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Working for Love #1
Lanyards & Lariats
She was expected to inherit the family fortune. He was supposed to write a simple story. Neither expected to find love.
Bailey Reynolds traded New York high society for a quiet life in Serenity, Texas, as a single mom raising her daughter far from the spotlight. But when her mother’s sudden passing pulls her back into the world she left behind, Bailey returns to the city to protect her legacy—and her daughter—from the very life she escaped.
Enter Malcolm “Mac” Ryan, a war-weary journalist temporarily stuck on the society beat. Their first meeting? A night of laughter, lariats, and just enough whiskey to blur the lines. Their second? Bailey pointing a shotgun at him when he shows up on her ranch to write the story of her life.
Mac isn't one to back down. Drawn to Bailey’s fierce independence and guarded heart, he offers to help her navigate ruthless headlines, a scheming ex, and the tangled secrets of the Ladder H Distillery. But as strategy sessions turn into stolen kisses and attraction grows into something deeper, a looming scandal threatens everything they’ve built.
With her family’s future at stake, Bailey must can she trust the man who’s slowly earning her heart—or will the past rewrite their ending before it begins?
She traded her Louboutins for Ariats—and stepped into a love story she never expected!
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Lanyards & Lariats is an enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, sweet with a little heat romance filled with relatable relationships, sharp banter, and emotional connection. Perfect for readers who love complex heroines, swoony heroes, and second chances worth fighting for.
Bailey Reynolds traded New York high society for a quiet life in Serenity, Texas, as a single mom raising her daughter far from the spotlight. But when her mother’s sudden passing pulls her back into the world she left behind, Bailey returns to the city to protect her legacy—and her daughter—from the very life she escaped.
Enter Malcolm “Mac” Ryan, a war-weary journalist temporarily stuck on the society beat. Their first meeting? A night of laughter, lariats, and just enough whiskey to blur the lines. Their second? Bailey pointing a shotgun at him when he shows up on her ranch to write the story of her life.
Mac isn't one to back down. Drawn to Bailey’s fierce independence and guarded heart, he offers to help her navigate ruthless headlines, a scheming ex, and the tangled secrets of the Ladder H Distillery. But as strategy sessions turn into stolen kisses and attraction grows into something deeper, a looming scandal threatens everything they’ve built.
With her family’s future at stake, Bailey must can she trust the man who’s slowly earning her heart—or will the past rewrite their ending before it begins?
She traded her Louboutins for Ariats—and stepped into a love story she never expected!
----------------------------------------------------------
Lanyards & Lariats is an enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, sweet with a little heat romance filled with relatable relationships, sharp banter, and emotional connection. Perfect for readers who love complex heroines, swoony heroes, and second chances worth fighting for.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
5 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 17, 2025
Lanyards & Lariats by Amber W. Lynne is a small town, sweet with heat contemporary romance about Bailey Reynolds, a single mom who left New York’s high society behind to build a quieter life in Serenity, Texas, and Malcolm “Mac” Ryan, a war‑weary journalist temporarily covering the social beat whose first meetings with Bailey are equal parts laughter, whiskey, and guns.
When Bailey’s mother suddenly dies and she must return to protect her family’s legacy and her daughter from the world she escaped, Mac arrives to document her life story; what begins with sharp barbs and clashing worlds slowly deepens into trust, understanding, and unexpected affection as they navigate family secrets, media scrutiny, and the pull between past and future. The novel combines enemies to lovers, slow burn, and small town romance elements with emotional warmth and relatable relationships.
From the first glimpse of Bailey’s fierce independence I felt an immediate pull toward her world: she has that quiet strength of someone who has built a life on her own terms while still carrying the weight of history and expectation. Mac’s presence, sharp banter, and genuine curiosity about her life added sparks that made their evolving connection engaging and deeply human. What resonated most with me was how the story allows emotional depth to grow naturally between two people who begin as strangers from very different worlds, and how moments of vulnerability are met with compassion rather than spectacle.
The small town setting and the slow burn tension made their chemistry feel earned, and even without dramatic plot twists the emotional stakes felt real and grounded. Reading this made me reflect on how love can surprise you when you least expect it and how people can meet again not as they were but as they truly are.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving this book four stars because its heartfelt characters, thoughtful pacing, and warm moments left me genuinely invested in Bailey and Mac’s journey, though I sometimes wished for even deeper exploration of certain conflicts and backstory threads.
When Bailey’s mother suddenly dies and she must return to protect her family’s legacy and her daughter from the world she escaped, Mac arrives to document her life story; what begins with sharp barbs and clashing worlds slowly deepens into trust, understanding, and unexpected affection as they navigate family secrets, media scrutiny, and the pull between past and future. The novel combines enemies to lovers, slow burn, and small town romance elements with emotional warmth and relatable relationships.
From the first glimpse of Bailey’s fierce independence I felt an immediate pull toward her world: she has that quiet strength of someone who has built a life on her own terms while still carrying the weight of history and expectation. Mac’s presence, sharp banter, and genuine curiosity about her life added sparks that made their evolving connection engaging and deeply human. What resonated most with me was how the story allows emotional depth to grow naturally between two people who begin as strangers from very different worlds, and how moments of vulnerability are met with compassion rather than spectacle.
The small town setting and the slow burn tension made their chemistry feel earned, and even without dramatic plot twists the emotional stakes felt real and grounded. Reading this made me reflect on how love can surprise you when you least expect it and how people can meet again not as they were but as they truly are.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving this book four stars because its heartfelt characters, thoughtful pacing, and warm moments left me genuinely invested in Bailey and Mac’s journey, though I sometimes wished for even deeper exploration of certain conflicts and backstory threads.
August 28, 2025
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.
Though she might have grown up as a socialite and heiress, Bailey Reynolds is more at home on her Texas farm in her boots than she ever was in a pair of Louboutins. However, her mother's death has left her the owner for the family business, and she needs to step into the role for the good of her daughter. Crashing into a dive bar on the night of the funeral, Bailey meets Mac Ryan, a reporter who manages to change her world.
I found myself drawn into this book so much, and only put it down to go to sleep. Bailey and Mac's relationship was real and messy, and so right for their characters. Bailey had basically fled New York when her marriage became abusive, and she managed to escape with sole custody of her daughter Rosie and the keys to her mother's old farm. She was more than happy to stay there indefinitely, but the will made it clear that she was the sole owner of Ladder H, and her father and ex (who was the CEO) were ready to go to war for it. I liked how Mac may have initially gone to Texas for the story, but he soon made it clear that he would not mix business and pleasure, and his feelings for Bailey and Rosie meant he would do what he could to protect them. Bailey really struggled to let him in, thinking that she wasn't able to be loved, but once she learnt to trust herself, she could trust Mac to care for her and her daughter. The scenes between the three of them as a family were so cute, and that epilogue nearly killed me with how sweet it was! This is my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Amber in the future.
Though she might have grown up as a socialite and heiress, Bailey Reynolds is more at home on her Texas farm in her boots than she ever was in a pair of Louboutins. However, her mother's death has left her the owner for the family business, and she needs to step into the role for the good of her daughter. Crashing into a dive bar on the night of the funeral, Bailey meets Mac Ryan, a reporter who manages to change her world.
I found myself drawn into this book so much, and only put it down to go to sleep. Bailey and Mac's relationship was real and messy, and so right for their characters. Bailey had basically fled New York when her marriage became abusive, and she managed to escape with sole custody of her daughter Rosie and the keys to her mother's old farm. She was more than happy to stay there indefinitely, but the will made it clear that she was the sole owner of Ladder H, and her father and ex (who was the CEO) were ready to go to war for it. I liked how Mac may have initially gone to Texas for the story, but he soon made it clear that he would not mix business and pleasure, and his feelings for Bailey and Rosie meant he would do what he could to protect them. Bailey really struggled to let him in, thinking that she wasn't able to be loved, but once she learnt to trust herself, she could trust Mac to care for her and her daughter. The scenes between the three of them as a family were so cute, and that epilogue nearly killed me with how sweet it was! This is my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Amber in the future.
August 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)
Lanyards & Lariats is Amber W Lynne’s debut novel, and it brings a fresh spin on tropes I love — enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy x sunshine, and single mum romance.
I really enjoyed Bailey’s journey. She’s suddenly left in charge of her family company after her mum’s passing, which means not only dealing with her grief but also facing her abusive dad and ex-husband who want to take it all from her. On top of that, she has to deal with reporters…including Mac, the man she met at a bar the night of her mum’s funeral, who just happens to be a reporter himself 👀.
The romance between Bailey and Mac was good, but I did find it a little confusing at times with the on-and-off dynamic not always being clearly explained.
The highlight of the story for me was Maddie, Bailey’s daughter — such a sweet ray of sunshine every time she was on the page 🥰.
Overall, this was an enjoyable debut and I’ll be interested to see what Amber W Lynne writes next!
✨ Thank you to BookSirens and Amber W Lynne for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lanyards & Lariats is Amber W Lynne’s debut novel, and it brings a fresh spin on tropes I love — enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy x sunshine, and single mum romance.
I really enjoyed Bailey’s journey. She’s suddenly left in charge of her family company after her mum’s passing, which means not only dealing with her grief but also facing her abusive dad and ex-husband who want to take it all from her. On top of that, she has to deal with reporters…including Mac, the man she met at a bar the night of her mum’s funeral, who just happens to be a reporter himself 👀.
The romance between Bailey and Mac was good, but I did find it a little confusing at times with the on-and-off dynamic not always being clearly explained.
The highlight of the story for me was Maddie, Bailey’s daughter — such a sweet ray of sunshine every time she was on the page 🥰.
Overall, this was an enjoyable debut and I’ll be interested to see what Amber W Lynne writes next!
✨ Thank you to BookSirens and Amber W Lynne for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews