What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shearing Gun
At twenty-five, Hank owns a small parcel of land in Australia’s rural southwest where he supplements his income from the property with seasonal shearing. Hank is a “shearing gun”—an ace shearer able to shear large numbers of sheep in a single day. His own father kicked him out when his sexuality was revealed, and since no one would ever hire a gay shearer, Hank has remained firmly closeted ever since.
Elliot is the newbie doctor in town—city-born and somewhat shell-shocked from his transplant to the country. When a football injury brings Hank to Elliot’s attention, an inappropriate sexual glance and the stuttered apology afterwards kickstarts their friendship.
Romance and love soon blossom, but it’s hard for either of them to hope for anything permanent. As if the constant threat of being caught isn’t enough, Elliot’s contract runs out after only a year.
Elliot is the newbie doctor in town—city-born and somewhat shell-shocked from his transplant to the country. When a football injury brings Hank to Elliot’s attention, an inappropriate sexual glance and the stuttered apology afterwards kickstarts their friendship.
Romance and love soon blossom, but it’s hard for either of them to hope for anything permanent. As if the constant threat of being caught isn’t enough, Elliot’s contract runs out after only a year.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2014
45 people are currently reading
1446 people want to read
About the author
Renae Kaye
30 books878 followersRenae Kaye is a lover and hoarder of books who thinks libraries are devilish places because they make you give the books back. She consumed her first adult romance book at the tender age of thirteen and hasn’t stopped since. After years – and thousands of stories! – of not having book characters do what she wants, she decided she would write her own novel and found the characters still didn’t do what she wanted. She believes that the world is too complicated for her, so she loses herself in stories. The only thing that keeps her going are her children who are the delight of her life.
Renae lives in Perth, Western Australia. She is a survivor of being the youngest in a large family and believes that laughter (and a good book) can cure anything. Which is why it's a pity laughter is sometimes scarce on the ground.
You can contact her at renaekaye@iinet.net.au.
Renae lives in Perth, Western Australia. She is a survivor of being the youngest in a large family and believes that laughter (and a good book) can cure anything. Which is why it's a pity laughter is sometimes scarce on the ground.
You can contact her at renaekaye@iinet.net.au.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 490 reviews
January 29, 2015
Prepare for closeted shearing guns, country doctors nicknamed Quackle by their teasing boyfriends, good ol' blokes who break your collarbone by sitting on it, best friends who knew all along, homophobic fathers who come around, sheep named Lily, and the best uncles in the world (certainly in all of Australia).
I love Kaye's work. Her writing is always consistent, with prose that flows well and draws you right in. I will never forget Jay. But The Shearing Gun is my favorite of Kaye's books thus far.
And this is why:
ONE: It's hugely romantic. Hank, who gets down and dirty on his ranch and shears sheep on the side, and Elliot, a slightly awkward, dedicated doctor with a trust fund, are an unlikely couple. Both are in the closet, Hank since always and Elliot since moving to the country, but Elliot accidentally outs himself to Hank when he ogles his naked chest in the exam room.
Hank doesn't even think much of Elliot when he first meets the new doc, but their tentative friendship lights a spark that turns into a raging fire. The relationship builds slowly through small moments of herding sheep, cooking dinner, and offering comfort, so the falling in love is utterly believable.
TWO: It's really, really funny. Hank is the narrator, and he is initially infuriatingly clueless (see 21% status update) but also insanely sweet. He tries to resist Elliot (he doesn't want to "fish" so close to home), but his cock gets the better of him.
One of the things I love about gay sex? There is no umming and ahhing. Not really. Of course things can play out whichever way you like, but in my experience, it was do-you-want-to, yes-please, great-let's-strip.
THREE: It's sensual and steamy in all the right ways. There is fondling, kissing, and plenty of slow-burn yumminess and man-on-man action.
I can't wait until you're healed...and can throw me down like one of your sheep again.
FOUR: The secondary characters are just right, from Middy, Hank's shy best friend, to Neil, the gossip monger, to Murray and Jimmie, Hank's hilarious gay uncles.
FIVE: Best damn HEA!
I fuckin' introduced you to my dad for heaven's sake...I punched my best friend's brother for calling you names. I snuck around town like a fuckin' thief just to hold you at night so you could sleep...I gave you a lamb to name. I'm planning on buying you a couple fuckin' chooks so you'll stay. What part of that doesn't say I love you?
SIX: Australia, as brought to you by:
Because.
There's never a wrong time for Hugh Jackman.
June 30, 2021
Finally, it's official. I am no longer the last sad fucker on my friends list who hasn't read this book. *FistPump*
I was initially worried that the book wouldn't live up to all of the crazy hype, and it actually was a bit different than I expected, but definitely not in a bad way.
My expectation was that the whole "shearing gun" aspect of the book was some type of official competition circuit, which it really wasn't. Instead, it was just a bunch of really fast sheep shearers who got hired by various local farmers to help shear their sheep, but they *did* keep score of who sheered the most sheep in a given time period. So there weren't any actual trophies and such.
Our tall, toned and country hero, Hank, is 25 and owns a relatively small sheep farm in the middle of nowhere Western Australia. He was thrown out a few years back when his embarrassed father finds his gay porn stash, so he moved away to begin a (closeted, small town) life of his own.
He never fishes in his own pond, which requires that he occasionally drives 3 hours to Perth when he has an itch to scratch, because it's both easy and uncomplicated.
But Hank never saw the town's cute, new, young doctor, Elliot, coming when they meet after Hank's collar bone is broken during a weekend footie match.
I liked how there was no insta-love here (thank fuck), instead Elliot gets caught semi-non-discretely checking Hank out, then goes to Hank's farm to apologize and they become friends. Slow burn, people. Slow burn. Mmmmm, my favorite. : )
Hank's biggest fear is to be outed and lose his livelihood and, therefore, his farm, but he also has a deep-seeded desire to be loved, which eventually wins out over fear.
I also really liked how, unlike so many other closeted MC's, Hank didn't throw Elliot under the bus when his closet door slowly began to come unhinged. That was very refreshing. Instead, Hank puts on his big boy panties and fights (literally) for his man when the arseholes start arseholin'.
Another difference in this story is that there was never a requisite "breakup scene". Instead, there was a major conflict at the end of the book was a life-threatening event that pulled both main characters, and their feelings for one another, firmly out of the closet.
Ahhhhhh, the scene where feelings are spoken. Sooooo good.
*Quadruple-Swoon*
And both men acted like *adults* throughout the ENTIRE book. I know, right? Gasp. Shock. The absolute horror of it all.
There were a LOT of sexy scenes (flip-flop, *hawt*) and the writing was top notch. Plus, the crazy amount of humor just made me smile for a huge portion of the book.
When Elliot told me we were going to the pub on Sunday afternoon to meet the lads, I refused. He insisted, but I was stubborn. He gave me a blow job, and I folded like a house of cards in a tornado.The *only* drawback of this book for me was Hank's ridiculous pet name for Elliot:
“Hank?”Me, too, sister! ME, MOTHERFUCKING, TOO! (It really did bug the ever-living shit out of me.)
“Yeah, mate?”
“I still hate the nickname Quackle.”
Okay, I'll quit rambling and shut the hell up now. This book was an extremely solid 4 1/4 stars for me. Highly recommended.
-----------------------------------------------
My copy of this book was provided by the publisher for a fair, unbiased review.
February 9, 2017
Re-read Sept. 2015 Loved it even more the second time. Such a wonderful book!
There is NO possible way I could have loved this more!! Bravo, bravo!! It gets all the bestest shelves and the romance shelf to boot.
Loved it!!! Recommended!
There is NO possible way I could have loved this more!! Bravo, bravo!! It gets all the bestest shelves and the romance shelf to boot.
Loved it!!! Recommended!
March 27, 2020
Audio...5 Stars
Story....5 Stars
Loved it! 😍 Sweet, sexy, low angst, feel good story!
Story....5 Stars
Loved it! 😍 Sweet, sexy, low angst, feel good story!
September 20, 2014
3.5
In this book you will find; one hot farmer, one hot doctor and...
...a shitload of sheep.
You'll also find an uncommon setting (sheep farming? Really?), an awesome lesson in Australian vocabulary (there's a glossary included -- you'll need it) and an almost angst-free plot. Like Kaye's other books there's a lot of humor and a great set of supporting characters. One of my favorites is Neil, a friend of Hank's (the aforementioned hot farmer), who upon discovering Hank's sexuality, says:
I mean, why the hell didn't you say anything? It's like...It's like...I dunno...hiding who you are. It's like lying to your friends, Hank. It's like saying you go for the Eagles but you're really an Essendon fan and you never told anyone. It's like saying you were born in Australia but you're really from New Zealand. Shit! You're not a Kiwi as well, are you?There are several burning hawt sex scenes too -- the extra half star is for the table sex alone.
I have no real complaints about The Shearing Gun. The worst thing I could say is that occasionally I was bored by all the farming talk, but then something interesting would happen and my attention was easily recaptured. Overall, I had a good time reading it and thinking about it now gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling, but nothing really stands out for me. I had to look up the character names and the title twice. I liked the romance, the setting and the fluffy fun but not enough to find it memorable.
Despite that I would recommend it. I've read two books (this and Loving Jay) and one story (in A Taste of Honey) by Renae Kaye and she's proving to be an author capable of providing sweet reads that don't leave you with a sugar high, followed by extreme grumpiness and a need to nap. I'm looking forward to reading more by her.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
May 28, 2015
4.25 Stars!
Well this was yet another case of "judging a book by it's blurb". The whole shearing thing kind of turned me off of this one to begin with. Once again, I was proven wrong as this one turned out to be a really enjoyable read.
Was it a bit too farm-y (I know that's not a word)? Perhaps, yes.
I got a bit lost at times with all of the farming lingo and whatnot. I mean, there was a glossary of terms at the beginning of the book.
But despite all of that, Hank really won me over. Don't get me wrong, I liked Quackle too....but without his POV I wasn't as connected to him I guess.
Still this one was super sweet. It was a slow build, with some nice steam in the middle with not much towards the end. Very low angst. Several LOL moments. I pretty much smiled like a loon the whole time I was reading this one!
One thing I was really disappointed by was the fact that Hank's whole "cherry popping" scene was completely skipped over! He decides to bottom and we don't even get the deets.
Well this was yet another case of "judging a book by it's blurb". The whole shearing thing kind of turned me off of this one to begin with. Once again, I was proven wrong as this one turned out to be a really enjoyable read.
Was it a bit too farm-y (I know that's not a word)? Perhaps, yes.
I got a bit lost at times with all of the farming lingo and whatnot. I mean, there was a glossary of terms at the beginning of the book.
But despite all of that, Hank really won me over. Don't get me wrong, I liked Quackle too....but without his POV I wasn't as connected to him I guess.
Still this one was super sweet. It was a slow build, with some nice steam in the middle with not much towards the end. Very low angst. Several LOL moments. I pretty much smiled like a loon the whole time I was reading this one!
One thing I was really disappointed by was the fact that Hank's whole "cherry popping" scene was completely skipped over! He decides to bottom and we don't even get the deets.
October 24, 2025
Re-read November 2025
This still holds up after all these years.
-----------------------------------
I was hesitant to start this. I figured it would be a bit boring.. I mean, sheep shearing…?
But…. I adored this book. I fell in love with Hank and Elliot.
This is a book about Hank, a shearing gun and Elliot, the town doctor. Set in the rural town of Dumbleyung Australia.
I completely fell in love with Hank. He was so sweet! Not one ounce of him ever thought of hurting Elliot, even unintentionally. And Elliot was simply too cute for words. I wanted to hug these guys and feed them cookies.
This was such a feel good book. No crazy misunderstandings or angry sex to get the story going.
These guys started out as friends and remained friends even after they learned they were both gay. Hank's nr. 1 rule was no fishing in his own backyard. But of course Elliot was too cute and sexy to resist.
I loved the fact that there was no insta love.
But besides all the wonderful things, there was one thing that bothered me. We learn that Hank has never bottomed in his life. He and Elliot made a deal, Hank would bottom if he sheared more than 400 sheep that day. But right when I was cheering for Hank and getting ready for this epic bottoming scene…. it gets skipped! Yes, you read it right, we did not get to read about Hank finding his inner bottom. :( I still don’t understand why anyone would build up to this and not include it in the story.
But I eventually got over my disappointment and added this one to my favorites shelf.
This still holds up after all these years.
-----------------------------------
I was hesitant to start this. I figured it would be a bit boring.. I mean, sheep shearing…?
But…. I adored this book. I fell in love with Hank and Elliot.
This is a book about Hank, a shearing gun and Elliot, the town doctor. Set in the rural town of Dumbleyung Australia.
I completely fell in love with Hank. He was so sweet! Not one ounce of him ever thought of hurting Elliot, even unintentionally. And Elliot was simply too cute for words. I wanted to hug these guys and feed them cookies.
This was such a feel good book. No crazy misunderstandings or angry sex to get the story going.
These guys started out as friends and remained friends even after they learned they were both gay. Hank's nr. 1 rule was no fishing in his own backyard. But of course Elliot was too cute and sexy to resist.
I loved the fact that there was no insta love.
But besides all the wonderful things, there was one thing that bothered me. We learn that Hank has never bottomed in his life. He and Elliot made a deal, Hank would bottom if he sheared more than 400 sheep that day. But right when I was cheering for Hank and getting ready for this epic bottoming scene…. it gets skipped! Yes, you read it right, we did not get to read about Hank finding his inner bottom. :( I still don’t understand why anyone would build up to this and not include it in the story.
But I eventually got over my disappointment and added this one to my favorites shelf.
May 29, 2015
I'm blown away by how much I loved this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
The characters were so amazing and I fell in love with them instantly. They had great chemistry and I liked the fact they became friends first and from there it grew. Hank and Quackle (lol you'll have to read the book to find out about that) were so sweet and cute together. I did worry about liking them together for the first couple of chapters, but once they started spending time together and they got to know each other better, I knew I would love them.
I knew why Elliot (Quackle) got annoyed I actually was a tiny bit annoyed, too. It just didn't seem like a huge thing. Especially when Elliot already told him about himself. I thought he could have said something and not made a big deal out of it. And the way it came out? Great scene, but I totally understood Elliot being annoyed. Though it did seem to bring the guys together more, in my opinion it did anyway.
The secondary characters. Well, for the most part I loved them all. I would have liked a bit more of Hank's dad and brother. I loved his gay uncles. Especially Jimmie. And I liked Hank's friends and the way most of them accepted it without issue. It was funny to read some of the reactions when everything came out.
I'm so glad I finally buckled down and read this. It was funny and put me in a really happy mood. I seriously need to read more of this authors books because I have a feeling I will find more of them to love if I do. This is going straight to my favorites and these guys might just become one of my favorite couples... Highly recommended!
The characters were so amazing and I fell in love with them instantly. They had great chemistry and I liked the fact they became friends first and from there it grew. Hank and Quackle (lol you'll have to read the book to find out about that) were so sweet and cute together. I did worry about liking them together for the first couple of chapters, but once they started spending time together and they got to know each other better, I knew I would love them.
I knew why Elliot (Quackle) got annoyed I actually was a tiny bit annoyed, too. It just didn't seem like a huge thing. Especially when Elliot already told him about himself. I thought he could have said something and not made a big deal out of it. And the way it came out? Great scene, but I totally understood Elliot being annoyed. Though it did seem to bring the guys together more, in my opinion it did anyway.
The secondary characters. Well, for the most part I loved them all. I would have liked a bit more of Hank's dad and brother. I loved his gay uncles. Especially Jimmie. And I liked Hank's friends and the way most of them accepted it without issue. It was funny to read some of the reactions when everything came out.
“I mean, why the hell didn’t you say something? It’s like… like… I dunno… hiding who you are. It’s like lying to your friends, Hank. It’s like saying you go for the Eagles but you’re really an Essendon fan and you never told anyone. It’s like saying you were born in Australia but you’re really from New Zealand. Shit! You’re not a Kiwi as well are you?”
I'm so glad I finally buckled down and read this. It was funny and put me in a really happy mood. I seriously need to read more of this authors books because I have a feeling I will find more of them to love if I do. This is going straight to my favorites and these guys might just become one of my favorite couples... Highly recommended!
