Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
Travis had been here at Sutton Station for just over a year. We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely.
Life at Sutton Station had never been better. Business was strong, Trudy and Bacon’s little baby, Gracie, was a few weeks old now and as cute as a button, Ma’s health was good, and my relationship with Laura and Sam was in a pretty good place. And Travis? Well, life with him was still all kinds of perfect.
But, to Travis’s dismay, Christmas at the Station was just another day. Another day of getting up before the sun, feeding animals, fixin’ what needed fixin’, and checking water troughs all while tryin’ to keep out of the blistering heat.
And this year weren’t much different. Only that it was Travis’s first Sutton Station Christmas. The fact we didn’t go all out with decorations and celebrations baffled him, and if I was bein’ truthful, it disappointed him too.
Which was why I had to make it a special kind of Christmas…
When I first starting reading the Red Dirt Heart series by N.R. Walker, it didn’t take long before I was deeply and permanently in love with every part of Sutton Station, the men, the way of life, even the wildlife from the deadly to the adorable (see one particular wombat). And at book four, I felt so much a part of their lives that it was painful to see it end, albeit happily and with satisfaction.
So imagine my surprise and delight when I heard that N.R. Walker had returned to red dirt country and the Sutton Station to bring us Red Dirt Christmas. Yes, I was overjoyed. Charlie and Travis were coming back for Christmas. Was it the Christmas present I hoped for?
Well, if it wasn’t it was close. Red Dirt Christmas takes place before the fourth book, so quite a few events haven’t occurred. But in many respects we get the best of the story threads. Charlie’s mother and brother are here. along with Ma and George, Trudy, Bacon and little Gracie and a certain wombat I never get enough of. Charlie and Travis, one of my favorite couples, are as close as ever even as Travis is fighting a case of the Christmas blues and homesickness. It seems that Charlie and Sutton Station don’t really celebrate Christmas and Travis is missing the way his family decorates with all the American trimmings.
To say any more would tempt me to head into spoiler territory. But what follows is tender, full of laughter and family, and of course, love. N. R. Walker doesn’t forget to leave out the dangers of living in such a extreme climate and geographical location. There is an encounter with one of the area’s venomous wildlife as well as one more element to be aware of during their “winter” season, one so costly it was a little scary there for a while for a main character. All these threads flowing beautifully through a story I never wanted to end.
Red Dirt Christmas is full of scenes real, vivid and heartfelt, the people inside were back to feeling like old friends revisited, even when Charlie and Travis where feeling frisky and hot, it was sexy, warm and loving. I hope we can talk N.R. Walker back into these short stories, small glimpses into the Sutton Station from time to time so we can check in on everyone. There’s Australia Day, Roundup, Give A Wombat a Hug day…I don’t care. Any excuse will do. N.R. Walker, are you listening? This was wonderful, now can we please have some more?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Red Dirt Heart series, what a treat is in store for you. I have listed them all at the bottom. I highly recommend them all as must reads for readers of M/M romance. Like the red dirt of the Northern Territory, this Station and this couple will get into your heart and never let go.
Happy Reading.
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Series any time of the year:
Red Dirt Heart Series:
- Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt, #1)
- Red Dirt Heart 2 (Red Dirt, #2)
- Red Dirt Heart 3 (Red Dirt, #3)
- Red Dirt Christmas (Red Dirt, #3.5)
- Red Dirt Heart 4 (Red Dirt, #4)
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