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midnightmoon_dreamer's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good but I didn’t love Ada’s characters. I feel like we didn’t see enough about her story which made it harder to understand her actions. Weston, on the other hand, is the man of my dream. The way is character and his struggles are written makes him really come alive, especially with the dual POV. We also see a lot of the other characters from the previous and next books (a lot of setting up the next 2 books). Overall I liked this fun quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
kaitrates's review against another edition
3.0
“I was more than happy to be an accessory for her greatness.”
Whew I went on a journey with this book y'all! I loved it hated it then loved it again. So, let's break it down.
What I Loved
Wes. This man was down so bad and I loved how he saw Ada and loved Ada and didn't let her just lean into her trauma but showed up time and time again to help her brain-body realise that this relationship was different. It was safe.
Also, I felt like he was a good embodiment of non-toxic masculinity with his gentleness and his sweetness and also his cow hotness. Honestly, he reminded me of Hugh Jackman (specifically in australia for yk obvious reasons)...then again, so does everything lately. 😏
The mirror scene. OKKKKKKKKKK. 🔥
The resolution. I LOVED that their HFN started with long distance, with neither of them giving up their dreams for love. GAH.
The setting was dreamy AF.
The friendships.I felt so seen in Ada struggling to make friends. Like girllll I get you! I felt like she was somewhat autistic coded but it definitely wasn't committed rep. And I loved seeing start to let people in and let herself be loved. 🥹
Also, I felt like he was a good embodiment of non-toxic masculinity with his gentleness and his sweetness and also his cow hotness. Honestly, he reminded me of Hugh Jackman (specifically in australia for yk obvious reasons)...then again, so does everything lately. 😏
The mirror scene. OKKKKKKKKKK. 🔥
The setting was dreamy AF.
The friendships.I felt so seen in Ada struggling to make friends. Like girllll I get you! I felt like she was somewhat autistic coded but it definitely wasn't committed rep. And I loved seeing start to let people in and let herself be loved. 🥹
"And that’s how it went for the next couple of hours. We traded stories and anecdotes, and I carefully added new pieces of Wes to my growing collection of things about him that I was holding close to my heart."
What I Disliked
The lack of depth. The book touched on some really important topics (e.g. depression, arousal nonconcordance, abusive relationships) but didn't dig into them. And sure, not every book has to, but I found myself wanting more from this story and, ultimately, feeling a bit disappointed.
The lack of lube use and sexy times with a soft peen. Listen this is such a sex educator thing to say but if you mention MULTIPLE times that they both struggle with physical arousal of their bits, I do not want a magic peen-adjacent solution!!!! I want them to have hot hot sex anyways but in a creative way! Use lube! Give us prostate play!
I hate when books perpetuate this idea that if you're just with the right person or they do the right things, all your sex issues will be resolved. This is not how the brain-body works okay?! I was so excited to see the characters talk about these struggles and then so let down when the answer wasn't even an abundance of foreplay (seriously the first time they have sex and she remarks how well things are going I was like, "that's it?!"
ANYWAY *steps off soap box*
Insta-lust. Although it wasn't the worst it could be.
The T Swift references.Listen I know she's everywhere in contemporary romance but JFC there are reasons OTHER than misogyny for why people don't like her. This scene would've been so much more meaningful if it had just been the girls screaming and didn't come with a side of cult messaging.
The lack of lube use and sexy times with a soft peen. Listen this is such a sex educator thing to say but if you mention MULTIPLE times that they both struggle with physical arousal of their bits, I do not want a magic peen-adjacent solution!!!! I want them to have hot hot sex anyways but in a creative way! Use lube! Give us prostate play!
I hate when books perpetuate this idea that if you're just with the right person or they do the right things, all your sex issues will be resolved. This is not how the brain-body works okay?! I was so excited to see the characters talk about these struggles and then so let down when the answer wasn't even an abundance of foreplay (seriously the first time they have sex and she remarks how well things are going I was like, "that's it?!"
ANYWAY *steps off soap box*
Insta-lust. Although it wasn't the worst it could be.
The T Swift references.Listen I know she's everywhere in contemporary romance but JFC there are reasons OTHER than misogyny for why people don't like her. This scene would've been so much more meaningful if it had just been the girls screaming and didn't come with a side of cult messaging.
All in All
This was a very fluffy candy-like which attempted to include some deeper themes but I don't think exactly nailed that. It was cute and hot and also frustrating AF at times.
I'm game to try some of her other books the next time I need a proper palate cleanser.
CNs: depression, past abusive relationship
Sex tags: oral sex, hand sex, makeout, PIV
I'm game to try some of her other books the next time I need a proper palate cleanser.
CNs: depression, past abusive relationship
Sex tags: oral sex, hand sex, makeout, PIV
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Mental illness and Death of parent
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am obsessed with this cast of characters and this series of cowboy love stories! Ada and Wes are just so perfect for each other and Wes is so loving and kind. But I can’t wait for more books to come out, I’m really hoping for Daddy Amos to get a book!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
frenchfrybri's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
loved ada’s character and wes is a 10/10 from me. we love a king who leaves women the fuck alone
i think the way mental illness and other struggles are portrayed in this series is well done!
i think the way mental illness and other struggles are portrayed in this series is well done!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent
lex_is_bookish's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
lisettemarie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
koistyfishy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 Baby Blue Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
So I picked this up thinking that this was book 1, AND VERY SOON REALISED this is book 2... But I said fuck it... Guess I'm in my Cowboy Era and decided to jump right in.
This book was a really fun time! Ada is an interior designer, and based on a referral from a friend to a friend she ends up with a project to remodel the Rebel Blue Bed and Breakfast. The night before her first official day, she waltz's into a local bar looking for food and meets an unknown man. She immediately makes "goo-goo" eyes at him and he makes "goo-goo" eyes at her so they end up locking lips. When someone catches them she flees like a modern-day Cinderella. The next morning, she rocks up at her new place of employment and finds out that her new boss, Wes, is none other than the mystery man she was swapping saliva with... And determined NOT to get involved romantically with her new employer, she puts a nice little cockblock into any further kinky hijinx.
Now, this was sweet and adorable and just utterly wholesome. It met everything I was expecting in what you'd think you're going to get when reading a little cowboy romance. Wes checked every one of my boxes with pretty little GREEN CHECK MARKS. He was a walking green flag, a CHARMING gentleman who was just raised right with all his perfect manners and behaviour. He can communicate and kinda knows how to handle his emotions.
Then we have Ada who is pretty insecure and almost seems cold. The Grumpy in the Grumpy X Sunshine mix but she's not a typical "Black Cat" - she has never been given a chance to fly on her own. She has just come off a very oppressive and emotionally abusive marriage where her ex-husband dictated her life to the point of unhealthy codependence and control. She needs to learn how to be herself again, explore her limits and boundaries and learn to be able to do things on her own without her husband. I really did enjoy her growth and how she built up her self-confidence daily.
Their relationship was a hit-and-miss for me, because it took a long time for them to finally act on their feelings, even after numerous people explicitly made it clear they didn't care that Wes was her boss. Only saying she only shouldn't hurt him by starting something and then leaving... the two had this almost "instalove" pull which contradicted the delay in relationship. THEY WERE PINING FOR THE OTHER… and while it can be argued that it was more lust - if that were the case I would have expected a quicker payoff... This wasn't a frustration per se, it was just the battle of the conflict didn’t make sense… The why they couldn't be together especially after they both were so attracted to each other, didn't add up.
Something that I loved was the importance of friendship and how someone accepting you could be the first step to healing. Ada, through the course of this book, learnt how to invite people into her life, not only from a romantic relationship perspective but also through the "Girl Squad" she formed with Wes's baby sister, Teddy and Sam. I loved that these girls protected each other, stood up for each other and made everyone comfortable and feel part of something.
There are also aspects of dealing with mental health issues. Wes does suffer from Middle Child Syndrome in that he is often overlooked, ignored or neglected by his family. He also suffers from depression, so I appreciated that this book was not shying away from his struggles, showing that anyone (even the man who appears to be a perfectly put-together charming gentleman), could suffer from a mental illness. It was almost as if his condition was purposely downplayed. Showing that if it's not made into a big deal, him having bad days, then it can be accepted as normalised. Highlighting that there is NOTHING wrong with him... Or it could have been downplayed cause this is a fluffy romance and sometimes they don't go too deep into issues.
The writing was pretty easy to follow and fluffy, so you can kick back, relax, and enjoy. I experienced this book through audio. The writing characteristics were heightened by the amazing job Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin did, because it felt smooth and fluffy and flowed effortlessly.
Two things unfortunately bothered me and it's why this didn't get 5 stars. The first is I wish that it went a little bit more into the weeds and details of the actual project of what she was doing at Rebel Blue. It's very vague descriptions of the renovations, or just comments that they were completed but never really explained what it was they were completing... I mean the biggest thing I know about the design is she made flower-stained curtains.
The Second thing (and this is pretty minor) is that the way people explained Wes and who Wes was in his POV, did not always line up. He is described as gentle and sweet, a typical golden retriever... but in his head he swears like a fucking sailor. Now I am not saying a "nice guy" cannot say the word FUCK... But if it's the first chapter of his POV and there are 4 Variations of the word fuck in this chapter... he is not exactly matching up to cute and polite... Now it might be because of my own intrinsic bias for characters I normally hear portrayed by Teddy Hamilton, that when he says FUCK those men are normally "bad boys"... but this dichotomy just stood out as weird. I also found it pretty sleazy that their "Bar Meet-Cute" is him saying "I am going to leave you here while I go have a drink, if you want some fun YOU come to me...."
The Tropes in this include:
▶ Cowboy Romance (Small Town Romance)
▶ Workplace Romance (Forced Proximity)
▶ Opposites Attract (GrumpyXSunshine)
▶ Dual POV
▶ Instalust but Slow Burn
▶ Found Family
▶ One Bed
▶ Reverse Age Gap (2 Years) is that even considered an age gap??
▶ Banter
▶ Grey Sweatpants and HE BRINGS HER FOOOOD!
▶ Attempted Third Act Breakup
SO.... all in all! This was cute sweet and enjoyable and while there are some weird things I am happy I chose to save a horse and ride this cowboy!
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
So I picked this up thinking that this was book 1, AND VERY SOON REALISED this is book 2... But I said fuck it... Guess I'm in my Cowboy Era and decided to jump right in.
This book was a really fun time! Ada is an interior designer, and based on a referral from a friend to a friend she ends up with a project to remodel the Rebel Blue Bed and Breakfast. The night before her first official day, she waltz's into a local bar looking for food and meets an unknown man. She immediately makes "goo-goo" eyes at him and he makes "goo-goo" eyes at her so they end up locking lips. When someone catches them she flees like a modern-day Cinderella. The next morning, she rocks up at her new place of employment and finds out that her new boss, Wes, is none other than the mystery man she was swapping saliva with... And determined NOT to get involved romantically with her new employer, she puts a nice little cockblock into any further kinky hijinx.
Now, this was sweet and adorable and just utterly wholesome. It met everything I was expecting in what you'd think you're going to get when reading a little cowboy romance. Wes checked every one of my boxes with pretty little GREEN CHECK MARKS. He was a walking green flag, a CHARMING gentleman who was just raised right with all his perfect manners and behaviour. He can communicate and kinda knows how to handle his emotions.
Then we have Ada who is pretty insecure and almost seems cold. The Grumpy in the Grumpy X Sunshine mix but she's not a typical "Black Cat" - she has never been given a chance to fly on her own. She has just come off a very oppressive and emotionally abusive marriage where her ex-husband dictated her life to the point of unhealthy codependence and control. She needs to learn how to be herself again, explore her limits and boundaries and learn to be able to do things on her own without her husband. I really did enjoy her growth and how she built up her self-confidence daily.
Their relationship was a hit-and-miss for me, because it took a long time for them to finally act on their feelings, even after numerous people explicitly made it clear they didn't care that Wes was her boss. Only saying she only shouldn't hurt him by starting something and then leaving... the two had this almost "instalove" pull which contradicted the delay in relationship. THEY WERE PINING FOR THE OTHER… and while it can be argued that it was more lust - if that were the case I would have expected a quicker payoff... This wasn't a frustration per se, it was just the battle of the conflict didn’t make sense… The why they couldn't be together especially after they both were so attracted to each other, didn't add up.
Something that I loved was the importance of friendship and how someone accepting you could be the first step to healing. Ada, through the course of this book, learnt how to invite people into her life, not only from a romantic relationship perspective but also through the "Girl Squad" she formed with Wes's baby sister, Teddy and Sam. I loved that these girls protected each other, stood up for each other and made everyone comfortable and feel part of something.
There are also aspects of dealing with mental health issues. Wes does suffer from Middle Child Syndrome in that he is often overlooked, ignored or neglected by his family. He also suffers from depression, so I appreciated that this book was not shying away from his struggles, showing that anyone (even the man who appears to be a perfectly put-together charming gentleman), could suffer from a mental illness. It was almost as if his condition was purposely downplayed. Showing that if it's not made into a big deal, him having bad days, then it can be accepted as normalised. Highlighting that there is NOTHING wrong with him... Or it could have been downplayed cause this is a fluffy romance and sometimes they don't go too deep into issues.
The writing was pretty easy to follow and fluffy, so you can kick back, relax, and enjoy. I experienced this book through audio. The writing characteristics were heightened by the amazing job Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin did, because it felt smooth and fluffy and flowed effortlessly.
Two things unfortunately bothered me and it's why this didn't get 5 stars. The first is I wish that it went a little bit more into the weeds and details of the actual project of what she was doing at Rebel Blue. It's very vague descriptions of the renovations, or just comments that they were completed but never really explained what it was they were completing... I mean the biggest thing I know about the design is she made flower-stained curtains.
The Second thing (and this is pretty minor) is that the way people explained Wes and who Wes was in his POV, did not always line up. He is described as gentle and sweet, a typical golden retriever... but in his head he swears like a fucking sailor. Now I am not saying a "nice guy" cannot say the word FUCK... But if it's the first chapter of his POV and there are 4 Variations of the word fuck in this chapter... he is not exactly matching up to cute and polite... Now it might be because of my own intrinsic bias for characters I normally hear portrayed by Teddy Hamilton, that when he says FUCK those men are normally "bad boys"... but this dichotomy just stood out as weird. I also found it pretty sleazy that their "Bar Meet-Cute" is him saying "I am going to leave you here while I go have a drink, if you want some fun YOU come to me...."
The Tropes in this include:
▶ Cowboy Romance (Small Town Romance)
▶ Workplace Romance (Forced Proximity)
▶ Opposites Attract (GrumpyXSunshine)
▶ Dual POV
▶ Instalust but Slow Burn
▶ Found Family
▶ One Bed
▶ Reverse Age Gap (2 Years) is that even considered an age gap??
▶ Banter
▶ Grey Sweatpants and HE BRINGS HER FOOOOD!
SO.... all in all! This was cute sweet and enjoyable and while there are some weird things I am happy I chose to save a horse and ride this cowboy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Gaslighting
greenknightemrys's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
katgoetzzz's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
lmayfieldx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 & 𝐢’𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲. 𝐢 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥”
🌶️: 2
tw: divorce, major depressive disorder, anxiety,
🥀 first person
🥀 dual pov
🥀 divorced fmc
🥀 boss x employee
🥀 he falls first & hard
🥀 self discovery
🥀 found family
🥀 small town
🥀 strong friendship
🥀 waylon & loretta 🐶🐄
🥀 mental health rep (major depressive disorder & anxiety)
🥀 internal monologues
ada hart is an interior designer that’s looking to make some big life changes. the first step on this path is taking a job on rebel blue ranch to get her kickstarted into something great. she goes to the bar & meets a handsome cowboy, whom there are instant sparks with. but the next morning, she’s not as excited about him when she realizes that this handsome cowboy is her new boss, weston ryder
—
ada & wes were sooo cute together. i love how obsessed he was with her. he fell first & he fell HARD. it seems like all of the rebel blue ranch men are simps & i love it so so so much 🤭
ada’s anxiety was extremely well written. i love how her thought processes were written out - it felt realistic. i love that lyla sage includes these representations of disabilities/disorders in her books. i felt seen through both emmy (adhd) & ada (anxiety). wes was so patient with her & didn’t get frustrated with her at all. he did what he could to help her process her anxiety & feel secure. asking again - where can we find rebel blue ranch men irl?? 👀
ada is amazing at her job & her attention to detail 🤌🏽 adding the touch of roses to the house to preserve the memory of their mom, stella, was sooo sweet & thoughtful. and when wes realized that’s where they were from, it was such a fulfilling feeling. and it comes full circle with her own rose tattoos on her shoulder 🥀
the fact that i have to wait until november for lost & lassooed? i’m sick 😮💨
also fun fact: everytime i went to type swift & saddled, i almost typed swaddled bc of work 🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Grief and Death of parent