Clementine Silva returns to her small hometown of Rebel Blue, Wyoming, to recover from a high-stakes horseback riding accident that left her physically injured and mentally shaken. While hiding her ADHD struggles and professional burnout from her protective family, she begins a secretive romantic involvement with Luke Brooks. As her brother’s best friend and a local bar owner with a reputation for casual flings, Luke is strictly off-limits. The two navigate their shared history and mutual attraction through late-night encounters while Clementine decides whether to return to the professional circuit or redefine her future.
Readers interested in the small-town western subgenre choose this book for its focus on the "brother’s best friend" trope and the specific representation of adult ADHD. It appeals to those seeking a balance of emotional vulnerability and high-tension romance. The audience walks away with a perspective on rebuilding self-confidence after physical trauma and the logistical challenges of keeping a local relationship hidden in a tight-knit rural community.
Insights from DONE AND DUSTED
“I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen years old, Emmy.”
Luke waited years to be the man Clementine deserved. He stayed away because he thought he was too messy for her gold star life.
“I’m just tired of my brain being a place I want to escape from.”
Clementine hides her ADHD struggles behind a perfect facade. It is exhausting to watch her try to outrun her own brain.
The way Luke notices her sensory triggers is everything. He doesn't judge her for needing the world to be quieter.
“They don’t see me. They see the girl I was ten years ago.”
Growing up in a small town means people only see who you used to be. Emmy has to fight to show she is more than a trophy daughter.
- Published
- 2023
- Publisher
- Lyla Sage
- ISBN
- 9798987781319
- Language
- EN
