Saddle up, it's time to get back on the horse
Wild and Wrangled
Rebel Blue Ranch
Romance
Dial Press
April 15, 2025
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
368
She’s the one that got away. He’s the one that never let her go.
From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small-town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost
“The perfect farewell . . . I dare you to get to the last page without turning right back around to walk through the gates of Rebel Blue all over again. I’ll see you there.”—Jessica Joyce, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex Vows
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?
Second Chance Romance
Finally, we’re here! “Wild and Wrangled” by Lyla Sage will be on shelves and dropping into readers’ ereaders any second!
By now, I think all of Lyla Sage’s readers know that Cam and Dusty are end game. Sage has been edging us with teases and glimmers of their history since “Swift and Saddled”. Reading between the lines, I knew something serious had to have gone down between them. Cam’s walls were so high they could compete with the Great Wall of China. I love a strong, determined woman, no doubt about it, but I never forget that there must have been something to push her into being that way.
“Wild and Wrangled” is the fourth (and supposedly last, but I’ll never shut the gate on hopes for more from Rebel Blue) stand alone set in Meadowlark. It sure lives up to its name, too. While it builds on the series and we get cameos from our previous favorites, “Wild and Wrangled” doesn’t seem to follow the rules that the previous novels had.
For example, some of our other couples (Emmy & Brooks and Teddy & Gus) have some type of history. They knew each other. Meadowlark is a small town, if you couldn’t tell. However, it’s Cam & Dusty’s story that gets told in dual timelines, and dual POV.
Additionally, while all of the Rebel Blue love stories have an emotional component to them, I believe that Sage flexes her emotional intelligence muscles throughout this story. This is, by far, the deepest we’ve been in what can only be described as emotional wreckage. I’ll leave it there, because we don’t like spoilers, but I think you’ll see what I mean soon enough.
What Else Can You Expect
A slow, slow burn.
Emotional edging. Dirty talk. A satisfying climax… to the story.
“Don’t rush me” he said against my ear. “I want to spend all night worshipping your body — learning all of the things I don’t know about it and remembering all of the things that I do.”
Dusty, “Wild and Wrangled”
Final Thoughts
Thank goodness it’s almost pub day because I need a copy for my trophy shelf. There are so many beautiful quotes and passionate passages on these pages that I use an entire set of notating tabs. (Seriously, kindle tells me I highlighted 33 separate passages.)
“Wild and Wrangled” is the epitome of a successful second chance romance. Dusty Tucker is the quintessential man written by a woman. Camille is an excellent mom and a great role model for her daughter. These two found each other once, and then found each other again, and I think that’s beautiful. I don’t know if I believe in soul mates, but if there were any at all, it would be Dusty and Cam.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
