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Rattlesnake
A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years. On a quest to deliver the letter, Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, a small town nestled in the foothills of the California Sierras. The centerpiece of the town is the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bartender is handsome former cowboy Shane Little. Sparks fly, and when Jimmy’s car gives up the ghost, Shane gets him a job as handyman at the inn. Both within the community of Rattlesnake and in Shane’s arms, Jimmy finds an unaccustomed peace. But it can’t be a lasting thing. The open road continues to call, and surely Shane—a strong, proud man with a painful past and a difficult present—deserves better than a lying vagabond who can’t stay put for long.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2015
84 people are currently reading
2482 people want to read
About the author
Kim Fielding
176 books1,309 followersKim Fielding lives in Oregon and travels as often as she can manage. A professor by day, at night she rushes into a phone booth to change into her author costume (which involves comfy clothes instead of Spandex and is, sadly, lacking a cape). Her superpowers include the ability to write nearly anywhere, often while simultaneously doling out assistance to her family. Her favorite word to describe herself is "eclectic" and she finally got that seventh tattoo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 702 reviews
August 7, 2015
"You got stuff in your life needs fixin', you gotta fix it now, while you can."
Rattlesnake is a former gold mining town, a peaceful place with ranches, two Chinese restaurants, heavenly french toast with blueberry topping served at Mae's Café, a cemetery where the infamous Rattlesnake Murray is buried, and a bar called the Snake.
The Snake is where Shane works. Shane is scarred and walks with a limp, but he's not broken, far from it. Shane's brain may be a little scrambled, but he knows a good man when he sees one, and he trusts Jimmy from the first moment Jimmy walks into his bar.
Shane looked at Jimmy shrewdly. "You can't outrun your pain, Jimmy, 'cause it's a part of you. You just have to make your peace with it."
Jimmy arrives at Rattlesnake with less than a hundred bucks to his name and a letter to deliver. Jimmy's a true drifter, never staying in one place for more than a few months.
Jimmy comes to Rattlesnake because of a dead man; he stays for one who's very much alive, a man with the bluest eyes and a collection of identical Pendleton shirts.
Every day Jimmy plans to leave; leaving is his security blanket. If things get bad, you just walk away. But there are chores to be done, library books to read, and breakfasts to share.
And there's Shane. There's always Shane.
Love was the very worst hope of all, and [Jimmy] knew he was setting himself up for a long, hard fall. But he could't stop himself, not anymore.
This book has atmosphere. There is a sense of history surrounding the town.
The characters feel genuine: Shane's caring but overprotective family; Aunt Belinda who, with Shane's rather relentless prodding, grudgingly hires Jimmy but gives him the side eye until he proves himself; Jenn the cop who's a bit of a nut about parking but who offers Jimmy the benefit of the doubt; even Rattlesnake Murray, long dead at the age of 86.
Jimmy is in his early-40s, ten years Shane's senior. Their relationship isn't all passion and roses. It's more. There is a tenderness between the men, a sense of comfort. The sex scenes are lovely: tentative touches, hungry kisses, imperfect bodies perfect together.
Jimmy's childhood was shit, and he learned to manage on his own. Shane has a supportive family, but an accident ten years prior left him hurting and empty.
I loved Jimmy's stories, Shane's infectious smile, the long conversations they shared over breakfast at Mae's.
There is no exciting twist to this story. The pacing is slower, quiet. Every day is ordinary. Jimmy does laundry. He tiles a bathroom. Shane tends bar and bakes calzones. When Jimmy gets the flu, Shane is by his side.
Like in real life, nothing much happens, except everything does.
I read this book long into the night. By chapter 3, I needed a tissue. By the end, I was a sobbing mess. Prepare for serious feels.
Jimmy's sad, lonely life broke my heart. And so did Shane's attempts at planning a future with a man who was just a bus ride away from gone.
Despite the tears, this is a HOPEFUL story, a story about family, friendship, and coming home. A story about trusting enough to stay.
This one rivals Motel.Pool. as my favorite Kim Fielding book of all time. I can't recommend it highly enough!
Jimmy knew nothing in the whole damn world had ever felt as good as Shane's arms around him. For the span of a couple songs, Jimmy was home.
August 31, 2015
So beautiful that it will make you cry. This is Kim Fielding's best work, I'm telling you.
I'm going to tell you folks a story about patience.
Once, I started a book by one of my favorite authors. It was a little slow going at first, and I wasn't sure if I was going to connect to the main characters. I was pretty sure that it was going to be a middling read for me, despite the gorgeous prose. But I stuck with it and, little by little, it just grew on me.
At about 30% in I was feeling pretty good about it. By 50% in, I had a serious crush on the story. At 75%, it was love. By 100% I was crying because I didn't want to let it go.
This is absolutely not a razzle-dazzle story. It isn't in your face in any way. The sex is hot and sweet, but you wouldn't read it for that alone, and there is almost zero drama in the story. It is simply a character study of two men in a small town who have lived and lost and how they come to fit in each others lives.
I'm not kidding when I say it isn't action-packed. These guys spend most of their time tending bar, fixing things around the inn where the story takes place, doing mundane chores, really. But you know what? You will love reading about the mundane stuff because, at the same time, the real stuff is happening beneath the surface.
Jimmy... just such a complex, perfectly imagined character. He starts off the book coming across as a aloof drifter, but then he becomes so much more. We find out what shaped him, and I simply loved having only his POV. Sometimes single POV books can be tricky, but it worked here.
Shane, he just stole my heart. Disabled from an accident, he is still unflaggingly brave, loyal, interesting... I can't stop thinking of positive descriptors. I loved his sense of community and family and how willing he was to open his heart to Jimmy.
If you are a Kim Fielding fan or a fan of well-crafted, slow burn stories, you must pick this one up. I can't stop thinking about the characters and you won't be able to either.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I'm going to tell you folks a story about patience.
Once, I started a book by one of my favorite authors. It was a little slow going at first, and I wasn't sure if I was going to connect to the main characters. I was pretty sure that it was going to be a middling read for me, despite the gorgeous prose. But I stuck with it and, little by little, it just grew on me.
At about 30% in I was feeling pretty good about it. By 50% in, I had a serious crush on the story. At 75%, it was love. By 100% I was crying because I didn't want to let it go.
This is absolutely not a razzle-dazzle story. It isn't in your face in any way. The sex is hot and sweet, but you wouldn't read it for that alone, and there is almost zero drama in the story. It is simply a character study of two men in a small town who have lived and lost and how they come to fit in each others lives.
I'm not kidding when I say it isn't action-packed. These guys spend most of their time tending bar, fixing things around the inn where the story takes place, doing mundane chores, really. But you know what? You will love reading about the mundane stuff because, at the same time, the real stuff is happening beneath the surface.
Jimmy... just such a complex, perfectly imagined character. He starts off the book coming across as a aloof drifter, but then he becomes so much more. We find out what shaped him, and I simply loved having only his POV. Sometimes single POV books can be tricky, but it worked here.
Shane, he just stole my heart. Disabled from an accident, he is still unflaggingly brave, loyal, interesting... I can't stop thinking of positive descriptors. I loved his sense of community and family and how willing he was to open his heart to Jimmy.
If you are a Kim Fielding fan or a fan of well-crafted, slow burn stories, you must pick this one up. I can't stop thinking about the characters and you won't be able to either.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
September 4, 2015
All the stars!
This is by far Kim Fielding's best book and that is saying a hell of a lot. I'm just bowled over by what she was able to do here. This is a quiet book, not much seems to happen. All the action is internal and everything, even the dialogue, is understated and has a slow, graceful quality to it. I don't want to diminish m/m books because I write them and I love them as much as everyone here, but I have to say that this is something more than just a genre book. This is a very fine, touching novel. I hope everyone reads it and loves it.
This is by far Kim Fielding's best book and that is saying a hell of a lot. I'm just bowled over by what she was able to do here. This is a quiet book, not much seems to happen. All the action is internal and everything, even the dialogue, is understated and has a slow, graceful quality to it. I don't want to diminish m/m books because I write them and I love them as much as everyone here, but I have to say that this is something more than just a genre book. This is a very fine, touching novel. I hope everyone reads it and loves it.
September 5, 2024
Re-read December, 2015 I chose this book, my favorite of 2015, to read while ringing in the new year in my pajamas with my dogs snuggled up to me. The problem was that I re-read the whole book so quickly, now I need to find another book to read for my New Year's Eve! *scratches head*
LOVE LOVE LOVE! This book is my 2015 perfection.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Rattlesnake has taken over the position of my favorite book of 2015. I absolutely fucking LOVED it. It's on my favorites and fuck yeah, 5+ stars shelves and I can't WAIT to read it again.
This is an easy, compelling read about two men who find each other and eventually fall in love. Pretty simple premise, but the journey to the HEA was so beautiful and magical and so heart wrenching at times that it really got under my skin and gave me that bone-deep feeling of warmth and happiness.
There's not much more to say about this one other than to HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended it to all M/M romance fans. It's perfection.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
LOVE LOVE LOVE! This book is my 2015 perfection.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Rattlesnake has taken over the position of my favorite book of 2015. I absolutely fucking LOVED it. It's on my favorites and fuck yeah, 5+ stars shelves and I can't WAIT to read it again.
This is an easy, compelling read about two men who find each other and eventually fall in love. Pretty simple premise, but the journey to the HEA was so beautiful and magical and so heart wrenching at times that it really got under my skin and gave me that bone-deep feeling of warmth and happiness.
There's not much more to say about this one other than to HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended it to all M/M romance fans. It's perfection.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
August 11, 2017
Best Book Read In 2017
That's what it boils down to.
I cannot believe how amazing this story is. It's a masterpiece, a magical miracle of m/m romance.
I CRIED reading this. Books make me feel many things, but I rarely cry over them. 'Rattlesnake' really represents one of those rare occasions where characters step beyond the threshold of fiction and become real people, like watching a documentary instead of reading a made-up story.
What's so great about this particular story?
The narration is absolutely spot on. The layers unfold beautifully and perfectly timed to reveal the full picture at exactly the right time. No hinted at detail is given away before the reader is ready to deal with it and nothing is dragged out longer than necessary.
The characters work with their charisma alone. No need to describe them in detail, no focusing on inches or the size of gym shaped muscles. Neither Jimmy nor Shane are male model types, that's all we need to know about their looks. They're regular middle aged guys. But they have stories to tell. The most beautiful one being the one how they both met....