August 10, 2024
Okay so, full disclosure? I've now read this ten times. I know, I know...ten times?! Yes. So what I'm trying to say here is I am not unbiased. At all. It's all about the bias up in here.
I thought Dave Gillies did an excellent job with the many character voices, the timing, humor and heat. I'm looking forward to listening to this story again!
Look, it's just that I love Hank and Elliot, ok?
Hank is a genuine down to earth, no pretense kind of guy. When he first meets Elliot he's not hugely impressed with either his looks or his bedside manner. When he returns for a follow-up he realizes the doc is a bit easier on the eyes than he first thought and catches Elliot checking him out. You know, in that way. When Elliot apologizes, Hank accepts (without revealing his own sexual preferences) and they strike up a friendship. Because Hank has one rule: No fishing in your own backyard. (This is repeated ad nauseam in Hank's thoughts. 🙄)
It's only when Elliot catches Hank in a club in the city that Hank even admits to being gay.
Once Hank's secret is out their friendship deepens, and then evolves. I'll admit this is a bit of a slow burn, which is actually part of what I love about it because it makes their relationship seem so genuine and real (and pretty honest for the area they're living). Once they finally "get together" there are several sexy scenes that are definitely fan-yourself worthy, which makes the wait totally worth it, and I love the humor and the supporting characters. All of this combined is a recipe for a fun, sweet, romance. Nothing ever feels over the top or inauthentic.
This is pretty close to perfection for me. Well, as close as "damnit" is to swearing.
This story stays with me long after I read it, leaving only warm memories behind. I recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a low angst, sexy romance novel.
Warning: It may make you crave Pavlova.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave
*******************************
ETA Jul 19, 2015 BR with the awesome and beautiful Susan and Meags!
I've now read this nine times. I know, I know...nine times?! Yes...nine. For me, this gets better every time I read it.
I love Hank and Elliot!!
And when this (FINALLY) comes out in audio I will buy it and listen to it until I can quote ad nauseam.
ETA Dec 25, 2014:
Assigning to FAVORITES shelf. This will be my third re-read. It's a story that stays with me long after I've read it, leaving warm memories behind. I just love this book !
Read Nov 2, 2014:
I really, really liked this book. I'll definitely read it again and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys a low angst, sexy romance novel.
Look, other people have reviewed this book, and a hell of a lot better than I would, so I'm not going to try to reinvent that wheel. I'll say this: there were several sexy scenes that were definitely fan-yourself worthy. The relationship between Hank and Elliot seemed so genuine and real, and, more to the point, pretty honest for the area they were living. The relationship with Hank's father was really well done. Nothing felt over the top or inauthentic.
In short...pretty close to perfection for me. Well, as close as "damnit" is to swearing.
Now, excuse me while I go make a bloody Pavlova.
Read: 11/2014, 12/2014 (2), 02/2015, 03/2015, 04/2015, 05/2015, 06/2015, 07/2015, 08/2015
I thought Dave Gillies did an excellent job with the many character voices, the timing, humor and heat. I'm looking forward to listening to this story again!
Look, it's just that I love Hank and Elliot, ok?
Hank is a genuine down to earth, no pretense kind of guy. When he first meets Elliot he's not hugely impressed with either his looks or his bedside manner. When he returns for a follow-up he realizes the doc is a bit easier on the eyes than he first thought and catches Elliot checking him out. You know, in that way. When Elliot apologizes, Hank accepts (without revealing his own sexual preferences) and they strike up a friendship. Because Hank has one rule: No fishing in your own backyard. (This is repeated ad nauseam in Hank's thoughts. 🙄)
It's only when Elliot catches Hank in a club in the city that Hank even admits to being gay.
He thrust his hands on his hips. “Perhaps a few words like, ‘Hey, I’m gay too,’ when someone comes and apologizes to you and begs you not to tell anyone. Shit! No wonder you took it so well. Were you laughing at me the whole time?”
I frowned. “Of course not. You’re gay—so what? It doesn’t have anything to do with me. Just the same as my queerness is none of your business.”
Once Hank's secret is out their friendship deepens, and then evolves. I'll admit this is a bit of a slow burn, which is actually part of what I love about it because it makes their relationship seem so genuine and real (and pretty honest for the area they're living). Once they finally "get together" there are several sexy scenes that are definitely fan-yourself worthy, which makes the wait totally worth it, and I love the humor and the supporting characters. All of this combined is a recipe for a fun, sweet, romance. Nothing ever feels over the top or inauthentic.
This is pretty close to perfection for me. Well, as close as "damnit" is to swearing.
This story stays with me long after I read it, leaving only warm memories behind. I recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a low angst, sexy romance novel.
Warning: It may make you crave Pavlova.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave
*******************************
ETA Jul 19, 2015 BR with the awesome and beautiful Susan and Meags!
I've now read this nine times. I know, I know...nine times?! Yes...nine. For me, this gets better every time I read it.
I love Hank and Elliot!!
And when this (FINALLY) comes out in audio I will buy it and listen to it until I can quote ad nauseam.
ETA Dec 25, 2014:
Assigning to FAVORITES shelf. This will be my third re-read. It's a story that stays with me long after I've read it, leaving warm memories behind. I just love this book !
Read Nov 2, 2014:
I really, really liked this book. I'll definitely read it again and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys a low angst, sexy romance novel.
Look, other people have reviewed this book, and a hell of a lot better than I would, so I'm not going to try to reinvent that wheel. I'll say this: there were several sexy scenes that were definitely fan-yourself worthy. The relationship between Hank and Elliot seemed so genuine and real, and, more to the point, pretty honest for the area they were living. The relationship with Hank's father was really well done. Nothing felt over the top or inauthentic.
In short...pretty close to perfection for me. Well, as close as "damnit" is to swearing.
Now, excuse me while I go make a bloody Pavlova.
Read: 11/2014, 12/2014 (2), 02/2015, 03/2015, 04/2015, 05/2015, 06/2015, 07/2015, 08/2015
September 30, 2014
4.5 STARS
Hank is a twenty-five years old young man who lives in Dumbleyung, a small town in Australia. He’s a shearer, a good one and a farmer. Hank is gay, but he’s in the closet, only a few people knowing about his sexuality. He doesn’t came out because he thinks no one will hire a queer shearer. He lives alone for five years, since his father throw him out, now having a cordial relationship with him.
Elliot is the new doctor in the rural town. He moved in Dumbleyung signing a government contract – he works in the rural areas of Australia and the government supports him through school. He doesn’t have any family in the small town and he feels he’s an outsider in the community. Elliot is in the closet too, but only in this small town, because he doesn’t want to be judged.
Hank and Elliot meet each other when Hank is injured playing football and he needs a doctor. They become friends when Elliot is kinda unprofessional and he pays Hank a visit to apologize. Hank and Elliot start to spend their free time with each other, knowing each other better.
Soon they start to spend some hot time together having a friends with benefits relationship, not a real one. Shortly after, they fall for each other, both being worried they need each other more and more.
What a great story!! It was everything I expected and wanted to be - funny, sexy with a great developed story and lovable characters. I can say for sure this is my favorite book by this author!
Reading the prologue I was hooked immediately – a doctor and a shearer, both gay, both in the closet ( in some way ) with a great setting like rural Australia...Yep!! I’m in! Reading a story with a setting like this and with a character who is a shearer was a first for me. I expected to enjoy it, because I’m familiar with this author working, but I didn’t expected to love it. I even enjoyed all the farm talk. Being a city girl, for me was refreshing and interesting. I actually learn one thing or two about life on a farm.
The storyline was fantastic, kept my interest for the entire time. When I finished this I truly wanted more. The story is told entirely from Hank POV, which I didn’t liked too much, because I really, really wanted Elliot’s POV too. There were more than a few times when I wanted to read what Elliot is thinking and feeling.
Both main characters are well developed through the entire story. I loved both Hank and Elliot. Hank is such a funny guy, and his inner monologues are just terrific. He cares about his town, he’s sweet with Elliot and he’s a hardworking guy. Elliot is cute, funny, smart, open and he’s a decent person. He also is a great friend. He doesn’t even know Hank at the beginning, but he wants to help him with his farm. With a big heart, he doesn’t care only for Hank, he cares for all the community. He’s such a good guy! I loved and I smiled every time Elliot blushed! You can imagine why!
I really liked their relationship as friends and I loved their relationship as lovers. They comfort each other, they help each other, they care for each other. Their relationship evolved – slow and easy, which I really liked and nothing felt rushed. Everything progressed natural and felt real. Their banter is fantastic - fun and entertaining!
The side characters are not too many and I enjoyed reading about all of them and I even wanted to know more about a few of them.
I loved all the sexy moments between Hank and Elliot. They are hot, sexy, sometimes intense and enough detailed.
If you want a good m/m story, funny, sexy, low in angst with endearing characters, great storyline and fantastic writing I really recommend this one!!!
Favorite quotes:
*****
*****
Hank is a twenty-five years old young man who lives in Dumbleyung, a small town in Australia. He’s a shearer, a good one and a farmer. Hank is gay, but he’s in the closet, only a few people knowing about his sexuality. He doesn’t came out because he thinks no one will hire a queer shearer. He lives alone for five years, since his father throw him out, now having a cordial relationship with him.
Elliot is the new doctor in the rural town. He moved in Dumbleyung signing a government contract – he works in the rural areas of Australia and the government supports him through school. He doesn’t have any family in the small town and he feels he’s an outsider in the community. Elliot is in the closet too, but only in this small town, because he doesn’t want to be judged.
Hank and Elliot meet each other when Hank is injured playing football and he needs a doctor. They become friends when Elliot is kinda unprofessional and he pays Hank a visit to apologize. Hank and Elliot start to spend their free time with each other, knowing each other better.
Soon they start to spend some hot time together having a friends with benefits relationship, not a real one. Shortly after, they fall for each other, both being worried they need each other more and more.
What a great story!! It was everything I expected and wanted to be - funny, sexy with a great developed story and lovable characters. I can say for sure this is my favorite book by this author!
Reading the prologue I was hooked immediately – a doctor and a shearer, both gay, both in the closet ( in some way ) with a great setting like rural Australia...Yep!! I’m in! Reading a story with a setting like this and with a character who is a shearer was a first for me. I expected to enjoy it, because I’m familiar with this author working, but I didn’t expected to love it. I even enjoyed all the farm talk. Being a city girl, for me was refreshing and interesting. I actually learn one thing or two about life on a farm.
The storyline was fantastic, kept my interest for the entire time. When I finished this I truly wanted more. The story is told entirely from Hank POV, which I didn’t liked too much, because I really, really wanted Elliot’s POV too. There were more than a few times when I wanted to read what Elliot is thinking and feeling.
Both main characters are well developed through the entire story. I loved both Hank and Elliot. Hank is such a funny guy, and his inner monologues are just terrific. He cares about his town, he’s sweet with Elliot and he’s a hardworking guy. Elliot is cute, funny, smart, open and he’s a decent person. He also is a great friend. He doesn’t even know Hank at the beginning, but he wants to help him with his farm. With a big heart, he doesn’t care only for Hank, he cares for all the community. He’s such a good guy! I loved and I smiled every time Elliot blushed! You can imagine why!
I really liked their relationship as friends and I loved their relationship as lovers. They comfort each other, they help each other, they care for each other. Their relationship evolved – slow and easy, which I really liked and nothing felt rushed. Everything progressed natural and felt real. Their banter is fantastic - fun and entertaining!
The side characters are not too many and I enjoyed reading about all of them and I even wanted to know more about a few of them.
I loved all the sexy moments between Hank and Elliot. They are hot, sexy, sometimes intense and enough detailed.
If you want a good m/m story, funny, sexy, low in angst with endearing characters, great storyline and fantastic writing I really recommend this one!!!
Favorite quotes:
“Like a freight train, the knowledge that I wanted to suck his dick – and virtually every other dick in my immediate vicinity – hit me. I wanted dick. I liked dick. I was gay.” - Hank
*****
“I’d seen you a couple of times around town before you came into my surgery, Hank. I’d seen, I’d liked, I’d dreamed.” - Elliot
*****
“Oh, thank you, Jesus.
If Elliot thought that it was Jesus between his thighs, then he had a holy epiphany about to happen.” - Hank
October 28, 2014
4.5 charming, sweet stars!
Oh yes, I loved this one! At first I thought it was going to be a bit TMI, what with all the talk about sheep farming and all but it wasn't. Renae Kaye made sheep farming interesting. Who da thunk it?
Like Loving Jay, this book was a charmer. Filled with humor and aww worthy moments it left me with the warm fuzzies and a stupid grin on my face. Good snark here too.
Highly recommend!
December 4, 2014
Australia is a country I have always wanted to visit, and while reading The Shearing Gun by Renae Kaye my desire gets bigger and bigger!!
This book is one of those heartwarming, comfort, charming and funny read.
Yes, there are Australian terms but luckily, there is also an Australian glossary provided by the author. She does an amazing job incorporating the setting into the book and we get such a fab feel for their way of life.
I totally love Hank and Elliott together. I loved everything about them. I loved how Hank calls Elliott “Quackle”, I love how Hank is big and strong and Elliott is smaller and more gleaming. My heart and soul fell in love with Hank and Elliot and you will find almost impossible to let go of at the end of the story.
So overall I just loved this one.
Definitely recommended.
Another fabulous BR with fantastic girls! Thanks Ladies! ❤❤❤❤❤
May 24, 2023
I loved this so much! I was going to pass on it because that cover is so bad that it's hilarious but everybody (and I mean EVERYBODY) seems to love this book so I decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did because it was incredible!
I adored every word of it! I loved the MCs, their personalities and how the author came up with amazing situations that constantly put them together and allowed them to demonstrate how much they cared about each other. I also adored all the side characters because they added so much to the overall atmosphere and the story as a whole. Making the whole thing perfect was that the book is also hilarious! In particular, Hank's sarcasm and humor were amazing and made me love him even more.
I especially appreciate how many hurt/comfort scenarios the author included, which is one of my favorite tropes. When you have one MC be a gruff, tough farmer and the other MC is a city-slicker doctor, the situation is begging for tons of physical hurt/comfort scenarios and the author didn't disappoint. In fact, their initial meeting and the beginning of their entire relationship is built on a hurt/comfort scenario!
There are other hurt/comfort scenarios that I adored, like . What I especially loved about those scenarios was that each MC had the chance to be in the care-needing role as well as the caregiving role throughout the story.
But what I loved most of all was the romance between the MCs. I loved how much they cared about each other and how well they clicked from the start, despite being complete opposites. Did I mention Hank uses two nicknames for Elliot? I love it when characters call each other by adorable nicknames so this just added to my love for the story. Another thing I adore is when one MC bonds with the other MC's pet and having Elliot not only bond with Hank's dog Buck but also having him learn how to work with Buck (to herd sheep) made the situation even better. The boys always respected each other and supported each other, even when the big differences between them (class difference, lifestyle difference, education difference etc) threatened to make one of them feel awkward and out of place.
I also adored the city vs country themes that the book is based on. I love farming/ranching/country romances anyway and having a city-slicker come into the country and learn to appreciate and respect the lives that the country folks lead always makes me happy. It was so wonderful that Elliot threw himself into getting to know his new community and their lifestyles, even though he's been a city boy his entire life and he comes from wealth so he doesn't need to be dealing with country things if he doesn't want to. I love those kinds of stories where an outsider comes into a culture/community that he doesn't know anything about and once he demonstrates that he respects his new environment and he wants to fit in, he's embraced with open arms. Having that be a major theme throughout the story was such a treat!
In addition, the way Elliot eagerly absorbed the knowledge that the other characters were happy to share was great because not only did Elliot learn about his new environment but it was a wonderful chance for me to learn as well. I was just as fascinated as Elliot was when Hank would explain things related to the sheep and how his farm operated overall. I have enormous respect for people who spend their lives living on the land and especially farmers and ranchers, whose work allows me to enjoy my much easier life in the city. This story was a love letter to farmers and ranchers everywhere and I loved that.
In particular, I also appreciated how hard the author leaned into the Australian setting and how she refused to take it easy on people who might not be familiar with Aussie related things. I'm one of those people so I did appreciate the glossary at the start (which I had to consult a few times) but I loved how you could actually hear Hank and other people's strong Aussie accents just based on the way the author wrote their dialog. Every detail from large to small was Australian through and through and that was such a treat.
I know everybody in the MM romance community puts NR Walker's Red Dirt Heart as their number 1 Australian ranching MM romance but I felt that book doesn't come close to the amazing experience that The Shearing Gun is. When comparing the two books, I felt everything was done so much better in this one. Overall, I adored every single thing about this story and I'm actually sad to say goodbye to the boys and everybody else in their community because I loved spending time with them. I'm so glad I decided to read this and I'm going to cherish my re-reads of it for years to come!
I adored every word of it! I loved the MCs, their personalities and how the author came up with amazing situations that constantly put them together and allowed them to demonstrate how much they cared about each other. I also adored all the side characters because they added so much to the overall atmosphere and the story as a whole. Making the whole thing perfect was that the book is also hilarious! In particular, Hank's sarcasm and humor were amazing and made me love him even more.
I especially appreciate how many hurt/comfort scenarios the author included, which is one of my favorite tropes. When you have one MC be a gruff, tough farmer and the other MC is a city-slicker doctor, the situation is begging for tons of physical hurt/comfort scenarios and the author didn't disappoint. In fact, their initial meeting and the beginning of their entire relationship is built on a hurt/comfort scenario!
There are other hurt/comfort scenarios that I adored, like . What I especially loved about those scenarios was that each MC had the chance to be in the care-needing role as well as the caregiving role throughout the story.
But what I loved most of all was the romance between the MCs. I loved how much they cared about each other and how well they clicked from the start, despite being complete opposites. Did I mention Hank uses two nicknames for Elliot? I love it when characters call each other by adorable nicknames so this just added to my love for the story. Another thing I adore is when one MC bonds with the other MC's pet and having Elliot not only bond with Hank's dog Buck but also having him learn how to work with Buck (to herd sheep) made the situation even better. The boys always respected each other and supported each other, even when the big differences between them (class difference, lifestyle difference, education difference etc) threatened to make one of them feel awkward and out of place.
I also adored the city vs country themes that the book is based on. I love farming/ranching/country romances anyway and having a city-slicker come into the country and learn to appreciate and respect the lives that the country folks lead always makes me happy. It was so wonderful that Elliot threw himself into getting to know his new community and their lifestyles, even though he's been a city boy his entire life and he comes from wealth so he doesn't need to be dealing with country things if he doesn't want to. I love those kinds of stories where an outsider comes into a culture/community that he doesn't know anything about and once he demonstrates that he respects his new environment and he wants to fit in, he's embraced with open arms. Having that be a major theme throughout the story was such a treat!
In addition, the way Elliot eagerly absorbed the knowledge that the other characters were happy to share was great because not only did Elliot learn about his new environment but it was a wonderful chance for me to learn as well. I was just as fascinated as Elliot was when Hank would explain things related to the sheep and how his farm operated overall. I have enormous respect for people who spend their lives living on the land and especially farmers and ranchers, whose work allows me to enjoy my much easier life in the city. This story was a love letter to farmers and ranchers everywhere and I loved that.
In particular, I also appreciated how hard the author leaned into the Australian setting and how she refused to take it easy on people who might not be familiar with Aussie related things. I'm one of those people so I did appreciate the glossary at the start (which I had to consult a few times) but I loved how you could actually hear Hank and other people's strong Aussie accents just based on the way the author wrote their dialog. Every detail from large to small was Australian through and through and that was such a treat.
I know everybody in the MM romance community puts NR Walker's Red Dirt Heart as their number 1 Australian ranching MM romance but I felt that book doesn't come close to the amazing experience that The Shearing Gun is. When comparing the two books, I felt everything was done so much better in this one. Overall, I adored every single thing about this story and I'm actually sad to say goodbye to the boys and everybody else in their community because I loved spending time with them. I'm so glad I decided to read this and I'm going to cherish my re-reads of it for years to come!
December 25, 2022
Reread -2022. Just as fabulous as the first time.
July 21, 2019
-------spoilerish review----------------
***** 4,5 Quackle stars *****
-----------------------
"I'm planning on buying you a couple of fuckin' chooks so you'll stay. What part of that doesn't say I love you?".
-----------------------
Ahh, thank you, Marco for "nudging" me to read this book!
I have to say that the blurb for this book is really good. It perfectly describes the story. What it doesn't relay is how adorable and funny and sweet and hot it was!
I was a bit confused with the title at first, though, since the actual shearing and "shearing gun" expression doesn't come into the story until about 60% or something. Sure Hank, the MC, has a farm and sheeps, but a good first portion of the book there's not much talk about it. ;) So, I was thinking that the title didn't fit. Now after finishing it, I think it's perfect! Although... *musing* maybe it should be called "The Shearing Gun and the City Doctor." Or "The the Hot, Sweaty, Tanned Shearing Guy and the Twinky-ish, Adorable Doctor."
And, come on! The cover! There's a sheep on the cover of a MM romance book. How cool is that?! :D
Hank and "Quackle". Oh, wow.
I loved how the friendship and the interest were developing between them, going from hanging out, to friendship, to fuck buddies, to lover, to boyfriends, to love. I think this is one of the best book I've read where this development has occured like this and worked so well. No insta-lust and insta-fuck. I do like that in books too, but sometimes... sometimes it's better like in this book.
That being said, the pervy part of me (which is like 90-10, okay maybe 80-20... OKAY! 99-1) would have loved more uhm... "fishing". Because that "fishing expedition" in the kitchen was HOTTTT!!!
Like stomach knotting, pulse racing, brow sweating, heart palping, wide eyed UNF!
Some tiny details though to put my finger on. I felt that around the 60-ish% mark there was a turn in the writing style. Suddenly the sex and their relationship development was just mentioned instead of being "on camera". The plot continued to developed, but was only narrated and some time went by. A few times of just mentioning they continued to "fish" I could deal with. But then there was the deal about Elliot promising Hank's thoughts about this were told in detail while he was shearing. When they get into bed that night the story just stops and BAM! next chapter. I was like, there's a whole chapter missing here! Hence my rage at 70%. I felt it was a pretty big deal, since it differed so much from the writing style up until that point.
In short, all I want to say about this book is:
Very highly recommended!
November 4, 2018
Funny, adorable, sexy, fluffy, cute and just what I needed! These boys were funny as hell!! Hot, too, with plenty of sexy times. No angst. Cute lambs. Hunky farm boys. Sexy doctor. What's not to love??? Hank and Elliot rock!!
There's nothing like Renae Kaye to take you out of a book slump!!
There's nothing like Renae Kaye to take you out of a book slump!!
March 15, 2016
The Shearing Gun:
"Quackle": The best nickname and term of endearment that there ever was.
I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I mean it's about sheep farming and sheep shearing in the middle of nowhere. 'How good could it possibly be?' says I. Awesome it turns out.
This book is a feel good book. A story about two men meeting, becoming friends and falling in love. A story that you may think you have read a thousand times before but you've never read it from the POV of an Australian farmer named Hank.
"You think I'd do this to me-self? Nah, it was them bloody mongrels from Corrigin. They can't kick a footy straight, so they hit hard to try 'n' knock you out so's you don't know which is the arse end of your dog. Them wallies jumped on me in the second quarter. Three of them. It was fucking Big D MacDonald who took me for a flyer, and then his brother and cousin used me like a trampoline. Hard. The wankers. I showed them, though. Got me a fifty-meter and thumped that red turkey through. Then three more times that quarter and once in the third before Coach yanked me because I dropped a sitter when I didn't use me sore arm."
The Doc blinked a couple of times through my explanation, but to his credit he didn't drop his eyes.
"Let me get this straight," he asked. "You were playing football against a team from Corrigin, whose skills were poor, so they tried to make up for it by rough play. One player threw you to the ground and two others sat on you. You received a penalty and a shot at scoring. You scored a goal, then four more before, until the forty minutes after your initial injury, the coach of your team made you stop playing because you didn't catch the ball cleanly?"
I frowned at him. "Yeah. Isn't that what I just said?"
This book is also really educational when it comes to sheep shearing and farming, I had a 20 minute conversation with the Boy about what a shearing gun was and he was actually interested.
I did have a few issues (when don't I eh?) but it doesn't make this book any less feel good and that's what I wanted.
