It's not every day that Willa receives distress calls for sick horses owned by dead people. As one of two veterinarians in the rural area of Washington State, she responds to the summons for two reasons; she's worried for the unknown animal, and sheer curiosity over the alleged revenant. While on this mission, Willa crosses paths with Dax, a rough around the edges U.S. Marshal tasked with caring for her fallen father's farm. Dax is a woman of few words, but Willa can see beyond the silence into the rich soul that she aches to learn more about. Tangled with uncertainty, Willa's desires urge her into Dax's personal space, and what unfolds between the lavender fields brings both women something unexpected.
Max grew up just outside of New York City, spending most of her formative years outdoors creating wild ghost hunts with neighborhood kids, setting booby-traps to capture unwitting family members, and building clubhouses on top of ten-foot walls. Max wrote her first story at the age of twelve and titled it Circles of Friendship. Through the years, Max has written several short-stories and poems, all of which met the wrath of the “Not Good Enough” monster and ended in fiery demise.
Max regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was Max’s biggest support in this. Max writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult stories.
I was dead chuffed to read Max Ellendale's latest outing, "Hart & Stocker," because I knew I'd be immersed in the world of pure lesbian romance wrapped in emotional and psychological narrative that only Ellendale's innate skill in characterising such an experience could achieve. An experience that would once again take me to the depths of the human condition where love, falling in love, true love would be stoked, flourished before emerging as the source of hope and positivity just when everything seemed unbearably dire. I was not wrong. Once again, Ellendale's flair in weaving a tale of romance soaked in emotional psychology has churned out another compelling, deeply heartfelt story that made me think, feel and reflect on what it means to love completely - absolute trust, unbreakable safety and security, unflinching support - in every sense of the word. Needless to say, "Hart & Stocker" was another captivating study in the resilience of the human spirit when true, complete, unwavering love seeps into the soul. The running theme in this story? Safety.
*An ARC copy was furnished to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
I have read a few of Ellendale books and if memory serves me correctly I really enjoyed them. This one felt different to me writing style and everything. It felt rougher, a little cruder, and well I honestly didnt like. The two main characters were ok but I didnt fall in love with them or honestly care them. The kids, tue animals, and Sage were probably my favortie parts of the book. And while what happened to Dax was horrific, I didnt feel like it was really dealt with. How is someone who is how she is able to be a Marshall...dont you have to pass a pysch evaluation or something. Anyway, I gave it 2.5* because though the style was not for me it was written well and it was a kU book.
What I love most about Max Ellendale's books is that she has the ability to write main characters that are so vulnerable, I start rooting for them immediately and can't wait for the love interest to do their magic and sooth that wounded soul. Another big bonus is the return of other beloved characters for even a brief moment here and there.
I wondered what I'd say to this newest Ellendale book. Her tendency to take broken MC's and bring them back is kinda a trademark. In one breath I want to say, branch out! But then I'm like, nope, I love her books the way they are. I wonder if it would mess up her flow if she did. IDK. I do know that you're always going to get a face full of feels.
As far as secondaries, you're getting a whole slew of those here. In particular Sali from Four Point, The Mermaid pod/salon, and Brexit the dog (seriously that wasn't a typo) all make appearances.
In particular I liked that Dax was unapologetically bisexual. I really like to point it out when an author reflects a healthy representation of being bi instead of it being a plot point that 'she' is going to leave a couple for a 'he' as it is some sort of bloody apocolyptic event. That and the hundred other stereotypes about bi's that perpetually piss me the eff off. But not here. Ellendale does a fantastic job with Dax in this regard and I'm thankful.
I always get a new Ellendale book and then horde it without reading it right away cause I know I'm going to love it (even when at times it's not always 'nice') and save it till I can't stand it anymore. That to me tells me I trust the author.
This book has some dark themes. So keep that in mind. But the teeter totter of good feels and bad is pretty balanced with a teeny dip in the good feels side :)
Wow! Loved it and straight into my "loved it" bookshelf. Had me hooked from the beginning, lots of tears, lots of angst and a stunning story throughout. So many side characters who totally fitted. Oh! I can go on, but consider it just brilliant!
Heartbreakingly Beautiful This book is such a piece of emotional, sentimental, mushy, lovey goodness!!! I didn’t know whether to cry sad tears or happy tears and in the end it didn’t matter I was a blubbery, smiley mess and my heart was sooo full... The story is astounding. Dax has such demons to slay but for years she has had no one in her corner and had to face life alone until the local veterinarian decides that’s not how its gonna be! I loved how Willa was always there for Dax, to help her, to sooth her, to keep her safe and grounded. She is so patient and loving, a gentle force to heal her wounded lover’s soul. Willa needs to find her own way out of past pain and hurts and by being with Dax she too begins to heal. I admire these women and would LOVE to know them for real….What they have is so special and wonderful that they will live in my heart for a very, very long time!!
I read this for the second time, after some rather sad disappointments from new relases that were raved about and I tried, although the mediocre graphics that are more and more used as covers warned me not to expect much.
I quote here my first review with full approval:
I struggled a bit at first. This definitely is NOT a clean romance! I feared that the sex scenes might overwhelm the plot. Then, a little later, I found myself just taking them as catalysts for the characters emotional development. At it's core it is a heartwarming tale of strong love and how evil can sneak upon someone and devastate lives. Here love overcomes the damage done.
How? Read for yourselves, it is definitely worth it!
Dr. Willa Hart returns to her hometown Sequim from Seattle when her father passes to take over her veterinary practice. She is the only vet in town and also, seemingly, the only lesbian. She receives a distress call from Dax Stoker’s farm and goes to attend the call from a dead man since Dax Stocker passed a year back. At the farm she meets the new Dax Stocker – Dax’s daughter Dax (Dakota) who took over the farm when her father passed and is also a US Marshal. Willa is attracted to Dax immediately. However, Dax seems especially closed and distant. In a strange incident at the local pub, Dax physically attacks a friendly man for touching her and Willa. Willa is concerned and makes a gigantic effort to break through Dax’s walls and fears – mostly because she is attracted to Dax.
This was the first book that I read by this author and I was hooked. I found the Max Ellendale website and started reading in chronological order with Four Point. Now this author is in my top five. I’m truly a fan. To the author, just know that I’m here for it.
While I appreciate what was at the heart of this novel, the writing style and the narration put me off a little. It could've used a bit more editing. Everything was very superficial and it never delved deeper into Dax's past/trauma.
I don't normally read romance novels, I took a risk with this one and I'm so glad I did. The characters were real and easy to relate to. I'd love to see another book with these two.
I thought I was NEVER going to finish this romance. I would estimate it is probably 125 to 150 pages too long (I read on kindle app on my phone). I thought the romance was good, but the length took away from it.
Less of a romance between women than insight into a de facto D/s kink relationship.
Doctor Willa Dean Hart (aka Doc, Will, sissy, little girl, Pig Girl and Sexy Cowgirl) lives with her family and practices veterinary medicine in Sequim, WA. She left her comfortable lesbian life in Seattle to continue her father's practice after his death. Relocation came with a high price tag, but it gave her the chance to ditch her cheating lover and be closer to her mother, sister and niece. The rural lifestyle means a large professional commitment, but a very small personal one. All the lesbians, in the bucolic Olympic Peninsula, have paired off. Her sister is her only and best friend. Sage married her high sweetheart, has a five-year old daughter, lives with their mother and works full-time. Doctor Eileen Hart worries about Willa, yet keeps her at arms length with vague judgments and baseless fantasies that she'll settle down with Mr. Right.
Working with animals is the saving grace for Willa Hart. She hired another vet to shoulder the load, but she sees a wide variety of patients both inside her office and out in the countryside. An unusual call takes her out to Stocker Farm. A horse named for Captain America is in distress on a farm owned by a dead farmer. Dakota Jane Stocker, known by the name Dax that she shared with her father, left suburban Seattle to take over her father's farm. The catastrophic nightmare that she left behind stalks her every breath. Coming back to a home lost to her twenty years ago when her parents divorced both isolates and insulates her, but does nothing to heal the ever present pain. Doctor Hart easily diagnoses and treats what ails Carol Danvers the horse, but Dax Stocker is another matter altogether.
Hart & Stocker is a lengthy novel, but the storyline covers months not years. Willa narrates it. The main characters monopolize stage time. Other characters include family, exes, employees, clients, community members and a phalanx of animals. Willa and Dax make a scorching, but odd couple. Dax has pushed almost everyone out of her life and Willa pulls almost no one into hers. Willa lives for her work and family, but Dax can barely tolerate either one. Willa carves out a limitless place in her life for Dax and Dax struggles just to allow her the slightest touch or glimpse.
Control and trust form the basis of their complicated relationship. Acting more on instinct or animal attraction than awareness, they interact as if driven by their kink toward dominant/submissive power roles. Sex serves to open up basic secrets and inner truths that have stayed safely hidden. Willa identifies as "gay af" and Dax prefers "pussy to penis," but their relationship is strangely straight. These thirty something characters, one lesbian and the other bisexual, could be rewritten as gay men or as straight folks. Though Willa happily introduces Dax as her girlfriend, they frequently use pet names and they openly share their affection in every setting, it just makes them seem more normal or sexy or cute as a couple. Willa hates it when Dax calls herself "dykey" or generally anything that labels them as "Femme, butch, lipstick, whatever." They agree that all "lesbian movies" are horrible, lesbian dating apps are only good for hookups and joke about being "stereotypical lesbians." Ellendale's book is good, but the first person narration wasn't strong enough to handle the complicated storyline except during the sex scenes.
As a HUGE fan of the Four Point verse I was very excited to read Hart & Stocker. Unlike the other books in the verse, we meet leading ladies Willa and Dax in a small town in rural Washington. Sweet veterinarian Willa is likable from the start, and when she is called to Dax's farm to check on a horse, Willa finds herself instantly drawn to the other woman. While, to me, this novel started off slower than the others of Ellendale's that I've read, I still found myself intrigued by the journey that Willa and Dax go through as they learn to trust and love one another. The novel is filled with lovable side characters new and old - including multiple puppies, kitties, a particular puppy and horse named after comic book characters, and an adorable fruit basket of goats. If you're missing your favorite characters from the past books in the Four Point verse then you won't be disappointed at the multiple appearances that they make. While I had a harder time getting into the beginning of the novel, the second half picked up greatly. By then I was completely invested in the characters and had to know where their journey went. This novel had a rewarding ending that made the read worthwhile - and let's be honest, Ellendale's signature many, many sex scenes never hurts anything either.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A powerful and compelling read. The author writes so movingly about PTSD and the struggles of Dax to trust and let someone in, that someone being Willa, the local vet, who is not entirely baggage free herself.
Dax is an enigmatic blend of skitterish wild animal, and kick ass law enforcement officer, and Willa finds herself increasingly drawn to her. Tenacious without being pushy, Willa slowly chips away at the barriers Dax has built up around herself and what follows is an unconventional start to a relationship. Willa is patient, kind and has a calm and unruffled way with animals which stands her in good stead when it comes to handling Dax. Little by little Dax opens up to Willa.
Ellendale excels in moving the story forward with subtle little events that are so meaningful. One moment which felt huge to me was one scene where Dax was engaging in target practice and it ends with Dax pulling Willa into a wordless hug from behind. There are many more significant moments like these. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Ellendale does it yet again with her newest book. Set in a small rural town 2 scarred and battered individuals, one psychologically and the other emotionally, return to their home town. Two different professions, one a veterinarian and the other a US Marshal. They meet at the right moment in time and as they grow together they begin to heal. There are links in this book to Ellendale‘s previous work and we meet again one of my favorite characters Sali. The links are not over done and assist the flow of the story rather than over shadow. To me Willa, the vet, is a whisperer of humans as well as the horses she loves. Dax, the fit muscle hardened law enforcement officer with a loving heart, is the healer of hearts. Even the pacing and flow of the words of this book weave a tale that is thoroughly enjoyable. So do yourself a favor and get this book as one of your summer reads you will not regret it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved it! I have a really good run with books this last couple of weeks which haven´t your typical obstacles in it. The author again takes on a broken character and integrates her back into life through the story. This one is truly a love story and not your typical romance novel. The two MC´s get to know each other, they grow togehter, learn from each other and yes there are setbacks but which feel natural and true to the characters story. I couldn´t put it down!
The author has established herself as one of my favourites, her books are a sure buy for me! All aspects like the romance, sex scence, world building, side characters, storytelling as such are so well written together which in my opinion is rare.
P.S. I just love Dax...
P.P.S. the best part is I still have some books from the author I haven´t read ;
The author presented a wonderful storyline that left this reader wanting more throughout this book. This story almost felt like real life happenings. The main characters were fantastic what with everything that they went through, alone and together. The supporting characters were a joy to read about them and how they affected the main characters. This whole story made me sniffle in places and smile in others. I look forward to reading this story again and again.
A good romance. A traumatized law enforcement officer inherits her fathers farm. A horse belonging to her farmhand needs medical attention. They call the local Veterinary who happens to be just the woman the officer needs.
Well written, Ellendale is working her way to the “author of note” list. Sex, baby animals, and Jack Daniels- what more can a lesbian reader need.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved it. The raw emotion you felt from Dax and Willa was great too. Just a wonderful read. I apparently read this out of order in a way even if it is standalone so I'll be going back and reading the others in this world starting with Four Point. I have no doubt it will blow me away too
Yes, this is a romantic love story but it’s filled with much more. It’s a journey building love, trust and belief. It’s a deeply moving story of recovery from trauma in many forms. The characters are well developed as are the supporting cast. I easily recommend this book.
I loved this story. Willa’s steady support of Dax provided Dax with the safety she needed to come out and be herself again. It was a wonderful story about safety, love and recovery. I would definitely recommend this to others, and I’ll be reading more from Max Ellendale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.