What do you think?
Rate this book
The Thaw
Thirty-three-year-old gay farmer, Vladimir Wozniak IV, lives for his crops and the hard work that makes them profitable every year. Five miles up the road, former rodeo bull rider and rancher, Thomas Sullivan, is just as committed to his corn-fed beef. Once best friends until VJ kissed Tommy during freshman year in college, they stopped speaking when Tommy rejected VJ.
Ten years later, after the country doctor who helped bring them into the world dies and his will names them as co-owners of property, they decide to check out their inheritance to see which one wants to buy out the other. As they travel down memory lane through the Doc’s correspondence and visit familiar sites on the land, they work their way back to friendship—and beyond.
Ten years later, after the country doctor who helped bring them into the world dies and his will names them as co-owners of property, they decide to check out their inheritance to see which one wants to buy out the other. As they travel down memory lane through the Doc’s correspondence and visit familiar sites on the land, they work their way back to friendship—and beyond.
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2019
9 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Pat Henshaw
30 books76 followersPat has lived on both coasts and in the middle of the United States. Pat’s been a book reviewer for too many years to count as well as an English composition instructor and theatrical costumer. Places visited include Canada, Mexico, Europe, Egypt, Nicaragua, and Thailand. Pat's found that people everywhere are remarkably similar.
See Pat Henshaw.
See Pat Henshaw.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 24, 2019
4.5 stars.🌟
A great start to the book. Even though the guys had once been close friends they still had things in common between the absent years of not talking. Both travelling for their jobs, a rancher and farmer, now they'd have to decide what to do with the land and cabin. Somehow the weather would help sort other things out. lol Includes remembering younger years, a tragic tale, mystery. A good ending with the Doc's wishes coming true.
VJ had once kissed Thomas 10 yrs ago and ended in a disaster. Now sitting in a lawyers office to hear a Will to be read. Oh old Doc may have had plans for them.
A great start to the book. Even though the guys had once been close friends they still had things in common between the absent years of not talking. Both travelling for their jobs, a rancher and farmer, now they'd have to decide what to do with the land and cabin. Somehow the weather would help sort other things out. lol Includes remembering younger years, a tragic tale, mystery. A good ending with the Doc's wishes coming true.
VJ had once kissed Thomas 10 yrs ago and ended in a disaster. Now sitting in a lawyers office to hear a Will to be read. Oh old Doc may have had plans for them.
December 2, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Pat Henshaw has re-released The Thaw, a second chance romance between former best friends who have drifted apart due to a falling out over a kiss. At the time it happened, there was no way Tommy could even consider liking guys because trying to gain his father’s approval meant never showing weakness. It was bad enough his dad called VJ that “farmer fag.” When VJ kissed Tommy, it scared him so much he ran right out of VJ’s life and they never spoke again for ten long years. Now, faced with the prospect of surveying Doc’s old place and deciding who will buy the other out, the two men are staying in the cabin and revisiting their past. Memories are funny things. They sometimes carry some guilt with them and one, in particular, concerning a spot at Doc’s place, reflects a pivotal time for Tommy. It will be there that he is faced with something that changed him forever and must confess it to VJ and hope he can forgive him.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Pat Henshaw has re-released The Thaw, a second chance romance between former best friends who have drifted apart due to a falling out over a kiss. At the time it happened, there was no way Tommy could even consider liking guys because trying to gain his father’s approval meant never showing weakness. It was bad enough his dad called VJ that “farmer fag.” When VJ kissed Tommy, it scared him so much he ran right out of VJ’s life and they never spoke again for ten long years. Now, faced with the prospect of surveying Doc’s old place and deciding who will buy the other out, the two men are staying in the cabin and revisiting their past. Memories are funny things. They sometimes carry some guilt with them and one, in particular, concerning a spot at Doc’s place, reflects a pivotal time for Tommy. It will be there that he is faced with something that changed him forever and must confess it to VJ and hope he can forgive him.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
June 5, 2019
A lot was packed in this short.
November 26, 2020
“Thawing the frozen heart doesn’t happen in a single instant. It happens by degrees and with intention. Let spring into your heart, bit by bit, so that beauty and love can begin to grow once again.” ~ Ashley Davis Bush, LICSW
VJ and Thomas, of ‘The Thaw’ by Pat Henshaw, grew up together and share lots of memories, good and bad. Although they didn’t understand it at the time, they loved each other more than best friends or brothers. When they went to college, VJ realized he wanted to be more than friends and acted on it, giving Thomas a kiss. What should have been a natural progression for them turned into a nightmare. Thomas knew, in his heart, that he loved VJ but could not make the leap and broke off all communication with VJ. Years later, their family doctor died and left both VJ and Thomas his country home. The business of the inheritance leaves them with no choice. Like it or not, they have to deal with each other in order to decide what to do with the home.
VJ and Thomas decide that the prudent thing to do is go check out the property so they can see what shape it is in then go from there. They both make arrangements with their respective businesses to ensure that things are taken care of so they can take time off for the trip. Coming back to Doc’s house brings back feelings of better times and of the love and friendship they shared as children. As they are inspecting the land, a huge snowstorm effectively isolates them there for more time than they expect, giving them even more time to reconnect with each other. While waiting for the snow to abate, they decide to search Doc’s office to see if they can find a clue as to why Doc decided to leave the house and land to them. They find papers that indicate that, of all the children who spent time there, VJ and Thomas were his favorites and that leaving his things to them would be a way of bringing them together, hopefully forever.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
VJ and Thomas, of ‘The Thaw’ by Pat Henshaw, grew up together and share lots of memories, good and bad. Although they didn’t understand it at the time, they loved each other more than best friends or brothers. When they went to college, VJ realized he wanted to be more than friends and acted on it, giving Thomas a kiss. What should have been a natural progression for them turned into a nightmare. Thomas knew, in his heart, that he loved VJ but could not make the leap and broke off all communication with VJ. Years later, their family doctor died and left both VJ and Thomas his country home. The business of the inheritance leaves them with no choice. Like it or not, they have to deal with each other in order to decide what to do with the home.
VJ and Thomas decide that the prudent thing to do is go check out the property so they can see what shape it is in then go from there. They both make arrangements with their respective businesses to ensure that things are taken care of so they can take time off for the trip. Coming back to Doc’s house brings back feelings of better times and of the love and friendship they shared as children. As they are inspecting the land, a huge snowstorm effectively isolates them there for more time than they expect, giving them even more time to reconnect with each other. While waiting for the snow to abate, they decide to search Doc’s office to see if they can find a clue as to why Doc decided to leave the house and land to them. They find papers that indicate that, of all the children who spent time there, VJ and Thomas were his favorites and that leaving his things to them would be a way of bringing them together, hopefully forever.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 2, 2019
Underdeveloped
Really quick story that does not build the plot or flush out the characters well, more detail about weather than the two main characters
Really quick story that does not build the plot or flush out the characters well, more detail about weather than the two main characters
November 29, 2021
To me, this was perfectly written. This is a story about unrequited love, or at least each of the MCs thought it was. Friends since high school, the two young men weren't aware the other felt the same but with the awareness that their relationship wasn't accepted, especially by one of their parents, they were afraid of letting the other know about their feelings. This was a sweet story, especially toward the end, when finally, all come out in the open and, even though a friend's tragic death was dangling above their heads by feeling guilty, they acknowledge their innocence. We get to see a bit of everything in this story: friends to lovers, hatred toward weakness and toward the gay community, redemption, forgiveness, and so much more. Well-written novella, I highly recommended it.
September 10, 2020
Pat Henshaw’s ‘The Thaw’ is the heartwarming story of VJ and Thomas and their once perfect friendship destroyed by a kiss.
'The Thaw’s' concluding paragraph, describing the action of an attorney representing them both on a joint property inheritance deed reads: As we were leaving and he turned to lock up, I heard him murmur, “You did it, Doc. They’re back together again."
It was a great HEA ending - but - I sincerely hope Henshaw will bring them back in another full length novel to follow them as they move through the years together. They definitely deserve more.
'The Thaw’s' concluding paragraph, describing the action of an attorney representing them both on a joint property inheritance deed reads: As we were leaving and he turned to lock up, I heard him murmur, “You did it, Doc. They’re back together again."
It was a great HEA ending - but - I sincerely hope Henshaw will bring them back in another full length novel to follow them as they move through the years together. They definitely deserve more.
February 25, 2024
It was ok, but it didn’t wow me. I also thought it moved a little too slowly. VJ and Tommy spent too much time dancing around one another. I find it rather ironic that Tommy made such a big deal about finally figuring out who he was and sort of confessing to VJ; however, never once did he actually utter the word “I’m gay”.
I thought the writing could have been more solid. I ran across too many inconsistencies and confusing wording. I must have missed something, because. thought Tommy’s ranch was called the Crazy S, but then midway through the story it suddenly became the Lazy S.
I thought the writing could have been more solid. I ran across too many inconsistencies and confusing wording. I must have missed something, because. thought Tommy’s ranch was called the Crazy S, but then midway through the story it suddenly became the Lazy S.
March 6, 2022
Short, engaging story about Vlad and Tommy inheriting a joint parcel of land and putting to rest old issues and insults between themselves and with the ghosts of their youth.
Chilly Nebraska weather too.
Chilly Nebraska weather too.
May 11, 2025
I found this to be a bit of a conundrum as I read it, at times interesting, then a touch slow, then a little bit puzzling. The gist of it was a sweet tale of loss and then reunion but in the middle of that it kind of rambled. I did finish though and it was a satisfying conclusion.
December 1, 2020
A short story with two lieable characters who had been childhood friends but then drifted apart but brought back together through a legacy. Easy to read and I would recommend .
February 20, 2022
Meh. Reasonable premise, a bit too short to really buy into for me.
October 21, 2022
Sweet story but the ending was rushed.
Read
June 6, 2019A pleasant, low-key "second chance at love" story about childhood friends who get a joint inheritance after not speaking for years after one kissed the other in college.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews