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You're Always in the Last Place You Look
Gabriel is solitary by design, not by choosing. He has a few friends—okay, one real friend and his roping partner. But being the town pastor’s son isn’t easy. Not to mention he’s sure he was born askew, without the ability to experience life the way others seem to. It is the only explanation he has for why he isn’t like everyone else.
But when he rescues Zane, a misplaced city boy dressed in tattoos and leather, from a killer bumblebee, he experiences more than he expects.
Zane shows Gabriel that sometimes the path you’ve chosen isn’t set in stone, and more times than not, you’ll find yourself in the last place you look.
2014 Rainbow Awards Finalist
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (2 judges)
But when he rescues Zane, a misplaced city boy dressed in tattoos and leather, from a killer bumblebee, he experiences more than he expects.
Zane shows Gabriel that sometimes the path you’ve chosen isn’t set in stone, and more times than not, you’ll find yourself in the last place you look.
2014 Rainbow Awards Finalist
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (2 judges)
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2014
19 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 29, 2014
It's been a while since I've written an actual review so I hope I can do this book justice. T.N. Gates (Tara Spears) is new to me but I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.
First, a disclosure: This book needs another round of editing. If errors are a pet peeve for you, then this book is going to set you off. I was able to skip past the to/too, there/they're, errors very easily and because I loved the story so much I'm not going to lower my rating because of them. I do feel it’s worth mentioning though, if only as a forewarning.
The cover of this book caught my attention and after reading the blurb it was full speed ahead. The story grabbed me page one and kept me glued until the end. I was so excited to finally have found a “WOW” book that I wanted to tell everyone right away. But I didn't for fear of jinxing it. So I kept the gushing to myself and kept devouring this story. By a third of the way through, I wanted to start recommending this book to friends. However, fearing it would head south at any given time, I waited and instead compiled a list in my head. With every chapter I fell more and more in love with this book, the characters and the writing. Needless to say the book never floundered. I think I’ve found a new DIK (Desert Island Keeper) and my friends are about to get a new recommendation from me.
This story is about two young guys who are total opposites. Zane, the city boy, is gay and has known it for years but a tragedy has forced him to retreat into himself. Gabe, the preacher’s son, is a country boy and hasn’t figured anything out yet. Over the years he becomes invisible to all but a few select people. Both MCs are simply, existing. This story is how they meet and teach each other to live again.
I guess I would label this book as YA or NA. Both MCs are over 18 but are still seniors in high school. It’s not without sex but the sex is not explicit. It's written so you know what they're doing but not in graphic detail. It’s well done and what I would call perfect for a romance like this one.
I absolutely love a book that has you laughing out loud one minute and ugly crying the next and boy did this one deliver repeatedly. It also has several fantastic, swoon-worthy lines like this one:
And this one:
Again, this book is not perfect, but damn if I didn’t love EVERY. FREAKING. WORD! If you love a good YA/NA, coming-of-age story, this book is for you. If you love a great romance, this one is phenomenal. I don’t want to spoil this book by saying too much so I’m just going to recommend downloading the sample and giving this one a try.
First, a disclosure: This book needs another round of editing. If errors are a pet peeve for you, then this book is going to set you off. I was able to skip past the to/too, there/they're, errors very easily and because I loved the story so much I'm not going to lower my rating because of them. I do feel it’s worth mentioning though, if only as a forewarning.
The cover of this book caught my attention and after reading the blurb it was full speed ahead. The story grabbed me page one and kept me glued until the end. I was so excited to finally have found a “WOW” book that I wanted to tell everyone right away. But I didn't for fear of jinxing it. So I kept the gushing to myself and kept devouring this story. By a third of the way through, I wanted to start recommending this book to friends. However, fearing it would head south at any given time, I waited and instead compiled a list in my head. With every chapter I fell more and more in love with this book, the characters and the writing. Needless to say the book never floundered. I think I’ve found a new DIK (Desert Island Keeper) and my friends are about to get a new recommendation from me.
This story is about two young guys who are total opposites. Zane, the city boy, is gay and has known it for years but a tragedy has forced him to retreat into himself. Gabe, the preacher’s son, is a country boy and hasn’t figured anything out yet. Over the years he becomes invisible to all but a few select people. Both MCs are simply, existing. This story is how they meet and teach each other to live again.
I guess I would label this book as YA or NA. Both MCs are over 18 but are still seniors in high school. It’s not without sex but the sex is not explicit. It's written so you know what they're doing but not in graphic detail. It’s well done and what I would call perfect for a romance like this one.
I absolutely love a book that has you laughing out loud one minute and ugly crying the next and boy did this one deliver repeatedly. It also has several fantastic, swoon-worthy lines like this one:
“One kiss, that’s all I will ever take from you. I’ll honor whatever decision you come to after that.” His words floated on the air before finding purchase inside my head. “Gabriel, gift your first kiss to me. I know how precious it is, and I want it as mine.”
And this one:
“A guy who is kind, and gentle, and incredibly sweet, without even trying. One who gives everything without thinking or asking anything in return. A boy who hid who he was, and no one seemed to see, despite those traits. I saw you though...and when I’m around you, all those things that you are soak into me, and I don’t feel so empty or alone.”
Again, this book is not perfect, but damn if I didn’t love EVERY. FREAKING. WORD! If you love a good YA/NA, coming-of-age story, this book is for you. If you love a great romance, this one is phenomenal. I don’t want to spoil this book by saying too much so I’m just going to recommend downloading the sample and giving this one a try.
January 1, 2018
Let me begin by saying that I did really enjoy this book. It kept a pretty even keel, without tons of sharp turns this way and that. Just a nice, steady pace as the story progressed along.
It was nice seeing the completely adorable, but shunned and sometimes-bullied preacher's son, Gabriel (aka, "God Boy") come into his own.
Gabe is what most people would call clueless. VERY clueless. While not quite 'short bus' material, he most certainly isn't going to show up in his high school year book's superlatives pages for "Most Perceptive" any time soon.
Other than losing his virginity to a hyper-aggressive girl at 16, under dubious consent on *his* part, he'd never been with anyone. Never felt the desire to be with anyone.
Gabe never imagined that he could be gay. The thought honestly never entered his head, even though there was one boy who he didn't mind showering beside, repeatedly, in gym. Nope, absolutely, positively not gay.
♥♥ That is until a broken, tattooed bad boy came to town and somehow stole his heart, without even really trying. ♥♥
Zane's world came crumbling down around him when his family's van was in an accident with a logging truck in Chicago. One where his entire family slowly died around him, one at a time, until he was left alone and trapped. The sole survivor.
Before Zane is anywhere close to ready, he is pulled from his city life in Chicago to live with his uncle and aunt in rural Idaho. New life. New school. New expectations. Even with his medications, it's all too much for Zane in his extremely fragile state after the accident.
♥♥ That is until a quiet, soulful country boy became the center of both his world and his well-being. ♥♥
Time after time, Gabe saves Zane from both the world and from himself, which is truly a privilege to follow in the book.
But dating someone with as many emotional issues as Zane isn't easy, especially when he's still questioning whether or not he's *actually* gay. [See above reference to "cluelessness."]
It had never been this complicated with a girl. Take her on a date then fight her off until she broke up with me.Yes, *that* clueless. But the internal battle that Gabe wages for his own sexuality, however half-heartedly, was both endearing and the source of many an eye roll.
For me, this book was ALL about Gabe. I felt that Zane's character could have easily been interchanged with any number of other troubled characters I've read, and enjoyed slightly more, in other books recently. I liked Zane, but he wasn't truly outstanding the way that I felt Gabe's character was written.
And when the inevitable "big event" that separates our two heroes occurs, I truly tried to work myself up enough to queen out over the injustice of it all, but I just couldn't.
From the very beginning, city boy Zane had said,
So my brain kept telling me that I couldn't, realistically at least, get mad at Zane for following through on his very up-front promise. (The *way* he did it? Hell, yeah, but the fact that he did, not so much.)
And it was painful to follow Gabe through the heartbreaking aftermath, including the well-intentioned blind date that his friends set him up with, but I still couldn't feel much of anything besides empathy for Gabe -- but never, never a desire to say "he told you so."
[Confession: I did, however, feel a burning need to punch Al, the truly nice, if not a bit handsy, blind date in the throat. And the junk. And in his junk again. What? I'm loyal that way, sue me.]But Zane inevitably so we do get our happily ever after. Yay for the HEA!
I would note that the entire book is told from Gabe's perspective; however, there is a short shift in the book to Zane's perspective toward the end, which completely threw me and kind of screwed with the previously easy flow of the book.
I personally would have either done a 50/50 perspective book or 100% Gabe. (That might just be me, but a few other reviews did mention finding it distracting as well, so not alone, I guess.)
Regarding the sexy bits, well, it's pretty much as Gabe himself put it, "vestal virgin" for the most part. Even when there was sexiness, there's only a vague description, then the afterglow and "feelings." Full stop.
In the case of supporting characters, overall I enjoyed them.
- Tye rocked. Especially with the fact that That was nothing short of precious in my book.
- Gabe's pastor father... Fucking A-MAY-ZZZZZING, even with God riding shotgun in his shirt pocket. 'Nuff said.
- Lily, as Gabe's best friend, I found a bit more bland than how I think the author attempted to write her. Her sass was a bit flat for my taste. If you're gonna be a diva, bring your A game and own that shit (ala, Mel's Operation "It's Raining Bitches" from "After School Activities" by Dirk Hunter. I doubt I will ever forget her.)
- Ruger, the slobbery, 'evil' Rottweiler (with a heart of gold). He added a lot of depth and feels to his chapters for me.
Lastly, (will he ever just shut the hell up already?) this book was very long at 347 pages (per Amazon). But do you know those books where you tuck in and read and read and read, then look at the page number and your jaw drops?
"I KNOW I've read more pages than that!" Well, this is one of those books. So if you feel like a quick read, pick another book.
IMHO, I think that with some good editing, the book would have been slightly more enjoyable if brought into focus a bit more and trimmed down to about 250 pages. Again, just my opinion.
4 solid *yes-you're-GAY-already* stars this time around.
dnf
April 2, 2017DNF at 23%
Not a bad book per se, but I don't think this author is for me. I was confused a lot because there weren't enough details. People would suddenly be somewhere and I had no idea why they were there of what they were doing.
Like this scene:
Lily shrugged, slipping past me on her way to the bathroom with the TP and towel. “You’re the one talking about it.” She opened the door and wrinkled her nose, waving the folded towel in front of her face. “Didn’t you dump this last time?”
“No, it was only a third full. There’s a bottle of chemicals behind the toilet.” “I’m not touching that thing.” She tossed the towel and TP in the sink, then closed the door firmly, making mock gagging sounds.
I'm not sure what they were doing or why. Cleaning the toilet? Somewhere? For some reason?
There is a lot of this in this book. So much that I was constantly confused and half the time I just had no idea what the characters were doing. The characters themselves were confusing me too. I felt they were not that consistent. At one point they were acting one way and the next they did something totally different.
It could totally be me, but I wasn't enjoying this, so I decided to throw in the towel.
Not a bad book per se, but I don't think this author is for me. I was confused a lot because there weren't enough details. People would suddenly be somewhere and I had no idea why they were there of what they were doing.
Like this scene:
Lily shrugged, slipping past me on her way to the bathroom with the TP and towel. “You’re the one talking about it.” She opened the door and wrinkled her nose, waving the folded towel in front of her face. “Didn’t you dump this last time?”
“No, it was only a third full. There’s a bottle of chemicals behind the toilet.” “I’m not touching that thing.” She tossed the towel and TP in the sink, then closed the door firmly, making mock gagging sounds.
I'm not sure what they were doing or why. Cleaning the toilet? Somewhere? For some reason?
There is a lot of this in this book. So much that I was constantly confused and half the time I just had no idea what the characters were doing. The characters themselves were confusing me too. I felt they were not that consistent. At one point they were acting one way and the next they did something totally different.
It could totally be me, but I wasn't enjoying this, so I decided to throw in the towel.
August 27, 2017
Wow! How have I not read this book or heard of this author before?! I discovered this book because one of my new friends on this site (Lost in a Book) rated it 5 stars and listed it as a 2017 favorite. Since I liked most of the other books she rated 5 stars, I decided to give this book a shot. I'm glad I did!
This books was an intense (in a good way) read. I featured a city "bad boy" who underwent a terrible tragedy (he lost his entire family in a car accident--he was in the car as well and had to witness them dying slowly around him over a span of days). It also features a pastor's son/cowboy from a small town who is doesn't quite understand his lack of attraction to women. And with pastor's thrown in, small town folk, etc., you would expect the book to be full of stereotypical side characters, but it's not. His father, the pastor, for instance, was a breath of fresh air as was the friends that the two MCs surrounded themselves with.
This is a hurt/comfort/healing book, cowboy story, and coming of age story all rolled into one. This book will definitely make you feel, yearn, sigh, do a happy dance, and will likely stick with you long after you put it down. Like Lost in a Book, this falls in my "Best of" list for this year. It's that good.
One small note: I read a couple reviews where the readers noted that the grammar errors were numerous and took them out of a story. As an English teacher, I pick up on grammar errors whether I want to or not (and loathe them for the same reason as a reader) but I honestly didn't see any errors. It could be that I was so engrossed in the story that I missed them, but I think the more likely explanation is that the author later re-edited it.
This books was an intense (in a good way) read. I featured a city "bad boy" who underwent a terrible tragedy (he lost his entire family in a car accident--he was in the car as well and had to witness them dying slowly around him over a span of days). It also features a pastor's son/cowboy from a small town who is doesn't quite understand his lack of attraction to women. And with pastor's thrown in, small town folk, etc., you would expect the book to be full of stereotypical side characters, but it's not. His father, the pastor, for instance, was a breath of fresh air as was the friends that the two MCs surrounded themselves with.
This is a hurt/comfort/healing book, cowboy story, and coming of age story all rolled into one. This book will definitely make you feel, yearn, sigh, do a happy dance, and will likely stick with you long after you put it down. Like Lost in a Book, this falls in my "Best of" list for this year. It's that good.
One small note: I read a couple reviews where the readers noted that the grammar errors were numerous and took them out of a story. As an English teacher, I pick up on grammar errors whether I want to or not (and loathe them for the same reason as a reader) but I honestly didn't see any errors. It could be that I was so engrossed in the story that I missed them, but I think the more likely explanation is that the author later re-edited it.
September 26, 2014
3.5 stars
Dear author, please print this for future reference.
Great story! really great story. But the innumerable grammar errors take away a lot from it. Really silly stuff that if it happened once or twice could be overlooked but become annoying when they are recurrent.
Also, I found the change of POV at the very end of the book very jarring. 99% of the book is told from Gabe's POV and then for a handful of pages it switches to Zane's POV. I am still trying to puzzle out WHY that was necessary.
Other than that just a couple of minor things that I am going to choose to suspend my disbelief and ignore.
Dear author, please print this for future reference.
Great story! really great story. But the innumerable grammar errors take away a lot from it. Really silly stuff that if it happened once or twice could be overlooked but become annoying when they are recurrent.
Also, I found the change of POV at the very end of the book very jarring. 99% of the book is told from Gabe's POV and then for a handful of pages it switches to Zane's POV. I am still trying to puzzle out WHY that was necessary.
Other than that just a couple of minor things that I am going to choose to suspend my disbelief and ignore.
March 14, 2016
"I left believing, I came back knowing."
There are so many wonderful words in this book expressing so much emotion that in spite of the need for better editing, and believe me there is a need, I was more than willing to overlook the grammar errors and not just read but love this book.
There was a reality to the characters in this story that I sometimes find lacking in other books. Things weren't all black or white, there was a lot of grey just like the real world. Gabe and Zane worked so beautifully together. I fell into this story so completely it was like watching a movie. In my mind I could picture the scenes, hear the conversations, feel the joy and the pain of Gabe and Zane's relationship, the heartache of Gabe's mother as she actively struggled to accept things and return to being the mother her son needed. There was a moment when I was worried that I wouldn't like her. That I'd be angry at reading yet another book where a parent failed to give their child the unconditional love they deserve. It was only a moment and the author turned it into a moment that I was glad happened. In the end I adored Gabe's mom. There were other parts of the story like this where the black or the white faded to grey and redefined things.
Gabe...how do I explain this...Gabe was such a wonderful character. He wasn't perfect but he was perfect for Zane. Both of these boys have been hurt and battered by life in their own way, but Gabe was fortunate in that he has loving parents. Gabe's dad is so awesome I think I might have been a little jealous of him for having such a cool dad. He also discovered he had some terrific friends. Friends who truly cared and were more than willing to be there when he needed them, when it truly counted. So yeah, I pretty much adored Gabe and when he was happy, I was smiling too and when he hurt I cried with him.
But Zane...well, Zane broke me. I thought he might and in the end I'm pretty sure he did. No child should ever, ever have to experience what Zane went through and to do so feeling like they are alone in the world is beyond wrong. It was painfully heartbreaking. I honestly don't remember the last time I cried more tears over a character then I did for Zane and that was well before I was done the book. A lot of the tears were for the things he endured but some of them were for the fact that he did endure them and he stayed on the right side of sane (his words).
In the end Gabe and Zane put things back together in a way that was different than either had expected but also better in it's own way.
'You're Always In The Last Place You Look' is such a beautiful story and one that should be read and enjoyed for the beauty of what it says and not the flaws of how it sometimes says it.
There are so many wonderful words in this book expressing so much emotion that in spite of the need for better editing, and believe me there is a need, I was more than willing to overlook the grammar errors and not just read but love this book.
There was a reality to the characters in this story that I sometimes find lacking in other books. Things weren't all black or white, there was a lot of grey just like the real world. Gabe and Zane worked so beautifully together. I fell into this story so completely it was like watching a movie. In my mind I could picture the scenes, hear the conversations, feel the joy and the pain of Gabe and Zane's relationship, the heartache of Gabe's mother as she actively struggled to accept things and return to being the mother her son needed. There was a moment when I was worried that I wouldn't like her. That I'd be angry at reading yet another book where a parent failed to give their child the unconditional love they deserve. It was only a moment and the author turned it into a moment that I was glad happened. In the end I adored Gabe's mom. There were other parts of the story like this where the black or the white faded to grey and redefined things.
Gabe...how do I explain this...Gabe was such a wonderful character. He wasn't perfect but he was perfect for Zane. Both of these boys have been hurt and battered by life in their own way, but Gabe was fortunate in that he has loving parents. Gabe's dad is so awesome I think I might have been a little jealous of him for having such a cool dad. He also discovered he had some terrific friends. Friends who truly cared and were more than willing to be there when he needed them, when it truly counted. So yeah, I pretty much adored Gabe and when he was happy, I was smiling too and when he hurt I cried with him.
But Zane...well, Zane broke me. I thought he might and in the end I'm pretty sure he did. No child should ever, ever have to experience what Zane went through and to do so feeling like they are alone in the world is beyond wrong. It was painfully heartbreaking. I honestly don't remember the last time I cried more tears over a character then I did for Zane and that was well before I was done the book. A lot of the tears were for the things he endured but some of them were for the fact that he did endure them and he stayed on the right side of sane (his words).
In the end Gabe and Zane put things back together in a way that was different than either had expected but also better in it's own way.
'You're Always In The Last Place You Look' is such a beautiful story and one that should be read and enjoyed for the beauty of what it says and not the flaws of how it sometimes says it.
September 1, 2014
I had the pleasure to beta reading this book, thank you T.N. :) and have to say, this is a very gripping story about two young men, two very different young men. Their meeting, the attraction, and then they have to go through some tough times. The story is well-rounded and fleshed out with supporting characters and it didn't let me go until the final page.
April 20, 2022
4.25 stars from me. A wonderfully gentle read, coming of age and coming out, with no 'on page' sex and hardly any swearing, but oh dear, the typos and grammar mistakes. :( Just for a change, the men in this story were the supportive characters, and the women [well, one in particular] were the harpies. Mental health issues feature heavily, but overall, a lovely read with great characters and a tentative HEA. Yay!!
**thanks to Alicia for her review which made me take a chance on it**
November 26, 2014
Sighs.
Justin reviews this perfectly, so I'll just direct you there.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Justin reviews this perfectly, so I'll just direct you there.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 21, 2025
Gabriel is a small-town preacher's kid living in rural Idaho. Between his few close friends and AJ, his trusty rodeo horse, he's got all the friends he needs or wants. But when tragically orphaned city-boy Zane Zimmerman shows up in Gabe's town with his facial tattoo and his pink painted nails, Gabe's world and his world-view is shaken up.
At first Gabe must save the kid from an allergic reaction to a bee sting, but soon Gabe discovers that the kid has bigger problems that just maybe Gabe can help him with as well. And what Gabe gets out of it might be a bit troubling but ultimately worth it.
This novel told a compelling story that I wanted to lose myself in, but there were some stumbling blocks along the way. The first was that it really needed another edit. The confusion with "two, too & to" was so frequent that it was actually a bit funny. The second was with believability. I'm old enough to know that there are things outside my experience that do happen but still when I see them it pulls me out of the narrative. For me a healthy eighteen year old boy that looked at masturbation as a "chore" and a cutter who screamed as he self inflicted his own wounds both seemed so far from my understanding of the norm that it pulled me out of my "willing suspension of disbelief."
On the plus side, there are moments of incredible sweetness in this tale that kept drawing me back in. Gabe's father was a charmer, and Gabe's straight best friend and rodeo partner Tye, was adorable.
Also, this author really seems to have a handle on Western life. I loved the hay-bucking references and the rodeo-centered plot points, but I do wish that there had been a few more "details for dummies' included. A lot of rodeo jargon went unexplained. I grew up in the country, watched Heartland on TV, and read Eight Seconds, and some of it still escaped me. While the language made it authentic, a few parentheticals might have made it more accessible.
Bottom line... There is a worthwhile story here and some great, great characters and situations. But be forewarned, the reader might have to work a bit harder than usual to get to all of it.
At first Gabe must save the kid from an allergic reaction to a bee sting, but soon Gabe discovers that the kid has bigger problems that just maybe Gabe can help him with as well. And what Gabe gets out of it might be a bit troubling but ultimately worth it.
This novel told a compelling story that I wanted to lose myself in, but there were some stumbling blocks along the way. The first was that it really needed another edit. The confusion with "two, too & to" was so frequent that it was actually a bit funny. The second was with believability. I'm old enough to know that there are things outside my experience that do happen but still when I see them it pulls me out of the narrative. For me a healthy eighteen year old boy that looked at masturbation as a "chore" and a cutter who screamed as he self inflicted his own wounds both seemed so far from my understanding of the norm that it pulled me out of my "willing suspension of disbelief."
On the plus side, there are moments of incredible sweetness in this tale that kept drawing me back in. Gabe's father was a charmer, and Gabe's straight best friend and rodeo partner Tye, was adorable.
Also, this author really seems to have a handle on Western life. I loved the hay-bucking references and the rodeo-centered plot points, but I do wish that there had been a few more "details for dummies' included. A lot of rodeo jargon went unexplained. I grew up in the country, watched Heartland on TV, and read Eight Seconds, and some of it still escaped me. While the language made it authentic, a few parentheticals might have made it more accessible.
Bottom line... There is a worthwhile story here and some great, great characters and situations. But be forewarned, the reader might have to work a bit harder than usual to get to all of it.
September 24, 2014
4.5 stars.
A beautiful and heartwarming story. :)
A beautiful and heartwarming story. :)
October 29, 2017
This book was a bit long and drawn out, also could use some more editing. But I still really enjoyed it. Loved Gabe.
December 10, 2016
This was okay - I liked the characters, and the story, but I feel like there were a lot of holes (not necessarily in the plot, but in the details of the story itself). There were some parts when something would happen, and I would turn the page, and I would actually feel like I had skipped a page because it felt like a part of the story was missing. Details are important. Follow through is important. I felt like certain things would happen, especially when it came to the sexy bits, and details were glossed over. This got confusing in quite a few spots. Parts felt really disjointed and unfinished.
Some of the parts about Zane cutting were odd too - one moment he would be incoherent - lost inside himself and his grief - and then the next he was having a normal conversation. He just seemed to recover too quickly. It just sometimes felt like a part or chapter was written, and then the author would think of something new and add it, but didn't bother to make sure it actually fit with what had already happened in the story. An example of this was when Gabe was looking through Zane's sketch book and he was seeing himself being bullied at school. The bullying was never even mentioned, and then all of a sudden there's all of this evidence that it happened - I don't know if the author was going for something like Gabe was blind to the bullying, or it just became second nature to him, or if it was just something thrown in to show how much Zane had actually been watching Gabe. It felt like it was added at the last minute.
As for the characters - I loved Gabe's dad. I thought he was awesome. At first I was prepared for his dad being close-minded and having to learn to accept Gabe's homosexuality, but he did continue to surprise me throughout the story. It was a great change from a lot of other LGBTQ books I read that feature unaccepting and struggling dads. And I liked how many people were very supportive of Gabe and Zane at school and in the town - especially Dirk. Dirk confessing that he knew Gabe had been checking him out in the showers, and how he had made it a point to always choose the shower next to Gabe as a way to protect him was really sweet and unexpected.
I really liked Gabe, but I had difficulty picturing him. There wasn't a lot of description of him physically, and I couldn't 'see' him.
Zane, on the other hand, sounded EXACTLY like Max from "Sweaters & Cigarettes" by Mika Fox - down to his tattoo of wings (except Max had wings on his back, not chest), the lip and tongue piercings, black messy hair, intense blue eyes, talent with math, and smoking habit. I almost felt like I was reading Max and Theo fan fiction. I love tattoos and piercings - hot - but a face tattoo? I don't know why that bothered me, but it did. I pictured the bleeding vine crawling up the side of his neck instead.
AND the editing. Everyone was correct - it needed major work. That's a HUGE distraction for me. Not just in terms of grammar, but in terms of flow. As I mentioned previously, parts of the story felt completely disjointed and rushed. A good editor really could have made a huge difference.
Some of the parts about Zane cutting were odd too - one moment he would be incoherent - lost inside himself and his grief - and then the next he was having a normal conversation. He just seemed to recover too quickly. It just sometimes felt like a part or chapter was written, and then the author would think of something new and add it, but didn't bother to make sure it actually fit with what had already happened in the story. An example of this was when Gabe was looking through Zane's sketch book and he was seeing himself being bullied at school. The bullying was never even mentioned, and then all of a sudden there's all of this evidence that it happened - I don't know if the author was going for something like Gabe was blind to the bullying, or it just became second nature to him, or if it was just something thrown in to show how much Zane had actually been watching Gabe. It felt like it was added at the last minute.
As for the characters - I loved Gabe's dad. I thought he was awesome. At first I was prepared for his dad being close-minded and having to learn to accept Gabe's homosexuality, but he did continue to surprise me throughout the story. It was a great change from a lot of other LGBTQ books I read that feature unaccepting and struggling dads. And I liked how many people were very supportive of Gabe and Zane at school and in the town - especially Dirk. Dirk confessing that he knew Gabe had been checking him out in the showers, and how he had made it a point to always choose the shower next to Gabe as a way to protect him was really sweet and unexpected.
I really liked Gabe, but I had difficulty picturing him. There wasn't a lot of description of him physically, and I couldn't 'see' him.
Zane, on the other hand, sounded EXACTLY like Max from "Sweaters & Cigarettes" by Mika Fox - down to his tattoo of wings (except Max had wings on his back, not chest), the lip and tongue piercings, black messy hair, intense blue eyes, talent with math, and smoking habit. I almost felt like I was reading Max and Theo fan fiction. I love tattoos and piercings - hot - but a face tattoo? I don't know why that bothered me, but it did. I pictured the bleeding vine crawling up the side of his neck instead.
AND the editing. Everyone was correct - it needed major work. That's a HUGE distraction for me. Not just in terms of grammar, but in terms of flow. As I mentioned previously, parts of the story felt completely disjointed and rushed. A good editor really could have made a huge difference.
July 24, 2016
I loved this immensely, and at first gave it five stars. But it's far from perfect so four stars.
So, add Gabe to the long list of characters I adore. I loved him so much. He went through so much and went through a ton of character development throughout the story and I'm so proud of him for it. As for Zane, I have a love-hate relationship with him. He's cute, he's funny, he's sweet but he's also vulnerable and has his issues. But towards the end he does some really fucking stupid things and I just wanted to smack him. So..yeah. In the end, I like Zane but at times I wanted to snack some goddamn sense into him. Other characters, let's see...oh okay, Tye and Lily are cool. And Gabe's parents are fucking fantastic. Since Gabe's father is a pastor was worried he'd be some jackass homophobe but he's quite accepting and loving and I appreciate him so much. If every religious leader was like Pastor Simmons, I would not have the issues I do with religion.
I really like the romance. But goddamn it, so many of their problems could have been solved with just some communication. I'm so sick of drama being caused by miscommunication. Zane, just fucking talk to him!
There's. so. many. grammatical. mistakes. The grammar stickler in me is dying! You're vs your is the main one I noticed. Dear author, before you write another book PLEASE learn your fucking grammar or get someone who knows grammar to help you.
Alright, this book was long. 340-ish pages isn't a lot to me, but the romances I've read usually are closer to 200. Here's the thing though: some of it could have been cut down. There's a few subplot/issues that aren't fully resolved and make the book drag on that ultimately could've been scrapped.
Tl;dr version-I really truly did enjoy this. But there's a lot of flaws/issues with it so I don't feel like it deserves five stars, as much as I loved it. I still highly recommend it, though. It's a very sweet romance.
So, add Gabe to the long list of characters I adore. I loved him so much. He went through so much and went through a ton of character development throughout the story and I'm so proud of him for it. As for Zane, I have a love-hate relationship with him. He's cute, he's funny, he's sweet but he's also vulnerable and has his issues. But towards the end he does some really fucking stupid things and I just wanted to smack him. So..yeah. In the end, I like Zane but at times I wanted to snack some goddamn sense into him. Other characters, let's see...oh okay, Tye and Lily are cool. And Gabe's parents are fucking fantastic. Since Gabe's father is a pastor was worried he'd be some jackass homophobe but he's quite accepting and loving and I appreciate him so much. If every religious leader was like Pastor Simmons, I would not have the issues I do with religion.
I really like the romance. But goddamn it, so many of their problems could have been solved with just some communication. I'm so sick of drama being caused by miscommunication. Zane, just fucking talk to him!
There's. so. many. grammatical. mistakes. The grammar stickler in me is dying! You're vs your is the main one I noticed. Dear author, before you write another book PLEASE learn your fucking grammar or get someone who knows grammar to help you.
Alright, this book was long. 340-ish pages isn't a lot to me, but the romances I've read usually are closer to 200. Here's the thing though: some of it could have been cut down. There's a few subplot/issues that aren't fully resolved and make the book drag on that ultimately could've been scrapped.
Tl;dr version-I really truly did enjoy this. But there's a lot of flaws/issues with it so I don't feel like it deserves five stars, as much as I loved it. I still highly recommend it, though. It's a very sweet romance.
July 12, 2018
I adored this story and would have given it 5 stars but for a few editing errors that niggled at me. The joys of self-publishing, but luckily the problem wasn't too overwhelming and didn't detract from my enjoyment. Zane is a city-boy who has suffered unimaginable loss, and has been brought to live with his aunt and uncle to live. He meets Gabriel in school, and proceeds to knock poor Gabriel's world on its axis. Gabe is a typical boy except for a few things, like being the pastor's son and a target for bullies. He's also absurdly fascinated by the new boy, and for the life of him, he can't figure it out, at least not until he comes to realization that he's always liked boys and that girls have always scared the bejeezus out of him. The ensuing story about how these two boys come together and learn about love from each other is just beautiful and I didn't want it to end, even when my heart was breaking over Zane's story. My only true complaint is that I felt like the ending was too abrupt. It would have been great to see a year or two in the future and see how they were doing with their new life together.
April 11, 2015
This book was simply AMAZING !
One of the BEST stories I've ever read.
I know there are grammar and spelling mistakes but the story is soooo incredibly good it is easy to forget about everything else and just FEEL. There is everything, I went through laughing, smiling, cursing at their stupidity to sobbing (not so) quietly in the corner. It was great. It had everything I normally look for in a book plus MCs that swept me off my feet - good, cowboy, pastor's son and a (so called) bad, tattooed, city boy with his amazing drawings, piercings and horrible past.
God bless this murderous bee for attacking Zane at the beginning and starting a fabulous relationship between two boys who were so different from each other and yet fitted perfectly.
I need MORE books like this one. Much much more.
Thank You, T.N. Gates !
One of the BEST stories I've ever read.
I know there are grammar and spelling mistakes but the story is soooo incredibly good it is easy to forget about everything else and just FEEL. There is everything, I went through laughing, smiling, cursing at their stupidity to sobbing (not so) quietly in the corner. It was great. It had everything I normally look for in a book plus MCs that swept me off my feet - good, cowboy, pastor's son and a (so called) bad, tattooed, city boy with his amazing drawings, piercings and horrible past.
God bless this murderous bee for attacking Zane at the beginning and starting a fabulous relationship between two boys who were so different from each other and yet fitted perfectly.
I need MORE books like this one. Much much more.
Thank You, T.N. Gates !
d-n-f
March 1, 2015DNF @ 45%
I started this back in December and the 45% that I read was actually pretty enjoyable. I thought it was likely going to be a 4 star read for me. But then somehow I got side-tracked and unfortunately I just couldn't get back into it after leaving it for so long. I may go back and re-read this at a later date.
From what I read, I would say this is a sweet coming of age, high school boys, small-town type YA/NA story. I am not too sure where this was going, but there were interesting aspects to the story. I liked the characters but there was just something not letting me fully connect with them and love them...and as I said above, I ultimately lost interest a bit and stopped reading.
I started this back in December and the 45% that I read was actually pretty enjoyable. I thought it was likely going to be a 4 star read for me. But then somehow I got side-tracked and unfortunately I just couldn't get back into it after leaving it for so long. I may go back and re-read this at a later date.
From what I read, I would say this is a sweet coming of age, high school boys, small-town type YA/NA story. I am not too sure where this was going, but there were interesting aspects to the story. I liked the characters but there was just something not letting me fully connect with them and love them...and as I said above, I ultimately lost interest a bit and stopped reading.
April 25, 2015
Definite 5 star book for me...First of all the cover of this book is so awesome...There is something about it that is so simple but it totally represents the characters...
Gabriel is absolutely wonderful as he finally discovers who he really is and Zane is a beautifully almost tragic character...I like to think the power of Gabe's love saves Zane...
Typos did not bother me at all...I was too engrossed in the story...the secondary characters were brilliant as well especially Tye and Gary and of course Lily
Wonderfully fulfilling story of love, acceptance and forgiveness
Gabriel is absolutely wonderful as he finally discovers who he really is and Zane is a beautifully almost tragic character...I like to think the power of Gabe's love saves Zane...
Typos did not bother me at all...I was too engrossed in the story...the secondary characters were brilliant as well especially Tye and Gary and of course Lily
Wonderfully fulfilling story of love, acceptance and forgiveness
October 14, 2025
4 stars
This was a five star book when I first read it over 10 years ago but it didn’t stand the test of time for me. It probably felt quite “new” to me then but I’ve read so many books with similar themes since then.
This was a five star book when I first read it over 10 years ago but it didn’t stand the test of time for me. It probably felt quite “new” to me then but I’ve read so many books with similar themes since then.
November 17, 2014
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book
I wish it delved into some deeper waters
But that's just me. Seeking 100% tears
I also think it ended kinda rushed??? Not much solved?? I don't know
But I liked it
I really enjoyed this book
I wish it delved into some deeper waters
But that's just me. Seeking 100% tears
I also think it ended kinda rushed??? Not much solved?? I don't know
But I liked it
January 31, 2017
I really enjoyed this. But man, it was long. Zane and Gabe were just totally adorbs. :)
October 19, 2017
I never thought there'd come a day I would say one of my favorite characters in a book was the father of an MC who's a Pastor. What? Yep, he was the most awesomest dude ever! YA is not my favorite genre but I really enjoyed this story. It's so hard to read about teenagers who are having such a tough time and this was no different. Poor Zane has had about as many hits as any kid could possibly take and he's not all dark and depressing at all. Yes, his situation is horrible and he does have depression and issues but he still has something about him that holds hope. His aunt was a piece of shit and his uncle tried but fell really short. And we have Gabe who's a typical cowboy, country boy and just a really nice person. His parents have a great marriage, he's an only child and compared to Zane, I'd say leads a pretty charmed life. No, he's not rich, he doesn't have a lot of friends and he's really confused about his sexuality but he does have a strong support system. The kids in their school were amazing and it seems very representative of high school kids nowadays. We don't get really any on page, sexy hotness but it wasn't needed in this story. I loved everything about this one.
February 17, 2015
3.5 Stars
This could've easily been a 4 star rating but because of the numerous grammatical errors I can't give it any more than 3 stars. You're instead of your and vice verse, effect instead of affect....you get the idea,this book needs at least another round of editing.
It's too bad really, because it was a great coming of age story. I liked the characters and the story had a real feel to it. I will raise my rating after more editing is done because right now I'm too annoyed by it. Recommended if you're not bothered by the grammar.
This could've easily been a 4 star rating but because of the numerous grammatical errors I can't give it any more than 3 stars. You're instead of your and vice verse, effect instead of affect....you get the idea,this book needs at least another round of editing.
It's too bad really, because it was a great coming of age story. I liked the characters and the story had a real feel to it. I will raise my rating after more editing is done because right now I'm too annoyed by it. Recommended if you're not bothered by the grammar.
June 27, 2015
I really like the cover of this book, because it hints on a pulling story. I wasn't wrong, this is really an awesome romance. Anyway I loved Gabriel and Zane's story. Their slow developing innocent romance, friendship and Gabriel's parents, friends, daily stuff, etc, made this whole story special.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WARM ROMANCE!!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WARM ROMANCE!!!
September 17, 2014
This is one of the sweetest books I think I have ever read! I loved it. A real winner!
October 15, 2019
This one was kind of all over the place. It's a sweet story with atrocious editing. "Your" and "your're" are more likely to be incorrect than correct. Some things are described in such detail you can practically smell it, while some things are so glossed over you can barely tell what's going on. Some events seem brutally realistic, while others stretch incredulity past its breaking point. Plus, it seems unnecessarily long, for all that some things are never properly explained. And all that to end up with a relationship that's unhealthily codependent.
