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Randy
Approaching middle age, Garrison Gaines is aware that all his humble hopes for the future have crumbled into dust. He’s travelling through the vast Unorganized Territories of the central United States when his path crosses that of Randy Everett, a young man who dreams of great adventures in exotic far-away locales – and, while no one can accurately predict the future, one thing is quite certain: that neither man will walk away from the encounter completely unaffected.
182 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2014
67 people want to read
About the author
Jane Elliot
20 books32 followersI am no longer on Goodreads. You can contact me at my gmail account, under the name janethunder.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 11, 2014
It is always a delight to read a Jane Elliot western M-M romance - she's in a class of her own as far as I'm concerned. This new shortish release (oh why was there not another 50 pages???) quickly drags readers in - one of our MCs faces certain death at the very start with vultures flapping about nearby.
As with most of Elliot's western titles - these cowboy pioneer types are totally clueless as to their attraction to men (at least at the start of the book). When trials and circumstances bring the MCs together and forces them to rely and depend on each other - that's when all the magic happens.
And what is a good M-M western without battling harsh environments, life threatening events, lying under the starlit skies and deep unspoken longings for something more - Elliot serves these up with just the 0right timing and doses. The only bad news is the ending ... AHHHHHH! I'm left hanging screaming "and now what happens??". I guess Ms Elliot is currently crafting the next book because I'll be damned if she leaves Randy and Garrison where they are at on the final page.
Plus I am trying to Google whatever the hell is the meaning of Garrison's given Indian name/title. Thank you Jane for a wonderful couple of hours diversion - 4 and half stars.
As with most of Elliot's western titles - these cowboy pioneer types are totally clueless as to their attraction to men (at least at the start of the book). When trials and circumstances bring the MCs together and forces them to rely and depend on each other - that's when all the magic happens.
And what is a good M-M western without battling harsh environments, life threatening events, lying under the starlit skies and deep unspoken longings for something more - Elliot serves these up with just the 0right timing and doses. The only bad news is the ending ... AHHHHHH! I'm left hanging screaming "and now what happens??". I guess Ms Elliot is currently crafting the next book because I'll be damned if she leaves Randy and Garrison where they are at on the final page.
Plus I am trying to Google whatever the hell is the meaning of Garrison's given Indian name/title. Thank you Jane for a wonderful couple of hours diversion - 4 and half stars.
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August 18, 2014I had the honour of reading this during the writing-editing-publishing process, and I was well impressed. I guess it's no secret that I love the Westerns written by my fellow Manifold Press author, Jane Elliot. They are always so real and gritty, that I emerge from them feeling saddle-weary and dusty, and in need of a trip down the bath house. I hope you, dear (potential) Reader, will take that the right way: It is not an effort to read these wonderful tales, but it is wonderfully immersive!
I'm very much looking forward to the follow-up volume to this one, Jane!
I'm very much looking forward to the follow-up volume to this one, Jane!
August 1, 2014
4.5 STARS
Reviewed by Cindy
So, for once I’m at a loss about a review. I have no idea how to put my jumbled feelings into words so I’m just gonna wing it.
Let’s start with the characters. Garrison Gaines is a man whom no one has ever loved and it’s made him a sad and lonely man. When we meet him, he’s on the verge of death and really can’t find any reason to fight it. He had my sympathy from the beginning but stole my heart before the story was through.
Randy Everett has had a completely different kind of life, having been loved and cared for by his family his whole life. A health crisis has him on the road to adventure and his enthusiasm is heartwarming and you can’t help but be taken by him.
The writing in this story is amazing. The descriptions of the surroundings are perfect. It’s enough to paint a picture to help the reader see the scene in their head without dragging down the story and risking it stalling out.
We see the whole story from Garrison’s POV and seeing him grow and come to understand just what it is that’s going on in his head and in his heart is amazing and I smiled as many times as I was moved to tears.
There was nothing about this story I didn’t love and I couldn’t wait to recommend it to a friend of mine and I was sure she would love it as much as I did…until I got to the end.
And there-in lies the problem. That horrible ending that had me cursing out loud and if I had actually been holding a book, it would have been flying across the room in a fit of rage. Fortunately, my self-control saved my computer.
If this book had been coming from my publisher, it would have been tagged a bittersweet dreams title and I’ll be honest, I never would have read it. I read to escape from the harsh realities of life and so while I can deal with a truckload of angst in a story, I need to have at the very least hope for the future.
This ending was like a kick in the teeth and it leaves me with this problem. If I rate this book with my head and ONLY on everything but the last few paragraphs, I would give it 5 stars. The characters were amazing, the setting was real and the writing was captivating. The author’s style is smart and compelling and she has a masterful grasp on language and grammar.
