This was a spooky romance full of ghosts with spark of mystery that was a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the Montana setting, the family dynamics, and the small town vibe. The newest from Lyla Sage, this releases on Sept 30th. The characters didn‘t charm me quite a quickly as in her last series, but they grew on me and I‘m looking forward to the next in the series. Thanks to netgalley for an ARC

Lyla has done it again , y’all.

This book is another love letter to small towns, but instead of a heartfelt message of yearning, it was one of resilience and resistance in the face of corporate greed (don’t worry, there is also plenty of romance for the girlies! Lyla would never do us like that!)
The paranormal aspect was very well done, and makes sense within the story. Collins’ relationship with the ghosts of the town and the mysterious muting of her ability to hear them is a compelling story that had me yelling “please talk to your sister!!”

I have loved everything Lyla sage has written and this one was no different. I absolutely loved this

This book is like a warm hug from your hometown—and also like that hometown is full of matchmaking ghosts with boundary issues. Lyla Sage blends cozy small-town romance with just enough supernatural weirdness to make it feel fresh. It’s sweet, it’s sad, it’s sexy, and it has ghosts. What more do you want?

Soul Searching was a unique and cute romance! I think this would be the perfect romance to read in the fall/around Halloween. The ghost aspect of this boom was different and I was unsure about it at the beginning but ended up really enjoying the ghostly encounters and impact it had on the story.
I loved both Collins and Brady. Brady was a solid and loveable love interest.
No drama or third act breakup which I appreciate in a romance!!

Honestly, not my favorite Lyla Sage! I'll read most anything she writes, but esp as this one was set in the same world as her other books, it just didn't scratch the same itch. I didn't love the love interest as much as I've loved her past love interests, and the ghosts felt a little tacked-on. Still a fun read, but definitely not my fave Lyla!

Such a fun addition to the Lyla Sage bibliography! Loved meeting new Ryders and friends in this tiny, creepy town.

With Lyla Sage’s new novel she brings the atmosphere of Gilmore Girls with a dash of paranormal. In Soul Searching, we follow Collins Cartwright, a twin that has moved away from the town she grew up in, and Brady Cooper, who is the new upholsterer in town. One thing is different about this romance novel. Collins can communicate with ghosts and these ghosts want to see Brady and Collins together. This novel was both funny and emotional in the best way. I highly recommend this book to any Abby Jimenez fans.

I LOVED this book!

I have read all of Lyla Sage's other book and this was by far my favorite!

Collins has been traveling all over the world as a photographer, but she decides to return home to deal with some things and ends up sharing an apartment with Brady, above his upholstery shop.

I love Collins character right from the start. Shes a little bit of a mess but absolutely hilarious. And Brady was so funny too. I liked how his character was written. He isn't the typical macho her MMC. That doesn't mean he isn't strong. But he definitely wears his emotions a little bit more on the outside then most men in Romance books.

This book had me laughing out loud! I wish I was naturally as funny as these characters (or the writer). But alas I am not. This was a super funny, fun, a little spooky and heartwarming read. And the Spice scenes were perfect!

Love the retro cover!

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this, I didn't even read the description. Lyla is an automatic read for me, so I dove in. I definitely wasn't expecting the spooky vibes, but I'm here for it. The town was creepy and I loved the tie in to her other series, but something was missing for me. The character development seemed lacking and I didn't feel connected to the characters at all. That being said, it was a fun read and I definitely recommend.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with this ARC of “Soul Searching” (to be published September 29, 2025) and giving me the chance to review it!

“Soul Searching” by Lyla Sage is a good introduction to Lyla Sage for me. At first, I felt a teeny bit lost and unfocused, not knowing where she was leading us, but that ended up being my favorite part, if we’re being honest. I also love a good dual POV style book, and this one definitely benefited from that format.
My other favorite part: the characters. Brady Cooper has some small ghosts in his past, like most characters out there, but he’s trying to move on with his life and start a new, fresh chapter. Collins Cartwright, the main FMC, feels so much and so deeply, and Lyla Sage describes it all so beautifully and vividly.
Collins and Brady’s chemistry was off the charts, and when it got steamy, the steam was.. quite steamy.
All in all, I really enjoyed the journey this book takes you on. Will definitely be reading Lyla Sage again in the future, no doubt about it!

The review is currently up now on my Fable account.

https://fable.co/review/b54c2bd9-ac9e-49db-a8ab-26adaf20a818/share

Felt very different from her other books but was still fun and the perfect autumn read.
Her books are always a treat!

A divergence from the cowboy romances we know and love in Meadowlark, but still swoon-worthy all the same. Lyla writes settings that are such love letters to the West - and I truly think it adds an innate charm to her books. This book was a traditional black cat meets golden retriever and I ate it up. The characters of Collins and Brady were both endearing and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with both of them on their own. I totally believed in their chemistry, but I wish we had spent more time with them in the beginning of their flirting. Lyla Sage is such an auto buy author for me!

As much as I don’t want to say it, Soul Searching was a flop for me. I think if the publishing industry wasn’t having authors put out two books a year, they would have more time to work on what could’ve been an amazing story.

I enjoyed parts of this story and loved the ghost aspects, but felt they were underdeveloped and there was way more potential for the supernatural side of things. The plot had a lot of moving parts and I found that there was a balance issue. Collins was on the run from her life, struggling with her supernatural ability to speak with ghosts, but it got distracted by her forced proximity/new work romance with Brady, her strained relationship with her sister Clarke, all while the subplot of her family’s land potentially being scouted for sale.

It’s a slow burn and the chemistry felt classic Lyla Sage, but I also didn’t think that the true burn between the FMC/MMC had time to be built up enough. I needed more chemistry and almost-moments between Collins and Brady, before they admitted their feelings. Ultimately, it makes sense there was no third act breakup since the foundation of their relationship didn’t have enough going on for me.

I felt like Brady’s POV didn’t work for me, it definitely could’ve been a single POV book. His pov was very female gaze coded. Ultimately, I felt disconnected to the characters because of the disjointed plot points. I needed more character development and relationship chemistry to connect with. I wanted the ghost aspect to be a lot stronger and more involved and the end of that felt rushed, what could’ve been an incredibly cool storyline.

I know I’ve talked a lot about what the book did wrong, but I did enjoy the small-town life aspects. As someone who lives in one, I can relate. I also liked the side character introductions that set up the next book. I’ll definitely read it - I think that Lyla Sage’s second books in a series hit harder for me, if Swift and Saddled is any clue. Also, fans of the Rebel Blue Ranch series will LOVE the few cameos we got!

Thank you to the Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lyla Sage is such an amazing author and this book hit just as hard as all of her others. I loved this book so much.

Without a doubt, my favorite book by the author!!! And isn't mixing Spooky and Western a stroke of genius? I had a great time reading it. The author's writing is always easy and light. I finished it in one afternoon. Collins and Brandy make an extraordinary couple, and I loved how it developed. Definitely highly recommended. You're going to have an amazing time!!!

This is the second Lyla Sage book I've read, and I really enjoyed it! I really liked the ghost element to this story, and how there are different types of ghost visually etc. I really enjoyed this book, and thought Collins and Brady were swoon worthy. I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom, and really enjoyed reading this story.

Okay, I have mixed feelings about this one, so this may be a bit long winded.

I'm a big fan of small towns, small town romances, and Lyla Sage in general, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of this one. Add in some ghosts, and we're set up for a good time. But this book felt a bit...awkward, with too many small subplots that weren't really fully fleshed out or resolved. The romance aspect was fine, and the spicy scenes were written well, but overall, this one didn't quite live up to what I expected based on reading the Rebel Blue Ranch series.

The ending also seemed a bit abrupt, and while I realize it was setting up for the second book, <spoiler> Clarke not sharing with her sister about the ring and it being hidden in a photo </spoiler> (that) just felt wrong.

Anyway, I will definitely keep reading because overall, I did enjoy this one and I'm curious about the next book, but if you're going into it expecting RBR, you'll be disappointed. I'd say this one was maybe a 3.5 for me? Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this one!

I really enjoyed this book. First of all, I love that Lyla took a big swing with this. The Paranormal aspect was a fun addition. I really liked Collins & Brady! They were so cute. I loved their awkward banter and the spicy scenes were excellent.
I am rating it a 4.25 because it took me awhile to really care about the characters but once I did, I was hooked. This is a great first start to the series and I can't wait to read more.
Big thanks to Random House and Net Galley for the ARC!



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7586706299

I will speaking about this book on my podcast the week of release as well posting a reel on Instagram for it

We love a Lyla Sage love story.

I’m so impressed that Lyla made Sweetwater Peak so much moodier than Rebel Blue. The vibes were hitting.

I’m obsessed with Brady. I want ten of him. A man that goes to therapy to sort his shit out while doing manly handiwork? Hot.

Not quite a 5 stars because it took me longer to want to get to know these characters. Also, the burn was a little too slow in this one. The spice was spicy, but there wasn’t enough. Need more spice please!!!