And I just can't help but point out . . . Rodeo is an expensive sport. I grew up in Idaho where this book is set and where rodeo is a big extracurricular activity, and even considered doing it myself . . . until I found out how much it cost. Club dues, riding gear, entry fees . . . In 199o, it was going to be $1500 before I ever entered an event, and another 3-400 per month for the entire season, and that was before you get your hands on a horse and hay and grain. I had a friend who had a horse I could ride, free of charge, and my dad had a good job, for that day in that town, but there was still no way we could've afforded it. I can believe that a small-town pastor and a stay-at-home-mom and their son sometimes had to supplement their meals with beans and rice because there was no meat, but not if they also have enough money to support horses and a rodeo habit. There's no bacon because Mom donated it to some needy family, but Gabe has a super-nice travel trailer for when he goes to rodeo events out of town? It just doesn't add up.
Okay, rant over.
All in all, it's not as bad as I make it sound. (Okay, the editing really is that bad, but still . . .) I was actually rooting for these two crazy kids to work it out, and I found the ending to be pretty frickin' sweet. Too many issues for me to recommend it to other readers, but the fact that I managed to mostly enjoy it despite all of my complaints means I'll call it a win anyway.
And I just can't help but point out . . . Rodeo is an expensive sport. I grew up in Idaho where this book is set and where rodeo is a big extracurricular activity, and even considered doing it myself . . . until I found out how much it cost. Club dues, riding gear, entry fees . . . In 199o, it was going to be $1500 before I ever entered an event, and another 3-400 per month for the entire season, and that was before you get your hands on a horse and hay and grain. I had a friend who had a horse I could ride, free of charge, and my dad had a good job, for that day in that town, but there was still no way we could've afforded it. I can believe that a small-town pastor and a stay-at-home-mom and their son sometimes had to supplement their meals with beans and rice because there was no meat, but not if they also have enough money to support horses and a rodeo habit. There's no bacon because Mom donated it to some needy family, but Gabe has a super-nice travel trailer for when he goes to rodeo events out of town? It just doesn't add up.
Okay, rant over.
All in all, it's not as bad as I make it sound. (Okay, the editing really is that bad, but still . . .) I was actually rooting for these two crazy kids to work it out, and I found the ending to be pretty frickin' sweet. Too many issues for me to recommend it to other readers, but the fact that I managed to mostly enjoy it despite all of my complaints means I'll call it a win anyway.
June 24, 2017
A wonderful sweet story.
Please close your eyes to all the grammatical errors and misspellings, because there are a lot of those. If you don't, you might miss out on one of the best stories I've read in some time.
The characters are nicely fleshed out, if a bit annoying from time to time. The surroundings are described in just enough detail to let me picture the fields, woods and barns.
Gabe is a bit sheltered and closed off, living in his own bubble. Zane is his opposite on so many levels. Still they are both broken and lonely if only in different ways. It turns out they need each other. Very much. They both have demons to slay, both real and made up. They both need the strength the other provides.
Please close your eyes to all the grammatical errors and misspellings, because there are a lot of those. If you don't, you might miss out on one of the best stories I've read in some time.
The characters are nicely fleshed out, if a bit annoying from time to time. The surroundings are described in just enough detail to let me picture the fields, woods and barns.
Gabe is a bit sheltered and closed off, living in his own bubble. Zane is his opposite on so many levels. Still they are both broken and lonely if only in different ways. It turns out they need each other. Very much. They both have demons to slay, both real and made up. They both need the strength the other provides.
April 16, 2018
A sweet story of self-acceptance and healing, I very much enjoyed Gabe and Zane's journey. But it was too long and I did tire a little with the extended to-and-froing between them - like, 'I want him so bad. His touch is everything. Oooooh, hormones!...But, no, I'm scared. What do these emotions even mean? I'm not ready to go where this is leading!' It started to feel tediously repetitive.
There were many grammatical and spelling errors. Also, some parts were very sketchily written and it took work to figure out what the hell was going on; I frequently had to reread passages, feeling like I'd missed something.
The connection between Gabe and Zane was beautiful, though. Intense and heartfelt. And their HEA was super-adorbs!
There were many grammatical and spelling errors. Also, some parts were very sketchily written and it took work to figure out what the hell was going on; I frequently had to reread passages, feeling like I'd missed something.
The connection between Gabe and Zane was beautiful, though. Intense and heartfelt. And their HEA was super-adorbs!
September 20, 2018
This is one of those stories about damaged people finding someone and getting better as a result. It's my favorite kind of story. This one delivered
I especially loved the portrayal of Gabrial's father the small town minister. In so many gay love stories, the small town preacher is depicted as an amalgam of Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort. Gabrial's father is unwavering in his acceptance and support of his gay son. He is also depicted as a pillar of the community who stands up for what is right and helps others overcome their prejudices.
I'm a pretty staunch atheist but even I get tired of the Christianity as the stereotypical evil force in many of M/M and gay romance stories.
I especially loved the portrayal of Gabrial's father the small town minister. In so many gay love stories, the small town preacher is depicted as an amalgam of Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort. Gabrial's father is unwavering in his acceptance and support of his gay son. He is also depicted as a pillar of the community who stands up for what is right and helps others overcome their prejudices.
I'm a pretty staunch atheist but even I get tired of the Christianity as the stereotypical evil force in many of M/M and gay romance stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
The perfect place.
A high school romance between Gabriel and Zane. Gabe was a cowboy on the rodeo circuit and Zane a very troubled young man who had lost his entire family in a car accident. The writing was almost magical, the interactions between these two was so heartfelt and perfect that I didn't want the book to end. Gabe was very nurturing and had wonderful parents and friends. Tye was a star in this book and would do well in a book of his own.
A high school romance between Gabriel and Zane. Gabe was a cowboy on the rodeo circuit and Zane a very troubled young man who had lost his entire family in a car accident. The writing was almost magical, the interactions between these two was so heartfelt and perfect that I didn't want the book to end. Gabe was very nurturing and had wonderful parents and friends. Tye was a star in this book and would do well in a book of his own.
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