One of the series threads of the Farthingdale Ranch series is that of the mysterious disappearance of one of Farthingdale ranchâs first guest or dudes when it opened up for business. A young man called Laurie Quinn vanished without a trace and sends business at the ranch into a downward spiral from which itâs still trying to recover.
At the ranch, people arenât supposed to talk about it, even mention the ghost story Bill told that night that launched the events, one heâs never told since.
But it does get mentioned, book after book. And I wondered if we were ever going to know what happened.
I was reading through the authorâs backlist when this book and synopsis popped up. Huh. My very answer in front of me.
Honestly, there needs to be a link.
Anyway. If youâd asked me what had happened to that young man, bears, wolves , mountain lions, ok, but not time travel would have been my answer.
However, Jackie North has written a very moving , poignant tale of a clash of men, the realistic shock of finding yourself back in 1891 where itâs not as nostalgic or prairie romantic as tv series or books picture it. Nope, the reality is raw, harsh, bone chilling cold, and almost traumatizing. Especially when youâre not sure youâll get home to your time.
Whatâs soon apparent is how Laurieâs nighttime wish plays into this all.
One heartbreaking campfire ghost story that Bill swears is true, one Meteor shower, Iron Mountain, and one manâs wish.
The author ensures the readerâs awareness of the truth breaks wide open as the story unfolds, we start to gather together all the right elements. Anticipation, fear for our couple, awareness of time and history playing out, hope that somehow a new path can be charted, and a total connectivity to everything happening before us.
Itâs thrilling, heartbreaking, romantic, and chilling. In a word, wonderful.
Each character here is so faithful to his era that is makes the story feel that more grounded in its universe, no matter which one it is.
My only quibble and Iâm not sure it would even work here with the 2 person POV is I desperately wanted Laurie to let the Ranch know. Somehow . Then I thought some things had to have changed like the belt. Hmmmm. A true time travel conundrum.
Just not sure if the author is going to take that into account going forward with the next 3 stories in the Farthingdale Ranch series.
Anyhow that bothered me a bit as you can see. Loose endsâŠ.
Outside of that, this is a truly moving story and romance. It gets the era, the rough living and raw feel of the times just right while leaving in the potential for love and tenderness, no matter what time you came from.
A great delight.
And donât forget to grab up and read all the Farthingdale Ranch series, a must read each and every one. Three to date, more to come.
Soulmates across time. A love that was meant to be.
In present day, Laurie, tired of corporate life, takes a much-needed vacation at Farthingdale Dude Ranch.
The very first night a freak blizzard combined with a powerful meteor shower takes Laurie back to the year 1891. When he wakes up in a snowbank, his only refuge is an isolated cabin inhabited by the gruff, grouchy John Henton, who only wants to be left alone. His sense of duty prevails, however, and he takes Laurie under his care, teaching him how to survive on the wild frontier.
As winter approaches, Laurie’s normal fun-loving manner make it difficult for him to connect with John, but in spite of John’s old-fashioned ways, the chemistry between them grows.
Sparks fly as the blizzard rages outside the cabin. Can two men from different worlds and different times find happiness together?
A male/male time travel romance, complete with hurt/comfort, true confessions, a shared bed, fireplace kisses, the angst of separation, and true love across time
When I see a new release from Kim Fielding, i always know to expect several things. Iâm about to embark on a remarkable journey. It will be one of both deep despair and incredible highs. Iâll meet many unique and memorable beings along the way, who through great trials, states of tremendous grief or the beginnings of love, achieve greatness. Sometimes in glory, sometimes in a sort of quietude.
Characters often those like Oliver Webb and Felix Corbyn, to name just two, who have a huge adventure in front of them.
As do we.
Oliver and Felix are remarkable in that at first they appear quite mundane. AhhhâŠ.such magic in the telling and unfolding.
There will be some humor, light as rare pink sprights in flight or warm-hearted as a tiny imp with a treasure of tangled threads.But , true to form, thereâs also immense pain and darkness and despair. For no one knows better then Fielding that to truly appreciate the white. brightest of that golden light that glows at the final peak for the brave that successfully overcome all odds to achieve their quest that they first must endure the darkness, the brutality , the loss of hope and love in order to gain it back again.
Sometimes in one of her stories youâre not even sure the heroes will prevail. That is the journey they must endure and learn from itself thatâs the quest and not whatever the item to be found at the end theyâve been asked to find.
Itâs in her characters, their relationships, the universe and the peoples and beings around them thatâs the treasure each reader finds and gleans something personal from. I can find something new each time I reread her stories. They have that much depth.
Farview contains everything I expect from a Kim Fielding story. Outstanding universe building, characters that slowly reveal their layers, of character and history, as they grow together and into your heart. A magical mystery, a heartbreaking illness, imps, dragons, and a village by the sea that will exert a emotional pull on you just as it does on Oliver.
At times I found myself bawling my eyes out. My heart hurt that badly for all involved. And I wasnât sure exactly how it all would work out.
Strangely and perfectly enough, not in anyway I foresaw.
Love it when that happens.
The ending left me smiling, eyes closed, listening as I imagined the sounds of the sea calling, the salt in the wind and the sounds of laughter ringing up from over the cliffsâŠ..
Perfection.
I highly recommend Farview and Kim Fielding if you havenât found this author yet.
Synopsis: Ravaged by a horrific experience, Oliver Webb flees the smog-bound city of Greynox for a quiet seaside village and the inheritance heâs never seen: a cottage called Farview. He discovers clear skies, friendly imps, and a charming storyteller named Felix Corbyn.
With help from Felixâs tales, Oliver learns surprising secrets about his family history and discovers what home really means. But with Felix cursed, Oliver growing deathly ill, and an obligation in Greynox hanging heavy around his neck, it seems that not even wizards can save the day.
Still, as Felix knows, stories are the best truths and the most powerful magic. Perhaps the right words might yet conjure a chance for happiness
One theme that became easily apparent among all three Farthingdale books is that each contains one manâs journey from an abusive, traumatic past into a new renewed bright future. His path , one we accompany him on, is marked by a series of obstacles of varying elements, from small sidesteps off the path to what might seem insurmountable boulders to scale before he can recover and get, along with his true love, their HEA.
As Iâve mentioned in my other reviews, I started with the third novel in the series, went back to the beginning, and now end here at The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con while I await the release of the next stories.
So I can say this is probably the one novel most guaranteed to bring out the sniffles, that box of Kleenex, and the carton of ice cream. With one spoon.
Because Ellis and his history is heartbreaking! What heâs been through, yes, including the extremely poor choices the man made himself and paid for, heâs in our hearts. From the minute we meet him, bloody, beaten, filled with fear, hearing his storyâŠ.weâre connected to Ellis. Mute, brutalized from his time in prison,Ellis is perhaps the most broken of all the traumatized men weâve met in all these stories.How could you not hurt for him?
Jackie North has written such a vulnerable, heartbreaking character here that you want to enfold him , wrap him up safely so as to keep him from further harm.
Jasper, our Blacksmith, whoâs self isolated himself within his work and cabin has such tight boundaries to begin with. But from his past history , we understand what caused him to establish them to begin withâŠa need to protect himself. However nothing prepares him for Ellis. Jasper will come to feel that its Ellis whoâs in need of protection and more. But it will take time and an adjustment of his mind and heart to get there. Something we get a window into.
Both men are incredibly complex, emotionally and mentally. Life has added so many more layers of trauma and pain filled history between them to navigate that each tentative movement towards each other is often over a minefield.
Yet in a small cabin by a slow flowing River it becomes a thing of physical poetry, raw and emotional and shy.
All interspersed with the heat of the forge, the stamp of horses hooves as they wait to be shod or for a carrot treat, or any of the other daily ranch duties scheduled that flows through their lives and story.
Itâs a found family at this ranch and all the people there seamlessly move around this couple and on the ranch as to make the reader see and feel apart of a living, working guest ranch. And this amazing group of people.
When the showdown comes, and in the utter relief at the end , I was reflecting on how much Ellis and Jasper had been through and how far they had come, and us with them.
What a journey! I was almost crying. In joy. What a story and couple. I look forward to seeing more of them in future stories as I know I will.
Another true pleasure with this remarkable series. I highly recommend this and all the books in this series.
Synopsis:
âIf anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.â
Jasper has the perfect life. Heâs a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.
Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. Heâs about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?
Itâs not love at first sight. Itâs not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA
Need a new series to read and love? Start here. Iâm recommending them all.
Out now:
The Foreman and the Drifter #1
The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2
The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3
Coming Soon – The newest books in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soonâŠ..
While I started this amazing series with the third book, this incredibly sweet, heartwarming romance is exactly the way to fall into this universe and found family.
Itâs a slow burn, first love, first time romance that captures the essence of all that confusing, unsettling overwhelming feelings of true love . Set on a ranch where you can almost smell the wild fragrances coming through the tall meadow grasses, feel the heat pouring down as the men ride and go through their chores, itâs an old fashioned slowed down day in a modern world story. One to savor along with the very sweet, almost innocent nature of the relationship thatâs beginning to form between Leland and Jamie.
The ranch, itâs full time staff which is also a family, itâs guests comes across as a real place. From the dining hall to the dusty tack room to the fire pit where the grasses need to be cut back for safety purposes, itâs described so clearly, easily such a deep integral part of the people there that it becomes a part of your heart too.
And as a worn, torn Jamie finds himself deposited at the ranch uncertain and almost beaten, you just hope heâs finally found home. Which he has.
Jamie is all young vulnerability, openness, and hope waiting for someone to want him. Heâs an amazing character and you love him immediately. As the strait laced Leland does, even if heâs not sure what to make of his own feelings.
Leland we also understand and adore, in a totally different way. They gently spark, gaze, and as two men whoâve never had relationships, stumble towards each other.
How I love this and them.
Like sitting on that veranda in the summerâs evening, sipping root beer, listening to the owls call and holding hands under the blankets.
Sighing now. Perfection.
Iâm so in love with this series. On to book two.
Need a new series to read and love? Start here. Iâm recommending them all.
Out now:
The Foreman and the Drifter #1
The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2
The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3
Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soonâŠ..
The Wrangler and The Orphan #4
The Cook and the Gangster #5
The Trail Boss and the Brat #6
Synopsis: If only Leland would forget forget that Jamie was a drifter. If only heâd give their hearts a chance.â
With Farthingdale Ranch at risk, Leland Tate, ranch manager, has to get tough and make sure everyone on the ranch follows the rules heâs laid out. That means no handouts, no fraternizing, and no drifters.
But what happens when a young drifter comes looking for a job? What happens when that drifter makes Leland want to break all the rules?
A gay, m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, first time, rescue, sunshine/grumpy, boss/employee, emotional scars, and opposites attract. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Buy The Foreman and the Drifter to fall deeply and forever today with the first book in the new Farthingdale Ranch Series
Summer Drifter is the second is Scottâs Whisper Ridge, Wyoming series and itâs my favorite of the two.
I find that both men were easier to connect with, had huge chemistry with each other from their first meeting in the road, and their continued complex dynamics just made this story so enjoyable on a variety of levels that it was hard to put down.
Quinn, with his bright pink hair, big plans, ginormous out there attitude and vulnerability was such a standout characterâŠ. Obviously!
He was made to love. By the reader and Levi. And we did. Even when he was making ,smh, incredibly poor choices, because of his inner turmoil you knew it was due to his traumatic past and confusion over what was best for all going forward. Poor choices done for the right reasons, at least in his mind. You could understand him.
The same went for Levi. His painful past history and fears were causing him to make his future based on his old memories and unwillingness to look past his pain to something more. Again we got him too. It took a bright pink haired Quinn to light the way to something new.
But in between thereâs humor, horses, toddlers, young energetic boys, found family and a ranch to run.
It all melds together in one great story.
While Winter Cowboy laid the foundation, Summer Drifter filled out the universe and gave us a absolutely incredible love story and family.
Synopsis: One man craves family, the other isolation; neither of them was searching for forever love.
Experienced and much-in-demand horse trainer Levi doesn’t need or want people. With his horse and dog at his side, he lives out of his trailer and trains horses in the summer to earn just enough to head south for winter. Infrequent hook-ups with no-tell cowboys takes care of sex, but the moment any connection gets anywhere near complicated, he moves on. Losing a lover to violence has taught him that if he’s alone, he can’t get hurt, and in return, he avoids the pain of loss. Everything in his easy-going life is on track until he knocks over Quinn, a pink-haired stranger who pirouettes in front of his truck, sits in his lap and calls him cowboy with the sexiest voice he’s ever heard. Anger turns to frustration, lust turns to love, and by the end of the summer, Levi doesn’t know which way to turn.
Quinn loses everything when the cops find his brother’s body on the remains of a compound that belonged to a cult. Damaged and vulnerable, Max had been the only safe place for Quinn in his otherwise cold family, but finding out that Max might have had a son sends Quinn to Wyoming and the Lennox Ranch. When he’s knocked to the ground on day one at the ranch, he wonders if maybe he should have thought things through better. After all, he’d bought two horses and a house to get close enough to Lennox ranch just to see if he was an uncle. He craves love, connection and is excited to be part of a family, searching for a place where he can finally stop running. He never meant to fall for the closed-off cowboy, but somehow Levi steals his heart and Quinn falls in love.
Once again I started a series in the he middle but I donât think it will make much of a difference here. Itâs easy to understand the couples and Iâll be going back to pick up on each of their individual romances after this one.
Why? Because I so thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the Farthingdale Ranch and felt as though Iâd actually been there , walking the grounds, riding the trails and being a part of that found family.
This story was so moving. Both men experienced such growth, one in particular had undergone such a bad relationship that heâd been badly damaged emotionally and that had resulted in Erectile Dysfunction, a subject matter treated here gently, lovingly, and focusing towards healing the man . It was amazing.
Interwoven with recovery was a remarkable Father/daughter relationship. You canât help but love Bea. She was a force of nature.
The core is Clay and Austin finding a way towards a healthy, happy HEA ⊠a true family. Itâs a slow tentative path but one made through communication and adjustments. And a respect for each other.
What a great story and remarkable universe. Great characters, marvelous setting, moving plot lines. Thereâs three more stories to come and two prior books. Oh what joy!
I love it when I fall in love with a series! I believe you will too.
Head over to the Farthingdale Ranch and grab up all the books!
Synopsis:
“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”
Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.
Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.
Austin doesnât know where his life is headed, but at least heâs got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.
The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is heâs distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. Thereâs no way this can work.
A gay M/M cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Out now:
The Foreman and the Drifter #1
The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2
The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3
Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soonâŠ..
Lane Hayes continues her Out of series for couple Gabe and Derek post college with two lovely, sweet short stories.
We meet again Hayesâ great characters, in tightly plotted storylines filled with romance and hope for their dreams, individually and as a couple.
We follow them through each manâs future plans, one for a restaurant and one for an Olympic spot, then to a wonderful romantic conclusion.
Both compliment each other and leave the reader happy and satisfied for the couple and with the stories.
What a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.
Lighthearted, humorous, romantic and sweet. I loved it and recommend both. And Hayes Out of series. Check them all out.
Synopsis:Out for the Holidays
A Dream Come TrueâŠ
Derek-
This is it! Iâm finally opening my own bistro. Iâve spent the last two years getting ready for this moment. I canât decide if the holidays are the perfect time to begin a new venture, but Iâm excited. It would be nice if my family were on board too.
Gabe-
I play water polo. I donât know anything about the restaurant business, but I want to make sure Derekâs grand opening goes according to plan. Iâll rally our friends, send out invites, and yeahâŠIâll even deal with his mother. Heâs my number one person and Iâll do whatever it takes to be sure weâre out for the holidays.
Out for the Holidays is a low-angst MM romance featuring Derek and Gabe from Out in the DeepâŠand a host of friends from the Out in College books!
Out for Gold
Chance of a LifetimeâŠ
Gabe-
Winning a spot on the Olympic water polo team is my lifelong goal and guess what?…I made it! Of course, nothing goes smoothly. This is a bad time for a shoulder injury and an even worse time for my dad to show up out of the blue. I might be doomed.
Derek-
Family isnât easy. Trust me, I know. But in my experience, ignoring obvious issues only makes them more challenging in the long run. I canât solve Gabeâs problems with his dad, but Iâll help if I can. Win or lose, my man is going out for gold.
Out of Gold is a low-angst MM romance featuring Derek and Gabe from Out in the Deep in a full-circle quest for the ultimate prizeâŠlove.
*OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS was originally featured in the holiday collection, Gifts for the Season. Since the anthology is no longer available, I wanted to publish it on my own and add new content. OUT FOR GOLD is a brand-new novella that really brings the whole story full-circle. Both shorts feature Derek and Gabe from Out in the Deep.
Eden Wintersâ Diversion series is one of my favorites. Itâs so well written, highly complex, and the characters beyond amazing, with lives so layered , so thick with nuance , humor and peril that each book was a showstopper.
Never Underestimate an Omega sees Winters venturing into supernatural territory and for me the results are just a pleasant ok story.
Shifters romances, especially wolf shifters are plentiful. To stand out you need to add a new twist to the wolf shifter lexicon or give us a superb story that builds on the wolf shifter canon we already know.
This doesnât do either , if anything it works against known canon in the worst way. Itâs just a nice romance about a pack that needs rescuing, an omega included, and a alpha returning to exact revenge and take over the pack. Weâve seen this scenario before, multiple times. Including the fact that the omega turns out to be a stronger, more intricate part of pack dynamics then the old pack structure will acknowledge.
Again, nothing new. Although I enjoyed the omega Logan.
Alpha Grey, also sexy . And their relationship? What we see if it, which isnât much until the very end of the story, is superficial. That doesnât work or help to connect us to them as a couple.
What was confusing here was the whole mate recognition element. For one pair the mate factor/bond was immediate, although âoff stageâ so we donât see it happening. Weird.
For our all important main couple? The alpha seemed clueless which was incredibly odd when Logan knew Grey was it for him. However, that recognition was not the all powerful element youâd expect it to be. That could be any instant love story tbh.
Wolves mate for life, something not even mentioned here.
Within this universe, the mate bond almost seems to be a âtake it or leave itâ thing which diminishes the impact of any mating/bonding. At least for me. It feels all sorts of muddy here as a part of the shifter biology and that actually dilutes the importance of their relationship and impact within the pack structure.
In my opinion . At one part Logan debated even âreturningâ⊠which assumed that the entire mate aspect holds little physical or emotional sway. But for another pair itâs the direct opposite. But again for them it comes across as more of a âweâre in loveâ than a deep spiritual/physical imperative.
So is this in fact something the author intended or a continuity problem? I donât know. Either way it was extremely confusing and deflating.
Itâs not until the very end that they act or have any type of relationship that veers towards romance. Then itâs really too late. Much of the story is spent on other issues and them apart, physically and emotionally.
While there are certainly some interesting characters here they arenât necessarily the main ones.
Overall, as I said, itâs a nice story. But not what I was expecting from this author whoâs other stories are so extraordinary and complex.
If you ask me what I recommend? I recommend you read the entire Diversions series. Those are just great reads.
Synopsis:An alpha leader must have an alpha mate, but Gray wants only one man.
And that man is an omega.
Wolf shifter Gray Collins returns to his home pack to avenge his fatherâs murder, never expecting to take on the role of leader. Gray is a loner with no desire to tackle the politics of being Pack Alpha. Worse yet, he falls for the man heâs come to depend onâomega Logan Richardson.
According to pack lore, omegas are inferior, nothing more than lowly servants. Or are they? Logan is far too cunning, fierce, and bold to be a low-ranking wolf. While he keeps his head down in public, when theyâre alone, Logan stands toe-to-toe with Gray like no one else dares. Mutual respect grows into friendship, friendship into a white-hot desire neither can fight.
Despite the law and the odds, the two wolves form a tentative bond. Together they lead the pack through strife and threats, all while keeping a secretâa secret that could get them both killed, and plunge the pack back into the savage dark ages.
The entire Lycan world is on the brink of a hard-won lesson: Never underestimate the relentless force of an omega.
I just adore this series! After all, how often Is it that I get a 18 book series written by multiple authors that shows no signs of stopping, remains energetic and fresh from couple to couple, plot to plot, and has given me new authors to follow!
Exciting, right?
The main elements remain the bar/bookstore thatâs Vino and Veritas, the beautiful town of Burlington, Vermont, the surrounding areas such as smaller villages, farms and woods. From that great foundation, we continually meet and/or revisit the many citizens (established and newly arrived) that intertwine their lives and loves.
Unforgettableâs couple is comprised of two men weâve met before.
Thereâs Oz Walker, one of the staff at Vino side of V&V. Heâs been mentioned fairly often in the other stories. Doesnât matter the authors, many of these couples and characters make appearances throughput the entire series.
So yes, we superficially know Oz and now get to meet the man in-depth as well as his family. All of them and they rock!
Reeve Hale, temporally âpassing throughâ Burlington for the summer is roommates with one of my fav people. Thatâs the effervescent Davey Murphy from Undone #17, here busy, supportive and looking for love. While itâs great to get a peak at âShowgirlâ, the oh so delightful , duty minded adorable Reeve is a real great addicting character.
Add a marvelous fake boyfriend trope between these two and you have a story that just takes off and soars on a flight of romance, sexy romps, some angst, and a ton of heartwarming moments.
Just a heads over heels love fest that you will find so much fun to read. Well written, dialogue that feels real and hits the heart, and yes, filled with outstanding characters, both new and from the other series books.
Oz Walker and Reeve Hale are a great couple and make for a entertaining joyful romance. Add this one to your TBR pile. I definitely recommend it.
See the synopsis and entire series list below as well as the buying link from Goodreads.
Synopsis: One night with Reeve Hale wasnât enough. I knew it when I kissed him, I knew it when I slept with him, and I was certain of it when I walked out of his motel room the very next day.
So when the shy, gorgeous man is introduced as our newest employee at Vino and Veritas, I canât help but conjure up all the ridiculous ways to convince him to repeat that unforgettable night. Like asking him to be my fake boyfriend at my sisterâs upcoming wedding.
Only, I didnât expect him to say yes.
Playing pretend shouldnât feel this real. Especially when Reeve is planning on leaving Vermont after the summer.
We agreed to one night. We negotiated a fake relationship. But Iâm the one who broke our terms. I wasnât supposed to fall in love and he was never supposed to be so unforgettable
I have been looking forward to this book and series since itâs origin story, A Brush of Blue, in her Colors of Love series. Itâs there that we met Landon Reese, goalie/hockey player and his future husband, bandleader Montrell Pittman. And at the end they are facing a great future together, full of new journeys, including one that sees both at Landonâs large spread in Wyoming, the Prairie Smoke Ranch.
It was such an amazing story and that couple was so fascinating and diverse that I couldnât wait to see how their lives continued and what happened nextâŠ.on that ranch.
We get that here, although not as much as I had hoped to see of Landon and Martell. Here, we run across Landon most often as the carryover character. He owns the ranch after all. Of the complex , musical cross dressing Martell, we catch just glimpses.
No the focus of this novel is the Prairie Smoke ranch foreman, Nate Pearson and Dr. Bishop Haney, associate professor of Paleontology at UWW. Itâs their love story, with heavy overlay plot lines of theft, bigotry, feuding ranches, rustling and more.
And that mixture of elements and storylines is both a blessing and , well not a curse then definitely a frustrating point, reader and review wise, about this novel.
Writing a series, authors can format their stories in various ways. Thereâs a main foundation or universe, here itâs the Prairie Smoke Ranch and itâs location near the Tetons as well as surrounding communities, town and Native tribes.
Locey has established a great setting and niche community here. We have the larger towns and citizens referenced and secondary characters from there who make appearances.Thereâs the smaller found family the author is slowly creating at the ranch itself thatâs a combination of owners, ranch hands, and support staff. New people already situated or are soon to arrive within this group are those whoâs relationships will be launched in the forthcoming books.
As I said, this series looks to follow the pattern of individual romances emerging from the ranch family that is growing before us on the page instead of following through on the couple already presented.
From foundation universe and main couple romance, then a author can layer on more themes or plots that get threaded through the narrative to further tie books and series together.
For me this has always been a somewhat tricky format to balance and have each tale remain satisfying in and of itself while moving the series objectives forward.
As a reader, I want to come to the end of each novel I read and feel happy (if itâs that sort of fiction) as well as satisfied that some if not most of the plot lines raised have been concluded , even if itâs not the arc storyline . Thatâs more so the case because itâs a anticipated smaller percentage in novels from a series because yes, you allow for a certain number of storylines to carryover into the next novel. I still emotionally need closure on something! Please donât leave me with more questions then answers or spending hours wondering why I didnât even connect 100 percent to our couple. More on that.
When that happens. Even if thereâs no real cliffhanger (something I abhor in a series), having multiple major elements left dangling at the end , well frustrating is a nice way to put it. Then I start to look at every aspect of the story with askance.
That includes what seems to be a happy, loving main couple . Here after some thought, even their romance here feels just as unfinished as everything else. Definitely a HFN book. An air of uncertainty hangs ever present over all elements.
For me that perfectly frames out how Dawnâs Desire reads and comes across at the end. I done nothing but think about this story and why I just felt unsettled and yup, frustrated by the end.
Letâs tackle the romance first of all.
Itâs very well written, especially when creating and defining the men who become lovers in this HFN story.
Nate has a tragic history which is easy to emphasize with and feel a part of this manâs life story. I connected with Nate. And even now he stands out so clearly in my head. I know this man.
Bishop, all energized, nerdy yet capable, messy man bun and long limbs, is equally amazing and relatable. From his California great looks to his positive outlook, Bishop feels as real as Nate.
Their chemistry is off the charts hot and I can even believe they love each other at the end.
The author did such a thorough, great job in giving both men not only a layered history but each has an emotional richness to them. Nate speaks hauntingly and with deep conviction of his connection to the wide spaces of Wyoming and his almost sacred bonding to the land. As he spoke at times during the story of his need and emotional ties there , it was so moving and natural.
Bishop too has equally meaningful layers to him. Not surprisingly, these strong ties run from his joy and passion for paleontology . But on the same level as Nateâs great need and love for the land surrounding the Tetons is Bishop âs innermost connection to the ocean, itâs waters , smells, and sounds that speak to Bishop of his heart. Itâs a immense part of his soul, one that he says feels empty when heâs away from it. Yes, I understood Bishop too on a visceral level.
Soooo⊠anyone seeing a potential issue here for a HEA? Because yes, Bishop is a associate professor at UWW, thatâs a both a field that calls for major time spent on digs (wherever they may be found) but he likes the city and his oceans.
This may be a case where these men are so well crafted as to feel real. We understand their inner emotions and can then see past a simple relationship whereas love here being everything. For me instead of focusing on their HFN status, all I could think of is this relationship has a real time limit realistically speaking. That sometimes love isnât enough.
While realistic, probably not the tone Locey was going for in this romance.
The story doesnât address my concerns about the romance feeling like a summer ranch fling however much they declared their love.
Add that to the fact that none of the other storylines (entertaining and suspenseful major threads) come to any fruition . Each one is left to continue through to the next book. Not one is resolved.
I got to the end of Dawnâs Desire feeling as though Iâd read the first half of a book where the rest of it was missing.
Iâm sure more information about each mystery and plot will be featured in book 2 in this series. However, that story doesnât center around Bishop and Nate but another couple entirely.
And unlike Landon and Martell who communicated and worked , in that novel, how the complications from each manâs job would fit into their newly domesticated lifestyle, here between Nate and Bishop we get nothing. Just a declaration of love.
Just not very satisfying, at least for me.
So finally, Dawnâs Desire does a great job in setting up the foundation and conflicts going forward in the series. It does nothing to resolve any thread just a setup and move forward.
It does give us a age gap, layered realistic quick romance between Nate and Bishop, running from lust to love. We understand and come to love each man, easy to do as theyâre intelligent, funny, poignant, and sexy.
But is this a romance built or written in a way that feels lasting? Not so much. More like Nateâs first step out of emotional hibernation than a HEA. And I could see Bishop, at another dig, thinking about Nate as the one thing he left behind. That feels believable.
Will the upcoming stories change them and my general feelings about this couple? Remains to be seen. Along with the conclusions to some of the mysteries started here.
Iâll be waiting anxiously for the next novel to see what it brings.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 