ARC Review: "WILD AND WRANGLED" by Lyla Sage

Hello readers!
I'm back again with another review, thanks for @PRHInternational who is always so kind to grant me advance access to my favorite author's upcoming releases. So, in this case I'm super honored to talk to you about Wild and Wrangled, by Lyla Sage, that will be released today.

Title: Wild and Wrangled
Author: Lyla Sage
Publishing Date: April 15, 2025
Publisher:  Dial Press Trade Paperback
Pages: 368 (paperback)
Price: 17,99 $

Synopsis: Camille Ashwood had always loved a plan. Her latest was her best yet. She was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future, get her overbearing parents off her back, and finally start building her own life in small-town Meadowlark, Wyoming. Easy, right?

But when her groom doesn’t show up to the wedding, Cam’s life is turned upside down—she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is until she finds out the house she’s loved since high school is available to rent. There’s only one problem: the neighbor.

Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running. Running from what, though? More like who: Cam Ashwood. But ever since he returned home last year, the girl who was his first, well, everything has become a woman seemingly determined to keep him at arm’s length. And he was okay with that—at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. She was getting married, after all. But now she’s single and living next door. Dusty wants to show her that they can be friends, and that he can stay put.

Despite her best attempts to stay far away from Dusty Tucker, Cam realizes that being close to him is like slipping into her favorite jeans. Easy. Comfortable. That is until past wounds start to open and feelings—both old and new—wreak havoc. Nearly ten years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last. And this time, will it be forever?

 

Review:

*please, be aware I've tried to keep the spoilers as minimum as possible but there's some*

Rate: 5 ⭐

My heart is so full right now, because - even if you will see it on release day -  I've just finished this story and I feel the cracks in my heart for the awareness this series has really come to an end, at least for now. Rebel Blue Ranch books conquered me since the very first book, with their simple but deep stories about finding themselves again, facing fears, doubts the past and the uncertainty of the future, and open ourselves to real happiness, surrounded by the support of people who care deeply and love fiercely. It was like finding a home I didn't know I needed, and being immediately part of a family that grew bigger and bigger with every new book.

 

Here, with Wild and Wrangled, we finally focus on two characters we already know from the previous installments: Cam - Riley's mother - and Dusty, her ex-high school boyfriend. I admit I appreciated Cam, but she wasn't very present in the first three books (and Dusty even less) to already love her, and I really didn't know what to expect from this character. That until I read the little preview at the end of Lost and Lassoed 😏, when my interest sparkled immediately - and not just because the first chapter have all Luke, Gus and Wes in it, but sure, it helped #sorrynotsorry.

Anyway, knowing already a little of their background, even if vague, did make this story predictable? Absolutely not.

First of all, I didn't expect to immediately discover that the relationship between Cam and Graham was everything but romantic. That took me by surprise. So, if you expect a sort of love triangle, you'll be disappointed (I wasn't. I hate love triangles). And since we already know that Cam and Gus tried to be together for a few months but decided otherwise because they understood they weren't made for each other, why did Cam choose willingly this kind of life, instead of searching for real happiness? Was it related to how things ended between Dusty and her or to something else entirely?

This is the main question of this book, and I have to admit that I had general suppositions about it but they were completely wrong. Same as per the reason she and Cam went their separate ways years ago.

The easiest explanation would be a sort of order/blackmail from third parties to not seeing him again and that this separation made an heartbroken Dusty to go away - to be honest, I wasn't never convinced he just left her there to go working around the world. Well, as every Lyla's book, the explanation was simple but more multifaceted at the same time: it's true, Cam's parents were and are still horrible, at least toward their daughter and in a certain way they affected what had happened more than once, directly or not.

They're the typical kind people who are more focused on appearance, reputation and business, unsatisfied by anything or anyone who doesn't match their standards. Cam for them has always been mainly a tool rather than a person to love, and with their dissatisfaction it's clear they instilled a good amount of insecurities in her, especially, I suppose, to not being enough for anyone to fight for and never being able to be out of their control. Her actions were and still are influenced by these two aspects, in addition to the desire to protect Riley and ensure her a good future far from her parents ambitions.

At the same time, it's easy to understand why one of her first bravest decisions for herself at such young age was destined to fail. She hadn't been allowed to really think and focus about her future and her desires and that led her to start something without knowing where to go, while Dusty was already steadier about what he wanted to do with his life. That's why, even loving each other a lot, Cam spiraled into unhappiness and dissatisfaction, and Dusty suffered from that, without knowing what to do. Sure, I didn't expect what happened, and neither that Dusty didn't try to talk to her and just let her go, but again, they were too young and he probably thought she was finally trying to find her place in the world, so even if heartbroken, he didn't want to interfere because he truly loved her. But those never sent messages and letters? They broke my heart and made me think about Eli Mora from Jessica Joyce's The Ex Vows 😭 (if you haven't read it yet, just run). Furthermore, it made me sad to understand that Cam thought her possibility of freedom was over, like she had her chance and, blowing that up, her only option was to come back and follow the strict path her family designated for her and the only thing she could do. 

 

Back to Dusty: I loved him since the very first pages, and I fell for him over and over again with every flashback I read. He's that kind of person who doesn't have to be loud or make grand gesture to show his affection and support, and he's so sweet! I didn't expect that too. He's charming and a little flirt, without exaggerating, and he always makes me the impression to be a steady ground you feel you can put down roots in. I think it's impossible not to appreciate him as much he couldn't stop loving Cam through all those years apart, being ready to let her marry another man if that was what she really wanted.

Luckily for us, this isn't the case, and I appreciated his anger when he discovers she would have done it for other reasons than love, because he immediately understands that even after years she still doesn't fight for herself like she should. And we can say Cam still tries to sabotage their potential relationship more than ones, blocked by the fear to be left alone again and suffer as she did before. I didn't expect this sphere of her personality that made me bump my head against the table multiple times - and Dusty did have a good amount of patience too - but I like how all this made her real to me. Cam isn't perfect, but she managed to raise a child, give her a home and the love she didn't receive from her parents, and her coparenting relationship with Gus is admirable. So, it's been good to see this strong woman let herself choose someone and something she really wanted.

Likewise, I'm wondering how Cam and her parents' relationship will develop in the future, because that part has been left a little bit open - and I'm sincere, I would have loved to see them interact with Amos Ryder (my personal hero of this series) or Gus. Dusty already gave me great satisfactions with that.

And talking about the rest of the family, Riley remains the "sunshine" that brings light in every book. I loved how her relationship with Dusty grows so naturally (the scene where they met out of this house? I can't stop thinking about it) they become fond of each other almost without realizing it. They are so adorable together my heart melted multiple times. We have also a good amount of Gus, and I won't ever complain about that. I appreciated his protectiveness toward Cam, without being too pushy or intrusive in her life and I still smile thinking about him and Dusty cheering at Riley's soccer game.

There's also more Wes and Ada than book three, but this isn't a surprise since we already understand in Swift and Saddled that she and Cam would be good friends even if the development of their relationship hasn't been fully explored, especially because Cam was quite absent from town in Lost and Lassoed. And Wes is a sort of link between past and present, due to the fact that he knew Dusty and Cam since high school. That probably misled me a little, because I expected a sort of bromance like Gus and Luke, instead I swam in that bittersweet moment when Wes talks about feeling a little bit alone until he met Ada (my heart of course melted). In the meantime, the best Dusty's supporter is Amos and I wont ever complain about this. I love how he took Cam and then Dusty in his enlarged family, being a father for them without overstepping the line. He is the core of these four books and thinking about him always makes me so emotional because Lyla was amazing to describe the perfect example of parental love anyone should have in their life. 

And what about Meadowlark and Rebel Blue Ranch? Without extensive descriptions this place has immediately become a second home to me. Its little shops, the Devil's Boot pub, the Ranch, the nature surrounding the town... thanks to Lyla's writing style I always felt like being there among the characters, riding a horse through a mountain trail, having a chat with a townsfolk or wandering through the Ranch watching at Emmy giving riding lessons to kids. It was like Meadowlark was breathing all around me during the reading and it's an overwhelming sensation not every author can manage to generate.

I loved it all. That's why arriving at the end of this series is a real sweet and sour moment, it's like saying goodbye to a dear friend who immediately got under my skin. For this same reason, though, I appreciated the "surprise" you'll find at the end of it - I cried the majority of the time, but they were good tears.

 

Then, before I finish, let me say something about the spicy scenes. I think we have less scenes than the previous ones - and considering the type of plot it has, it makes sense -, BUT I think you'll find them very interesting as much as I did. Good Lord, Dusty🔥🚒 .

 

So, in short, Wild and Wrangled is a love letter for every reader who appreciated the previous installments, giving them the perfect conclusion (for now🤞) for this series with a new sweet story of second chance I'm sure won't disappoint you and some additional adorable moments to cherish in your heart.

 

Because nothing lasts forever, you know. Not even goodbyes. - Lyla Sage, Wild and Wrangled's Authors Note

 I wanted more? Well, yes, because we readers are greedy people, but I know some novellas are coming in the future😍, so I want to focus on that and on the hope they'll include a good amount of bromance scenes I missed a little since book one, as well as some special Emmy and Teddy's moments, because their friendship is one of the thing I love the most in these books.
Plus, Lyla's already announced an upcoming new series in a nearby ghost town and I can't wait to read it!! Stay tuned for updates on my IG account (@booksalwaysinbag) or for other future reviews related to this amazing author here on the blog. 

 

In the meantime, thanks to you, readers, to remain until the end of this review and to Lyla, for this amazing series.

 

To the next review!

Chiara