Done and Dusted

I initially judged this cover rather harshly. Its comics/western art didn't entice me, but bookstagram was all ga-ga about it (and I was hoping for a Yellowstone Rip and Beth steamy vibe), so I grabbed a library copy.

Emmy and Luke have known each other since they were kids and have been the proverbial burr under each other's saddles, antagonizing each other at every chance. When Emmy returns to their small town their lives collide, making them quickly question their animosity.

While it started strong with its banter, promise of enemies-to-lovers and ADHD representation, this book quickly went off the rails for me. I am not a fan of Insta-Love and I got whiplash from how fast they went from hate to horny. And the amount of ADD rep was very disheartening because it was barely addressed.

In a romance, I need it to be swoony, funny and some spice and this book had all three but not enough of the first two. There's lots of spice, but it also included cringey sex talk and Luke's overuse (of the icky) nickname of 'Sugar' for Emmy. The saving grace for me was the friendship between Emmy and her BFF Teddy (she was easily my favourite character in the book). 

This was a fast read with found family, a small-town setting, enemies to lovers and crushing on your big brother's friend. There are some steamy scenes, occasional humorous banter and a secondary cast who we'll see pair up in future books. 

I'm not sure if I'll jump back in the saddle for future books.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Lyla Sage

Genre: Romance

Series: Rebel Blue Ranch #1

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from public library

Publisher: Dial Press

First Published: June 6, 2023

Read: June 12-13, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: 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?