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Texas Sterling #1
UNEXPECTED
Wyl Sterling, ranch owner, and retired Marine, is persuaded by his brother Walt to return to college at 40. There he meets Dr. Rod Sterling in his first class. Each man is immediately attracted to the other, but societal barriers and personal internal struggles prevent them from expressing their feelings for each other. An unexpected kiss derails their budding friendship, but Walt encourages Wyl to pursue Rod. They reconcile, and as their relationship deepens, they face threats from an anti-gay ex-Marine buddy of Wyl’s and a tragic accident that takes Walt. As if that wasn’t enough, Walt’s ex-wife Mitzi surfaces, threatening the ranch. Will their past challenges drive them apart permanently? Can Mitzi succeed in her plan to take the ranch? Will Dusty’s tirade push Wyl back into the closet?
- GenresM M Romance
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2024
7 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
R.B. Bartels
9 books11 followersAward-winning author, master of education (in both tech and music), and champion of the brave-but-human hero. His debut novel, Red Truck, didn’t just win an award—it drove straight into reader’s hearts.
Roy’s vivid imagination builds characters who are sexy enough to make you swoon but flawed enough to trip over their own emotions. His books are a wild ride through the joy, heartbreak, and occasionally hilarious chaos of gay men’s romance. Think epic love stories with just enough human error to keep things real—because perfection is overrated, but a little drama? Chef’s kiss. Fans of stories set in Texas or Oklahoma will devour his work.
Born and raised in the Lone Star State, Roy spent 20 years in Dallas with his life mate before losing him to health issues in 2004. He now enjoys life in the Texas Hill Country with his little dog Missy. Roy reads two books at a time (one visual, one audio). He prefers books with complex characters who conquer many challenges.
Roy’s vivid imagination builds characters who are sexy enough to make you swoon but flawed enough to trip over their own emotions. His books are a wild ride through the joy, heartbreak, and occasionally hilarious chaos of gay men’s romance. Think epic love stories with just enough human error to keep things real—because perfection is overrated, but a little drama? Chef’s kiss. Fans of stories set in Texas or Oklahoma will devour his work.
Born and raised in the Lone Star State, Roy spent 20 years in Dallas with his life mate before losing him to health issues in 2004. He now enjoys life in the Texas Hill Country with his little dog Missy. Roy reads two books at a time (one visual, one audio). He prefers books with complex characters who conquer many challenges.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 13, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
2 stars
Sometimes you open a book and know instantly it’s not the book for you. Something about the writing style, the character voices, just some vibe is off. And that’s the case with this book. The story opens, chapter one, with Rod feeling drawn to a handsome man, and in the fourth paragraph, having exchanged not a single word, he is in love. It was … well, it must have been magic, because their eyes met and the strange student “looked into his inner spirit” and Rod was lost.
No part of this book worked for me. The characters were not well developed and had confusing conversations, unclear motivations, and a lackluster romance. I didn’t enjoy the plot, found the writing simplistic, and felt the villains were both ridiculous and there for no reason.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
2 stars
Sometimes you open a book and know instantly it’s not the book for you. Something about the writing style, the character voices, just some vibe is off. And that’s the case with this book. The story opens, chapter one, with Rod feeling drawn to a handsome man, and in the fourth paragraph, having exchanged not a single word, he is in love. It was … well, it must have been magic, because their eyes met and the strange student “looked into his inner spirit” and Rod was lost.
No part of this book worked for me. The characters were not well developed and had confusing conversations, unclear motivations, and a lackluster romance. I didn’t enjoy the plot, found the writing simplistic, and felt the villains were both ridiculous and there for no reason.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
May 2, 2024
The plot of this book was fitting into my mood and my challenge, so I decided to try this.
Unfortunately this was not so good as I hoped it would be.
The story starts wit a bit of "love at first sight" although there is a lot of development after that
the characters have interesting stories but especially the last quarter felt hurried. The big event there felt unnecessary and was not handled well. Especially Wyl felt wrong in some instances because of that.
In my opinion it would have been better to finish this first book without thar development or take more time for it.
So all in all only 2,5 stars
Unfortunately this was not so good as I hoped it would be.
The story starts wit a bit of "love at first sight" although there is a lot of development after that
the characters have interesting stories but especially the last quarter felt hurried. The big event there felt unnecessary and was not handled well. Especially Wyl felt wrong in some instances because of that.
In my opinion it would have been better to finish this first book without thar development or take more time for it.
So all in all only 2,5 stars
May 3, 2024
His brother persuade him to go to college at 40 where he meets his professor. He is bowled over with the feelings it raises in him. It is not the right thing to do as they are teacher and student. Will they give into those feelings? Can they be together? Will they be caught out? See how they get on
Read
October 10, 2025DNF this was too insta love between the characters, I’m sure teachers and students don’t have coffee together for the forbidden element which breaks rules. I didn’t mind their ages but the beginning didn’t grab me. Yeah I’m passing on this.
May 12, 2025
A romantic story with a tragedy and a vengeful ex-wife who wants their ranch
The blurb indicated that one of the brothers in this love story would pass away, marking a significant and tragic event in this both rewarding and messy narrative. Wyl Sterling and his brother Walt are the sole heirs to their family's ranch, with the exception of Walt's ex-wife, who believes that Walt was always concealing the true wealth of the Sterlings.
His younger brother encourages Wyl to pursue college after he serves in the Marines for 20 years. His first class is music appreciation, and he accepts the professor's offer to help guide him. The vibe is unexpected, and the two develop a relationship, one strongly encouraged by Wyl's brother. Dr. Rod Bonner and Wyl experience some difficulties, but Walt, though younger, seeks to help bring them together, lamenting that his brother has no other friends or acquaintances.
The romance is sweet, featuring an overnight camping trip using the ranch's horses, followed by dinner at the ranch house. However, tragedy strikes when Wyl's brother dies. Rod becomes a pillar of strength for Wyl, and together, they navigate through grief and loss with remarkable care and reassuring affection.
Walt's ex-wife reenters the scene, challenging a cover-up that she believes should nullify her divorce, thus entitling her to half the ranch. Their efforts to navigate this conflict bring them even closer together, highlighting the concern each has for the other, especially having dealt with betrayals and breakups in their pasts.
This book has a Happy Ever After, and the proud native American heritage of the Sterlings is demonstrated. It is compassionate and enjoyable in how the story unfolds, and the love between the two men is deepened.
This was my first read of an R.B. Bartels novel, and I will definitely return to the Texas Sterling Ranch series. My lack of a five-star rating stems from the death, which did not need to be part of the narrative, and the several typos and misplaced or incorrect words in the text. Additionally, while the date of the events was not stated, the characters clearly had cell phones yet still reverted to landlines for parts of the narrative, which was puzzling given the messaging used elsewhere.
The blurb indicated that one of the brothers in this love story would pass away, marking a significant and tragic event in this both rewarding and messy narrative. Wyl Sterling and his brother Walt are the sole heirs to their family's ranch, with the exception of Walt's ex-wife, who believes that Walt was always concealing the true wealth of the Sterlings.
His younger brother encourages Wyl to pursue college after he serves in the Marines for 20 years. His first class is music appreciation, and he accepts the professor's offer to help guide him. The vibe is unexpected, and the two develop a relationship, one strongly encouraged by Wyl's brother. Dr. Rod Bonner and Wyl experience some difficulties, but Walt, though younger, seeks to help bring them together, lamenting that his brother has no other friends or acquaintances.
The romance is sweet, featuring an overnight camping trip using the ranch's horses, followed by dinner at the ranch house. However, tragedy strikes when Wyl's brother dies. Rod becomes a pillar of strength for Wyl, and together, they navigate through grief and loss with remarkable care and reassuring affection.
Walt's ex-wife reenters the scene, challenging a cover-up that she believes should nullify her divorce, thus entitling her to half the ranch. Their efforts to navigate this conflict bring them even closer together, highlighting the concern each has for the other, especially having dealt with betrayals and breakups in their pasts.
This book has a Happy Ever After, and the proud native American heritage of the Sterlings is demonstrated. It is compassionate and enjoyable in how the story unfolds, and the love between the two men is deepened.
This was my first read of an R.B. Bartels novel, and I will definitely return to the Texas Sterling Ranch series. My lack of a five-star rating stems from the death, which did not need to be part of the narrative, and the several typos and misplaced or incorrect words in the text. Additionally, while the date of the events was not stated, the characters clearly had cell phones yet still reverted to landlines for parts of the narrative, which was puzzling given the messaging used elsewhere.
May 4, 2024
4.5 stars
The blurb sets this book up really well, and it is hard to say too much more about the story without spoilers. Wyl as a 40 year old student returning to college, and with his Marine background of assignments never letting him make lasting connections, seemed real to me. With Wyl’s initial apprehension, the feeling of security he felt when Rod had all the students share about themselves before getting to Wyl, indicated Rod’s experience and perception as an educator and the empathy he could feel for his students. The initial hesitancy on both parts to even try to pursue a connection spoke to the past relationship damage still playing a current part in their lives, not even counting the student/teacher aspect which could be problematical. The entire relationship with attraction between mature student and professor on a small college campus seemed realistic, not only in terms of their interactions, but also the gossip and insinuations which can be more prevalent in this more closed environment. The reaction in the encounter at the Kerrville restaurant also seemed not out of the ordinary for some individuals in small Texas towns. Both main characters were empathetic and likable, making them easy to root for their relationship to work out and achieve a HEA.
