🎠 The Brave and the Reckless ARC Review 🎠

By author Dilan Dyer

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🤠 Hate to Love
👑 Older Brother's Best Friend
🤠 Small Town with Old West Theme Park (she's the damsel, he's the bandit)
👑 City Girl x Country Boy
🤠 Grumpy x Sunshine
👑 Forced Proximity
🤠 Chronic Illness Rep
👑 Secret Relationship

This book was so fun! The old west theme park sounded so cute, so I expected this to be a sweet little feel-good romance book. But the SPICE was SPICIN'. 🥵🌶️

I did not expect to enjoy the spice as much as I did in this book. It was a very welcome surprise. Those hidden moments in the hideout with of seven minutes in heaven were just 👌🏼👌🏼 so good.

I loved the small town, grumpy x sunshine storyline where he falls HARD. Noah did not want to put up with Esra's BS at the beginning and I loved seeing him snap. He fell so hard and I was so giddy seeing how possessive and protective he was of Esra.

The side characters and the rest of the cast were cute. I wouldn't be mad if Adriana got her own story, finding her out of town Daddy. 😏 I need more of this world!

3.5 stars (rounded to 4 because of how much I love the setting and storyline!) I absolutely loved this story! It’s so much fun. I really enjoyed the Wild West theme park! I would definitely read more books in this setting. The characters are enjoyable and I loved the chemistry between Noah and Esra. Honestly this would’ve been a solid 4, or even a 5, star read if the physical part of their relationship hadn’t advanced so quickly (and then been such a heavy focus). I would definitely recommend reading this book! It’s easy to read and very entertaining.

Noah & Esra were so good together oh wow!! my first book from this author & i loved it so much!
The tension between the two of them from the beginning was incredible, I swear I felt like I was in the room with them.
Also loved Sinan!! He was just trying to be a good big brother ❤️

thank you to Netgalley & Dell Romance for this ARC!

The Brave and the Reckless releases July 24th!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dilan Dyer, and Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.75 stars

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I knew the concept was interesting, and bonus, a chronic illness rep. But this book hit me in my feelings. I don’t have the same chronic illness as Esra, but I experience joint pain and other symptoms. I understood her frustration with everyone coddling her. I also appreciate Noah’s trauma of having an alcoholic father. Please check TWs. I loved Esra and Noah together. There was more spice than I thought, but I’m not mad at it. I do wish the characters had more emotional depth. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read about a chronic illness or who has loved the Rebel Blue Ranch series!

Okay, I’m definitely in my cowboy romance era, and this was right up my alley!! The setting at a Wild West Amusement Park was such a fun choice?? Ive learned I love reading about tight knit workplace, its a nice found family feel almost. I loved hearing about all the rehearsals and how the cast keep up their social media to bring attraction to the park, it was such a fun behind the curtain look at the park.
Esra was such a fun FMC! I thought she was a little ridiculous at the beginning, but once you start to know her, you become so endeared to her! And finding out that she had chronic pain? That was so interesting! Noah!! An amazing MMC! I’m a sucker for the type of man he is. And all the side characters were great and well fleshed out as well! I don’t think there was a character in this book that I didn’t like!
The spicy scenes in this book were hot, but pretty fleshed out as well! I enjoyed Noah’s worry of Esra only liking him for his persona (Ace) and I feel the two of them really worked well with each other.
I’m so happy I was able to read this story early and I can’t wait to read more from Dyer!!

Esra llega a Bravetown huyendo de una vida prefabricada. Hija de padres exigentes, con un historial académico impecable y una carrera en medicina abandonada, decide por fin tomar decisiones propias. Su actitud irreverente, su ropa provocadora, sus respuestas afiladas y su falta de filtros la convierten en una fuerza de la naturaleza. Pero más allá de su fachada rebelde, Esra es una joven marcada por la presión, el agotamiento emocional y una enorme necesidad de libertad.

Noah vive entre rutinas, normas y una vida cuidadosamente contenida. Lleva años en Bravetown, interpretando al bandido Ace Ryder, pero en realidad ha sido siempre el sheriff de su propio universo: controlando lo que siente, lo que permite, lo que muestra. Para él, Esra es un terremoto: incómoda, impredecible, imposible de ignorar. Y en esa incomodidad, empieza a reencontrarse con partes de sí mismo que creía apagadas. Su historia no es la del hombre que se enamora y cambia: es la del hombre que se ve obligado a aceptar que cambiar no lo hace débil, lo hace humano.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

I had high hopes for this that it would have similar vibes to the Rebel Blue Ranch series, which I loved, but it just felt categorically awful with no depth. I can't recommend.

I am definitely in my cowboy romance era and this book fit the bill perfectly. This had the perfect blend of tension and full blown romance, and the plot and setting were so fun and unique.

I absolutely loved the characters, the main characters and the side characters were just a joy. I hope we get spin offs of several of the side characters because I need more!

The setting was so fun, I loved all the different pieces and dynamics of it. It's like you're actually being taken on a tour of this little place and you really feel like you're there.

The enemies to lovers dynamic was perfect as well. Their tension and banter and bickering was just everything. I hope if there are other books written of side characters that we get more snippets of what happens with these main characters.

I will be posting this review on my Goodreads, Fable and Instagram account! The Goodreads and Fable reviews will be posted today May 13th, 2025. The Instagram review I will have posted by May 17th, 2025 at the latest with a boosted post on pub day!

Excuse me??? I haven’t felt butterflies from crushing so hard while reading a book in AGES. I could not put this book down. Thank you so much for this arc!

I went into this expecting a fun and cozy read but this book hit me like a truck (in a good way, I promise). Esra is such a fabulous FMC. She is kind but has a backbone and doesn’t let herself get pushed around. She’s so strong, dealing with her chronic illness and pain so quietly and on her own. Her struggles with her family are so relatable, especially as a daughter to parents who tend to coddle.

Noah is an amazing MMC. I’m not specifically partial to cowboys so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel but he is written so well. Neither MC feels like water downed characters solely defined by stereotypes. They are fully fleshed out and it’s very refreshing. Also Tornado and the other horses?? BRB going to go buy a horse real quick.

The spicy scenes are so hot and have depth at the same time (like Noah feeling worried Esra likes him for his persona as Ace versus himself). I’m always worried about insta lust or love that is written as purely lust and this book avoided those pitfalls beautifully.

I am so happy I was able to read this beautiful story early and I cannot wait to read more from Dyer!!!