Thank you Dilan Dyer for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest review. If you know me at all, you know I love cowboy romances. This book was so good! I ate it up!

This book was an adventure from the get go. I loved the spin on the FMC having a physical disability - it showed her resistance and drive while not taking away from the story. The enemies to lovers arc was incredibly well done

The Brave and the Reckless is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance that blends humor, tension, and undeniable chemistry. Esra Tanner, having left medical school, finds herself at Bravetown, a Wild West-themed amusement park, where she unexpectedly becomes the damsel in distress in staged abductions. Enter Noah Young, the brooding cowboy behind the scenes, who seems to harbor disdain for Esra from the start. Their on-stage bickering soon spills over into real life, and what begins as mutual annoyance gradually evolves into a deeper connection.

Dyer's writing is engaging, capturing the essence of small-town charm and the thrill of unexpected romance. The dynamic between Esra and Noah is both entertaining and heartwarming, with their banter adding a delightful layer to the story. The setting of Bravetown provides a unique backdrop, adding to the charm and allure of the narrative.

I really hope this book is going to be part of a series. I loved learning the backstory of the theme park and characters. I want to know more about Adriana and Brooke's. I want to hear about the wedding. I need the backstory.

I loved the EDS representation, even not saying exactly what her diagnosis was until the very end I got the point and the frustration she felt at being "bubblewrapped" with overbearing family.

I think the "dicktionary" page should be listed in the front, not the last page of the book, but it was a great addition for those who want to avoid spicy bits.

I thought I was going to like this one, but I was bored. I didn’t feel a connection between the main characters. This book felt very repetitive. I also found the main character characters a little childish. Also a lot of people said this book was spicy. Yeah this spice level of this one was pretty basic and I didn’t really get a whole lot of spice. So I don’t agree with the people that said that. This is the first book I have read by this author and I might read more in the future.

This felt like if Elsie Silver and Lauren Asher's books had a baby! It was beyond adorable and the perfect amount of angst. Read this in a day no problem. I've loved all of Dilan's FMCs, but both Esra and Noah were the perfect loveable MCs and Noah will turn you into a puddle! As an equestrian, I appreciate all the accuracy around the horse world. This is like the Dreamland Billionaires meets a western and it's wonderful!

Cowboy take me away!

I was gifted this ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and I was so grateful to be able to read it!

The setting of a western theme park immediately drew me in as it brought up fun childhood memories of my own visiting western parks. The one I visited definitely didn’t have hot cowboys though and I was more than happy to dive into the Brave Town world with Ace. Ace Ryder is the villain of the town, played by Noah Young. He is broody, doesn’t trust many people or have the desire to make lasting relationships. That is until the tornado of a woman, Esra, comes into to town. Esra is an in your face, loud, quirky girl ready to start a new life and get away from her perfectly planned out life back home. Esra and Noah butt heads immediately but find themselves forced to work together.

I did feel like it took about 50% for the story to really move forward and that there was a lot of unnecessary side plot. Once the story really started moving I couldn’t put it down. There is internal struggles in both Noah and Esra from their past that they both work through during the story and show true growth as their relationship blooms. It really captured the essence of a romcom with the angry banter and tension building and then finally a hot romance with two people that can’t get enough of each other. The steam was so steamy and I loved every second of it!

Thank you Dilan Dyer for this book. I had so much fun being immersed into a western world of cowboys and romance!

Review posted June 14,2025

I was so intrigued by the concert of a romance story that takes place at a Western Style theme park. The atmosphere the author set up truly made me feel I was stepping into a “fantasy” land. As someone who formally worked at Disney World and living in housing on property I could totally relate the whole experience. The FMC was laugh out loud and wild. At times, she could be a little rough to read but after finding out her back story it made enjoying her character so much more easier. The romance was HOT! If you like spicy books… this is definitely for you. I thought this was a fresh and unique take on cowboy romance. There was so also great chronic illness rep and thought it was executed very well in the story!

I definitely would recommend this to people who are looking for more diversity in the cowboy romance genre.

4.25 ⭐️! This book was so fresh and different! Our two main characters play a role of Wild West characters at a western theme park. SO original! Bonus- the MMC owns a ranch and is a real cowboy, and she’s a city girl. Enemies to lovers, and the spice is spicing! 🌶️ 🔥 This was a solid, fun read!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

4⭐️

**Thank you Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for the eARC**

Esra is embarking on a new journey to find her passion while working at a western theme park. She becomes cast as one of the main characters of the park and is forced into proximity with her brother’s grumpy best friend. Noah plays Ace Ryder the dark and dreamy outlaw of the park. They’re both working towards changing their futures while their present intertwines.

I will start with: this book has several *very* spicy scenes. There is a list for those who would like to modify their reading. I love the setting of a theme park and the characters working there. It creates such fun situations. Esra represents a chronic illness that I will not spoil, which I love! Representation is so important. Esra is guests and unafraid of speaking her mind. Noah is a softy at heart and just wants to protect himself. Really enjoyed the story and the build up of the romance.

The spice was a little more than I normally prefer, but is still well written, and I fully appreciate the note by the author to allow for reading modifications. Would recommend!

