dnf @40%
I really wanted to like this but the FMC was really annoying and it was just really hard to connect.
As someone with a chronic illness (Mast Cell) i think the author did a good job.

things i liked
🤠 Cowboy romance with a twist
🤠 Wild West theme park
🤠 chronic illness rep

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
What a unique spin on a cowboy romance! I really enjoyed myself reading this one!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes 🫶
HEA 💝, cowboy 🤠, best friends little sister, dual POV, mask-play, forced proximity, chronic illness , theme park 🎢, costumes

<b>"Sue a girl for having fun and getting laid when she finally has the chance to make her own decisions."</b>

<u>Storyline</u>: This was cute! A super unique play on the cowboy trope. I love the chronic illness mention, as well. I do think the plot was a little underwhelming, especially when it got to the end and I didn't totally feel like Noah's ranch and Esra's career plots were solidified. But I've said it before, I read for vibes, and they were there in this book! I also found myself laughing out loud reading some of the one liners in this book, Esra was HILARIOUS. It isn't quite a 4 star read for me, but it deserves more than 3 stars, as well.

<b>"This man had no idea how surreal he was."</b>

<u>Romance</u>: Noah and Esra has CHEMISTRY. I was not expecting how spicy some of these scenes got. I gave it 3 peppers but for some folks it could be 3.5. I wish there was more yearning in this, everything seem to come to fruition pretty quickly, but that's okay. My needs are low when it comes to romcoms, shamelessly, and this book met them!

<b>"Nobody seems to grasp how much it hurts when you do everything right, everything the way you're supposed to, and your silly body just ruins all your plans."</b>

<u>Characters</u>: We got some sweet characters in this book! I really like Renee and how supportive Vivi was as well. Of course, Noah and Esra, the stars of the show, were amazing. I would love for them to have had a bit more depth, but, again, this is a short romcom book, so the expectations are different to me than a 700 page romantasy. Lucky was awesome as well, and Adriana of course! I see how our cast was set up for future books in this Wild Fields world!

Overall, this was a great ARC read and fed me deliciously! I was devouring this book nonetheless, and will certainly pick up future books from Dilan Dyer in this world!

This story swept me away with its charm and chemistry! It follows Esra Tanner, a former med student who finds herself working at Bravetown a quirky Wild West-themed amusement park after dropping out of school. Cast as the park’s resident damsel in distress, Esra’s role involves getting “kidnapped” daily by Ace Ryder, a rugged outlaw played by the brooding and sharp-tongued Noah Young.
From the start, Esra and Noah butt heads, but their fiery banter soon gives way to surprising chemistry, both on and off the stage. As they navigate their roles and real-life emotions, the story beautifully unfolds into a heartwarming tale of self-discovery and connection.
With beloved tropes like Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine, and a Small-Town Setting, this book delivers a perfect blend of tension, humor, and heart. Highly recommend for romance lovers looking for something fun and fresh with a unique backdrop.

The story follows Esra Tanner, a former medical student who, after dropping out, joins her brother at Bravetown—a Wild West-themed amusement park. Esra is cast as the park's damsel in distress, regularly "abducted" by the lawless cowboy character, Ace Ryder. Behind the Ace persona is Noah Young, a man who initially clashes with Esra. As they perform together, their on-stage tension mirrors their off-stage interactions, leading to unexpected chemistry and personal revelations. Some tropes are Enemies to Lovers,Grumpy x Sunshine, and Small-Town Setting. Definitely recommend

4.25⭐️ such a unique and fun take on a cowboy romance!!

This book immediately caught my attention when I saw it took place at a Wild West theme park. Esra recently dropped out of med school and has run away to this small town to work at a theme park her brother also works at. This theme park is Wild West themed and the author did such an incredible job with all the aspects. Esra is hired to play a damsel in distress and the mmc Noah plays the villian who kidnaps her every single day.

The dynamic between the two main characters was hilarious. They were bickering and at each others throats the second they met and there were multiple scenes that had me laughing out loud. Overall had the best time reading this!!

🎟️ Cowboy romance with a twist
🎟️ Wild West theme park
🎟️ chronic illness rep
🎟️ witty fmc x grumpy mmc
🎟️ dual pov
🎟️ spicy

Thank you to Dell Romance and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm loving all these new cowboy/country romance books. It's my favorite romance era to be in right now. This was a new and cute one to read and throw into the mix and I definitely think others will be happy to pick it up as well.

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. It was fun and refreshing. A play on the all too common cowboy romance flooding the market right now. Esra is in her early 20s and has escaped her overbearing wealthy family for the wilds of Tennessee accepting a summer job at a theme park where her brother works which I can only describe as a cross between Disneyland and Westworld. She’s young, reckless, messy, a bit wild and a ton of fun.

Noah is her brother’s best friend in the park and Ezra’s complete opposite. Stoic, reserved, meticulous, neat. Until he gets into character as Ace Ryder - villain in the park’s live show. Esra and Noah get paired together when the show needs a female replacement right away. She’s never acted or ridden a horse, but what Esra wants to do, she does.

Noah as Ace has an ungodly amount of bde and Esra, like his legions of female fans, falls hard. I loved them as a couple. The dichotomy of buttoned up Noah and dominant, arrogant Ace was amazing. Each of them had their own insecurities holding them back, but ultimately chose each other despite the obstacles in their way.

I absolutely want to come back to Bravetown and I hope we get more books for the other characters who definitely deserve their own stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have no relationship with the author or publisher.

I really wanted to love this book—the title, cover, and description all had me convinced it would be the perfect fit. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land for me. From the first few chapters, I struggled to connect with the FMC. She came across as overly immature, which made it hard for me to get invested in her journey or root for her, There were definitely some fun moments and interesting plot ideas, but ultimately, I felt more frustrated than entertained. Not every book is for every reader, and sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

I loved every single thing about this book!! The banter, the steam, the yearning! Ugh!! Just so good. Dilan Dyer became one of my favorite writers after I read Cinderella Is Faking It and Rapunzel Is Losing It, and this book just solidified it even more. I will read everything she writes and I am so excited for more books to come in the Bravetown universe.

I would have never believed that I would enjoy cowboy romances a year ago, but here I am. I've read quite a few now and this story was unique. Some books in the same genre start to run together after a while, but this breathed new life into cowboy romances for me. The idea of the theme park and the performance was so cool, and didn't feel too gimmicky. This was not a caricature of the west or of cowboys, it felt authentic and like it had true heart.

Noah has to be the sexiest cowboy ever. He's a mix of a bad boy because of his role as Ace Ryder and a tender-hearted neat freak that would do absolutely anything to please the woman he loves. I loved how some traits of Ace Ryder would bleed over into Noah's personality. The bathroom scene had me melting, died, dead on the floor. Besides the extreme sexiness, Noah's heart was bleeding off the page. His love for his horses, his protectiveness of Esra even when she annoyed the crap out of him, and his vision for a therapeutic ranch. Just a perfect cowboy.

Esra was absolutely hilarious. I loved how she didn't let her condition hold her back and that she was pushing herself to overcome the limitations that life and her family had put on her. Even though her plans for her future have gone up in smoke, she doesn't give up. She may be a little lost, but she takes the opportunity to break free and live life without fear. Her t-shirts with salacious sayings were the best and I was dying laughing at all her antics that were giving Noah mini-heart attacks. Dropping towels, stealing food, missing pants, and blowing fuses.

I just felt really connected to Noah and Esra, and their love for each other hit me right in the heart. I didn't want this book to end. I could have easily read 100 or more pages about them and their life on the ranch. I think I saw that the next book will be about Adriana, which I am excited for, but I do hope there are appearances from Noah and Esra.

I cannot recommend this book enough!! SO GOOD!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for a chance to read this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a really fun romance book! I absolutely loved the Wild West theme park setting; I thought it was such an interesting setting idea for a romance novel! I loved the main characters and their banter, and they had really great chemistry together. The chronic pain/chronic illness representation was very well done, and I really loved Esra. The side characters were all very likable as well, and I especially loved Lucas and Adriana!! Overall, I had such a fun time reading this book, and can't wait to see what this author writes next. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes enemies-to-lovers, small-town romances, and cowboy romances! :)

This was amazing, I loved it. Lyla Sage fans, this book is for you!!! So many amazing romance tropes in here.

You know, I always love to give props to authors for going out on a limb and giving us something fresh and unique.

How many cowboy romances are there out in the wild?
Quite a few…
How many cowboy romances are there set in a Wild West theme park?

I had a good time. I liked the concept.

Loved the loathe to lovers.
Banter & bickering

Forced proximity
Best friends little sister
Grumpy x sunshine
Disability rep
He plays a villain… mask play
Theme park ride 🌶️

Netgalley arc review ✨

This was a fun book to read! I enjoyed Esara and Noah’s story. I live a good enemies to lovers trope and this didint disappoint. I loved the disability representation.

What do you get when you have a fish-out-of-water enemies-to-lovers romance with your brother’s best friend set in a small town theme park where he’s a cowboy and you’re a city girl and you both go super viral and also you’re a genius but he has to teach you how to live on your own?

Answer: confusion.

This is a book that is the perfect example of what’s wrong in the romance industry: a reliance on tropes at the expense of plot, romantic development, and realism. This book is trying to do WAY too much, but doesn’t do any of it correctly.

