Honey from the Lion

Love Across Time #2

by Jackie North

Soulmates across time. A love that was meant to be.

In present day, Laurie, tired of corporate life, takes a much-needed vacation at Farthingdale Dude Ranch.

The very first night a freak blizzard combined with a powerful meteor shower takes Laurie back to the year 1891. When he wakes up in a snowbank, his only refuge is an isolated cabin inhabited by the gruff, grouchy John Henton, who only wants to be left alone. His sense of duty prevails, however, and he takes Laurie under his care, teaching him how to survive on the wild frontier.

As winter approaches, Laurie's normal fun-loving manner make it difficult for him to connect with John, but in spite of John's old-fashioned ways, the chemistry between them grows.

Sparks fly as the blizzard rages outside the cabin. Can two men from different worlds and different times find happiness together?

A male/male time travel romance, complete with hurt/comfort, true confessions, a shared bed, fireplace kisses, the angst of separation, and true love across time.

Genres: Historical, Time Travel, M M Romance, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Science Fiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2018

About the author

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about.

She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Reviews

[len ❀[ia bc of school] · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I've never felt so loved before,” said Laurie. “Never felt loved the way you make me feel loved.”
“I will make you feel loved all the days of my life,” said John, his voice quite clear and sure as he said this.

I wish there was a synonym useful enough to describe this book, but all there really is is the word beautiful. It doesn’t do the writing, atmosphere, and feeling of this book justice though. It pains to say that there aren’t enough words to describe the beauty of this book, but I’m happy to describe Jackie North as a master of storytelling already. Her lyrical prose, with descriptive, atmospheric and vivid imagery, gives a sense of belonging to her fictional characters and fictional world in Wyoming.

The characters here, Laurie and John, are nonetheless lovely. John could be described as a gentle giant. After fighting in the Indian Wars and encountering life-risking moments, he lives alone in a tiny cabin, keeping to himself. Taking Laurie under his wing, providing for him, and later on teaching him how to survive the wilderness was not what he had planned. Yet, despite the grouchy mask John puts in front of him to shield himself, John is caring, kind, and of course, brave. He cares for those he loves, and wants to be someone able to help others in need. Laurie was a small missing light in his life. Maybe it’s because I’m shallow, but I love it when one character doesn’t realize life is worth living until they meet the one. In this case, John felt like living alone was going to be the way to go, but when he met Laurie, he realized there was more to give. I love this in romance books, and it might be my shallowness or just because it gives a small sense of hope despite the fictional entry. It’s a little melancholy, but it isn’t downright sad. Laurie had to grow on me a bit. I think his character development progressed nicely, but I didn’t like how rude he came across at certain times, especially with John. Regardless, he was a perfect addition to the lonely life John had. I loved the patience and care he had with John, and how devoted he became to him. The two come from very different times, but their undying love for each other grew in a tender way that it filled all worries and fears away.

“It's hard to explain, but when I'm with you, I don't feel like there are parts of me that are unnecessary. I don't feel rushed. I feel contented and happy when I'm with you. When we're like this, or doing chores together, or when we went looking for the buffalo wolves. It means something, my life means something when I'm with you.”

The relationship development of this was blissful and delightful. It felt so organic, not taking any steps backward or moving forward too quickly. Instead, the two develop a small alliance, but it becomes naturally domestic and fulfilling that it all feels natural. Despite this, it isn’t entirely easy, and since the year is 1891, two men having any sort of physical relationship is illegal. This is very evident not only because of the year but in how John acts. The author doesn’t sugarcoat the brutality same-sex relationships had back then. Terms like “molly” and “punk” are described as derogatory terms, which I wasn’t aware of. According to British Newspaper Archive, Molly “was a slur used for effeminate, homosexual men and the term was adopted to describe the clubs, taverns, inns, or coffee houses where they met up in secret. Although the establishments or meeting places were called ‘mollies,’ men of all types frequented the houses, including masculine, effeminate, working-class, aristocracy, etc.” British Library describes Punk “as a derogatory insult of various kinds, from US prison slang for men being used for sex to a term for the young male companions of tramps, and then as general description of contemptible or worthless people, petty criminals, cowards, weaklings, amateurs, apprentices and inexperienced youths in general. As John described them, “Don't you know what a punk is? What a molly is? Punks are young men who have sex with older men, and a molly does it for money.” This was new information for me, and I think it really shows a lot in North’s writing for keeping it historically accurate. There’s a lot more though, like how John had never been with a man before, how scared he was of being seen with Laurie, how he can lose his job/license for being seen with another man. It also shows in the story Bill tells and how it was never a red fox. It’s sad to think about all the men and women who went through what John went through, having to hide their true desires and needs because society didn’t accept it. This isn’t to say it doesn’t happen anymore, but to compare back then versus would be useless, especially in the US.

Honey from the Lion was indeed a little more than what Heroes for Ghosts was missing. Sometimes, it felt like Honey from the Lion was a soundtrack—naturally flowing to create a story from the musician to tell the listener. North creates her storytelling here by showing a timeline between our two characters, John and Laurie, who are from two very different times and eras. Yet, the relationship development progresses in a manner that a soundtrack is often associated with—one with a beginning and ending, with tracks in the middle filling in the gaps. I absolutely loved the route the author took here, much more than book 1. Some readers may not be so supportive of this route due to how some like being told when exactly a couple gets together, but North does a lot of showing, in which I am forever grateful for. I think her concept of showing and telling differs from many authors because she puts the two together yet they aren’t unbalanced or awkward. They’re stacked together, offering to create a neutral stance in order to let the reader know there are two options. I believe North masters this. It doesn’t seem like she tries to use one over the other, and there haven’t been occasions where one or the other feels fake or forced. I’ve become a fan of this author’s writing, but the way she incorporates her styles together has made me into a bigger fan.

Adding on to that, the story focuses primarily on the relationship between the two men. We spend almost the entire book with just them, and them around each other, whether they’re together yet or not. There’s a lot of tenderness and affection, so much that it had me giggling and kicking my feet back and forth. The love shared between Laurie and John is nothing but softhearted. It is full of compassion, first loves, and explorations. There’s fireplace kisses, a lot of hugging and cuddling, and a lot of domesticity. John doesn’t know Laurie is from the future, so there’s a few things the two don’t know about each other, which can be a little frustrating if you let it get to you. I didn’t think this bothered me too much, even if I do think it would have helped a lot in terms of the two communicating more and understanding why they weren’t always on agreeable terms. Despite this, I’d have to say Jackie North created one of the sweetest couples with these two. It’s another book I’d suggest reading during a rainy, gloomy, cozy day.

