Book Review: Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

Teddy Anderson is funny, creative, witty, loyal, a caretaker, a force to be reckoned with, and………..behind. For the first time in her life, she is behind. At least, that’s how she feels. Her lifelong best friend and partner-in-crime is engaged, and while she’s over the moon excited for them, it makes her realize she isn’t where she thought she would be in life. And she doesn’t know how to fix it. She found a job in fashion she enjoyed, until the company was sold. Teddy is just taking one hit after another. It doesn’t help that her best friend’s brother, Gus, is just as grumpy as ever. That at least is one thing she can always count on: a verbal sparring match with Gus Ryder.

As the eldest Ryder sibling, Gus takes his role seriously. He is the protector, the big brother, the one with all the answers. But he’s also human and can only handle so much. With his daughter’s mom gone for the summer, Gus is the primary caretaker for his daughter Riley. As his ranch responsibilities are starting to pile up, Gus realizes he can’t do everything by himself and he needs help. And that help comes in the form of Theodora Anderson.

Spending this much time with one another forces Gus and Teddy to take a step back from their previous assumptions and start to see each other for who they really are.

This is my website and I’m not going to lie, I’m staring at my laptop for an unknown amount of time trying to think of what I liked about this book. I didn’t dislike it! Why is it so hard for me to write what I liked about it? Let me think.

For about 50% of the book, I liked the banter between Teddy and Gus, but it did get kind of old eventually. The overall plot of the book was nice. Riley is an integral part of the story, and I liked watching her relationship with Teddy develop. The spice was okay too — Sage normally writes pretty good spicy scenes. I liked learning more about Teddy’s character; there’s more to her than meets the eye. On the outside, she’s a fiery redhead, but she really carries a lot with her.

It was a good story, but there weren’t any standout moments for me like the other books in the series had.

 

This isn’t Sage’s fault, but part of the reason I can’t say I loved this book was because it was just too relatable. Teddy is at a stage in her life where her best friend, her ride or die, her soulmate, her other half, is in a romantic relationship with someone she really cares about. And while Teddy is so genuinely happy about that, she notices the shift in their friendship. And it hurts. She knows it’s not on purpose and that she’s still loved just the same, but it doesn’t change the hurt. They’re not hanging out as much, they’re rarely texting, and when they do, it’s Teddy who has to reach out first. Her role in her best friend’s life has shifted, and it’s a hard adjustment for her. Reading about that after going through something similar myself was just too much for me.

I’m not a prude by any means, but there were just so many unnecessary f-bombs dropped by Gus. It didn’t flow right or make sense. I get that Gus is supposed to be this grumpy guy, but just swinging around the f-word every three sentences seemed forced and unnatural. And if the only reason it was repeatedly dropped was so it could be “funny” when SPOILER Riley finds the “rock fucking jasmine,” then it did not hit for me.

Also, Gus and Teddy have this longstanding beef, they can’t stand each other. So as a reader, I’m sure we’re all thinking they hooked up or something in the past and it didn’t end well. Kind of basic, but whatever. But when it’s actually revealed that they just SPOILER kissed, and Gus left her outside and didn’t come back as the reason they hated each other, I was just like, huhhhhhh. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m putting myself in Teddy’s shoes here. Yes, it sucked, yes, it’s not nice, but it’s not like they had a real intimate relationship before this happened. The reasoning behind their intense dislike for each other wasn’t justified in my opinion.

I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. I would’ve really loved if Teddy became the fashion designer for Rebel Blue Ranch. Maybe that’s too cliche, or seemed too predictable, but I was really gunning it! Rebel Blue can have so much merch: clothing, shoes, accesories, the possibilities are endless and would make sense for Teddy! She’s already part of the family and it just would’ve followed the theme that everyone has a part to play on the ranch.

This wasn’t a bad book, but it’s the reason why at my core, I am a fantasy romance / romantasy girly. I read for the escapism, to get away! I don’t read to watch characters go through real-life situations that I’ve also experienced. It sucked for me, it sucked for them, and it sucked to relive it. I read for faeries, dragons, magic, and new worlds.

Lost and Lassoed wasn’t bad, and I do recommend it, but I won’t be continuing with the Rebel Blue Ranch series just yet. I’m going back to my one true love — fantasy.