Bite the Bullet

Bell Buckle #4

by Karley Brenna

There's a thin line between love and hate, and the last person I want to cross it with is my best friend's brother.
Brandy Rose never opens up to anyone—not fully. She’s content to keep her feelings under lock and key, but when her dad shows up in town years after disappearing, her carefully crafted walls start to crumble.
Reed Bronson keeps everyone but his family at arm's length, never offering more than a grunt or broody stare. After his little brother suddenly quits rodeo and moves back to town, Reed is tasked with getting to the bottom of his disquiet. The only problem is his brother wants nothing to do with him.
When things start to escalate with her dad, Brandy turns to the one person who understands her past the Reed. But ever since that one night six years ago, they haven’t been able to set aside their feud for anything. Not even for each other.

Genres: Westerns, Cowboy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Small Town Romance, Found Family, Forced Proximity

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

Karley Brenna lives in a tiny mountain town in the middle of nowhere out West with her fiancé, son, and herd of pets. Her hobbies include writing, reading countless books heavy on romance, and listening to country music for hours. If she’s not at home, she’s either at a bookstore or getting lost in the hills on horseback. To stay up to date with Karley’s future projects, follow her on social media @authorkarleybrenna.

Reviews

[Abby (booksinthefreetime) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️ 2.5/5🌶️

Everyone needs a man like Reed Bronson!!

Hands down my favorite book in the series so far!!! WOW!! I honestly love everything about this book! ❤️

Reed and Brandy have THE BEST angry banter with this hot as hell tension 🔥 She’s this feisty Horse Trainer who has such a sweet soul about her. I love how Reed not only brings out the sassy side of her but also this emotional/caring woman who really needs him to comfort her.

Also I really enjoyed the dual time line ❤️

The scene in the barn on the counter… had to pick my jaw off the floor it was so HOT!!

If you love…

-Best Friends Brother
-Age Gap
-Small Town
-Touch Her and 💀
-Hate to Love
-Cowboy Romance/Farrier

READ THIS BOOK!!

Once again Karley has out done herself! I’m never disappointed reading her books. Thank you for the ARC! Can’t wait to see what’s next in the series!! ❤️

[Chiara^•^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite The Bullet by Karley Brenna
4/5⭐
2,5/5🌶️

"You have permanent spot in my mind, so I figured a permanent spot over my heart wouldn't be too bad either."

Finally! I got my hands on the book I’ve been dying to read! I've been so curious about Reed and Brandy's story since the first book—what’s with all the tension and their apparent hatred toward each other? Well, we finally get the answers in this one! The romance between Reed and Brandy is a slow burn, but with all the banter and their shared history, I truly feel like they have the best chemistry so far! I also loved seeing Brandy’s character development; it was so satisfying to witness her growth by the end.

Brandy is Lettie’s best friend and one of the horse trainers at the Bronson family ranch, which feels like her second home. Although she has a loving mom, her father is abusive. From a young age, she’s learned to bottle up her feelings and built up high walls to protect herself. It broke my heart to see her struggle alone and refuse to ask for help. But Reed slowly helps her lets her guard down and opens up to him. I felt so proud of her when she finally shared her true feelings with her mom!

"Reed Bronson was my big, broody protector, and I was finally accepting that. But even more importantly, he was mine."

Reed is a bit of a grump who doesn’t like sharing his feelings, but underneath it all, he’s such a softie who cares deeply for his family. I love how he teases Brandy just to see her fiery side! And after their first kiss, he makes it known that he’s in it for the long haul. He respects her feelings and lets her process things at her own pace while always being there with open arms when she needs him. Plus, his protectiveness toward Brandy is just swoon-worthy! He’d do anything to keep her safe and happy.

I loved the flashbacks because it made me understand why there was so much animosity between them. It felt great to be back in Bell Buckle, and I can’t wait to read Beckham’s story next! The book touches on some heavy topics, but the author handles them beautifully. Thank you so much, Karley, for the gifted eARC! I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!

"No matter what it is, you can run to me. I'll always catch you,"

[Marrissa Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my! This was definitely heavier than I was expecting, but I love when I’m surprised by books. There was so much depth to the characters and their story. Reed and Brandy were oil and water, they did not get along at all. I loved how this was told with a dual timeline where you learn what happened between them seven years prior, and why Brandy is as closed off as she is. And as their story unfolds, it becomes clear that while she spent years hating him, he spent that time secretly loving her. He was so protective and sweet under his broody demeanor. Brandy is all sass and I just love her. And the bickering and banter between these two!! I couldn’t get enough. And the little meddlers trying to push them together added some fun, too. This also has a couple of my favorite microtropes but I don’t want to give anything away 🫢

Read if you like ⇣
•Small town
•Cowboy
•Enemies to lovers
•Best friend’s brother
•Touch her and ☠️
•Slow burn
•Dual timeline
•Dual POV
•Spice

Thank you so much Karley Brenna for the eARC!! 🩵

[madmanreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ | 2 🌶️

If you love a feisty FMC and a dirty talking cowboy that knows when to dote on her and also when to put her in her place … 😏 this one’s for you!

🩵 Best friend’s brother
🤠 Farrier X Horse Trainer
🩵 Hate to love
🤠 Small town
🩵 Touch her again & ☠️
🤠 One bed
🩵 Secret tattoo

I absolutely loved how feisty Brandy was. And the fact that her sassiness turned Reed on?? Swoon. It’s one of my favorite things when the MMC doesn’t want to smother her flame, but reed sure liked to stoke the fire.

He met her toe to toe in their back and forth and it was both incredibly funny and also that super hot tension that only a hate to love situation can create.

🌶️ When the string finally snapped, we were blessed with some amazing & ✨ memorable ✨ spice where Reed liked to be in control but was also all too happy to be on his knees 😉.

The emotional connection really grew as the story went on and Reed helping Brandy through what she was going through was so sweet. And the secret tattoo?? I squealed.

TLDR : This book had it all. Banter, a swoon worthy MMC that’s soft only for her, great spice, and a bit of suspense.

Definitely give this one a read when it comes out on January 7th if you enjoy the listed tropes!

Thank you so much for Karley Brenna for the ARC of Bite The Bullet in exchange for my honest opinion 🖤.

⚠️ (please check TW before diving in. Parental & domestic abuse, violence, and attempted SA to FMC -not by MMC, shared in a flashback)

[DeAnna · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%
I was so excited for this book. I’ve read the other 3 and gave them 5 stars and one 4 star. After seeing the tropes for this one and just knowing that ive enjoyed the others, I knew I would love this one too..
I got to chapter 14 and just couldn’t stick it out. I don’t like Brandy’s character at all. The whole time I was reading I just kept saying “what is this girls problem?” Her attitude from chapter 1 to 14 was terrible and I just don’t want to read anything else to do with her. It’s a shame because I know that I would probably love Reed, but I don’t even think I want to skim through the rest of the book to just read his parts, because of the probability of having to see more of Brady’s piss poor attitude. I get being feisty and head strong, and the two main characters having banter, but this is too much for me to be interested in.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

You've never been alone, Brandy. Not with me around.


Tropes:
🩵 Small Town
🌹 Cowboy Romance
🩵 Best Friend's Brother
🌹 Dislike to Love
🩵 Found Family
🌹 Grumpy x Grumpy
🩵 He Falls First
🌹 He has a Tattoo for her
🩵 Mental Health Rep
🌹 It's Always Been You


🩵 ARC Review 🩵

KARLEY, I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!

The way Karley wrote Brandy & Reed was perfection - I can't stop thinking about them. Karley’s writing is so beautiful, that you instantly fall in love with her characters and her writing. I absolutely loved this book from the moment I picked it up. I've been so curious about Reed and Brandy's story since the first book and I’m so happy I got to read their story 🥹💗

Brandy is Lettie's best friend and the horse trainer at the Bronson family ranch, which she considers her second home. From a young age, she's learned to bottle up her feelings and put up high walls to protect herself. It broke my heart to see her struggle alone and refuse to ask for help. But Reed slowly helps her to let down her guard and open up to him. I was so proud of her when she finally shared her feelings with her mother 😭💗

Reed is a bit of a grump who doesn't like to share his feelings, but underneath he's such a softie who cares deeply for his family. I love how he teases Brandy and after their first kiss, he's in it forever. He respects her feelings and lets her process things at her own pace, while always being there with open arms when she needs him 🥹💗 Plus, his protectiveness towards Brandy is just adorable! He'll do anything to keep her safe and happy.

I loved the moments between Brandy and Reed because you could tell that even though they did not like each other, they really cared for each other, like when Reed saved her at a party or when the Bronson family and Lettie kept pushing them together or when they had to go on a last-minute trip. When Reed protected Brandy and her mom from her dad - he was literally everything. Everyone deserves to have a Reed in their life 🥺💗

This book talks about some heavy topics, but I really feel that Karley has done an exceptional job of presenting these topics. I was so relieved when Brandy and her mom were able to get out of it and be happy with people who wanted to care for them. This book was a real honor and pleasure to read 🥺💗

I really hope we get a Beckham story because he seems so sad and hurt in this book - I want to know his story so badly.

Thank you so much Karley for the ARC 💗

[jenelle ｡･:*˚:✧｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THAT was an emotional rollercoaster I was not mentally prepared for. Holy smokes. You could just replace Brandy’s name with Jenelle, phew. That was a ride.

This book was wildly intense and emotional and I loooooved every second of it. I felt all emotions, good and bad.

This book was a TRUE enemies to lovers, slow burn which is insanely impressive in a contemporary romance.

Nothing about this relationship felt forced. Everything felt very logical and organic. Their conflict from beginning to end was extremely understandable and not a stretch at all. Ya know what I mean? And goodness, the subplot conflict, and all the resolutions for everything. Just top tier.

I throughly enjoyed Brandy and Reed’s characters. Their personalities, banter, fire, spice, seriousness, development as individuals and a couple. Just so well executed.

Brandy has DADDY ISSUES. They start young, progress horribly, she’s traumatized for multiple reasons, and the line between love and hate for her and Reed is very thin. With no good, solid examples, every act from Reed is misconstrued and seen as a problem rather than love. And when Brandy finds herself in a troubling situation at 17 with Reed to the rescue, she decides that for a lifetime, she doesn’t need him rescuing her again.

The dual timeline was so heartbreaking.


*CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS*


Tropes:
• best friends brother
• cowboy / small town
• daddy issues (biggggg time)
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• dual timeline
• childhood enemies
• touch her and die
• “I didn’t know where else to go”

Do I recommend this book? YUP. 10/10


Thank you so much Karley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[IeshaAndHerBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better! 🤍
This is one of my favourite cowboy romance series and before I even started this book I knew it would be a 5 ⭐️ read 🫶🏻

I absolutely loved Reed and Brandy’s story! I love their banter and chemistry and how Reed is always there for her 💗

I loved how the book still mentions everyone from the previous books and gives you an insight of what’s going on in there lives!

So excited to see what else there is to come in this series!
Bell Buckle Has my heart 🩵✨

[Alexis Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Something about a brothers best friend/ enemies to lovers with a good banter book will get you hooked EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I’ve been waiting for this couple since the very first book! The wait was all worth it in the end thanks to the continuing build up throughout each book! I can’t wait for the last one with the way it ended!

This series also speaks on important topics each character/ side character faces. Potential trigger warnings are mentioned throughout

[~☆Courtney☆~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Thank you, Karley, for this arc in exchange for an honest review... and safe to say you've done it again.

My heart melted for Brandy and Reed. I was so curious about their story and their animosity for each other.But Reed always wanted to protect her, and she hated it.

It took a while for me to warm to Brandy, while she is fearless and sassy, she had a vulnerable side to her, and my heart just broke for her. After suffering an abusive father and a mother who refused to leave, I can understand her reasonings for her behaviour towards Reed. He was protecting when her own father wouldn't.

Reed is the typical big brother protector, and his protectiveness over Brandy was swoon worthy. I love the stoic nature of his character, but when someone he loves is threatened, clear a path !

Their chemistry was amazing, how is slowly bulity over the course of the book, and even seeing their backstory from 7 years prior was an eye opener.

Lettie and Bailey, being absolute cuties and trying to play matchmaker, was hilarious.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH BECKHAM? WHAT HAPPENED? WHO IS PARKER? I NEED HIS STORY !

T R O P E S

💙dislike to lovers
💙no third act breakup
💙sister's best friend
💙small town
💙touch her, and you 💀
💙one bed


⚠️TW Include abuse (not between MCs), attempted r*@e (in a flashback)⚠️

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Annoying, boring and really bad. I literally could not care less about these characters and their stupid problems. It took AGES to find out why she was angry and when I did it still made zero sense. The domestic violence aspect was so badly done that it felt mocking to all victims. Just no.

[Laura VanZant · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Karley Brenna masterfully set up this couple over the course of this series, and I was FROTHING AT THE MOUTH waiting for Brandy and Reed. The TENSION. The ANGST. The HEAT. This was everything I wanted it to be and everything I was expecting. Brandy and Reed can GET. IT.

Read this if you like:
- best friend's sibling
- hate-to-love
- secret tattoo
- small town
- cowboy vibes

[Haily Volk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

Okay but listen.. I have been waiting for Reed’s book and let me tell you. It didn’t disappoint. I am in love with Reed Bronson. I honestly think this is my new favorite of the series! I ate this up! I mean hate to love? Sign me up.

Brandy and Reed’s story was everything I needed. It was an emotional ride. Everybody knows they hate each other because they make it known but what happens when Brandy’s past comes back into town?! Will she run to the only person that she can’t stand?!
When Reed sees how much she needs someone, he dropped everything to make sure she was safe and sound.

Brandy is such a sassy FMC and then you have reed who is so grumpy and closed off but I loved seeing the other side of him that Brandy brought out. I mean come on he got a secret tattoo for her?! How can you not swoon. The tension and chemistry were top notch!

Thank you so much for having me on your team Karley! I loved them so much 🫶🏼

Tropes:
💙Best Friend’s Brother
💙Hate to Love
💙Small Town
💙Farrier x Horse Trainer
💙Touch Her Again & ☠️
💙Nicknames & Banter
💙Secret Tattoos

[Charley Fitzpatrick (read_with_charley) · Rating 4 out of 5]

• ARC REVIEW •
• BITE THE BULLET: BY KARLEY BRENNA •
• BRANDY & REED •
•⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25•

First and foremost I want to thank Karley and Valentine PR for this Arc opportunity! 🤠🫶🏻
I have only read the first book in this series and I loved it so much. So when this ARC opportunity came, I jumped at the opportunity, knowing that this book was about my most anticipated couple. I knew from the start that this book was going to be amazing.

This book follows Reed Bronson and Brandy Rose. The two know each other, quite well in fact, but that doesn’t stop the hate blossoming between them. Brandy has a troubled past that she can’t seem to run from and Reed is tasked with finding out what is wrong with his little brother’s sudden appearance back home. But when things shake up with Brandy’s past, the only person who would understand is Reed, the last person she wants to go to.

- duel POV 👩‍❤️‍👨
- enemies to lovers
- best friends brother 😏
- grumpy x sunshine 😡🌞
- cowboy MMC 🤠
- horse trainer FMC

The tension, suspense and banter in this book was top tier. I know that their tension has been building for the past three books so I’m so happy they got their own. Reed only wanted to protect her from everything, but she hated the idea of needing to be protected. The way I was feeling all the feeling in this book, I laughed, I cried (a lot), I kicked my feet!

Brandy my girl! She has been through so much in her life, no wonder she held back all this time and rarely opened up. She was fearless, sassy, caring and just needed that push to understand that others do love her, and want her to be ok and safe.

Reed!!! He comes off as a grump, but man does he have a soft side under that hard exterior (and I’m not just talking about his personality 😉) ! I mean the guy wants only the best for her and he delivered. He was charming, protective as hell and so loyal to the ones he loves, even if they are pushing him away.

I absolutely loved seeing the background of the two and why their hatred for one another was so strong, Karley really wrote that amazingly. I loved being back in Bell Buckle and can’t wait too come back. I want to applaud Karley on her exceptional writing in the very difficult topics that were in this story!

We love a slow burn that ends in the filthiest mouth on the main man himself 🥵 and the thought of caramel drizzle will never be the same now 😏

Edits will be on my Instagram read_with_charley on the release day 🫶🏻

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑰𝑵 𝑬𝑴𝑶𝑱𝑰𝑺:
🤠🐴🤬🤬🤬🤬👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨😭

👍🏻𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬𝑫 / 💗𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑫: 👍🏻

𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬:
♡ visceral hate to lovers
♡ brother’s best friend
♡ grumpy x grumpy
♡ cowboy romance
♡ touch her and you d*e

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This one was probably a 3 ☆ for me. While I’ve absolutely loved all of the other books in this series, this one didn’t hit like the others.

What I liked: first off, SECRET TATTOO?? It gets me every single time 😍 Brandy had such a tough exterior but by the end, she learned that it’s okay to let someone in and ask for help. She had a pretty traumatic childhood and to see her and her mom start to heal from that felt really good. We got a glimpse into the other characters we’ve seen in previous books and how their life is panning out. Reed’s protectiveness and murderous rage to hurt anyone who hurt Brandy was hawttttt.

Bones to pick: this is meant to be enemies to lovers but I didn’t feel very convinced that they…actually liked each other until they suddenly kissed. Every third sentence spoken to each other had the word f*ck in it and while cussing doesn’t bother me, it definitely felt over the top. The overarching theme of letting someone talk to you when they’re ready is great, except these characters basically meanly yelled at each other for not saying what’s wrong and then essentially washed their hands of it saying, “well, they’ll talk when they’re ready,” which just didn’t sit right with me.

Despite this one not hitting as hard as the others, I will absolutely be looking for the next book!!

[KelsBookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squeals, it's the one we've been waiting for, and Holycowboy, we are friggin able to get down to understand why Reed and Brandy hate each other so much. This is book 4 in the Bell Buckle series, and I've been chomping to get my hands on this highly anticipated instalment. This book was full of banter, longing looks, underlying attraction, and vunerability.

Reed is kind, loving, hot as heck, but it's hidden under a grumpy exterior, and let me tell you, it makes for one hot, hot, hot, dirty, talking cowboy that will leave you swooning and considering to move to find your own cowboy!

“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

This is a real hate to love story. The hate is so real and raw that you can feel it on the pages as you read, and there is an element of why hidden within. I love how the chapters throughout give us a glimpse of what happened 7 years ago and the vunerability.

My heart ached for both of them. Brandy has been dealt a rough card, and Reed is a people pleaser, and together, these two will light a fire together but be warned its a slow burn.

I absolutely LOVED this book, each of the Bronson Men are pure friggin fire and hot as sin with hearts of gold. I am so glad I stumbled across this series and devoured the books!