The writing is also beautiful. As described, it’s descriptive and lyrical, with a prominent prose that allows the reader to see and feel where the characters are. It’s easy to imagine the setting of Wyoming, especially from the past. It’s full of love and kindness, and there’s a small mix of emotional connection. From the way the author describes the current dude ranch, to the tiny cabin John lives in, to the different moments John and Laurie share. The different ways John teaches Laurie to do certain things plays a big part in how their relationship developed. It becomes natural for them to follow a specific routine that their relationship slowly starts being built from it. I also like how the author keeps the writing traditional, meaning that since the book is set in the past, there are clear indications of the past. There aren’t modern things, and it shows the difficulty of what it was like living in a year like 1891. Laurie struggled at first, and it took a while for him to learn from John, but when he did, he adjusted to it. I like that the author keeps to this style and doesn’t go back and forth because of how the book is set. If it were set during the past and present it would be different, but the historical aspect of it is very prevalent and doesn’t just hide in the background as if it has no relevance to the story. There are a lot of things I read about for the first time, things and terms I never knew about before, and it only continues to amaze me how much you can really learn from fiction despite what people tell you.

Overall, I liked this one a lot more than the first. The relationship felt more developed and overall more organic, and the characters had a lot more memorable qualities about them. I am just in awe of how much creativity this author has.

“Yesterday,” said John, petting Laurie's fingers with his own. “I was so in love with you I couldn't even see straight. Which was probably why I kissed you in town. My mind was so full with my love for you, I couldn't see the wrong of it.”

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Time of death: 52%
Length of time suffered before death(dnf): INFINITE♾️
WHAT THE F DID I JUST READ?!
He used the word “suckle” when describing sucking dick, and I knew that was it for me.
This book was my 13th reason.

I'm back to add to my review. Let’s get straight to it because the sooner, I can bleach this book from my memory, the better. I wish there was a star rating lower than one because this book fucking missed.

It missed plot.
It missed a realistic relationship.
It missed ANYTHING that you may want in a time travel romance.
It missed sense and reason.
It missed QUESTIONS. NO PERSON IN THIS BOOK QUESTIONS ANY OF THE WEIRD SHIT THATS GOING ON AROUND THEM??
It missed authentic and realistic dialogue.

NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, can simply explain this absolute nonsensical fuckery this book provides to you and why it was so ridiculous. I won't get into Johns character, but just know, he is not without flaws also. He was very "I'm not gay" to I'll let you touch my dick within 3 days and there was NO chemistry or reason or bi awakening in that time... it just went from "i'm not that kind of man" to... okay lessssssssssgo? IN A TIME WHERE I'TS "FORBIDDEN" MAYBE? because John's friends seemed chill with it considering.. but it was weird. LETS focus on MC 1 though.

The mc 1 (Laurie) is dumb, self absorbed, can’t read a room, pushes himself on his love interest after being told that the other man is not gay, uses questionable consent, is inappropriate and most of all, I can not stress this enough, DUMB. I can’t rest without truly expressing how much I fucking hated this MC. I don't think a good idea or thought crosses into his brain, this entire book??


I think this one scene in particular really sums up who Laurie was as a person…
A kind man (John, our second MC) who is sheltering Laurie after being a bit hesitant at first (because who wouldn’t be hesitant if a random man showed up to your front door in 1891 in a Carhartt jacket in the middle of a snow storm) finally opens up a little about his trauma from being shot, and in a war, and seeing awful things done to children and women… etc. the MC kindly and respectfully says “IS THAT WHERE YOU SAW A MAN GET SCALPED?”

Ummmm excuse me??? Read the fucking room bro.
And then again, a page or two later, after John starts unloading slightly more trauma stories about the reason he chose to live an isolated life far away, instead of expressing any forms of empathy, sympathy, decency or any kind of normal human standard of response… our wonderful MC Laurie, who I love, adore and cherish, begins to ask for FUCKING REASSURANCE???

It was very.. “oh sorry you saw people being murdered, but like can you please forget that and focus on what’s important here, ME, please call me a good boy and make sure I don’t feel like I’m putting you out in any way by moving into your house after just meeting you”



In summary:
- I hate Laurie
- Laurie was awful
- Laurie is the overall reason this book was shit
- Laurie literally didn’t deserve John’s love, and John felt like a lonely old man who confused loneliness for love.
- I’m convinced the author may be an alien wearing human skin if they think this book convey proper human emotions.
- Laurie sucked (and suckled lol ew)

Also if you LOVE REPETITIVE USE OF WORDS.
You’re gonna fucking froth this number count I have done on your behalf.

Union suit - 41 times (although not a huge number, you’re telling me I’m supposed to find a man in a glorified old school onesie with A BUTT FLAP sexually appealing in any way??? In what universe???)
Ranch - 54 times (usually just dumb “oh I hope I don’t have to pay extra for this cabin experience for the ranch” when ITS OBVIOUSLY NO WHERE NEAR THE FUCKING RANCH. You aren’t in RANCH-AS ANY MORE DOROTHY, you fucking idiot)
Dude -84 times
Cowboy - 91 times (always along with the cringiest dialogue that will make your skin feel like there are roaches crawling under it)
“Laurie” - 1918 times
“John” 1969 times - R U KIDDING?
Like I know it’s 3rd person but there’s a sentence where the word Laurie is used 5 times, IN ONE FUCKING SENTENCE. Omg.

Also, fuck this book for 3 more reasons.
- Use of the word “suckle��� during fellatio.
- Use of the word “mighty spend” for cumming.
- Being labelled a time travel book when time travel is never really discussed, or observed or looked at in any depth apart from ✨time travel because✨ and then the INCIDENT of time travel arises, it literally got “activated” by the mother fucking power of love, there was no reasons, or science or cool any part of time travel. He just walked to the mountain, thought of John, and ✨POOF✨ is back in 1891.

I regretted not dnf-ing at like 26% honestly.
I want a refund of my time, please n thank you.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In North's first Love Across Time book, a WWI soldier travels to the present. That story was told in an alternate POV, and both MCs were aware that one of them was a time traveler.

