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Wild Ones #1
Long Winter
It’s been a long, cold winter at Riverside Ranch, where Robbie has lived alone since his brothers moved away. Alone, that is, except for his three devious cats, four saddle horses, and the forty-eight mustangs that roam the ranch.
Robbie is preparing for yet another snowfall when he gets the last call he expected—a plea to pick up Lance Taylor from the county jail.
Lance wasn’t just his little brother’s best friend, he was a part of the family. Then, one night, after Lance asked Robbie for something Robbie couldn’t give, he ran away and never came back.
Lance was sixteen and heartbroken when he left his middle-of-nowhere hometown. Six years later, he’s at rock bottom with nowhere else to go, and no one to turn to but Robbie, the man Lance has been inconveniently in love with for most of his life.
When Robbie offers Lance a place to stay, Lance expects a guest bedroom and awkward silences. Instead, he finds himself sharing Robbie’s one-room hayloft apartment and its single bed, while realizing that the old flame he carries for Robbie might not be so hopeless, after all.
Long Winter is the first book in the Wild Ones series and has a happy-for-now ending. Robbie and Lance’s story continues in Signs of Spring.
Robbie is preparing for yet another snowfall when he gets the last call he expected—a plea to pick up Lance Taylor from the county jail.
Lance wasn’t just his little brother’s best friend, he was a part of the family. Then, one night, after Lance asked Robbie for something Robbie couldn’t give, he ran away and never came back.
Lance was sixteen and heartbroken when he left his middle-of-nowhere hometown. Six years later, he’s at rock bottom with nowhere else to go, and no one to turn to but Robbie, the man Lance has been inconveniently in love with for most of his life.
When Robbie offers Lance a place to stay, Lance expects a guest bedroom and awkward silences. Instead, he finds himself sharing Robbie’s one-room hayloft apartment and its single bed, while realizing that the old flame he carries for Robbie might not be so hopeless, after all.
Long Winter is the first book in the Wild Ones series and has a happy-for-now ending. Robbie and Lance’s story continues in Signs of Spring.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2021
273 people are currently reading
2232 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Ember
21 books203 followersRachel was born and raised in the midwest USA, and now lives there voluntarily, a life choice she only sometimes questions. On the small farm her menagerie calls home, she happily juggles her voracious reading and writing habits with caring for her kids and pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
Did not finish
February 16, 2024dnf @85%
Did not finish
March 31, 2021DNF at 41%
I admit that my main reasons for picking this book were the cover and the forced proximity trope. Unfortunately, it took me 5 days to reach this point and it wasn’t for lack of time—I also read two short stories in the meantime—and for once I can’t even blame the dreaded third person present tense narrative, I was actually feeling pretty good when I realized that wasn’t bothering me at all.
There’s nothing overtly wrong with the book, but between the long and detailed descriptions of cattle and horses, the characters constantly losing themselves in their own heads, and the back and forth between past and present with a scene from the past at the beginning of each chapter—which in Robbie’s case seems to be entirely focused on his relationship with his father, at least so far—I find my attention wandering elsewhere. It probably doesn’t help that the two POVs aren’t very distinctive and that I’m not feeling any chemistry between the characters, which means that the slow burn is completely lost on me.
I could keep doing what I’ve been doing the last few days, read this in small doses and take a break switching to something else when I can’t take it any longer, but I don’t see the point in that. I already know they’ll end up together eventually and I don’t really care to find out the details. Especially since it seems like I’d have to stick with them for another book and a half to get most of the answers to the questions raised in this book. I think I’ll pass.
I admit that my main reasons for picking this book were the cover and the forced proximity trope. Unfortunately, it took me 5 days to reach this point and it wasn’t for lack of time—I also read two short stories in the meantime—and for once I can’t even blame the dreaded third person present tense narrative, I was actually feeling pretty good when I realized that wasn’t bothering me at all.
There’s nothing overtly wrong with the book, but between the long and detailed descriptions of cattle and horses, the characters constantly losing themselves in their own heads, and the back and forth between past and present with a scene from the past at the beginning of each chapter—which in Robbie’s case seems to be entirely focused on his relationship with his father, at least so far—I find my attention wandering elsewhere. It probably doesn’t help that the two POVs aren’t very distinctive and that I’m not feeling any chemistry between the characters, which means that the slow burn is completely lost on me.
I could keep doing what I’ve been doing the last few days, read this in small doses and take a break switching to something else when I can’t take it any longer, but I don’t see the point in that. I already know they’ll end up together eventually and I don’t really care to find out the details. Especially since it seems like I’d have to stick with them for another book and a half to get most of the answers to the questions raised in this book. I think I’ll pass.
September 15, 2021
Lance has always loved Robbie. He realized he loved boys by watching Robbie, the much older brother of his best friend Danny. Robbie has always loved Lance. Like he loved his little brothers. How could it be anything else, when Lance was just a child? But now Lance is back and all grown up.
The book is full of melancholy. It’s slow. So slow. Beautiful. We feel the heaviness of the winter. The beauty of the horses. And the loneliness of our two men. The winter is cold, but when Lance and Robbie get together, it is so hot it could melt the whole forest.
It ends with a HFN and so many unanswered questions. What happened two years ago? Why did Johnny leave? What will happen to Nora? What about Lance’s career? Can they be happy on the ranch? How will Danny and Johnny react? I can’t wait to read the rest of their story.
In case it wasn’t clear already, I loved this book so much.
The book is full of melancholy. It’s slow. So slow. Beautiful. We feel the heaviness of the winter. The beauty of the horses. And the loneliness of our two men. The winter is cold, but when Lance and Robbie get together, it is so hot it could melt the whole forest.
It ends with a HFN and so many unanswered questions. What happened two years ago? Why did Johnny leave? What will happen to Nora? What about Lance’s career? Can they be happy on the ranch? How will Danny and Johnny react? I can’t wait to read the rest of their story.
In case it wasn’t clear already, I loved this book so much.
August 18, 2021
Contemporary cowboy romance, age gap, best friend's brother, found family, unrequited love, mutual pining, and slow burn.
9-year-old Lance Taylor is shy, scared, and is trying hard to hide his worn-out boots from other kids in the school bus when he sees ' the Chase Family'. Then, Danny, the youngest of the Chase brothers, sits next to him on the bus and starts talking about 'The Team'.
A few months later, Lance fights every obstacle, hides from his father, jumps creeks, injures his knees, and goes to the neighboring 'Riverside ranch' to see his best friend, Danny. At that moment, the three parentless Chase brothers instantly adopt Lance.
At 13, Lance realized he was living in an alternate reality where he constantly dreams of his best friend's elder brother, Robbie.
At 16, Lance disappears from the small town and now 6 years later Robbie Chase receives a call and he immediately leaves his snow-covered ranch, horses, and 'triplicat' to post Lance's bail.
Now, after so many years, Lance is back to the same alternate reality where his heart short-circuits when he smells the pine and leather scent, and again he has to try hard to conceal his feelings towards Robbie.
Whereas, Robbie is confused by these sudden feelings for a once shy, mistreated boy next door who is now a beautiful young man. Moreover, he is trying hard to merge this new Lance with the memories of his old Lance.
Characterization-
Due to their parents' early death, Robbie became a surrogate parent to his two younger brothers quite early. He never went to college and dedicated himself to his ranch and his brothers. Now, both the younger brothers have left the ranch and Robbie is left alone with his horses and cats.
Lance likes to collect small fancy things, shining buttons, beads, lost earrings in a hidden hole in his room. He has a miserable home life but he is stubborn and never learns how to ask for help. The only ray of sunshine in his life is his best friend, Danny, and his two elder brothers, Johnny and Robbie.
Romance-
Robbie has always thought of Lance as the shy, stubborn best friend of his younger brother Danny. He knew about Lance's crush on him because of his girlfriend. But, due to Lance's miserable family, he is protective and careful with Lance. While growing up he is the only responsible adult in Lance's life.
Now, when Lance is a grown-up and back to the ranch, Robbie struggles with guilt. He is not sure if his changed feelings towards Lance are appropriate. And Lance who has constantly dreamed of being with Robbie from the age of 13-16 and even now is scared too. He has grown up and knows expects the same familiar care of Robbie mingled with love.
The plot moves between past and present. In the past, we get lots of incidents that were not very important in themselves but helped in shaping this bond between the Chases family and Lance. In the past, we meet these boys and Robbie, who are open and always there for each other.
In the present, we have Robbie and Lance alone in a snow-covered cabin with only some animals to keep company.
The writing is hauntingly beautiful, you can't help but feel the loneliness of a long winter. Also, the author successfully paints a stunning picture of a ranch in snow-covered Nebraska. We get plenty of descriptions about horses, calves, and treacherous weather.
If you like plot-driven stories then this one is surely going to bore you because we have characters, their backstories, lots of atmospheric details, and inner monologues. But, if you are someone who likes character-driven, super slow romances filled with lots of mutual pining and forced proximity then this is a perfect book for you.
Personally, I felt too connected with the story. Not only with the MCs, but with all the boys, the three Chase brothers and, their long-lost boy next door, Lance. I am waiting to see some bonding time in the next book and last book of the Wild Ones series.
9-year-old Lance Taylor is shy, scared, and is trying hard to hide his worn-out boots from other kids in the school bus when he sees ' the Chase Family'. Then, Danny, the youngest of the Chase brothers, sits next to him on the bus and starts talking about 'The Team'.
A few months later, Lance fights every obstacle, hides from his father, jumps creeks, injures his knees, and goes to the neighboring 'Riverside ranch' to see his best friend, Danny. At that moment, the three parentless Chase brothers instantly adopt Lance.
At 13, Lance realized he was living in an alternate reality where he constantly dreams of his best friend's elder brother, Robbie.
At 16, Lance disappears from the small town and now 6 years later Robbie Chase receives a call and he immediately leaves his snow-covered ranch, horses, and 'triplicat' to post Lance's bail.
Now, after so many years, Lance is back to the same alternate reality where his heart short-circuits when he smells the pine and leather scent, and again he has to try hard to conceal his feelings towards Robbie.
Whereas, Robbie is confused by these sudden feelings for a once shy, mistreated boy next door who is now a beautiful young man. Moreover, he is trying hard to merge this new Lance with the memories of his old Lance.
Characterization-
Due to their parents' early death, Robbie became a surrogate parent to his two younger brothers quite early. He never went to college and dedicated himself to his ranch and his brothers. Now, both the younger brothers have left the ranch and Robbie is left alone with his horses and cats.
Lance likes to collect small fancy things, shining buttons, beads, lost earrings in a hidden hole in his room. He has a miserable home life but he is stubborn and never learns how to ask for help. The only ray of sunshine in his life is his best friend, Danny, and his two elder brothers, Johnny and Robbie.
Romance-
Robbie has always thought of Lance as the shy, stubborn best friend of his younger brother Danny. He knew about Lance's crush on him because of his girlfriend. But, due to Lance's miserable family, he is protective and careful with Lance. While growing up he is the only responsible adult in Lance's life.
Now, when Lance is a grown-up and back to the ranch, Robbie struggles with guilt. He is not sure if his changed feelings towards Lance are appropriate. And Lance who has constantly dreamed of being with Robbie from the age of 13-16 and even now is scared too. He has grown up and knows expects the same familiar care of Robbie mingled with love.
The plot moves between past and present. In the past, we get lots of incidents that were not very important in themselves but helped in shaping this bond between the Chases family and Lance. In the past, we meet these boys and Robbie, who are open and always there for each other.
In the present, we have Robbie and Lance alone in a snow-covered cabin with only some animals to keep company.
The writing is hauntingly beautiful, you can't help but feel the loneliness of a long winter. Also, the author successfully paints a stunning picture of a ranch in snow-covered Nebraska. We get plenty of descriptions about horses, calves, and treacherous weather.
If you like plot-driven stories then this one is surely going to bore you because we have characters, their backstories, lots of atmospheric details, and inner monologues. But, if you are someone who likes character-driven, super slow romances filled with lots of mutual pining and forced proximity then this is a perfect book for you.
Personally, I felt too connected with the story. Not only with the MCs, but with all the boys, the three Chase brothers and, their long-lost boy next door, Lance. I am waiting to see some bonding time in the next book and last book of the Wild Ones series.
July 31, 2021
Re-Read as needed the warmth, really love these guys together and looking forward to more from this author. This was a freebie worth grabbing from the sludge, a pleasant surprise that was an instant favourite.
.......
I actually really enjoyed this, enough to pre-order (a rarity for me) the sequel.
It's a a simple setup but delivered really well. A childhood crush and age difference is handled really well, there's a real depth to both characters which took me by surprise in a freebie read. Liked both men and enjoyed the localle.
I insist on a HEA life needs them, this books ends in a good place but it's still the start of things, there's adjustments and learning of each other still to do. A very strong promise of togetherness but not tied off with a bow. I was happy, it felt real. You can finish with this book happily or if like me you're left wanting more time with these guys, continue on.
.......
I actually really enjoyed this, enough to pre-order (a rarity for me) the sequel.
It's a a simple setup but delivered really well. A childhood crush and age difference is handled really well, there's a real depth to both characters which took me by surprise in a freebie read. Liked both men and enjoyed the localle.
I insist on a HEA life needs them, this books ends in a good place but it's still the start of things, there's adjustments and learning of each other still to do. A very strong promise of togetherness but not tied off with a bow. I was happy, it felt real. You can finish with this book happily or if like me you're left wanting more time with these guys, continue on.
January 16, 2021
***4.5*** TRIPLICATS ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
I won't lie, I got this for the cover. Look at it 😍 I love horses, I love cowboys, I love ... gah and it was FREE, part of the Winter Wonderland PW giveaway. The icing on the goodness cake was that I found a NTM author and I really liked this. A lot.
Lance Taylor is a sensitive soul whose sorely neglected and abused by his father. From the age of six he finds solace, respite, and comfort with his neighbors the Chases: Danny, Johnny, and more importantly their older brother (and de facto parent) Robbie. At sixteen, after enduring a pretty miserable childhood, a confusing & overwhelming but one sided love for Robbie Chase Lance leaves town.
Six years later Lance is back in town and needing to be rescued and Robbie is there. The boy Robbie remembers, the half starved boy who clung to him like a shadow, and couldn't hide the love in his eyes is now all sharp angles and beauty. Robbie likes what he sees. Lance's crush hasn't abated. A fortuitous snow storm and Lance's need to stay in town forces them to huddle together for a few days in Robbie's loft at the Chase ranch. Feelings are felt things are revealed and Robbie & Chase come together in a satisfying way.
I really liked Rachel Ember writing style. Robbie & Lance's story is told within the parameters of an age-gap and forced proximity story but it's really neither. Or rather they're unimportant. How refreshing!
The present time action takes place under a week and there are a series of flashbacks to when the MC were different ages. IMO it gives the story an interiority in narrative which makes the time Robbie & Lance share delicate and precious. I love that Robbie, who's always lived in service to others and is perhaps more sensitive than Lance, is finally grasping something for himself. I love that Lance is getting a chance at a life where he is important to someone, where he isn't alone.
The story ends with lots left unexplored between these two, so really a strong HFN, but there's a March release date for the next book which promises to continue the story. I'm also hoping to hear more about Johnny and Danny.
My niggles are few and negligible so I'll hide them under a spoiler tag.
I won't lie, I got this for the cover. Look at it 😍 I love horses, I love cowboys, I love ... gah and it was FREE, part of the Winter Wonderland PW giveaway. The icing on the goodness cake was that I found a NTM author and I really liked this. A lot.
Lance Taylor is a sensitive soul whose sorely neglected and abused by his father. From the age of six he finds solace, respite, and comfort with his neighbors the Chases: Danny, Johnny, and more importantly their older brother (and de facto parent) Robbie. At sixteen, after enduring a pretty miserable childhood, a confusing & overwhelming but one sided love for Robbie Chase Lance leaves town.
Six years later Lance is back in town and needing to be rescued and Robbie is there. The boy Robbie remembers, the half starved boy who clung to him like a shadow, and couldn't hide the love in his eyes is now all sharp angles and beauty. Robbie likes what he sees. Lance's crush hasn't abated. A fortuitous snow storm and Lance's need to stay in town forces them to huddle together for a few days in Robbie's loft at the Chase ranch. Feelings are felt things are revealed and Robbie & Chase come together in a satisfying way.
I really liked Rachel Ember writing style. Robbie & Lance's story is told within the parameters of an age-gap and forced proximity story but it's really neither. Or rather they're unimportant. How refreshing!
The present time action takes place under a week and there are a series of flashbacks to when the MC were different ages. IMO it gives the story an interiority in narrative which makes the time Robbie & Lance share delicate and precious. I love that Robbie, who's always lived in service to others and is perhaps more sensitive than Lance, is finally grasping something for himself. I love that Lance is getting a chance at a life where he is important to someone, where he isn't alone.
The story ends with lots left unexplored between these two, so really a strong HFN, but there's a March release date for the next book which promises to continue the story. I'm also hoping to hear more about Johnny and Danny.
My niggles are few and negligible so I'll hide them under a spoiler tag.
October 8, 2022
Interesting narrative choices in this ranch romance
It took me a while to get into this book even though I was fascinated by the subject because of the interesting narrative choices.
The book switched between scenes from the past and the present time, which was fine and easy to navigate.
What made me have to concentrate more though was the mix of different tenses that appear in the same sections.
Once I'd got my head around that though, it was a rewarding journey following two men with acres of history between them.
There's a strong element of hurt/comfort wrapped into this brother's best friend trope and it floats alongside a not quite second chance romance but something perhaps more like a missed one.
There's the beginnings of a happy ending here and the story continues in the next book.
It took me a while to get into this book even though I was fascinated by the subject because of the interesting narrative choices.
The book switched between scenes from the past and the present time, which was fine and easy to navigate.
What made me have to concentrate more though was the mix of different tenses that appear in the same sections.
Once I'd got my head around that though, it was a rewarding journey following two men with acres of history between them.
There's a strong element of hurt/comfort wrapped into this brother's best friend trope and it floats alongside a not quite second chance romance but something perhaps more like a missed one.
There's the beginnings of a happy ending here and the story continues in the next book.
June 3, 2022
I didn’t like the frequent trips back and forth in time. It stalled any kind of narrative progress. Lance was an odd character. No internal coherence so it was hard to believe he was real rather than constructed by an author. So much description and so little communication. I was bored which is rare when reading. I kept expecting the book everyone else read to start at some point. YMMV
October 1, 2021
This is a touching story about Lance, who has been in love with his best friends older brother since he was young, and Robbie Chase, who at 18 became the caretaker for his two younger brothers and also took over their ranch after his father died unexpectedly. There is yearning on Lance’s part and we see glimpses of this in flashbacks which also show the lonely and abusive way Lance grew up.
I loved the touching relationships within this story, there are so many more than just Lance and Robbie. Lance found a family with his best friend and the Chase’s. He spent so much time with these brothers who loved and accepted him for who he was and they made him feel safe, something he never felt before. Robbie and the relationship he has with his brothers was also beautiful and I loved the way they were a unit growing up and how they cared for one another.
As a grown up Lance is different in many ways but those ways are all superficial, inside he’s still that scared and lonely boy who ran from Robbie and the Chase’s at 16 after declaring his love for Robbie. Lance has never felt safe and at home since then so when he gets in trouble and finds himself back at the ranch with Robbie it brings back so many memories and feelings that have never gone away.
Robbie has always loved the ranch and remembers his father and all of his life lessons so clearly but after everyone leaves eventually he is alone. He’s never gotten to go to college and he loved learning and he never got the chance to explore his bisexuality. When he sees Lance as a grown man he can’t help but be drawn to him and attracted to him but he does feel like that attraction is wrong at first since the love he felt for him while Lance was younger was always as family.
It feels right that these two lost souls should be together. I loved the moments they spent looking after the calf and riding horses and when they do act on their mutual attraction it is both beautiful and steamy.
This book is a HFN and there are loose ends that need to be tied up. I enjoyed the pace of this book and will continue to find out what happens next!
I loved the touching relationships within this story, there are so many more than just Lance and Robbie. Lance found a family with his best friend and the Chase’s. He spent so much time with these brothers who loved and accepted him for who he was and they made him feel safe, something he never felt before. Robbie and the relationship he has with his brothers was also beautiful and I loved the way they were a unit growing up and how they cared for one another.
As a grown up Lance is different in many ways but those ways are all superficial, inside he’s still that scared and lonely boy who ran from Robbie and the Chase’s at 16 after declaring his love for Robbie. Lance has never felt safe and at home since then so when he gets in trouble and finds himself back at the ranch with Robbie it brings back so many memories and feelings that have never gone away.
Robbie has always loved the ranch and remembers his father and all of his life lessons so clearly but after everyone leaves eventually he is alone. He’s never gotten to go to college and he loved learning and he never got the chance to explore his bisexuality. When he sees Lance as a grown man he can’t help but be drawn to him and attracted to him but he does feel like that attraction is wrong at first since the love he felt for him while Lance was younger was always as family.
It feels right that these two lost souls should be together. I loved the moments they spent looking after the calf and riding horses and when they do act on their mutual attraction it is both beautiful and steamy.
This book is a HFN and there are loose ends that need to be tied up. I enjoyed the pace of this book and will continue to find out what happens next!
didnt-finish
February 19, 2021I'm beginning to think it's me. Another one I cba to finish. (But it's not just me. I'm only searching for something that is readable, high quality writing, and not entirely generic. It's almost impossible to find at the moment, so it's also, at least most of the time, a little bit the books themselves.)
Made it half way through this one, though I started skimming before that. It started out good: strong, descriptive writing, almost lyrical, so I got a little excited about that. It's rare in the mm romance genre.
Then the realization, that crept up slowly: The descriptions, the many internal thoughts (which, still, nicely written) completely take over. Dialogues are interrupted with many interior observations, countless, continous thoughts and imaginings, which turn the dialogue into things more akin to stray vocalizations that stop before anything is properly revealed. There's drip feeding information, then there's this: most conversations stop before anything of importance is said. Most scenes end before anything important is revealed.
This would be fine on its own (I think), but it is slowed down even further by long, descriptive paragraphs about different horse herds and cows and farming, descriptions of goods in stores, etc that slow any forward movement to a crawl and end up being distracting. Hence the skimming.
Anyway, I wasn't invested enough in the characters and the unfolding story to continue to slog through and there was too much text left to bother skimming til the end.
Made it half way through this one, though I started skimming before that. It started out good: strong, descriptive writing, almost lyrical, so I got a little excited about that. It's rare in the mm romance genre.
Then the realization, that crept up slowly: The descriptions, the many internal thoughts (which, still, nicely written) completely take over. Dialogues are interrupted with many interior observations, countless, continous thoughts and imaginings, which turn the dialogue into things more akin to stray vocalizations that stop before anything is properly revealed. There's drip feeding information, then there's this: most conversations stop before anything of importance is said. Most scenes end before anything important is revealed.
This would be fine on its own (I think), but it is slowed down even further by long, descriptive paragraphs about different horse herds and cows and farming, descriptions of goods in stores, etc that slow any forward movement to a crawl and end up being distracting. Hence the skimming.
Anyway, I wasn't invested enough in the characters and the unfolding story to continue to slog through and there was too much text left to bother skimming til the end.
January 2, 2022
4.5 stars
“The feeling inside him— between them— keeps building, like the river when it climbs toward the reservoir gates and threatens to crest the spillway. He’s not sure how much longer he can hold it back, or what will happen when it flows over. It’s frightening and it’s thrilling.”
— cowboy romance
— best friend’s brother
— slow burn
— cowboy/model
— bi/gay
— age gap
— bi awakening
— forced proximity
— small town setting
— off the charts UST
The writing is magical in this cowboy romance set in a small town in Nebraska. The beautiful and harsh winter landscape, plus evocative descriptions of farmsteads and horses take you to a place where time slows down. This best friend’s brother romance captures the angst, pining, and inner conflict that makes this trope so delicious.
The MCs will draw you in right from the very first page. Robbie is a lonely cowboy whose temperament matches the quiet, resilient landscape, while Lance is a gorgeous model and photographer who bears the scars of his troubled childhood. Their relationship develops at a deliberate pace and it’s a true slow burn romance. The story jumps between the past and present, allowing us to follow Robbie and Lance as their relationship develops from its platonic phase—Lance as a kid crushing on his best friend’s brother—to when Robbie meets the now adult, attractive Lance. The sexual tension sizzles and the sex is steamy.
“The feeling inside him— between them— keeps building, like the river when it climbs toward the reservoir gates and threatens to crest the spillway. He’s not sure how much longer he can hold it back, or what will happen when it flows over. It’s frightening and it’s thrilling.”
— cowboy romance
— best friend’s brother
— slow burn
— cowboy/model
— bi/gay
— age gap
— bi awakening
— forced proximity
— small town setting
— off the charts UST
The writing is magical in this cowboy romance set in a small town in Nebraska. The beautiful and harsh winter landscape, plus evocative descriptions of farmsteads and horses take you to a place where time slows down. This best friend’s brother romance captures the angst, pining, and inner conflict that makes this trope so delicious.
The MCs will draw you in right from the very first page. Robbie is a lonely cowboy whose temperament matches the quiet, resilient landscape, while Lance is a gorgeous model and photographer who bears the scars of his troubled childhood. Their relationship develops at a deliberate pace and it’s a true slow burn romance. The story jumps between the past and present, allowing us to follow Robbie and Lance as their relationship develops from its platonic phase—Lance as a kid crushing on his best friend’s brother—to when Robbie meets the now adult, attractive Lance. The sexual tension sizzles and the sex is steamy.
September 6, 2021
A slow-build warm contemporary story about Lance, who met Robbie first as the comfortable, protective and supportive older brother of his best friend. Who developed an embarrassing crush on Robbie in his teens. And who now, jailed by his vindictive ex for "stealing" his own car, turns to Robbie as sanctuary when he has no one else to trust.
Lance's childhood with an emotionally abusive father has affected his self-worth and trust. Robbie is the one man whom he never fears and whose good intentions he will never doubt. But he's caught between wanting the safety and unconditional familial love Robbie always gave him, and wanting more - the need and passion that his teen self ached for and that he, as a grown man, still feels when he looks at Robbie.
The conflict level in this is low, with even the nasty ex not putting in the melodrama that some books stoop to. The ending is HFN, with things settled down but not resolved. I particularly liked that Robbie's ex-girlfriend is a great woman who mutually decided they were better as friends, and yet also someone Lance has very complicated feelings about. Add in a ranch setting, a calf, some horses, and you have a warmer story than the set-up might suggest.
Lance's childhood with an emotionally abusive father has affected his self-worth and trust. Robbie is the one man whom he never fears and whose good intentions he will never doubt. But he's caught between wanting the safety and unconditional familial love Robbie always gave him, and wanting more - the need and passion that his teen self ached for and that he, as a grown man, still feels when he looks at Robbie.
The conflict level in this is low, with even the nasty ex not putting in the melodrama that some books stoop to. The ending is HFN, with things settled down but not resolved. I particularly liked that Robbie's ex-girlfriend is a great woman who mutually decided they were better as friends, and yet also someone Lance has very complicated feelings about. Add in a ranch setting, a calf, some horses, and you have a warmer story than the set-up might suggest.
Read
February 9, 2022Robbie and Lance were my cozy, snowed-in answer to the troubles of 2020. The past that divides them is revealed alongside their present-day reconnection and the book has a happy-for-now ending, with the story continuing in Signs of Spring.
February 7, 2022
A second chance and friends to lovers cowboy romance set in a dreamy winter landscape.
The prose in this book is beautiful. It feels like watching the snow fall on a quiet winter evening with a fire crackling in the background, which is basically the setting for much of this book. It’s a bit magical at times, but also oppressive. There’s a weight to the language and plot that starts from the beginning and never lets up. It’s surprisingly heavy for not much actually happening. I wasn’t exactly disappointed because I didn’t wanted these characters to suffer more, but I did expect things to be a bit darker than they were.
Lance and Robbie are perfect together. The chemistry was there from the moment they reunited and it only got better. Their sex scenes were absolutely scorching. I loved the flashbacks and the angst a teenaged Lance felt. I thought the progression of Robbie’s feelings was handled well and veered on the right side of things for how paternal his role in Lance’s life could have been. I was still a bit bothered by Robbie’s own remarks about taking advantage of Lance. I’m not sure I would have thought about that too much if the character hadn’t acknowledged that himself. I wasn’t pleased at all that the author chose to comment on it and then “fix” it by making Lance sexually aggressive. Nothing at all was fixed and Lance remains completely dependent upon Robbie. I would have preferred no acknowledgement of Lance’s situation as opposed to Robbie worrying about it and then ignoring those worries all together. It’s a minor thing, but it pulled me out of the story.
In keeping with the sense of heaviness and meditative prose, there are some scenes that dragged. I powered through some of the trail riding and mustang ones, but had to skim a few dozen pages near the end. I did enjoy the story overall and I’m definitely interested in the rest of this series.
The prose in this book is beautiful. It feels like watching the snow fall on a quiet winter evening with a fire crackling in the background, which is basically the setting for much of this book. It’s a bit magical at times, but also oppressive. There’s a weight to the language and plot that starts from the beginning and never lets up. It’s surprisingly heavy for not much actually happening. I wasn’t exactly disappointed because I didn’t wanted these characters to suffer more, but I did expect things to be a bit darker than they were.
Lance and Robbie are perfect together. The chemistry was there from the moment they reunited and it only got better. Their sex scenes were absolutely scorching. I loved the flashbacks and the angst a teenaged Lance felt. I thought the progression of Robbie’s feelings was handled well and veered on the right side of things for how paternal his role in Lance’s life could have been. I was still a bit bothered by Robbie’s own remarks about taking advantage of Lance. I’m not sure I would have thought about that too much if the character hadn’t acknowledged that himself. I wasn’t pleased at all that the author chose to comment on it and then “fix” it by making Lance sexually aggressive. Nothing at all was fixed and Lance remains completely dependent upon Robbie. I would have preferred no acknowledgement of Lance’s situation as opposed to Robbie worrying about it and then ignoring those worries all together. It’s a minor thing, but it pulled me out of the story.
In keeping with the sense of heaviness and meditative prose, there are some scenes that dragged. I powered through some of the trail riding and mustang ones, but had to skim a few dozen pages near the end. I did enjoy the story overall and I’m definitely interested in the rest of this series.
September 27, 2021
An enjoyable best friend's older (much older) brother romance.
I will say this was slow for me at first. Getting to these two interacting took some time, and I just didn't care about farm stuff. I love animals, but don't care to read paragraph after paragraph about taking care of them or about them, what have you - unless they are very important to the story and are almost a character themself. But none of the animals were that here, so I just didn't care.
But soon enough, after some background we get in a flashback, these two meet up after 6 years of not seeing or talking once, as Lance, who is 22 years old now, has been arrested because his controlling boyfriend, now ex, reported the car that Lance took stolen to "teach him a lesson" ugh. Niall, the ex, is gross in this. We do unfortunately see him in this, and he was just the worst.
Lance called Danny, his best friend from childhood, who is away in another state in college, so Danny calls Robbie, who is 36 years old and Danny's older brother, to bail Lance out of jail.
Lance had a pretty shitty home life growing up, but when he's 8, he meets Danny on the bus at the beginning of the school year, and they become fast friends, and then best friends.
Robbie, at the time, is 22 years old, and is the legal guardian of his younger brothers, Danny and Johnny after their father passed four years prior.
Of course there is absolutely nothing going on then, and Robbie is an adult while they're kids, and they do their kid thing and he's just there to be an authority figure.
But when Lance was 13, he gained a crush on Robbie, and harbored love for him for 3 years. It became fairly known, just not talked about, among them all, even Robbie, but it was just a schoolboy crush, right?
But when Lance is 16 - and thus Robbie is 30 at this time - he doesn't make a move, but he tells Robbie he loves him that way.
Robbie, who is not a creep, is not into him that way, and Lance knows this but told him anyway. But he runs away after that, and goes to live with his Aunt in another city or state (I can't remember if it tells us where she lives), and he pretty much cuts off most contact with all three of the Chase boys, especially Robbie, and he doesn't see or talk to them for 6 years.
So now...well, now, Lance is a man. He's all grown up.
It helps that they spent 6 years apart. As it is, it is a little uncomfy that they were so close - even though it wasn't sexual/romantic at ALL - and in each other's lives while Lance was a kid and teen. But it helps that they've been so distant for so long. Lance did the last of the growing up he needed to do away from Robbie and his unadvisable crush/feelings, and Robbie gets to see Lance again as a man, so that any feelings he gains is for Lance the man, not the boy.
I do have to say that things felt like they happened too fast. Even though they've known each other, technically, for 14 years, were in each other's lives for 8 of those years, and did know each other well, they get together in the present within days.
At least we're getting another installment to see them really settle into a relationship, because otherwise yeah this would have been way too fast. But there is more story to tell. Although it's funny that this is called "long winter" when it takes place over like...a week of time haha.
The main plot centered around Lance having to deal with having been arrested, and Niall, and some farm stuff, like neighboring cows wandering onto Robbie's property, and one of them birthing a calf, and Robbie and Lance taking care of her, and so on.
Over those days, Robbie is attracted to Lance and gains attraction for him the more time they spend together. Lance has been with others, of course, but really it's always been Robbie for him. But now he's an adult, not a kid with a crush, so the dynamic is different.
The steam was well done, I liked these two together. There wasn't a ton of steam, but what was there was really good. Maybe we'll get more in the next book as they settle into being together.
So overall, I enjoyed this. It kept me interested and I liked these two as a couple. The story wasn't crazy exciting at times, hence the one star off, but it wasn't too bad, and picked up later on.
So two thumbs up from me, ultimately. This was good enough that I will for sure be tuning into the next book in this series :)
I will say this was slow for me at first. Getting to these two interacting took some time, and I just didn't care about farm stuff. I love animals, but don't care to read paragraph after paragraph about taking care of them or about them, what have you - unless they are very important to the story and are almost a character themself. But none of the animals were that here, so I just didn't care.
But soon enough, after some background we get in a flashback, these two meet up after 6 years of not seeing or talking once, as Lance, who is 22 years old now, has been arrested because his controlling boyfriend, now ex, reported the car that Lance took stolen to "teach him a lesson" ugh. Niall, the ex, is gross in this. We do unfortunately see him in this, and he was just the worst.
Lance called Danny, his best friend from childhood, who is away in another state in college, so Danny calls Robbie, who is 36 years old and Danny's older brother, to bail Lance out of jail.
Lance had a pretty shitty home life growing up, but when he's 8, he meets Danny on the bus at the beginning of the school year, and they become fast friends, and then best friends.
Robbie, at the time, is 22 years old, and is the legal guardian of his younger brothers, Danny and Johnny after their father passed four years prior.
Of course there is absolutely nothing going on then, and Robbie is an adult while they're kids, and they do their kid thing and he's just there to be an authority figure.
But when Lance was 13, he gained a crush on Robbie, and harbored love for him for 3 years. It became fairly known, just not talked about, among them all, even Robbie, but it was just a schoolboy crush, right?
But when Lance is 16 - and thus Robbie is 30 at this time - he doesn't make a move, but he tells Robbie he loves him that way.
Robbie, who is not a creep, is not into him that way, and Lance knows this but told him anyway. But he runs away after that, and goes to live with his Aunt in another city or state (I can't remember if it tells us where she lives), and he pretty much cuts off most contact with all three of the Chase boys, especially Robbie, and he doesn't see or talk to them for 6 years.
So now...well, now, Lance is a man. He's all grown up.
It helps that they spent 6 years apart. As it is, it is a little uncomfy that they were so close - even though it wasn't sexual/romantic at ALL - and in each other's lives while Lance was a kid and teen. But it helps that they've been so distant for so long. Lance did the last of the growing up he needed to do away from Robbie and his unadvisable crush/feelings, and Robbie gets to see Lance again as a man, so that any feelings he gains is for Lance the man, not the boy.
I do have to say that things felt like they happened too fast. Even though they've known each other, technically, for 14 years, were in each other's lives for 8 of those years, and did know each other well, they get together in the present within days.
At least we're getting another installment to see them really settle into a relationship, because otherwise yeah this would have been way too fast. But there is more story to tell. Although it's funny that this is called "long winter" when it takes place over like...a week of time haha.
The main plot centered around Lance having to deal with having been arrested, and Niall, and some farm stuff, like neighboring cows wandering onto Robbie's property, and one of them birthing a calf, and Robbie and Lance taking care of her, and so on.
Over those days, Robbie is attracted to Lance and gains attraction for him the more time they spend together. Lance has been with others, of course, but really it's always been Robbie for him. But now he's an adult, not a kid with a crush, so the dynamic is different.
The steam was well done, I liked these two together. There wasn't a ton of steam, but what was there was really good. Maybe we'll get more in the next book as they settle into being together.
So overall, I enjoyed this. It kept me interested and I liked these two as a couple. The story wasn't crazy exciting at times, hence the one star off, but it wasn't too bad, and picked up later on.
So two thumbs up from me, ultimately. This was good enough that I will for sure be tuning into the next book in this series :)
February 3, 2021
4.5★'s Rounded Up!
This drove me a little (a lot) bit crazy but I think I kind of (most definitely) fell in love with it.
First, let me just say, I had no idea this highly anticipated new release on my TBR had been included in the Winter Wonderland giveaway! No idea! When I went to grab all the books I thought I had already grabbed, but didn’t really (I saw a note from a participating author who said to hurry up and make sure to actually download all the giveaways off of ProlificWorks because some of the books were not going to remain there) I happened to notice it as I was downloading everything. I was shocked! This is a brand new, full length book that is the beginning of a new series set to release this year that I kept checking the release date. What a wonderful gift from the author. Did I say it was a full length book for free? Yeah. Wow!
Anyway, back to the story.
I’ve read a few books with this sort of feeling and they seem to always get me right in my heart. No matter the niggles there is something about this sort of story that just does it for me.
Yes, I could have really used more conversations. I can’t imagine just not asking questions, that just isn’t me so these boys just not saying anything drove me a little bonkers for sure. Yeah, I still am a little iffy on exactly what happened in the past, what is going on in the now and what is going to happen in the future but, I’m a little bit head over heels and seem to be able to overlook my issues. My God, the book has given me patience.
I don’t know. I just feel like the story had so much heart and really, it took place in such a very short amount of time that it feels right somehow that there wasn’t a huge info dump even if I wanted more, more, more.
I think I’m just going to go with my gut and enjoy it. I’m not going to bitch, I’m not going to complain, I’m just going to feel what I feel for these guys and waitimpatiently for more.
Thank you to all the authors who participated in this Winter Wonderland event and contributed a free read. It was truly the best way to start 2021.
This drove me a little (a lot) bit crazy but I think I kind of (most definitely) fell in love with it.
First, let me just say, I had no idea this highly anticipated new release on my TBR had been included in the Winter Wonderland giveaway! No idea! When I went to grab all the books I thought I had already grabbed, but didn’t really (I saw a note from a participating author who said to hurry up and make sure to actually download all the giveaways off of ProlificWorks because some of the books were not going to remain there) I happened to notice it as I was downloading everything. I was shocked! This is a brand new, full length book that is the beginning of a new series set to release this year that I kept checking the release date. What a wonderful gift from the author. Did I say it was a full length book for free? Yeah. Wow!
Anyway, back to the story.
I’ve read a few books with this sort of feeling and they seem to always get me right in my heart. No matter the niggles there is something about this sort of story that just does it for me.
Yes, I could have really used more conversations. I can’t imagine just not asking questions, that just isn’t me so these boys just not saying anything drove me a little bonkers for sure. Yeah, I still am a little iffy on exactly what happened in the past, what is going on in the now and what is going to happen in the future but, I’m a little bit head over heels and seem to be able to overlook my issues. My God, the book has given me patience.
I don’t know. I just feel like the story had so much heart and really, it took place in such a very short amount of time that it feels right somehow that there wasn’t a huge info dump even if I wanted more, more, more.
I think I’m just going to go with my gut and enjoy it. I’m not going to bitch, I’m not going to complain, I’m just going to feel what I feel for these guys and wait
Thank you to all the authors who participated in this Winter Wonderland event and contributed a free read. It was truly the best way to start 2021.
September 7, 2024
DNF @ 50%
This was a highly anticipated read for me because I love rural romances but unfortunately, it's not working out. The pacing is way too slow due to the writing style and the narrative structure chosen by the author and I don't care about the romance between the MCs because I don't care about Adult-Lance.
I liked the dual timeline structure where one chapter would take place in the present and the following chapter (or scene) would be a flashback. Lance grew up in an abusive, neglectful household and the Chases were his neighbors. The Chases consisted of three boys at the time with the oldest Robbie having custody of his two younger brothers following the unexpected death of their father when Robbie was 18. Lance was best friends with the youngest brother Danny and he was also friendly with the middle brother Johnny and he spent tons of time with the three brothers, which is how and why he developed a crush on Robbie. Lance had left town at 16 and the present timeline picks up six years later when he returns and through a series of circumstances, he ends up living with Robbie on the Chases property.
The flashbacks were a great way to showcase what Lance and Robbie's relationship had been like when they were younger and it also helped build both of their characters. My big problem was that Adult-Lance seemed so different from who I thought he'd be (based on the flashbacks) that it was jarring. Even worse, Child-Lance had been such a complex character with a complex history that having Adult-Lance be bland and one-dimensional made the present timeline a lot more boring than it should have been. I also found the author's choices for Adult-Lance to be confusing. Being a model is usually something chosen by extroverts who love attention and that's not the kind of person Lance was in the flashbacks. In fact - staying quiet and in the shadows was how he survived living with his abusive, alcoholic father so it completely threw me when we learn that Lance has been making his living as a model and he's also posing seductively and purposefully trying to seduce Robbie using his body. This wasn't the type of characterization I was expecting after getting to know Child-Lance through the flashbacks so I wasn't a fan of that.
But the biggest problem is that the story is boring and moves way too slowly. By the 50% mark, Lance had been living with Robbie for a grand total of 24 hours!! Every conversation between the MCs took forever because most lines of dialog were followed by paragraphs of internal angsting/musing or tons of narrative details. I think the author worried about writing talking-heads conversations where it feels like the characters are just standing in an empty room and talking at each other but the amount of narrative put into the conversations was way too much. Those additions were so frequent and so lengthy that I often lost track of what the characters were talking about.
In addition, Lance was already a boring character and having him mostly hanging around in Robbie's home, not doing anything meant he was even more boring. Robbie went around doing his chores, making Lance food etc and Lance just hung around and did nothing. Sure, he'd only been there for 24 hours and Lance did join Robbie to go for a ride to see the Mustangs, but due to the excruciatingly slow pace of the narrative it felt like Lance had been there for ages without doing anything. Seriously - I DNF'd at the halfway mark and the only interesting plotline that had happened was that the boys came across a newborn calf in the snow which was close to death and they brought it inside to care for it. The existence of the calf plotline and Lance nearly getting hypothermia after the Mustang visiting meant the author knew what kind of plotlines would fit well into this type of story, but the slow pacing and the repetitive internal angsting by the MCs took up too much space.