I like this author’s work, he writes his characters with insight and depth, uses realistic situations with supporting details, and believable settings to create a world for his characters to inhabit. The story held my interest and had me invested in the developing relationship of Wyl and Rod. I look forward to the next installment in this series to see where it goes from here.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
The blurb sets this book up really well, and it is hard to say too much more about the story without spoilers. Wyl as a 40 year old student returning to college, and with his Marine background of assignments never letting him make lasting connections, seemed real to me. With Wyl’s initial apprehension, the feeling of security he felt when Rod had all the students share about themselves before getting to Wyl, indicated Rod’s experience and perception as an educator and the empathy he could feel for his students. The initial hesitancy on both parts to even try to pursue a connection spoke to the past relationship damage still playing a current part in their lives, not even counting the student/teacher aspect which could be problematical. The entire relationship with attraction between mature student and professor on a small college campus seemed realistic, not only in terms of their interactions, but also the gossip and insinuations which can be more prevalent in this more closed environment. The reaction in the encounter at the Kerrville restaurant also seemed not out of the ordinary for some individuals in small Texas towns. Both main characters were empathetic and likable, making them easy to root for their relationship to work out and achieve a HEA.
I like this author’s work, he writes his characters with insight and depth, uses realistic situations with supporting details, and believable settings to create a world for his characters to inhabit. The story held my interest and had me invested in the developing relationship of Wyl and Rod. I look forward to the next installment in this series to see where it goes from here.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
May 2, 2024
I liked the premise but this unfortunately didn’t really work for me because the writing style was hard to warm up to. The characters have a formal and stilted way of speaking that prevented me from connecting with the story. There were glimpses where it felt more authentic, like when Wly comes out to his brother. But, overall it felt more informational and cold. Even when it gets quite sad near the end, the emotion doesn’t come across in the dialogue. The ending with Mitzi felt a needlessly ugly way to conclude and I zero interest in another one dimensional horrible and unpleasant female character. I’ve read other books by this author that I’ve quite enjoyed, Red Truck was lovely; but this was quite different in style to me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
August 7, 2024
Wyl is a retired Marine returning to his hometown of Blackfield to help his brother, Walt run the Family ranch. He attends College to better understand how to run the business side of the ranch. He meets Rod, his music Professor. They are around the same age and connect as older men. They are instantly attracted to each other, not knowing their orientation. They develop a friendship, for friendship's sake and their interactions. The artist does a wonderful job, embracing their concerns, their baggage, their dilemmas, their delightful personalities and making them absolutely likeable men. Great story, the series is amazing! Nice cover art! Good story, good characters, well done!
May 2, 2024
I teach students Wyl's age so I'm always up for a romance involving an older character returning to college and meeting someone in class. I enjoyed having a good idea of where this story was going to go and just settling in and seeing how the author would handle the complications. If you read the blurb and know that you enjoy these particular tropes this is an excellent comfort read that makes excellent use of them.
May 4, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book about Wyl and Rod. I thought these two were great together, I felt for Wyl with going back to school at an older age and feeling out of place. Rod was great on how he made Wyl feel, wish my professors were like that. Great start to a new series and a new to me author. Look forward to reading the next book in this series. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
May 1, 2024
Papa Juan's, Wyl & Won't, "Awl Bidness". His throbbing, granite-hard love spear & juices.
This book one of contrasts. It is witty and cheesy. The story is wry, but groan-worthy too. Some things are shocking, yet it's predictable. Meticulously trite to a fault, and still descriptive. You'll like it or you won't. There are future books in the series. Will they be more of the same?
This book one of contrasts. It is witty and cheesy. The story is wry, but groan-worthy too. Some things are shocking, yet it's predictable. Meticulously trite to a fault, and still descriptive. You'll like it or you won't. There are future books in the series. Will they be more of the same?
October 17, 2024
mmm no
People don’t talk like these 40 year old men. They don’t say things like ‘we enjoyed a hearty laugh.’ It’s just silly. One of the most important things I look for in reading books that are supposed to be in this timeline is how realistic the dialogue is and this was not it.
People don’t talk like these 40 year old men. They don’t say things like ‘we enjoyed a hearty laugh.’ It’s just silly. One of the most important things I look for in reading books that are supposed to be in this timeline is how realistic the dialogue is and this was not it.
May 3, 2024
This story is about a retired marine going back to college and falling for his professor but there is a lot of other stuff going on as well so do they get together or not. 3.5 read rounded up to 4 as a lot happens in the story.
May 7, 2024
I found this to be an enjoyable book. It held my interest, gave me plenty of angst and it all turns out well, so I couldn't be happier with the story. Looking forward to the next one in this series.
May 2, 2024
I thought this was an ok read! Many ups and downs. Interesting story! I read an advanced copy of this book and this is my unbiased review!
May 22, 2024
Loved this one from a new to me author! Lovely premise, great characters and a beautiful setting! I love reading books about older couples and this one was excellent!
tried-sample
May 27, 2024dnf quickly.
I keep clicking on this, forgetting that I have tried it, as the elements in the blurb attract me.
Unfortunately I hate the writing as soon as I start reading it.
I keep clicking on this, forgetting that I have tried it, as the elements in the blurb attract me.
Unfortunately I hate the writing as soon as I start reading it.
August 10, 2024
This was a wonderful read that kept me turning the pages. It was a fun read and I can't wait to read more from this author. I recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews