I have to begin by saying how much I love this cover, it's gorgeous!
This was my first time reading a book by Dilan Dyer, but it definitely won't be my last. I am fully in my cowboy romance era and this had everything I love - steamy enemies-to-lovers that had me wanting to go to Bravetown immediately and become besties with Esra! Absolutely loved it.

Another gem for cowboy season. The chemistry between Ezra and Noah was so well portrayed and flowed well. I’d definitely recommend this for a summer read

My God—this was PHENOMENAL. I’m not exaggerating when I say The Brave and The Reckless has launched itself into my favorites of the year (and possibly of all time?). This book had everything: delicious banter, sizzling chemistry, a refreshingly original setting, and characters so lovable I’m already mourning being finished.

Let’s start with the setting—a small town Wild West-themed amusement park called Bravetown. HELLO??? I want to visit. I want to live there. I’ve never read a book set in a theme park quite like this and it made for such a fun, immersive backdrop. The little snippets at the beginning of each chapter, giving backstory to Bravetown’s residents, added so much depth and charm. It felt like I was being welcomed into a living, breathing place.

The story itself hooked me from chapter one. The banter? Hot. The chemistry? ELECTRIC. Esra and Noah had me giggling, kicking my feet, screaming internally—and externally. The sexual tension was off the charts, and the slow build from enemies to lovers was perfection. Also: PROP GUN PLAY?! I wasn’t ready, but I was so here for it.

Esra was a standout FMC—funny, sarcastic, strong yet vulnerable. Her chronic illness was portrayed with such authenticity, especially in those everyday “mental gymnastics” moments. As someone who related deeply to that, I felt seen in the most unexpected and welcome way. And the fact that she and Sanny sign to each other?? I’m obsessed. Noah, with his layered “good guy playing a villain” vibes, grump exterior, and soft heart? Say less. He’s the blueprint.

The supporting cast? A+ across the board. Vivi, Adriana, Lukas, Zuri, Sinan, and TORNADO (yes, Tornado!!) were all such well-developed, lovable characters that I desperately need spinoffs for. The whole world Dilan Dyer built here feels alive and real, and I’d happily buy an annual pass to Bravetown if I could.

The spice? Chef’s kiss. The roleplay? Gasp-worthy. The pacing? Absolutely flawless. I read it too fast and now I miss them all.

This book is the epitome of a grumpy x sunshine, enemies-to-lovers romance. Watching Esra learn to take care of herself—while Noah learns how to let go of control—was beautiful. Their growth felt organic, their struggles were deeply human, and their story? Completely addictive.

This is my second Dilan Dyer read and I can confidently say she’s a master at writing messy, real characters who leap off the page. Her books never feel formulaic—each one brings something unique to the table—and The Brave and The Reckless is no exception. You can feel her love for these characters and this world in every chapter.

If you’re into witty banter, high-stakes chemistry, incredible disability rep, and the most charming setting imaginable, add this to your TBR NOW. It pulled me out of a brutal reading slump and I already want to reread it. This is the book I didn’t know I needed, and I’ll be shouting about it until everyone picks it up.

Preorder it. You can thank me later.

Welcome to Bravetown, the theme park that is dedicated to ensuring their guests experience the full Wild West cowboy filled town... and secret seven minutes in heaven.

I absolutely LOVED the concept of this book, I haven't read anything like it before and I've read my fair share of cowboy romances, there was so many amazing parts to this book.

Esra & Noah were perfectly written, really felt like you got to know them, would have loved for Noah's backstory to be slightly more padded out but that may have brought the tone down too much.

Tropes
🐴 Dislike to lovers
🐴 chronic pain
🐴 costumes
🐴 doing it in front of the mirror 🪞
🐴 miscommunication trope (not my fave but short lived)

Many thanks to NetGalley & Michael Joseph Penguin roundhouse for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it. 4.5 🌟

Living my cowboy era and this book was a very fun steamy read. Good character arcs and plot that had me needing to more

I enjoyed this but didn’t love it as much as I expected to from the blurb or how I felt when I first started. I did think Esra and Noah had good chemistry but it was when it came to the more that it fell a little flat for me.
It’s also a very personal thing so not so much rating as my pov but when I saw there was chronic illness rep I expected there to be some sort of caretaking. (As someone with a chronic illness who lives alone I am desperate to be taken care of so I love when it pops up in books) Now Esra tends to resist this because she was so sheltered growing up however when it came to the 3rd act conflict I felt it was a little forced. It was understandable for her character that she would be upset but the way she reacted felt out of character for her, and we didn’t gain anything from that interlude that she wouldn’t have learned had she not run.
I liked the side characters so maybe I’ll enjoy future books more.
3.5-4

I had some high hopes for this book, especially after Dilan's other books that I loved. I honestly don't think I would categorize this as a cowboy romance. It just felt weird. Some of the plot felt very rushed at times, and I would have loved for us to get a deeper explanation of Noah's backstory so we could really get to know him. This was cute but definitely not a favorite of mine from Dilan.

OB-F*CKING-SESSED. To me, this book is Westworld meets Legally Blonde. You have Esra, who is the strong-headed main female character. She's been watched and taken care of her entire life, and she's finally taking things into her own hands and spending the summer in the small town where her brother resides. Because she can do hard things!!! She knows her limits and she's ready to live her life to the fullest without her parents breathing down her neck.

But when she's cast as the damsel in distress, there is a certain grumpy masked villain (who also happens to be her brother's bff) that she can't stop thinking about! I mean, girl, same. Let's be honest.

The character arcs of both Esra and Noah are incredible, from the first page to the very last. It was a PAGE TURNER and I didn't want it to end.

A MILLION STARS. Recommending to EVERYONE.

I usually reach for a romance book when in a slump and need something light, fun and fast to break up heavier, longer reads. The Brave and The Reckless is just that, and more - it surprised me in the best ways and really enjoyed it!
I must admit, it took a while to connect with it and didn't think I was going to enjoy it at all for the first part. Esra, our main character, is a med school dropout and rather than communicating with her parents that she needs space and time to figure things out in her own way, runs away to join her brother at a wild west theme park for the summer. One of her key ways of rebelling against her overbearing, but well-meaning family, seems to be... wearing snarky, almost derogative to herself, slogan t-shirts? Give me a break. She turns up to this new lifeline of a job with the choice of two of these, and nothing plain, let alone professional? Come on, really? She seems smarter than that.
The cast members having thirst trap social media presences was another small hurdle: as someone who has worked in theatre, it's not at all surprising to me that cast would have side hustles and heavy social media presence but for them to be thirst-trappy was a bit tacky. However, once I accepted it as the norm in this place, and just threw on my suspension of belief hat, it kind of added to the offbeat charm. I would love to visit Bravetown and it's immersive meta-theatre shows!

I adored Esra and Noah together, and would love more of them! I really wish the book had given them more space to breathe. Their banter is funny, and as the relationship develops they become truly adorable and I was in love with their love by the end. However, a lot of the conflict happens as inner thoughts, not even between them which was frustrating as a lot of things would be sorted if they just *communicated* and it felt like there were perhaps too many reasons for why they shouldn't be together - the family baggage, being at work, career uncertainty, unresolved personal issues, and him being her brothers best friend. As the book is fairly short, so while they were all there but not explored to the full potential, and resolved in a very quick round up way.
Also, on the note of him being brothers BFF - if it's such a big deal, why were they hooking up in his ensuite at his birthday party? Hooking up during work hours was also a big oof moment, can't say I'd risk it myself in their positions but hey it was hot!

The real standout for me in the entire book was the unexpected darker content. I was not expecting it in the slightest from the description or the pastel, bubble-gum cover. The way they lean in to their costumes and end up giving us masks and (prop) g*n play were not on in any way crossing my mind when I picked it up, but it was perfect. Chefs kisses all around.

Overall, the read was more layered than expected and a little ridiculous at times. However, it's also playful, very spicy and a really enjoyable ride once you get into the right mindset for it. I really would recommend it for cowboy-adjacent fans, and will 100% shout about it to fans of masks and mischief.

Cowboy with a twist! This was such a fun and original way of adding to the cowboy romance scene. It definitely stands out!!!
Lots of tropes that I enjoyed like brothers friend and can I say, a brother that didn’t act like some strange A hole!!! What a gem.
The pacing flowed and I was super interested in the chronic illness representation!
Wooo go girlie!!!

⛈️ they are the storm 🌪️

If you’re a fellow zebra, you’ll want to check this one out! I’m so happy to see EDS/hEDS representation!