Lastly, I hated how much information the author kept from readers as we went. I like it when authors keep information about one or both of the MCs hidden and those reveals end up being massive plot twists, but the problem here was that the author kept information hidden that related to things and people I didn't care about. For example - why Johnny had abruptly moved out, why Robbie and Megan had broken up for good, what Lance's relationship with his (presumably) abusive ex-boyfriend was all about, exactly what Lance had done to get arrested, who is living at Lance's former house etc. There was so much information kept from the readers that some scenes and conversations felt pointless - as if the author didn't know what to write about while still keeping that information hidden. I understand wanting to keep stuff from readers to reveal at a later date, but enough information has to be provided to create an interesting plot that keeps readers attention along the way. Plus - those reveals have to be things that interest the readers and many of those things had nothing to do with Lance and Robbie's romance so I didn't care.
I also found it odd that the author didn't provide some basic information that I would have needed in order to better connect with the story. The main example of this was the strange decision to not specify Robbie's age in the first half that I read. The flashbacks have both Robbie and Lance being different ages and sometimes Lance's age is provided but Robbie's age is a mystery (at least in the half I read). When I'm reading an age gap romance, it's really important for me to know how old the older character so it was annoying to not know. I also found it bizarre that Mrs. Chase was never referenced in the half I read. It almost felt like the author wanted us to believe that all three Chase brothers suddenly appeared in the field one day and Mr. Chase decided to keep them. I've never come across a story that features both flashbacks and present timelines that focus heavily on a character's family with one of the parents never ever being mentioned, even in a throwaway line. It was very strange.
Overall, this was a miss for me due to the writing and narrative style. I love rural romances and I really liked Robbie and the level of detail that the author went into regarding the horses, the cows and the other animals but the rest of the story left a lot to be desired.
This was a highly anticipated read for me because I love rural romances but unfortunately, it's not working out. The pacing is way too slow due to the writing style and the narrative structure chosen by the author and I don't care about the romance between the MCs because I don't care about Adult-Lance.
I liked the dual timeline structure where one chapter would take place in the present and the following chapter (or scene) would be a flashback. Lance grew up in an abusive, neglectful household and the Chases were his neighbors. The Chases consisted of three boys at the time with the oldest Robbie having custody of his two younger brothers following the unexpected death of their father when Robbie was 18. Lance was best friends with the youngest brother Danny and he was also friendly with the middle brother Johnny and he spent tons of time with the three brothers, which is how and why he developed a crush on Robbie. Lance had left town at 16 and the present timeline picks up six years later when he returns and through a series of circumstances, he ends up living with Robbie on the Chases property.
The flashbacks were a great way to showcase what Lance and Robbie's relationship had been like when they were younger and it also helped build both of their characters. My big problem was that Adult-Lance seemed so different from who I thought he'd be (based on the flashbacks) that it was jarring. Even worse, Child-Lance had been such a complex character with a complex history that having Adult-Lance be bland and one-dimensional made the present timeline a lot more boring than it should have been. I also found the author's choices for Adult-Lance to be confusing. Being a model is usually something chosen by extroverts who love attention and that's not the kind of person Lance was in the flashbacks. In fact - staying quiet and in the shadows was how he survived living with his abusive, alcoholic father so it completely threw me when we learn that Lance has been making his living as a model and he's also posing seductively and purposefully trying to seduce Robbie using his body. This wasn't the type of characterization I was expecting after getting to know Child-Lance through the flashbacks so I wasn't a fan of that.
But the biggest problem is that the story is boring and moves way too slowly. By the 50% mark, Lance had been living with Robbie for a grand total of 24 hours!! Every conversation between the MCs took forever because most lines of dialog were followed by paragraphs of internal angsting/musing or tons of narrative details. I think the author worried about writing talking-heads conversations where it feels like the characters are just standing in an empty room and talking at each other but the amount of narrative put into the conversations was way too much. Those additions were so frequent and so lengthy that I often lost track of what the characters were talking about.
In addition, Lance was already a boring character and having him mostly hanging around in Robbie's home, not doing anything meant he was even more boring. Robbie went around doing his chores, making Lance food etc and Lance just hung around and did nothing. Sure, he'd only been there for 24 hours and Lance did join Robbie to go for a ride to see the Mustangs, but due to the excruciatingly slow pace of the narrative it felt like Lance had been there for ages without doing anything. Seriously - I DNF'd at the halfway mark and the only interesting plotline that had happened was that the boys came across a newborn calf in the snow which was close to death and they brought it inside to care for it. The existence of the calf plotline and Lance nearly getting hypothermia after the Mustang visiting meant the author knew what kind of plotlines would fit well into this type of story, but the slow pacing and the repetitive internal angsting by the MCs took up too much space.
Lastly, I hated how much information the author kept from readers as we went. I like it when authors keep information about one or both of the MCs hidden and those reveals end up being massive plot twists, but the problem here was that the author kept information hidden that related to things and people I didn't care about. For example - why Johnny had abruptly moved out, why Robbie and Megan had broken up for good, what Lance's relationship with his (presumably) abusive ex-boyfriend was all about, exactly what Lance had done to get arrested, who is living at Lance's former house etc. There was so much information kept from the readers that some scenes and conversations felt pointless - as if the author didn't know what to write about while still keeping that information hidden. I understand wanting to keep stuff from readers to reveal at a later date, but enough information has to be provided to create an interesting plot that keeps readers attention along the way. Plus - those reveals have to be things that interest the readers and many of those things had nothing to do with Lance and Robbie's romance so I didn't care.
I also found it odd that the author didn't provide some basic information that I would have needed in order to better connect with the story. The main example of this was the strange decision to not specify Robbie's age in the first half that I read. The flashbacks have both Robbie and Lance being different ages and sometimes Lance's age is provided but Robbie's age is a mystery (at least in the half I read). When I'm reading an age gap romance, it's really important for me to know how old the older character so it was annoying to not know. I also found it bizarre that Mrs. Chase was never referenced in the half I read. It almost felt like the author wanted us to believe that all three Chase brothers suddenly appeared in the field one day and Mr. Chase decided to keep them. I've never come across a story that features both flashbacks and present timelines that focus heavily on a character's family with one of the parents never ever being mentioned, even in a throwaway line. It was very strange.
Overall, this was a miss for me due to the writing and narrative style. I love rural romances and I really liked Robbie and the level of detail that the author went into regarding the horses, the cows and the other animals but the rest of the story left a lot to be desired.
June 3, 2022
Full review to come
September 24, 2021
In Nebraska in the cold winter gives us an easy going, gentle tale of past flashbacks and the present day. Beautifully written, lyrical descriptions and a smooth flowing story.
Lance, about 22, is a photographer and model,
brown hair and blue eyes, came to see his dying Dad, and got arrested for car theft.
Robbie, 28ish, black hair and beard,
runs his six generational family ranch, while his brother Danny goes to college, and other brother, Johnny is an actor.
Lance is bailed out by Robbie and he takes him to the ranch. Robbie, Danny and Johnny Chase were Lance's safe haven since childhood. At the ranch the guys are tip-toeing around each other, caring for an abandoned calf, and learning what has happened in the six years since Lance left.
They find out who lives in Lance's old house, and they are realizing that their attraction is mutual.
Robbie and Lance begin to have some hot, sexy times, passion and heat, that rock them both, including Robbie's firsts.
Then it's time for the court appearance.
Lance must resolve his mess with ex Niall. Robbie must speak up and tell Lance how he truly feels.
These two belong together. Their story continues in the next book, but this could stand alone.
I was happy with this charming story, the longing, and the second chance and hearts in need.
ENJOY!
=====
Lance, about 22, is a photographer and model,
brown hair and blue eyes, came to see his dying Dad, and got arrested for car theft.
Robbie, 28ish, black hair and beard,
runs his six generational family ranch, while his brother Danny goes to college, and other brother, Johnny is an actor.
Lance is bailed out by Robbie and he takes him to the ranch. Robbie, Danny and Johnny Chase were Lance's safe haven since childhood. At the ranch the guys are tip-toeing around each other, caring for an abandoned calf, and learning what has happened in the six years since Lance left.
They find out who lives in Lance's old house, and they are realizing that their attraction is mutual.
Robbie and Lance begin to have some hot, sexy times, passion and heat, that rock them both, including Robbie's firsts.
Then it's time for the court appearance.
Lance must resolve his mess with ex Niall. Robbie must speak up and tell Lance how he truly feels.
These two belong together. Their story continues in the next book, but this could stand alone.
I was happy with this charming story, the longing, and the second chance and hearts in need.
ENJOY!
=====
August 9, 2025
4.25 stars from me. Really enjoyed this freebie [thanks Rachel], and have already bought book 2 Signs of Spring. A slow-burn, age gap, 'loved you since I was 9' story.
June 22, 2024
4 stars
This was a very enjoyable hurt/comfort story, with lots of softness, enjoyable ranch aspects and believable love.
Everything was very slow and tentative, which I think was coherent with the characters. Lance comes from an abusive household, and has just escaped an abusive relationship. He's always had a crush on Robbie, who knows this, but Lance struggles to decide if he's more in need of familial love or romantic love at this point in his life. Robbie is desperately lonely, having finally ended things with his on-again-off-again longterm girlfriend, and his brothers have both since left the ranch.
This is heavily focused on the characters learning each other as adults. I would've enjoyed more time actually doing things at the ranch or engaging with the mustangs, but the scenes we do get are well-written and atmospheric. The scene where Robbie rides out to check on the mustangs before the snow really contributes to the deep sense of loneliness and isolation.
The timeline alternates between past and present, with flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter detailing Lance's childhood, and how he came to know Robbie and his family. This doesn't always work but was well done here, and kept a sense of suspense going that didn't feel gratuitous. I would've loved to have dates or more clarity on when each flashback was happening though.
This somehow felt longer than it was, not necessarily in a bad way, but the pace was very sedate and the descriptions were detailed.
I was very concerned about the climax, and thought the author might lose hold of the pacing and tone, but was actually quite manageable in the end and a satisfying resolution to that aspect.
This has a tentative HFN, but everything feels delicate, and I didn't realise when I started that this had a sequel. It could, in theory, be left here, and I am terrible at finishing series so maybe for me this will be the end, though I am curious to see their HEA.
Recommended for fans of small-scope stories, that pack in the emotions while keeping the pace slow and the angst moderate.
This was a very enjoyable hurt/comfort story, with lots of softness, enjoyable ranch aspects and believable love.
Everything was very slow and tentative, which I think was coherent with the characters. Lance comes from an abusive household, and has just escaped an abusive relationship. He's always had a crush on Robbie, who knows this, but Lance struggles to decide if he's more in need of familial love or romantic love at this point in his life. Robbie is desperately lonely, having finally ended things with his on-again-off-again longterm girlfriend, and his brothers have both since left the ranch.
This is heavily focused on the characters learning each other as adults. I would've enjoyed more time actually doing things at the ranch or engaging with the mustangs, but the scenes we do get are well-written and atmospheric. The scene where Robbie rides out to check on the mustangs before the snow really contributes to the deep sense of loneliness and isolation.
The timeline alternates between past and present, with flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter detailing Lance's childhood, and how he came to know Robbie and his family. This doesn't always work but was well done here, and kept a sense of suspense going that didn't feel gratuitous. I would've loved to have dates or more clarity on when each flashback was happening though.
This somehow felt longer than it was, not necessarily in a bad way, but the pace was very sedate and the descriptions were detailed.
I was very concerned about the climax, and thought the author might lose hold of the pacing and tone, but was actually quite manageable in the end and a satisfying resolution to that aspect.
This has a tentative HFN, but everything feels delicate, and I didn't realise when I started that this had a sequel. It could, in theory, be left here, and I am terrible at finishing series so maybe for me this will be the end, though I am curious to see their HEA.
Recommended for fans of small-scope stories, that pack in the emotions while keeping the pace slow and the angst moderate.
March 5, 2022
OMG, the swoon!
Confident virgin/cautious
slut. Only one bed.
Confident virgin/cautious
slut. Only one bed.
August 15, 2021
Jestem oczarowana 💙
Jestem również w stanie zrozumieć, dlaczego dla niektórych ta książka jest nudna, a niektórzy nie byli w stanie jej skończyć - niewiele się w niej dzieje, nie ma zbyt dużej ilości dialogów, jest kilka retrospekcji, sporo wspomnień, monologów wewnętrznych i opisów różnej maści. Na pierwszy rzut oka brzmi nudno, a ja niezmiennie jestem mimo tego oczarowana 💙
To tak naprawdę teatr dwóch aktorów. Ale pomimo tego, autorce udało się w świetny sposób wykreować świat, który ich otacza, w którym nie są sami, w którym wspólna historia łączy zarówno ich, jak i tworzy połączenia z innymi. Nie ma się wrażenia, że są w pięknej bańce, która otacza tylko ich dwóch, a która pęknie natychmiast, kiedy tylko ktoś zbliży się do nich choćby na wyciągnięcie ręki. Dzięki retrospekcjom (których normalnie nie znoszę 😉), monologom wewnętrznym i wspomnieniom, które raz za razem pojawiają się w ich głowach, świat jest realny w swoim pięknie, brutalności, tęsknocie, samotności, miłości. W sprawach przyziemnych, monotonnych, codziennych i trudnych. Jest zdecydowanie wielowymiarowy, tak jak i bohaterowie. Dzięki temu, choć akcja dzieje się przez 5 czy 6 dni, nie ma się wrażenia, że to nie mogło się zdarzyć - wręcz przeciwnie, znając ich historię, wiemy, że uczucie i połączenie są wiarygodne do bólu, choć wcześniej były na zupełnie innym poziomie - przynajmniej ze strony Robbiego, który jest starszy o 14 lat od Lance'a.
Pokochałam ich jako parę - młodszego, skomplikowanego, dalekiego do ideału Lance'a i starszego Robbiego, cichego, pełnego instynktu opiekuńczego w stosunku do zwierząt i innych ludzi, który sam wychował swoich braci, a który w tym wszystkim zapomniał o sobie.
Ta książka ma w sobie jakąś magię, której nie potrafiłam się oprzeć. I w tym stanie zaczarowania sięgam natychmiast po kolejną część i dalsze losy chłopaków 💙
Jestem również w stanie zrozumieć, dlaczego dla niektórych ta książka jest nudna, a niektórzy nie byli w stanie jej skończyć - niewiele się w niej dzieje, nie ma zbyt dużej ilości dialogów, jest kilka retrospekcji, sporo wspomnień, monologów wewnętrznych i opisów różnej maści. Na pierwszy rzut oka brzmi nudno, a ja niezmiennie jestem mimo tego oczarowana 💙
To tak naprawdę teatr dwóch aktorów. Ale pomimo tego, autorce udało się w świetny sposób wykreować świat, który ich otacza, w którym nie są sami, w którym wspólna historia łączy zarówno ich, jak i tworzy połączenia z innymi. Nie ma się wrażenia, że są w pięknej bańce, która otacza tylko ich dwóch, a która pęknie natychmiast, kiedy tylko ktoś zbliży się do nich choćby na wyciągnięcie ręki. Dzięki retrospekcjom (których normalnie nie znoszę 😉), monologom wewnętrznym i wspomnieniom, które raz za razem pojawiają się w ich głowach, świat jest realny w swoim pięknie, brutalności, tęsknocie, samotności, miłości. W sprawach przyziemnych, monotonnych, codziennych i trudnych. Jest zdecydowanie wielowymiarowy, tak jak i bohaterowie. Dzięki temu, choć akcja dzieje się przez 5 czy 6 dni, nie ma się wrażenia, że to nie mogło się zdarzyć - wręcz przeciwnie, znając ich historię, wiemy, że uczucie i połączenie są wiarygodne do bólu, choć wcześniej były na zupełnie innym poziomie - przynajmniej ze strony Robbiego, który jest starszy o 14 lat od Lance'a.
Pokochałam ich jako parę - młodszego, skomplikowanego, dalekiego do ideału Lance'a i starszego Robbiego, cichego, pełnego instynktu opiekuńczego w stosunku do zwierząt i innych ludzi, który sam wychował swoich braci, a który w tym wszystkim zapomniał o sobie.
Ta książka ma w sobie jakąś magię, której nie potrafiłam się oprzeć. I w tym stanie zaczarowania sięgam natychmiast po kolejną część i dalsze losy chłopaków 💙
October 13, 2022
3.5 stars
This book had a vivid setting and atmosphere, and I thought the flashback structure (which can be hard to pull off) worked pretty well. I particularly liked the book's exploration of platonic/romantic relationships and feelings, and how they can develop and intersect.
The book is pretty slowly paced (not helped by the flashbacks which slow down the pace even further) which is maybe not an issue on its own but made it harder for me to stay interested in the book. I also felt that there were so many things still unresolved by the end of the book that the ending didn't feel that satisfying. I didn't realize these characters' story was divided into two books, and I had expected Danny to be more or a presence in this book after the way he was introduced, so my expectations were a bit off.
This book had a vivid setting and atmosphere, and I thought the flashback structure (which can be hard to pull off) worked pretty well. I particularly liked the book's exploration of platonic/romantic relationships and feelings, and how they can develop and intersect.
The book is pretty slowly paced (not helped by the flashbacks which slow down the pace even further) which is maybe not an issue on its own but made it harder for me to stay interested in the book. I also felt that there were so many things still unresolved by the end of the book that the ending didn't feel that satisfying. I didn't realize these characters' story was divided into two books, and I had expected Danny to be more or a presence in this book after the way he was introduced, so my expectations were a bit off.
January 21, 2021
4,25/5
Découvert grâce aux nouvelles offertes du « Winter Wonderland », j'avais été intriguée par la couverture. J'ai été surprise de voir qu'il s'agissait en fait d'un roman à part entière et non pas d'une nouvelle ou roman très court. Je n'avais rien lu du résumé et ne connaissais pas l'auteur, c'est donc à l'aveugle que j'ai démarré ce livre.
Nous suivons deux personnages, Robbie et Lance, qui se connaissent depuis très longtemps. Lance va se retrouver confronter à un problème et va se résoudre à demander de l'aide à un ami, qui se trouve être le frère de Robbie. Je ne dirai rien de plus concernant l'histoire...
J'ai franchement adoré cette histoire ! La couverture reflète bien le livre en fait : un longue balade dans les bois, au milieu de la nature, auprès de chevaux. L'auteur alterne les deux points de vue des deux personnages, mais également les moments passés et présents. On découvre Robbie et ses frères, mais aussi Lance, les rapports avec son père et aussi les liens qu'il va développer avec la famille Chase : Danny, Johnny et bien sûr Robbie, le plus âgé qui a du élever ses deux frères.
Nous avons là des personnages bien complexes, des personnages qui se sont connus autrefois. Lance a une véritable admiration pour Robbie et pour lequel il a développé au fil des années des sentiments amoureux et Robbie un vrai attachement pour Lance qu'il a vu grandir et qui faisait partie à part entière de sa famille. Des sentiments se sont forcément développés à un moment donné, l'auteur reste d'ailleurs vague, mais nous offre suffisamment d'éléments pour nous permettre de comprendre et se s'imaginer les choses, en particulier du côté de Robbie.
J'ai adoré Lance. On ne peut pas dire qu'il a eu une vie facile et les Chase ont été sa famille depuis longtemps. J'espère qu'on en saura plus sur ses relations avec Johnny et surtout Danny qu'il n'a pas revu depuis de nombreuses années. Robbie, ce que j'ai aimé Robbie ! Il a un tel charisme, mais en même temps j'ai aimé aussi sa tranquillité. Beaucoup de choses ont reposé sur ses épaules très vite dans la vie, on ressent ce poids, sa volonté de bien faire, les souvenirs de son père... C'est un homme hyper sensible, beaucoup plus qu'on ne le croit.
L'auteur nous offre un joli slow burn. Que j'ai aimé m'attacher en douceur à ses personnages, les découvrir en même temps qu'ils se redécouvraient, se réapprivoisaient.
Ce livre a un côté rafraîchissant aussi, je ne sais pas comment l'expliquer. Le côté différence d'âge et proximité forcée des personnages qui apprennent à vivre ensemble, ainsi que le sujet du coming out jamais vraiment réalisé d'un personnage, est bel et bien là, mais c'est en toile de fond en fait. C'est décrit en douceur, en pudeur.
J'ai aimé la plume de Rachel Ember et son style ! Je me suis rendue compte que j'avais un autre roman d'elle dans ma liseuse, il faut que je le lise au plus vite !
Ce livre a un côté apaisant, tranquillisant, bien que les personnages développés soient plus ou moins torturés et n'ont pas eu la vie facile. Il y a une délicatesse et un profond respect entre les deux personnages...
Il y a encore beaucoup de choses à dire sur ces personnages, et j'aime le fait que l'auteur ait pris le temps de tout développer sur deux tomes. J'ai hâte de pouvoir découvrir la suite et de me replonger dans cette histoire !
Découvert grâce aux nouvelles offertes du « Winter Wonderland », j'avais été intriguée par la couverture. J'ai été surprise de voir qu'il s'agissait en fait d'un roman à part entière et non pas d'une nouvelle ou roman très court. Je n'avais rien lu du résumé et ne connaissais pas l'auteur, c'est donc à l'aveugle que j'ai démarré ce livre.
Nous suivons deux personnages, Robbie et Lance, qui se connaissent depuis très longtemps. Lance va se retrouver confronter à un problème et va se résoudre à demander de l'aide à un ami, qui se trouve être le frère de Robbie. Je ne dirai rien de plus concernant l'histoire...
J'ai franchement adoré cette histoire ! La couverture reflète bien le livre en fait : un longue balade dans les bois, au milieu de la nature, auprès de chevaux. L'auteur alterne les deux points de vue des deux personnages, mais également les moments passés et présents. On découvre Robbie et ses frères, mais aussi Lance, les rapports avec son père et aussi les liens qu'il va développer avec la famille Chase : Danny, Johnny et bien sûr Robbie, le plus âgé qui a du élever ses deux frères.
Nous avons là des personnages bien complexes, des personnages qui se sont connus autrefois. Lance a une véritable admiration pour Robbie et pour lequel il a développé au fil des années des sentiments amoureux et Robbie un vrai attachement pour Lance qu'il a vu grandir et qui faisait partie à part entière de sa famille. Des sentiments se sont forcément développés à un moment donné, l'auteur reste d'ailleurs vague, mais nous offre suffisamment d'éléments pour nous permettre de comprendre et se s'imaginer les choses, en particulier du côté de Robbie.
J'ai adoré Lance. On ne peut pas dire qu'il a eu une vie facile et les Chase ont été sa famille depuis longtemps. J'espère qu'on en saura plus sur ses relations avec Johnny et surtout Danny qu'il n'a pas revu depuis de nombreuses années. Robbie, ce que j'ai aimé Robbie ! Il a un tel charisme, mais en même temps j'ai aimé aussi sa tranquillité. Beaucoup de choses ont reposé sur ses épaules très vite dans la vie, on ressent ce poids, sa volonté de bien faire, les souvenirs de son père... C'est un homme hyper sensible, beaucoup plus qu'on ne le croit.
L'auteur nous offre un joli slow burn. Que j'ai aimé m'attacher en douceur à ses personnages, les découvrir en même temps qu'ils se redécouvraient, se réapprivoisaient.
Ce livre a un côté rafraîchissant aussi, je ne sais pas comment l'expliquer. Le côté différence d'âge et proximité forcée des personnages qui apprennent à vivre ensemble, ainsi que le sujet du coming out jamais vraiment réalisé d'un personnage, est bel et bien là, mais c'est en toile de fond en fait. C'est décrit en douceur, en pudeur.
J'ai aimé la plume de Rachel Ember et son style ! Je me suis rendue compte que j'avais un autre roman d'elle dans ma liseuse, il faut que je le lise au plus vite !
Ce livre a un côté apaisant, tranquillisant, bien que les personnages développés soient plus ou moins torturés et n'ont pas eu la vie facile. Il y a une délicatesse et un profond respect entre les deux personnages...
Il y a encore beaucoup de choses à dire sur ces personnages, et j'aime le fait que l'auteur ait pris le temps de tout développer sur deux tomes. J'ai hâte de pouvoir découvrir la suite et de me replonger dans cette histoire !
February 26, 2024
Honestly, I skimmed read. I was glad to see another review that said they skimmed, too. There is too much introspection in both MCs interior thoughts. It gives the narrative a sense of melancholy in many scenes for things of the past and a tenseness about the future for both MCs. Robbie seems ready to be all in with Lance. Lance is the damaged partner in this budding relationship. Damage from a horrible childhood and a toxic relationship in the present. ‘Poor Lance’ was often in my thoughts for the parts that I did read. There are as many flashback scenes as ones in the present. Not a fan of flashbacks, they can throw off the flow.
A Goodreads friend wrote an excellent review and I decided I wasn’t going to read the book, but their emphasis on a late in the story scene that made it a DNF for them had me curious about it. I can see where those scenes led to the tenuous HFN ending and a segue into Book 2.
The narrative is written in third person present tense and it is odd to read, at least it was for me.
I read MM romance to be uplifted, intrigued, charmed, and taken away. The story did not provide any of that.
The three stars are for the hot sex and two nice MCs who needed a better book.
A Goodreads friend wrote an excellent review and I decided I wasn’t going to read the book, but their emphasis on a late in the story scene that made it a DNF for them had me curious about it. I can see where those scenes led to the tenuous HFN ending and a segue into Book 2.
The narrative is written in third person present tense and it is odd to read, at least it was for me.
I read MM romance to be uplifted, intrigued, charmed, and taken away. The story did not provide any of that.
The three stars are for the hot sex and two nice MCs who needed a better book.
December 5, 2021
First time reading Rachel Ember, though I’ve been following her for a while.
I don’t generally enjoy cowboy/ranching themes, but every once in a while, I come across one that is amazing regardless of my lack of interest in the topic, and this is one of those books.
FYI, this is a HFN ending, with their story continuing in Signs of Spring.
I don’t generally enjoy cowboy/ranching themes, but every once in a while, I come across one that is amazing regardless of my lack of interest in the topic, and this is one of those books.
FYI, this is a HFN ending, with their story continuing in Signs of Spring.
January 17, 2025
The beginning was great, bit of slow burn, but then it went a bit too fast, too intense and wasn’t believable anymore.
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