We get a lot of Australian television over here. I'm not really sure why, it's just always been a thing. This book brought a way oldie to mind and it's staying there.
It's obviously just because of the whole Doctor thing as there is a distance of about 4,000km between the places where these two things are set but every time I read it I'm pretty sure that program will come to mind. And read it again I will. This book will be coming out whenever I'm feeling sorry for myself!
I just wish it hadn't ended.
"Quackle": The best nickname and term of endearment that there ever was.
I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I mean it's about sheep farming and sheep shearing in the middle of nowhere. 'How good could it possibly be?' says I. Awesome it turns out.
This book is a feel good book. A story about two men meeting, becoming friends and falling in love. A story that you may think you have read a thousand times before but you've never read it from the POV of an Australian farmer named Hank.
"You think I'd do this to me-self? Nah, it was them bloody mongrels from Corrigin. They can't kick a footy straight, so they hit hard to try 'n' knock you out so's you don't know which is the arse end of your dog. Them wallies jumped on me in the second quarter. Three of them. It was fucking Big D MacDonald who took me for a flyer, and then his brother and cousin used me like a trampoline. Hard. The wankers. I showed them, though. Got me a fifty-meter and thumped that red turkey through. Then three more times that quarter and once in the third before Coach yanked me because I dropped a sitter when I didn't use me sore arm."
The Doc blinked a couple of times through my explanation, but to his credit he didn't drop his eyes.
"Let me get this straight," he asked. "You were playing football against a team from Corrigin, whose skills were poor, so they tried to make up for it by rough play. One player threw you to the ground and two others sat on you. You received a penalty and a shot at scoring. You scored a goal, then four more before, until the forty minutes after your initial injury, the coach of your team made you stop playing because you didn't catch the ball cleanly?"
I frowned at him. "Yeah. Isn't that what I just said?"
This book is also really educational when it comes to sheep shearing and farming, I had a 20 minute conversation with the Boy about what a shearing gun was and he was actually interested.
I did have a few issues (when don't I eh?) but it doesn't make this book any less feel good and that's what I wanted.
We get a lot of Australian television over here. I'm not really sure why, it's just always been a thing. This book brought a way oldie to mind and it's staying there.
It's obviously just because of the whole Doctor thing as there is a distance of about 4,000km between the places where these two things are set but every time I read it I'm pretty sure that program will come to mind. And read it again I will. This book will be coming out whenever I'm feeling sorry for myself!
I just wish it hadn't ended.
March 11, 2015
Definitely my favorite Renae Kaye book to date.
Friends to lovers.
Slow burn attraction.
Hunky 'shearing gun', more-attractive-as-you-get-to-know-him doctor.
Lots of Aussie testosterone.
The whole thing worked for me.
Adorable and fun!
Bring on more Renae Kaye!!!!
June 14, 2017
I have to say that this was my favorite story from Renae Kaye thus far, and it doesn't hurt that I also thought it was the smexiest of her works as well.
Both Elliot and Hank are starkly lonely in the small rural town in which they live. Once they know each other's secret, they forge a friendship and then an intimate relationship while trying to keep their own growing feelings for each other under wraps. This was definitely fun, flirty, playful and hot. This had great sexual tension, and it was sweetly realistic witnessing Hank navigate the ins and outs of his first relationship ever.
There was also some pointed angst and topical concerns regarding small town homophobia. These guys' situation of being forced to hide their sexuality due to fear of losing their friends and livelihood was a bit heart breaking. There was also a vulnerability to Hank as he believes he couldn't possibly hold Elliot's interest to keep him from going back to the city once his loan obligation was fulfilled.
So again Renae Kaye does great with tender angst and mixing it with a lot of humor and warmth. These two MC's didn't have a bad bone in their body and it was wonderful watching the natural progression of them falling for each other. Overall a fantastic, feel good, smexy read!
Both Elliot and Hank are starkly lonely in the small rural town in which they live. Once they know each other's secret, they forge a friendship and then an intimate relationship while trying to keep their own growing feelings for each other under wraps. This was definitely fun, flirty, playful and hot. This had great sexual tension, and it was sweetly realistic witnessing Hank navigate the ins and outs of his first relationship ever.
There was also some pointed angst and topical concerns regarding small town homophobia. These guys' situation of being forced to hide their sexuality due to fear of losing their friends and livelihood was a bit heart breaking. There was also a vulnerability to Hank as he believes he couldn't possibly hold Elliot's interest to keep him from going back to the city once his loan obligation was fulfilled.
So again Renae Kaye does great with tender angst and mixing it with a lot of humor and warmth. These two MC's didn't have a bad bone in their body and it was wonderful watching the natural progression of them falling for each other. Overall a fantastic, feel good, smexy read!
November 3, 2015
That was PERFECT!!!
I loved every minute of it.
LOVED IT!
I loved every minute of it.
LOVED IT!
May 13, 2020
4,5 stars
Yeah! That’s what a light-hearted romance is all about!
Pretty much liked everything here – the Australian rural setting, the Mcs, the secondary characters (all thumbs up for Middy!), the slowly paced romance going the ‘friends first, lovers second’ route and the gradual ‘coming out’ story.
Most of all I loved Hank’s voice. It feels real and unique, and made me really root for the guy. Shame we didn’t get a glimpse of Elliot’s POV, there were times when I wished for it. And I might have expected more trouble after Hank's coming out.
All the ingredients for a great romance are there, and the author has put them together to a highly enjoyable book. (But argh... that cover! Why?)
Thanks for the great recommendation, Elena!
Yeah! That’s what a light-hearted romance is all about!
Pretty much liked everything here – the Australian rural setting, the Mcs, the secondary characters (all thumbs up for Middy!), the slowly paced romance going the ‘friends first, lovers second’ route and the gradual ‘coming out’ story.
Most of all I loved Hank’s voice. It feels real and unique, and made me really root for the guy. Shame we didn’t get a glimpse of Elliot’s POV, there were times when I wished for it. And I might have expected more trouble after Hank's coming out.
All the ingredients for a great romance are there, and the author has put them together to a highly enjoyable book. (But argh... that cover! Why?)
Thanks for the great recommendation, Elena!
December 5, 2014
3 sweet stars
Review to come...
Hank and Elliot's story
Can it be even more Australian...
BR here
Review to come...
Hank and Elliot's story
Can it be even more Australian...
BR here
December 4, 2014
4.5 stars!
Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe! To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true! Sheep be true! Baa-ram-ewe (Sorry folks, I just have to insert this somewhere)
I have started reading MM about 5-6 years ago… and by now, I have read over than 500 contemporary MM stories, since they are my favorite genre (overall, I probably have read more than 1000). What I am trying to say is with so many stories and the small capacity of memory that I have, it is rather difficult for me in the end to remember them all. All those stories become blurred in my head.
Plus I have become pickier and a bit jaded. So many things have become my pet peeves; I’m nitpicky. I dislike instant-love, instant-lust, too many endearments, too many clichés, females as villains, bigotry/homophobic parents, the martyrdom effect, et cetera et cetera. It’s not easy for a story to stand out above the rest and stay in my memory long enough.
So by golly if I say this, The Shearing Gun is so good, it will definitely be one of my memorable reads this year. Sure, if you ask me what is the first thing that comes to mind, I will genuinely say, “That sheep book.” The author might not like it but that is how I will associate this (haha!). Having said that, it’s actually a compliment! Yep, because by making such a unique setting – it has a very lush, very vivid description about living on a farm in small town, Dumbleyung, Western Australia – this story stands above the rest. And THAT, my friend, is something I need in the clutter of contemporary MM romances released every year.
What about the characterizations and the romance? Oh, they’re just as satisfying.
Hank, our narrator slash shearing gun (that is what you call a super-fast shearer) has such an engaging voice that he pulled me right in. Yes, he is – by way of product – thrown out by his father after discovering that Hank is gay, but the story never goes into a “woe-is-me” or “feel sorry for me” territory. Hank might be in the closet, but he also embraces his relationship status with Elliot when he needs to be. Hank is funny, endearing, and loyal. Man, he will defend his Quackle’s honor if he has to (how’s that for endearment!)!
Elliott is also very sweet… he sure blushes a lot! *laugh*. I loved how he is enthusiastic, almost like a little kid, when he needs to learn about the life on the farm. Everything is new and a wonder for him, and that makes him oh, so lovable. But when he is in charge, where Elliot is in his own element, helping other people, my GOD, it is such a turn on!!
Another element that made it a winner for me is the secondary characters. Hank has several close friends and relatives that are colorful in their own way. From Middy, to Neil, to Hank’s own brother, Paul, and his amazing uncle, Murray and Murray’s partner, Jimmy. They give that dash of small-town quirkiness that I love so much and I want more in MM contemporary. Yes, we did have a couple of bitter moments when it came to acceptance to homosexuality, but it never went over the top. It was done in a tasteful and thoughtful way to make a well-rounded story.
Heck, even the sex scenes were pretty good (and this comes from a reader who prefers not to have too many sex scenes in her story!) So that is a big deal, trust me. Oh, except for the phone sex. The phone sex was weird.
The story is romantic with enough balance between humor, romance, drama, internal conflict, and action. Yes, action – what, you don’t think shearing sheep is action? Trust me, it IS!! Especially when the shearers are trying to break records!! Anyway, everything was in the right balance – like perfect ingredients to create the most delicious Pavlova (no, I’ve never tasted Pavlova, but I can imagine it!). Plus the love declaration scene, just made my heart melt and my face lit up with a smile at the same time because it was so deliciously Hank.
In conclusion, this is just one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s THAT good and THAT satisfying for me. Although I have only read two books of hers so far, I guess I can start paying more attention to Renae Kaye when it comes to making my list of ‘best-new-author-of-2014’ list.
Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe! To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true! Sheep be true! Baa-ram-ewe (Sorry folks, I just have to insert this somewhere)
I have started reading MM about 5-6 years ago… and by now, I have read over than 500 contemporary MM stories, since they are my favorite genre (overall, I probably have read more than 1000). What I am trying to say is with so many stories and the small capacity of memory that I have, it is rather difficult for me in the end to remember them all. All those stories become blurred in my head.
Plus I have become pickier and a bit jaded. So many things have become my pet peeves; I’m nitpicky. I dislike instant-love, instant-lust, too many endearments, too many clichés, females as villains, bigotry/homophobic parents, the martyrdom effect, et cetera et cetera. It’s not easy for a story to stand out above the rest and stay in my memory long enough.
So by golly if I say this, The Shearing Gun is so good, it will definitely be one of my memorable reads this year. Sure, if you ask me what is the first thing that comes to mind, I will genuinely say, “That sheep book.” The author might not like it but that is how I will associate this (haha!). Having said that, it’s actually a compliment! Yep, because by making such a unique setting – it has a very lush, very vivid description about living on a farm in small town, Dumbleyung, Western Australia – this story stands above the rest. And THAT, my friend, is something I need in the clutter of contemporary MM romances released every year.
What about the characterizations and the romance? Oh, they’re just as satisfying.
Hank, our narrator slash shearing gun (that is what you call a super-fast shearer) has such an engaging voice that he pulled me right in. Yes, he is – by way of product – thrown out by his father after discovering that Hank is gay, but the story never goes into a “woe-is-me” or “feel sorry for me” territory. Hank might be in the closet, but he also embraces his relationship status with Elliot when he needs to be. Hank is funny, endearing, and loyal. Man, he will defend his Quackle’s honor if he has to (how’s that for endearment!)!
Elliott is also very sweet… he sure blushes a lot! *laugh*. I loved how he is enthusiastic, almost like a little kid, when he needs to learn about the life on the farm. Everything is new and a wonder for him, and that makes him oh, so lovable. But when he is in charge, where Elliot is in his own element, helping other people, my GOD, it is such a turn on!!
Another element that made it a winner for me is the secondary characters. Hank has several close friends and relatives that are colorful in their own way. From Middy, to Neil, to Hank’s own brother, Paul, and his amazing uncle, Murray and Murray’s partner, Jimmy. They give that dash of small-town quirkiness that I love so much and I want more in MM contemporary. Yes, we did have a couple of bitter moments when it came to acceptance to homosexuality, but it never went over the top. It was done in a tasteful and thoughtful way to make a well-rounded story.
Heck, even the sex scenes were pretty good (and this comes from a reader who prefers not to have too many sex scenes in her story!) So that is a big deal, trust me. Oh, except for the phone sex. The phone sex was weird.
The story is romantic with enough balance between humor, romance, drama, internal conflict, and action. Yes, action – what, you don’t think shearing sheep is action? Trust me, it IS!! Especially when the shearers are trying to break records!! Anyway, everything was in the right balance – like perfect ingredients to create the most delicious Pavlova (no, I’ve never tasted Pavlova, but I can imagine it!). Plus the love declaration scene, just made my heart melt and my face lit up with a smile at the same time because it was so deliciously Hank.
“I love you, Elliot. I’ve loved you for ages. Of course my heart is involved. I fuckin’ introduced you to my dad for heaven’s sake! Why would I do that if I didn’t love you? I punched my best friend’s brother for calling you names. I snuck around town like a fuckin’ thief just to hold you at night so you could get some sleep. I got tested and told Doc Larsen I was gay that was not the easiest bloody conversation in the world. I gave you a lamb to name. I’m planning on buying you a couple of fuckin’ chooks so you’ll stay. What part of that doesn’t say I love you?”
In conclusion, this is just one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s THAT good and THAT satisfying for me. Although I have only read two books of hers so far, I guess I can start paying more attention to Renae Kaye when it comes to making my list of ‘best-new-author-of-2014’ list.
March 25, 2024
Re-read- March 2024
Still love it. Great characters, awesome setting, and the perfect slow-burn.
***************************************
Original Review
I loved this! First off, I love a book set in Australia, with a great assortment of Aussie characters and chock-full of Aussie slang. The setting, a small town in Western Australia, was perfect.
Hank was a farmer and sheep shearer who was firmly in the closet, resigned to live his life alone with just the infrequent one-night-stand on the rare occasion when he had time to go off to the big city. The author did a wonderful job of explaining sheep shearing and the skill and competition involved in it without knocking the reader over the head with pages and pages of shearing facts. I was fascinated and interested in learning what I did.
Elliot was a brand new doctor in the small town. He and Hank became friends, which slowly turned into more. I loved the gradual progression of their relationship. The sex scenes were hot. The secondary characters were great, especially Hank's uncle and his partner. And I loved the ending!
ETA: There's a free extra scene available at the author's website
http://renaekaye.weebly.com/free-extr...
Still love it. Great characters, awesome setting, and the perfect slow-burn.
***************************************
Original Review
I loved this! First off, I love a book set in Australia, with a great assortment of Aussie characters and chock-full of Aussie slang. The setting, a small town in Western Australia, was perfect.
Hank was a farmer and sheep shearer who was firmly in the closet, resigned to live his life alone with just the infrequent one-night-stand on the rare occasion when he had time to go off to the big city. The author did a wonderful job of explaining sheep shearing and the skill and competition involved in it without knocking the reader over the head with pages and pages of shearing facts. I was fascinated and interested in learning what I did.
Elliot was a brand new doctor in the small town. He and Hank became friends, which slowly turned into more. I loved the gradual progression of their relationship. The sex scenes were hot. The secondary characters were great, especially Hank's uncle and his partner. And I loved the ending!
ETA: There's a free extra scene available at the author's website
http://renaekaye.weebly.com/free-extr...
September 22, 2024
5 Stars
Renae Kaye, you little ripper! How am I only now reading my first RK story? What a drongo!
I honestly enjoyed every aspect of this story. The writing was superb and the characters were extremely lovable. Hank, in particular, was a bit of a dag (in a relatable way), and had me pissing myself laughing on more than one occasion, with his quirky inner monoglues and random romantic notions – because everyone wants their significant other to buy them a couple of chooks to call their own. Too funny.
I was stoked by how this story played out – with two polar opposite, Aussie blokes, finding love in the middle of woop woop, in WA. It was ridiculously sweet and sinfully sexy – fair dinkum, these two between the sheets was hot as fuck!
I’m devo that it’s over so quickly! Definitely re-read material and I reckon I’ll be reading more from this author, quick-smart.
BR with my sheila's, Belen and Susan! :)
Renae Kaye, you little ripper! How am I only now reading my first RK story? What a drongo!
I honestly enjoyed every aspect of this story. The writing was superb and the characters were extremely lovable. Hank, in particular, was a bit of a dag (in a relatable way), and had me pissing myself laughing on more than one occasion, with his quirky inner monoglues and random romantic notions – because everyone wants their significant other to buy them a couple of chooks to call their own. Too funny.
I was stoked by how this story played out – with two polar opposite, Aussie blokes, finding love in the middle of woop woop, in WA. It was ridiculously sweet and sinfully sexy – fair dinkum, these two between the sheets was hot as fuck!
I’m devo that it’s over so quickly! Definitely re-read material and I reckon I’ll be reading more from this author, quick-smart.
BR with my sheila's, Belen and Susan! :)
September 24, 2014
Love on the range.
Actually, the marginally populated, farmlands of western Australia. Sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. Gotta like sheep to like this story. Nice crash course tutorial on sheep farming. There's lingo and 4/5 of the action revolves around the life of a rural rancher/farmer.
Hank's a nice guy, focused, skilled and favorably disposed. Actually he's sex on legs and his romps to the city to find action prove that real fast. Impossible not to like him. Might want to shake him at times, but a lovable lad.
Elliot is our government-sponsored doctor to the rural region of D.... yeah, sounds really odd, good for a chuckle, but no one's honestly gonna learn how to spell it. Elliot's the proverbial fish out of water, though well-intentioned and earnest. He's flummoxed by his newest patient. Cue embarrassing moment.
Now we've got our heroes. We've got the setting and the macho, homophobic leanings of the residents. We've got sheep. Seriously, sheep is a big thing. So, what's one sex-on-the-back-burner and one hiding-in-the-closet to do?
Paul's the only one with any sense. And Middy. And Doc. And... you see where this is going. Hank is an idiot. Totally get it, but let's be honest. The boy missed out on life. Glad he wasn't stupid enough to let Elliot go.
There's drama, but the resolution to the their problem isn't one of them. It is a corollary to it. The joy in this read is the teasing, good humor of Hank and the inherent sweetness of Elliot and how they dance around their desires and then meet them head on. Pretty angst-free romance read.
Overall, sweet tale of country boys' loving.
3.5 Stars
Favorite quote:
~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~
Actually, the marginally populated, farmlands of western Australia. Sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. Gotta like sheep to like this story. Nice crash course tutorial on sheep farming. There's lingo and 4/5 of the action revolves around the life of a rural rancher/farmer.
Hank's a nice guy, focused, skilled and favorably disposed. Actually he's sex on legs and his romps to the city to find action prove that real fast. Impossible not to like him. Might want to shake him at times, but a lovable lad.
Elliot is our government-sponsored doctor to the rural region of D.... yeah, sounds really odd, good for a chuckle, but no one's honestly gonna learn how to spell it. Elliot's the proverbial fish out of water, though well-intentioned and earnest. He's flummoxed by his newest patient. Cue embarrassing moment.
Now we've got our heroes. We've got the setting and the macho, homophobic leanings of the residents. We've got sheep. Seriously, sheep is a big thing. So, what's one sex-on-the-back-burner and one hiding-in-the-closet to do?
Paul's the only one with any sense. And Middy. And Doc. And... you see where this is going. Hank is an idiot. Totally get it, but let's be honest. The boy missed out on life. Glad he wasn't stupid enough to let Elliot go.
There's drama, but the resolution to the their problem isn't one of them. It is a corollary to it. The joy in this read is the teasing, good humor of Hank and the inherent sweetness of Elliot and how they dance around their desires and then meet them head on. Pretty angst-free romance read.
Overall, sweet tale of country boys' loving.
3.5 Stars
Favorite quote:
That was the problem with screwing a guy with higher intelligence. They had so much brain matter that they could do two things at once.
~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~
September 20, 2014
Love the slowburn romance here. I liked the farming talk but the sheep shearing scenes were too much that I found myself losing interest and eventually skipped some parts. The rest was great! Hank is funny and really likeable and I love his inner monologues. Fun, sweet and very low angst. Recommended! :)
January 4, 2015
I am so mad I waited so long for this little gem.
October 17, 2023
Some books you can just tell are going to be 5 stars from the first chapter. This was not the case here. This snuck up on me, these guys slowly weaseled their way into my heart and it wasn’t until I finished this and thought back that I realised I’d be giving it 5 stars. Ignore the cover and read this. It’s bloody good.
January 6, 2025
RE-READ: Jan 2025
I loved it just as much as when I read it for the first time some 5 years ago! <3
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
OMG! It's been my first book by this author and such a winner! Why the heck have I been waiting so long to read it?!?! :)
I simply loved it! It's so refreshing to finally read a book that's so normal! Now, don't get me wrong - there's nothing normal for me in breeding and shearing sheep or in calling a 200-people-or-so locality A TOWN, and driving 40 km (one way!) to the LOCAL shop/pub... I live in an around-80k-people community with 4 grocery shops on my street and complaining at a 15-min commuting to my work! And I've never been anywhere near the southern hemisphere. But still...
Still, it's the best book I've read in a long time, maybe since the beginning of this year, and I must tell you, I'm totally amazed! The Shearing Gun and My Cowboy Freedom were both so surprisingly good! And I'm mentioning the other one because I would've never thought that I could be so engrossed in ranching/farming reads!
I love The Shearing Gun because, as I'd already mentioned, the MCs are not some smoky hot, larger-than-life and full of themselves guys... They're simply normal ! Sure, Elliot comes from a posh, old money family, but it's never shown in his behaviour or his treating other people, be it patients or friends. And Hank? He's just Hank :) A farmer-slash-shearer whose love of the land and respect towards hard work simply warmed my heart ;) There was no magic cure to his financial problems, there was no dawdling in his everyday life and work and I liked it a lot!
And the cutest moment? It's when... . Just how sweet is that? *melts a bit*
The world-building was great - I felt this Australian vibe and I was googling like crazy to learn more about those places and the shearing stuff and such. And the writing style was top notch, guys! It was witty, sometimes even hilarious without going OTT, it wasn't overwhelming in the shearing descriptions - even a lay person like me could enjoy it and learn a bit about this unforgiving task - and it simply made me smile the whole time :)
I'll definitely be checking out some more of Ms Kaye's books! :)
I recommend it wholeheartedly, guys!
I loved it just as much as when I read it for the first time some 5 years ago! <3
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
OMG! It's been my first book by this author and such a winner! Why the heck have I been waiting so long to read it?!?! :)
I simply loved it! It's so refreshing to finally read a book that's so normal! Now, don't get me wrong - there's nothing normal for me in breeding and shearing sheep or in calling a 200-people-or-so locality A TOWN, and driving 40 km (one way!) to the LOCAL shop/pub... I live in an around-80k-people community with 4 grocery shops on my street and complaining at a 15-min commuting to my work! And I've never been anywhere near the southern hemisphere. But still...
Still, it's the best book I've read in a long time, maybe since the beginning of this year, and I must tell you, I'm totally amazed! The Shearing Gun and My Cowboy Freedom were both so surprisingly good! And I'm mentioning the other one because I would've never thought that I could be so engrossed in ranching/farming reads!
I love The Shearing Gun because, as I'd already mentioned, the MCs are not some smoky hot, larger-than-life and full of themselves guys... They're simply normal ! Sure, Elliot comes from a posh, old money family, but it's never shown in his behaviour or his treating other people, be it patients or friends. And Hank? He's just Hank :) A farmer-slash-shearer whose love of the land and respect towards hard work simply warmed my heart ;) There was no magic cure to his financial problems, there was no dawdling in his everyday life and work and I liked it a lot!
And the cutest moment? It's when... . Just how sweet is that? *melts a bit*
The world-building was great - I felt this Australian vibe and I was googling like crazy to learn more about those places and the shearing stuff and such. And the writing style was top notch, guys! It was witty, sometimes even hilarious without going OTT, it wasn't overwhelming in the shearing descriptions - even a lay person like me could enjoy it and learn a bit about this unforgiving task - and it simply made me smile the whole time :)
I'll definitely be checking out some more of Ms Kaye's books! :)
I recommend it wholeheartedly, guys!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 490 reviews