This is Lyla Sage's best book yet. I adored every second of reading it. In this book, Lyla Sage keeps the same energy that makes Rebel Blue Ranch so loveable, while still giving Sweetwater Peak its own unique atmosphere. Collins and Brady were so fun to read (I very much loved their opposites attract, "everything in life has brought me to this moment with you" relationship). And while I really loved every character in the book, especially Boone Ryder, the Rebel Blue tie in (I NEED him in my life), my favorite part of the book was the aesthetic. Gothic Americana with a hint of cowboy western? I'm sold. I can't wait to reread this in the autumn. I'm already eager for Clarke's sequel. Lyla did a fantastic job of hinting at the plot and making me NEED it immediately.

“It’s crazy how alive you feel after coming in contact with the dead.” 🫡🫡🫡🫡 okay okay okay.

Lyla Sage is back with a western romance but this time with a paranormal element. Collins reluctantly comes home after getting down to her last dollar. Brady Cooper just wants to run and never be found. Together you have the perfect match.

Funny, spooky, and full of heart. This charming small-town romance comes with meddling ghosts, second chances, and two lovable messes trying (and failing) to stay away from each other. Total delight!

I loved her other series and while I enjoyed this one it's not my favorite. There is a lot of stammering, a lot. If there was a reason for it that would be one thing, but there's no explanation as to why they both stammer so much.

Thank you so much Dial Press for allowing me to preview this book early!

I LOVE LYLA SAGE. The first book of hers I ever read I chose it solely because I LOVED the cover. Yes, I did in fact judge Done and Dusted by its cover. To date, Done and Dusted wears one of my favorite covers and sits high on my list of favorite romance books of all time. And Soul Searching is no different.

I read this book in one sitting! I absolutely love small town romances and I truly believe that Lyla does them well while adding her own spin to them.

The story is about Collins, a photographer whose life took a sharp turn and landed her back on her small remote home town of Meadowlark, WY. Collin’s homecoming is anything but expected, both for her family and herself. Here she meets Brady a “city boy” who has been desperately trying to have a fresh start. Upon meeting, Brady and Collins have undeniable chemistry and although their relationship starts off with Brady doing Collins sister a favor, it slowly turns into something more. They are such a great example of what can happen if you chose to do the scary/hard thing and open yourself up to vulnerability.

I truly loved this book. I appreciate and align so well with Lyla’s writing style. My only critique is that at times the pacing felt a bit off. The progression of events didn’t always flow well for me. I almost felt like the book could’ve been a bit longer to give some of the larger moments room to breathe. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, especially considering I appreciated the characters, their stories, and their development over the course of the book. I look forward to her expanded universe (PLS READ THE EPILOGUE!!!!)

While I really like the premise of this book and adore the way Lyla Sage writes romances, in particular her MMC's being so down bad for her FMC's, this book felt a bit stilted to me. I don't know if the inclusion of the paranormal aspects was what was holding me back, but it took too long to get to the meat and potatoes of the plot and what was holding the characters back. Now I do appreciate that Lyla steers clear of the third act break up, but this one took me too long to get through. While I read all four of her first series in 3 days, it took me days to get through this one.

4.5*
If there is one thing I love in this world, it is a Lyla Sage book. Lyla can do no wrong.
This book definitely had a “darker” feel to it. I think Sweetwater Peak is a bit of a dreary place, especially compared to Meadowlark. Lyla has said time and again that her second favorite genre is horror, and I think you can really tell in this book. Especially with the less friendly ghosts.
I loved the MMC in this book, I felt like he was just along for the ride. He all but says “she’s crazy, but she’s hot, so I’m in!” He’s here for a good time.
The FMC was a bit more complex, to me. Her relationship with her twin sister was definitely strained, and much of that was her fault. Her lack of communication skills due to her own stubbornness got old. I’m glad that seemed to go away by the end of the book, it shows her growth.
I do wish I had felt a little more involved in their falling for each other. I’m just not sure I saw enough of them together to 100% believe they’re in love. They’re definitely in lust.
Overall, I enjoyed this, Lyla can do no wrong, and I will read everything she writes.

As a writer of my own Western series ("Hazeldine"), I picked up Lyla Sage's first book in her much-buzzed-about Rebel Blue Ranch series with high hopes. And while that one started pretty strong, I quickly lost interest in it and ended up DNF-ing the book or continuing on with the series. BUT, so many friends have talked about how much they enjoy Sage that I wanted to give her another chance -- perhaps it was just that particular set of characters/that setting that didn't click for me?