Jimmy Dorsett is a vagabond. No other way to say it. Restless since his early childhood, he never stays in the same place for long, doing odd jobs that barely earn him enough money to keep gas in his tank and food in his stomach. He never lets anyone get close, because tomorrow he would be back on the road. At age 42 he's seen a lot and done a lot. His beat up car the only roof over his head, Jimmy is heading somewhere (or nowhere) again, when he picks up an old hitchhiker who tells him about the importance of getting things right in life and amending mistakes while there is still time. The old man wants to find his son, whom he abandoned decades ago. Jimmy is willing to drive the man to the place, but things take a sad turn when the old man dies in his car on the road.
After the police clears Jimmy and his car, Jimmy finds a piece of paper under the old man's seat: A letter to his son, pleading forgiveness and reminiscing about fond moments in the son and father's short time together.
Remembering the old man's words, Jimmy decides to deliver the letter to the son in a Western Town called 'Rattlesnake'.
Shane is a bartender there. Gay and in his early 30s, he misses some like-minded company in the small town and is more than happy to find a fascinating and willing man in Jimmy to share his bed with. Charming and trusting, Shane adopts Jimmy, a mere stranger, into his life and shows Jimmy what he never experienced before: What it's like to be wanted and cared for and to have somebody to back him up.
However, the time to hand over the letter never seems to be right and the more Jimmy learns about Shane, his family and the town, the harder it becomes to face the one and only truth in Jimmy's life:
He has to move on.
This was the perfect romance story. No amount of athletic sex and sap found in other romance books could ever reach this level of awesomeness.
I understand that some people (I'm looking at you, Marte ;-) have a problem with the separation angst - because let's face it, Jimmy thinking 'That'll look beautiful in summer. To bad I won't be here to see it' is like a running gag throughout the story.
I especially loved some chapter intros à la:
He didn't leave Friday morning because that was french toast day.
Give the man enough French toast for a lifetime, dammit!!
Still, it was painfully clear that Jimmy WOULD leave at some point, which made this a pretty difficult read, especially seeing how much Jimmy meant to Shane (who had his own burden to carry) after they got to know each other.
I will not say too much about Shane, for spoiler reasons, but I can safely say that Jimmy fascinated me in a way that totally surprised me.
He was raised by a single mother in a lower class family. He didn't know his father, was never accepted by his siblings and never experienced much love and affection from his mother. He didn't get a proper education and spent his life drifting from one place to the next, allegedly having been in every single state of the US (except Hawaii), but never abroad, because he didn't even have a passport.
Still, he is an avid reader and educates and entertains himself through the books he reads. So he sometimes comments on things that would surprise a scholar, which really turned my head and caught my interest.
Over the years, Jimmy collected many, many stories, some of which - I suspect - may not be 100% accurate, but are entertaining or meant to carry across a point nonetheless.
His most impressive story involves a rattlesnake, so watch out for that one. I can't get it out of my head...
This book also contains some insanely powerful moments:
So, no need to ramble on in this review.
All I'm saying is: Read this book!
It's almost a spiritual experience and so far my favorite read in the year 2017 and a new addition to my All Time Favorites list.
It's also one of my favorite cowboy stories, even though it is not that. Talking in riddles, sorry.
READ IT!!!
5 stars! No surprise there ;-)
That's what it boils down to.
I cannot believe how amazing this story is. It's a masterpiece, a magical miracle of m/m romance.
I CRIED reading this. Books make me feel many things, but I rarely cry over them. 'Rattlesnake' really represents one of those rare occasions where characters step beyond the threshold of fiction and become real people, like watching a documentary instead of reading a made-up story.
What's so great about this particular story?
The narration is absolutely spot on. The layers unfold beautifully and perfectly timed to reveal the full picture at exactly the right time. No hinted at detail is given away before the reader is ready to deal with it and nothing is dragged out longer than necessary.
The characters work with their charisma alone. No need to describe them in detail, no focusing on inches or the size of gym shaped muscles. Neither Jimmy nor Shane are male model types, that's all we need to know about their looks. They're regular middle aged guys. But they have stories to tell. The most beautiful one being the one how they both met....
Jimmy Dorsett is a vagabond. No other way to say it. Restless since his early childhood, he never stays in the same place for long, doing odd jobs that barely earn him enough money to keep gas in his tank and food in his stomach. He never lets anyone get close, because tomorrow he would be back on the road. At age 42 he's seen a lot and done a lot. His beat up car the only roof over his head, Jimmy is heading somewhere (or nowhere) again, when he picks up an old hitchhiker who tells him about the importance of getting things right in life and amending mistakes while there is still time. The old man wants to find his son, whom he abandoned decades ago. Jimmy is willing to drive the man to the place, but things take a sad turn when the old man dies in his car on the road.
After the police clears Jimmy and his car, Jimmy finds a piece of paper under the old man's seat: A letter to his son, pleading forgiveness and reminiscing about fond moments in the son and father's short time together.
Remembering the old man's words, Jimmy decides to deliver the letter to the son in a Western Town called 'Rattlesnake'.
Shane is a bartender there. Gay and in his early 30s, he misses some like-minded company in the small town and is more than happy to find a fascinating and willing man in Jimmy to share his bed with. Charming and trusting, Shane adopts Jimmy, a mere stranger, into his life and shows Jimmy what he never experienced before: What it's like to be wanted and cared for and to have somebody to back him up.
However, the time to hand over the letter never seems to be right and the more Jimmy learns about Shane, his family and the town, the harder it becomes to face the one and only truth in Jimmy's life:
He has to move on.
This was the perfect romance story. No amount of athletic sex and sap found in other romance books could ever reach this level of awesomeness.
I understand that some people (I'm looking at you, Marte ;-) have a problem with the separation angst - because let's face it, Jimmy thinking 'That'll look beautiful in summer. To bad I won't be here to see it' is like a running gag throughout the story.
I especially loved some chapter intros à la:
He didn't leave Friday morning because that was french toast day.
Give the man enough French toast for a lifetime, dammit!!
Still, it was painfully clear that Jimmy WOULD leave at some point, which made this a pretty difficult read, especially seeing how much Jimmy meant to Shane (who had his own burden to carry) after they got to know each other.
I will not say too much about Shane, for spoiler reasons, but I can safely say that Jimmy fascinated me in a way that totally surprised me.
He was raised by a single mother in a lower class family. He didn't know his father, was never accepted by his siblings and never experienced much love and affection from his mother. He didn't get a proper education and spent his life drifting from one place to the next, allegedly having been in every single state of the US (except Hawaii), but never abroad, because he didn't even have a passport.
Still, he is an avid reader and educates and entertains himself through the books he reads. So he sometimes comments on things that would surprise a scholar, which really turned my head and caught my interest.
Over the years, Jimmy collected many, many stories, some of which - I suspect - may not be 100% accurate, but are entertaining or meant to carry across a point nonetheless.
His most impressive story involves a rattlesnake, so watch out for that one. I can't get it out of my head...
This book also contains some insanely powerful moments:
So, no need to ramble on in this review.
All I'm saying is: Read this book!
It's almost a spiritual experience and so far my favorite read in the year 2017 and a new addition to my All Time Favorites list.
It's also one of my favorite cowboy stories, even though it is not that. Talking in riddles, sorry.
READ IT!!!
5 stars! No surprise there ;-)
August 23, 2015
You know that saying about how we never see ourselves objectively? Sometimes it takes seeing your reflection in someone else's eyes to register that you're more than you give yourself credit for? I kept coming back to that saying while reading this and hoping Jimmy could catch just a sliver of himself through Shane's eyes.
Jimmy Dorsett is a nuanced character that will warm on even the coldest of hearts. He's grizzled and worn down by life. He's battered and broken and he's learned the hard way that hope is the most dangerous thing of all. It's the poisoned well he can't afford to drink from again.
He'll break your heart with his simple truths. He's long since given up on the idea of "home" and love is not even on his radar. Those things happens to other people. Not him.
He's a ghost, one of the forgotten people. The ones we pass everyday and try to avoid eye contact with them. Through a series of oddly serendipitous events he finds himself in a sleepy little town where everybody knows everybody called Rattlesnake and meets Shane Little.
Shane notices Jimmy immediately. Sees the good, maybe recognizes a kindred spirit and sees his pain. Shane, too, has seen his fair share of hard knocks and maybe that's what makes him throw all his chips in on Jimmy. Jimmy's a gamble if ever there was one.
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday you'd leave me for somebody new
Worry
Why do I let myself worry?
Wondering
What in the world did I do?
Oh, crazy
For thinking my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying
I'm crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you
~Patsy Cline
Drifting is all Jimmy's ever known and every day in Rattlesnake he tells himself will be his last. He'll be off to the next town, the next adventure. And one day turns into two turns into weeks turns into a couple of months... Then small glimmers of hope start to creep in, a subtle turning of the tide.
Their journey is not the easiest nor is it the hardest. They are two ordinary, middle aged men who want desperately to belong to someone and, hopefully, that person can overlook their flaws, the ones that are visible and the ones that aren't.
Rattlesnake is a quiet slice of life tale that is character driven. It's low angst and if you're looking for characters that are glitzy and ostentatious, explosions or action, you'll be disappointed. When you boil it down, Rattlesnake is about the nurturance and care of a blossoming and fragile relationship and one man's journey to rediscovering hope.
Fielding creates an atmosphere with a few deftly chosen words that put me right into whatever fictional place she's crafted without inundating me with interior decorating. I could almost smell the french toast wafting from Mae's, hear Betty's a cappella rendition of 'Crazy' and feel the bark on that 500 yr old tree on the ranch.
She weaves the character development into the quilt of this story with each patch being another heartbreaking, joyous or poignant moment that will take your breath away. I don't know if I fell more for Jimmy and Shane or Rattlesnake and all its meddling, protective and dynamic secondary characters. They protect their own, but once you're one of them you can expect the same treatment.
The sex is intimate, passionate, not overly explicit yet erotic with some stunningly vivid moments of vulnerability.
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out of the ties that bind
I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit I'm a fool for you
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves it right
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
Because you're mine, I walk the line
~Johnny Cash
If you're looking for a feel good read, you've found it.
Highly recommended.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Jimmy Dorsett is a nuanced character that will warm on even the coldest of hearts. He's grizzled and worn down by life. He's battered and broken and he's learned the hard way that hope is the most dangerous thing of all. It's the poisoned well he can't afford to drink from again.
He'll break your heart with his simple truths. He's long since given up on the idea of "home" and love is not even on his radar. Those things happens to other people. Not him.
He's a ghost, one of the forgotten people. The ones we pass everyday and try to avoid eye contact with them. Through a series of oddly serendipitous events he finds himself in a sleepy little town where everybody knows everybody called Rattlesnake and meets Shane Little.
Shane notices Jimmy immediately. Sees the good, maybe recognizes a kindred spirit and sees his pain. Shane, too, has seen his fair share of hard knocks and maybe that's what makes him throw all his chips in on Jimmy. Jimmy's a gamble if ever there was one.
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday you'd leave me for somebody new
Worry
Why do I let myself worry?
Wondering
What in the world did I do?
Oh, crazy
For thinking my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying
I'm crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you
~Patsy Cline
Drifting is all Jimmy's ever known and every day in Rattlesnake he tells himself will be his last. He'll be off to the next town, the next adventure. And one day turns into two turns into weeks turns into a couple of months... Then small glimmers of hope start to creep in, a subtle turning of the tide.
Their journey is not the easiest nor is it the hardest. They are two ordinary, middle aged men who want desperately to belong to someone and, hopefully, that person can overlook their flaws, the ones that are visible and the ones that aren't.
Rattlesnake is a quiet slice of life tale that is character driven. It's low angst and if you're looking for characters that are glitzy and ostentatious, explosions or action, you'll be disappointed. When you boil it down, Rattlesnake is about the nurturance and care of a blossoming and fragile relationship and one man's journey to rediscovering hope.
Fielding creates an atmosphere with a few deftly chosen words that put me right into whatever fictional place she's crafted without inundating me with interior decorating. I could almost smell the french toast wafting from Mae's, hear Betty's a cappella rendition of 'Crazy' and feel the bark on that 500 yr old tree on the ranch.
She weaves the character development into the quilt of this story with each patch being another heartbreaking, joyous or poignant moment that will take your breath away. I don't know if I fell more for Jimmy and Shane or Rattlesnake and all its meddling, protective and dynamic secondary characters. They protect their own, but once you're one of them you can expect the same treatment.
"It's about the folks who want you, who stick with you no matter what. They know your secrets and flaws, and you know theirs, and you love each other anyway."
The sex is intimate, passionate, not overly explicit yet erotic with some stunningly vivid moments of vulnerability.
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out of the ties that bind
I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit I'm a fool for you
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves it right
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
Because you're mine, I walk the line
~Johnny Cash
If you're looking for a feel good read, you've found it.
Highly recommended.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2016
How do you make a person who has been running his entire life finally stay? How can you find him a place to call home when he has never once felt welcome?
This is Jimmy’s story.
Usually, I have trouble focusing and getting in the mood when I start a book but Kim Fielding does a remarkable job of hooking you on Jimmy’s enigmatic story from the get go. Jimmy who has all these stories of other people but never about himself. I wanted to know the tale behind his character. I craved to understand his pain and past. Each chapter was like waiting for the figurative shoe to drop – with Jimmy always trying to find reasons to run time and again.
And then there's Shane.
Like Jimmy, Shane has secrets, and painful ones at that. He was, at first, like a Pandora’s Box – waiting to be opened but you not knowing what looms inside. But Shane, despite the shadow of his past, still shines brightly like a beacon of light.
You have two seemingly broken people but not once did I feel that they needed my sympathy. Sure, my heart bled for what they went through but Fielding just turns the table around for these characters that they give meaning to the word resilience. These are characters which have been beaten down by adversity but still chose to stand up despite the odds. These are characters that ended up stronger than ever, making them all the more special. Making this book a personal favorite.
You have two people whose lives intertwine in a beautiful small town called Rattlesnake – rich in history and bursting with unbelievably kind personalities. You have this one great story of love and self-worth. And you have this brilliant author who writes with so much tenderness and heart – you can't help but feel these roller coaster of emotions as you savor each chapter, page, sentence, word.
I can’t count the number of times my heart felt constricted – making it hard to breathe. Then all these emotions just rush through and my heart suddenly feels lighter, yet bigger. It’s an incredible feeling that only Kim Fielding can do, such that when I closed the book, it’s like I left a part of me in Rattlesnake.
Just beautiful. So, so beautiful.
December 10, 2015
sofisticada lesbiana.
i mean, shit, this was endlessly frustrating.
that fucking letter hanging over everyone's head for fifty chapters like the sword of damocles?
and what in the hell was up with random officer Latino de Hispanipants?
dull, rambling, and as tightly-plotted as a game of monopoly.
PS: this was the review that most accurately reflected my many, many unhappy notes on this book.
i mean, shit, this was endlessly frustrating.
that fucking letter hanging over everyone's head for fifty chapters like the sword of damocles?
and what in the hell was up with random officer Latino de Hispanipants?
dull, rambling, and as tightly-plotted as a game of monopoly.
PS: this was the review that most accurately reflected my many, many unhappy notes on this book.
September 15, 2015
5 Beloved Stars
This story is simply superb.
In my fantasy realm of Romancelandia, Kim Fielding is royalty and I am her loyal subject. Contemporary, fantasy, historical, paranormal, sci-fi--if Ms. Fielding writes it, I will read it. All hail Kim Fielding!
She is an exceptional storyteller, and this story ranks as one of my favorites.
Jimmy Dorsett. Ah, Jimmy. Jimmy made my heart ache. Jimmy is in his 40s and is drifting through life. Drifting from town-to-town, job-to-job, with less than a hundred dollars to his name. Jimmy has resigned himself to a life without family, without roots, without a place to call home. I ached with him in his loneliness and deprivations.
Jimmy knew nobody would envy his life…No relationships. No real friendships. No school past tenth grade. No home beyond the temporary. He’d never been important to anyone.
Jimmy has been on his own since his early teens, and has experienced addiction, crime, violence, and extreme poverty. And yet, or perhaps because of these hardships, Jimmy is a gentle soul. He is like a boulder that once had hard edges, and is now polished smooth by the wear and tear of the harsh elements.
Part of what made this story so singular and unique to me was reading Ms. Fielding’s stark, vivid, and poignant descriptions of Jimmy’s hardscrabble life.
The early descriptions in the story are bleak and desolate.
The sun’s glare scorched his eyeballs. The Comet [motel] and its surroundings looked even worse than they had in the early-morning light. Every bit of faded and peeling paint, rusty metal, and broken concrete stood in sharp relief. So did the feral-looking kids clustered at one end of the parking lot, playing with a ball and a broken shopping cart. Jimmy smiled at them, but they didn’t smile back. He hadn’t expected them to.
The author writes that this story was inspired by a nighttime drive through the Mojave Desert and a weekend in the Sierra foothills. Having traveled through the desert myself, I recognized similar locales from my own memory. Descriptions so crisp and clear and vivid that I sometimes felt as if the words were transformed into a series of paintings featuring a desolate western landscape.
When Jimmy picks up an elderly hitchhiker, he finds himself tasked with something he hasn’t had in years—purpose. He takes on a journey to deliver a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years. Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, California to deliver the letter.
Jimmy’s arrival in the town of Rattlesnake heralds a change. A change in tone, a change in landscape, a change in circumstances. Rattlesnake, nestled in the foothills of the Sierras, was once a gold-rush town. It is a charmed town full of equally charming residents.
The two-story buildings would have looked comfortable in an old John Wayne or Clint Eastwood flick.
Upon arriving in town, Jimmy visits the historic Rattlesnake Inn. There he meets 33 year old bartender Shane Little, a descendant of the town’s founder, George “Rattlesnake” Murray. Shane captures Jimmy’s eye.
He wasn’t so much skinny as lean. Sinewy, Jimmy thought. Strong. His hair was brown flirting with red, and a pointy chin, crooked nose, and a few interesting scars saved his face from being too pretty. His eyes, though…those were gorgeous. Almost the same deep blue as his [Pendleton] shirt, and lined at the corners. He had a friendly smile, too, a little lopsided, as if to offset his nose.
Shane is a joy to get to know. He is an eternal optimist, who, despite being disabled in an accident, refuses to let pain (in all its myriad forms) control his life. Shane is the kind of person who cares about others. He is trusting and loyal, and oh so ready to offer someone his love. For years, family and friends have been looking after Shane, helping him heal from his accident. Now, Shane wants to find someone he can take care of. Someone he can look after, support, and assist.
The story moves at a gentle pace as the two men become lovers and then friends. Shane gets Jimmy a job as a handyman at the inn, and their days are filled with working at the inn, tending bar, and visiting Shane’s family. Jimmy is always just one more day from leaving, and Shane holds out just one more day of trying to get Jimmy to stay. Jimmy is afraid to hope for something with Shane.
Wishes were like poison, Jimmy thought. When you made them, they were all bright and shiny, sweet as candy. But they lingered and languished and didn't come true, and so they curdled and went bad. Became toxic. That’s why he never made them to begin with.
The beauty of this story lies in its simplicity. It is a mellow tale about two wounded men who find solace and comfort within each other’s arms. It is a story about learning to hope again, and finding the courage to embrace life, love, and family. Breaking past fear and pain to gaze with hopeful eyes toward the future. This is a beautiful romance.
I loved this gentle and tender tale, and highly recommend it.
This story is simply superb.
In my fantasy realm of Romancelandia, Kim Fielding is royalty and I am her loyal subject. Contemporary, fantasy, historical, paranormal, sci-fi--if Ms. Fielding writes it, I will read it. All hail Kim Fielding!
She is an exceptional storyteller, and this story ranks as one of my favorites.
Jimmy Dorsett. Ah, Jimmy. Jimmy made my heart ache. Jimmy is in his 40s and is drifting through life. Drifting from town-to-town, job-to-job, with less than a hundred dollars to his name. Jimmy has resigned himself to a life without family, without roots, without a place to call home. I ached with him in his loneliness and deprivations.
Jimmy knew nobody would envy his life…No relationships. No real friendships. No school past tenth grade. No home beyond the temporary. He’d never been important to anyone.
Jimmy has been on his own since his early teens, and has experienced addiction, crime, violence, and extreme poverty. And yet, or perhaps because of these hardships, Jimmy is a gentle soul. He is like a boulder that once had hard edges, and is now polished smooth by the wear and tear of the harsh elements.
Part of what made this story so singular and unique to me was reading Ms. Fielding’s stark, vivid, and poignant descriptions of Jimmy’s hardscrabble life.
The early descriptions in the story are bleak and desolate.
The sun’s glare scorched his eyeballs. The Comet [motel] and its surroundings looked even worse than they had in the early-morning light. Every bit of faded and peeling paint, rusty metal, and broken concrete stood in sharp relief. So did the feral-looking kids clustered at one end of the parking lot, playing with a ball and a broken shopping cart. Jimmy smiled at them, but they didn’t smile back. He hadn’t expected them to.
The author writes that this story was inspired by a nighttime drive through the Mojave Desert and a weekend in the Sierra foothills. Having traveled through the desert myself, I recognized similar locales from my own memory. Descriptions so crisp and clear and vivid that I sometimes felt as if the words were transformed into a series of paintings featuring a desolate western landscape.
When Jimmy picks up an elderly hitchhiker, he finds himself tasked with something he hasn’t had in years—purpose. He takes on a journey to deliver a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years. Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, California to deliver the letter.
Jimmy’s arrival in the town of Rattlesnake heralds a change. A change in tone, a change in landscape, a change in circumstances. Rattlesnake, nestled in the foothills of the Sierras, was once a gold-rush town. It is a charmed town full of equally charming residents.
The two-story buildings would have looked comfortable in an old John Wayne or Clint Eastwood flick.
Upon arriving in town, Jimmy visits the historic Rattlesnake Inn. There he meets 33 year old bartender Shane Little, a descendant of the town’s founder, George “Rattlesnake” Murray. Shane captures Jimmy’s eye.
He wasn’t so much skinny as lean. Sinewy, Jimmy thought. Strong. His hair was brown flirting with red, and a pointy chin, crooked nose, and a few interesting scars saved his face from being too pretty. His eyes, though…those were gorgeous. Almost the same deep blue as his [Pendleton] shirt, and lined at the corners. He had a friendly smile, too, a little lopsided, as if to offset his nose.
Shane is a joy to get to know. He is an eternal optimist, who, despite being disabled in an accident, refuses to let pain (in all its myriad forms) control his life. Shane is the kind of person who cares about others. He is trusting and loyal, and oh so ready to offer someone his love. For years, family and friends have been looking after Shane, helping him heal from his accident. Now, Shane wants to find someone he can take care of. Someone he can look after, support, and assist.
The story moves at a gentle pace as the two men become lovers and then friends. Shane gets Jimmy a job as a handyman at the inn, and their days are filled with working at the inn, tending bar, and visiting Shane’s family. Jimmy is always just one more day from leaving, and Shane holds out just one more day of trying to get Jimmy to stay. Jimmy is afraid to hope for something with Shane.
Wishes were like poison, Jimmy thought. When you made them, they were all bright and shiny, sweet as candy. But they lingered and languished and didn't come true, and so they curdled and went bad. Became toxic. That’s why he never made them to begin with.
The beauty of this story lies in its simplicity. It is a mellow tale about two wounded men who find solace and comfort within each other’s arms. It is a story about learning to hope again, and finding the courage to embrace life, love, and family. Breaking past fear and pain to gaze with hopeful eyes toward the future. This is a beautiful romance.
I loved this gentle and tender tale, and highly recommend it.
August 31, 2017
**** 4.5 Stars****
This was beautiful. It's hard to explain but it felt like an old movie, soundless but rich in its essence and moreover, meaningful and deep. The writing is quite magical, it conveys an aura of tranquility and at times it diffuses with a melancholy tone but it only adds authenticity to the story.
Rattlesnake was such a unique read!
I really liked it.
This was beautiful. It's hard to explain but it felt like an old movie, soundless but rich in its essence and moreover, meaningful and deep. The writing is quite magical, it conveys an aura of tranquility and at times it diffuses with a melancholy tone but it only adds authenticity to the story.
Rattlesnake was such a unique read!
I really liked it.
October 15, 2015
4.5 Stars!!
I loved this book! Honestly it didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed it tremendously. I love this author’s writing style and the way she builds her stories. I have read many of her books and this one is my favorite so far. It was a compelling slow burn story that warmed my heart and I’m glad to say I enjoyed every minute of it. It was more a character driven story, so it wasn’t action-packed. Since not much seems to happen you will need a little more patience than usual...maybe, so perhaps this read is not for everyone. However, if you will give it a go, you will not regret it. “Rattlesnake” is a touching, emotional story about two men who are lost in two different ways, who meet, become friends and eventually fall in love finding comfort in each other’s arms. Is a story about live, family, friends, hope and forgiveness.
Jimmy is a drifter. He is 43 years old. He doesn’t have a steady job, a home, family or friends. He’s never been important to anyone. He’s made bad choices over the years, he ended up in jail a couples of times and he’s also blown good opportunities. Jimmy travels to town to town, from job to job so he doesn’t get attached. This lifestyle works for him, so he doesn’t want to change anything about it. But everything will change for him when he will pick up Tom, an old, sick man with a couple of regrets who wants to try to change his life. He wants to find his estrange son to deliver a letter, he wants his forgiveness before he dies. But Tom is too sick and he doesn’t make it to his son, Shane who lives in Rattlesnake, CA. Jimmy decides to deliver Tom’s letter to Shane, he arrives in the small town and he meets Shane who works as a bartender at the Rattlesnake Inn.
Shane lived all his life in Rattlesnake. Despite the fact he knows he can’t do anything without the entire town knowing right away, he loves the small town and his loving and supportive family. Unfortunately, Shane’s life is not so perfect. Ten years ago he had a car accident who left him scarred, with a brain injury and also with some big regrets. When Jimmy meets Shane he wants to wait to deliver Tom’s letter. A series of events change Jimmy’s plans to leave the small California town right away and before he knows it he becomes an employee and the Rattlesnake Inn working as a handyman. He knows he can’t live there forever, he will must leave Rattlesnake at some point, but time passes, the two men become friends, then friends with benefits and then something much more. As much as Jimmy wants a place to call home, to belong he also needs to leave. Or does he?
First thing first, I have to say I loved the storytelling. Mrs. Fielding always does a great job telling her stories, but with this one she outdid herself. I enjoyed every chapter, every sentence, every word. The story is simple, yet so wonderful and moving. The author portrayed in such a great way the small town and all the descriptions were so vivid. The entire time I felt like I was one of the residents and like I knew all these people we meet as the story progresses. I love the small community and also the relationship between the residents. I’m usually not a fan of small town romance novels, because not all the authors have ‘the power’ to create this sense of community among its residents, but Mrs. Fielding did a fantastic job.
The main characters of this book are so damn great, so well developed and so endearing. I loved these two men to pieces. I have to admit for some reason Jimmy won my heart a little more than Shane. Jimmy is hardworking, polite, kind and gentle and even if he doesn’t have an education he’s smart, not school smart, but life smart. With Shane is sweet, caring, patient and protective and I loved how he treated him. His past was sad and I really felt for him. He was alone and lonely for such a long time...gah...there were times when I just wanted to hug him, to tell him he is worth it, that he deserves a home and a loving man.
Shane’s past broke my heart. The last 10 years weren’t easy for him, but with some help from his family and with a great tenacity and determination he managed to learn everything again, to reinvent himself, to learn how to live again. Shane has a big heart. He trusts people a little too easily, he’s attentive, generous and protective and from the beginning he knew how to make Jimmy feel welcome, worthy, wanted and I loved him for that. I loved his optimism and his personality and the way he gave Jimmy a little hope. His family was simply wonderful. All of them were really great with both Shane and Jimmy. I really liked them all.
I loved these two men together. Their interactions were sweet and more than one time they brought a smile on my face. They were ordinary, but they felt genuine. The tenderness between them warmed my heart and the sexy scenes were so damn sweet. Jimmy’s stories were also great. Some of them were authentic, some of them not (at least not entirely), but every single one of them were lovely.
All in all, “Rattlesnake” was a fantastic read with a simple, yet great storyline, two endearing main characters and a sweet love story that will warm you heart.
Highly recommend it!
I loved this book! Honestly it didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed it tremendously. I love this author’s writing style and the way she builds her stories. I have read many of her books and this one is my favorite so far. It was a compelling slow burn story that warmed my heart and I’m glad to say I enjoyed every minute of it. It was more a character driven story, so it wasn’t action-packed. Since not much seems to happen you will need a little more patience than usual...maybe, so perhaps this read is not for everyone. However, if you will give it a go, you will not regret it. “Rattlesnake” is a touching, emotional story about two men who are lost in two different ways, who meet, become friends and eventually fall in love finding comfort in each other’s arms. Is a story about live, family, friends, hope and forgiveness.
Jimmy is a drifter. He is 43 years old. He doesn’t have a steady job, a home, family or friends. He’s never been important to anyone. He’s made bad choices over the years, he ended up in jail a couples of times and he’s also blown good opportunities. Jimmy travels to town to town, from job to job so he doesn’t get attached. This lifestyle works for him, so he doesn’t want to change anything about it. But everything will change for him when he will pick up Tom, an old, sick man with a couple of regrets who wants to try to change his life. He wants to find his estrange son to deliver a letter, he wants his forgiveness before he dies. But Tom is too sick and he doesn’t make it to his son, Shane who lives in Rattlesnake, CA. Jimmy decides to deliver Tom’s letter to Shane, he arrives in the small town and he meets Shane who works as a bartender at the Rattlesnake Inn.
Shane lived all his life in Rattlesnake. Despite the fact he knows he can’t do anything without the entire town knowing right away, he loves the small town and his loving and supportive family. Unfortunately, Shane’s life is not so perfect. Ten years ago he had a car accident who left him scarred, with a brain injury and also with some big regrets. When Jimmy meets Shane he wants to wait to deliver Tom’s letter. A series of events change Jimmy’s plans to leave the small California town right away and before he knows it he becomes an employee and the Rattlesnake Inn working as a handyman. He knows he can’t live there forever, he will must leave Rattlesnake at some point, but time passes, the two men become friends, then friends with benefits and then something much more. As much as Jimmy wants a place to call home, to belong he also needs to leave. Or does he?
First thing first, I have to say I loved the storytelling. Mrs. Fielding always does a great job telling her stories, but with this one she outdid herself. I enjoyed every chapter, every sentence, every word. The story is simple, yet so wonderful and moving. The author portrayed in such a great way the small town and all the descriptions were so vivid. The entire time I felt like I was one of the residents and like I knew all these people we meet as the story progresses. I love the small community and also the relationship between the residents. I’m usually not a fan of small town romance novels, because not all the authors have ‘the power’ to create this sense of community among its residents, but Mrs. Fielding did a fantastic job.
The main characters of this book are so damn great, so well developed and so endearing. I loved these two men to pieces. I have to admit for some reason Jimmy won my heart a little more than Shane. Jimmy is hardworking, polite, kind and gentle and even if he doesn’t have an education he’s smart, not school smart, but life smart. With Shane is sweet, caring, patient and protective and I loved how he treated him. His past was sad and I really felt for him. He was alone and lonely for such a long time...gah...there were times when I just wanted to hug him, to tell him he is worth it, that he deserves a home and a loving man.
Shane’s past broke my heart. The last 10 years weren’t easy for him, but with some help from his family and with a great tenacity and determination he managed to learn everything again, to reinvent himself, to learn how to live again. Shane has a big heart. He trusts people a little too easily, he’s attentive, generous and protective and from the beginning he knew how to make Jimmy feel welcome, worthy, wanted and I loved him for that. I loved his optimism and his personality and the way he gave Jimmy a little hope. His family was simply wonderful. All of them were really great with both Shane and Jimmy. I really liked them all.
I loved these two men together. Their interactions were sweet and more than one time they brought a smile on my face. They were ordinary, but they felt genuine. The tenderness between them warmed my heart and the sexy scenes were so damn sweet. Jimmy’s stories were also great. Some of them were authentic, some of them not (at least not entirely), but every single one of them were lovely.
All in all, “Rattlesnake” was a fantastic read with a simple, yet great storyline, two endearing main characters and a sweet love story that will warm you heart.
Highly recommend it!
May 6, 2024
This is a completely unexciting book with a story that is sad in parts. But even though you are only in Jimmy's head and he leads a rather "difficult" life, the story is not gloomy.
Someday he was going to die like Tom—alone, maybe on the road. Nobody would give a damn, except for whatever unlucky schmucks got stuck with getting rid of his corpse. 🥀💔🥀
If he wanted to live his life as a drifter—and he did—that was his own damn decision to make. He didn’t owe anybody anything. 🥀💔🥀
Jimmy could be an angry or depressed character, but he doesn't let things get to him and accepts everything as it is, but he doesn't really repress them either, he has just made his life the way it is.
It's the ease with which he tells everything and also the way he tells his experiences and "adventures" to others that has gradually stuck with me.
Sometimes it's the simple stories that grab me more. I feel strangely calm after this book, even though it should have made me sad.
Because Jimmy meets the love of his life and still can't get out of his skin. And Shane has had a hard life too and this book is full of loss and loneliness. But somehow there is so much peace in it. I don't know how else to put it.
So either the story totally calmed me down or there was no caffeine in my coffee today but valerian.
Fuck. Jimmy loved Shane. He didn’t want to. Love was the very worst hope of all, and he knew he was setting himself up for a long, hard fall.
But he couldn’t stop himself, not anymore.
What was Icarus thinking as he plummeted toward the sea? Had those short minutes of soaring flight been worth it? 😍💞😍
Someday he was going to die like Tom—alone, maybe on the road. Nobody would give a damn, except for whatever unlucky schmucks got stuck with getting rid of his corpse. 🥀💔🥀
If he wanted to live his life as a drifter—and he did—that was his own damn decision to make. He didn’t owe anybody anything. 🥀💔🥀
Jimmy could be an angry or depressed character, but he doesn't let things get to him and accepts everything as it is, but he doesn't really repress them either, he has just made his life the way it is.
It's the ease with which he tells everything and also the way he tells his experiences and "adventures" to others that has gradually stuck with me.
Sometimes it's the simple stories that grab me more. I feel strangely calm after this book, even though it should have made me sad.
Because Jimmy meets the love of his life and still can't get out of his skin. And Shane has had a hard life too and this book is full of loss and loneliness. But somehow there is so much peace in it. I don't know how else to put it.
So either the story totally calmed me down or there was no caffeine in my coffee today but valerian.
Fuck. Jimmy loved Shane. He didn’t want to. Love was the very worst hope of all, and he knew he was setting himself up for a long, hard fall.
But he couldn’t stop himself, not anymore.
What was Icarus thinking as he plummeted toward the sea? Had those short minutes of soaring flight been worth it? 😍💞😍
August 3, 2018
Audio 4 stars
Story 3.75 stars
This book ended on a such high emotional note that left me tempted give it 5 stars. But I can’t, because the beginning was so slow and frankly, kind of boring. I was almost at 40% before I started enjoying it. I’ll admit, without the audio, I probably would have dnf, and that would have been a shame. I would have missed out on what turned out to be beautiful story.
Jimmy is 43 and has been homeless since the age of 14. His home life, when he had one, wasn’t a loving one. He doesn’t allow himself to hope for a better life. He considers himself a ghost. Someone who passes through life and goes unnoticed by others. Despite that, he’s not a bitter man. He’s actually well-mannered and always tries to do the right thing.
Shane is 33 and has been disabled since the age of 23 due to a car accident. He doesn’t let his disabilities (physical and mental) define him or hold him back from being as independent as possible.
Rattlesnake is their love story and you can expect to shed a few tears.
Story 3.75 stars
This book ended on a such high emotional note that left me tempted give it 5 stars. But I can’t, because the beginning was so slow and frankly, kind of boring. I was almost at 40% before I started enjoying it. I’ll admit, without the audio, I probably would have dnf, and that would have been a shame. I would have missed out on what turned out to be beautiful story.
Jimmy is 43 and has been homeless since the age of 14. His home life, when he had one, wasn’t a loving one. He doesn’t allow himself to hope for a better life. He considers himself a ghost. Someone who passes through life and goes unnoticed by others. Despite that, he’s not a bitter man. He’s actually well-mannered and always tries to do the right thing.
Shane is 33 and has been disabled since the age of 23 due to a car accident. He doesn’t let his disabilities (physical and mental) define him or hold him back from being as independent as possible.
Rattlesnake is their love story and you can expect to shed a few tears.
September 6, 2016
4.5 Stars!
It began with a man alone in the wide, empty desert driving a decrepit old Ford with a dead man riding shotgun.
This book.
I don't even know what to say to give this book justice. Beautiful doesn't sound right, but it really was.
At times sad. Quiet. Ordinary. Hopeful.
I think the book spans over a few weeks, a month tops. And the whole time I'm reading I have this disquiet. And it just builds and builds over the book. I'm falling in love with Rattlesnake. The town. The people.
But Jimmy's a drifter. And the letter. You haven't given Shane the letter.
I could never get too comfortable. I could never fully sit back and relax.
Jimmy and Shane were so complicated. Pasts full of hurt. Yet together, they were so simple.
Take a risk Jimmy, please. Have hope.
When I got to the end....it was just so perfect. It was....yeah, it was beautiful.
It began with a man alone in the wide, empty desert driving a decrepit old Ford with a dead man riding shotgun.
This book.
I don't even know what to say to give this book justice. Beautiful doesn't sound right, but it really was.
At times sad. Quiet. Ordinary. Hopeful.
I think the book spans over a few weeks, a month tops. And the whole time I'm reading I have this disquiet. And it just builds and builds over the book. I'm falling in love with Rattlesnake. The town. The people.
But Jimmy's a drifter. And the letter. You haven't given Shane the letter.
I could never get too comfortable. I could never fully sit back and relax.
Jimmy and Shane were so complicated. Pasts full of hurt. Yet together, they were so simple.
Take a risk Jimmy, please. Have hope.
When I got to the end....it was just so perfect. It was....yeah, it was beautiful.
June 24, 2017
Written October 30, 2015
4.7 Stars – My big love - A wonderful tender story so very well told
The new Kim Fielding novel all my friends love. So do I by now. Ms Fielding know the way to tell, her stories are just magic touching every time.
Five stars that's not every day from this lady...
Impressed and very pleased. Rattlesnake is as much a very good novel as a heartbreaker M/M romance. — My huge love.
*********************************************
Jimmy Dorset is a 43 years old drifter with an old car, a few paperbacks and a single duffel. No real friends, no relationships, no dear family or a 'sweet home' longtime place. One quite ordinary wandering drifter-day Jimmy decide to stop his car to let a hitchhiker, an old unhealthy drifter called Tom, join him for a couple of miles. They start to talk and Tom tell he's on his way to a small town called Rattlesnake to look for his by now since a long time grownup son. A son he never knew. Tom just want to explain stuff and give his long lost son a letter.
..Then old Tom dies (peacefully in sleep) and Jimmy discover a piece of paper, a letter with the destination Rattlesnake. And yay, Rattlesnake is the very nicest kind of homely cozy place and there Jimmy meet the most sweet and caring guy to imagine. Shane Little a slightly damaged man, once a ranch cowboy, who now is persistence-working at the local bar.
Jimmy feels so real (we all are a tiny little bit of him) and I took this so very strong, brave and wise Shane character to my heart (as much as Jimmy ended up doing). There is just so much to like, love and maybe say about this story. But...
*********************************************
...My life allows no review writing time right now . Therefore, this will be quite (a bit unique to be me) short and simple: — I'm still as mesmerized some days after reading the last page in Rattlesnake. And hurrah, this was (yet again) a impressive very good novel story by a gifted (by now favorite) M/M writer.
Highly and sincerely recommended.
I LIKE - tszz ts tzzz (snakesound) so very much
4.7 Stars – My big love - A wonderful tender story so very well told
The new Kim Fielding novel all my friends love. So do I by now. Ms Fielding know the way to tell, her stories are just magic touching every time.
Five stars that's not every day from this lady...
Impressed and very pleased. Rattlesnake is as much a very good novel as a heartbreaker M/M romance. — My huge love.
*********************************************
Jimmy Dorset is a 43 years old drifter with an old car, a few paperbacks and a single duffel. No real friends, no relationships, no dear family or a 'sweet home' longtime place. One quite ordinary wandering drifter-day Jimmy decide to stop his car to let a hitchhiker, an old unhealthy drifter called Tom, join him for a couple of miles. They start to talk and Tom tell he's on his way to a small town called Rattlesnake to look for his by now since a long time grownup son. A son he never knew. Tom just want to explain stuff and give his long lost son a letter.
..Then old Tom dies (peacefully in sleep) and Jimmy discover a piece of paper, a letter with the destination Rattlesnake. And yay, Rattlesnake is the very nicest kind of homely cozy place and there Jimmy meet the most sweet and caring guy to imagine. Shane Little a slightly damaged man, once a ranch cowboy, who now is persistence-working at the local bar.
‘Yeah, Jimmy had almost nothing but time. Time, a book, a couple changes of clothes, some toiletries in a plastic bag, a few groceries, and about a hundred bucks.’
Jimmy feels so real (we all are a tiny little bit of him) and I took this so very strong, brave and wise Shane character to my heart (as much as Jimmy ended up doing). There is just so much to like, love and maybe say about this story. But...
*********************************************
...My life allows no review writing time right now . Therefore, this will be quite (a bit unique to be me) short and simple: — I'm still as mesmerized some days after reading the last page in Rattlesnake. And hurrah, this was (yet again) a impressive very good novel story by a gifted (by now favorite) M/M writer.
Highly and sincerely recommended.
I LIKE - tszz ts tzzz (snakesound) so very much
September 8, 2020
Jimmy is the quintessential drifter of the American mythos - a man with a murky, mysterious past moving across America without roots. The life is less romantic and more banal and tiring and dusty and sad than legend would have you believe. Jimmy's been moving on for over 25 years, until he can't imagine anything else, until putting down roots and staying somewhere, making a home, feels alien to him.
When an obligation to deliver a letter lands him in a quiet little town, in a back-water bar, his normal MO would be to do what he has to and move on the same day. And then he meets Shane, and attraction sparks. Of course he plans for it to be a one time thing, but a moment of uncertain empathy, a non-starting car, and some people who are warmer and more accepting than usual, persuade him to stay a little longer, and a little longer... Jimmy's still planning to leave, though. Any day now...
This is a sweet, steady-build, low-drama story. I'd call it slow burn - it feels that way, waiting for Jimmy to get a clue - but in fact the relationship moves very fast. The book only covers a few weeks. The feel is one of anticipation, though. The good-small-town and family atmosphere and the array of secondary characters add to the comfort-read quality of the book. Both the MCs seemed a little younger than their years, less angry, less gritty than I'd have expected for their histories. This lent a warmth to the story, perhaps at the cost of a bit of complexity and conflict.
Kim Fielding does damaged guys and hurt-comfort very well, and this book is another really good one. A story to curl up with after a tough day when you want to be reassured that good things can come even to someone whose damage is long-established and who is not looking for love.
When an obligation to deliver a letter lands him in a quiet little town, in a back-water bar, his normal MO would be to do what he has to and move on the same day. And then he meets Shane, and attraction sparks. Of course he plans for it to be a one time thing, but a moment of uncertain empathy, a non-starting car, and some people who are warmer and more accepting than usual, persuade him to stay a little longer, and a little longer... Jimmy's still planning to leave, though. Any day now...
This is a sweet, steady-build, low-drama story. I'd call it slow burn - it feels that way, waiting for Jimmy to get a clue - but in fact the relationship moves very fast. The book only covers a few weeks. The feel is one of anticipation, though. The good-small-town and family atmosphere and the array of secondary characters add to the comfort-read quality of the book. Both the MCs seemed a little younger than their years, less angry, less gritty than I'd have expected for their histories. This lent a warmth to the story, perhaps at the cost of a bit of complexity and conflict.
Kim Fielding does damaged guys and hurt-comfort very well, and this book is another really good one. A story to curl up with after a tough day when you want to be reassured that good things can come even to someone whose damage is long-established and who is not looking for love.
May 11, 2021
Loved it even more the second time around! Audiobook = ***4 Stars***
***********************************
Original review April 2017:
So he stayed. Just one more day.
And what a difference a day makes. This was an amazingly beautiful story...
about shattered dreams and hope...
about hurt and forgiveness...
about drifting and belonging...
about taking chances and finding love...
For some reason I'm feeling a bit emotional today, so this book almost wrecked me, but in a good way. In a very good way. Loved it to bits!
***********************************
Original review April 2017:
So he stayed. Just one more day.
And what a difference a day makes. This was an amazingly beautiful story...
about shattered dreams and hope...
about hurt and forgiveness...
about drifting and belonging...
about taking chances and finding love...
For some reason I'm feeling a bit emotional today, so this book almost wrecked me, but in a good way. In a very good way. Loved it to bits!
It began with a man alone in the wide, empty desert driving a decrepit old Ford with a dead man riding shotgun. But the tale progressed to two men together, alive and dancing and ready to establish their very own home. Jimmy was confident the ending was a long, long time away.
June 17, 2021
2.5 Stars
Told in single POV, 3rd person, it’s a standalone novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as my GR friends did. The struggle was so hard and around 85% I skipped to the end. Nothing interesting or exciting happened throughout the story, it was so simple. Another thing is I couldn’t feel the chemistry between the MCs as if you’re not reading a love story; even the sex scenes were boring. All in all, I’m in the minority here and hope you enjoy it more than me!
Told in single POV, 3rd person, it’s a standalone novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as my GR friends did. The struggle was so hard and around 85% I skipped to the end. Nothing interesting or exciting happened throughout the story, it was so simple. Another thing is I couldn’t feel the chemistry between the MCs as if you’re not reading a love story; even the sex scenes were boring. All in all, I’m in the minority here and hope you enjoy it more than me!
September 3, 2015
Originally reviewed at Sinfully... Addicted to All Male Romance
4.5 stars
Jimmy’s been a drifter since he was fourteen years old. Bad decisions, stupid mistakes, no relationships, no loving family or friends, moving from job to job, town to town, never staying more than a few weeks or a season, with never more than a few bucks to his name. It may not be anyone else’s idea of a good life, but Jimmy has no regrets and no plans to change any time soon. Jimmy picks up Tom, a dying man trying to get to Rattlesnake, CA to deliver a letter to his estranged son Shane. Tom doesn’t make it to Rattlesnake, but Jimmy feels the need to deliver his letter whether Shane.
Jimmy finds Shane Little in the old west mining town of Rattlesnake that has managed to retain some of the 1850’s feel from when the town was built. Shane is the bartender at the Rattlesnake Inn, which is owned by his Aunt. He’s lived his whole life there, has a large and loving family and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. He moves slowly, with obvious difficulty, has scars on his face, but is friendly and spends the evening talking with Jimmy at the bar. Jimmy decides not to hand over the letter and possibly disrupt Shane’s life, but to just keep moving on. Too bad his old car has other ideas. The next morning Jimmy finds himself sitting in the diner with a few bucks, no car and a talkative Shane, who is eager to hear Jimmy’s stories of the road and help solve his immediate problems with a job as the Inn’s handyman. Although the itch to leave is always there, one day turns to two and Jimmy finds a new reason to stay each morning, most of which relate back to Shane.
There is beauty in the simplicity of this story, with writing that puts you right there in the town of Rattlesnake. Told from Jimmy’s point of view, the majority of the action takes place in the Inn, revolving around the day-to-day tasks there. As Jimmy and Shane get to know each other better we hear more of his stories from the road, although it’s hard to be sure which are true and which are a bit embellished. While he may tell a tale or two, at the heart of it Jimmy is a good man who has never had anyone on his side and doesn’t think he deserves what Shane has and wants to give. The smallest acts of trust and care are almost enough to bring Jimmy to tears. Shane is sure he has Jimmy figured out and that Jimmy’s love of his drifting lifestyle is only because he never has had any reason to stay somewhere.
Shane is a wonderful character that I couldn’t help but love from the start. He sees himself as broken inside and out, but he is kind, generous and outgoing. His life drastically changed ten years ago and he has most of the town looking out for him and that includes making sure Jimmy knows not to hurt him. Jimmy is almost immediately caught up in Shane’s spell. Watching Jimmy fall for Shane and the town and feel a bit of hope then immediately fear it shows how vulnerable he really is.
Kim Fielding’s writing is so easy to read, I was quickly immersed in the small world she created. This is a quietly unfolding love story without epic drama or angst, and Jimmy and Shane are both layered characters with engaging personalities and great chemistry. It was a nice change of pace and I highly recommend it.
4.5 stars
Jimmy’s been a drifter since he was fourteen years old. Bad decisions, stupid mistakes, no relationships, no loving family or friends, moving from job to job, town to town, never staying more than a few weeks or a season, with never more than a few bucks to his name. It may not be anyone else’s idea of a good life, but Jimmy has no regrets and no plans to change any time soon. Jimmy picks up Tom, a dying man trying to get to Rattlesnake, CA to deliver a letter to his estranged son Shane. Tom doesn’t make it to Rattlesnake, but Jimmy feels the need to deliver his letter whether Shane.
Jimmy finds Shane Little in the old west mining town of Rattlesnake that has managed to retain some of the 1850’s feel from when the town was built. Shane is the bartender at the Rattlesnake Inn, which is owned by his Aunt. He’s lived his whole life there, has a large and loving family and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. He moves slowly, with obvious difficulty, has scars on his face, but is friendly and spends the evening talking with Jimmy at the bar. Jimmy decides not to hand over the letter and possibly disrupt Shane’s life, but to just keep moving on. Too bad his old car has other ideas. The next morning Jimmy finds himself sitting in the diner with a few bucks, no car and a talkative Shane, who is eager to hear Jimmy’s stories of the road and help solve his immediate problems with a job as the Inn’s handyman. Although the itch to leave is always there, one day turns to two and Jimmy finds a new reason to stay each morning, most of which relate back to Shane.
There is beauty in the simplicity of this story, with writing that puts you right there in the town of Rattlesnake. Told from Jimmy’s point of view, the majority of the action takes place in the Inn, revolving around the day-to-day tasks there. As Jimmy and Shane get to know each other better we hear more of his stories from the road, although it’s hard to be sure which are true and which are a bit embellished. While he may tell a tale or two, at the heart of it Jimmy is a good man who has never had anyone on his side and doesn’t think he deserves what Shane has and wants to give. The smallest acts of trust and care are almost enough to bring Jimmy to tears. Shane is sure he has Jimmy figured out and that Jimmy’s love of his drifting lifestyle is only because he never has had any reason to stay somewhere.
Shane is a wonderful character that I couldn’t help but love from the start. He sees himself as broken inside and out, but he is kind, generous and outgoing. His life drastically changed ten years ago and he has most of the town looking out for him and that includes making sure Jimmy knows not to hurt him. Jimmy is almost immediately caught up in Shane’s spell. Watching Jimmy fall for Shane and the town and feel a bit of hope then immediately fear it shows how vulnerable he really is.
“Well, but this was hope, wasn’t it? And Jimmy knew perfectly well what hope became: bitter ashes. Eventually Shane would see Jimmy’s true self and then he’d turn away in anger and disgust. And Jimmy … he couldn’t survive another turning away.”
Kim Fielding’s writing is so easy to read, I was quickly immersed in the small world she created. This is a quietly unfolding love story without epic drama or angst, and Jimmy and Shane are both layered characters with engaging personalities and great chemistry. It was a nice change of pace and I highly recommend it.
September 1, 2015
It began with a man alone in the wide, empty desert driving a decrepit old Ford with a dead man riding shotgun.
This is how it began, but the way this story progressed, stole my breath away. This is my favorite Kim Fielding book to date. Given the fact that I devour her paranormal stories, despite not being a paranormal fan, I knew I would love my first contemporary novel from her. What I got was so much more than I expected.
Jimmy is a drifter. He never stays anywhere long enough to get to know people, to form relationships. To get hurt. When the hitchhiker he picked up dies in his car, he makes it his mission to deliver the dead man's letter to his estranged son. That would be Shane. And that's how Jimmy ends up in Rattlesnake.
Shane has suffered too. A car accident left his body broken and his mind a bit scrambled, but his heart is whole and it says to keep Jimmy in Rattlesnake because he is the right man for Shane.
Their moments together, whether they 're making love or having breakfast are priceless and meaningful.
Every day Jimmy tries to leave. He's planning on it. Every day he stays. A few more days, a little more Shane. It is a life altering moment when Jimmy realises he has no more reasons to leave and all the reasons to stay. I cried, yes. A lot.
“Yeah. I want… I want to come home.”
With a strangled cry, Shane held him so tightly that Jimmy could hardly breathe.
“Can’t you tell, Jimmy Dorsett? You’re already there.”
Fielding is an amazing world builder. I 've loved all her fantasy worlds but this small, old gold mining town called Rattlesnake, fascinated me. The cemetery, the Inn, the cafe and most importantly, the sense of family and community among its people. The perfect home for Jimmy.
This is a quiet story. No twists or suspense. And this is how it ends. Just two men falling in love, finding home in each other, dancing to an old Johny Cash song.
But the tale progressed to two men together, alive and dancing and ready to establish their very own home.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
P.S DO NOT read the last 10% of the book in a public place.
November 13, 2015
I really loved this book. There was a maturity, and an honesty to the storytelling that I really appreciated. The characters were well drawn, and felt like real people to me, and while they all had their problems it didn't feel over done or like misery porn. Many events were only touched on, or hinted at, and I liked that. It kept the story from dwelling too much in the past when it really was a story about moving on. A story about love, forgiveness, and learning to love, and be loved in return. Not a story that I will soon forget, and one of the best stories I've read this year. A new favorite.
July 2, 2021
3.5 ⭐
Jimmy is a lonely man, always on the move, waiting for what he will find in the next town. He never stays too long. He never had a family. He never had someone to lean on, until he met Shane. Oh shane. Shane also has scars. He also has a past that haunts him and that left him marked. But he fought and when Jimmy comes into his life, he helps him, he listens. And that for Jimmy is new, it makes him feel unstable and vulnerable. It makes him want some things. Things like dreaming and wishing, which he learned don't exist.
"Jets whooshed overhead day and night, shaking the entire house, and his brothers had complained they couldn’t sleep. Jimmy, however, spent his nights on a lumpy mattress on the back porch, and he loved watching the planes. He used to wonder where each one was going, and he promised himself that when he grew up, he would be on one of those planes, zooming off to adventure. He’d broken that promise, though, and somewhere along the line, travel had become a necessity and a burden rather than a dream."
I liked Jimmy, despite being older and the one who in theory should be more "mature" and "wise" he learns and opens up to new opportunities that he didn't believe before.
"Some people think family’s about DNA, but it ain’t. It’s about the folks who want you, who stick with you no matter what. They know your secrets and flaws, and you know theirs, and you love each other anyway.”
This is a story of how two strangers become friends and how they begin to want more time together. A story of finding a family, a home, hope.
"There’s two kinds of hurting. One kind means you’re damaging yourself. If you have that kind, you gotta do something about it. But the other kind’s just… just there. That kind you deal with as best as you can and just soldier on.”
"But there’s a third kind too.”
“What’s that?” Shane asked.
“It’s the kind that you pretend isn’t there. And then it grows worse and worse until it kills you. That’s what happened to my mother. By the time she saw a doctor, she was already almost dead. I think that’s what happened to Tom. But I think… I think if you admit soon enough that the pain’s there, and you ask for some help dealing with it, maybe you can survive it. Maybe you can even heal.”
Niggles: The times that Jimmy repeated that he had to leave were many, the slow pace and the sex scenes were not my favorite part, they were nice. But they didn't make my heart skip or make me blush. 🤷♀️
The pace is slow, heavy, although there is no "drama" until near the end. It's a beautiful story, with character development, and one that leaves you with warm feelings. I really liked it, although it didn't make me feel as excited as I expected and I didn't end up loving it.
But it's just me. 😉❤️
Jimmy is a lonely man, always on the move, waiting for what he will find in the next town. He never stays too long. He never had a family. He never had someone to lean on, until he met Shane. Oh shane. Shane also has scars. He also has a past that haunts him and that left him marked. But he fought and when Jimmy comes into his life, he helps him, he listens. And that for Jimmy is new, it makes him feel unstable and vulnerable. It makes him want some things. Things like dreaming and wishing, which he learned don't exist.
"Jets whooshed overhead day and night, shaking the entire house, and his brothers had complained they couldn’t sleep. Jimmy, however, spent his nights on a lumpy mattress on the back porch, and he loved watching the planes. He used to wonder where each one was going, and he promised himself that when he grew up, he would be on one of those planes, zooming off to adventure. He’d broken that promise, though, and somewhere along the line, travel had become a necessity and a burden rather than a dream."
I liked Jimmy, despite being older and the one who in theory should be more "mature" and "wise" he learns and opens up to new opportunities that he didn't believe before.
"Some people think family’s about DNA, but it ain’t. It’s about the folks who want you, who stick with you no matter what. They know your secrets and flaws, and you know theirs, and you love each other anyway.”
This is a story of how two strangers become friends and how they begin to want more time together. A story of finding a family, a home, hope.
"There’s two kinds of hurting. One kind means you’re damaging yourself. If you have that kind, you gotta do something about it. But the other kind’s just… just there. That kind you deal with as best as you can and just soldier on.”
"But there’s a third kind too.”
“What’s that?” Shane asked.
“It’s the kind that you pretend isn’t there. And then it grows worse and worse until it kills you. That’s what happened to my mother. By the time she saw a doctor, she was already almost dead. I think that’s what happened to Tom. But I think… I think if you admit soon enough that the pain’s there, and you ask for some help dealing with it, maybe you can survive it. Maybe you can even heal.”
Niggles: The times that Jimmy repeated that he had to leave were many, the slow pace and the sex scenes were not my favorite part, they were nice. But they didn't make my heart skip or make me blush. 🤷♀️
The pace is slow, heavy, although there is no "drama" until near the end. It's a beautiful story, with character development, and one that leaves you with warm feelings. I really liked it, although it didn't make me feel as excited as I expected and I didn't end up loving it.
But it's just me. 😉❤️
September 1, 2015
I cant decide whetherThe Tin Box or Rattlesnake is Kim's best work, so I decided to put both of them in 1st place. Kim just outdid herself with this one! Beautifully written, unforgettable characters and the romance part was just perfect. I was in tears towards the end and still am while writing this. I hope Kim would write a follow up story, I want to know if Jimmy finally gets to see his .
This is definitely going into my favorites shelf!!! 5 STARS ARE NOT ENOUGH!
This is definitely going into my favorites shelf!!! 5 STARS ARE NOT ENOUGH!
May 10, 2021
All the stars for this one. Read the story back in 2015, and I think it's Kim Fielding's best work to date, although The Tin Box really does run it a pretty close second. This audio was buried in my audio library, and as per usual of course, KC Kelly tells a superlative tale.
***Book Review***
Deserves all the plaudits it's received. Simply superb, I ADORED this story of Jimmy and Shane. 5 stars, but worth so many more and you WILL need tissues unless you've got a heart made of stone. Fabulous.
August 3, 2016
I remember when this book came out. All the hype, all the fangirling. It made people cry! I wish I could say it met my expectations but it didn’t. I kept reading and reading. Hoping that maybe, maybe, maybe, I’d feel the same eventually. But to no use.
This is not my first book by Kim Fielding. I’ve read Brute and the Speechless novellas. She’s an okay writer, solid and neat. I enjoy her stories, the blurbs are original and remarkable. She has a style lots of people love and I can see why.
But she has never lightened a spark in me. I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s simply not on my side of the fence. That’s she’s just not for me. I enjoy her stories pretty much, but I’m always left cold and disappointed. Not a feeling I want to have repeated on a normal basis. There are plenty of authors who really tickle my fancy, after all.
I felt numb.
The book is simple and straight to the point. I never felt my mind wandering, because the storyline and the characters kept me interested throughout the book. I liked the change of scenery. We are in the Wild West, but a contemporanean Wild West. Lots of Spanish names, crazy drinks and assless chaps.
Well, no, in the end there weren’t assless chaps. Bummer.
Whatever, I’d have liked to see more of Jimmy. Himself, I mean. For some reason, he was distant to me, I couldn’t feel him as I’d have liked. That’s weird because his POV is the one that rules in the story, the one that is clearly defined. However, it was not quite satisfying. I wanted to comprehend his life and his mind, why he can’t settle down, why, despite all the good chances and opportunities he has had to do so, he didn’t. I was so frustrated when the moment when I finally would understand him never came. I didn’t feel him complete.
Shane, on the other hand, was adorable. Trusting and confident. With an obvious vulnerability. He shocked me, one moment he doesn’t want his scars to be seen, and the next he has no problem showing them and he accepts it all with no problem at all. I didn’t feel it was real nor natural. I know we have to consider he has had 10 years to prepare himself. Still, I was not wholly convinced. He has a lovable family how has his back, and I loved how they cocoon and protect him. It’s evident he has a dark past, and when it was at last told, I didn’t feel a thing. I mean, I wanted to feel compassion, empathy, something, but I didn’t. Which is weird, because he has everything in a character in order to rock my world: disabilities and handicaps.
Nothing in the end. Not for me.
I felt so detached from everything.
The relationship was so off for me. I liked the MCs just fine, and they seem happy together just fine. However, I missed something here. Maybe a little of heart. Maybe a little of emotion. Maybe something else I can’t point out.
The conclusion was too rushed for my taste. I couldn’t believe all the changes of heart in such a short time. The letter, the leaving, the I-forgive-yous, the sudden this-is-my-place, the open arms.
The good? Rattlesnake. Mae’s café, the inn, the ranch, the familiarity, the impossible-to-keep-a-secret-in-this-little-town vibes. I honestly liked how a lost town in the middle of nowhere is portrayed. I could feel the atmosphere and why tourists would want to come to a visit. And repeat.
I also liked how this lifestyle rubs on Jimmy and demands him to stay. How it became harder and harder to leave. How there was always something to be done or to finish. How he doesn’t want to let people down, or hurt, but he knows he will.
But it wasn’t enough.
*****
BR with Karen and Christelle and Josy! Thanks, ladies, it was fun ;) .
This is not my first book by Kim Fielding. I’ve read Brute and the Speechless novellas. She’s an okay writer, solid and neat. I enjoy her stories, the blurbs are original and remarkable. She has a style lots of people love and I can see why.
But she has never lightened a spark in me. I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s simply not on my side of the fence. That’s she’s just not for me. I enjoy her stories pretty much, but I’m always left cold and disappointed. Not a feeling I want to have repeated on a normal basis. There are plenty of authors who really tickle my fancy, after all.
I felt numb.
The book is simple and straight to the point. I never felt my mind wandering, because the storyline and the characters kept me interested throughout the book. I liked the change of scenery. We are in the Wild West, but a contemporanean Wild West. Lots of Spanish names, crazy drinks and assless chaps.
Well, no, in the end there weren’t assless chaps. Bummer.
Whatever, I’d have liked to see more of Jimmy. Himself, I mean. For some reason, he was distant to me, I couldn’t feel him as I’d have liked. That’s weird because his POV is the one that rules in the story, the one that is clearly defined. However, it was not quite satisfying. I wanted to comprehend his life and his mind, why he can’t settle down, why, despite all the good chances and opportunities he has had to do so, he didn’t. I was so frustrated when the moment when I finally would understand him never came. I didn’t feel him complete.
Shane, on the other hand, was adorable. Trusting and confident. With an obvious vulnerability. He shocked me, one moment he doesn’t want his scars to be seen, and the next he has no problem showing them and he accepts it all with no problem at all. I didn’t feel it was real nor natural. I know we have to consider he has had 10 years to prepare himself. Still, I was not wholly convinced. He has a lovable family how has his back, and I loved how they cocoon and protect him. It’s evident he has a dark past, and when it was at last told, I didn’t feel a thing. I mean, I wanted to feel compassion, empathy, something, but I didn’t. Which is weird, because he has everything in a character in order to rock my world: disabilities and handicaps.
Nothing in the end. Not for me.
I felt so detached from everything.
The relationship was so off for me. I liked the MCs just fine, and they seem happy together just fine. However, I missed something here. Maybe a little of heart. Maybe a little of emotion. Maybe something else I can’t point out.
The conclusion was too rushed for my taste. I couldn’t believe all the changes of heart in such a short time. The letter, the leaving, the I-forgive-yous, the sudden this-is-my-place, the open arms.
The good? Rattlesnake. Mae’s café, the inn, the ranch, the familiarity, the impossible-to-keep-a-secret-in-this-little-town vibes. I honestly liked how a lost town in the middle of nowhere is portrayed. I could feel the atmosphere and why tourists would want to come to a visit. And repeat.
I also liked how this lifestyle rubs on Jimmy and demands him to stay. How it became harder and harder to leave. How there was always something to be done or to finish. How he doesn’t want to let people down, or hurt, but he knows he will.
But it wasn’t enough.
*****
BR with Karen and Christelle and Josy! Thanks, ladies, it was fun ;) .
May 4, 2017
***4 Stars***
"Look, there's two kinds of hurting. One kind means you're damaging yourself. If you have that kind, you gotta do something about it. But the other kind's just....just there. That kind you deal with as best as you can and just soldier on." His eyes softened and he stroked Jimmy's cheek. "I think you know that kind."
I'm not really sure any type of a review I write would give this book justice. It was beautiful. It was a quiet and honest story of two men finding peace and home.
This is the first book I've ever read by Kim Fielding and it certainly won't be my last. Her writing is evocative and effortless. Every word in this book served a purpose and was chosen wisely and carefully. I was sucked in from the first paragraph and cocooned in Jimmy's mind, heart and soul up until the very end. I can't remember when I've felt so deeply entranced by a character.
Jimmy was such a hurt man. He was hurt by family, by life....by circumstances. He drifted through the world with a determination to survive, an empty heart, but a sharp mind. And he broke my heart with his matter of fact stories of his trials and tribulations on his vagabond journey.
"You know what I am? I'm a ghost. I know I told you I don't believe in ghosts, but that's a lie too. I believe because I am one. People like us - there's a lot of us, but nobody sees us. We work a nothing gig for a few days or a few weeks and we move on. We live in crap motels and crap apartments if we're lucky, under bridges and in empty buildings if we're not. And when we die, nobody misses us. Nobody claims our ashes."
I loved Shane's tenacity at trying to keep Jimmy in town. He knew that every morning Jimmy woke up with one foot out the door and Shane would do everything in his power to have Jimmy stay just one more day. And as much as Jimmy fought it, his heart wouldn't let him go. Days turned into weeks...he just couldn't find a reason to leave, but he found excuses to stay.
Shane was the perfect counterbalance to Jimmy. He survived a horrific accident ten years ago that's left him with scars all over his body, a limp and a frazzled brain. But, his family wouldn't allow him to give up, they made him fight, they helped him become the man he is today....they stood in his corner and supported him. And because he has such a wonderful support system, Shane was able to show Jimmy what it means to have unconditional love...what it means to truly care and the heartwarming rewards that come with that.
I loved that the town of Rattlesnake felt like the third main character. There was so much heart, soul and history in that town that it added another layer to the story. The way the town and its inhabitants embraced Jimmy melted my heart. Little by little Shane and Rattlesnake gave him the love he needed to finally plant his roots and watch them grow.
Kim Fielding wove a tale that will stay with me for a long time. She created characters with depth, an atmosphere that sucked you in and a story that was honest and sad, but laced with hope.
January 2, 2016
*** 4.5 Stars ***
I'm fairly certain that this would have been a 5-star read for me had I been able to read it in one sitting. Unfortunately, work was hectic this week and drawing this book out over a few days, it lost a teensy little bit of its beauty for me. That's not the book's fault, mind you - Fielding's writing is superb - but that's just how it goes sometimes.
Honestly, this book was like a slow, warm hug to my soul. There's bits that hurt because Fielding has created such intensely sympathetic characters, but the bone-deep care that Jimmy and Shane show for one another at every turn was all the balm I needed.
Wish I woulda gotten the declarations, though; I love me the declarations.
I'm fairly certain that this would have been a 5-star read for me had I been able to read it in one sitting. Unfortunately, work was hectic this week and drawing this book out over a few days, it lost a teensy little bit of its beauty for me. That's not the book's fault, mind you - Fielding's writing is superb - but that's just how it goes sometimes.
Honestly, this book was like a slow, warm hug to my soul. There's bits that hurt because Fielding has created such intensely sympathetic characters, but the bone-deep care that Jimmy and Shane show for one another at every turn was all the balm I needed.
Wish I woulda gotten the declarations, though; I love me the declarations.
September 11, 2015
2.5 stars
The good:
• The townspeople, Aunt Belinda, the old geezers on the bench
• Jimmy’s gradual settling in and putting down roots despite himself; his satisfaction with working at the inn.
The not-good:
• The emo-porn of Shane’s list of defects
• Why/what with hunky Officer Random at the beginning?
• Sister Charlie the relationship cop and Saintly Mom the compassion cop
• “Sofisticada lesbiana”
The eye-twitching:
• The heavy-handed dun-dun-DUN foreshadowing
• Jesse and his accompanying (in my head) ominous theme music
• THE LETTER
The good:
• The townspeople, Aunt Belinda, the old geezers on the bench
• Jimmy’s gradual settling in and putting down roots despite himself; his satisfaction with working at the inn.
The not-good:
• The emo-porn of Shane’s list of defects
• Why/what with hunky Officer Random at the beginning?
• Sister Charlie the relationship cop and Saintly Mom the compassion cop
• “Sofisticada lesbiana”
The eye-twitching:
• The heavy-handed dun-dun-DUN foreshadowing
• Jesse and his accompanying (in my head) ominous theme music
• THE LETTER
January 25, 2019
3.75 stars!
This book really snuck up on me! I was not expecting it to be so emotional and heartbreaking!
I felt like it was a second chance at life for both the MC and the work of destiny bringing them together. Both men had sad pasts for different reasons and were brought differently especially for Jimmy, this man really broke my heart. Regardless of his circumstances though he was a survivor even when he didn’t believe in himself. Every time he wanted to leave I wanted to shake him and tell him he deserved this happiness.
This was a refreshing story and even though Jimmy and Shane have an instant connection I didn’t feel like their relationship was rushed. The small town of Rattlesnake was a perfect setting to this story adding a homey feeling to it. Loved the way the townspeople protect Shane but also accepted Jimmy with open arms. I especially loved the intense emotions between these guys. They were both of few words when it came to professing their feelings but they showed it in the way they took care for each other. I had a lot of respect for Shane for the way he handles Jimmy, the way he gave him his space and a choice, it was admirable.
My only complaint was that at times it did drag some and I would have loved an epilogue a few years down the road perhaps. Other than it was a solid read my first by this author and hopefully not my last.♥️
This book really snuck up on me! I was not expecting it to be so emotional and heartbreaking!
I felt like it was a second chance at life for both the MC and the work of destiny bringing them together. Both men had sad pasts for different reasons and were brought differently especially for Jimmy, this man really broke my heart. Regardless of his circumstances though he was a survivor even when he didn’t believe in himself. Every time he wanted to leave I wanted to shake him and tell him he deserved this happiness.
”You can’t outrun your pain, ‘cause it’s a part of you. You just have to make peace with it.”
This was a refreshing story and even though Jimmy and Shane have an instant connection I didn’t feel like their relationship was rushed. The small town of Rattlesnake was a perfect setting to this story adding a homey feeling to it. Loved the way the townspeople protect Shane but also accepted Jimmy with open arms. I especially loved the intense emotions between these guys. They were both of few words when it came to professing their feelings but they showed it in the way they took care for each other. I had a lot of respect for Shane for the way he handles Jimmy, the way he gave him his space and a choice, it was admirable.
My only complaint was that at times it did drag some and I would have loved an epilogue a few years down the road perhaps. Other than it was a solid read my first by this author and hopefully not my last.♥️
”Some people think family’s about DNA, but it ain’t. It’s about the folks who want you, who stick with you no matter what.”
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