[Danie Y. | BohoBookMama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
💙 Farrier x horse trainer
💙 "I didn't know where else to go"
💙 Hate to love
💙 Touch her again & ☠️
💙 Best friend's brother
💙 Naughty pictures

“𝙸’𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙱𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜, 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎.”

I received an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review. A huge thank you for this honor to read this early! 🫶🏻 These are 100% my true feelings and unbiased opinions on this book. Thank you Karley, I love being on your team 💙

I loved the tension and the banter in this book. It’s been building for all of us readers for the past three books and it finally snapped and boy was the wait worth it! These two have the best banter and bickering, and as their siblings would say it was honestly the very best “foreplay” leading up to the spice in this book.

I absolutely loved the dressing room scene and the comments about it after 🤭 I was so invested in seeing the background between the two of them and why there was such a “hatred” and Karley delivered! I felt so much for Brandy and all she had been through and I really loved getting to dig into Reed’s character more and see the softer side of him. I mean, this man drove to another town to find her the flower she’s named after so he didn’t have to cut them off of her bushes COME ON!!! He was actually a secret softy underneath all that grumpy exterior. Bravo to Karley for yet again another amazing book in the series. I absolutely loved being back in Bell Buckle. It is just like going home! If you have not read the series yet add it to your TBR ASAP!!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ 📖 𝑩𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑲𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒂

“𝘐𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴.”
“𝘉𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦.”
“𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵?”
“𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴.”

The fourth book in the Bell Buckle series, 𝑩𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕 was everything I hoped for. From book one, I have been absolutely FERAL for Brandy & Reed’s hate to love story! The banter was absolute PERFECTION. 💋😮‍💨

These two literally make rooms spontaneously combust when they are both in close proximity to each other. When they finally give in to the attraction, this book was so dang HOT! ❤️‍🔥

“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭. 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘰,”

This story was full of some really big emotions. Brandy experienced trauma from not only her childhood, but also from an incident that turned her relationship with her bestie’s brother into something filled with tension. (TW: DV) When they find themselves on a roadtrip to help their friends, sparks fly.

When a ghost from Brandy’s past pops back into her life, Reed will do whatever it takes to protect her.

“𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

I loved seeing our favorite couples from previous books and how their relationships have evolved! 🥹💞

If you love books with a rugged MMC who will do ANYTHING for the woman who “hates” him, go add 𝑩𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕, to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🐎 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘹 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳
💞 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦’𝘴 𝘖𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
🫦 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦
💋 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 & 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳
🤭 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘴
🥺 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢
⏰ 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴
🥊 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘦𝘳 & 𝘋!𝘦
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘤𝘺

[Chelsea Mansell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite the Bullet by Karley Brenna

Well this book is an emotional ride with all the feels that’s for sure! Reed and Brandy absolutely cannot stand each other after a night several years ago. Their banter and hatred for one another is unmatched.

Brandy is a force. Her sass is top tier and she literally has a mouth like a sailor and I love it. She is so unbelievably guarded but for good reason. Growing up in an abusive home definitely changes a person and Brandy is mad at the world because of it.

Reed gives her the sass and attitude right back but he would do anything for Brandy and will always keep her safe. Their banter throughout the story is so good. They keep each other on their toes and when Brandy is in need of someone to finally confide in and to keep her safe, Reed is there to comfort her and be the shoulder that she needs.

This book is a beautiful story of two people who truly need another. When Brandy has no where else to go, she chooses to go to Reed and their love blossoms from that moment. 🩵

Read if you enjoy:
Best friends brother
Hate to love
Banter
“I didn’t know where else to go”
Spit play
“Touch her and 💀”

Thank you so much Karley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC for my honest opinion and review 🤍

[Brie | bookedbybrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

And yet again I'm reminded why I love enemies-to-lovers and hate-to-lovers romance. . The angst, tension and chemistry was off the charts. Ooooo Reed and Brandy were prime. Their banter is top notch! The nicknames that they have for each other couldn’t be anymore perfect. And Brandy taking the reins, being her feisty, sassy self giving Reed a hand necklace makes her a helluva woman. Don’t worry though, Reed was able to match her, that helps bring down her walls that she worked so hard to build up. Yea..... I was more than digging it. Think people next door heard me cheering her on. 🤣🤣🤣

“𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Tropes:
Best Friend’s Brother
Hate to Love
Childhood Trauma
Toucher her and Die
Nicknames & Banter
Slow burn
Spit Play
Secret Tattoos
Dual Time


I feel like every time I say a book is good, Karely releases another, and it's like she's whispering to me, "you sure bout that, Brie?"

