Review - - Wilde Abandon

Wilde Abandon

by Jennifer Ryan

A Dark Horse Dive Bar Novel

Publisher: Jennifer Ryan

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Broken and betrayed, Fox Bridges escaped Blackrock Falls 16 years ago, vowing never to return. But when his mom is diagnosed with terminal cancer, there’s no escaping it. Making the best of a bad situation, he goes back to face his past and set up a program to help foster kids who age out of the system like him. But more importantly— to reunite with the best friend he had to leave behind.

Melody Wilde never got over the loss of her childhood best friend. She saved his life… but it cost her Fox. He left town and never looked back, hating her for revealing his secret.

So when Fox walks back into town—right through the front door of her bar—she realizes he’s the man she’s been falling for online. He could be her chance at forever.

But Fox has secrets, and there are those who will do anything to bring him down. They’ll exploit any weakness. And he’s just given them the biggest one yet—Melody.

PJ'S THOUGHTS:

Wilde Abandon showcases everything I love and have come to expect from a Jennifer Ryan novel: well-developed, relatable characters, family dynamics, heart-tugging romance, and breath-stealing suspense. 

Fox and Melody pulled me in and refused to let go, immersing me into their lives from the get-go and keeping me hanging on every word right up until the end of their journey. I pulled so hard for these two. They certainly didn't have an easy path to their HEA but that's the emotional depth - and complex family dynamic - that Ryan brings to her stories. She doesn't hold back when it comes to life-threatening and life-altering obstacles that life sometimes throws in her characters' paths. 

As with the earlier books in this series, Wilde Abandon brings readers a twisty, danger-filled, contemporary romance story that took me on an emotional journey while also delivering a satisfying, hard-earned happily ever after. 

I'm deeply invested in this close-knit, Wyoming ranching family and eager to discover what Ryan has in store for her next Wilde couple.

*Wilde Abandon is the third book in Jennifer Ryan's Dark Horse Dive Bar series and the first to be self-published. The first two books (published by Avon) are Wilde Love (read my review) and Wilde for You (read my review). Avon opted to not continue the series. I'm thrilled that Ryan has decided to continue the series on her own. There's at least one more couple begging for their story to be told and I'm looking forward to reading it in Wilde In His Arms, due to be released later this year. 

Content Warning:

Child abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping

Review - - Wilde for You

Wilde for You

by Jennifer Ryan

Dark Horse Dive Bar - Book 2

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Welcome to the Dark Horse Dive Bar, where the Wildes throw one hell of a party and love could be a barstool away!

Landscape artist, Layla Brock, knows what it feels like to love someone so completely you’d do anything for them—even take their secrets to the grave. Widowed after her husband’s betrayals and tragic death, Layla is searching for a new scene to paint, a new life to live. And Wyoming feels like the perfect place to get lost and find herself again.

Jax Wilde runs the family ranch, but has a few side hustles: wrangling his sisters, covering shifts at the Dark Horse Dive Bar, and renting out cabins to tourists looking for the ranch experience. His busy schedule, plus a bad breakup, equals no personal life. And then she showed up. And the woman he thought he had nothing in common with turned out to be his perfect match.

Layla knows what it feels like to lose everything. Jax is a man who wants it all—a wife, children, a life filled with happy memories. It’s a beautiful picture of a life Layla thought she’d had but turned out to be a lie. This could be her second chance…

Until her secrets begin to unravel and a new threat is revealed. There’s one difference this time: she has Jax Wilde on her side…

PJ's Thoughts:

Wilde for You is another book by Jennifer Ryan that kept me up reading well past my bedtime. Whether it's contemporary romance, romantic suspense, or women's fiction, this author has the ability to pull me into her stories and hold tight until I turn the last page. Even then, her characters linger in my mind for days after finishing their story. 

This is the second book in Ryan's Dark Horse Dive Bar series and one of my favorites from this author. She always brings her western settings to life on the page but especially so in Wilde for You. Maybe it's because Layla is an artist and we see the scenery through her eyes but I found the sense of place to be exceptionally immersive and vividly depicted. I felt like I was right there with her as Jax showed her all the special places on his ranch, absorbing the soul-stirring majesty of nature's beauty. 

The setting wasn't the only thing that captured my attention. Ryan has given readers a cast of characters I want to be friends with. I love the Wilde family and am totally invested in their happiness and well being. I want to stay at one of the cabins on their ranch, ride horses, go fishing, and dance the night away at their bar. These are characters it's fun to be around, characters who make me feel good, which is a large part of why it was so heartwarming to watch Layla be absorbed into the warmth of their family after coming through her two years of grief. 

Ryan excels at weaving suspense into her stories, as is the case with Wilde for You. I liked that that portion of the story didn't show up until later in the book, devoting necessary time to growing the relationship between Jax and Layla before introducing the danger. Once it became part of the story though, I was on my toes trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind it. 

If you enjoy contemporary romance with a western flavor, a thread of suspense, and a couple it's easy to cheer for, pick up a copy of Wilde for You. I loved it.

While Wilde for You is the second book in a series, it stands well on its own. You should be aware, however, that Lyric and Mason (the main couple from book one, Wilde Love, feature prominently in this book as well. 

Content warning: suicide, abortion, miscarriage, adultery (all occur off page and before the story begins)

Review - - Wilde Love

Wilde Love

by Jennifer Ryan

Dark Horse Dive Bar - Book 1

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Welcome to the Dark Horse Dive Bar, where the Wildes throw one hell of a party and love could be a barstool away!

When Lyric Wilde’s not whipping up the best food in town at the Dark Horse Dive Bar, she’s making a name for herself as a rising singer-songwriter. And if any of her online followers cross the line from friendly to fanatical, well, Lyric figures it goes with the territory—and she can take care of herself. But there’s one fan she wants to get to know better—a silent, sexy biker named Viper. A man who makes her think mine every time she looks at him. But who exactly is “Viper?”

Undercover FBI special agent Mason Gunn has been hiding in plain sight and alone for far too long. And while he fantasizes about a peaceful life with beautiful Lyric by his side, he knows that until his mission—to take down a murder-for-hire network—is accomplished, his dark world is no place for her. But when frightening encounters and threatening text messages from a stalker bent on keeping Lyric all to himself and his most wanted criminal target his sultry songbird, he will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves…

PJ's Thoughts:

Jennifer Ryan is one of my go-to authors when it comes to swoony romance perfectly blended with twisty suspense and her newest book, Wilde Love is a great example of why her books keep me reading way past my bedtime. I couldn't put this one down. 

There's so much chemistry between Viper (Mason) and Lyric and a soul-deep connection that only gets stronger the more time they spend together. He's such a good guy even though he looks like a bad guy. I love his sense of honor, his protective nature, his determination to keep Lyric safe and separate from the dangers of his work. And I love that while others take one look at him and make judgments based on appearance, Lyric takes the time to look beneath the surface. She instinctively knows that there's more to this man who keeps secrets, who won't even tell her his real name, and she's willing to wait until he can. 

Lyric is the kind of character I want to be friends with. She has a great relationship with her family, is caring and kind (sometimes a little too kind), a magician in the kitchen, and always ready to step in and help someone in need, even if it puts her in the line of fire. I was cheering her on every step of the way. She and Mason together make me smile. I love how she gives him the support, trust, and space he needs as someone who is dealing with the effects of too many years undercover. She brings light into the darkness of that life, changing his life for the better even as he brings trust, respect, and a deep well of love into hers. And kudos to an author who treats mental health therapy as a natural, accepted avenue to travel. It's an aspect of Ryan's books that I've always appreciated. 

There's great family dynamics in this book too, both in Mason's and Lyric's. I loved the sibling relationships within Lyric's family and the rowdy but heartfelt relationships among the all-male siblings and cousins on Mason's side. I especially enjoyed the bonus of watching Lyric interact with Mason's cousins, one in particular. That man has hidden layers and what I expect is more than a little emotional baggage. I do hope we'll be seeing more of him - and the rest of them - in future books.