Like…if it’s a family friendly park, why are they allowing cast members to make thirst traps in character? If Esra is supposedly so smart, why would she assume a towel with the initials “NY” would be for her since she’s from New York?? Why are there full on references to actual TikTokers? They weren’t fired after having SEX ON A COASTER?? There is so much to loathe about the choices made in this book.

The Brave and the Reckless? More like feckless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was SO much fun and I loved it so much!
It was a really unique story and setting and included some really dynamic characters as well as disability representation.
Esra and Noah are an “opposites attract” and loathe to love couple which was so fun to read.
I wish that Bravetown was a real place I could go visit.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine!

Okay, I sort of loved this tbh. It wasn't necessarily a western/cowboy romance per say, but it had enough of those adjacent vibes that I see it. The theme part/WestWorld setting was so fun and I liked seeing the characters balance their costume personality with their real ones. There are moments when the lines blur and you're like 🤭.

I enjoyed Esra and Noah as the mains. Both of them had slight trauma that definitely impacted their actions but it wasn't ever anything completely out of left field. I'm not sure what disability Esra had for certain, but it read to me as EDS which, I have to say this is one of the recent examples where it was obvious and they made it a character point (if that makes sense). Esra knew her limitations and it wasn't some secret vague thing. I think it informed a lot about how she reacted some scenarios in the back part of the story so it definitely added to her character. I also think we could've gotten more background for Noah. You sort of get told his backstory, but most of the development happens on her end more than his. He has moments though.

The romance low key had me screaming. It's a little abrupt with the way it starts but some of the stuff they were getting into I was like oh! I see you lol. There's definitely one scene that had me feeling scandalized and when you read it you'll know the one. Like good for you girl! I get why Ace would be a hot character, and Noah being able to tap into his Ace energy really made me like him more lmao. He was nice but bossy at the same time 😂. Cmon actor!

This didn't reach 5⭐ for me for a few reasons:
- even though I liked the romance, as I said it starts a little abruptly. I felt like I missed something when they actually get together but it just ...happens. Which is fine.

- Some of the behaviors near the end were giving juvenile in a story where everyone otherwise acted very adult. Esra definitely was doing some stuff around the dreaded 3rd act breakup and I was like really girl? Still was down for her though lol

- Esra's academics could've been a larger focal point. Like it's mentioned in her background and then she randomly has some scenes where she busts it out but idk, I wanted more. Also as mentioned above, I wanted more of Noah's background too

- Some of the dialogue definitely felt out of place with the characters and it felt like it was added to make things more ~cowboyish when it didn't need to be. There's one moment where Noah calls Esra "woman" and it's like huh? He wouldn't say that lmao.

Overall, I was here for this and absolutely would tell my friends about it. I think this one was less cowboyish in the end which helped it for me lol.

Honestly this book was a blast start to finish! Esra and her tshirts were so much fun, I read this whole book in one sitting! Couldn’t put it down! I loved the chronic illness representation of Esra, it is so relatable and I think we need so much more of it in our FMC’s. Now Noah was such a surprise!!! He seemed like a serious no fun kind of guy but when the spice hit?! My goodness his mouth was everything! Dirty talking hot hot man! The chemistry between the two of them was scorching and the banter from day one leading up to it was phenomenal! It was lighthearted and fun but it still did have so much more to it as well. The depth of these characters was great. And yes they’re playing Ace and Annie and running around Bravetown together as a robber and a damsel. But they have real life problems that they both have to deal with and I loved loved loved their story! Great job Dilan Dyer! I had the time of my life reading this! Also loved the whole Bravetown setting. What an original and fun idea for the story, I’ve truly never read anything like this and I enjoyed every second of it!

I’m going to be honest when I first saw this book I thought oh perfect a new cowboy romance, so I was a little surprised to find out this books take place in a “Wild West” amusement park. Which was definitely a twist I wasn’t expecting. There are lots of tropes this book covers that I think a lot of people will like: brothers best friend, found family, hate to love. We definitely still get a broody cowboy so I was very happy about that. I also really enjoyed how the handled the FMCs chronic illness. Overall I think that was a fun read.

This book is titled "The Brave and the Reckless" by Dilan Dyer. This book is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2025. This book is a spicy cowboy and small town romance. The main female character moves to where her brother lives and while there she meets the town's grumpy cowboy.

I received a free arc for my honest review
Oh my YES! This story was fantastic. I ate it up. It was such a a good new spin on your typical cowboy romance. Noah young! Umm we need more men like him out there. The banter was fantastic. The spicy scenes amazing. I giggled through the whole thing and just adored the characters. I can't wait for more to come out in the series!