After reading the first book in the series I was looking forward to this one. It was a bit of a letdown. The mystery was not much. The big secrets, especially Layla's, were a bit too much drama. Overall not a great read from this hit or miss author.

WILDE FOR YOU A Dark Horse Dive Bar Book 2 by Jennifer Ryan
This is Jax and Layla's story. Jax is caught the first time he meets Layla. She is a professional painter who is able to sell her work for serious cash. She meets Jax when her assistant convinces her to go to Wyoming, she needs time away to get her inspiration back for painting, and she is caught off guard by Jax. I enjoyed this sweet story that has mystery, romance, twists with turns. This is 4 stars

This was another heartwarming story of two people from different walks of life coming together. Layla is starting a new chapter in her life and what better way than to stay on a Ranch and paint all of the beautiful landscapes. When she meets Jax she knows her life is about to change. Jax is positive she is the most beautiful person he has ever seen and he wants nothing more than to get to know her. Will things work out for them or will their past interrupt what they have?

Layla was recently widowed but now wants to move on with her life. She wants to rediscover her passion, so she takes a contract to complete a painting for a wealthy client. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with Wyoming and a hard-working rancher. Jax works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He has no time for a relationship, and he sees no end in sight for how much work he has. He certainly doesn't expect to fall for the artist staying on his family's ranch. They seem like opposites but maybe they are the perfect balance. Can they find out who is threatening Layla before it's too late? Can they figure out how to make a life together?

The author made a good choice making Layla a recent widow. That decision gave Layla a chance to grow from sadness to happiness. It was a nice growth curve. I thought her falling in love with Wyoming and Jax was believable. The story of her relationship with her husband was good and really showed Layla’s strength. The search for her tormentor was good and also really believable. I was totally invested in her finding happiness. Jax had so much room to grow and change. I like Jax and his commitment to his family and businesses. I thought his attraction to Layla was believable as was how he got to know her slowly. I was rooting for him to find a balance between his businesses and his life. The side characters added to the story. I really like the setting.

The bad guy wasn’t my favorite part of the story. I don’t want to give too much away because it is integral to the relationship between Layla and Jax. I felt like the author could do more with it somehow, but I can’t quite pinpoint what.

This is a contemporary romance set primarily in Wyoming. The main characters are both adults with busy and demanding careers. This book can be read as a stand-alone although why when there’s more to read? I will definitely read more from the author in the future.

Tough on the outside, with a heart as big as Wyoming. Protective to the core, fairness and kindness running in blood. And when the tough have to wage a battle for love, heart and soul takes to the knees. Let’s meet the Wilde cousins running the Dark Horse Dive Bar.

Jax Wilde loves his close knit family, his ranch and the Dark Horse Dive Bar that has been in the family. A cowboy to the core and grateful for what was given to him, he never realized what was missing in his life until Layla Brock stepped onto his ranch and into his life.

Landscape artist and widowed Layla Brock is mesmerized by the vast Wyoming beauty and even more enamored by the kindhearted cowboy. As much as she’s attracted to Jax, she comes with a baggage of secrets that she intends to take to her grave.

Two beautiful souls, hearts filled with hope and love, Jax and Layla let the spark of attraction ignite into a fire that has no intention of dying down. With Jax and his family as her protection, Layla will fight every evil shadow that is dogging her.

Every story that Jennifer Ryan pens, is always a surprise read for me as she plots and narrates with intense insight. Just when I think they can’t get any better, she weaves a stunning story of two people, hearts as big as the Wyoming sky and pure as snow, as they vow to battle any demons that come their way.

An alluring story!!

I fell in love with how hard Jax and Layla fell for each other. This story is very instalove, yet the characters held back at first. Both have had bad experiences in the past, especially Layla, so they don’t exactly trust these intense feelings at first. Whether they’re doing things as friends or later when they delve into a romantic relationship, they’re so in tune with each other.

While there is a bit of a mystery/suspense when it comes to strange things happening to Layla, it doesn’t take over the story. This book is very much about love and the different ways love can present itself. Even different romantic love. Layla is a widow and deeply loved her husband, but he broke her trust and, even with their love, it felt different from her love with Jax. I appreciate that, although Layla’s husband did something terrible, the love from Layla’s marriage is not discounted.

Some inconsistencies popped up at times that really annoyed me…enough for me to change my star rating. Quite honestly, it’s not something that affects the story and a lot of people won’t notice. But these type of things jump out at me and it came up multiple times so I cannot ignore it.

Even so, I was all-in with this story and find myself looking forward to more HEAs for Jax’s family and friends.

Wilde for You is another book by Jennifer Ryan that kept me up reading well past my bedtime. Whether it's contemporary romance, romantic suspense, or women's fiction, this author has the ability to pull me into her stories and hold tight until I turn the last page. Even then, her characters linger in my mind for days after finishing their story.

This is the second book in Ryan's Dark Horse Dive Bar series and one of my favorites from this author. She always brings her western settings to life on the page but especially so in Wilde for You. Maybe it's because Layla is an artist and we see the scenery through her eyes but I found the sense of place to be exceptionally immersive and vividly depicted. I felt like I was right there with her as Jax showed her all the special places on his ranch, absorbing the soul-stirring majesty of nature's beauty.

The setting wasn't the only thing that captured my attention. Ryan has given readers a cast of characters I want to be friends with. I love the Wilde family and am totally invested in their happiness and well being. I want to stay at one of the cabins on their ranch, ride horses, go fishing, and dance the night away at their bar. These are characters it's fun to be around, characters who make me feel good, which is a large part of why it was so heartwarming to watch Layla be absorbed into the warmth of their family after coming through her two years of grief.

Ryan excels at weaving suspense into her stories, as is the case with Wilde for You. I liked that that portion of the story didn't show up until later in the book, devoting necessary time to growing the relationship between Jax and Layla before introducing the danger. Once it became part of the story though, I was on my toes trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind it.

If you enjoy contemporary romance with a western flavor, a thread of suspense, and a couple it's easy to cheer for, pick up a copy of Wilde for You. I loved it.

While Wilde for You is the second book in a series, it stands well on its own. You should be aware, however, that Lyric and Mason (the main couple from book one, Wilde Love, feature prominently in this book as well.

Content warning: suicide, abortion, miscarriage, adultery (all occur off page and before the story begins)

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan is the second contemporary romance in the Dark Horse Dive Bar. Set in Wyoming, Ryan gives us romance, suspense, family and wide open spaces. Come meet landscape artist Layla Brock and watch her fall for rancher Jax Wilde.

I was excited to return to the Dark Horse Dive Bar series. I feel in love with the Wilde family in Wilde Love, book one. In Wilde for You, we meet Layla Brock, a landscape painter who lost her husband and had to deal with an inheritance dispute. Secrets and pain have left her battered. Which is why she has accepted a commission in Wyoming and rented a cottage at the Wilde Ranch. She’s not looking for love, but fate has other plans. The tale that unfolds delivers romance, a touch of suspense and the Wilde family charm.

Jax Wilde thought he has a plan, and that all went to hell when his relationship ended with his girlfriend. Since then, he has thrown himself into the family business and is the center that keeps it all running. His life is about to change when he meets Layla Brock. For the first time in forever, he’s thinking about the future. Their first meet was cute, slightly awkward and let me know we were in for a sweet and touching romance. Ryan did not disappoint.

Layla is unsure of anything, including the marriage she had with her husband. How can she ever trust again? I loved Layla and her passion and excitement that shown in each painting she lost herself in. We slowly learn about her marriage, the inheritance issues, and the secrets she carries.

The romance was sweet and sexy as the two opened up to each other. Ryan hits on many relevant topics, including loss, pregnancy and abortion. I came to care for both of them and lost myself in their story. The suspenseful thread built throughout the story while it revealed secrets and pushed the couple closer.

I love the Wilde family. They are good people who work hard and love harder. They own the ranch and the Dark Horse Dive Bar. Jax oversees the operations of both and lives on the ranch with his parents. Some day the farm will be his and he couldn’t imagine a better life. We see characters from the previous novel and they are still adorable.

Fans of small-town romance with a touch of suspense, family and breathtaking views will want to grab Wilde About you. Each book in the series contains their own romance and HEA, but you’ll want to meet all the Wildes.

Wilde for You is book 2 in the Dark Horse Dive Bar series by Jennifer Ryan and another Wilde sibling meets his match.

Jax Wilde, part owner of Dark Horse Dive bar with his siblings, runs the family ranch, and renting the cabins on the ranch to tourists wanting a taste of ranch life. After a bad breakup he is just to busy until Layla Brock, landscape artist shows up with secrets but something stronger draws them together. Loss, secrets, threats, family and more keeps you turning the pages…

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book. This is such a fantastic book and I couldn’t stop reading. I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Ryan and I always feel so emotional in her books. Loved the instant chemistry between Jax and Layla. They fell so hard for each other and even trust each other which is a miracle considering what they went through - between his ex and her diseased husband. I personally wouldn’t have been as kind as she was. But is she being targeted? Loved being surprised by the plot. This is easy to follow even if you haven’t read the first book. Loved the sense of family and that they get a very happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I highly recommend this book.

Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan was a very sweet and wonderful story!
I couldn’t put this book down. It has very relatable characters who are each strong people in their own way.
The chemistry in this book is off the charts! Layla and Jax are amazing together.
The characters are fully evolved and the town is filled with respect and compassion.
I enjoyed reading this small town story filled with suspense, intrigue and romance.
Wilde for You was a good read from cover to cover. Well thought out plot and relatable characters.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is one of those stories that when you are finished, you “sigh” and want to read it all over again. Artist Layla Brock is recovering from the death of her husband and the damage that he left behind. She needs to get away from the memories and his brother who has continued to harass her. Arriving at Wilde Wind Ranch, she feels as if she has found the beauty that was missing from her life. Meeting the owner, Jax Wilde, is giving her thoughts that she should not be having so soon after her husband’s death. Jax is immediately attracted to Layla. He has always wanted to find that someone special for him, is Layla that someone? As he works closely with her, he begins to yearn for the permanency that he has never desired. Layla has never met someone like him, so caring and a man who gives his all for his family and community. Introduced to his “family” at the Dark Horse Dive Bar adds a new dimension to her work and life, but trouble seems to have followed her to Wyoming, but who and why? A book that I couldn’t put down until the very end! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Second in this series does not disappoint. These two are both finding something in each other that they didn’t know they were missing. Some secrets and a bit of suspense leads to a hard fought hea.

Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan is a steamy contemporary cowboy romance featuring rich and famous artist, Layla Brooks and rancher and bar owner, Jax Wilde. Jax’ parents owned Wilde Wind Ranch but Jax mostly had the running of it. He worked twenty hours a day between it and the family bar, Dark Horse Dive Bar, which he ran with his three sisters working at both spots. Lyric was a singer/songwriter and she was good. She sang at the bar often. She also had a boyfriend, Mason, who was an FBI agent and loved her to death. Jax was sick of being alone. He had broken up with Helen several years earlier after a major betrayal and had only very casual relationships since then. When he saw Layla, he knew. She was for him. But, she was a widow. Was she ready? She had been brought to Wyoming by her manager and best friend, April, for two reasons: she had a commission that required this scenery and she needed to heal from her husband’s suicide.

To say Jax is an overachiever is ridiculous. He invented the term. Layla was much the same. April had purchased a small building and sent it on ahead for Jax to build for use as Layla’s studio. That had never happened before, but she was writing big checks so he was all in. Things progressed between them. There were some hurdles but what ever goes smoothly? This was a very hot book with plenty of interaction. Jax whole family was happy as it had been a while for him. They liked him happy. The two had a good relationship, opening up more and more as time went on. It was a wonderful romance, as only Jennifer Ryan can write. There was an element of thriller in it as well, which just added to the spice. Loved every minute of it. Thanks, Jennifer Ryan!

I was invited to read Wilde for You by Avon and Harper Voyager. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AvonAndHarperVoyager #JenniferRyan #WildeForYou

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series – and I loved it!

The moment Jax and Layla see each other, they are smitten, and somehow the filter is off and they tell each other how they feel – completely out of character for both of them, but they just can't help it... such fun and original when most books thrive on lack of communication.

That is not to say that they don't have issues from their past relationships, and struggle to trust, but they both recognise that this is special and so are patient with each other and affirm their attraction and constancy.

I found Layla's artist's eye a refreshing way for us to imagine Wyoming, and the beauty around her; this is undoubtedly down to the talent of the author, that this is so vivid and compelling. I liked the touch about not being her work until she signs it, and that happens only as she is about to deliver the work. It was such a strong contrast to Jax's world of running a working and holiday ranch and a lively bar with his family.

This was a really good story with lots of layers, with a passionate romance for a super hot and sexy couple at the middle of it.

I enjoyed going back to the Dark Horse Dive Bar, but the book can completely enjoyed without reading the others in the series. The connection between Layla and Jax was instant. Both have had some pretty horrible experiences with past relationships. I enjoyed how their relationship grew through the story. They just fit together so well. The suspense in the story fit well and had a good amount of build up as well as a good twist. I look forward to the next story in the series. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Jennifer Ryan is back with the second installment of her Dark Horse Dive Bar series, Wilde for You, a subtle romantic suspense wrapped up in a small-town cowboy romance. It’s the first Ryan novel I’ve read, and I liked this standalone enough to delve into her backlist as soon as I was finished.