This is very spicy so if you’re not into that maybe skip it. I like the character development. Esra was infuriating for a lot of it but that’s probably a me problem. Overall it was good

Oh my gosh the spice and the tropes in this!! I love a small town romance with forced proximity with brothers bestfriend. The way this was written!!! i physically couldn't have read it faster. The fact this took place in a western themed theme park was top tier. The chronic illness representation was portrayed so well!

I genuinely liked this book—enough that I’ll happily return for a sequel—but I didn’t love it the way I’d hoped to.

The premise is great: recent med school dropout Esra flees to Bravetown, a Wild West theme park where her brother works, hoping to spend the summer scooping ice cream and dodging her parents’ mounting voicemails. Instead, she’s wrangled (quite literally) into performing in the park’s live-action stunt show alongside the grumpy, older (and, of course, absurdly hot) Noah. Sparks fly—both romantic and otherwise.

The setting is the real star here, rendered with such clarity and charm that you truly feel like you’re at the park. It has all the immersive fun of Westworld, but without any of the dystopian terror.

Characterization, though, was more hit or miss. Esra isn’t your typical anxious, reluctant heroine. She’s brash, clever, and clearly rebelling against a life shaped by chronic illness and stifling parental overprotection. Her reckless behavior made sense in theory, but her actions often came across as immature. I wanted to sit with her more, in order to see (and therefore understand) the resentment, grief, and confusion she was grappling with, rather than simply be told those feelings existed. To be honest, her transformation by the end felt almost unexpected. I still can't tell if her character actually ever needed one—or if she just needed a break (and maybe a bit of a breakdown) to set herself back to rights.

Additionally, while I enjoy an age gap romance, I really felt the distance between Esra and Noah here. She’s in her early twenties, he’s mid-thirties, and the emotional maturity gap was hard to ignore, especially in the spicier scenes. That very well may be a Me Thing (being closer to Noah’s age), but it stood out nonetheless.

Still, the story has charm, and I found myself rooting for both Esra and Bravetown. There’s a lot of potential here—smart premise, a vivid world, and flashes of genuine emotional weight. I just wish the characters had as much dimension as the setting. 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine for the advanced copy!

This book was not what I was expecting, in the least. And I say that in a good way! Mask play, best friend's little sister, chronic illness rep, cowboy.. woof. It was lovely. I love Noah and Esra. Their witty banter from the start had sparks. I love their frenemies-to-lovers bit they have going on. What I greatly appreciated about this book is how much they each grow, from being together to being apart. The side characters are wonderful and fleshed out, and if this turns into a series, I am very much looking forward to visiting Bravetown again!

Needed a country romance to start and this was a perfect pick! The vibes were immaculate and I just had so much fun with it

a cowboy romance set in a wild west theme park? It’s really yee-ing my haw!

The Brave & The Reckless is such a fresh and unique read that is perfect for your next binge read.

Noah and Esra are perfect loathing to lovers. Esra’s chronic illness is a big part of the story and Dilan Dyer did a perfect job of shining the spotlight on it without making that Esra’s only character trait.

and girl talk about SPICYYYYY! Noah sure knows how to keep his mouth busy during a 7 minute break in a show 😏😏😏

Boy did I fall in love with everything in this book. Noah? perfect. Esra? perfect. Bravetown? perfect. I need more from Dyer!!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was not bad at all but I did struggle with it a little bit. The pacing was not great for me and the relationship between Esra and Noah was nonexistent until they were all of a sudden obsessed with one another.

That being said, around the 50% point the pacing started to pick up and the spice was spicing! I liked the banter and despite my issues with the MCs relationship, I did really like it and I'm glad that it worked out the way that it did.

I also really loved all the various types of representation in this book, there was a brown skinned FMC, hypermobile EDS representation, deaf representation, mental health representation, and it was all thoughtful and tasteful.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a slowburn and some kinky spice. This book made me realize I was into things I didn't realize I was into!

see based off the cover and the synopsis, i thought this would indulge my cowboy romance little heart but it just wasn't filling the void like i thought i would, it was still good but not great

Spicy, fun, easy to binge.

What’s to love…
- Quick and easy to binge.
- Very spicy. 🌶️
- Great chronic illness rep
- Fun concept - Set in a Wild West Theme Park
- great banter
- hate to love
- loved the side characters
- A+ chemistry/tension
- medium-burn
- sheltered city girl / independent small town boy
- dual POV
- self-discovery journey (FMC)

What’s not to love…
- I did not enjoy our FMC for the first chunk of this book. She was acting a fool! We do eventually learn the circumstances for her actions and it endured me to her eventually but it was really touch and go at first.
- This feels like a fresh take on the cowboy romance but I would probably put it in the small-town category. Yes our MMC owns a ranch/horses but it’s not very central to the plot. If you go into this one wanting heavy on the cowboys you may find yourself disappointed.

I really liked the concept of this one and I thought the writing was solid, the characters were well developed, the banter was perfection and I really did have a good time. I think the main reason I didn’t have a GREAT time is bc our FMC is immature, which is appropriate for her age and life experiences, but I found it harder to connect and spent a lot of time rolling my eyes.

🌶️- Ch 15 and so so so many more. Excellently executed & frequent spicy scenes.