But that ending…it broke my heart
If I was spiteful, I’d give the story a 2 star rating and be done with it, but that wouldn’t be fair or honest. As much as I hate the way it ended, I fully acknowledge as a reader and a writer that it’s the author’s prerogative on where to take a story (and sometimes they are just dragged along by the characters against their will) and that’s how it should be.
I also don’t really believe that books should have warnings on them (except in cases of sexual abuse or extreme violence which can be triggers for some people). When you buy a book and start reading it, you as the reader take the chance of it not going where you want it to go. That being said, I’m still really upset and disappointed which is my prerogative as a reader.
I’m not sure I’ll seek out more works by this author because I would be worried about being hit with one of these endings again, but if you’re someone who appreciates that real life doesn’t always go the way we wanted to and that not every romance has a happy ending then I think you will love this well-written story.
Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews guest posts and giveaways!
Reviewed by Cindy
So, for once I’m at a loss about a review. I have no idea how to put my jumbled feelings into words so I’m just gonna wing it.
Let’s start with the characters. Garrison Gaines is a man whom no one has ever loved and it’s made him a sad and lonely man. When we meet him, he’s on the verge of death and really can’t find any reason to fight it. He had my sympathy from the beginning but stole my heart before the story was through.
Randy Everett has had a completely different kind of life, having been loved and cared for by his family his whole life. A health crisis has him on the road to adventure and his enthusiasm is heartwarming and you can’t help but be taken by him.
The writing in this story is amazing. The descriptions of the surroundings are perfect. It’s enough to paint a picture to help the reader see the scene in their head without dragging down the story and risking it stalling out.
We see the whole story from Garrison’s POV and seeing him grow and come to understand just what it is that’s going on in his head and in his heart is amazing and I smiled as many times as I was moved to tears.
There was nothing about this story I didn’t love and I couldn’t wait to recommend it to a friend of mine and I was sure she would love it as much as I did…until I got to the end.
And there-in lies the problem. That horrible ending that had me cursing out loud and if I had actually been holding a book, it would have been flying across the room in a fit of rage. Fortunately, my self-control saved my computer.
If this book had been coming from my publisher, it would have been tagged a bittersweet dreams title and I’ll be honest, I never would have read it. I read to escape from the harsh realities of life and so while I can deal with a truckload of angst in a story, I need to have at the very least hope for the future.
This ending was like a kick in the teeth and it leaves me with this problem. If I rate this book with my head and ONLY on everything but the last few paragraphs, I would give it 5 stars. The characters were amazing, the setting was real and the writing was captivating. The author’s style is smart and compelling and she has a masterful grasp on language and grammar.
But that ending…it broke my heart
If I was spiteful, I’d give the story a 2 star rating and be done with it, but that wouldn’t be fair or honest. As much as I hate the way it ended, I fully acknowledge as a reader and a writer that it’s the author’s prerogative on where to take a story (and sometimes they are just dragged along by the characters against their will) and that’s how it should be.
I also don’t really believe that books should have warnings on them (except in cases of sexual abuse or extreme violence which can be triggers for some people). When you buy a book and start reading it, you as the reader take the chance of it not going where you want it to go. That being said, I’m still really upset and disappointed which is my prerogative as a reader.
I’m not sure I’ll seek out more works by this author because I would be worried about being hit with one of these endings again, but if you’re someone who appreciates that real life doesn’t always go the way we wanted to and that not every romance has a happy ending then I think you will love this well-written story.
Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews guest posts and giveaways!
December 18, 2014
....Loved it from the start, very intense and emotional, to see their journey together and finding out more about their pasts along the way.
Definitely on my christmas wish list for a sequel though because that ending ... ARGHHHHHH!!....
July 12, 2014
: I love Jane Elliot. She has such a way of making characters so real. I felt like I was back in the 1800’s in the wilderness with Randy and Garrison.
Garrison Gaines is a trapper from Canada. He has ventured south to try to find pelts in order make a living. He encounters a rockslide finding himself vulture food. That is until Randy stumbles across a nearly dead man in the pile of rubble.
Randy is a young man on a mission. He has a severe case of asthma and his days are numbered so he intends to make the best of what is left.
This is such a beautiful story of two men with such different upbringings and lifestyles. Garrison has never thought of being sexually attracted to a man until he meets randy and finds his dreams filled with nasty, wonderful thoughts of Randy. He will do anything to keep randy happy and at his side. He has only had sex once and that was at age 19 and didn’t go so well and he has avoided it since, but now all he can think of is randy. He isn’t even sure sex with a man is able or anyone else ever thought it. I loved his thoughts and how he was so confused.
I liked this story because it isn’t your usual love story. It’s not actually a romance at all, but it is about love and friendship. I couldn’t put the book down once I started. I hope there is more to come!! I will say my mouth was hanging open in surprise at the end. I wasn't ready for it to end!
If you like trappers, the old west, beautiful friendships, gamblers and a gripping story, this is definitely for you!
* I received a copy of this book free-of-charge from MMgoodbookreviews http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own*
Garrison Gaines is a trapper from Canada. He has ventured south to try to find pelts in order make a living. He encounters a rockslide finding himself vulture food. That is until Randy stumbles across a nearly dead man in the pile of rubble.
Randy is a young man on a mission. He has a severe case of asthma and his days are numbered so he intends to make the best of what is left.
This is such a beautiful story of two men with such different upbringings and lifestyles. Garrison has never thought of being sexually attracted to a man until he meets randy and finds his dreams filled with nasty, wonderful thoughts of Randy. He will do anything to keep randy happy and at his side. He has only had sex once and that was at age 19 and didn’t go so well and he has avoided it since, but now all he can think of is randy. He isn’t even sure sex with a man is able or anyone else ever thought it. I loved his thoughts and how he was so confused.
I liked this story because it isn’t your usual love story. It’s not actually a romance at all, but it is about love and friendship. I couldn’t put the book down once I started. I hope there is more to come!! I will say my mouth was hanging open in surprise at the end. I wasn't ready for it to end!
If you like trappers, the old west, beautiful friendships, gamblers and a gripping story, this is definitely for you!
* I received a copy of this book free-of-charge from MMgoodbookreviews http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own*
February 10, 2015
** 4.5 Stars **
What a thrilling and dramatic prologue! From the very first paragraph I just couldn't look away ....
Randy is a beautiful story of improbable friendship, longing and loss. There's nothing fancy or exaggerated in it, and it will most definitely go straight to your heart. It certainly touched mine!
The portrayal of Garrison is simply incredible (Internal dialogues are an absolute plus for me!). Randy has such a lively and sunny nature. I love when a book makes me really identify with characters and makes me hurt for them.
The extraordinary writing, the perfect combination of simplicity, subtlety and emotion, the beautiful and so very realistic picture of the Old West, that's what makes Randy such a great book!
The reason why I didn't give it 5 Stars is because I would have like to have Randy's POV, his inner voice ; we never really know what he is thinking and feeling, deep down. I have absolutely no problem at all with the unexpected ending, quite the contrary, for me it just feels ... RIGHT.
Highly recommended!
August 9, 2014
I really liked this - I grew to love Garrison (and Randy too) - and I'd love more. I can't leave it here though I care about Garrison too much....so I'm writing the next installment for him in my own imagination as I write this review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2014
I've generally been a fan of this author, but this was disappointing. The writing is fine, and the historical details are interesting, but I didn't feel much of an emotional pull with these characters. I might have felt it eventually, if this was a fully formed story. It's not. This is essentially the first part of a serial. It's not marketed as such, and it has a very abrupt cliffhanger ending.
If I had known in advance, I probably wouldn't have purchased it or I would have waited until the story was complete. My irritation with this, combined with Manifold Press's archaic ordering system (your choices are to buy from the publisher's website and wait for someone to email you the file, or purchase from Amazon a month after the release date), means I probably won't read the next one.
If I had known in advance, I probably wouldn't have purchased it or I would have waited until the story was complete. My irritation with this, combined with Manifold Press's archaic ordering system (your choices are to buy from the publisher's website and wait for someone to email you the file, or purchase from Amazon a month after the release date), means I probably won't read the next one.
August 24, 2014
Haven't read something quite like this for a long time. The long ago time and place, the long stretch of lonely landscape, set a really powerful backdrop.
Heartache, longing, unrequited love and great friendship, my heart ached for Garrison. There's hope in the end for him - he'd just have to believe it and make it happen.
Heartache, longing, unrequited love and great friendship, my heart ached for Garrison. There's hope in the end for him - he'd just have to believe it and make it happen.
September 10, 2014
I desperately and truly need to know what happens to Garrison. I liked Randy a great deal and to say he was a life saver is a given however I don't know if he is supposed to be Garrison's HEA.
More please please please!
More please please please!
January 26, 2015
Excellent historical details, with many things that were new to me--and I'm pretty well read on the era, so great! I liked the characters and how they both evolved throughout the story, learning many different things from each other. I look forward to the sequel.
book-looks-good-not-my-cuppa
April 21, 2015Book has bittersweet ending
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
April 15, 2017
A great m/m western. I don't know what to say about the ending...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews