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Whispering Pines Ranch #1
Lorcan's Desire
Despite the loving support of his family, Lorcan James wants to try life on his own, so at twenty-one, he finds himself walking half way across the country in search of adventure. What he finds is desperation, desperation that leads him straight to the Whispering Pines Ranch and right into the path of its strong, arrogant, gorgeous owner, who awakens something in Lorcan he didn’t even know, existed.
Quinn Taylor is up to his neck in grief and frustration dealing with a neighboring rancher who wants nothing more than to see him go belly-up. He doesn’t need more complications, but from the moment he lays eyes on Lorcan, his world turns upside down. Despite finding in Quinn what his heart craves, Lorcan refuses to be Quinn’s dirty little secret—and Quinn isn’t the only one vying for Lorcan’s attention. Ranch hand Jess will happily declare his love for Lorcan to the world, something Quinn won’t offer—something Lorcan needs above all else.
Quinn Taylor is up to his neck in grief and frustration dealing with a neighboring rancher who wants nothing more than to see him go belly-up. He doesn’t need more complications, but from the moment he lays eyes on Lorcan, his world turns upside down. Despite finding in Quinn what his heart craves, Lorcan refuses to be Quinn’s dirty little secret—and Quinn isn’t the only one vying for Lorcan’s attention. Ranch hand Jess will happily declare his love for Lorcan to the world, something Quinn won’t offer—something Lorcan needs above all else.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2011
13 people are currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
S.J.D. Peterson
52 books1,018 followersIt's been an amazing journey since DSP first contracted Lorcan's Desire in January 2011. I've published 2 free reads with the M/M Romance group, my back list is growing, met some great people and have made some amazing friends.
I'm still in shock that I'm listed among the many talented authors at Dreamspinner Press! The little voice in the back of my head is screaming, "You are so out of your league."
Shhhhh I won't tell them if you don't :)
You can call me Jo, everyone does :)
I'm still in shock that I'm listed among the many talented authors at Dreamspinner Press! The little voice in the back of my head is screaming, "You are so out of your league."
Shhhhh I won't tell them if you don't :)
You can call me Jo, everyone does :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
May 31, 2011
This story threw me for a loop but it was an amazing ride. I loved Quinn and I loved Jess. So who do I cheer for?
SJD Peterson knows her characters and when she writes in their voice, wow! You can hear them talking. This is a must read, in my opinion. No cookie cutters for this author.
SJD Peterson knows her characters and when she writes in their voice, wow! You can hear them talking. This is a must read, in my opinion. No cookie cutters for this author.
December 13, 2011
In my humble opinion this is really sad and awful story, I mean here we don't see true love at all, we got the wish for loving someone, wishing for that someone to love you back and being true to himself. I definitely didn't like Lorcan. He was immature and childish. Quinn was someone I did understand.
The plot was simple, about two man who didn't know how to communicate with each other and that leaded to broken hearts, hurtful feelings and bad plotted story. In my opinion everyone has to grow in one relationship. Not just wish for something, but to fight for it. Lorcan could have been more mature not just childish hurt from Quinn behavior. He could be open with Quinn, telling him what was bothering him and if there was something between them they could or should work for it. This story is just to silly and idiotic.
In my mind the negative aspect wasn't just about communicating, the plot could have been better. About trying to building a relationship with patience and understanding. If you like someone so much, that it hurs to be without him, them for sake talk it out and work it out, not just run home because it's easier. Lorcan was as a character an idiot, childish and wasn't the right one for Quinn. He was a kid scared to stuck to what he wanted, and rather run back home, because it was easier.
The plot was simple, about two man who didn't know how to communicate with each other and that leaded to broken hearts, hurtful feelings and bad plotted story. In my opinion everyone has to grow in one relationship. Not just wish for something, but to fight for it. Lorcan could have been more mature not just childish hurt from Quinn behavior. He could be open with Quinn, telling him what was bothering him and if there was something between them they could or should work for it. This story is just to silly and idiotic.
In my mind the negative aspect wasn't just about communicating, the plot could have been better. About trying to building a relationship with patience and understanding. If you like someone so much, that it hurs to be without him, them for sake talk it out and work it out, not just run home because it's easier. Lorcan was as a character an idiot, childish and wasn't the right one for Quinn. He was a kid scared to stuck to what he wanted, and rather run back home, because it was easier.
January 11, 2012
I admit I was not enjoying this as much as I hoped in the first half. I found it slow going, and Quinns internal thoughts centred around his hard on for Lorcan were repetative.
Lorcan I never warmed up to. Maybe its because I'm more the blend in quietly type, but I wanted to scream at Lorcan that if he hates the way people look at him like he's different then maybe he shouldn't deliberately invite it by growing his hair down past his ass. Then again that could just be because I hate any hair thats longer than shoulder length be it man or woman lol.
But saying that the second half picked up. The emotion started to come through more and I finally started to care. The trouble with seeing both sides is it makes it much harder to know who you want to win. I totally felt for Lorcan when we get to see how Quinn's actions made him feel, but at the same time the way Lorcan acted had me wanting to scream at him. I think overall I'm finding Lorcan a little shallow. Jess I started out thinking he was gonna put me in a sugar coma he is so sweet, to the point of sickening, but he at least went after what he wanted, unlike Quinn who just sits around drinking and bemoaning his fate.
These characters are certainly getting a reaction from me. Good and bad. There are times I want to hug them but there are more when I want to wring their stupid necks, and I really hope Jess can find another pet term for Lorcan because Pretty Boy is starting to drive me nuts lol.
These characters are now in my blood and I have to see how this plays out. Normally when reading I know exactly who I want to end up together, but this book has me all muddled.
Lorcan I never warmed up to. Maybe its because I'm more the blend in quietly type, but I wanted to scream at Lorcan that if he hates the way people look at him like he's different then maybe he shouldn't deliberately invite it by growing his hair down past his ass. Then again that could just be because I hate any hair thats longer than shoulder length be it man or woman lol.
But saying that the second half picked up. The emotion started to come through more and I finally started to care. The trouble with seeing both sides is it makes it much harder to know who you want to win. I totally felt for Lorcan when we get to see how Quinn's actions made him feel, but at the same time the way Lorcan acted had me wanting to scream at him. I think overall I'm finding Lorcan a little shallow. Jess I started out thinking he was gonna put me in a sugar coma he is so sweet, to the point of sickening, but he at least went after what he wanted, unlike Quinn who just sits around drinking and bemoaning his fate.
These characters are certainly getting a reaction from me. Good and bad. There are times I want to hug them but there are more when I want to wring their stupid necks, and I really hope Jess can find another pet term for Lorcan because Pretty Boy is starting to drive me nuts lol.
These characters are now in my blood and I have to see how this plays out. Normally when reading I know exactly who I want to end up together, but this book has me all muddled.
February 13, 2015
1.0 Splenetic Star
I'm tired and peeved. Let me back up ...
I'm an S.J.D. Peterson fan. (Plan B much?) Having said that, this book was a total bust for me. It wasn't badly written nor was it objectively crappy. It's me ... notyou this book.
Here's the problem: I don't do love triangles and this here was a celebration of a love triangle. It was seriously messed up and infuriating. It was painful to read, it upset me so much. I stayed up late into the night seething as I turned each page. I loathed Lorcan because he was a pitifully inadequate MC; prissy, bitchy, and woe-is-me ... you know the type: your basic loser. To add insult to injury, everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - was fawning over Lorcan. I loathed that too. Quinn was TSTL and patheticallypussy dick-whipped. And, Jesse? He was such a sad sap ... oh, and also dick-whipped. Conner and John (characters who I would have expected to like), sadly also drank the Lorcan Kool-Aid so they were a bust as well. So, that left Jeb, the horse, and Kitten, the bull. I liked them.
What I didn't like ...
I don't like users (i.e., Lorcan) or whiney bitches (i.e., Lorcan). Nor do I like the men who pine for them (i.e., Quinn and Jesse).
Bottom line: If you like love triangles centered around selfish, flighty, pricks then by all means, read this book. As for me, I have ZERO desire to revisit Whispering Pines Ranch.
I'm tired and peeved. Let me back up ...
I'm an S.J.D. Peterson fan. (Plan B much?) Having said that, this book was a total bust for me. It wasn't badly written nor was it objectively crappy. It's me ... not
Here's the problem: I don't do love triangles and this here was a celebration of a love triangle. It was seriously messed up and infuriating. It was painful to read, it upset me so much. I stayed up late into the night seething as I turned each page. I loathed Lorcan because he was a pitifully inadequate MC; prissy, bitchy, and woe-is-me ... you know the type: your basic loser. To add insult to injury, everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - was fawning over Lorcan. I loathed that too. Quinn was TSTL and pathetically
What I didn't like ...
I don't like users (i.e., Lorcan) or whiney bitches (i.e., Lorcan). Nor do I like the men who pine for them (i.e., Quinn and Jesse).
Bottom line: If you like love triangles centered around selfish, flighty, pricks then by all means, read this book. As for me, I have ZERO desire to revisit Whispering Pines Ranch.
August 5, 2015
A really good read and 4 stars from me, but only a very short review....
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object - lots of fireworks definitely!!
The unstoppable force is Lorcan, and the immovable object is Quinn!! To understand the phrase I've used, you'll have to read the book, but as this story isn't finished by any means, I'm going to defer my full review until I've read Quinn's Need, yeehaw!!
September 20, 2013
What the hell did I just read? That was not what I was expecting at all. Passing on the rest of the series.
December 20, 2011
As I’m a somewhat firm believer in the happy ending of romances, I shocked I didn’t mind the ending. Instead the characters and their internal monologue left me bored silly and I didn’t care for any of them. I think the story is trying something interesting, giving a definite not happy ending but trying to show that there is more than one potential mate for people. Perhaps not the perfect mate but a good person that can develop into a good relationship. I like that concept a lot, even if some die hard romantics aren’t going to, but the writing is bulky and filled with unnecessary details. Then whatever potential the story has is killed by the weak characterization and ultimately while I give credit to the author for trying something different, the execution isn’t good enough to pull it off.
Lorcan is a young, naïve virgin who may look effeminate but isn’t afraid to fight if anyone assumes he’s gay. He left a comfortable home and family to look for an adventure and found himself broke and homeless on the verge of giving up. He lands on the Whispering Pines Ranch and immediately forms a connection with the owner, Quinn. Quinn is struggling against the town’s homophobe and isn’t quick to give into his feelings. When he finally does his fears about being exposed to the community push Lorcan into the arms of another man.
The main relationship is clearly between Lorcan and Quinn, who establish a strong and dynamic connection. Unfortunately this relationship never really solidifies over the course of the book. First Quinn pulls the classic romance hero move of ignoring and scowling at Lorcan all the time because Quinn can’t control his desire for Lorcan. I find this kind of tension and deliberate misunderstanding very silly and clumsy. It’s not well executed and feels like so many other bad romance books. When Quinn finally gives into his feelings for Lorcan, their passion is short lived with a dramatic event and then of course Quinn fears coming out.
Lorcan and Quinn spend much of the book mooning over each other from a far but only get together once. After they finally sleep together, Quinn then spends the rest of the book alternatively avoiding Lorcan in public and apologizing the rest of the time. It’s very tedious and not interesting. Quinn is supposed to be this strong, quiet cowboy type that struggles with his feelings but he comes across needy, clingy, and indecisive. He frequently lets obvious misunderstandings stand because he’d seemingly rather angst over the situation than clear it up.
Likewise Lorcan is a brat. He’s spoiled from a good home life, that he left for no particular reason than teenage angst, and has no compassion for Quinn. Not that Quinn deserves much but Lorcan quickly falls into a relationship with another man even while in love with Quinn. The other man is frustrating because he’s so insecure and weak that he accepts “scraps” of affection from Lorcan. This lets all the men in the book act like immature, whiny men instead of the strong cowboys they’re supposed to be.
At the same time the writing is very clumsy. The novel is littered with rhetorical questions, lazy descriptions, a very predictable plot, and weak characterization. The main relationship between Lorcan and Quinn basically doesn’t exist so it’s hard to invest in it. Lorcan’s secondary relationship is actually shown to have more depth and potential leading me to think they are better suited to each other than Lorcan and Quinn. This of course makes me wonder why I’m reading this book at all. I didn’t find it romantic, interesting, or clever. I think the idea is still good – showing that the “true love” concept can be turned on its head if a suitable person is also there – but the execution never pulls it off. I don’t believe Quinn and Lorcan have some great love; I think they want to sleep together.
Overall I found this book difficult to get through because it drove me nuts for all the above reasons. It’s not the non-happy ending that bothers me but the fact that the writing couldn’t convince me the characters are interesting or worthwhile. The main relationship is practically non-existent so I can’t imagine I’d want to read either of the two additional sequels. No doubt it’ll work out somehow but not sure they deserve it or I care about them.
Lorcan is a young, naïve virgin who may look effeminate but isn’t afraid to fight if anyone assumes he’s gay. He left a comfortable home and family to look for an adventure and found himself broke and homeless on the verge of giving up. He lands on the Whispering Pines Ranch and immediately forms a connection with the owner, Quinn. Quinn is struggling against the town’s homophobe and isn’t quick to give into his feelings. When he finally does his fears about being exposed to the community push Lorcan into the arms of another man.
The main relationship is clearly between Lorcan and Quinn, who establish a strong and dynamic connection. Unfortunately this relationship never really solidifies over the course of the book. First Quinn pulls the classic romance hero move of ignoring and scowling at Lorcan all the time because Quinn can’t control his desire for Lorcan. I find this kind of tension and deliberate misunderstanding very silly and clumsy. It’s not well executed and feels like so many other bad romance books. When Quinn finally gives into his feelings for Lorcan, their passion is short lived with a dramatic event and then of course Quinn fears coming out.
Lorcan and Quinn spend much of the book mooning over each other from a far but only get together once. After they finally sleep together, Quinn then spends the rest of the book alternatively avoiding Lorcan in public and apologizing the rest of the time. It’s very tedious and not interesting. Quinn is supposed to be this strong, quiet cowboy type that struggles with his feelings but he comes across needy, clingy, and indecisive. He frequently lets obvious misunderstandings stand because he’d seemingly rather angst over the situation than clear it up.
Likewise Lorcan is a brat. He’s spoiled from a good home life, that he left for no particular reason than teenage angst, and has no compassion for Quinn. Not that Quinn deserves much but Lorcan quickly falls into a relationship with another man even while in love with Quinn. The other man is frustrating because he’s so insecure and weak that he accepts “scraps” of affection from Lorcan. This lets all the men in the book act like immature, whiny men instead of the strong cowboys they’re supposed to be.
At the same time the writing is very clumsy. The novel is littered with rhetorical questions, lazy descriptions, a very predictable plot, and weak characterization. The main relationship between Lorcan and Quinn basically doesn’t exist so it’s hard to invest in it. Lorcan’s secondary relationship is actually shown to have more depth and potential leading me to think they are better suited to each other than Lorcan and Quinn. This of course makes me wonder why I’m reading this book at all. I didn’t find it romantic, interesting, or clever. I think the idea is still good – showing that the “true love” concept can be turned on its head if a suitable person is also there – but the execution never pulls it off. I don’t believe Quinn and Lorcan have some great love; I think they want to sleep together.
Overall I found this book difficult to get through because it drove me nuts for all the above reasons. It’s not the non-happy ending that bothers me but the fact that the writing couldn’t convince me the characters are interesting or worthwhile. The main relationship is practically non-existent so I can’t imagine I’d want to read either of the two additional sequels. No doubt it’ll work out somehow but not sure they deserve it or I care about them.
February 10, 2012
I liked the characters, I liked the plot, but I found the writing uninspiring. (EDIT: the writing improves a lot in book 2, so don't let this put you off)
It's no spoiler to say the premise is a love triangle. Quinn likes Lorcan but is in the closet and staying there. Jess likes Lorcan and is out and proud. Lorcan likes them both, but doesn't like being a dirty little secret.
Lorcan thinks to himself The way Quinn averted his eyes from Lorcan while others were around, the way he'd exclude Lorcan from casual conversations with others, made him pretty sure they didn't see thing the same way.
Later he says to Quinn "You made me feel like I was shit. Like I didn't fucking matter one bit to you"
The thing is, we never got to see any of that. We never saw a casual conversation from which Lorcan was excluded. We never saw Quinn treating Lorcan in a particular way, and how that made Lorcan feel. Instead, between the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12 there's an non-specific gap of perhaps one or two weeks, in which this happens. At the beginning of chapter 12 Lorcan summarizes for us how bad Quinn has made him feel over the last few weeks.
Between the end of chapter 12 and the beginning of chapter 13 there's another gap of one week. At the beginning of chapter 13 Quinn tells us how he hates excluding Lorcan the way he had been in that week, and gives a one-line summary of their contact in that time.
It's a really, really simple rule: Show, don't tell. It's a classic for a reason.
There is exactly ONE scene within the narrative that shows us Quinn keeping Lorcan a dirty little secret. They're rebuilding the barn:
Lorcan couldn't help but smile as well at the childlike awe on Quinn's face. He'd never seen the man so happy. A happiness that faded quickly as Quinn noticed Lorcan watching him and quickly averted his eyes. Lorcan knew from the look in Quinn's eyes before looking away that his fears were well-founded. Quinn didn't want anyone to know about them. Lorcan felt a sting of rejection like a physical slap. He had wanted to share the excitment with Quinn, wanted to be part of the happiness he was experiencing, but Quinn wouldn't include him in it. Lorcan watched as Quinn steered Clint around the edge of the barn and out of sight without even a glance back
Now because the author skipped over the previous few weeks, Lorcan's reaction to that seems extreme:
Lorcan felt sick to his stomach, pain in his heart, and an unbelieveable amount of rage. A deluge of so many emotions all at once left him feeling as if he were drowning. He wasn't sure if he wanted to puke, cry, or beat something to a bloody pulp.
Because the author hasn't taken me on the journey with Lorcan, through the previous few weeks, I can't empathise with his strength of feeling. I know it and understand it intellectualy, but I don't feel it.
This should be a very emotional book, but the author didn't have the skill to make it work.
Now I'm wondering if they got any better in the 2nd and 3rd book. I'd like to see how it ends up, but so many m/m books, so little time. I want someone who can manipulate my emotions and thoughts with their pretty little words.
It's no spoiler to say the premise is a love triangle. Quinn likes Lorcan but is in the closet and staying there. Jess likes Lorcan and is out and proud. Lorcan likes them both, but doesn't like being a dirty little secret.
Lorcan thinks to himself The way Quinn averted his eyes from Lorcan while others were around, the way he'd exclude Lorcan from casual conversations with others, made him pretty sure they didn't see thing the same way.
Later he says to Quinn "You made me feel like I was shit. Like I didn't fucking matter one bit to you"
The thing is, we never got to see any of that. We never saw a casual conversation from which Lorcan was excluded. We never saw Quinn treating Lorcan in a particular way, and how that made Lorcan feel. Instead, between the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12 there's an non-specific gap of perhaps one or two weeks, in which this happens. At the beginning of chapter 12 Lorcan summarizes for us how bad Quinn has made him feel over the last few weeks.
Between the end of chapter 12 and the beginning of chapter 13 there's another gap of one week. At the beginning of chapter 13 Quinn tells us how he hates excluding Lorcan the way he had been in that week, and gives a one-line summary of their contact in that time.
It's a really, really simple rule: Show, don't tell. It's a classic for a reason.
There is exactly ONE scene within the narrative that shows us Quinn keeping Lorcan a dirty little secret. They're rebuilding the barn:
Lorcan couldn't help but smile as well at the childlike awe on Quinn's face. He'd never seen the man so happy. A happiness that faded quickly as Quinn noticed Lorcan watching him and quickly averted his eyes. Lorcan knew from the look in Quinn's eyes before looking away that his fears were well-founded. Quinn didn't want anyone to know about them. Lorcan felt a sting of rejection like a physical slap. He had wanted to share the excitment with Quinn, wanted to be part of the happiness he was experiencing, but Quinn wouldn't include him in it. Lorcan watched as Quinn steered Clint around the edge of the barn and out of sight without even a glance back
Now because the author skipped over the previous few weeks, Lorcan's reaction to that seems extreme:
Lorcan felt sick to his stomach, pain in his heart, and an unbelieveable amount of rage. A deluge of so many emotions all at once left him feeling as if he were drowning. He wasn't sure if he wanted to puke, cry, or beat something to a bloody pulp.
Because the author hasn't taken me on the journey with Lorcan, through the previous few weeks, I can't empathise with his strength of feeling. I know it and understand it intellectualy, but I don't feel it.
This should be a very emotional book, but the author didn't have the skill to make it work.
Now I'm wondering if they got any better in the 2nd and 3rd book. I'd like to see how it ends up, but so many m/m books, so little time. I want someone who can manipulate my emotions and thoughts with their pretty little words.
Read
February 10, 2013ZERO STARS FOR THIS BOOK! A friend of mine convinced me to read Syd Peterson's Lorcan's Desire a few weeks ago. I decided that I would take the effort to read the book since my friend continually gave it high praise, and I did like one of her other books that was not in this series.
I don't know what he was talking about. In total, there are five characters in this piece they are Quinn, Lorcan, Jess, Conner, and John. Quinn is a rancher in Oklahoma, Lorcan is a drifter who is taken in as a ranch hand by Quinn, Jess is a temporary hand on the range, and John and Conner are elder "family" family members (who each play the part of wise old gentlemen whose advise Lorcan never agrees to follow. So, in reality, their characters are useless.).
The story starts out with a young drifter named Lorcan who comes upon the ranch with a request to be a ranch hand. Quinn, a closet case who is very concerned about keeping his ranch together since it provides the sole income for his "family", falls instantly in love with Lorcan, and offers him a job and Lorcan moves into his house.
Over time, the relationship deepens, and although Quinn has some problems facing his homosexuality due to the potential stigma in rural Okahoma, he welcomes Lorcan into his heart and into his bed. Lorcan feels like his one month relationship is not complete because Quinn refuses to acknowledge it to the entire world that they are partners. In the veritable blink of an eye, Lorcan goes from saying that he is in love with Quinn, to jumping into the sack with a ranch hand named Jess in a mere twenty pages of the book!
The development of the relationship between Lorcan and Jess is pathetically thin. There is no love relationship to develops between them, and, in fact, the author acknowledges throughout the last Four chapters of the book that Lorcan does not love Jess as a long-term partner, but instead, he is settling for him because he doesn't want to go through the trials of pursuing a relationship with the acknowledged man of his dreams, Quinn. (One can only wonder how scarred the author's own point of view is to allow her main character in a romance to foresake true love in order to find convenience!).
This is a copout: this is a terrible story: this is a story that I cannot believe a friend would recommend to me. (Do you hear me SC?)
There is no happily ever after in the story: all of the main characters have their hearts crushed by the end of the book. it is about as uplifting as a funeral mass. This gets ZERO stars from me. I have never given a goodreads review zero stars -- but this book deserves it. I am shocked that a friend would recommend such a book. I'm also shocked that this particular piece of crap is the first in a series. As a courtesy to the author, I thought that I would read the second book in the series; but on second thought, I can't bother reading another piece of jaded prose that professes to be a romance novel.
HERE'S THE WARNING -- If you are jaded and want to be thoroughly depressed and uninspired by a work of fiction, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a true romance, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE avoid this book like the plague!
I don't know what he was talking about. In total, there are five characters in this piece they are Quinn, Lorcan, Jess, Conner, and John. Quinn is a rancher in Oklahoma, Lorcan is a drifter who is taken in as a ranch hand by Quinn, Jess is a temporary hand on the range, and John and Conner are elder "family" family members (who each play the part of wise old gentlemen whose advise Lorcan never agrees to follow. So, in reality, their characters are useless.).
The story starts out with a young drifter named Lorcan who comes upon the ranch with a request to be a ranch hand. Quinn, a closet case who is very concerned about keeping his ranch together since it provides the sole income for his "family", falls instantly in love with Lorcan, and offers him a job and Lorcan moves into his house.
Over time, the relationship deepens, and although Quinn has some problems facing his homosexuality due to the potential stigma in rural Okahoma, he welcomes Lorcan into his heart and into his bed. Lorcan feels like his one month relationship is not complete because Quinn refuses to acknowledge it to the entire world that they are partners. In the veritable blink of an eye, Lorcan goes from saying that he is in love with Quinn, to jumping into the sack with a ranch hand named Jess in a mere twenty pages of the book!
The development of the relationship between Lorcan and Jess is pathetically thin. There is no love relationship to develops between them, and, in fact, the author acknowledges throughout the last Four chapters of the book that Lorcan does not love Jess as a long-term partner, but instead, he is settling for him because he doesn't want to go through the trials of pursuing a relationship with the acknowledged man of his dreams, Quinn. (One can only wonder how scarred the author's own point of view is to allow her main character in a romance to foresake true love in order to find convenience!).
This is a copout: this is a terrible story: this is a story that I cannot believe a friend would recommend to me. (Do you hear me SC?)
There is no happily ever after in the story: all of the main characters have their hearts crushed by the end of the book. it is about as uplifting as a funeral mass. This gets ZERO stars from me. I have never given a goodreads review zero stars -- but this book deserves it. I am shocked that a friend would recommend such a book. I'm also shocked that this particular piece of crap is the first in a series. As a courtesy to the author, I thought that I would read the second book in the series; but on second thought, I can't bother reading another piece of jaded prose that professes to be a romance novel.
HERE'S THE WARNING -- If you are jaded and want to be thoroughly depressed and uninspired by a work of fiction, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a true romance, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE avoid this book like the plague!
October 6, 2014
Lorcan is a bit of a spitfire. Young and impulsive, he has a tendency to act before having all the necessary information. He's got a good heart, though, and he really wants to do what's right. Well, he actually wants to do Quinn, but he isn't sure what to do about it since Quinn mostly avoids him.
Quinn is very much closeted. He's lusted after Lorcan since the moment he laid eyes on the man, but Quinn is terrified that if word gets around that he really is gay, he'll lose everything. It doesn't help matters that a neighboring rancher is spreading hateful rumors trying to ruin Quinn.
Still, Quinn and Lorcan are inevitable. If only Quinn would put on his big boy pants and stop letting other people define his existence. Stubborn cowboy.
And then there's Jess... I really didn't want to like Jess. He comes in and makes no secret of his attraction to Lorcan and he manages to convince Lorcan to give him a chance. I, honestly can't blame Lorcan at all. No one wants to feel like they are someone else's dirty little secret. I wanted to hate Jess for it, but when all is said and done, I couldn't. Jess is a good guy and he's not afraid of going after what he wants.
At the same time, the whole situation just made me sad because Lorcan, like it or not, is in love with Quinn. And, dammit, a whole lot could have been solved if the two of them would have just talked to each other. Quinn certainly isn't the only one to blame here.
I'm very glad the whole series is out. If I had to wait for the second book, I'd be hating right now...
Quinn is very much closeted. He's lusted after Lorcan since the moment he laid eyes on the man, but Quinn is terrified that if word gets around that he really is gay, he'll lose everything. It doesn't help matters that a neighboring rancher is spreading hateful rumors trying to ruin Quinn.
Still, Quinn and Lorcan are inevitable. If only Quinn would put on his big boy pants and stop letting other people define his existence. Stubborn cowboy.
And then there's Jess... I really didn't want to like Jess. He comes in and makes no secret of his attraction to Lorcan and he manages to convince Lorcan to give him a chance. I, honestly can't blame Lorcan at all. No one wants to feel like they are someone else's dirty little secret. I wanted to hate Jess for it, but when all is said and done, I couldn't. Jess is a good guy and he's not afraid of going after what he wants.
At the same time, the whole situation just made me sad because Lorcan, like it or not, is in love with Quinn. And, dammit, a whole lot could have been solved if the two of them would have just talked to each other. Quinn certainly isn't the only one to blame here.
I'm very glad the whole series is out. If I had to wait for the second book, I'd be hating right now...
November 2, 2013
...enter life-threatening situation and I am out of here...
DNF at 39%.
For me Lorcan was a chick-with-a-dick - and I so didn't dig the Laurell-K-Hamilton-memorial hairdo...
The prose went into flowery, not hot, incredibly stilted territory and I was so embarrassed to read this awful, awful sex scene...
Also totally crashed any kind of plausible characterization of Lorcan as a confused virgin who wasn't even sure about his sexuality - when Quinn touched him...wow...he went up in flames and the moaning and groaning festival started...
I am so very tired of the cliche-ridden, totally sappy, so not realistic m/m romances, where you could just alter name and sexual equipment and have a bad m/f romance.
I would concede that I became quite critical with the many m/m books I read, even hard to please if there weren't so many great authors around who can write heros that are vulnerable or effeminate but clearly still guys. I can't even pinpoint it. But some are just girls in disguise, and really, for that I could have stayed with m/f.
DNF at 39%.
For me Lorcan was a chick-with-a-dick - and I so didn't dig the Laurell-K-Hamilton-memorial hairdo...
The prose went into flowery, not hot, incredibly stilted territory and I was so embarrassed to read this awful, awful sex scene...
Also totally crashed any kind of plausible characterization of Lorcan as a confused virgin who wasn't even sure about his sexuality - when Quinn touched him...wow...he went up in flames and the moaning and groaning festival started...
I am so very tired of the cliche-ridden, totally sappy, so not realistic m/m romances, where you could just alter name and sexual equipment and have a bad m/f romance.
I would concede that I became quite critical with the many m/m books I read, even hard to please if there weren't so many great authors around who can write heros that are vulnerable or effeminate but clearly still guys. I can't even pinpoint it. But some are just girls in disguise, and really, for that I could have stayed with m/f.
July 16, 2013
I hated this book with every fiber of my being.
I hated Lorcan for what he did to Quinn. I hated Quinn for what he was doing to Lorcan. I hated Jess for coming between them.
Why am I rating it five stars?
Because I understand why things happened the way they did. Quinn was too afraid to love Lorcan who really wanted love and acceptance. Jess filled those needs (and pretty hotly, too.)
I loved the characterization for everyone in this story. They were each their own unique characters, with their good and bad points.
This story killed me. I wanted to scream and rip out my hair because of it, but mostly I felt bad for everyone involved.
This was some great writing. It pulled my emotions and made me happy and angry and sad (sometimes all at the same time).
I have all the books on my Nook. This one put me through the wringer and it's going to take a bit before I can start up again with book 2, but I'm not walking away from this series until I find out what happens, no matter how much it hurts.
I hated Lorcan for what he did to Quinn. I hated Quinn for what he was doing to Lorcan. I hated Jess for coming between them.
Why am I rating it five stars?
Because I understand why things happened the way they did. Quinn was too afraid to love Lorcan who really wanted love and acceptance. Jess filled those needs (and pretty hotly, too.)
I loved the characterization for everyone in this story. They were each their own unique characters, with their good and bad points.
This story killed me. I wanted to scream and rip out my hair because of it, but mostly I felt bad for everyone involved.
This was some great writing. It pulled my emotions and made me happy and angry and sad (sometimes all at the same time).
I have all the books on my Nook. This one put me through the wringer and it's going to take a bit before I can start up again with book 2, but I'm not walking away from this series until I find out what happens, no matter how much it hurts.
abandoned
July 24, 2012This is most ridiculous. Within a few pages we have a hard cock just from the sight of the love interest-to-be and the same cowboy threatening to "thump" his erection into submission. Let me just say this: No man does that. Are you kidding me? Thump? It makes me want to pose this question to the author: does your vagina drip just at the sight of an attractive man? Believe it or not, there are more subtle ways a man knows he's attracted to someone. I understand this is the author's first published work, so I won't consign her to the "Never Again" list (especially since I've already read and mostly enjoyed Battle Buddy), but I couldn't take this one seriously enough to finish it.
(Edited to remove rating. Since I didn't finish it, I don't feel right assigning a star rating to it. 7/23/12)
(Edited to remove rating. Since I didn't finish it, I don't feel right assigning a star rating to it. 7/23/12)
April 30, 2013
Took me forever to read this, though not from any lack of pushing from my friends. It started out kind of slow and sort of repeats itself until you really understand the issues, which drove me a little crazy.
Poor Lorcan has always dealt with people judging him and assuming he was gay based on his looks. At this point, he doesn't know if he is gay or not, having no experience either way. He leaves his family in search of adventure and to find his own friends and make his own life apart. He ends up at Whispering Pines Ranch looking for a job.
Quinn, owner of said ranch, is the total opposite of Lorcan. He is big, burly and secretly gay, and while the town doesn't know he is, there is one rival ranch owner accusing him of being so in order to make trouble and take over his ranch.
Quinn and Lorcan fall for each other, but Quinn is so worried about losing his ranch that he refuses to even acknowledge Lorcan anywhere other than the bedroom. This, of course, has devastating affects on their "relationship."
In the meantime, one of the hired hands, Jess, becomes quick friends with Lorcan and sweeps him away. Poor Lorcan is now torn between his feelings for Quinn and his feelings for Jess.
I really like that Lorcan stands up for himself with Quinn and while this doesn't end the way many had hoped, I was quite satisfied and am looking forward to reading the next book.
Poor Lorcan has always dealt with people judging him and assuming he was gay based on his looks. At this point, he doesn't know if he is gay or not, having no experience either way. He leaves his family in search of adventure and to find his own friends and make his own life apart. He ends up at Whispering Pines Ranch looking for a job.
Quinn, owner of said ranch, is the total opposite of Lorcan. He is big, burly and secretly gay, and while the town doesn't know he is, there is one rival ranch owner accusing him of being so in order to make trouble and take over his ranch.
Quinn and Lorcan fall for each other, but Quinn is so worried about losing his ranch that he refuses to even acknowledge Lorcan anywhere other than the bedroom. This, of course, has devastating affects on their "relationship."
In the meantime, one of the hired hands, Jess, becomes quick friends with Lorcan and sweeps him away. Poor Lorcan is now torn between his feelings for Quinn and his feelings for Jess.
I really like that Lorcan stands up for himself with Quinn and while this doesn't end the way many had hoped, I was quite satisfied and am looking forward to reading the next book.
September 22, 2013
This book started to unfold as i expected it and I thought I knew what was going to happen. Thank god, I was wrong!
Lorcan is a wonderful character, I couldn’t help but love him. Lorcan is young his, feelings new and painful and he has a heart that just breaks so easily. But he always has a strength and wisdom I admire for his young age. And then there is Quinn, who I also loved, but I also got very angry at him multiple times in this book. OMG, I wanted to smack him!! But again, being the sucker I am for broken hearts and broken people my heart went out to him as well. I can understand how how he let his fears and anxiety keep him frozen in place as the love of his life walked out of it. How many of us have done that, let our fears rule. Then there is Jess, OMG what a big warm cuddly teddy bear of a man! And while i admire Jess for going after exactly what he wanted I can’t help but cringe at the heartbreak that is headed his way. No one does what Jess does and walks away unscathed. I feel like Jess’s best friend losing sleep over my friends future.
Do I appear not to know this a book, that these characters don’t really exist? Please don’t try to convince me of this, i don’t want to know!
BTW, if I haven’t been clear, let me say officially loved this book!
Lorcan is a wonderful character, I couldn’t help but love him. Lorcan is young his, feelings new and painful and he has a heart that just breaks so easily. But he always has a strength and wisdom I admire for his young age. And then there is Quinn, who I also loved, but I also got very angry at him multiple times in this book. OMG, I wanted to smack him!! But again, being the sucker I am for broken hearts and broken people my heart went out to him as well. I can understand how how he let his fears and anxiety keep him frozen in place as the love of his life walked out of it. How many of us have done that, let our fears rule. Then there is Jess, OMG what a big warm cuddly teddy bear of a man! And while i admire Jess for going after exactly what he wanted I can’t help but cringe at the heartbreak that is headed his way. No one does what Jess does and walks away unscathed. I feel like Jess’s best friend losing sleep over my friends future.
Do I appear not to know this a book, that these characters don’t really exist? Please don’t try to convince me of this, i don’t want to know!
BTW, if I haven’t been clear, let me say officially loved this book!
August 25, 2016
(Tipping my baseball cap to Peterson) Not your average story. Totally original. I didn't know where the hell this story was going, but all I knew was that I wanted to get there. I LOVE JESS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope he is not just a fictional character. (maybe he's straight and Peterson can hook me up: hint hint) A soul like that needs to be real, so the rest of us broken-hearted can have a strong shoulder to sneeze/love on. The first couple of chapters with Lorcan thinking Q hated him had me rolling my eyes up into my head, thinking "misunderstanding syndrome," which lasted a minute or 3 or 5(this and the hospital situation is where my star came off), but then Peterson had Conner nip that crap in the bud. I also like the fact that Lorcan did not cave-in to Q's excuses and stood firm even through heartache. I love books with this type of realism. Peterson has a really good voice and I can't wait to read the next installment. Highly recommended.
April 8, 2013
Sigh..
I could have liked this, I think. Interesting premise and parts I started getting into. But...3 huge things held me back:
1) extremely tell-ey. To the point where one of the characters would comment on something another did or a characteristic of the other and I was like .. Wait , what?
2) I hate it when I can't tell WHY characters like each other. It's meet, fall in like/love, have sex.
Why do you like him? No clue. Please provide some substantiation of the relationship, or I can't believe in it. This is probably an offshoot of #1 above.
3) very dramatic. I just didn't understand the reactions to certain events. At all.
I'll probably try book 2, as I hear it gets better, but I'm... Well, lets just say my fingers are crossed.
On another note, I did read and love Plan B, by the same author. So maybe this is a one-off for me.
I could have liked this, I think. Interesting premise and parts I started getting into. But...3 huge things held me back:
1) extremely tell-ey. To the point where one of the characters would comment on something another did or a characteristic of the other and I was like .. Wait , what?
2) I hate it when I can't tell WHY characters like each other. It's meet, fall in like/love, have sex.
Why do you like him? No clue. Please provide some substantiation of the relationship, or I can't believe in it. This is probably an offshoot of #1 above.
3) very dramatic. I just didn't understand the reactions to certain events. At all.
I'll probably try book 2, as I hear it gets better, but I'm... Well, lets just say my fingers are crossed.
On another note, I did read and love Plan B, by the same author. So maybe this is a one-off for me.
April 20, 2014
Really loved the whole Whispering Pines Ranch series.
Each book was thoroughly engaging and thank goodness I waited until they were all released before reading them - each book left me eager for the next story and I would have been disappointed to have to wait!
What made the series special was the different feel for each book with different characters and themes but a common thread to bind them together.
Each book was thoroughly engaging and thank goodness I waited until they were all released before reading them - each book left me eager for the next story and I would have been disappointed to have to wait!
What made the series special was the different feel for each book with different characters and themes but a common thread to bind them together.
November 20, 2012
Quinn or Jess...Quinn or Jess?! Where the heart goes nobody knows :P
This book was picked for me for the November Comfort Zone challenge...gimmie cowboys and I turn into a puddle of goo! So this was a great selection...Thanks Brandilyn for introducing me to Lorcan & his desire's.
If you like Cowboys & A Whole Lotta Angst, you should definitely check out this book! But be warned...you are gonna want to read the next book (and the rest of the series, I'm sure) right away!
This book was picked for me for the November Comfort Zone challenge...gimmie cowboys and I turn into a puddle of goo! So this was a great selection...Thanks Brandilyn for introducing me to Lorcan & his desire's.
If you like Cowboys & A Whole Lotta Angst, you should definitely check out this book! But be warned...you are gonna want to read the next book (and the rest of the series, I'm sure) right away!
September 13, 2013
Has there ever been a more unlikable character than Lorcan? Probably, but I haven't read one in awhile. He threw fit after fit, screaming and stomping his feet like a big baby. I could care less if he gets his HEA...
January 21, 2013
New Update: Weeks after reading this book, I read an m/f romance in which the heroine had an evil brother named Lorcan. It was pretty obvious he would be dead by the end of the book. And, in real credit to the strength of SJD Peterson's writing and characterization, I was thrilled at the thought of finally getting to see Lorcan die. *evil cackle* And I didn't even hate him nearly as much as Quinn!
I am always impressed with any book that has characters memorable enough for me to think about them later, out of context. So, while this book was not for me, I have to mention that.
Update: Since I was told I needed to finish this to understand the second, and the second is worth reading, I decided to skim through to the end of this one.
I had stopped just before meeting Jess. It did improve a bit then, but not by much. I disliked him less than the others, but found him too obnoxiously pushy to actually like him. And "big guy" and "pretty boy" were used way too much after that. I found the triangle situation believable, especially considering what inconsiderate, immature assholes all three characters were. But I suspect I wasn't supposed to be thinking "Ha! Take that asshole! Neener neener!" when each of the characters experienced emotional pain due to the triangle. Unfortunately, it seems the greatest joy to be found in this book is schadenfreude.
I hope they all grow the hell up and get over their precious little selves in the next book.
*****
I really wanted to like this book. I'd been talking books with a friend, and she so wanted me to read it she bought it for me in the middle of the conversation. So I stuck with it waaaay longer than I would have otherwise. I disliked the characters. I disbelieved the plot. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes and muttering things like, "Yeah, right".
As one example, I saw no basis for the intensity of emotion (they called it "love") Lorcan and Quinn seemed to feel for each other so suddenly, on so little acquaintance. They barely spend any time together, they agree on mutual lust and start boinking, and suddenly they can't live without each other, would die for each other, etc. Yeah, right.
My ereader does page numbers rather than percentages, and they don't match what's on the computer, so it gets confusing calculating exact percentages. But I figure Chapter Twelve has to be 50+% of a 21-chapter plue epilogue book. So that's a fighting chance if ever there was one, right?
I am always impressed with any book that has characters memorable enough for me to think about them later, out of context. So, while this book was not for me, I have to mention that.
Update: Since I was told I needed to finish this to understand the second, and the second is worth reading, I decided to skim through to the end of this one.
I had stopped just before meeting Jess. It did improve a bit then, but not by much. I disliked him less than the others, but found him too obnoxiously pushy to actually like him. And "big guy" and "pretty boy" were used way too much after that. I found the triangle situation believable, especially considering what inconsiderate, immature assholes all three characters were. But I suspect I wasn't supposed to be thinking "Ha! Take that asshole! Neener neener!" when each of the characters experienced emotional pain due to the triangle. Unfortunately, it seems the greatest joy to be found in this book is schadenfreude.
I hope they all grow the hell up and get over their precious little selves in the next book.
*****
I really wanted to like this book. I'd been talking books with a friend, and she so wanted me to read it she bought it for me in the middle of the conversation. So I stuck with it waaaay longer than I would have otherwise. I disliked the characters. I disbelieved the plot. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes and muttering things like, "Yeah, right".
As one example, I saw no basis for the intensity of emotion (they called it "love") Lorcan and Quinn seemed to feel for each other so suddenly, on so little acquaintance. They barely spend any time together, they agree on mutual lust and start boinking, and suddenly they can't live without each other, would die for each other, etc. Yeah, right.
My ereader does page numbers rather than percentages, and they don't match what's on the computer, so it gets confusing calculating exact percentages. But I figure Chapter Twelve has to be 50+% of a 21-chapter plue epilogue book. So that's a fighting chance if ever there was one, right?
January 23, 2012
Wow! This book was incredible and I'm so glad I read it!
In this story Lorcan James, a young man seeking adventure, finds his way onto Quinn Taylor's ranch desperately needing work, food and shelter. With much trepidation, Quinn hires Lorcan even though he feels an intense attraction to the young man. Confused by his own feelings towards Quinn, Lorcan happily takes the position of ranch hand...if only to earn enough money to return home.
Even though Lorcan and Quinn forge a friendship, soon their feelings take over, but everything is not rainbows and puppies and declarations of love. These two men experience quite a rollercoaster of emotions, leaving both of them frustrated, angry and hurt. Fear of breaking societal norms and standards eventually drives a wedge between the two men and readers witness the slow breakdown of a relationship that could have been really great.
I felt this was an incredible story . I absolutely can't wait to start on the sequel!
In this story Lorcan James, a young man seeking adventure, finds his way onto Quinn Taylor's ranch desperately needing work, food and shelter. With much trepidation, Quinn hires Lorcan even though he feels an intense attraction to the young man. Confused by his own feelings towards Quinn, Lorcan happily takes the position of ranch hand...if only to earn enough money to return home.
Even though Lorcan and Quinn forge a friendship, soon their feelings take over, but everything is not rainbows and puppies and declarations of love. These two men experience quite a rollercoaster of emotions, leaving both of them frustrated, angry and hurt. Fear of breaking societal norms and standards eventually drives a wedge between the two men and readers witness the slow breakdown of a relationship that could have been really great.
I felt this was an incredible story . I absolutely can't wait to start on the sequel!
January 30, 2013
HA, finally finished this! I had gotten spoiled for the ending awhile ago, so I put finishing it on hold.
The first thing you should know about this book is that it's part of a series, so if you're looking for a stand-alone with an HEA, you may want to give this one a miss. It's not particularly sweet, though a few of the characters are.
However, I found Peterson's writing to be pretty decent, and the plot is very character-driven, which I enjoy. I like the motley crew of guys who work and live at Whispering Pines Ranch.
Lorcan is an interesting character (from Hoosierland! LOL) - he is young, gutsy, and inexperienced, extremely stubborn and even a bit bratty at times. But this story is about his coming-of-age. He learns a lot about himself during his journey (both literally and figuratively) through his interactions with the people around him.
Sometimes you want to shake him AND Quinn (the ranch owner with whom Lorcan falls in love) for being idiot men who can't communicate, and Lorcan makes choices that are in some cases selfish (), and in some cases smart (), but ultimately very human.
I'm looking forward to continuing the series. I've been informed that .
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the TweetAway!
The first thing you should know about this book is that it's part of a series, so if you're looking for a stand-alone with an HEA, you may want to give this one a miss. It's not particularly sweet, though a few of the characters are.
However, I found Peterson's writing to be pretty decent, and the plot is very character-driven, which I enjoy. I like the motley crew of guys who work and live at Whispering Pines Ranch.
Lorcan is an interesting character (from Hoosierland! LOL) - he is young, gutsy, and inexperienced, extremely stubborn and even a bit bratty at times. But this story is about his coming-of-age. He learns a lot about himself during his journey (both literally and figuratively) through his interactions with the people around him.
Sometimes you want to shake him AND Quinn (the ranch owner with whom Lorcan falls in love) for being idiot men who can't communicate, and Lorcan makes choices that are in some cases selfish (), and in some cases smart (), but ultimately very human.
I'm looking forward to continuing the series. I've been informed that .
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the TweetAway!
May 19, 2013
I've given this an "It was OK" star rating as opposed to the one star rating I was initially going to award because, well, it did improve slightly towards the end.
So saying, the story is literally sex with a very weak plot thrown in to bind the sex together, otherwise it would be sex, sex and more sex just for the hell of it.
So many unanswered questions: Why is Mr Henderson or whatever his name was from the neighbouring ranch convinced that Quinn is gay? Why do we never meet this evil neighbour and how strange that suddenly he is responsible for burning down Quinn's barn and there is no evidence?!?
The mc's are just two dimensional cardboard cut-outs. The language verges on camp. These are cowboys FFS! Far too much "swishing," "giggling" and fruit loaf baking. Where are the horses, the steers, the Stetsons, the ruggedness of Ranch living?
Overall a story about too much (and not particularly well written) sex.
I will not be purchasing the rest of the series.
So saying, the story is literally sex with a very weak plot thrown in to bind the sex together, otherwise it would be sex, sex and more sex just for the hell of it.
So many unanswered questions: Why is Mr Henderson or whatever his name was from the neighbouring ranch convinced that Quinn is gay? Why do we never meet this evil neighbour and how strange that suddenly he is responsible for burning down Quinn's barn and there is no evidence?!?
The mc's are just two dimensional cardboard cut-outs. The language verges on camp. These are cowboys FFS! Far too much "swishing," "giggling" and fruit loaf baking. Where are the horses, the steers, the Stetsons, the ruggedness of Ranch living?
Overall a story about too much (and not particularly well written) sex.
I will not be purchasing the rest of the series.
March 30, 2015
Ok, this book definitely got my attention. I love the character development; they seem so real and tangible. Conner is just wonderful...the old coot!!!
Quinn, with all his internal bravado about being gay, is still a deeply closeted rancher. He's afraid of losing the town's support if he comes out and publicly shows his feelings. He realises this hard truth when Lorcan wanders onto his ranch looking for work. He's so beautiful (with his waist length hair) that Quinn can't control himself so decides he better just ignore the lad.
Of course the attraction builds and heated encounters ensue but still Quinn is reluctant to publicly claim Lorcan.
There is not really a happy ending here but there are more books so I look forward to continuing this amazing story.
Quinn, with all his internal bravado about being gay, is still a deeply closeted rancher. He's afraid of losing the town's support if he comes out and publicly shows his feelings. He realises this hard truth when Lorcan wanders onto his ranch looking for work. He's so beautiful (with his waist length hair) that Quinn can't control himself so decides he better just ignore the lad.
Of course the attraction builds and heated encounters ensue but still Quinn is reluctant to publicly claim Lorcan.
There is not really a happy ending here but there are more books so I look forward to continuing this amazing story.
July 27, 2011
I can't say enough about this breakthrough novel by S.J.D. Peterson. It's a modern-day ranch story and the beginning of a trilogy. Let's just say I cannot wait for the next installment! Mind you, what this author throws at you is a realistic portrayal. Where others fear to tread, Peterson stepped in with both feet. The writing style is flowing and the content is fun. I could not put the story down! I hear tell "Quinn's Need" is the next title. I'm looking forward to it and have set aside money in my budget for that particular purchase.
December 29, 2011
OMG...wow...I mean DAMN!!!! That was one heart-wrenching roller coaster of a ride! I have never felt that torn between three men before but I honestly didn't know who I was pulling for more...Quinn and Lorcan or Lorcan and Jess. I'm totally a mess right now...I need to read Quinn's Need ASAP to see how this story ends!!!!
SJD...you are an insane writer...please don't EVER stop:)
Note: if you can't be patient enough to read through a second book to get your HEA...you will truly miss out on a great read!!!!
SJD...you are an insane writer...please don't EVER stop:)
Note: if you can't be patient enough to read through a second book to get your HEA...you will truly miss out on a great read!!!!
June 1, 2011
Holy hell, that was good! S.J.D. Peterson really knows how to bring your emotions threw the ringer. The only reason I didn't give this one the full 5 star rating is because of the ending. When is the sequel coming out? I have to know what happens next!
Want to read
February 25, 2014Got the tweetaway just in time!! SCORE!
April 30, 2017
I read 'Lorcan's Desire' by SJD Peterson the first time many years ago. It was one of my introductions to the male/male romance genre and a number of things have changed since then. The author is now just Jo, to me, I read almost exclusively in this genre, I have a signed paperback of this book, and I still love this story as much now as I did then. And I'm still just as amazed at the incredible chance the author took when she wrote this as I'm sure she caught hell from quite a few fans over the ending.
Quinn Taylor hasn't had an easy time of it since his father died five years ago. Running a cattle ranch is no small chore but fending off his neighbor’s attempts to buy his ranch, and then deliberately sabotaging him by letting everyone know his sexuality, AND offering his workers twice what Quinn was paying them has left him in bad shape. Quinn is doing the work of ten men being left only with John and his partner Conner who have been on the ranch since his daddy ran it and they're not exactly spring chickens. So when Lorcan James shows up, starving and exhausted, looking for work, Quinn is a little suspicious and a whole lot aroused. Needless to say, he needs the help so Lorcan gets a job, and Quinn hopes he can keep his hands off him.
"The kid was filthy and scruffy as hell…. For some reason Quinn couldn’t explain to himself, he felt fiercely protective and possessive of the man sitting in front of him. He wanted to take him in, make sure he was safe, warm, well fed. Jesus, where the hell had that thought come from?"
Poor Lorcan. He has spent his whole life fighting to prove he's not gay just because he's too pretty and people assume. The fact that he gets turned on by Quinn throws him for a loop but it wasn't that surprising to me. Lorcan has never had a relationship with anyone, man or woman, and I was fairly certain he just didn't know how he felt. When Quinn and Lorcan do finally get together it is sheer, raw, passion that practically lights the pages on fire. Unfortunately, for Lorcan, he wants more and Quinn is convinced - stupidly, I might add - that he can never give that or have it. Granted, once I knew a little more about where Quinn was coming from I could understand his feelings but I still thought he was an idiot.
"As long as he kept his distance from him during the day, he could share at least an occasional evening with the man who was quickly becoming so important to him. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but for now it was the only one he had—the only option he had if he wanted to keep his ranch, the respect of his community, and Lorcan."
Oh, Quinn, you big coward. Letting other people, in this case your community, dictate how you're going to live your life is never a good idea. Leaving Lorcan to feel as if you're ashamed of him is what drives him to the arms of another. Jess is out and proud, not to mention willing to share with the whole world how much Lorcan means to him, whereas Quinn can only ever have him as a dirty little secret. I don't blame Lorcan for what happened.
A powerful story that left me reeling. Thank you, Jo. It was just as amazing as the first time I read it.
Quinn Taylor hasn't had an easy time of it since his father died five years ago. Running a cattle ranch is no small chore but fending off his neighbor’s attempts to buy his ranch, and then deliberately sabotaging him by letting everyone know his sexuality, AND offering his workers twice what Quinn was paying them has left him in bad shape. Quinn is doing the work of ten men being left only with John and his partner Conner who have been on the ranch since his daddy ran it and they're not exactly spring chickens. So when Lorcan James shows up, starving and exhausted, looking for work, Quinn is a little suspicious and a whole lot aroused. Needless to say, he needs the help so Lorcan gets a job, and Quinn hopes he can keep his hands off him.
"The kid was filthy and scruffy as hell…. For some reason Quinn couldn’t explain to himself, he felt fiercely protective and possessive of the man sitting in front of him. He wanted to take him in, make sure he was safe, warm, well fed. Jesus, where the hell had that thought come from?"
Poor Lorcan. He has spent his whole life fighting to prove he's not gay just because he's too pretty and people assume. The fact that he gets turned on by Quinn throws him for a loop but it wasn't that surprising to me. Lorcan has never had a relationship with anyone, man or woman, and I was fairly certain he just didn't know how he felt. When Quinn and Lorcan do finally get together it is sheer, raw, passion that practically lights the pages on fire. Unfortunately, for Lorcan, he wants more and Quinn is convinced - stupidly, I might add - that he can never give that or have it. Granted, once I knew a little more about where Quinn was coming from I could understand his feelings but I still thought he was an idiot.
"As long as he kept his distance from him during the day, he could share at least an occasional evening with the man who was quickly becoming so important to him. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but for now it was the only one he had—the only option he had if he wanted to keep his ranch, the respect of his community, and Lorcan."
Oh, Quinn, you big coward. Letting other people, in this case your community, dictate how you're going to live your life is never a good idea. Leaving Lorcan to feel as if you're ashamed of him is what drives him to the arms of another. Jess is out and proud, not to mention willing to share with the whole world how much Lorcan means to him, whereas Quinn can only ever have him as a dirty little secret. I don't blame Lorcan for what happened.
A powerful story that left me reeling. Thank you, Jo. It was just as amazing as the first time I read it.
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