Esra Taner needs a break, she’s dropped out of medical school and her brothers convinced her to move to a place named Bravetown. Bravetown is a theme park/cowboy ranch/lots of fun! (I want to move there)

Bravetown is hiring a damsel in distress to create one shots and reenactments with Ace Ryder the parks (very hot) cowboy. It just so happens Esra fits the outfit and is about to have a summer of fun with Noah.

Noah and Esra are quite the enemies to lovers to start off with but they soon find each other up to no good inside the theme park rides!

I really enjoyed this one, the park dynamics, the disability rep, horses, cowboys, spicy summer fling… it had it all!

Dilan Dyer is a tour de force in romance and romcoms. Her characters are always witty, hilarious and incredibly relatable in their vulnerabilities. The Brave and the Reckless is an excellent addition to her work. Breathing new life into the cowboy genre, whilst simultaneously developing the mother of all enemies-to-lovers romances, join Bravetown for it's excellent world building, and stay for the delicious chemistry that bursts from the pages. I'm envious of Esra and that gun scene.'

This was my first read from Dyer and I had so much fun with it. I did not know how I would feel with a book based in a theme park, but it actually worked really well. I wish we could of explored the park more, but hopefully that will come in future books.... (fingers crossed). I adored the characters and having a character who has a chronics pain condition made this book so interesting,. Having a character having to do the mental gymnastics that people with chronic pain do about every aspect of their day was quite refreshing and made me feel seen and normal. I hope we get more books in this world and that we get to explore some of the other characters as well.

Not your typical cowboy romance!
I loved this book and mostly because it was not a typical cowboy romance and something I had never read before.
The majority of the cowboy theme is set in a western style theme park which is what made this book so unique. While our MMC is a real life cowboy, he’s also the villainous bank robber Ace Ryder when he’s at work. Our FMC is the damsel in distress Annie who Ace kidnaps on the daily during the theme parks show.
Esra, our FMC, is also a sufferer of EDS which gives the book that extra disability representation.
In all, if you enjoy the cowboy romance but look for a backstory you haven’t come across then this is an absolute must. Highly recommended.

What a delightful take on a cowboy romance - I was so into this! I enjoyed every single moment, I was laughing out loud on several occasions.

The tension, build and character development was top notch - and the seven minutes in heaven were unholy 😉

Is there a real Bravetown?! Can I get tickets? A season pass? A job???

Dilan Dyer does it again in this new fun cowboy romance that perfectly pairs steamy romance with a humorous rom-com! I can't wait to read more!

This was my first Dilan Dyer book and it was a really enjoyable read. The Wild West amusement park really intrigued me!! I loved the setting so so much. I loved how grumpy and broody Noah was. Esra was so fun. I loved her vibrant and sunny character. This was enemies to lovers done perfectly! The relationship between the two main characters flowed and developed so naturally which I adored and the spice was spot on. I highly recommend this to any cowboy romance lovers.

The setting gives classic Wild West energy, full of dusty charm, cowboy grit, and a vivid sense of adventure. Every page felt alive, and the world-building was so immersive it practically played like a movie in my head. This book completely swept me off my feet. I tore through it in under 24 hours and honestly didn’t want it to end. The moment I finished, I was tempted to flip right back to page one and start again.

The connection between the main characters was electric, and the slow-burn tension mixed with the spice made for such a satisfying ride. If you’re into enemies-to-lovers or dislike to love dynamics, this one absolutely delivers.

The writing itself felt almost poetic at times and beautifully crafted and full of emotion. It’s one of those rare books where the storytelling just flows effortlessly.

3.75 stars ೃ⁀➷ Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up and get ready to enter Bravetown...


Tropes:
🐎 Grumpy X Sunshine
🤠Chronic illness rep
🐎 Turkish FMC
🤠A secret relationship
🐎 Oh no! There’s only one horse!
🤠Dual POV
🐎Spicyyy


TBATR follows Ezra Tanner and Noah Young. After dropping out of med school, Esra’s brother helps her by getting her a job at the infamous Bravetown amusement park where she's to play the fictional character of Annie Lou, who in the story tale, gets whisked away on a horse by bandit Ace Ryder. Enter Noah Young, who plays Ace Ryder. The moment they meet they are polar opposites: her constant need to have fun doesn't make sense to him, his constant grumpy mood doesn't make sense to her- they're a match made in hell... until the sparks start flying and before they know it, they are barrelling into this passionate fiery relationship neither knows the depth of...

My Thoughts~

At a first glance, I won’t lie, I found this book hard to get into. I think my main issue with the book was firstly the overall amusement park idea- the surface of it felt too cringe/cheesy, with this whole concept of it being an amusement park with a country cowboy theme. The cowboys having thirst trap social medias really solidified the cringe. However, I can’t deny that the park sounds super fun and made a PERFECT cute setting for this cute small-town romance.

After I got over that it was smooth sailing. The writing was what everyone loves for their romance books- nice and flowy to read with that burst of personality. Both, Esra and Noah had a gorgeous amount of chemistry (I feel like they kissed slightly a bit early, but that might just be me) but when they began their relationship, I was obsessed with them. I think I’ve actually found a book where I love it more after the characters got together (instead of the build-up). Their chemistry was off the charts, and they had so much personality.

One thing this author can guarantee you is fabulous, memorable characters!!! (If you haven’t checked out her other books, please do)

The conflict we were presented with was a complicated one- not in a drama-messy way, but it was something that could have been easily misinterpreted as Esra just being childish because that’s what I at first thought (the person who hurt her truly had no ill intentions). I feel like this side of her emotions and feelings weren’t explored very well until the end which made understanding her reaction a bit difficult at first for me- what would have been better was the gradual exposure of this side of her insecurities (and not just her talking about her parents). Thankfully though it was resolved nicely and was blown out of proportion- I actually quite admired how it was handled and I think it really showed how much they love each other.

Characters~

Esra Taner// AKA Annie Lou
Absolutely hilarious. She's so well-crafted and easily likeable yet also easily dislikeable, making her scarily realistic. At first, I don’t think I liked her- she was silly and childish in a way that I found to be annoying, but I feel like I grew to like her the more I read. Plus, her T-Shirts are fucking iconic. I loved how Esra got under Noah’s skin, albeit childish at times but effectively hilarious, nonetheless. (The long, 3 phrase nickname she gave him is truly the GOAT). One thing that I feel like I need to mention- her and her brother's relationship with her parents. Or the whole family dynamic TBH. I feel like I'm missing something- there needs to be more there than what we've been given.

Noah Young// AKA Ace Ryder
Honestly? An absolute dick head for a decent part of the book. I think I started to like him when he and Esra got into a relationship because we saw him just turn into a puddle of mush for her. And BTW it wasn’t some cliché puddle of mush or simp behaviour- it was ACTUAL cute yet natural stuff that really fit with his character. I would have loved to see a bit more about his career choice with the horses but IDM that we didn’t see that. And lastly… the thirst-trapping, nooooo !!

Overall… I enjoyed it in the end. They were a couple I enjoyed reading about and could honestly continue reading about them and I’m so glad we have a sensible older brother in this book (I’m looking at you, Carter Beckett (Consider me by Becka Mack)). The side characters were also loveable and I’m totally excited at what’s in store for this series!

Special thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for providing an eARC of this book :)

: ̗̀➛ 3.75

I recently finished "The Brave and The Reckless" by Dilan Dyer, and I have to say, it was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The premise is intriguing—Esra Taner, a medical school drop-out, moves to a Wild West theme park called Bravetown, which feels like a fun and adventurous backdrop for a summer romance.

Esra's character is relatable; she’s trying to figure out her path while caught up in this quirky world. The dynamic between her and Noah Young, the man behind the cowboy mask, is where I think the story shines most. The tension created by the contrast between Ace Ryder, the charming cowboy persona, and Noah, who lacks that same spark, adds an interesting layer to the plot.

However, I found the pacing a bit uneven, especially as the story built up to the climax. Some parts felt rushed, and I wished for more depth in the development of Esra and Noah’s relationship outside of their roles. While there are definitely entertaining moments, especially with the charming antics and misadventures of the park, not everything hit the mark for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept and the characters could be endearing, but there were missed opportunities for greater emotional connection. "The Brave and The Reckless" is an enjoyable read, but just a touch more depth would have taken it to the next level. I'd give it 3 stars—there's potential here, but it could use a bit more polishing