So when I saw the premise of Soul Searching, the first book in her new Sweetwater Peak series, it sounded like a promising second-chance -- I'm a sucker for "I-can-see-dead-people" characters, especially in a quirky small town. And I'm very happy to say that this Sage romance was FAR more enjoyable; in fact, I read the entire thing in one sitting over an afternoon.

This time around, I immediately connected with the moody, tattooed, goth leading lady Collins Cartwright; and the girl has plenty of valid reasons to be so emo, too. And pairing her with the sunshiny nerd Brady Cooper was a wise choice. Opposites attract stories are among my faves, with Collins and Brady balancing each other out nicely.

Sage also does a really good job of establishing an atmosphere and setting that is equal parts sweet/cozy and ominous/creepy -- there's always something a little off about Sweetwater Peak, no matter how picturesque it is -- and I looooved the way she handled Collins' preternatural ability and the ghosts themselves. (The scene with the Lady in White by the river was especially well done.)

Something about the general moodiness and pervading sense of barely-hidden-darkness really worked in this story, and kept me interested from start to finish. While the third act drama/conflict felt a teensy bit rushed, it was still deftly handled and satisfying (and I was SO GLAD it wasn't yet another "couple breaks up over some misunderstanding/hidden secret coming to light and has to hastily reconcile in the last twenty pages for a HEA"; I'm beyond tired of seeing those in my romances).

As to the romance itself: I really liked how Collins and Brady came together so naturally, getting to know one another while trying to find ways to restore Collins' full spectral abilities rather than immediately falling into bed together. I also appreciated that it took time/there were stages to their intimacy, given Brady's last relationship (sidenote: refreshing to see a genderswap in the usual "I was gaslighted/emotionally manipulated by my partner" scenario, because men can absolutely be mistreated like that in relationships). The sexy stuff doesn't happen until well past the halfway mark, which I honestly prefer (since it means we get real character development in first, which then lends itself to making the sexy stuff even more impactful and enjoyable), and when it does happen it's satisfyingly hot.

I also liked how Sage paralleled Collins' creative block with her photography with losing her ability to hear the ghosts. When you start to lose faith in yourself/your own abilities, and second-guess everything you do, the fallout of that can be multilayered, and the idea of a paranormal ability being intrinsically tied to creativity is one with serious legs.

In conclusion: Really glad I gave Sage a second chance, and I think I'm going to enjoy what she does with any future stories set around the very evocative (and very haunted) Sweetwater Peak. I think she's a far stronger paranormal-adjacent romance writer than a neo-Western one.

Thank you @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lyla Sage has quickly become one of my favourite authors because of Rebel Blue Ranch and I was so excited to get a chance to read Soul Searching and see something a little different from her.

You still get the cosy, small town love story with an amazing, well rounded female lead but I loved the addition of the spooky vibes and supernatural elements.

The tension and build up for Collins and Brady was amazing, the other characters in the book were really well written and interesting, and I loved the dual POV. Can’t wait for book 2!

4 stars
Soul Searching is a charming blend of small-town romance and light paranormal mystery. Collins and Brady’s slow-burn chemistry is heartfelt, and the ghostly elements add a fun twist without overshadowing the story. Though the pacing lags at times, Lyla Sage delivers a cozy, emotional read that fans of sweet, supernatural romance will enjoy.

Collins and Brady are a fantastic pairing, I immediately wanted them to get together! I loved the setting of this book -- I have not encountered many paranormals with a western vibe so that was super cool. The relationship between the sisters was fun to watch and I could have used even a little bit more of that. Excited to see what Lyla Sage does next!

The Sweetwater Peak Series is going to be an amazing series I just already know it after finishing this one. The ghost western town is so unique for the cowboy romance genre and I think Lyla’s experience reading horror really helped her in this book! It was definitely spooky at times and will be perfect as it comes out right before October talk about perfect timing! The slow burn in this one is just chiefs kiss. I absolutely love her writing style its done so beautifully I can picture what I'm reading in my mind and I love when that happens.

Jumping off the barely completed Rebel Blue Ranch series, Soul Searching could have waited a bit. It feels rushed. I love the banter between characters but can’t help and think of how many times I had started and restarted this book. Slow burn it felt like. It gives a paranormal vibe but it could have been more potent. I love Lyla’s Rebel Blue Ranch Era, but this didn’t captivate me like her pervious books.

Overall, great banter. Slow burn. Spice and Paranormal activity

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Collins and Brady and the banter was really fun too. This was a slow burn but the pacing was good and I love a plot that includes any paranormal abilities and talking/seeing ghosts is always a win for me. I liked how Collins abilities hinged on how she felt about her work as a photographer since it went hand in hand and that as she lost confidence in herself then her abilities kept diminishing as well until they were muted and she could only see glimpses of ghosts but never hear them. I can’t wait to read her twin Clarkes book and fill in what was happening that we didn’t see in this one. This was a great fast read.
Thanks to Dial Press Trade Paperback and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a cute book. My only problems with it were the pacing. I feel like it was really slow for so long and then wrapped up too quickly.

Let me start by saying I really enjoyed the Rebel Blue series so I jumped at the chance to try something different from Lyla Sage. Sadly, this just wasn’t not it for me. I read most all of the books in the author’s last series in 1 sitting each, but I struggled through this one for over a week. Ultimately, I was bored. I just wanted a little more in several different ways. I wanted more scenes with Collins and her family to really explore that dynamic. I wanted more quirky townsfolk interaction and the supernatural of it all. This way we could see the main characters interact with someone other than each other.

As for the main characters, I really liked Brady. This wasn’t insta love, but it was close to it. I liked that he was not a typical brash male character, but I was not fully in love with Collins. I also thought the ending was so abrupt. The conflict was hinted at the whole book then came to a head at 93% and wrapped up fairly neatly by the end. I will assume the conflict will continue in book 2 following Collins twin sister Clarke though.

I think many people would enjoy this book. It is a light read and I think people enjoy the supernatural of it all especially as it releases in the fall. I will definitely still give book 2 a try, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you for the opportunity to read early for review! I enjoyed the writing style and rich detail about the town, which made me more excited for the follow-up books than I ended up for this one. I felt like it needed a few more revisions - or some pruning of what parts of the plot were the main focus. The stakes kept ramping up for different things and then being dropped, and I wanted more general detail about the town to understand if it really was that sleepy, or if it was more tourist flow, or just how haunted it was - It felt rushed and I wanted to settle into it more like we have in the author's other series.

This was a good book. But I wish there was more of the paranormal parts in the plot. I really liked when we were dealing with Collins and her ability to see and talk to ghost, but we didn't get as much as I thought we would. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters either. I loved the ghost but I didn't feel like Collins really cared about that part of herself like they said she did. And her and Brady didn't have much chemistry to be falling in love like they did in just a few months. I do say if you like a light romance with a little bit of paranormal activity you should try this. The spice is not heavy and doesn't happen til the 75% mark only 2 scenes really.

I was so excited to be able to read this one early because I am a HUGE Lyla Sage fan! I'm absolutely obsessed and in love with her Rebel Blue Ranch series and now have a serious thing for cowboys lol. I was a little nervous with this one because I'm not really one for supernatural style romances. There's something about the inclusion of ghosts and other creatures that really takes me out of the romance of it all. But I always like to give it a chance just in case. While this book did not measure up to Rebel Blue to me, this was still a very fun read. I enjoyed the continued small town feel and the intimacy of the characters relationships. Sage does an amazing job at giving us a real deep dive into the emotions and personalities of her characters. They're complex without being insufferable. I'll always root for them. The only thing that wasn't as believable for me was how these two basically professed their undying love and devotion for each other after knowing each other for a week. Kind of took me out of it but still very much enjoyed!

🚨 Spoiler alert 🚨

If you prefer going onto a book blind, don’t read this. Ugh, I wanted to love this book but I was bored.

She is a photographer, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts but both abilities seem to be lost to her so she tucks tail and runs back home.

He came to a small town after a failed engagement, trying to a life more filling and using a family skill to start a business and just keep to himself.

Fate kinda throws them together and they work together to bring themselves both back to life, so to speak. And then face a challenge together when her family is tricked into a contract to sell their hometown business.

Some spice, but not much if that’s important to you. He struggled with his own insecurities but still was very attractive lead. Their love was not insta love but it was close. They went from fighting attraction (good build) to what felt like straight confessions of love.

Just wasn’t my favorite. Ending, of course, was open door into a second book following her twin sister. I’ll read it because I love this author but I’m not hooked onto this series yet.


I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my owns.