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Branded by Chaos
Willow Hayes knows better than to fall for a bull rider. Especially not Rhett “Razor” Calloway—the reckless, sinfully handsome bad boy with a reputation as dangerous as the bulls he rides. As the on-site medic for the rodeo circuit, Willow has seen firsthand what chaos looks like, and she’s sworn to keep her distance from the reckless men who flirt with danger every time they step into the ring.
But Rhett isn’t just any bull rider. After a two-year suspension for a brutal fight that still haunts the circuit, he’s back—and he’s got his sights set on more than just eight seconds of glory. With his dark past and wicked charm, Rhett is a storm Willow knows she should avoid. But the harder she fights her attraction, the deeper she falls into his world of twisted desire and raw, unapologetic passion.
As secrets unravel and old wounds are ripped open, Willow finds herself tangled in a deadly game where love and betrayal ride the edge of a knife. The Savage Eight’s legacy is stained with blood and betrayal, and as ghosts of the past rise, Willow and Rhett must face the in the world of professional bull riding, danger isn’t just in the arena—it’s waiting for them in the shadows.
When push comes to shove, will love be enough to tame the chaos? Or will they both be branded by the darkness that threatens to consume them?
Hold on tight—the ride’s just getting started.
But Rhett isn’t just any bull rider. After a two-year suspension for a brutal fight that still haunts the circuit, he’s back—and he’s got his sights set on more than just eight seconds of glory. With his dark past and wicked charm, Rhett is a storm Willow knows she should avoid. But the harder she fights her attraction, the deeper she falls into his world of twisted desire and raw, unapologetic passion.
As secrets unravel and old wounds are ripped open, Willow finds herself tangled in a deadly game where love and betrayal ride the edge of a knife. The Savage Eight’s legacy is stained with blood and betrayal, and as ghosts of the past rise, Willow and Rhett must face the in the world of professional bull riding, danger isn’t just in the arena—it’s waiting for them in the shadows.
When push comes to shove, will love be enough to tame the chaos? Or will they both be branded by the darkness that threatens to consume them?
Hold on tight—the ride’s just getting started.
616 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2025
22 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Lila Grey
37 books168 followersHello and thanks for following my writing journey!
I am a Community Volunteer, Pinterest worthy crafts, and home type of gal, who secretly loves to read down and dirty, alpha male romance books! (shh don't tell the others!) I love all things spooky and can't live without my coffee!
I live in a beautiful small town in New England with my husband, two kids, and our three rescue cats.
You can find my website here http://bit.ly/2K0dyZh
My Instagram here http://bit.ly/2YwlrPK
And if you want super exclusive content, secret sneak peeks, giveaways, and more, join my VIP group! http://bit.ly/2KvqSa2
I am so excited to share this amazing journey with you all!
Lila Grey
I am a Community Volunteer, Pinterest worthy crafts, and home type of gal, who secretly loves to read down and dirty, alpha male romance books! (shh don't tell the others!) I love all things spooky and can't live without my coffee!
I live in a beautiful small town in New England with my husband, two kids, and our three rescue cats.
You can find my website here http://bit.ly/2K0dyZh
My Instagram here http://bit.ly/2YwlrPK
And if you want super exclusive content, secret sneak peeks, giveaways, and more, join my VIP group! http://bit.ly/2KvqSa2
I am so excited to share this amazing journey with you all!
Lila Grey
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 26, 2025
REVIEW
Rating:
POV: 1st, dual
Tropes: 2nd chance (2 year seperation); angst; sports romance - bull riders; Suspense; Found Family; No 3rd Act Breakup
Heat Level: 5+/5
Kinks: N/A
Likes:
* Nice change with the sport. Bull riding is something I know exists but I've never watched before. I'm sure I've seen clips here and there when ESPN randomly shows it but it was cool to learn more about it through the story
* Overall this was a 2nd chance I enjoyed. There was understandable angst but it also felt like the couple got back together within a reasonable time frame in the story.
* I really like the cover
Dislikes:
* The delivery of the plot. Whew I'm sorry but this was poorly written :(.
Conclusion:
Disappointing :(. I really really didn't want it to be but it was. I STRUGGLED to read this 600 page book. Starting from 10% I could tell there were phrases and paragraphs that were basically copy and pasted. The author got the # of the group wrong... like multiple times (should've been 8 bull riders and the medic = 9 that originally formed the group). Then there's a pretty minor side character who switches between being 18 and 19 a few times and then she also just disappears off the face of the earth in the story. The transitions from one town to the next or from one weekend to the next was poorly executed. I got so confused because one moment they were in Louisiana but then one of the guys is looking up at the dark Montana sky.. I didn't even realize they had left Louisiana! LOL AND then to pile on top of all of this there was a lot of just typos, grammatical errors, etc.
I actually thought maybe this was this authors debut novel but it's definitely not. She has quite the backlist. So yeah I'm not sure what was going on with editing and publishing for this book.
There were some really strong bones for the plot but it was unfortunately very poorly executed. It also led to the romance just not flowing as well as it could've.
Not sure If I would continue this series whenever the next book comes out. I'd maybe just need to give this author another try through a different book to see if this type of writing is normal for her or if this was just a fluke.
1/5
Rating:
POV: 1st, dual
Tropes: 2nd chance (2 year seperation); angst; sports romance - bull riders; Suspense; Found Family; No 3rd Act Breakup
Heat Level: 5+/5
Kinks: N/A
Likes:
* Nice change with the sport. Bull riding is something I know exists but I've never watched before. I'm sure I've seen clips here and there when ESPN randomly shows it but it was cool to learn more about it through the story
* Overall this was a 2nd chance I enjoyed. There was understandable angst but it also felt like the couple got back together within a reasonable time frame in the story.
* I really like the cover
Dislikes:
* The delivery of the plot. Whew I'm sorry but this was poorly written :(.
Conclusion:
Disappointing :(. I really really didn't want it to be but it was. I STRUGGLED to read this 600 page book. Starting from 10% I could tell there were phrases and paragraphs that were basically copy and pasted. The author got the # of the group wrong... like multiple times (should've been 8 bull riders and the medic = 9 that originally formed the group). Then there's a pretty minor side character who switches between being 18 and 19 a few times and then she also just disappears off the face of the earth in the story. The transitions from one town to the next or from one weekend to the next was poorly executed. I got so confused because one moment they were in Louisiana but then one of the guys is looking up at the dark Montana sky.. I didn't even realize they had left Louisiana! LOL AND then to pile on top of all of this there was a lot of just typos, grammatical errors, etc.
I actually thought maybe this was this authors debut novel but it's definitely not. She has quite the backlist. So yeah I'm not sure what was going on with editing and publishing for this book.
There were some really strong bones for the plot but it was unfortunately very poorly executed. It also led to the romance just not flowing as well as it could've.
Not sure If I would continue this series whenever the next book comes out. I'd maybe just need to give this author another try through a different book to see if this type of writing is normal for her or if this was just a fluke.
1/5
May 24, 2025
Eight seconds ride.
Willow is trying to get her life back. Two years ago she lost two people. One that always will live in her heart. The other one broke her heart. Razor is back, To make amends the bridges he broke down. He made a promise he broke. Now he trying to stand tall with tears on his face. All he wants is one chance to show he’s not the man that walked away two years ago. He knows without his family by his side he can’t go on. Today he will show the world the cowboy he is and the man he is. You won’t put it down to the last page !!!
Willow is trying to get her life back. Two years ago she lost two people. One that always will live in her heart. The other one broke her heart. Razor is back, To make amends the bridges he broke down. He made a promise he broke. Now he trying to stand tall with tears on his face. All he wants is one chance to show he’s not the man that walked away two years ago. He knows without his family by his side he can’t go on. Today he will show the world the cowboy he is and the man he is. You won’t put it down to the last page !!!
August 29, 2025
Branded By Chaos
By Lila Grey
What a ride(pun intended)!
In this thrilling story Willow and Rhett are chaotic but it’s like love courses through their veins and nothing will stop them from coming back to each other. Fighting through the traumatic, shitty upbringings has made both of them untrusting but then losing someone they both love dearly ripped them apart… or so they thought. I implore you to read and find out how tough rodeo folk really are when you threaten their found family… and how love isn’t just an emotion it’s an action…
The very definition of found family is carved into the Savage 8’s soul. The fighting like siblings, the true loyalty, the will to demolish anyone who comes at the family, the fierce love and care that swims between each member… This essence is captured so naturally and I can admit it brought me to tears and reminded me of my found family…. Blood doesn’t make you family love does.
No one will stop them from doing what they love… no one!
My only critique is the use of repetitive phrases, maybe a tad more spin on some of the phrasing. However, this story is thrilling, exciting, I couldn’t stop reading and every spare moment I had (and a few later nights) I was reading this book! I am generally a slow reader, but this book I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next! I am ecstatic to read the next one, and soon I will be starting STRIKER🖤 I cannot wait to read more of your books Lila Grey!
By Lila Grey
What a ride(pun intended)!
In this thrilling story Willow and Rhett are chaotic but it’s like love courses through their veins and nothing will stop them from coming back to each other. Fighting through the traumatic, shitty upbringings has made both of them untrusting but then losing someone they both love dearly ripped them apart… or so they thought. I implore you to read and find out how tough rodeo folk really are when you threaten their found family… and how love isn’t just an emotion it’s an action…
The very definition of found family is carved into the Savage 8’s soul. The fighting like siblings, the true loyalty, the will to demolish anyone who comes at the family, the fierce love and care that swims between each member… This essence is captured so naturally and I can admit it brought me to tears and reminded me of my found family…. Blood doesn’t make you family love does.
No one will stop them from doing what they love… no one!
My only critique is the use of repetitive phrases, maybe a tad more spin on some of the phrasing. However, this story is thrilling, exciting, I couldn’t stop reading and every spare moment I had (and a few later nights) I was reading this book! I am generally a slow reader, but this book I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next! I am ecstatic to read the next one, and soon I will be starting STRIKER🖤 I cannot wait to read more of your books Lila Grey!
May 25, 2025
A dark, gritty, and exciting rodeo romance that’s totally page-turning. Willow knows better than to fall for a bull rider, especially Rhett “Razor” Calloway, the scandal ridden bad boy back on the circuit. But when passion collides with buried secrets, she’s pulled into a world where love and betrayal ride side by side.
May 26, 2025
I've read a lot of Lila Grey's books and this one by far was the BEST! The characters Rhett and Willow had my heart from the first pages. The tension between these two you could cut with a knife. In the end they overcame some hurdles and I loved me an HEA with these two. Looking forward to the next book from the Savage 8.
June 5, 2025
Branded by Chaos by Lila Grey is the first installment in the Savage Eight series. The story is about Ava and Finn. Ava's struggles with self-harm are portrayed with sensitivity, and Finn's protective nature adds depth to their evolving relationship. Branded by Chaos explores their love and how they are surviving the challenges they face. Amazing story, can wait for the rest.
May 23, 2025
Wow! What a way to rodeo!!! It's been a while since I read a good cowboy story but Lila Grey did not disappoint! She brought a bit of heat to the rodeo circuit!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews