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Cattle Valley #33
Karma
From an Olympic Gold Medalist to jail inmate, one man’s journey to rebuild his life after hitting rock bottom.
Once a celebrated athlete, Guy Hoisington fell from grace and into a bottle. For years, the citizens of Cattle Valley went out of their way to avoid the drunk lecher, but one man, Shane Rendell, not only dated Guy during a brief period of relative sobriety but fell in love with him before he was hastily cast aside.
Living within the thick haze of liquor and sex, Guy rarely made good decisions, but on one particular dark night, he makes the worst decision of his life when he decides to drive down the mountain after a long evening of drinking. He wakes from a coma to discover he’s run an innocent man off the road and has a life-changing injury. For the first time in a very long time, Guy is able to look at himself through sober eyes, and he hates the man in the mirror. In one stupid move, he’s lost everything.
Shane has tried for two years to move on with his life after falling for the town alcoholic, but when he learns of Guy’s accident, he rushes to the hospital. Although the entire town may hate Guy, Shane is determined to prove Guy hasn’t lost everything.
Pre-Order Date: 15th March 2016
Available Exclusively to Pride Publishing: 29th March 2016
General Release Date: 26th April 2016
Once a celebrated athlete, Guy Hoisington fell from grace and into a bottle. For years, the citizens of Cattle Valley went out of their way to avoid the drunk lecher, but one man, Shane Rendell, not only dated Guy during a brief period of relative sobriety but fell in love with him before he was hastily cast aside.
Living within the thick haze of liquor and sex, Guy rarely made good decisions, but on one particular dark night, he makes the worst decision of his life when he decides to drive down the mountain after a long evening of drinking. He wakes from a coma to discover he’s run an innocent man off the road and has a life-changing injury. For the first time in a very long time, Guy is able to look at himself through sober eyes, and he hates the man in the mirror. In one stupid move, he’s lost everything.
Shane has tried for two years to move on with his life after falling for the town alcoholic, but when he learns of Guy’s accident, he rushes to the hospital. Although the entire town may hate Guy, Shane is determined to prove Guy hasn’t lost everything.
Pre-Order Date: 15th March 2016
Available Exclusively to Pride Publishing: 29th March 2016
General Release Date: 26th April 2016
88 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2016
18 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
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Carol Lynne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 29, 2016
**1.5 stars**
This is the story of Guy, a once celebrated skier of Olympic gold standards. Guy is an alcoholic and a major jerk but to top it all off, he just served a 6-month sentence over a DUI that resulted in injuring someone else and in Guy losing his leg. Shane, a former fling of Guy’s who’s still holding a torch, pays all of Guy’s medical bills and comes up with the plan to restore the lodge that Guy left in disarray amidst his wild drinking and partying.
I liked Shane, even though I could not understand why he would have feelings for someone who treated him like shit. Shane was patient, kind, and he could do way better than invest his time and energy in saving the lodge and Guy’s life. Guy came out of jail and consistently came off as an ungrateful bastard. He admitted to himself that he was resentful of Shane and did not even hesitate to take his bad mood on Shane.
The book is only 88 pages long (ironically, the story ended at 88% on my kindle app as well) and that was clearly not enough for the plot attempted here. I have not read anything by this author before, so I am not sure if this was a fluke, but the writing style did not agree with me, unfortunately. Guy acted like an @$$hole but then decided to reveal all of his dark secrets to Shane out of the blue and play nice. Literally, out of the blue. There was no build-up, no friends-to-lovers, not even enemies-to-lovers, no bonding over the lodge operations. It just happened. I felt completely disconnected from the characters and did not feel the chemistry at all. In fact, Guy feeling a sense of gratitude (finally!) and perhaps thinking he is not attractive enough to look elsewhere was more believable to me for why the two got together. Shane was there, convenient, and ready to give himself to Guy. Even the sex scene was written matter-of-factly, with no passion or spontaneity. They could have been analysing a financial report on the lodge for all I know.
The whole “heal Guy” operation involved making amends with the town-folk and attending AA meetings. There were some encounters that were heated but there was no sense of continuity or development to the plot.
I did not like this story at all, I’m afraid. It left me frustrated and missing some emotional connection with the characters. Perhaps the fact that Guy never redeemed himself in my eyes played a part in it –childhood skeletons or no.
Cannot recommend.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
This is the story of Guy, a once celebrated skier of Olympic gold standards. Guy is an alcoholic and a major jerk but to top it all off, he just served a 6-month sentence over a DUI that resulted in injuring someone else and in Guy losing his leg. Shane, a former fling of Guy’s who’s still holding a torch, pays all of Guy’s medical bills and comes up with the plan to restore the lodge that Guy left in disarray amidst his wild drinking and partying.
I liked Shane, even though I could not understand why he would have feelings for someone who treated him like shit. Shane was patient, kind, and he could do way better than invest his time and energy in saving the lodge and Guy’s life. Guy came out of jail and consistently came off as an ungrateful bastard. He admitted to himself that he was resentful of Shane and did not even hesitate to take his bad mood on Shane.
The book is only 88 pages long (ironically, the story ended at 88% on my kindle app as well) and that was clearly not enough for the plot attempted here. I have not read anything by this author before, so I am not sure if this was a fluke, but the writing style did not agree with me, unfortunately. Guy acted like an @$$hole but then decided to reveal all of his dark secrets to Shane out of the blue and play nice. Literally, out of the blue. There was no build-up, no friends-to-lovers, not even enemies-to-lovers, no bonding over the lodge operations. It just happened. I felt completely disconnected from the characters and did not feel the chemistry at all. In fact, Guy feeling a sense of gratitude (finally!) and perhaps thinking he is not attractive enough to look elsewhere was more believable to me for why the two got together. Shane was there, convenient, and ready to give himself to Guy. Even the sex scene was written matter-of-factly, with no passion or spontaneity. They could have been analysing a financial report on the lodge for all I know.
The whole “heal Guy” operation involved making amends with the town-folk and attending AA meetings. There were some encounters that were heated but there was no sense of continuity or development to the plot.
I did not like this story at all, I’m afraid. It left me frustrated and missing some emotional connection with the characters. Perhaps the fact that Guy never redeemed himself in my eyes played a part in it –childhood skeletons or no.
Cannot recommend.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
June 17, 2016
2.5 hearts
The book starts in hospital, where Shane is visiting Guy (an ex-lover), while he is in a coma after a drunk driving accident. Guy was drunk and crashed into another car, losing his leg and severely injuring an innocent bystander. Guy has been on a slippery slope of alcohol and sex for a few years to escape childhood traumas, but everything comes to a halt when he has to go to jail for 6 months. When Guy is released he finds Shane has built Guy’s lodge into a thriving business so Guy could have some income and stability upon release.
Guy’s character was pretty well done if I think about it. He was such an asshole, which he confessed to being and had no issues of reminding those around him of the fact. I definitely didn’t like him. The problem was his redemption came so quickly and easily that I didn’t feel it at all. In comparison to the things he did and said to Shane prior the accident, a few ‘sorries’ didn’t feel like enough.
