like
Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.
Nothing. I can't think of a single complaint. This book was so fun and exactly what I needed at the time.
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: Swift and Saddled rates a Level 4 on my spicy books rating scale. The romance is very much open door and detailed but definitely supports the plot.
Romantic Tropes and Content Warnings
Swift and Saddled is a small town cowboy romance. You can read more about romance subgenres here. You might also argue this is a workplace romance since the characters feature a boss-employee relationship.
It also takes advantage of several romantic tropes including: grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, and found family.
There are a few microtropes included as well: Nicknames, Teaching a New Skill, and Forehead Kisses.
The only content warning I'd give you is that depression is a subplot but it is handled very sensitively.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I give Swift and Saddled four stars on my star rating scale but it came reaaallly close to being a 5-star read because I immediately downloaded the next book in the series after I finished this one.
This series does what I believe good books are meant to do: entertain, uplift, and distract me from everyday challenges and stresses. I looked forward to hopping in my car to run errands just so I could listen to the book.
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