In Honey From the Lion, which is a standalone with no relation to the first book except for the time travel theme, one MC (Laurie, a 24-year-old software developer taking a much needed vacation on a Wyoming dude ranch to unwind and get away from it all) travels to the past (the year 1891 to be precise).

The story is told only from Laurie's perspective; the other MC (John, who works for the railroad and lives alone in a remote cabin in the Wyoming mountains) never finds out what the first MC sacrificed to be with him.

This story is intensely romantic and warm. It made me feel cozy and happy inside. Imagine the connection two people must share to be drawn together across centuries.

If you're a history fiend like me, you'll enjoy the descriptions of life in the late-19th century American frontier. I have always loved REAL history, not the wars and politics and treaties, not history written and rewritten by the "winners" (white, male, wealthy, hetero), but TRUE history about people and their everyday lives.

As such, I loved reading about Laurie and John making breakfast, sweeping snow out of the cabin, playing checkers, tending to their boots, and traveling to town to buy butter and bread.

If you're not a history buff, fair warning: this is a slow-burn, quiet story filled with minute details about life in an Old West cabin, entirely focused on the relationship between two men, one of whom has never known a man's (or, I suspect, a woman's) touch.

I wish John's voice had been included, because I adored his stoic ways and big, generous heart. I never felt like I truly got to know him.

The MCs seemed to exist solely for each other. We know Laurie has two close friends, but nothing else is said about his background or John's family. We learn only that John saw terrible, gruesome things at Wounded Knee Creek when he was serving in the cavalry. (Google "Wounded Knee Creek" to read the dark history of American genocide against Native Americans.)

The secondary characters, both in the present and past, were richly sketched. The steam, light and subdued, was appropriate to the story. The ending was happy but tentative.

I was disappointed that Laurie left his friends with no sign or message and that he never told John about from whence he'd arrived. I felt like he didn't trust John enough.

For stories such as these, ones that require a suspension of disbelief, I believe an epilogue is a necessity, but Jackie North doesn't write them. She leaves her endings with a vague They lived happily ever after, and it's not quite enough, at least for me.

Honey From the Lion is about following your heart's desire. It's about a man and his Little Red Fox, about sacrifices, the warmth of a wood fire, hot coffee and hearty stew. It's about a love so strong, it cares naught for time or space and will find you no matter when you are.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author got it right when she stated that this story was a blend of Brokeback Mountain, Little House on the Prairie and Outlander.

Laurie (24), short for Lawrence, is tired. He works full time in software development, lives a fast, coffee fueled kind of life. His soul is exhausted. He books a trip to a dude ranch, in the hope that a week sleeping under the stars will help him decompress, and find himself again.

✔️Time travel
✔️Atmospheric and lyrical
✔️Tender MM love story
✔️Virgin hero
✔️Wild West
✔️One bed in one tiny cabin
✔️Survival from the elements
✔️Ends with hea
✔️Can be read as a standalone
✔️Yes, there is steam!!

John (30) is a war veteran. Having survived being shot, and the mental monstrosities of what he was forced to do in the expansion of the west, he just wants to be left alone.

The little red fox saved Old Joe, in a way, from being alone, and Old Joe and the little red fox were happy together.

There is an utter sweetness to John that is hard to explain. He's childlike in his crush, and in experiencing first love. And through his vulnerabilities, he gives Laurie the space to let his emotional walls down as well. This is not a high octane, angsty, nerve-racking story. This is more a gentle, meandering-creek-through-the-woods kind of love story. It was so beautiful.

I adore time travel books, and really admire the writing strength it must take to get all the details just perfect. Everything is written and exquisite detail from hunting for food, clothing, the lack of vegetables, chopping wood, and even using the old Sears catalog for toilet paper in the outhouse.

I will admit that the foreshadowing was fairly predictable, but overall I loved every moment reading this and would recommend it to anyone loving a slower paced (not slow burn) love story.

Huge thank you to Iman, whose review made me pick this one up!

I'm adding this book to my pile of favorite time travel books:
(In no particular order)

The Parallel series by Elizabeth O'Rourke
Transcendence by Shay Savage
The golden dynasty by Kirsten Ashley
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
More of Us to the West by Trinity Done
Kindred by Octavia E Butler
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
The winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Recursion by Blake Crouch
Hyperion by Dan Simmons

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

**spoilers**

I'm so bummed this was such a let down because I LOVE time travel love stories and I was really excited to read one.
This book didn't even feel time travely at all. Laurie time travels back to 1891 and ends up at an isolated cabin the mountains. It felt much more like a "isolated cabin in the mountains without electricity" book than a time travel book. They never discussed time travel, never had any time travel related miscommunications, no time travel related culture shock- had they not gone to town Laurie would have never even known he time traveled. Huge missed opportunity with the time travel.

So much day to day details that were pretty boring. Since they were in an isolated cabin with no modern conveniences, they spent the bulk of their time together doing all the necessary daily chores. I felt like all this book was was reading a step by step description of their chores. Pretty boring to read about tbh. Like, I'm here for a time travel book, not a chore book 😭

Also, John weirdly never questions anything. Laurie never tells him about the time travel, so he is unable to honestly answer any questions about himself or his past or where he came from, and John is just cool with that. He is never like, "how did you appear seemingly out of no where?" "whats with the weird clothes you are wearing?" "if you think the year on my calendar is wrong, what year do you actually think it is?" He never asks?

[Clara's Book Lab · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have thoughts and feelings about this book and most them are pretty rough; so let’s go through them 😮‍💨

Let’s start with the good - the story has some cute and tender moments and it gave me many girl dinner inspirations. That’s it.

Onto the not-so-nice stuff.

Firstly, the dynamic between Laurie and John was not it for me. John acted like a father figure (no, NOT daddy - cos I’ll vibe with that, just Father 👴🏼) and treated Laurie like an 8 year-old bratty child 👶🏻 (to be fair, he definitely acts like it). Their dynamic in the first half of the book reminded me of grumpy Carl and Russel from UP 🎈so no I definitely DID NOT want them to kiss. Everything between them happened both so quickly AND boringly (they did SO MANY chores) and they still didn’t know much about each other by the end of it - there was barely a ‘getting to know you’ conversation. So their dynamic was off and the whole time I was reading my face was like 😟😣☹️😒 NOT IT 😐

Next is the fact that Laurie was as sharp as a tea spoon 🥄 he did not have any intelligent thought throughout the whole book. It took him torturously long to figure out the ‘twist’ - IF we could even call it that. The whole plot was blatantly obvious, which is fine (we’re all here for the romance), but it was so frustrating when the main character is so oblivious to all the major MAJOR hints around him. He did keep saying that he likes men who know things (???- the bar is so low) so I guess it’s because he knows nothing, except making cringeworthy jokes that feels exactly like when your manager tries to befriend you in the office’s kitchen and you have to forcefully laugh while dying inside. So that’s nice 🙃

Lastly, the writing itself. Oh man, it repeats paragraphs and words like no other. It used the word ‘hokey’ like 10 times in the first 10 percent of the book and used the word ‘polite’ so many more times throughout to explain things that are not polite at all??? (Hints: I don’t think consent is politeness, it’s just basic human right??? And I didn’t know that you have to swallow because it’s only polite?? Wot?). And I hated the way that this book over explains itself, it did not leave any space for the readers to analyse or think critically about anything, everything was written as plainly as 1+1=2 on the pages. But I guess it was easy to read 🤷🏻‍♀️

Feeling mean, might delete later 🙊

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was kicking feet in the air, blushing and creaming (yes, creaming😮‍💨) reading the first half and until I turn into a lame crying hot mess with puffy eyes for the second half. I guess a win is a win WOHOO!

I’m putting Hugo first here because of the rants I dumped on him while reading this. And ofc he rec’d this whole series to me. So thankie! 🥰🤗

In case the 5 stars is not clear, I really looved everything about this book. The first book didn’t worked out that well for me, but this one definitely do and I WILL continue the others. I loved the suspense in the beginning, it was quite an intense buildup which then becomes a pleasing journey 💜💜

OMG John is fucking hot. You can ask me to eat dirt, my guy I’ll eat the fucking grass too HAHAHAHAH but my sensitive ass would cry if I actually live with him 😭😭 But I LOOVE HIM. I love both of them, Laurie and John, their personalities are so likeable and I enjoy their company so much!

I can’t stop blushing reading this, they actually have a connection despite coming from a harsh and intense beginning. It was a wholesome journey watching the relationship develops with them teasing and playful with each other all the time. Ahhh, such sweethearts 🥹 I really, really love the plot in this one too, soo entertaining and I can’t put it down at all hehe. I wish I’ve read this first LOL now I have to keep going coz it’s goooooooodd!!

I love the setting so much as well, the details were realistic and everything seems to be soo fitting. It was so comforting reading John and Laurie’s love story 💗

I turned into a hot mess after 50% can’t tell much what happened, but it was as heck so beautiful and heart wrenching journey! DID I NOT SAY I LOOVE IT ???

“If they asked me, do you love him, I would lie and say no just so I could keep you."

favourite details:

**SPOILERS**

☺︎ Daddy first time comforting him 🥹🥹🥹🥹
☺︎ Daddy shaving his face😭😩😭😩😩😭💜💗🫣🥰😩😩😭😮‍💨🥲
☺︎ Kiss forehead and the place his cheeks onto it as if to keep the kiss in place. GAGSGAGAGAGA THIS MADE ME A WHORE FOR PHYSICALTOUCH HELPP 😭😭😭😭
☺︎ “Little Red”😭😭😭😭😭
☺︎ JOHN BUYS HIS SUGAR BABY LAURIE A FUCKING BELT COZ HE SECRETLY WANTS IT HAHAHSGSGSGAGAGSGSGSGS IM DEDDDD BYE 😭
☺︎ public kiss 🥹 even though that was uhm… :(
☺︎ Red Fox story
☺︎ Laurie’s longing
☺︎ Laurie coming back home :((
☺︎ "You told me you loved me," said Laurie. "That was very brave. I want to be brave, too, and tell you that I love you and I will always be your Little Red."

LMAO WHY DO I keep calling John daddy 🤣🤣

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honey From the Lion, the second book in Jackie North’s standalone Love Across Time series, is now available in audio, beautifully performed by Greg Boudreaux. Jackie North captures every bit of romance between these two desperately lonely souls, and slowly, tenderly, lets them fall in love. If the thought of being snowed in with a gorgeous (but completely unrefined) bear of a man, and all the amenities of 1891, strikes up a note of romance in your heart, then this is the story for you!

I love historicals, and Jackie North squeezes all kinds of fascinating tid-bits about the late 1800s into0 Honey From the Lion. Balancing the romanticism of cozy evenings by the fire, with the hardship of living in an uninsulated cabin, what struck me most about their daily life is the welcome absence of 21st Century issues.

Told completely from Laurie’s point of view, we know from the start how unhappy and unfulfilled he’s feeling with his life. As a last-minute escape from his anxiety and stress, Laurie figures a complete change is what’s needed to shake up his routine. It’s clear what this sweet, somewhat shy guy needs are the right circumstances (and the right man) to help him bloom.

It’s impressive how Jackie North expresses Laurie’s wonder and confusion as he tries to make sense of his situation. As he stumbles upon the rustic cabin, he reasons that John must be a reenactment actor, and struggles to play along with the 19th Century living conditions. Plus, just let me say, the scene where Laurie realizes he’s going to have to actually use an outhouse is completely priceless!

This is an absolutely fantastic slow-burn romance, and the pace of the courtship is perfect. Laurie proceeds with caution, mindful of John’s inexperience, as well as the stigma of being sexual with another man in the 19th Century. Carefully introducing John to one sensation after the other, giving John the time he needs to get comfortable, and gradually accept what’s happening between them. And when John finally embraces his love for Laurie, it’s absolutely glorious.

Greg Boudreaux delivers an amazing performance in the audio version of Honey From the Lion. With a real talent for expressing emotion, Mr. Boudreaux makes the most of the highs and lows in this story. All of Laurie's experiences feel so intimate, and the tremendous angst of the romance between these two lost souls is heartbreakingly beautiful.

Laurie is a complex character, a real mixture of innocence and confidence, and Greg Boudreaux captures it all. His childlike delight in building a snowman, his wee temper tantrums, and eventual sulking when he doesn’t get his way. Laurie’s emotional journey comes through loud and clear. And I love the warm and mellow voice Greg Boudreaux uses for John. It is so sexy! Gruff and unrefined, we gradually discover that John is a lion with the most tender heart. Laurie has to pull out all the stops to get some honey from this wounded warrior, but it is one hundred percent worth the effort!

I’ve quickly become a fan of Jackie North, and these Love Across Time romances are addictive. Each novel has a very different flavor, and I’m looking forward to each of them (hopefully in audio!). Honey From the Lion is an unforgettable and heartbreakingly beautiful love story, and one for the top of my re-listen pile.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I can sum this up any better than the lovely friends I buddy read it with have already done. To summarise my thoughts, the foreshadowing was very, very basic and the homophobia and implications of being discovered as gay in a country town in 1891 is grossly underwritten. Laurie annoyed the hell out of me with how little he seemed to understand that fact despite being from the future and how little he respected John’s situation and safety.

The dialogue between the MC’s and just the characters themselves felt so bland and one dimensional. John was like a cardboard cut out of a man. He never once questions ANYTHING?! Not once? Not anything?? And Laurie’s lack of ..everything really just drove me to drink. He was extraordinarily dim-witted and terribly selfish and cruel with what he did to his friends in the end.

This story actually felt like a ‘story’ instead of an immersive novel. I never felt engaged and like the characters had any substance. Their sexual relationship was cringey and I can’t even say the painful dialogue was part of the time travel as most of it came from Laurie. I’m very sad by this as I love time travel, I loved Outlander and the author notes that this is inspired by Outlander but nope I was not feeling it.

This turned into a much longer summary than I anticipated, I was simply going to link their reviews and be done with it, but then realised writing code for GR’s is not my strong suit.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

24-year-old software developer Laurie takes a vacation at a Wyoming dude ranch, and after a night under the stars complete with cowboys playing harmonicas, steak on the grill and ghost stories, he wakes up in the middle of a snow storm. After struggling through snow drifts in his new boots and Carhartt jacket bought especially for the trip, he finds a small cabin and when a man dressed in a buffalo hide coat opens the door, Laurie is convinced this is part of some enhanced dude ranch experience.

Except Laurie has gone back in time to 1891 and the man in the cabin, John Henton, is suffering PTSD from his role in the Indian Wars and wants nothing more than a quiet place "so he can lick his wounds and recover from the horrible sights his eyes had beheld." On the other hand, "Laurie's first goal with anyone he met was to get them to like him by making them laugh at his antics." Sigh.

I have to admit that Laurie irked the heck out of me in the beginning of this book, and thankfully he manages to curb this annoying habit before too long (just about the time he stops acting like a brat and accepting that maybe he is stuck in the time period) and for me, that's when this story became very interesting. This is definitely a slow-burn romance and the pace of the story is gentle as Laurie becomes accustomed to a life without cell phones, electricity, instant gratification. But it's fascinating to learn of all the minutiae of daily life and how these two disparate men learn to love one another.

For John that journey is difficult and Laurie appreciates how monumental it is for this gentle man to embrace his sexuality. Their love story is wonderfully done and really carries the story. The details of the time period feel authentic and after a bit of a rough start with Laurie's antics, the story totally drew me in and I was enthralled by this story.

I have just a few niggles, for one, we only get Laurie's POV ... but mostly, Laurie never tells John that he is a time traveler and while the author sets up the story with Laurie hearing a "ghost story" around the campfire about a man who lived alone in the cabin, Laurie never seems to realize that John is the subject of that story, until the very end. As in, it never crossed his mind? but on the whole, I really enjoyed this story of two men who find a love together. 4 strong stars for "Honey from the Lion."

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review also also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a week’s vacation at a Dude Ranch turns into much more adventure than he planned for, Laurie quickly finds himself in over his head. Now, lost over a hundred years in the past, Laurie must find a way to fit into a world with very few modern conveniences or social understandings. It is only with the help of John Henton, the taciturn man who rescued Laurie from death-by-blizard, that he has any hope of survival. But John is thawing much more than just Laurie’s hands, which can cause all sorts of problems for both of them. Even if Laurie never makes it back home, can he ever hope to build a new one in this strange world?

Truth be told, if you tell me that the book has time travel, that is all you’ll ever really need to sell me on it. While I tend to prefer stories that land the protagonist in Victorian England, I’m not too terribly picky when it comes to time travel. Give me a story about some poor schmuck stuck in a place out of time, and I’ll probably be all for it.

That being said, I usually run 50/50 when it comes to whether I actually end up liking the story by the finish. I don’t really care for time travel stories where the author, through the main character, actively tries to do as little as humanly possible in order to preserve the timeline. I find those stories at best boring, if not constantly annoying. And you can never really be sure if that is the direction the author is going to take just by the blurb. So while I love time travel I always pick up new ones with a bit of hesitation.

That’s not what happened here though. Not only was I rather pleased with the outcome of the story, but there were large stretches of this book that had me so caught up in the story that I forgot to hold myself back. This isn’t a very plot heavy book, instead it relies on its two main characters to carry the weight of the story. John and Laurie pull this off magnificently. The way they play off each other is probably one of my favorite parts of this book. They mesh so well, even if their wildly differing personalities do sometimes clash, that a reader can easily get lost in their love story.

And I actually really appreciated the fact that the romance, instead of the time travel plot devise, was the main focus here. You never really forget that Laurie is from the 21st century, but the story doesn’t hit you over the head with it constantly. It comes up when needed, and ducks back into the background when it is less important. This is a story, ultimately, about two men who are wildly different falling in love…one of them just happens to be from the future.

Overall this was a very sweet and fun read. I’m still not really sure what the title has to do with the story, but that is hardly something I’m going to ding the book for. Because at the end of the day I enjoyed reading this and am probably going to go back and read the first one at some point. Very highly recommended.

4.5 stars


This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet Time Travel romance. Relatively low angst and has a good amount of day to day survival stuff too.

Stuck together in a tiny cabin in the middle of winter. I had my stomach in knots from the sweetness and beauty of these two men.

There could have been a more satisfying ending or an epilogue but I enjoyed it all the same.

4 stars
2 on the spice scale

CW: small amount of historical bigotry and homophobia

[Gustaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've been reading and falling in love with both Jackie North and the Farthingdale ranch series lately I felt a need to go back and see where it all started, even though time travel romances ain't my usual cup of tea. And let me tell you, I loved this. It was such a sweet and gentle love story.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

...When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden
..
..
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips. (Kahlil Gibran)

You ever wonder what's like if your soulmate is not somewhere around you, but somewhere in another time?
Laurie never thought about it too, not until he's suddenly trapped in the year of 1891, and met a grumpy handsome man named John.
Before he met John, there's a story about Old Joe he didn't really pay attention. Not until something's happened in the past, with him included in the picture.
From the feeling of trapped to comfort and didn't want to come back to his life, and called Little Red by a man he became to care and loved, Laurie accepted his fate that John is his soulmate.
The thing with soulmates across time is, decision. Whether he'll stay or leave.
That's not an easy one, because Laurie was living in a modern world but he loved John and didn't want to be without him.
Then something happened, that leaving Laurie heartbroken, especially after finding out the story about Old Joe and what happened to him :(

" He could not bear the thought of John dying all alone like that, sitting in the leather chair facing the door while the wind howled through the broken windows, his cracked rifle on his arm, waiting for his Little Red to come home to him.

My heart's broken too, I cried for the two lovely soul that need to be together. I cried for John, who's by time, getting to love Laurie so much that he cannot bare to live without his Little Red.
And if Laurie didn't want John ended like the Old Joe, he need to come home to John. To his real home, where he felt safe and loved. In John's arms.

"I'm coming home, John. I don't know how, but I'm coming home."

Honey From The Lion is a heartwarming, sweet story with a little angst that can make your heart ache and cry. But don't worry, this also has a happy ending.
Laurie and John got their happily ever after, the way they deserved.
I'm happy for them, I'm happy I found and read this book. Laurie and John will stay for a long time in my heart.

Highly recommended!

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this an A for narration (duh!) and a B+ for content at AudioGals, so that's a smidgeon above 4.5 stars and I'm rounding up.

Honey from the Lion is book two in Jackie North’s Love Across Time series of timeslip romances, and although I haven’t listened to the first book (Heroes for Ghosts), the two aren’t connected by storyline or characters, so this one can be listened to as a standalone. I enjoyed this one sufficiently to want to go back to Heroes, and also to hope that the remaining four books in the series will find their way into audio – especially if Greg Boudreaux continues to narrate them!

Twenty-four-year-old software designer Laurie Quinn is tired, stressed-out and badly needs a break from his familiar routine and surroundings. When the book begins, he’s just arrived at the Farthingdale Dude Ranch in Wyoming and is looking forward to time spent in the fresh air, doing something completely different – a bit of “cowboy work”, evenings round the fire, camping under the stars, riding the range and generally escaping the stresses of modern life. Things get off to a pretty good start, with an evening spent around the campfire, eating food from the chuck wagon and listening to ghost stories told by the ranch’s owner, Bill. (I loved the use of the story about Oooooooold Joe and his Little Red Fox, which starts out as just a throwaway campfire story and is later shown to have much more significance.) Laurie goes to sleep that night looking forward to a ride across the dusty high plains the next day.

When he awakens though, he’s cold, his hat is encrusted with ice and the world has turned white. There’s no sign of his fellow dudes and dudettes, the bunk house, the barns or the corrals – he’s completely alone, and if he doesn’t find shelter soon, he’ll freeze to death. He has no idea what direction he should go in, but he starts walking anyway, and eventually makes out the shape of a small log cabin. He doesn’t remember it from the tour he was given the day before and it’s probably old and rotten, but no matter, at least he’ll be able wait out the storm inside.

When the door finally opens in response to his banging (and kicking) the man behind it immediately berates him for wandering around in a snowstorm, accusing him of being one of those city slickers who thinks they can “make it here when they couldn’t make it back home.” Unable to speak because he’s so cold, Laurie, blown by a fierce gust of wind, stumbles inside – accompanied by a small drift of snow, much to the man’s annoyance.

As he takes in his old-fashioned but homey surroundings – the farm sink, the iron cook stove, the old -style leather chair – Laurie thinks he must somehow have ended up in a portion of the dude ranch experience he might have to pay extra for, and takes the tough-looking, taciturn but striking man for a re-enactment actor who isn’t supposed to ever break character. When he gruffly tells Laurie to take his clothes off so he can warm up and get dry, Laurie’s immediate reaction is the usual one he employs when he’s nervous and wants someone to like him – he makes a joke (in this case about buying him dinner first!) to lighten the mood. But it falls on deaf ears, and Laurie realises he’s overstepped the mark.

Sorry for causing embarrassment and grateful for the kindness he’s being shown, Laurie does as he’s told, but becomes prickly again when his host – John Henton – answers his question about why the calendar on the wall is for the year 1891 and not a more “interesting” date by telling him that it IS 1891 and not whatever time Laurie thinks it should be. Laurie thinks it must all be part of John’s persona, and decides to go with the flow until he can get John to take him back to the ranch.

The whole story is told in Laurie’s PoV, so we never get inside John’s head, but the author does a pretty good job of rounding him out as a character. He’s a gentle soul beneath the gruff exterior, and is living with what we’d recognise today as PTSD as a result of the horrible things he witnessed at the massacre at Wounded Knee, the “senseless killings and deaths of Native American men, women and children.” He’s come to this remote cabin to be by himself, lick his wounds and recover.

The romance between John and Laurie is very much a slow burn, and it’s beautifully done. This is a very quiet story, with a lot of time spent with the two men in the cabin as they go about their daily tasks and slowly, tenderly fall in love. There’s a lot of intricate detail here – we listen to them preparing breakfast and supper together, going into town to buy food and other necessities, sweeping out the snow, oiling their boots, playing checkers, and doing lots of little day-to-day tasks – but it’s never dull or too much. We’re listening to them building a life together (did they but know it) and the gentle pacing of this unlikely courtship is just about perfect. Laurie becomes used to life without things like phones and electricity, and even though it’s a lot harder – he makes a comment at one point about how long many of the simplest tasks take without modern conveniences – he likes it. He likes John, too, of course, but recognises that this is a very different time with very different rules and is mindful both of John’s inexperience and of just how difficult and momentous a thing it is for a man like him to examine his sexuality. The leisurely pacing allows Laurie to give John the time he needs in order to become comfortable with his growing feelings for Laurie and what’s happening between them – and I defy anyone not to have a major attack of the feels when John finally embraces his love for him.

Honey From the Lion is a gorgeous love story and one I’m sure I’ll return to. The only real criticisms I have are that by the end, Laurie hasn’t told John the truth about who he is or where he’s from, and although the author does a good job of portraying John through Laurie’s eyes, the lack of his PoV meant I didn’t feel as though I got to know him as well as I’d have liked.* I also had some issues with Laurie’s behaviour when he arrives in 1891 – his dismissiveness and constant carping are uncalled for – and while he does adapt well to his new circumstances, he never really seems to consider the full implications of living a life without modern conveniences – and especially modern medicine.

Greg Boudreaux’s narration of this book is utter perfection. He brings John and Laurie to life so vividly, skilfully conveying the emotional truths of their respective journeys and bringing the listener along with them every step of the way. The low warmth of John’s gruff tones reveal the big heart behind the stern exterior and I loved the way his gradual thawing towards Laurie and his growing appreciation of his gentle teasing are conveyed, the affection in his voice so very clear. The lighter, more upbeat notes of Laurie’s voice communicate an attractive mixture of innocence, confidence and good humour, even when he’s being a bit bratty. The majority of this story is a two-hander, with just John and Laurie on the page, and Mr. Boudreaux brings a wonderful sense of intimacy to their scenes together; once again his impressive ability to capture every emotional high and low in a story makes for something special.

Honey From the Lion is my first experience with a Jackie North book, but it certainly won’t be my last. This beautifully romantic, heart-warming story about two very different men finding a connection so strong that it transcends time captivated me from start to finish, and I’m more than happy to recommend it.

*A note on the author’s website indicates she’s writing a sequel story told from John’s PoV.

This review originally appeared at AudioGals.

[Solitude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This love story is such a beautiful gem. It flows like a poetry, and it's very rare I come across books like this which is a shame. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful this story is. So far, it's the only book that I keep re-reading that effectively gives me butterflies each time. Even just thinking about it gives me freaking butterflies.

I truly love the dynamics between John and Laurie. It's my favorite kind of trope. Probably the best kind. John is such a tender, gentle and sweet soul despite his gruff exterior. And Laurie is the perfect match for him, as he is caring and nurturing towards John. I've read many books way steamier than this one and felt nothing much, but somehow, the love depicted here is so tender and delicate that it makes it so sensual, it's probably the sexiest book I've read of all time. God, I love John.

I really can't get enough of the sweet love between these two and really need a sequel 😭 If anyone has any reccommendations for mm romance with this kind of dynamic please let me know :")

[Gaby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Update,

Yes, indeed this is a one-star book, there were just so many many many things I hated that I can't for the life of me give it more than one star.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Might change the star rating later to one, I really did not enjoy this book

[Pingmg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

"If they asked me, do you love him, I would lie and say no just so I could keep you."
John

A gentle and lovely story of two lonely people from different points in time getting their heart's desires and finding that one person to love.

I adored the MCs, John was deep and reserved but showed his happiness as he fell in love with his little red. While Laurie had a big adjustment to make when he time-traveled to 1891 but he was still accepting and hopeful.
I was so immersed in the history part that I stopped a few times to go to Google and check out the descriptions in the story. Jackie North captivated me with her characters, setting, day-to-day chores from that time, and overall detail throughout the book.
I would've liked a peek into John's head at times because the POV in the story was only from Laurie's, still, It was really enjoyable.
Though prepare some tissues because this heart-wrenching, slow burn, low angst, and romantic book will slay you.

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a current time travel romance that lives up to the idea. Great research, strong characters, slow burn, deep emotion and fulfilling loyalty and love all wrapped up with an interesting premise. *

I really enjoyed this book which says a lot because I've been loyal in my heart (and still am, this book was good, but not AS good, haha) to the time travel books of Constance O'Day-Flannery from back in the mid 80's and hadn't found any that could do it as well as I think she did. This one has come the closest. (Now I'm going to have go dig out my paperback of Timeless Passion** to do a re-read just to make sure but not until after I read the next book in this series.

* Sadly, the cover doesn't seem to represent Little Red very well.
**How awesome is that cover?

[Funzee Shu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I would lie to keep you…If they asked me, do you love him, I would lie and say no just so I could keep you..."

🐾🐾🐾


If the first book of Love Across Time series was about a soldier from WWI who traveled across the time to the present day. In this second book is about a man who traveled back in 1891 and then met the love of his life...

When I read Heroes for Ghosts, I was amazed by the author writing and her capabilities in engaged the reader to the story. And I fall in love instantly with her writing since then…

So, I have this great feeling that the second book will be as amazing as the first one, and I’m so glad when its right.

Honey from the Lion is another beautiful and heartwarming time travel story that I ever read. The two main characters are so endearing with very strong impression. Laurie journey to the past and how he trying to adjust in his new life back in time when he met John were portrayed and feels so natural.

The interactions and emotional connection between Laurie and John was build up in a very slow pace. The chemistry was there and strong since the very beginning. Their growing affection to each other and those simply innocent touch during the chores in the cabin are written in beautiful way. The slow burn successfully added the anticipation into the high level.

I got a bit emotional and cried at nearly end of the book for what happen to Laurie and John.

Laurie knew how John story would end, and I know he’ll do anything to change it even if he must left his live behind and have no chance to meet his friends anymore….

I was hope that Laurie would told John about his story and where he came from, but I seems he decided to keep all that to himself and didn’t want to confused John with the time travel theory that will ruined what they already have. But still, I feel it’s not quite right for Laurie for not leaving any specific clue to Maxton and Zach about his ‘leaving’ and let them ‘grieving’ for the second time…

Honey from the Lion is not only a story about a man who finding his one true love through time but also the story about a journey to finding what your heart’s desire, a home where your heart always belong…forever…

And when the shooting stars finally find its way to get back home together with the Iron mountain, the sad story of Old Joe and his little red fox finally have the new ending….

"…(because) the Iron Mountain doesn't grant wishes, it gives you your heart's desire."

*ARC is kindly provided by the Author in exchange of a fair, unbiased and honest review*

[Danielle Tremblay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice little gay romance! John is adorable. I love a little less Laurie, but he is a good guy too.

And the author succeeded perfectly in showing us that shyness, modesty, a sense of honor and all these old-time behaviors, far from hindering the intensification of love between two people, could on the contrary add emotion, excitement and depth to it.

John is so moving with his desire to please and his frequent blushing!

Far from finding the story moving too slowly at the beginning, as other readers said, it was the first two-thirds that I liked best: the discovery of these two characters by each other and the birth of their love is so touching! And I found the finale a bit predictable.

I give it 4½ stars rounded up to 5.

[Danny Tyran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting historical/sci fi story. Don't believe the readers who said it's too slow. At that time, you couldn't just say, "Hello, I'm gay, and you?" It was much more complicated than that. So if you're looking for gay porno, just forget it. But if you'd like a nice gay love story, it's for you.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuteness! I found it interesting how Laurie tries to make sure that no one knows he's from the future, unlike in book 1 where Stanley and Devon both know he came from another time. I found it a tad less exciting but still really good. Then again, the stakes are others

[Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

New author for me. Very reminiscent of some time travel romance books I read as a teen (which I can't recall the name of. Grrr!). This book is tame, but sweet, and a whole lot romantic. :)

[Kathleen]

The writing was a bit sophomoric and simplistic. Then when I hit about 30% I couldn't return the audiobook fast enough. A stated six-year difference in age and the slightly older man treating the other like a child? And the younger one not standing up for himself when put over box and spanked/whipped? Never once mentioning the fact he was 24 years old? Nope, I'm outta here.

This author definitely isn't my cuppa.

[Elaine White · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at 21%. This review is to explain why.

.

So, I was asked to review book 3 in this series and was told it was a standalone. Barely 5% in, I realised it *wasn't* a standalone and that I'd have to read this book first, so I bought both books 1 and 2, and began reading. Book 1 was a bit okay; it was sort of half/half good and bad. This one, unfortunately, was a bit Meh!

It didn't have a dual POV and I think that's probably one of the reasons I didn't enjoy it. I didn't particularly take to Laurie as an MC. There wasn't much characterisation to him, which is actually pretty spott o to my issues with book 1. The present day characters don't have much individuality or characterisation throughout the book, as all the emphasis is put on the historical character and getting their timeline right. Which is great. Except it left Laurie as a flat one-dimensional person, who had no interest and didn't draw me into the story. Maybe if John had been given his POV, this would have helped, but up to the part I stopped reading, this hadn't happened and it was a shame.

Again, I thought the writing was a mix. There was a lot of floral, purple prose descriptions and attention to detail when it came to the historical parts, but there was also an unequal division between the things being explained. Some parts were overly done, while others were barely touched upon. Like how we're told multiple times in Chapter 1 that Laurie has a roommate, but the way he talks about it and the way he talks to Zach make him sound like a 19 yo college student, when really he's some tech genius who is overworked. It's not until 14% that we actually find out his age, when it would have been simple to slip this into the first page.

I also found a few issues in the execution of the writing, when it came to conversations and giving us details about people. For example, there were some unnatural conversations that made no sense, weren't necessary, and would never have happened in real life, all because the author was trying to tell us something, but they didn't just want to say it. Which, considering how unnatural the conversations came across, would have been better. Things like when Laurie explains - needlessly - that it's short for Lawrence, despite no one ever asking and it not fitting naturally into the conversation, are followed by conversations such as Maddy saying Laurie has 'auburn' hair and Laurie, for some reason, taking exception to that, to clarify that it's 'brown, dark brown'. Who cares? And why tell us now, in this weird and awkward way?

Sadly, I found the whole thing really slow going and a struggle to get through. That's the main reason I ended up giving up. I just couldn't keep reading a book that felt like it was going nowhere, with a MC that I didn't care about. It wasn't even that I didn't like Laurie or hated him, it was just that he was so bland that I felt nothing for him. And John's appearance - at a staggering 12% - didn't change that. He was gruff, uninterested, unappealing, and the whole storyline of Laurie believing it was some in-depth experience of the ranch didn't help. At least book 1 blatantly challenged the time travel concept, but this one doesn't even suggest it, in the 21% I read. Laurie constantly trying to make a joke of everything was the final nail in the coffin; not only was it disrespectful to this 'experience' he thought he was having, but it made no sense and most of his jokes weren't funny. Add in the fact that historical terms were used without explanation, as if I have any idea what a 'union suit' is (which I didn't until I was forced to look it up) and that lots of Laurie's present-day POV was told in old fashioned phrasing that was unnatural for a modern day tech guy like Laurie, and it just didn't come together for me.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a bit of a chance on this; I’m not a fan of historical westerns but I like time-travel, thrown-into-the-past stories. This was done well, with a strong sense of the era, places and customs of the past. Laurie, in spite of his job in software, seemed a little old fashioned from the start. The author did an excellent job of blending the present and past, using the dude ranch, to bolster how Laurie reacted to meeting John. The pace felt a little slow at first but did set scenes well to showcase Laurie’s adaptation to living in 1891. I got into it more and more as the narrative unfolded. The slow burn was necessary and sex scenes with limited touching suited Johns inexperience and sensibilities of the time period. John’s reaction to being discovered was quite realistic I thought.

So characterization was very good, as well as the world building required to make Laurie’s presence in the past believable. There were some jarring notes that didn’t work for me, mostly with John not questioning some of Laurie’s assertions more. Laurie’s actions regarding his friends, near the end, didn’t meet my personal demands for logic but that was the authors choice of portrayal. Darn authors. It certainly wasn’t enough to negate any enjoyment of those later scenes which were really heartbreaking and tension-filled. I liked the finale and HEA quite a lot.

[Nanna Mørk-Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A near perfect story filled with slow burning love, separation angst, old-fashioned phrases and maneurisms, and sweetness.

I feared alongside Laurie that time would take him away from John, I laughed at John's antics, smiled at his sweetness, felt every other feeling, Jackie North tried to evoke in me with this story.

SPOILER ALERT

My two problems with this is 1) how easily Laurie dismisses his friends and saying 'they'll get over him', when he should have taken the time to explain it to them, as that seems too selfish for me to brush over quickly, and 2) I wish Laurie had let John in on the secrets as I think his reactions would have been epic to read about.

[Rachel]

2/16/19 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...

[~BookNeeds~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh, lovely!! A fantastic read!! My heart was hurting several times throughout this book. The story was exquisitely romantic. By far one of the best books I’ve read this year. I will have to read more of Jackie North’s books.