Layla Brock is a world renowned landscape artist from California rebuilding her life in the shadow of her husband’s suicide. His death, coupled with a tumultuous emotional period leading up to it as well as his brother Michael’s attempt to take what he feels is his inheritance, has wrung her out emotionally. The experience challenged her creativity and left her artistically barren for long enough, so when a commission for a stunning Wyoming landscape comes her way, Layla jumps at the opportunity.

Fate guided her to the Wilde Wind Ranch, owned by Jax Wilde and his sisters, and one of the pretty little guest ranches overlooking the beautiful countryside. Jax has his own emotional baggage following the end of his most recent relationship, and rather than turning to art he threw himself into punishing work schedules at the Dark Horse Dive Bar they also own. Like Layla, he’s ready to move on from the emotional wringer he’s been through.

Michael rears his ugly head often enough to be problematic, though his interference doesn’t win against the weight of Jax’s love and support that’s just weighty enough to give Layla hutzpah and triumph over the final vestiges of her past. There’s a big cast of characters who interject themselves regularly, as is the habit of a series about a large family, and the instalove Layla and Jax experience feels a little rushed, but Ryan tempers both by peppering in the small nuances of life and inspiration between Layla and Jax as the story unfolds.

Wilde for You is a mature, contemporary love story with universal truths that everyone, in every situation, can relate to. It’s timeless in its conflict and motivation and approach to finding love again. Starting over is scary, and taking chances requires bravery we don’t always know is within us. Layla’s motivation speaks for the man she loves now, as well: “Somewhere out there was the new life she wanted to make for herself.” Layla may have found it at the Wilde Wind Ranch, but Jax also finds it in her.

WILDE FOR YOU – Jennifer Ryan
Dark Horse Dive Bar, Book 2
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063319769
March 26, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Wyoming – Present Day

After being betrayed by her husband and his subsequent suicide death, landscape artist Layla Brock only wants to find tranquility to paint. Her manager has set her up to stay for several weeks on a remote Wyoming resort ranch. On Layla’s arrival, she is introduced to one of the ranch’s owners, cowboy Jax Wilde. There is an instant spark of interest between them. While Layla didn’t come to Wyoming to have a fling with a hot sexy cowboy, she is not averse to the idea. Jax is friendly and accommodating. They soon hit it off and are seeing a lot of each other. Has Layla found the perfect way to mend her broken heart? Will she be thinking about staying on longer at the ranch?

Layla once thought she had a good life. Christopher was a loving husband and though they went through losing a baby, she was slowly healing. Then she discovered he was leading a double life with another woman and their baby. Shattered, Layla left him, but while he apologized for what he did, his ultimate response was to kill himself. Christopher’s brother, Michael, fought hard for a bigger share of the estate and isn’t happy that he ended up with nothing per a clause in the will. Michael has been hounding Layla for money, which is one reason why she needed to get away. Wyoming turns out to be a good place. It brought her to Jax.

Midway through WILDE FOR YOU, things begin happening in Layla’s life. Her home in California is broken into. Michael keeps texting/calling her. Her car tires are slashed. Is Michael responsible? Whatever is going on and whoever is doing it, it only makes Jax more protective of Layla. They are now in love, and he will do anything to keep her safe. Much of this tale is about Jax and Layla getting to know each other and growing closer. Readers will enjoy their interaction and seeing both find happiness. While much is not said about Jax’s romantic past, we soon learn that he was burned by a woman and why. Layla will quickly have him changing his feelings about love.

WILDE FOR YOU is a bit of a whodunit with the mysterious things happening to Layla, but it is mostly a good-feel romance between two people who once were burned by love. Second chances are earned, and love is given. Will Layla and Jax find a happily-ever-after together? Don’t miss WILDE FOR YOU.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This was a beautiful story that I really enjoyed reading.
I loved everything about the main characters, Layla and Jax. It was fun going on their journey to heal.
The romance aspect was sweet.
There is a mystery aspect to the story that was intriguing.
Though part of a series, this can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wilde for You, Dark Horse Dive Bar book two, by Jennifer Ryan has Jax Wilde at the very center of it. This man deserves a happy ever after. He may not be working undercover like his future brother /-in-law was doing in the first book but he works the ranch, the bar, and has his family at the very center of his heart. A real hero in my eyes.

Landscape artist, Layla Brock has loved and lost, now coming to the Wilde Ranch to paint and recover. However, not everyone believes Layla should recover and live again, so danger follows her from California to Colorado. A romantic suspense story taking place in a wonderfully portrayed setting that you love along with well-developed characters that you love even more. Hard to believe but this sensitive serious story is even better than the first one in the series.