Done and Dusted

Posted January 29, 2024 by Carole in Reviews / 8 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Done and DustedDone and Dusted by Lyla Sage
Narrator: Aaron Shedlock, Stella Hunter
Series: Rebel Blue Ranch #1
Published by Penguin Random House Audio on October 24, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 6 hours 51 minutes
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

She’s off-limits, but he’s never been good at following the rules.

Discover this sizzling, small town brother's best friend romance—now a special edition with an exclusive sneak peek at the next book in the series and a Q&A with the author!

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 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 had such a good time with this book! After reading quite a few positive reviews for this book, I decided to give it a go myself, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Emmy and Luke were fantastic characters and I wanted nothing more than to see them find their happily ever after. Once I started listening to this gem, I did not want to stop!

Emmy moved back home to her family’s ranch after a riding accident left her unable to get back on a horse. This is a big problem since she races horses for a living. Luke is her brother’s best friend and has always been almost like a member of the family. When Luke offers to help her get over her fears so that she can ride again, she takes him up on that offer. The chemistry between this pair is palpable and they can’t resist each other for very long.

These two were perfect together. Even though they have known each other for years, I felt like they truly learned to understand each other once they spent some time together. It was great to see them fall for one another. I liked that they were able to help each other work through some things and stood up for each other when necessary. The secondary characters were incredibly well-developed and added a lot to the story. I can’t wait to see more of them in future books in the series.

Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter did a fantastic job with the narration of this romance. I thought that they were both able to bring their characters to life which added to my enjoyment. Both narrators had very pleasant voices which complimented each other’s very nicely. I thought that they were able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading which helped to heighten the listening experience. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. This was a fun romance with characters that were easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of this entertaining series.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio.

8 responses to “Done and Dusted

  1. What a powerful review you have here. Glad it was a keeper. Love seeing a relationship where a couple learns to understand each other so well.

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  2. I’m so glad you ended up liking this one so much. I put it on my TBR list because I just couldn’t resist that cover or title…and I’m looking forward to reading it even more now. 😀

  3. Oh I love the sound of this one! I love in a romance when characters really try and prop either up and bring out the best in each other. The horse riding angle is a bit different for me as well. Adding to my TBR!