And then I'm left with eating my words.


*Check your trigger warnings before diving into this one.

Thank you so much Karley Brenna for the ARC opportunity in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC reader review🤍

It was a slow slow burn to start out. lots of banter and haha moments but once these two finally figured it out it was so hot. Reed is the perfect mix of golden retriever & morally grey. broody, moody, protective, obsessive but in the sweetest way. I loved the mental health aspect and learning about boundaries and taking care of yourself. The spice was spicing and this man's mouth! sheesh! i enjoyed this!

[Jill (chill_jilland_read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

YALL.

Do you want a small town story that has actual enemies-to-lovers but still packs an emotional punch?

Give Bite the Bullet a read.

When I say this is a roller coaster of a time…I mean it. The two MCs just oozed tension and angst the entire time. The payoff of this back and forth was well-done. I loved reading along as the story unfolded.

This is a strong series but I think this is my favorite one!

Thank you Karley Brenna for my gifted copy!

[ash😈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart!!!!

I love Reed. Protective, honest. A little shit all the time. But his love for Brandy, unmatched.

And brandy, I just want to hug her. Her story, her reason for her walls being so high,… broke my heart all over again.

[Amberley Te · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her name is Brandy Rose & his name is Reed, but she calls him Satan…so he got a tattoo of an actual brandy rose with thorns😭 It’s the little things for me. I’ve been waiting to dive into this book since Spur Of The Moment. I love a good slow burn cause when IT hits, oh it hits!!! I think Reed is my favorite Bronson boy hehe.

[bookswjb · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series keeps getting better and better!!!! this was everything i wanted it to be for Brandy & Reed! 😭😍

[Callie Almand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy, tatted, and protective cowboy… say no more. I’ve been waiting for Reed and Brandy’s story since the beginning and it was worth the wait. Banter, spice, nicknames, all of it was amazing. Can’t wait for book the next book🫶🏼

[Father Lib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reed + Brandy are a match made in banter heaven in this brother’s best friend, fake hate to lovers romance ! Brandy is a whole lot of women to handle + Reed stepped up to the plate without a second thought to finally break down all of her walls . They have incredible banter, the perfect nicknames for each other, a secret tattoo + Reed is just so down bad that I’m obsessed .

This is book four in the Bell Buckle series and it can be read as a complete standalone .

This book was given to me for honest review by the author .

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck. Freaking. YES!! Karley, I adore you and I adore Bite the Bullet so dang much. Hands down my favorite of the series by far and I’m still trying to come up with words to express how much I loved this book, but I’m going to try.

Brandy and Reed, holy cannoli talk about hate to love done right. It wasn’t forced and seeing how that hatred developed made sense and was portrayed so well. With the hate, we also got top tier banter. I could not get enough of it. Fun, feisty, spicy and just an all around good time. You truly see their chemistry and the slowburn between these two is delicious. However, there is also just so much more emotion is general behind these two. My heart broke with how much Brandy endured, but then seeing her face it all and Reed showing her she is safe with him filled it. These two have my whole heart ❤️

Thank you so much to Karley for the arc 💕

[Paige (paigersturnspages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review coming soon

[Eleanor Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhh I’ve been waiting for this one!!! Brandy and Reed are literally my faves of this series and I ate this one up😮‍💨 I love them together, the way he’s so protective of her and the bickering!!!