Series Name: Rebel Blue Ranch, #1
“Actually, what my patrons do in my bar is my business.” His bar? Since when? “And your family is my family, Emmy, so even if you weren’t in my bar, you would be my business. You’ve always been my business, and you’ll always be my business.” The level of authority in his voice told me he didn’t want to be questioned.
I didn’t care.
Yeehaw! Done and Dusted is a great start to the Rebel Blue Ranch series by Lyla Sage.
She’s off-limits, but he’s never been good at following the rules.
For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy” Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape.
Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her.
Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?
I think this is probably my first true western, and I gotta say, I’m into it. There is so much to love – gorgeous country settings, buff cowboys, and strong female characters too. Or at least this western had those elements. I don’t know why it took me so long to try this subgenre; this definitely won’t be my last.
Let’s start with the setting. I love everything about Rebel Blue Ranch and I want to live there. The ranch is home to the Ryder family – Emmy, her two older brothers (Weston and Gus) and their dad. Their family dynamic will melt your heart. They are as close-knit as they come and I loved each of their characters. I was super jazzed when I realised the next two books in the series are about Emmy’s older brothers. Swift and Saddled just came out in March and is about Weston, and Lost and Lassoed, about Gus, will be released in November. Looks like I have more reading to do!
Emmy is a great character. She’s strong and independent but vulnerable too. A professional barrel rider, she’s not sure what to do with herself after an accident on her horse leaves her scared to ride. She returns home to Rebel Blue Ranch to take some time to figure herself out.
Luke has earned himself a reputation as the town bad boy, but he’s working on himself. No one is ready to believe him just yet, but that will come. Is it just me or is there nothing sexier than a man who’s committed to his own growth as a human? He grew up with terrible circumstances and kind of got unofficially adopted as part of the Ryder clan because Gus is his best friend. This of course makes his attraction to Emmy absolutely forbidden. Fans of the older brother’s friend trope will eat this up. I love a good forbidden romance and this is a great one.
Now let’s get to the good stuff. The chemistry between Luke and Emmy is off the charts great. And not only in the bedroom. Because they have this long history together, they genuinely care about each other even though they annoy the hell out of each other at first. As their interactions progress, they talk a lot and become better friends, and things go on from there. And they get spicy friends. Mucho spicy.
Done and Dusted is a satisfying forbidden romance western, you won’t be able to put down. I’m already looking forward to visiting Rebel Blue Ranch again with the next book in the series.