The story was essentially about Guy and his recovery and Shane's efforts to help him. I enjoyed the comfort/healing stages Guy went through, I thought they were pretty well paced. Then suddenly at 60% there's a romance. If I hadn’t been reading this for romance, it would have blind-sighted me. Other than Shane’s passing comments on how much his 2 days with Guy meant to him, romance was a virtually non-existent part of this story until 60%. There was no building the relationship up, it was, ‘let’s have sex’ too ‘I’ve always been in love with you!’.
I’m also very suspicious about Cattle Valley, I’m pretty sure this town is fully populated by gay recovering alcoholics. Like literally, EVERYONE was gay and everyone had a ‘shady past’ mostly involving alcohol. It was almost like a game of, ‘whose story is more messed up?’, but everyone was the winner. I guess that’s what comes from being number thirty three in a series based in one small town.
There was a lot of name dropping of characters whom I assume were from previous books. This didn’t make the story any more confusing, it just didn’t mean anything to me, as someone who hasn’t read the entire series.
I’m giving this book a bit of a bad rap. I think a lot of people would be drawn to the comfort side of this book, I certainly enjoyed the build up and development of Guy's recovery. While the characters were pretty interesting the romance was far too rushed for me to care about their HEA.
This book felt well concluded for Guy and Shane but definitely left things open enough to continue the series.
The book starts in hospital, where Shane is visiting Guy (an ex-lover), while he is in a coma after a drunk driving accident. Guy was drunk and crashed into another car, losing his leg and severely injuring an innocent bystander. Guy has been on a slippery slope of alcohol and sex for a few years to escape childhood traumas, but everything comes to a halt when he has to go to jail for 6 months. When Guy is released he finds Shane has built Guy’s lodge into a thriving business so Guy could have some income and stability upon release.
Guy’s character was pretty well done if I think about it. He was such an asshole, which he confessed to being and had no issues of reminding those around him of the fact. I definitely didn’t like him. The problem was his redemption came so quickly and easily that I didn’t feel it at all. In comparison to the things he did and said to Shane prior the accident, a few ‘sorries’ didn’t feel like enough.
The story was essentially about Guy and his recovery and Shane's efforts to help him. I enjoyed the comfort/healing stages Guy went through, I thought they were pretty well paced. Then suddenly at 60% there's a romance. If I hadn’t been reading this for romance, it would have blind-sighted me. Other than Shane’s passing comments on how much his 2 days with Guy meant to him, romance was a virtually non-existent part of this story until 60%. There was no building the relationship up, it was, ‘let’s have sex’ too ‘I’ve always been in love with you!’.
I’m also very suspicious about Cattle Valley, I’m pretty sure this town is fully populated by gay recovering alcoholics. Like literally, EVERYONE was gay and everyone had a ‘shady past’ mostly involving alcohol. It was almost like a game of, ‘whose story is more messed up?’, but everyone was the winner. I guess that’s what comes from being number thirty three in a series based in one small town.
There was a lot of name dropping of characters whom I assume were from previous books. This didn’t make the story any more confusing, it just didn’t mean anything to me, as someone who hasn’t read the entire series.
I’m giving this book a bit of a bad rap. I think a lot of people would be drawn to the comfort side of this book, I certainly enjoyed the build up and development of Guy's recovery. While the characters were pretty interesting the romance was far too rushed for me to care about their HEA.
This book felt well concluded for Guy and Shane but definitely left things open enough to continue the series.
October 13, 2016
It wasn't Karma that killed the moment on this one...
It was bad editing.
Karma is book #33 in Carol Lynne's series Cattle Valley and sadly it's not going down as one of the better books in this series for me. Admittedly it had a strike against it before I even started reading it, but putting that aside I was determined to give it a fair chance.
There are no spoilers here this is all part of the book description or info from previous books...
Going into this book my only issue was that it was about Guy 'freakin' Hoisington. He's shown up here and there in previous books. Exuding a sense of self importance that only added to his obnoxious nature and more often than not drunk as the proverbial skunk. So was I going to like Guy...probably not or at least I wasn't seeing it happen and predictably it did not.
Our other MC is Shane Rendell and we've seen him around a time or two. Shane, I at least liked. He's definitely one of the good guys. He's had a tough life and he's worked hard to make a better one for himself. Sadly he also seems to be hopelessly in love with Guy. Well they do say 'love is blind' and in Shane's case love is also lacking in self preservation.
Shane and Guy have a history. Apparently they dated for a short period of time during which Guy was relatively sober and Shane fell in love with him. Unfortunately Guy 'hastily cast him aside' in plain speak 'Guy kicked his ass to the curb' and from the sounds of it he was none to nice about it.
Ironically towards the end of a previous book in this series a very drunken Guy Hoisington caused an accident that put both him and an innocent victim in the hospital and leaving Guy in a coma, when he comes out of his coma he's left sober and having to face the consequences of his actions and the truth of who and what he's become. The only person at Guy's bedside during his hospital ordeal is none other than Shane. Shane unlike everyone else remembers the brief glimpse that he got of a different man one that no one else in Cattle Valley has had the privilege of seeing and he's determined to help guy find that man again.
I actually liked the first part of this book more than I had anticipated being possible. Did I like Guy no, did I come to like Guy not really. But I did like the Shane and I have to admit I pretty much agreed with everyone else in the story that he deserved better than Guy, however, I admired his loyalty and his perseverance. There were things in Guys past that explained why he'd become the person he had. I'm not saying it made anything ok just that I at least understood what put him on the path he was on before the accident.
If the last part of the book had flowed better with the beginning and spent a bit more time making the relationship between Shane and Guy believable (there were things in Shane's past that made it hard for me to believe he would so willingly fall into a relationship with an alcoholic) I probably would have come out of it wanting to give this book at least 3 stars and I may have even liked Guy a bit more. Unfortunately for me the last part seemed to get rushed. I'm not really sure why at 88 pages I'm pretty sure that it could have been afforded a little more attention to detail to maintain the quality of the story, but maybe that's just me. This was the main reason that the story went from being at least a 3 star read to 2.5 stars. It just didn't stay solid enough and I started to not enjoy or find the relationship between the MCs as believable as I had towards the beginning and now for the moment that Karma killed...
This goes to editing and maybe I'm being a bit picky here but for me authors are wordsmiths, if you will. Just as a blacksmith specializes in forging metals, an author specializes in taking words and crafting them into a story. So with that goes the ideal that one of the very most basic skills an author should have is an understanding of the language that they are working with, what a word means and how to use it to create images, express thoughts, move a story's plot along and the importance of ensuring that their story is presented in it's best possible form. Ok, so that's the basis of why this one little thing stuck in my brain and while it honestly had no impact on my rating of the book it did annoy the hell out of me.
At the end of this story Shane is having a moment where he's realizing that it's not Karma that guides a man through life, so here's where I'm going to use the exact quote because there is no better way to explain this and it really gives nothing away in regards to the story. So let's play a game, when I was in elementary school this was a thing that one of my English teachers would frequently do on test where they would give us the same sentence with only a word or sometimes two different and we had to select the one that was correct...
1. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversary..."
2. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversity..."
3. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversarial..."
So if you want to know which one is correct and which one the author used just check the spoiler...
I have to admit sometimes I'm not sure why I keep reading this series and as near as I can surmise it's because at the heart of it I like the premise that the author has for the series and the optimist in me wants to keep believing that she can do it justice. Overall I think there's such potential for both the storyline and the collection of characters it contains. So yeah, I'll probably keep reading it and it'll remain one of my conflicting but guilty pleasures until it ends or something goes so horribly wrong that I just can't do it anymore. It's just one of those things that I hate to love but for some reason I love it anyways ;-)
2.5 stars rounded down because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and the ending wasn't strong enough for me to want give it 3 stars.
It was bad editing.
Karma is book #33 in Carol Lynne's series Cattle Valley and sadly it's not going down as one of the better books in this series for me. Admittedly it had a strike against it before I even started reading it, but putting that aside I was determined to give it a fair chance.
There are no spoilers here this is all part of the book description or info from previous books...
Going into this book my only issue was that it was about Guy 'freakin' Hoisington. He's shown up here and there in previous books. Exuding a sense of self importance that only added to his obnoxious nature and more often than not drunk as the proverbial skunk. So was I going to like Guy...probably not or at least I wasn't seeing it happen and predictably it did not.
Our other MC is Shane Rendell and we've seen him around a time or two. Shane, I at least liked. He's definitely one of the good guys. He's had a tough life and he's worked hard to make a better one for himself. Sadly he also seems to be hopelessly in love with Guy. Well they do say 'love is blind' and in Shane's case love is also lacking in self preservation.
Shane and Guy have a history. Apparently they dated for a short period of time during which Guy was relatively sober and Shane fell in love with him. Unfortunately Guy 'hastily cast him aside' in plain speak 'Guy kicked his ass to the curb' and from the sounds of it he was none to nice about it.
Ironically towards the end of a previous book in this series a very drunken Guy Hoisington caused an accident that put both him and an innocent victim in the hospital and leaving Guy in a coma, when he comes out of his coma he's left sober and having to face the consequences of his actions and the truth of who and what he's become. The only person at Guy's bedside during his hospital ordeal is none other than Shane. Shane unlike everyone else remembers the brief glimpse that he got of a different man one that no one else in Cattle Valley has had the privilege of seeing and he's determined to help guy find that man again.
I actually liked the first part of this book more than I had anticipated being possible. Did I like Guy no, did I come to like Guy not really. But I did like the Shane and I have to admit I pretty much agreed with everyone else in the story that he deserved better than Guy, however, I admired his loyalty and his perseverance. There were things in Guys past that explained why he'd become the person he had. I'm not saying it made anything ok just that I at least understood what put him on the path he was on before the accident.
If the last part of the book had flowed better with the beginning and spent a bit more time making the relationship between Shane and Guy believable (there were things in Shane's past that made it hard for me to believe he would so willingly fall into a relationship with an alcoholic) I probably would have come out of it wanting to give this book at least 3 stars and I may have even liked Guy a bit more. Unfortunately for me the last part seemed to get rushed. I'm not really sure why at 88 pages I'm pretty sure that it could have been afforded a little more attention to detail to maintain the quality of the story, but maybe that's just me. This was the main reason that the story went from being at least a 3 star read to 2.5 stars. It just didn't stay solid enough and I started to not enjoy or find the relationship between the MCs as believable as I had towards the beginning and now for the moment that Karma killed...
This goes to editing and maybe I'm being a bit picky here but for me authors are wordsmiths, if you will. Just as a blacksmith specializes in forging metals, an author specializes in taking words and crafting them into a story. So with that goes the ideal that one of the very most basic skills an author should have is an understanding of the language that they are working with, what a word means and how to use it to create images, express thoughts, move a story's plot along and the importance of ensuring that their story is presented in it's best possible form. Ok, so that's the basis of why this one little thing stuck in my brain and while it honestly had no impact on my rating of the book it did annoy the hell out of me.
At the end of this story Shane is having a moment where he's realizing that it's not Karma that guides a man through life, so here's where I'm going to use the exact quote because there is no better way to explain this and it really gives nothing away in regards to the story. So let's play a game, when I was in elementary school this was a thing that one of my English teachers would frequently do on test where they would give us the same sentence with only a word or sometimes two different and we had to select the one that was correct...
1. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversary..."
2. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversity..."
3. "Shane had given a lot of thought to karma, and he'd decided it wasn't fate that guided a man through life, it was strength, integrity and a willingness to become a better person in the face of adversarial..."
So if you want to know which one is correct and which one the author used just check the spoiler...
I have to admit sometimes I'm not sure why I keep reading this series and as near as I can surmise it's because at the heart of it I like the premise that the author has for the series and the optimist in me wants to keep believing that she can do it justice. Overall I think there's such potential for both the storyline and the collection of characters it contains. So yeah, I'll probably keep reading it and it'll remain one of my conflicting but guilty pleasures until it ends or something goes so horribly wrong that I just can't do it anymore. It's just one of those things that I hate to love but for some reason I love it anyways ;-)
2.5 stars rounded down because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and the ending wasn't strong enough for me to want give it 3 stars.
May 3, 2016
There is something addictive about this series or I would have never made it through 33 books. Yes, they are all mostly less than 100 pages, however the town, the characters, the drama, and the overall sexiness that is Cattle Valley calls to me. I love getting to know the residents and having them appear in future books. How amazing would it be for a town like this to really exist? I would move there in a heartbeat.
As much as you are likely to find loving and loyal residents, you will also come across some who just don’t fit in. Guy is one of those who is actually very much hated for his arrogance, his narcissism, his out of control alcoholism, and the fact that his addiction caused so much hurt and pain to a fellow resident. Shane is the only resident who seems to care at all about Guy, who stands by him while he recovers from his accident, and tries to get the residents of Cattle Valley to see him for the man he knows is inside. Even though Guy has treated him like crap, as well, once Guy opens up to him the real man shines through.
I was excited for this book because there didn’t seem to be any redeeming qualities about this man. I knew his past would come back and bring the answers we needed and it was not a big surprise what that past brought to light. I ended up actually liking sober Guy. He really is a good man inside and with Shane by his side and in his corner to keep him walking the straight and narrow, I know that he will eventually be fully accepted by the town.
What I missed, and I know I can’t have it in every book, was a Rio sighting. How can we have a Rio birthday bash and no Rio moment? Ugh, oh well, maybe next the book.
The Blogger Girls
As much as you are likely to find loving and loyal residents, you will also come across some who just don’t fit in. Guy is one of those who is actually very much hated for his arrogance, his narcissism, his out of control alcoholism, and the fact that his addiction caused so much hurt and pain to a fellow resident. Shane is the only resident who seems to care at all about Guy, who stands by him while he recovers from his accident, and tries to get the residents of Cattle Valley to see him for the man he knows is inside. Even though Guy has treated him like crap, as well, once Guy opens up to him the real man shines through.
I was excited for this book because there didn’t seem to be any redeeming qualities about this man. I knew his past would come back and bring the answers we needed and it was not a big surprise what that past brought to light. I ended up actually liking sober Guy. He really is a good man inside and with Shane by his side and in his corner to keep him walking the straight and narrow, I know that he will eventually be fully accepted by the town.
What I missed, and I know I can’t have it in every book, was a Rio sighting. How can we have a Rio birthday bash and no Rio moment? Ugh, oh well, maybe next the book.
The Blogger Girls
March 25, 2016
Classic Carol Lynne. Light, easy reading even with difficult topics like child abuse and alcoholism. This is a novella so don't expect any long, drawn out angst. All the conflicts are resolved fairly easily and it all feels very surface-y which is, again, typical Carol Lynne. Read if you're looking for a quick, feel good read, that's drizzled fairly liberally with syrup.
April 3, 2016
3 stars, 3.5 Flames
It is always tricky when you are reading a blurb and you are excited to read a book. You have high expectations (on an inspiring read) and when they are not met, it can be easy to write a review solely based on what could have been. I decided to take a couple of days to really let the story sink in.
Second chance is a theme that I really do like. It has a lot to do with the fact that I had quite a bumpy ride in life and I am not proud of all the things that I have said and done. I can relate with some parts of Guy story. It has a lot to do with shaming ourselves of what we are and being afraid to open to the world. This story touches me because it is still an ongoing process for me to learn to trust and open up in my life.
I really liked this story, but it was too short! I personally feel that when you are giving so many elements in a story, you need to wrap it up very well. There is a lot of complex elements that were playing throughout the story and I feel a little let down by how it ends. This being said, it is a good story, I love the chemistry between Guy and Shane; it is one of those love/hate relationships that is blossoming into something totally new.
Guy is a total jerk, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything he was doing until he had his accident. Then little by little having to stay sober and cope with his amputation, he is seeing his life through another perspective. Shane presence ,while Guy is in recovery, is playing a big role in those changes. Shane has deep feelings for Guy, but those were never returned. We see Guy struggling and deciding to dig within himself to get in contact with himself. It was hard a really hard thing for him to do.
What will happen with all the events that Guy went through? What about Shane story? Those things could have been explored in much more details and given a depth that would have transformed it into a wonderful read. It was nicely written and characters are well built, but I was left wanting more. It was feeling rushed and while she did a good job having me care about the character and story, the author could have left some of the background elements out of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but that is frustrating to see all the avenues that could have been taken but ending in a dead end. As you can expect, my biggest issue is the story length. It should have been a full novel and most of my issues with the book would have been resolved.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a quick read about second chances and struggling with addiction, that is a good book, just keep that in mind while reading.
*I was gifted a copy of this novella from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and ratings are my own and I was in no way compensated.
It is always tricky when you are reading a blurb and you are excited to read a book. You have high expectations (on an inspiring read) and when they are not met, it can be easy to write a review solely based on what could have been. I decided to take a couple of days to really let the story sink in.
Second chance is a theme that I really do like. It has a lot to do with the fact that I had quite a bumpy ride in life and I am not proud of all the things that I have said and done. I can relate with some parts of Guy story. It has a lot to do with shaming ourselves of what we are and being afraid to open to the world. This story touches me because it is still an ongoing process for me to learn to trust and open up in my life.
I really liked this story, but it was too short! I personally feel that when you are giving so many elements in a story, you need to wrap it up very well. There is a lot of complex elements that were playing throughout the story and I feel a little let down by how it ends. This being said, it is a good story, I love the chemistry between Guy and Shane; it is one of those love/hate relationships that is blossoming into something totally new.
Guy is a total jerk, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything he was doing until he had his accident. Then little by little having to stay sober and cope with his amputation, he is seeing his life through another perspective. Shane presence ,while Guy is in recovery, is playing a big role in those changes. Shane has deep feelings for Guy, but those were never returned. We see Guy struggling and deciding to dig within himself to get in contact with himself. It was hard a really hard thing for him to do.
What will happen with all the events that Guy went through? What about Shane story? Those things could have been explored in much more details and given a depth that would have transformed it into a wonderful read. It was nicely written and characters are well built, but I was left wanting more. It was feeling rushed and while she did a good job having me care about the character and story, the author could have left some of the background elements out of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but that is frustrating to see all the avenues that could have been taken but ending in a dead end. As you can expect, my biggest issue is the story length. It should have been a full novel and most of my issues with the book would have been resolved.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a quick read about second chances and struggling with addiction, that is a good book, just keep that in mind while reading.
*I was gifted a copy of this novella from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and ratings are my own and I was in no way compensated.
June 14, 2021
This book was actually bittersweet reading it because it has been 7 years since I started the series of Cattle Valley Saturday I finished it. This book was wow I don't know if it was supposed to be the end of the series or not because it did not feel like it could have been there was so much more that could have been explored and cattle Valley however the author Carol Lynne disappeared. So I'll never know what could happened. Which is kinda sad to me.
This book focuses on Guy and Shane. It starts not long after the end of book 31 Snake Charmer and then picks up after 6 months because Guy who is a former Olympic skier had to pay for what he did at the end of book 31. However Shane stood by his side even though things were not good between them the night of the accident. All of Guy's life people have always wanted him for his money or his body. Even as a teenager his coach did that to him which is so sad because it lead him to the bottle when he couldn't deal anymore.
He became the Cattle Valley drunk and no one wanted him, except Shane who knew what he was like when he was sober because they'd had a relationship when Guy was sober until he love got in way. Shane however held on and takes care of Guy in this book who's recovering. It's so good and wonderful to see Guy be redeemed.
I wish there was more in this series because it has been so beautiful wonderful heartwarming heartbreaking and had me cry happy tears and sad ones. Thanks Carol for giving us this beautiful series.
This book focuses on Guy and Shane. It starts not long after the end of book 31 Snake Charmer and then picks up after 6 months because Guy who is a former Olympic skier had to pay for what he did at the end of book 31. However Shane stood by his side even though things were not good between them the night of the accident. All of Guy's life people have always wanted him for his money or his body. Even as a teenager his coach did that to him which is so sad because it lead him to the bottle when he couldn't deal anymore.
He became the Cattle Valley drunk and no one wanted him, except Shane who knew what he was like when he was sober because they'd had a relationship when Guy was sober until he love got in way. Shane however held on and takes care of Guy in this book who's recovering. It's so good and wonderful to see Guy be redeemed.
I wish there was more in this series because it has been so beautiful wonderful heartwarming heartbreaking and had me cry happy tears and sad ones. Thanks Carol for giving us this beautiful series.
April 23, 2016
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I read 20 or more Cattle Valley books a few years ago, and loved them, so I was delighted to revisit the place, and see how things have moved on. I remembered the characters and certainly felt back amongst the townsfolk.
Guy has been a much disliked man, but he has gone far beyond that now, and only one man, Shane has any time for him. It has to be said that the way he treats his one and only friend makes it difficult to understand why Shane stays, but finally we get the breakthrough. This is a difficult story, with so much in both their pasts that has an impact on their behaviour, but Guy at some point has to move forward. Ms Lynne takes us right to the edge, with some very moving moments. The ending was really good, and I can tell I will be looking out for the new installments from now on.
I read 20 or more Cattle Valley books a few years ago, and loved them, so I was delighted to revisit the place, and see how things have moved on. I remembered the characters and certainly felt back amongst the townsfolk.
Guy has been a much disliked man, but he has gone far beyond that now, and only one man, Shane has any time for him. It has to be said that the way he treats his one and only friend makes it difficult to understand why Shane stays, but finally we get the breakthrough. This is a difficult story, with so much in both their pasts that has an impact on their behaviour, but Guy at some point has to move forward. Ms Lynne takes us right to the edge, with some very moving moments. The ending was really good, and I can tell I will be looking out for the new installments from now on.
April 18, 2016
~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads Review Team~
This book was pretty short and packed a lot into it. As short as it was, I didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters and by the time Guy pulled his head out of his butt the book was over. I think if this book was longer and we got more dialogue between Guy and Shane there would have been a good story here and possible great love story but it just fell flat for me.
Characters: well written and easy to relate to
Sex: yes
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: yes but I read it as a stand a lone
Genre: M/M/Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
This book was pretty short and packed a lot into it. As short as it was, I didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters and by the time Guy pulled his head out of his butt the book was over. I think if this book was longer and we got more dialogue between Guy and Shane there would have been a good story here and possible great love story but it just fell flat for me.
Characters: well written and easy to relate to
Sex: yes
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: yes but I read it as a stand a lone
Genre: M/M/Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
April 3, 2016
3.75 stars
Classic Carol Lynne: Feel good story with minimal angst despite the serious issues addressed, quick resolution and an HEA that arrives way before you're ready. I'm glad Guy got his redemption, that he and Shane got their story.
I always enjoy my little trips to Cattle Valley, and this time was no different. I'm really going to miss these interludes when this series comes to an end.
Classic Carol Lynne: Feel good story with minimal angst despite the serious issues addressed, quick resolution and an HEA that arrives way before you're ready. I'm glad Guy got his redemption, that he and Shane got their story.
I always enjoy my little trips to Cattle Valley, and this time was no different. I'm really going to miss these interludes when this series comes to an end.
June 28, 2016
Guilty pleasure fluffy stars.
Needs to be longer
Needs to be longer
June 20, 2019
Reading this after a long brake was like riding a bike, it was like I never stopped.
A sweet comfort read.
A sweet comfort read.
March 17, 2021
Cattle Valley # 33; Guy and Shane.
I went into this not expecting much, knowing that Guy was a nasty alcoholic who was drunk when he ran Riley off the road in a previous book. Riley was seriously injured and Guy was in a coma close to death. He also lost a leg from the accident and did prison time when he recovered. All of the town hated him; Shane was the only one who stood by him and helped him recover. He dried out during the prison term and went to AA, determined to stay sober and make amends.
He didn't trust Shane's motives at first, but a relationship bloomed.
This is an emotional story of redemption. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to climb back up.
With Shane's help, step by step, bit by bit, the townspeople began to accept the new, sober Guy. Even Riley forgave him. I really enjoyed this installment; it was a satisfying read.
I went into this not expecting much, knowing that Guy was a nasty alcoholic who was drunk when he ran Riley off the road in a previous book. Riley was seriously injured and Guy was in a coma close to death. He also lost a leg from the accident and did prison time when he recovered. All of the town hated him; Shane was the only one who stood by him and helped him recover. He dried out during the prison term and went to AA, determined to stay sober and make amends.
He didn't trust Shane's motives at first, but a relationship bloomed.
This is an emotional story of redemption. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to climb back up.
With Shane's help, step by step, bit by bit, the townspeople began to accept the new, sober Guy. Even Riley forgave him. I really enjoyed this installment; it was a satisfying read.
May 21, 2021
I loved this series so much. But this book was my absolute favorite. Thank goodness I had plenty of tissues handy.
December 16, 2020
Cattle Valley
Guy has a lot of making up to do in this next instalment after he is released from prison but it’s a great story of fighting your inner demons
Guy has a lot of making up to do in this next instalment after he is released from prison but it’s a great story of fighting your inner demons
June 11, 2016
“You have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else. Because it's only when we love ourselves that we feel worthy of someone else's love.” ~ Alyssa B. Sheinmel, 'Faceless'
When Guy wakes up in the hospital, the last person he expects to see at his bedside is Shane Rendell. He'd treated Shane badly after their short affair, then sent him packing. Although Guy's abrupt dismissal broke Shane's heart, he'd had a glimpse of the man beneath the mask of indifference and sarcasm. Shane sees the good in Guy and decides to help Guy see himself the way Shane does.
Putting up with Guy's rude demeanor, Shane stays by Guy through his convalescence, even paying for some of Guy's medical bills to ensure he has the best care. All the while, Guy is suspicious of Shane's motives, doubting his every suggestion or action, but he's unable to find any. Shane even buys half of Guy's ski lodge and manages it while Guy is serving a jail sentence for a DUI charge. Guy ran Riley off the road, seriously injuring him, but at least not causing his death. Among many other serious injuries, the accident caused Guy to lose his leg, ending his skiing days for good. When Guy gets out of jail, thanks to Shane, he has somewhere to go.
Shane has been working on building up business for the ski lodge, making arrangements with local vendors and businesses to promote exposure and provide the lodge with improved amenities. Shane sets Guy up in one of the cabins and makes sure that everything is handicapped accessible. Shane gives Guy room to think about how different his life can be if he can stop hating himself, ask forgiveness of the people he's wronged, and, most important, stay sober and let himself see the goodness in him that Shane sees. Shane has deep feelings for Guy and would love it if they could have a relationship, but if Guy can turn his life around, he will settle for just being good friends.
I definitely remember Guy from before and wondered why someone would act the way he did. I had a feeling there was a story behind what made him the way he was. When he finally confided in Shane, I did see him in a different light, but it would be a stretch to say he's redeemed himself in my eyes. I like Shane and wonder, especially coming from a background of having alcoholics in his family, why he would put himself in a similar situation, but on the other hand, he would also know what to expect and how to deal with the problems that come with the territory. He has the patience of a saint, maybe too much, especially for Guy after the way he treated Shane. I'd say that Guy doesn't deserve him, but that's not my judgement to make. Everyone deserves a second chance, even Guy.
At eighty-eight pages, 'Karma' is not a long story, but Carol managed to put a lot of emotion into it. Guy and Shane are interesting characters and it seems are now on the right track, but I would like to have had more resolution. However, I also realize there may be more of their story revealed in the future. If you aren't already a Cattle Valley fanatic, like me, who has read all thirty-three books, I don't know if there is enough background information to read it as a stand-alone. Thanks, Carol, for giving Guy and Shane a second chance.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
When Guy wakes up in the hospital, the last person he expects to see at his bedside is Shane Rendell. He'd treated Shane badly after their short affair, then sent him packing. Although Guy's abrupt dismissal broke Shane's heart, he'd had a glimpse of the man beneath the mask of indifference and sarcasm. Shane sees the good in Guy and decides to help Guy see himself the way Shane does.
Putting up with Guy's rude demeanor, Shane stays by Guy through his convalescence, even paying for some of Guy's medical bills to ensure he has the best care. All the while, Guy is suspicious of Shane's motives, doubting his every suggestion or action, but he's unable to find any. Shane even buys half of Guy's ski lodge and manages it while Guy is serving a jail sentence for a DUI charge. Guy ran Riley off the road, seriously injuring him, but at least not causing his death. Among many other serious injuries, the accident caused Guy to lose his leg, ending his skiing days for good. When Guy gets out of jail, thanks to Shane, he has somewhere to go.
Shane has been working on building up business for the ski lodge, making arrangements with local vendors and businesses to promote exposure and provide the lodge with improved amenities. Shane sets Guy up in one of the cabins and makes sure that everything is handicapped accessible. Shane gives Guy room to think about how different his life can be if he can stop hating himself, ask forgiveness of the people he's wronged, and, most important, stay sober and let himself see the goodness in him that Shane sees. Shane has deep feelings for Guy and would love it if they could have a relationship, but if Guy can turn his life around, he will settle for just being good friends.
I definitely remember Guy from before and wondered why someone would act the way he did. I had a feeling there was a story behind what made him the way he was. When he finally confided in Shane, I did see him in a different light, but it would be a stretch to say he's redeemed himself in my eyes. I like Shane and wonder, especially coming from a background of having alcoholics in his family, why he would put himself in a similar situation, but on the other hand, he would also know what to expect and how to deal with the problems that come with the territory. He has the patience of a saint, maybe too much, especially for Guy after the way he treated Shane. I'd say that Guy doesn't deserve him, but that's not my judgement to make. Everyone deserves a second chance, even Guy.
At eighty-eight pages, 'Karma' is not a long story, but Carol managed to put a lot of emotion into it. Guy and Shane are interesting characters and it seems are now on the right track, but I would like to have had more resolution. However, I also realize there may be more of their story revealed in the future. If you aren't already a Cattle Valley fanatic, like me, who has read all thirty-three books, I don't know if there is enough background information to read it as a stand-alone. Thanks, Carol, for giving Guy and Shane a second chance.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 7, 2016
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews!
For those of you not familiar with this series, Cattle Valley is a small town in Wyoming populated by gay and lesbian people, started by a rich man in honor of his son. We have followed all sorts of characters in the last 32 books, now in the 33rd book we get a redemption story. Guy has been the asshole character hanging over the town for many years, he’s the resident alcoholic, a sports star, and owner of a big lodge just out of town. He’s managed to destroy his own life quite nicely in one night of bad decisions. Guy and his on again, mostly off again fuck buddy, Shane, had a bad fight, Shane took off, Guy followed. Drunk off his ass. He causes an accident that nearly kills him and another man. Shane feels guilty and responsible for the accident, and heads to the hospital to help Guy. He ends up paying Guys hospital bill and sits beside his bed waiting for him to wake up. Guy does eventually wake up to discover he has really messed things up. He’s permanently damaged himself, physically and financially. He ends up very reluctantly signing part of his lodge over to Shane, who offers to handle his finances for him while he’s in jail. Guy is an absolute asshole to Shane, who STILL offers to help him.
Guy gets out of jail and the two try to figure out how to make a relationship work, initially a professional relationship only.
Writing a believable redemption story is a very hard thing to do, and this one is only partially successful. The problem is, the author has to create a character that needs to be redeemed, who we hate, then transition him through his redemption into someone we love. Unfortunately I so hated Guy that I was never able to get to the point that I liked him, much less loved him. He’s just an awful man. He’s horrible to Shane in particular, and I have no idea why Shane would have anything to do with him. I had a very hard time understanding their relationship, and why Shane would have any desire to be with such a nasty man. I could see the process he was going through, maybe if the book had been longer and he’d had to work harder to get Shane, I would have gotten him. I didn’t even see that he wanted to be with Shane, or why Shane wanted to be with him. The connection between them wasn’t visible enough for me.
So I liked this book, but didn’t love it… I got what Carol was trying to do, I liked the basic plot, and I love CV. It was hard for me to really understand the relationship between the two main characters, but I did see Guys redemption. A bit too little to late for me, but I see where it was going. I loved seeing some of the other residents popping up, and I liked how they interacted with Shane and Guy. I love the concept of this town, and series, and hope we get more of these books, or more set in Lobster Cove, the spin off series. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but I still liked it and will read more in the future!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. This review originally posted at Love Bytes Reviews, please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews, and giveaways!
For those of you not familiar with this series, Cattle Valley is a small town in Wyoming populated by gay and lesbian people, started by a rich man in honor of his son. We have followed all sorts of characters in the last 32 books, now in the 33rd book we get a redemption story. Guy has been the asshole character hanging over the town for many years, he’s the resident alcoholic, a sports star, and owner of a big lodge just out of town. He’s managed to destroy his own life quite nicely in one night of bad decisions. Guy and his on again, mostly off again fuck buddy, Shane, had a bad fight, Shane took off, Guy followed. Drunk off his ass. He causes an accident that nearly kills him and another man. Shane feels guilty and responsible for the accident, and heads to the hospital to help Guy. He ends up paying Guys hospital bill and sits beside his bed waiting for him to wake up. Guy does eventually wake up to discover he has really messed things up. He’s permanently damaged himself, physically and financially. He ends up very reluctantly signing part of his lodge over to Shane, who offers to handle his finances for him while he’s in jail. Guy is an absolute asshole to Shane, who STILL offers to help him.
Guy gets out of jail and the two try to figure out how to make a relationship work, initially a professional relationship only.
Writing a believable redemption story is a very hard thing to do, and this one is only partially successful. The problem is, the author has to create a character that needs to be redeemed, who we hate, then transition him through his redemption into someone we love. Unfortunately I so hated Guy that I was never able to get to the point that I liked him, much less loved him. He’s just an awful man. He’s horrible to Shane in particular, and I have no idea why Shane would have anything to do with him. I had a very hard time understanding their relationship, and why Shane would have any desire to be with such a nasty man. I could see the process he was going through, maybe if the book had been longer and he’d had to work harder to get Shane, I would have gotten him. I didn’t even see that he wanted to be with Shane, or why Shane wanted to be with him. The connection between them wasn’t visible enough for me.
So I liked this book, but didn’t love it… I got what Carol was trying to do, I liked the basic plot, and I love CV. It was hard for me to really understand the relationship between the two main characters, but I did see Guys redemption. A bit too little to late for me, but I see where it was going. I loved seeing some of the other residents popping up, and I liked how they interacted with Shane and Guy. I love the concept of this town, and series, and hope we get more of these books, or more set in Lobster Cove, the spin off series. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but I still liked it and will read more in the future!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. This review originally posted at Love Bytes Reviews, please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews, and giveaways!
April 24, 2016
I have to say this book was extremely amazing. It is a book that I would say is about getting a second chance to make right all the wrongs that one caused.
Guy was an Olympic gold medalist that turned drunk. One night after having a little to much to drink he got in his car and cause an accident that almost took Riley's life and almost took his also but did take his leg. After waking from a coma and finding out that he lost his leg and that he caused the accident and was going to jail, the person he least expected walks into his hospital room and turns his life upside down again even after Gay had treated him horribly in the past. Shane made it clear to Guy that he was there to stay even if it was only as a friend.
Guy in my opinion is on a road to self destruction. He is out to destroy himself in any way possible. He does not see that his drinking is harming not only himself but others also. When he drinks he is not the nicest person and using his drinking makes it easier to forget the things that hurt him in the past instead of dealing with it. Guy has not dealt with the abuse he indured at the hands of his father and coach from when he was a child and because of not dealing with it, it leaves him with a gaping hole in his hurt where all the is. His drinking is what he uses to mask the pain.
Shane in my opinion is the strong one in this book. Because even though he was hurt by Guy in the past more then once he believes Guy is a good guy and Shane will do anything to help Guy realize the same about himself. Shane knows that guy has it in him to quit drinking and to turn his life around and Shane stands by him and doesn't waiver on it even when Guy lashes out at him.
This is an amazing story about hitting rock bottom with no where else to go other then to pick up the pieces and start over and try to make amends and pray you turn out to be better, stronger person this time around. It is also about the one person that stands beside you when no one else will and the strength it takes to stand by you.
This book was beautifully written and is an amazing story. It is easy to picture this book as being a true story of someone's life. Great job Carol Lynne.
Was given this book for free by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
Guy was an Olympic gold medalist that turned drunk. One night after having a little to much to drink he got in his car and cause an accident that almost took Riley's life and almost took his also but did take his leg. After waking from a coma and finding out that he lost his leg and that he caused the accident and was going to jail, the person he least expected walks into his hospital room and turns his life upside down again even after Gay had treated him horribly in the past. Shane made it clear to Guy that he was there to stay even if it was only as a friend.
Guy in my opinion is on a road to self destruction. He is out to destroy himself in any way possible. He does not see that his drinking is harming not only himself but others also. When he drinks he is not the nicest person and using his drinking makes it easier to forget the things that hurt him in the past instead of dealing with it. Guy has not dealt with the abuse he indured at the hands of his father and coach from when he was a child and because of not dealing with it, it leaves him with a gaping hole in his hurt where all the is. His drinking is what he uses to mask the pain.
Shane in my opinion is the strong one in this book. Because even though he was hurt by Guy in the past more then once he believes Guy is a good guy and Shane will do anything to help Guy realize the same about himself. Shane knows that guy has it in him to quit drinking and to turn his life around and Shane stands by him and doesn't waiver on it even when Guy lashes out at him.
This is an amazing story about hitting rock bottom with no where else to go other then to pick up the pieces and start over and try to make amends and pray you turn out to be better, stronger person this time around. It is also about the one person that stands beside you when no one else will and the strength it takes to stand by you.
This book was beautifully written and is an amazing story. It is easy to picture this book as being a true story of someone's life. Great job Carol Lynne.
Was given this book for free by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
April 29, 2016
Reviewed by Jay Chase for QUEERcentric Books
3.5 stars
Karma by Carol Lynne is number 33 in the Cattle Valley series. This book was read as a standalone and there were no issues with understanding the back story.
Guy was once a successful Olympic Gold skier. He is also an alcoholic jerk! He’s completing a sentence for a DUI that cost him a leg and injured Riley Banks. He exudes an attitude of not caring for anything or one around him. However, when his amputation forces him to emerge from his alcohol-induced haze things begin to look a bit different for him.
A SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC GOLD SKIER
Shane is one of Guy’s former flings who hasn’t been able to let go. He’s good-hearted and takes it upon himself to assist with Guy’s reintroduction into the community, assisting with his medical bills and even devising a plan to make Guy’s ski lodge successful again. We have to wonder why he’s so devoted, but we can see that he focuses on the good parts of people instead of the bad.
There is a noticeable and immediate chemistry between Guy and Shane, but it’s clouded from the start with baggage and past actions. Shane has long held deep feelings for Guy, and being around him constantly inspires some deep introspection. Watching Guy work though this is a painful albeit healthy journey for him.
CLOUDED FROM THE START WITH BAGGAGE AND PAST ACTIONS
When the walls between Guy and Shane crash down it happens quickly and without much warning, giving it an almost whiplash effect. The characters were well written, too, and Guy’s shocking revelation had an impact that was no doubt intended.
Karma fell short for me, though. This could have been because a short novella simply didn’t allow time for either a friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers dynamic to develop between the characters. There are also additional plot avenues that could have been explored that were left hanging instead. Maybe some of them will appear in later books.
If you are in the mood for a quick feel-good read that is overly sweet (Guy’s attitude at the beginning aside), give this one a shot.
3.5 stars
Karma by Carol Lynne is number 33 in the Cattle Valley series. This book was read as a standalone and there were no issues with understanding the back story.
Guy was once a successful Olympic Gold skier. He is also an alcoholic jerk! He’s completing a sentence for a DUI that cost him a leg and injured Riley Banks. He exudes an attitude of not caring for anything or one around him. However, when his amputation forces him to emerge from his alcohol-induced haze things begin to look a bit different for him.
A SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC GOLD SKIER
Shane is one of Guy’s former flings who hasn’t been able to let go. He’s good-hearted and takes it upon himself to assist with Guy’s reintroduction into the community, assisting with his medical bills and even devising a plan to make Guy’s ski lodge successful again. We have to wonder why he’s so devoted, but we can see that he focuses on the good parts of people instead of the bad.
There is a noticeable and immediate chemistry between Guy and Shane, but it’s clouded from the start with baggage and past actions. Shane has long held deep feelings for Guy, and being around him constantly inspires some deep introspection. Watching Guy work though this is a painful albeit healthy journey for him.
CLOUDED FROM THE START WITH BAGGAGE AND PAST ACTIONS
When the walls between Guy and Shane crash down it happens quickly and without much warning, giving it an almost whiplash effect. The characters were well written, too, and Guy’s shocking revelation had an impact that was no doubt intended.
Karma fell short for me, though. This could have been because a short novella simply didn’t allow time for either a friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers dynamic to develop between the characters. There are also additional plot avenues that could have been explored that were left hanging instead. Maybe some of them will appear in later books.
If you are in the mood for a quick feel-good read that is overly sweet (Guy’s attitude at the beginning aside), give this one a shot.
April 14, 2016
***Book provided by Pride Publishing for an honest review posted at Gay Book Reviews
I have been waiting for this story it seems like forever.
Like every resident in Cattle Valley I saw this polished prick that needed a good kick in the nads to get him out of that high cloud he appeared to be on. Every time Guy came and did something that just about pissed me off, but like a good romantic a just knew he needed to find his other half and all would be well.
Little did I know! I should have known better. Every resident of CV has gone there for a reason and they are all looking to redeem themselves, some just need a little push; others, well lets just say that I’m glad all worked in the end.
I read something someone who was pissed at the whole outcome said and I do get it that there was this big deal going on but I also know that many victims just want to let sleeping dogs lie. It’s not like Guy could do anything about it and I really think that even with Shane’s support he would have fallen of the wagon if everything came out.
I cried like a baby every time something of Guy or Shane’s past was revealed and that is what I like about Carol Lynne. She makes you feel, like really feel for this guys and by the end of every book you are so emotionally invested that it really makes you happy to know that the characters are on their way to a HEA like no other.
I have been waiting for this story it seems like forever.
Like every resident in Cattle Valley I saw this polished prick that needed a good kick in the nads to get him out of that high cloud he appeared to be on. Every time Guy came and did something that just about pissed me off, but like a good romantic a just knew he needed to find his other half and all would be well.
Little did I know! I should have known better. Every resident of CV has gone there for a reason and they are all looking to redeem themselves, some just need a little push; others, well lets just say that I’m glad all worked in the end.
I read something someone who was pissed at the whole outcome said and I do get it that there was this big deal going on but I also know that many victims just want to let sleeping dogs lie. It’s not like Guy could do anything about it and I really think that even with Shane’s support he would have fallen of the wagon if everything came out.
I cried like a baby every time something of Guy or Shane’s past was revealed and that is what I like about Carol Lynne. She makes you feel, like really feel for this guys and by the end of every book you are so emotionally invested that it really makes you happy to know that the characters are on their way to a HEA like no other.
April 27, 2016
This is a very complicated short story about the owners of a ski lodge in Cattle Valley (or, more accurately, in the mountains above Cattle Valley.
I have to admit that I didn’t feel an emotional connection to either of the leading men which meant that I failed to engage with the central romance. I found the main character, Shane, instantly likeable but I was soon feeling more pity than admiration for him as he shamelessly devoted himself to a man so unworthy of his attentions. And I found Guy impossible to like. Even as he starts to redeem himself, his efforts often felt selfish.
This is #33 in a long running series and I read it as a stand alone which will have coloured my judgement. I found myself confused by the names of towns and characters. For such an elaborate series, a map or a list of characters at the start would have really helped.
Ultimately, it was the story itself I failed to really engage with. 90 pages is just not enough to deal with a string of heavy topics: life-changing injury, alcoholism, child abuse and financial ruin. One of these topics could be the single central theme for a much longer story, but this felt like a whistle-stop tour without development or resolution.
Fans of the series may have a very different reaction to this story. Some of these threads may have been developed carefully through the series, but I didn’t enjoy this story enough to pursue earlier books to find out.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
I have to admit that I didn’t feel an emotional connection to either of the leading men which meant that I failed to engage with the central romance. I found the main character, Shane, instantly likeable but I was soon feeling more pity than admiration for him as he shamelessly devoted himself to a man so unworthy of his attentions. And I found Guy impossible to like. Even as he starts to redeem himself, his efforts often felt selfish.
This is #33 in a long running series and I read it as a stand alone which will have coloured my judgement. I found myself confused by the names of towns and characters. For such an elaborate series, a map or a list of characters at the start would have really helped.
Ultimately, it was the story itself I failed to really engage with. 90 pages is just not enough to deal with a string of heavy topics: life-changing injury, alcoholism, child abuse and financial ruin. One of these topics could be the single central theme for a much longer story, but this felt like a whistle-stop tour without development or resolution.
Fans of the series may have a very different reaction to this story. Some of these threads may have been developed carefully through the series, but I didn’t enjoy this story enough to pursue earlier books to find out.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
December 9, 2016
Original review on Molly Lolly
Three and a half stars!
If the Cattle Valley series is your favorite and you go back to read them over and over, then you should pick up this book. While I enjoyed the books in this series that I read, I feel like my reading tastes may have changed more than I realized. This book fell a bit flat for me in some places. There was more telling versus showing than I would have liked. Some of the events that get skipped in the book were kind of big and I felt like they should have been included to get me more engaged into the story. I really liked how Guy worked through his problems and worked to redeem himself. He fought hard to regain the trust of the community. Shane was very focused on helping Guy regain the trust of the townspeople. He was a total champion for Guy turning himself around. But Shane felt kind of one dimension to me. He never really showed much outside of Guy. It’s like all he did was for or about Guy. The emotions never really rang true for me either. It felt like they were just going through the motions. I never got that sense they were deeply in love and committed to each other.
Three and a half stars!
If the Cattle Valley series is your favorite and you go back to read them over and over, then you should pick up this book. While I enjoyed the books in this series that I read, I feel like my reading tastes may have changed more than I realized. This book fell a bit flat for me in some places. There was more telling versus showing than I would have liked. Some of the events that get skipped in the book were kind of big and I felt like they should have been included to get me more engaged into the story. I really liked how Guy worked through his problems and worked to redeem himself. He fought hard to regain the trust of the community. Shane was very focused on helping Guy regain the trust of the townspeople. He was a total champion for Guy turning himself around. But Shane felt kind of one dimension to me. He never really showed much outside of Guy. It’s like all he did was for or about Guy. The emotions never really rang true for me either. It felt like they were just going through the motions. I never got that sense they were deeply in love and committed to each other.
January 3, 2017
Carol Lynne tiene ese "No sé qué" que hace que siempre me sienta cómoda cuando la leo, esa como si me metiera a la historia y estuviera observando de cerca a los personajes, es hermoso. Por algo es una de mis escritoras favoritas, sus novelas siempre me hacen sentir bien, identificada y las disfruto mucho. Esta no es la excepción.
Desde un inicio me conmovió la forma en la que Shane trataba a Guy, me interesé más en la novela por el tema que trataba "El alcoholismo", seguí ansiosa cada momento que pasaron y fue divino saber que el corazón de Guy era todo de Shane "Cuerpo y Alma", ¡Carajo! Amé cuando Guy le dijo eso.
Además de que pude volver a leer de mi hermoso Sheriff Ryan Blackfeather, fue bello.
Fue un libro hermoso, como todos, muchas gracias. ♥
Desde un inicio me conmovió la forma en la que Shane trataba a Guy, me interesé más en la novela por el tema que trataba "El alcoholismo", seguí ansiosa cada momento que pasaron y fue divino saber que el corazón de Guy era todo de Shane "Cuerpo y Alma", ¡Carajo! Amé cuando Guy le dijo eso.
Además de que pude volver a leer de mi hermoso Sheriff Ryan Blackfeather, fue bello.
Fue un libro hermoso, como todos, muchas gracias. ♥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2016
guys book. I loved cattle valley and all the inhabitants.. collected most of the books. but this one while reminiscent of early works of CL. this one I didn't much care for, the after accident, going to jail 6mts. I can get behind forgiveness and all but to have child sexual abuse just tossed about (reasoning behind guys drinking that and apparently his dad pimped himout tyo the douchebag coach/trainer) that didn't sit well with me. the easy it was casually brushed aside. this was a meh! so what book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2016
Cattle Valley has been consistently one of my favourite series and Guy has been getting progressively more unstable throughout them. We finally get to see beneath the messed up surface to the mess beneath. Shane has been something of a martyr to his feelings for Guy. Another good read, although I heard there is only going to be one more book in this series, I can't wait.
April 18, 2016
I liked this edition to this series
Cattle Valley will Always be one of my favorite series and I love to return to these stories
where I like one story more as the others for me this was really one I liked a lot
Cattle Valley will Always be one of my favorite series and I love to return to these stories
where I like one story more as the others for me this was really one I liked a lot
May 4, 2016
Everything seemed rushed and I was left with unanswered questions. I think Guy's issue should have been brought to an end. He went through a lot in his life for his blackmail issue to be left unfinished.
May 1, 2016
Jesus, this was heartwarming, breathtaking, humbling loving beautiful story. Second chances, we all deserve on, and I'm so happy Shane and Guy get the chance to shuffle the deck, and move on to better times......LOVED THIS!!
LOVE THIS SERIES! OUTSTANDING
LOVE THIS SERIES! OUTSTANDING
August 30, 2021
No epilogue which bummed me out. I don't know if the author had planned for this to be the last book, but I kinda expected a bit more.
I would loved Guy to go to AA in town, but then I realized that town has a lot of alcoholics. What's up with that.
I would loved Guy to go to AA in town, but then I realized that town has a lot of alcoholics. What's up with that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2016
Too short
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