Maybe not the most sophisticated of storytelling, but Done and Dusted makes up for anything it lacks with a steamy and fun cowboy romance! My thoughts and Done and Dusted review are below!
Done and Dusted Review
I love discovering little subsets of romance, little niches that are big time draws to romance lovers. A sports romance is always fun, particularly when that sport is ice dancing. A travel romance–also gets me every time, particularly when there are cabanas and island breezes involved. And here, my first real cowboy romance, DONE AND DUSTED–a great subset of romance! I mean, come on–there are cowboys! And horses! And cowboy boots! It’s sexy and escapist all in one.
I’d heard a ton of hype for the DONE AND DUSTED series from social media, so I was excited to check it out. This book centers on Emmy, who returns home to her family’s Wyoming cattle ranch, Rebel Blue, after recently suffering a traumatic fall while barrel riding that has kept her from being able emotionally to get back on the horse. Returning to Rebel Blue, Emmy immediately runs into Luke Brooks, the town’s bar owner who grew up with Emmy and her two older brothers when his family fell apart. Growing up, Luke was always getting in trouble, so Emmy is surprised to see how he has made a life for himself in Meadowlark, and she can’t help being attracted to him. The feeling is mutual except Luke knows better than to go after his best friend’s sister.
There was a lot to enjoy about DONE AND DUSTED. Emmy and Luke have great chemistry–he is smitten from the moment she walks into his bar, and the two are like fireworks together. They felt really natural together, and it was fun to see how Luke helps Emmy to find her mojo again to get back in the saddle. It’s nice that they have a shared history as well which makes getting to know the man Luke has become a journey both for the audience and for Emmy.
Although I had a lot of fun with Emmy and Luke’s romance, I did feel the story itself feels a little superficial, almost like it’s a sketch for a deeper story and romance. The best example of that for me is Emmy and Luke’s interactions with Emmy’s two brothers, Wes and Gus. Both characters feel only lightly drawn. This is probably ok when it comes to Wes, who genuinely reads like a good guy and a dreamer in this family. But Gus provides the main roadblock for Emmy and Luke to be together, and the reason that both are hiding the relationship. His reasons for not wanting Emmy and Luke to be together are literally only because Luke is his best friend and Emmy is his sister. I’m not sure we get any real moments between Gus and either Emmy or Luke that would help the audience to understand the significance of this for Gus. So instead it feels like he is a character that exists off the page and just wouldn’t like the two of them together, and their entire relationship is in jeopardy because of him. I can totally understand the potential of this roadblock, but it just felt like it was never fully explored and there was no nuance to it. It felt like it was the sketch of something that could make sense but didn’t totally make sense in this version.
The same was true for me of Emmy and her mental health issues with ADHD. While the author makes a point at the beginning of the book that she too suffered from ADHD, Emmy’s mental health just never felt like an actual storyline that was explored. Yes, she had to figure out how to feel calm enough to be able to do the thing she loved and ride horses again. But some of the everyday challenges of ADHD just were never explored. Again, it’s an interesting idea here, but not really on the page.
I also felt like the potential for a story involving the ranch and what it would mean to take it to an experience where customers could stay sounded like an interesting storyline. Maybe this is explored further in the future books, but again it just feels like a notion of something here–the family takes a vote on whether they should do it and Wes is tasked with overseeing the project. What Emmy or Luke’s role in this would be, I’m not sure.
All of that said, I do think sometimes romance reading is about sometimes being able to gauge your enjoyment of something despite your brain’s recognition that there are flaws. And, honestly, this is just a fun read. Yes, it’s more superficial than I would have liked. But it still delivers a kind of escapism and fun that made it memorable for me. It’s the kind of book that will have you googling dude ranches in your spare time, and I think there’s absolutely something to be said for that. I also felt the romance worked, despite the flaws. Luke is adorable–completely infatuated with Emmy and a bit jealous. And Emmy has some bite to her that makes her a fun time. She’s also really fun with her friend Teddy, who I enjoyed a lot. So even though I didn’t feel this one was a top read, I would still happily recommend it to other romance lovers–there’s enough to enjoy that it’s worth the read.
My rating of Done and Dusted
4 out of 5 stars
My Romance Recipe Pairing
Done and Dusted inspired me to make a delicious Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktail–it’s possible Lyla Sage’s last name burrowed in my brain but I like to think of it as an ode to cowboy romance!
Synopsis for Done and Dusted
Synopsis (from Amazon):
For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy” Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape.
Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her.
Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?
Buy Done and Dusted on Amazon
