The Right Thing Easy

by Laina Villeneuve

When Dani Blazer set aside her career as a rodeo barrel racer for teaching in a California mountain town she thought it was for love and a family. All she has now is an empty home, a broken heart and a young mustang that needs a slow, gentle hand. Hope Fielding watches the intriguing, attractive newcomer with a nameless panic. She’s been the mother to her siblings most of her life, and the choices she’s made to please her family and church weren’t easy. She never dreamed she’d have to make them again. As the long mountain winter sets in, passions catch fire and two women desperately resist the choices of the heart.

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Butch Femme, Animals, Horses

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2015

About the author

Laina Villeneuve admits that her real-life courtship would read like a blatant plot manipulation. But it all worked out in the end and she and her wife live in Southern California with their three children. An English professor with a passion for lesbian fiction, she also has a lifelong love for horses.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars. I'm not a horse person in real life, but there's something about a horse/western/cowgirl LesFic romance, I can't seem to pass up. I found this to be a sweet romance, and enjoyed the college horse classes as a setting. This is not a fast paced book, but was interesting enough to keep me reading.
One of the mains was a Mormon and was questioning that because she was gay, was there a spot in the church for her. Could she risk excommunication with her family, to follow her heart and find love. The fact this took place in a small town, where gossip spreads, only made her decisions harder. Personally, I find myself to be more spiritual than religious, so I don't like to read books that I feel are pushing the issue on me. I didn't find that in this book. I found someone who was truly struggling with faith, family and love and found it to be realistic.
I enjoyed this enough to read Villeneuve again, and am looking forward to reading Take Only Pictures .

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. There are many of us in the LGBT community who have struggled with who we are in the context of the religion within which we were raised. I identified with Hope's struggles as well as Dani's frustration. I liked it so much I read it in one sitting. I appreciate that Villanueva had the courage to write about this topic and am impressed that she was able to do so in a nonjudgmental fashion.

[Pin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked author's first book (Take Only Pictures), but couldn't get into this one at all. I was bored with a religion stuff and didn't care much for the main characters.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a good cowgirl story! Really like the supporting characters, Gabe and Halley. I'm thinking a sequel might be possible. I'd read it.

[Nolly Frances Sepulveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written story not only about new relationships and family, but also about religion and the impact of how people see themselves through the teachings of the church. Dani distanced herself from a failed relationship taking a teaching position in a small town and there she found Hope, a woman torn between loyalty to her family and church, to her knowledge and acceptance of being a Lesbian. A really good read.

[Lissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dani Blazer has given up the rodeo circuit, had her heart broken by her partner, moved to another small town, and taken a new job all relatively recently. All she really has left is Eights, a mustang who needs a gentle hand to tame her.

Hope Fielding has been trying to suppress her lesbianism for a long time. She pours all of her energy into raising her younger siblings, her religion, and her cafe. But the new kid in town, Dani, is awakening feelings that she's desperately trying to keep under wraps.

I just could not get into this book, no matter how hard I tried, and I really, really, really wanted to enjoy this book. It had some of the elements that I normally love - Dani, mostly, because I just love cowgirls. :) But I never felt much of a connection with her; she just seemed rather aloof and unreal to me. And Hope...I didn't realize that I would be getting so much religion pushed into their romance, which definitely didn't help my lack of enjoyment of this book. It just brought back way too many bad memories for me. Plus there just wasn't any heat between the two leads, and I almost DNF'ed this book multiple times. Meh.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani Blaze leaves behind her career as a professional rodeo barrel racer to teach at a small college in the California. Hope Fielding runs her family diner, volunteers at the library and is known for her kindness. She is also 31, from a mormon family and struggling with her faith. I am not a horse person but the author clearly loves horses. A good part of the book is Dani teaching students and expanding the college equestrian program. The skills Dani brings to the class of reading the horse and waiting for reactions serves her well as she has to patiently wait for Hope to be willing to have a relationship.

I am a mormon and appreciate the author didn't make this an anti religion rant. She writes thoughtfully of the personal struggles about coming out in a small town but also what that means in terms of her faith and to her family. I like the author got the terminology and doctrine correct for the mormon faith. I thought the ending was realistic. It was nice to have a cameo appearance of Gloria and Kristine from Take Only Pictures. And Gabe was great in both books.

[Ayse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice believable romance. Not rushed, though it does start with a love at first sight situation. The slow build of their relationship was nice and cute. The struggle of Hope to reconcile her love and her religion felt real and was treated as the serious thing it is for those who go through it. I'm happy that it ended with a happy place and the revelation about Hope's mother was an interesting juxtaposition. It was well written, with believable rounded characters. Probably a little too idyllic for a small town. I liked the meta narrative about romance books set in small towns or communities that seem to be teeming with lesbians -- the tongue in cheek jab at the industry was great and made me chuckle. Also loved the shout out to one of my favorite urban fantasy series :). All in all a great easy read by an author that I will be following from now on

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It really is just like a Harlequin novel just with a WLW pairing: nicely written, basic but decent plotline, easy romantic follow through. Very run of the mill, follow the formula, have a good time type chick flick sort of novel. There is a tad bit of religious (Mormon) drama, subsequent guilt, the near mandatory coming out stuff and some homophobia. All of which is a little eh, and I get that, but it kept sweet and I think Villeneuve did a great job with it. One completely weird thing would be the back and forth of first-person Dani and third-person Hope — I don’t know at all where that came from. Thankfully, I didn’t find it detracted at all beyond me noticing for the first time.

It may not be Dante’s Inferno, but I really enjoyed it and while I’m not one for the cowboy genre, this was a nice cowgirl take.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thats it, im done. I'm not reading anymore of these. I think this one is both the best one and the worst one and I'll tell you why. Rodeo, country music, lesbians. Good. Mormons and a fixation on the loss of an afterlife with mom who died in a car crash and left her to raise her three younger siblings at the tender age of fourteen. Kinda culty and it seems like these guys don't know that and its concerning to me. Its important to me that they know its a cult.
But like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ they were really cute in the paradise one. We have fun here.
Breakdown concluded, I'm moving on from lesbian cowboy romance

[Margaret L. Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I loved The Right Thing Easy. Beautiful love story with great main and secondary characters. The religious aspect of any romantic relationship matters, if it’s important to one partner. It has to be faced. I loved the horses and all the details about them.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story about finding love. I was put off a little by the religious aspect of the story at first, but gave it a chance and I'm glad I did. My only critique is that the ending felt a little rushed. Other than that, it was a great story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really love this author! I truly enjoy the family she is able to create around her characters and I love that the characters continue to grow in each book. The subject matter this time around I have been on the fence about as well. If we are true to ourselves, we stand to lose families, jobs, friends, the ability to pray where we feel included...it is a hell of a coming out story that straight folks don't ever have to weigh their lives against.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how all of the titles of Villeneuve's books come from a key moment that takes on a greater significance. By the time I read this one, I was looking for the moment, and had a bit of an "aha" moment when I found it.

[~ * K E L L I E * ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sweet romance by this author.

4.5 stars