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Farthingdale Ranch #4
The Wrangler and the Orphan
"Some scars run soul-deep. Some scars only love can heal."
Brody is the wrangler at Farthingdale Ranch. He knows a lot about horses, but not a whole lot about people.
He is so broken, he cannot imagine anyone would want to love him. Then along comes Kit, a young man in need of shelter, searching for a forever home.
In Kit, Brody sees the scared young man he used to be. In caring for Kit, Brody is in over his head.
But as Brody makes room in his heart for Kit, both their lives begin to change.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with hurt/comfort, rescue, age gap, fish out of water, opposites attract, midnight rendezvous. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Brody is the wrangler at Farthingdale Ranch. He knows a lot about horses, but not a whole lot about people.
He is so broken, he cannot imagine anyone would want to love him. Then along comes Kit, a young man in need of shelter, searching for a forever home.
In Kit, Brody sees the scared young man he used to be. In caring for Kit, Brody is in over his head.
But as Brody makes room in his heart for Kit, both their lives begin to change.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with hurt/comfort, rescue, age gap, fish out of water, opposites attract, midnight rendezvous. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2021
82 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Jackie North
49 books381 followersJackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.
As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about.
She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)
She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.
As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about.
She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)
She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
November 17, 2021
This book ripped the heart out of my chest and stomped on it for good measure.
Until Quint saved him, Brody was at the mercy of cruel Daddy Frank, who beat him and his older brother any chance he got. His sons were his circus ponies, another way to make a quick buck.
Kit's life has been just as hard, with his selfish mother, Katie, dragging him here and there, waiting for the next man, the next opportunity, to appear. Kit is 19 when his mom up and leaves him with that bastard Eddie, who uses Kit as his personal punching bag.
Brody is drawn to Kit because he understands Kit's suffering. Kit is skittish, sometimes mean, but that's the way he hides.
Brody wants Kit to stay, but Kit keeps calling Katie, who must be in Vegas. Even though Katie is a useless human being, she's always been the one stable thing in Kit's life.
But Kit finds more with Brody, so much more, and like a wounded animal slowly begins to heal.
This is a true hurt/comfort story. The author does not sugarcoat the physical abuse Brody and Kit endured, but the focus is the healing, not the pain.
The Wrangler and the Orphan isn't a steamy book, but it doesn't need to be. The spark between Kit and Brody is kindled by a deep yearning, tenderness, and a craving for gentle touch.
I suggest downloading the bonus scene for extra comfort, family style.
Until Quint saved him, Brody was at the mercy of cruel Daddy Frank, who beat him and his older brother any chance he got. His sons were his circus ponies, another way to make a quick buck.
Kit's life has been just as hard, with his selfish mother, Katie, dragging him here and there, waiting for the next man, the next opportunity, to appear. Kit is 19 when his mom up and leaves him with that bastard Eddie, who uses Kit as his personal punching bag.
Brody is drawn to Kit because he understands Kit's suffering. Kit is skittish, sometimes mean, but that's the way he hides.
Brody wants Kit to stay, but Kit keeps calling Katie, who must be in Vegas. Even though Katie is a useless human being, she's always been the one stable thing in Kit's life.
But Kit finds more with Brody, so much more, and like a wounded animal slowly begins to heal.
This is a true hurt/comfort story. The author does not sugarcoat the physical abuse Brody and Kit endured, but the focus is the healing, not the pain.
The Wrangler and the Orphan isn't a steamy book, but it doesn't need to be. The spark between Kit and Brody is kindled by a deep yearning, tenderness, and a craving for gentle touch.
I suggest downloading the bonus scene for extra comfort, family style.
October 13, 2022
Fk, I love Farthingdale ranch.🐎 and whilst I recognize that I am mos def NOT a white gay man, I would like to think that this disney land for strays would accept me into its pine-scented, horse-as-a-support-animal bosom, should I choose to say fuck off to my life. sigh, a gurl can dream😌❤️ 🌼🌹🌺🌷💕🌈🌸
June 5, 2022
Hurt/Comfort done right. This was a beautiful story. 🧡🧡
December 19, 2021
I've given this a C at AAR.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is book four in Jackie North’s Farthingale Ranch series; I haven’t read any of the others, but although characters from the other books appear in it, this one stands alone. It’s a hurt/comfort age-gap romance in which the two leads bond over just how far their lives mirror each other and how much they have in common, but although I generally like age-gap romances, they can be difficult to pull off successfully, and I’m afraid this one didn’t work for me.
Brody Calhoun, wrangler at Farthingdale Ranch, is preparing to head back to the ranch after running some errands in town, when he sees a young man crawling out of a basement window in the Rusty Nail bar. Brody recognises the kid as one that his friend Clay had stopped being smacked around by the bar’s owner a while back, and it doesn’t take him long to work out that he must be running away. Brody can’t help seeing a younger version of himself in the scared, bleeding youngster, and signals him to get in to the truck. He’ll take him back to the ranch and… well, he doesn’t quite know what to do long-term, but for now, he’ll get him cleaned up and fed and figure it out from there.
Kit Foster is nineteen and has spent his life being neglected and abused by his dead-beat mother Katie and her endless string of boyfriends, so much so that it’s become the norm for him. Her latest boyfriend was Eddie Piggot, owner of the Rusty Nail, but now she’s skipped town after stealing five thousand dollars from him, leaving Kit behind. Needless to say, Eddie is furious, and takes out that fury on Kit, who, with no money and nowhere to go, has to stay put and take what’s dished out. Until an especially vicious beating prompts him to finally get away and he squeezes out the basement window.
Thanks to spending his own child-and-young-adulthood with the abusive Daddy Frank, Brody immediately recognises the signs of similar trauma in Kit. At seventeen, Brody was rescued by trail boss Quint McKay, who showed him care and kindness and taught him that there is good in the world; now Brody decides it’s time for him to pay it forward, and that he’ll do whatever it takes to help Kit.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is well written, with some lovely descriptive prose, a strong element of found-family, and well-realised moments of insight and emotion that tug at the heartstrings – but the romance is problematic. The age-gap isn’t the issue; I don’t think Brody’s age is stated, but I got the impression he’s late twenties – the trouble is that Kit reads so much younger than nineteen and for over half the book, Brody treats him more like a child than an adult. (He calls him “youngling” half the time, which Kit says he likes, but it made me uncomfortable.) As a result, their relationship is completely unbalanced; Kit is emotionally immature, he looks to Brody for just about everything and is still learning to think for himself by the time the novel ends. His feelings for Brody read more like hero worship than love, and I honestly couldn’t believe that someone so vulnerable and so traumatised, who finds it very hard to trust, would fall in love in just a matter of weeks – or that he was capable of that sort of emotional commitment. I had hoped the story would take place over a longer time-span, that maybe in the second half, we’d see Kit and Brody a few years on, with both of them having addressed their issues and ready to be in a healthy relationship, but that wasn’t the case. And Kit’s seeming so much younger, together with his vulnerability and naivéte meant that when things turned sexual in the second half, I was squicked out; his and Brody’s first sexual encounter takes place after hardly any build-up and in circumstances I found both bizarre and discomfiting.
Brody is nicely drawn; he’s quiet, thoughtful and insightful, and the patience borne of his lifelong experience with horses makes him perfectly poised to help Kit, who is often likened to a skittish, wounded animal. Kit is less well-defined though; he’s young and has experienced little outside of Katie’s neglect and abuse, so he’s something of a blank space. I did like watching him slowly learning to fit in and become part of the ranch community and his slowly growing confidence.
Brody’s past means he knows exactly what Kit has gone through and how he’s likely to react to certain things in the present, so he makes sure to avoid rocking the boat, and his behaviour and ability to remain on an even keel is admirable. But it’s clear that he’s never really dealt with his own trauma (has nobody at the ranch heard of therapy?!), his coping mechanisms are pretty unhealthy and he seems unwilling to attempt to find better ones or actually work through his issues. He helps Kit to deal with his trauma, but we’re never shown Brody telling Kit about what happened to him or making the attempt to deal with it, which is another thing that makes the novel feel unbalanced. The fact that neither Eddie nor Katie gets any sort of comeuppance also left me feeling dissatisfied.
I get the impression from the handful of reviews I’ve read that the other books in the Farthingdale Ranch series have worked better as romances and The Wrangler and the Orphan is something of an outlier. I’ve enjoyed other books by Jackie North, so while I can’t recommend this one, I’m chalking my disappointment up to experience and will try something else of hers in the not too distant future.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is book four in Jackie North’s Farthingale Ranch series; I haven’t read any of the others, but although characters from the other books appear in it, this one stands alone. It’s a hurt/comfort age-gap romance in which the two leads bond over just how far their lives mirror each other and how much they have in common, but although I generally like age-gap romances, they can be difficult to pull off successfully, and I’m afraid this one didn’t work for me.
Brody Calhoun, wrangler at Farthingdale Ranch, is preparing to head back to the ranch after running some errands in town, when he sees a young man crawling out of a basement window in the Rusty Nail bar. Brody recognises the kid as one that his friend Clay had stopped being smacked around by the bar’s owner a while back, and it doesn’t take him long to work out that he must be running away. Brody can’t help seeing a younger version of himself in the scared, bleeding youngster, and signals him to get in to the truck. He’ll take him back to the ranch and… well, he doesn’t quite know what to do long-term, but for now, he’ll get him cleaned up and fed and figure it out from there.
Kit Foster is nineteen and has spent his life being neglected and abused by his dead-beat mother Katie and her endless string of boyfriends, so much so that it’s become the norm for him. Her latest boyfriend was Eddie Piggot, owner of the Rusty Nail, but now she’s skipped town after stealing five thousand dollars from him, leaving Kit behind. Needless to say, Eddie is furious, and takes out that fury on Kit, who, with no money and nowhere to go, has to stay put and take what’s dished out. Until an especially vicious beating prompts him to finally get away and he squeezes out the basement window.
Thanks to spending his own child-and-young-adulthood with the abusive Daddy Frank, Brody immediately recognises the signs of similar trauma in Kit. At seventeen, Brody was rescued by trail boss Quint McKay, who showed him care and kindness and taught him that there is good in the world; now Brody decides it’s time for him to pay it forward, and that he’ll do whatever it takes to help Kit.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is well written, with some lovely descriptive prose, a strong element of found-family, and well-realised moments of insight and emotion that tug at the heartstrings – but the romance is problematic. The age-gap isn’t the issue; I don’t think Brody’s age is stated, but I got the impression he’s late twenties – the trouble is that Kit reads so much younger than nineteen and for over half the book, Brody treats him more like a child than an adult. (He calls him “youngling” half the time, which Kit says he likes, but it made me uncomfortable.) As a result, their relationship is completely unbalanced; Kit is emotionally immature, he looks to Brody for just about everything and is still learning to think for himself by the time the novel ends. His feelings for Brody read more like hero worship than love, and I honestly couldn’t believe that someone so vulnerable and so traumatised, who finds it very hard to trust, would fall in love in just a matter of weeks – or that he was capable of that sort of emotional commitment. I had hoped the story would take place over a longer time-span, that maybe in the second half, we’d see Kit and Brody a few years on, with both of them having addressed their issues and ready to be in a healthy relationship, but that wasn’t the case. And Kit’s seeming so much younger, together with his vulnerability and naivéte meant that when things turned sexual in the second half, I was squicked out; his and Brody’s first sexual encounter takes place after hardly any build-up and in circumstances I found both bizarre and discomfiting.
Brody is nicely drawn; he’s quiet, thoughtful and insightful, and the patience borne of his lifelong experience with horses makes him perfectly poised to help Kit, who is often likened to a skittish, wounded animal. Kit is less well-defined though; he’s young and has experienced little outside of Katie’s neglect and abuse, so he’s something of a blank space. I did like watching him slowly learning to fit in and become part of the ranch community and his slowly growing confidence.
Brody’s past means he knows exactly what Kit has gone through and how he’s likely to react to certain things in the present, so he makes sure to avoid rocking the boat, and his behaviour and ability to remain on an even keel is admirable. But it’s clear that he’s never really dealt with his own trauma (has nobody at the ranch heard of therapy?!), his coping mechanisms are pretty unhealthy and he seems unwilling to attempt to find better ones or actually work through his issues. He helps Kit to deal with his trauma, but we’re never shown Brody telling Kit about what happened to him or making the attempt to deal with it, which is another thing that makes the novel feel unbalanced. The fact that neither Eddie nor Katie gets any sort of comeuppance also left me feeling dissatisfied.
I get the impression from the handful of reviews I’ve read that the other books in the Farthingdale Ranch series have worked better as romances and The Wrangler and the Orphan is something of an outlier. I’ve enjoyed other books by Jackie North, so while I can’t recommend this one, I’m chalking my disappointment up to experience and will try something else of hers in the not too distant future.
November 8, 2021
Just One Quibble
This one is so easy to review--read the blurb and get it immediately.
This series is growing in beauty, strength and character development with each new story. In this one you have two completely unforgettable characters in Brody (late 20s) and Kit (maybe 21), whose early lives are so similar that they meld together and fall in love without even knowing it's happening, or why.
What you won't read in the blurb is how important Quint, the trail boss at the ranch, is to the development of the romance by having imprinted his way of life on Brody so strongly that Brody becomes the same kind of protector to Kit. It's a wonderfully developed journey that will leave your heart filled with hope and your libido anxious for the next two in the series.
What you won't figure out, however, is who is on the cover--and that is my quibble. It's not Brody, who has a hairy chest, and it's not Kit, who is blond. Maybe the publisher decided to marry them and put their love child on the cover.
Otherwise, grab this one and go.
This one is so easy to review--read the blurb and get it immediately.
This series is growing in beauty, strength and character development with each new story. In this one you have two completely unforgettable characters in Brody (late 20s) and Kit (maybe 21), whose early lives are so similar that they meld together and fall in love without even knowing it's happening, or why.
What you won't read in the blurb is how important Quint, the trail boss at the ranch, is to the development of the romance by having imprinted his way of life on Brody so strongly that Brody becomes the same kind of protector to Kit. It's a wonderfully developed journey that will leave your heart filled with hope and your libido anxious for the next two in the series.
What you won't figure out, however, is who is on the cover--and that is my quibble. It's not Brody, who has a hairy chest, and it's not Kit, who is blond. Maybe the publisher decided to marry them and put their love child on the cover.
Otherwise, grab this one and go.
March 25, 2024
”All at once Brody knew he held in his hands something precious and rare, this trust between them, the ability of Kit’s young soul to try just one more time in the hope that someone would help him.”
January 13, 2022
I can't tell you have good this book is or how good this series is without saying everything I've already said in my reviews of the earlier books. There's something truly magical about this author's way of writing.
This one was though to read. The scenes from Brody's childhood had me sobbing, but with each passing chapter, she brought me back to a happy place. Wow. Just wow.
This one was though to read. The scenes from Brody's childhood had me sobbing, but with each passing chapter, she brought me back to a happy place. Wow. Just wow.
April 2, 2022
3.8 stars
I really liked the sweetness of this.
I loved that when Brody found out he had feelings for Kit that he immediately told him. And just said to Kit that he wanted him to stay on the ranch, but would never force him if Kit wanted to go.
There isn’t a lot of steam in this, but that suited me fine. I did miss it a little I guess, but what we got fit the story.
There were a few times that it started to drag a bit, but I think that’s just the way Jackie North writes.
I still liked the overwhelming hurt/comfort aspect of this. Lots of hurt, but also LOTS of comfort to balance that out.
I really liked the sweetness of this.
I loved that when Brody found out he had feelings for Kit that he immediately told him. And just said to Kit that he wanted him to stay on the ranch, but would never force him if Kit wanted to go.
There isn’t a lot of steam in this, but that suited me fine. I did miss it a little I guess, but what we got fit the story.
There were a few times that it started to drag a bit, but I think that’s just the way Jackie North writes.
I still liked the overwhelming hurt/comfort aspect of this. Lots of hurt, but also LOTS of comfort to balance that out.
November 2, 2021
Can't we fall in love with someone who reminds us with ourselves?
Kit and Brody stole my heart. They're both needed each other, and considering Brody's past, he's just cannot let what happened with Kit not his business. It was definitely his business.
Brody found his younger self in Kit and KIt found someone he really needed.
It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Jackie North wrote a poetic story about two lost soul that found each other in the most unexpected way.
Read this story, and tell me how not to fall in love with Brody, I dare you.
November 5, 2021
The one thing I was really worried about when it came to this book, was how the author was going to portray Brody, who, in previous books, was characterised as a cool and rather quiet guy. In my experience, when it gets to the 'quiet' character's book in a series, the author gives them a sudden personality transplant so they talk and interact more with loads of other characters, so that the book doesn't become too introspective or boring. Thankfully, this did not happen with Brody, who really did come across as cool, calm and quiet;the author stayed true to his characterisation in previous books. He was so interesting to read about, with his introspective nature, his thoughtfulness and depth of feeling.
I really think he was portrayed so well because Jackie North excels in making each of the characters in her books stand apart. Brody didn't read at all like Leland, Austin or Jasper; his voice really stood apart from theirs. Kit's character voice was different to that of Jamie, Clay and Ellis although I could spot some similarities. Sometimes, when I'm 4 books deep into a series, I notice that characters start blurring together and internal monologues begin to sound the same, but that never happened in this book. The independent voices of Brody and Kit made them feel like fully realised characters, especially Brody, who is the epitome of 'still waters run deep'. His chapters (even the sad ones) were a joy to read, his perception of the world, his honesty and his kindness were so sweet to explore and at once so different from other characters in previous books. Additionally, this book has a really low steam level, which was perfect considering the characters emotional connection, but I can't deny that I would have loved something just a little steamier - it didn't ruin my read though. Again, the author understands her characters well enough to not shovel smut down our throats for the sake of it and it's another reason each story can stand so well on it's own and reads so differently to the others, even though there are of course overarching similarities. I also enjoyed that this book didn't have any stupid misunderstandings, Brody was always so honest and encouraged honesty from Kit too.
Unfortunately though, I do agree with some other reviewers that the balance in the relationship was really unequal; Kit looks up to Brody for everything and he was still learning to think for himself by the end of the story. Brody does have some reservations about starting a relationship with Kit, but these are short lived and not really fully addressed. I think that Kit was still in a really vulnerable place and was too young (emotionally) to truly commit to someone the way he did Brody, even if the relationship was always honest and Brody was accepting of anything Kit wanted to give, romantic or otherwise. It just felt a little too co-dependent for my liking but I can't really offer a way around that myself. That's the trouble with writing a relationship with someone who is really vulnerable. As for Brody, I didn't think he had the healthiest coping mechanisms for his own trauma, and he seemed unwilling to work on it in more healthy ways (has anyone on the ranch ever heard of therapy?). He definitely helped Kit work through the symptoms of Kit's own trauma, but some of the causes (e.g., Eddie) were never dealt with and I personally think that's quite unhealthy and unfulfilling in the context of the story. Finally, it's only in the bonus chapter (that not everyone will read) that Brody opens up to Kit and reveals his past trauma - he doesn't really open up to Kit that much about his past in the main book, so I think that also made the relationship feel quite unbalanced, since Brody knew so much about Kit.
Ultimately, another solid piece of writing, with original and independent character voices but the unbalanced relationship and unresolved trauma of the characters left the book feeling a little unfinished. I feel as though Brody and Kit need a second book with a time gap where Kit goes off to college or something and they have to re-evaluate their relationship ?! I think that's also kind of the issue with having them fall in love so quickly (I think it was only 2 weeks in the book). Someone so vulnerable, with so much trauma, who finds it difficult to trust anyone and is emotionally immature, needs more time than roughly two weeks to fall in love with someone. I really think this needed to be a story that spanned more time to make it really work.
This story made me SO excited for Quint's book - I literally cannot WAIT. I really want to see more interactions between Brody and Quint. I had no idea they shared such a familial bond and it would be great to explore it from Quint's point of view.
I really think he was portrayed so well because Jackie North excels in making each of the characters in her books stand apart. Brody didn't read at all like Leland, Austin or Jasper; his voice really stood apart from theirs. Kit's character voice was different to that of Jamie, Clay and Ellis although I could spot some similarities. Sometimes, when I'm 4 books deep into a series, I notice that characters start blurring together and internal monologues begin to sound the same, but that never happened in this book. The independent voices of Brody and Kit made them feel like fully realised characters, especially Brody, who is the epitome of 'still waters run deep'. His chapters (even the sad ones) were a joy to read, his perception of the world, his honesty and his kindness were so sweet to explore and at once so different from other characters in previous books. Additionally, this book has a really low steam level, which was perfect considering the characters emotional connection, but I can't deny that I would have loved something just a little steamier - it didn't ruin my read though. Again, the author understands her characters well enough to not shovel smut down our throats for the sake of it and it's another reason each story can stand so well on it's own and reads so differently to the others, even though there are of course overarching similarities. I also enjoyed that this book didn't have any stupid misunderstandings, Brody was always so honest and encouraged honesty from Kit too.
Unfortunately though, I do agree with some other reviewers that the balance in the relationship was really unequal; Kit looks up to Brody for everything and he was still learning to think for himself by the end of the story. Brody does have some reservations about starting a relationship with Kit, but these are short lived and not really fully addressed. I think that Kit was still in a really vulnerable place and was too young (emotionally) to truly commit to someone the way he did Brody, even if the relationship was always honest and Brody was accepting of anything Kit wanted to give, romantic or otherwise. It just felt a little too co-dependent for my liking but I can't really offer a way around that myself. That's the trouble with writing a relationship with someone who is really vulnerable. As for Brody, I didn't think he had the healthiest coping mechanisms for his own trauma, and he seemed unwilling to work on it in more healthy ways (has anyone on the ranch ever heard of therapy?). He definitely helped Kit work through the symptoms of Kit's own trauma, but some of the causes (e.g., Eddie) were never dealt with and I personally think that's quite unhealthy and unfulfilling in the context of the story. Finally, it's only in the bonus chapter (that not everyone will read) that Brody opens up to Kit and reveals his past trauma - he doesn't really open up to Kit that much about his past in the main book, so I think that also made the relationship feel quite unbalanced, since Brody knew so much about Kit.
Ultimately, another solid piece of writing, with original and independent character voices but the unbalanced relationship and unresolved trauma of the characters left the book feeling a little unfinished. I feel as though Brody and Kit need a second book with a time gap where Kit goes off to college or something and they have to re-evaluate their relationship ?! I think that's also kind of the issue with having them fall in love so quickly (I think it was only 2 weeks in the book). Someone so vulnerable, with so much trauma, who finds it difficult to trust anyone and is emotionally immature, needs more time than roughly two weeks to fall in love with someone. I really think this needed to be a story that spanned more time to make it really work.
This story made me SO excited for Quint's book - I literally cannot WAIT. I really want to see more interactions between Brody and Quint. I had no idea they shared such a familial bond and it would be great to explore it from Quint's point of view.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
Reread May 18, 2025
We are back at the Farthingdale Ranch, where guests come for a fun time as cowboys.
Triggers: graphic abuse of young men, not sexual.
Our opening chapters give us the histories of our two men. The world has been incredibly hard for each man, where both childhoods were horrific, no one's love, no one's care, just beatings, hunger and pain, with the scars to show for it. Quint was young Brody's oasis, and saved him from further harm. Now, Brody has a chance to be a safe place for young Kit.
Brody, nearing 30, is a wrangler, in care of the horses
at the ranch, where he loves his job and the strong men he works with. He has his past buried inside.
Kit, 19, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes,
has only know hateful experiences, has escaped the bar's basement and brutal beatings the bar owner, Eddie, was giving, and found himself in Brody's truck and taken to the ranch. Yes, the police get involved.
Brody is helping him, and we'll see their friendship grow.
Neither man has had any therapy, which some reviewers complained about, but I read and understood the survival mode each man was dealing with and the action of a rescuer to take them away from their agony, how wonderful that felt.
There been no one to care about what they endured, but maybe they can just help each other find a new way to mental and physical peace. No young person should endure what they did, and they did the best they could with what they had.
The guys work well together, as Kit is hired and meets new cowboys, becoming friends. It's a life he's never dared dream of. He still thinks Katie, his Mom, will be calling to have him join her, and Brody is afraid Kit will go.
They very slowly get feelings for each other, and it's a slow burn romance, with first times for Kit, but no anal sex in this time frame. They really are a wonderful pair of men, who can understand each other, are truthful, and have tender emotions.
The descriptions are lyrical and lovely, with the surroundings, the horses, the cowboys, and the bonding.
We can picture it all vividly from this well written book. I loved the horseback rescue from the bus, exciting and marvelous.
I liked this story, even though it was a heavy topic, the wrap up was awesome.
I'm moving to the next book in this terrific series.
ENJOY !
======
We are back at the Farthingdale Ranch, where guests come for a fun time as cowboys.
Triggers: graphic abuse of young men, not sexual.
Our opening chapters give us the histories of our two men. The world has been incredibly hard for each man, where both childhoods were horrific, no one's love, no one's care, just beatings, hunger and pain, with the scars to show for it. Quint was young Brody's oasis, and saved him from further harm. Now, Brody has a chance to be a safe place for young Kit.
Brody, nearing 30, is a wrangler, in care of the horses
at the ranch, where he loves his job and the strong men he works with. He has his past buried inside.
Kit, 19, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes,
has only know hateful experiences, has escaped the bar's basement and brutal beatings the bar owner, Eddie, was giving, and found himself in Brody's truck and taken to the ranch. Yes, the police get involved.
Brody is helping him, and we'll see their friendship grow.
Neither man has had any therapy, which some reviewers complained about, but I read and understood the survival mode each man was dealing with and the action of a rescuer to take them away from their agony, how wonderful that felt.
There been no one to care about what they endured, but maybe they can just help each other find a new way to mental and physical peace. No young person should endure what they did, and they did the best they could with what they had.
The guys work well together, as Kit is hired and meets new cowboys, becoming friends. It's a life he's never dared dream of. He still thinks Katie, his Mom, will be calling to have him join her, and Brody is afraid Kit will go.
They very slowly get feelings for each other, and it's a slow burn romance, with first times for Kit, but no anal sex in this time frame. They really are a wonderful pair of men, who can understand each other, are truthful, and have tender emotions.
The descriptions are lyrical and lovely, with the surroundings, the horses, the cowboys, and the bonding.
We can picture it all vividly from this well written book. I loved the horseback rescue from the bus, exciting and marvelous.
I liked this story, even though it was a heavy topic, the wrap up was awesome.
I'm moving to the next book in this terrific series.
ENJOY !
======
November 12, 2021
Beautiful hurt/comfort
Plot: Another beautiful story of self growth and slow burn romance, Jackie North is definitely my go-to author for loving hurt/comfort, age/gap reads
Feels: All the heart-aching feels as Kit is shown love and kindness by Brody and the rest of the Farthingdale crew. While at the same time, Brody finds healing from his past as he supports Kit; and that reunion at the end - aww!
Drama: A snippet when Kit’s past comes calling
Heat: 1/5
Characters: Love how the found family within the Farthingdale Ranch grows with each new addition
Pacing: Slow
Length: Not a quick read, but doesn’t drag
Ending: HEA plus a don’t-miss Bonus
Plot: Another beautiful story of self growth and slow burn romance, Jackie North is definitely my go-to author for loving hurt/comfort, age/gap reads
Feels: All the heart-aching feels as Kit is shown love and kindness by Brody and the rest of the Farthingdale crew. While at the same time, Brody finds healing from his past as he supports Kit; and that reunion at the end - aww!
Drama: A snippet when Kit’s past comes calling
Heat: 1/5
Characters: Love how the found family within the Farthingdale Ranch grows with each new addition
Pacing: Slow
Length: Not a quick read, but doesn’t drag
Ending: HEA plus a don’t-miss Bonus
November 16, 2021
Jackie North’s The Wrangler and the Orphan moves as slow and as sweet as molasses, but reads at the pace of a horse’s gallop, while remaining completely grounded in realism. This addition to the Farthington Ranch series stands on its own as a novel, though it updates us on couples we love from prior installments.
What happens when a once abused teen, now a seasoned horse whisperer in his twenties, rescues another abused young man?
Brody had been saved from his dad by fellow ranch hand, Quint, who taught him how to live and work in a supportive community. Now, Brody might be the only person who can turn nineteen-year-old Kit into a productive society member. Except, Brody has always preferred solitude, so why is he attracted to Kit, with the “youngster’s” rebellious anger? More importantly, will their mutual appreciation flourish, or turn both men backwards?
Before Quint liberated him, horses had been Brody’s salvation. His secret nighttime interludes with the ranch’s herd showcase a special bond between people and these stunning beasts:
“… they ran beneath the moonlight because they wanted to. In the starlit dark, the wind whipped Brody’s hair and the ground was almost unseen beneath the horse’s churning feet. It was as though they were racing along a black velvet road rather than one of dust and gravel. As if they galloped above it and the road dipped away and they were flying, flying like a herd of winged horses, racing because they loved it, taking Brody with them because they loved him, because he was one of them.”
Brody applies this sense of liberation while paying forward what Quint taught him. “You can’t tie a hurt horse. You have to trust it to trust you till it stands still. Well that’s exactly what Brody was going to do. Trust Kit and do his best.” I was nervous for any wrong move, breathlessly anticipating Kit’s response to Brody’s intuitive strategy of approach and retreat.
For Kit, kindness is a revelation, like when the ranch gives him clothes and boots, as a new employee. Imagine how life-changing this simple act might be, when it had always been Kit’s hope that some adult would think, “‘Oh, sweet child, it looks like you need new shoes, so here your go.’” Soon after, he realizes, “Maybe this was how it felt to belong to a family that was like one of those on TV. Maybe emotions rolled around, laughter and dismay, mixing together. Because that’s just how it was.”
Picture the difficulty in recognizing safety and love when one hasn’t had their basic needs met. So I deeply believed Kit and Brody’s confusion about their feelings, and was delighted by their tentative attempts to connect. Jackie North’s use of language thrills me, as when she writes of “bespoke contentment.” It’s those idiosyncratic things that bond the men.
By luxuriating in their small pleasures, like whether plain or frosted pop-tarts are tastier, Brody and Kit leave a lesson for us all. In gratitude for our simplest pleasures, we find the courage to grow and help others. In ‘The Wrangler and the Orphan’ Jackie North’s positivity, her attention to detail, her simple and eloquent language and her appreciation of Farthington Ranch’s slow, healing pace are as restorative as a week on that dude ranch.
What happens when a once abused teen, now a seasoned horse whisperer in his twenties, rescues another abused young man?
Brody had been saved from his dad by fellow ranch hand, Quint, who taught him how to live and work in a supportive community. Now, Brody might be the only person who can turn nineteen-year-old Kit into a productive society member. Except, Brody has always preferred solitude, so why is he attracted to Kit, with the “youngster’s” rebellious anger? More importantly, will their mutual appreciation flourish, or turn both men backwards?
Before Quint liberated him, horses had been Brody’s salvation. His secret nighttime interludes with the ranch’s herd showcase a special bond between people and these stunning beasts:
“… they ran beneath the moonlight because they wanted to. In the starlit dark, the wind whipped Brody’s hair and the ground was almost unseen beneath the horse’s churning feet. It was as though they were racing along a black velvet road rather than one of dust and gravel. As if they galloped above it and the road dipped away and they were flying, flying like a herd of winged horses, racing because they loved it, taking Brody with them because they loved him, because he was one of them.”
Brody applies this sense of liberation while paying forward what Quint taught him. “You can’t tie a hurt horse. You have to trust it to trust you till it stands still. Well that’s exactly what Brody was going to do. Trust Kit and do his best.” I was nervous for any wrong move, breathlessly anticipating Kit’s response to Brody’s intuitive strategy of approach and retreat.
For Kit, kindness is a revelation, like when the ranch gives him clothes and boots, as a new employee. Imagine how life-changing this simple act might be, when it had always been Kit’s hope that some adult would think, “‘Oh, sweet child, it looks like you need new shoes, so here your go.’” Soon after, he realizes, “Maybe this was how it felt to belong to a family that was like one of those on TV. Maybe emotions rolled around, laughter and dismay, mixing together. Because that’s just how it was.”
Picture the difficulty in recognizing safety and love when one hasn’t had their basic needs met. So I deeply believed Kit and Brody’s confusion about their feelings, and was delighted by their tentative attempts to connect. Jackie North’s use of language thrills me, as when she writes of “bespoke contentment.” It’s those idiosyncratic things that bond the men.
By luxuriating in their small pleasures, like whether plain or frosted pop-tarts are tastier, Brody and Kit leave a lesson for us all. In gratitude for our simplest pleasures, we find the courage to grow and help others. In ‘The Wrangler and the Orphan’ Jackie North’s positivity, her attention to detail, her simple and eloquent language and her appreciation of Farthington Ranch’s slow, healing pace are as restorative as a week on that dude ranch.
November 2, 2021
Jackie North does it again. The Wrangler and the Orphan is the fourth installment in the Farthingdale Ranch series and it was simply amazing. Not only did Ms. North give us well-developed characters, but the story gave me all the feels. I was all over the place with this one. I felt sad at times, happy at times, and even downright angry at the way both Kit and Brody were treated by people that should love them.
Brody was raised by a father that beat him whenever he felt like it. Daddy Frank raised him to be a wrangler and when he wasn't doing what Daddy Frank thought was good enough he would beat him and his brother Bryson. Bryson let Brody at 15 and Brody was then on his own with Daddy Frank. Life became more of a hell than it was before because he had all of Daddy Frank's attention. Then came Quint. Quint rescues him one night after Daddy Frank ties Brody to the steps of their camper, thus leading Brody to his life on the Farthingdale Ranch.
When he meets Kit for the first time, the boy is crawling out of the window of the Rusty Nail. All beat up and battered, Kit takes the help, but he is very stubborn about it. His defense mechanism is to lash out and say nasty things to people because that's how he's had to live his life. He was also beaten up a lot growing up. His mom would sleep with any man she thought she'd get far with. They would hit Kit then give him money to get out their hair. This lasted up until she left with Eddie Piggot's money, then it was just him getting beaten up because his mom, Katie took thousands of dollars from Eddie. As Kit adjusts to life on the ranch and he realizes there are good people out there, he begins to realize he has feelings for Brody. After all, Brody is the one taking care of him, and as it turns out Brody has feelings for him as well. Brody knows though that when Katie calls, Kit will be on the next bus to wherever she is because that's all he's known to do. The longer he spends with Brody though, he asks himself if he wants to go back to that life. When the call comes in, what will he do? Can his love for Brody and the ranch make him stay?
This book was heartfelt and real. You could feel the emotions and thoughts Ms. North put into Brody and Kit's story and I'm so grateful I was able to read this and give my honest opinion for the author. It was simply amazing and thank you for their story. I can't wait for the next two.
I read this book for my honest review for the author.
Brody was raised by a father that beat him whenever he felt like it. Daddy Frank raised him to be a wrangler and when he wasn't doing what Daddy Frank thought was good enough he would beat him and his brother Bryson. Bryson let Brody at 15 and Brody was then on his own with Daddy Frank. Life became more of a hell than it was before because he had all of Daddy Frank's attention. Then came Quint. Quint rescues him one night after Daddy Frank ties Brody to the steps of their camper, thus leading Brody to his life on the Farthingdale Ranch.
When he meets Kit for the first time, the boy is crawling out of the window of the Rusty Nail. All beat up and battered, Kit takes the help, but he is very stubborn about it. His defense mechanism is to lash out and say nasty things to people because that's how he's had to live his life. He was also beaten up a lot growing up. His mom would sleep with any man she thought she'd get far with. They would hit Kit then give him money to get out their hair. This lasted up until she left with Eddie Piggot's money, then it was just him getting beaten up because his mom, Katie took thousands of dollars from Eddie. As Kit adjusts to life on the ranch and he realizes there are good people out there, he begins to realize he has feelings for Brody. After all, Brody is the one taking care of him, and as it turns out Brody has feelings for him as well. Brody knows though that when Katie calls, Kit will be on the next bus to wherever she is because that's all he's known to do. The longer he spends with Brody though, he asks himself if he wants to go back to that life. When the call comes in, what will he do? Can his love for Brody and the ranch make him stay?
This book was heartfelt and real. You could feel the emotions and thoughts Ms. North put into Brody and Kit's story and I'm so grateful I was able to read this and give my honest opinion for the author. It was simply amazing and thank you for their story. I can't wait for the next two.
I read this book for my honest review for the author.
October 27, 2021
Brody and Kit share a lot of things, but the things that initially brings them together are what neither of them had: biological parents capable or willing of taking good care of them, and what both of them endured: the abuse of the person, or people, who should have cared for them. Brody and Kit’s individual experiences are hard to read about, but necessary to understand the strength they find in the choices they make to be different— Brody offers kindness to Kit that, until his own rescue, he’d never known, and Kit choosing to follow Brody’s example just extends a cycle of kindness and decency that has triumphed against some steep odds.
The bonds between Kit and Brody are careful and loving, and while Brody is clearly a caretaker and role model for Kit, he’s also a partner, a friend, and eventually, a lover. He’s aware of, and would never abuse, the esteem Kit holds him in, and that made me much more comfortable with their dynamic than I otherwise might have been.
I have to admit, however, that for all that I like Brody and Kit, as individuals and as a couple, the relationship between Brody and Quint, his rescuer, friend, and chosen family, is the one that interested me the most. It’s not remotely romantic, but it nevertheless feels like the deepest, truest, and most loving bond in the story. It defies easy classification and social expectations, which makes it, I think, even more interesting, and I love the force for good it has clearly been in both their lives. Also, Quint, laconic, knowledgable, and honest to a fault, is just a deeply interesting character.
On a stylistic note, I just love the lyricism of the author's descriptions, and the way they capture so much of who a character is with passing descriptions of their thoughts and emotions, as for example when we get quick, sharp insight into what it feels like to grow up without stability, comfort, love, or safety, and to wonder what it might have been like to have it: “Always searching for the memory of what he’d never had.”
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The bonds between Kit and Brody are careful and loving, and while Brody is clearly a caretaker and role model for Kit, he’s also a partner, a friend, and eventually, a lover. He’s aware of, and would never abuse, the esteem Kit holds him in, and that made me much more comfortable with their dynamic than I otherwise might have been.
I have to admit, however, that for all that I like Brody and Kit, as individuals and as a couple, the relationship between Brody and Quint, his rescuer, friend, and chosen family, is the one that interested me the most. It’s not remotely romantic, but it nevertheless feels like the deepest, truest, and most loving bond in the story. It defies easy classification and social expectations, which makes it, I think, even more interesting, and I love the force for good it has clearly been in both their lives. Also, Quint, laconic, knowledgable, and honest to a fault, is just a deeply interesting character.
On a stylistic note, I just love the lyricism of the author's descriptions, and the way they capture so much of who a character is with passing descriptions of their thoughts and emotions, as for example when we get quick, sharp insight into what it feels like to grow up without stability, comfort, love, or safety, and to wonder what it might have been like to have it: “Always searching for the memory of what he’d never had.”
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 6, 2021
I enjoyed the latest book in this series, and loved getting to know Brody and Kit, as well as catching up with the others who live at Farthingdale Ranch. I particularly like stories about damaged men, and these two have both had horrible pasts so understood each other in a way others might not have been able to. I liked how Brody’s past mirrors Kit’s in the present.
I loved the mix of friendship, hurt/comfort, found family, and attraction leading to love. I liked how protective Brody is of Kit, and how he reminds him of his own family and past. I liked Quint’s relationship with Brody too. He’s way more of a father to him than his own ever was. I liked that Brody still needs some help to sleep etc. Everything he went through won’t be forgotten easily.
I thought Kit’s reaction to life at the ranch was realistic too, yet sadly understandable. His mother’s self centreness comes across very well, as does the ways she tries to manipulate Kit into giving her what she wants. I like how he slowly comes to realise that life isn’t all what he’s experienced and there are other ways of living it.
I particularly liked the scene on the bus later in the story when the truth finally hits home. And Brody on a horse. Totally romantic, wonderful scene.
An added bonus in this story is the appearance of characters from another series, and I hope they pop in again. I’d also recommend reading the bonus free story that takes place after the story. It’s very sweet and a wonderful epilogue for these Brody and Kit.
I’m looking forward to the rest of this series, but as it’s pointed out to Leland, the non-fraternisation rule definitely needs updating as no one is following it!
I loved the mix of friendship, hurt/comfort, found family, and attraction leading to love. I liked how protective Brody is of Kit, and how he reminds him of his own family and past. I liked Quint’s relationship with Brody too. He’s way more of a father to him than his own ever was. I liked that Brody still needs some help to sleep etc. Everything he went through won’t be forgotten easily.
I thought Kit’s reaction to life at the ranch was realistic too, yet sadly understandable. His mother’s self centreness comes across very well, as does the ways she tries to manipulate Kit into giving her what she wants. I like how he slowly comes to realise that life isn’t all what he’s experienced and there are other ways of living it.
I particularly liked the scene on the bus later in the story when the truth finally hits home. And Brody on a horse. Totally romantic, wonderful scene.
An added bonus in this story is the appearance of characters from another series, and I hope they pop in again. I’d also recommend reading the bonus free story that takes place after the story. It’s very sweet and a wonderful epilogue for these Brody and Kit.
I’m looking forward to the rest of this series, but as it’s pointed out to Leland, the non-fraternisation rule definitely needs updating as no one is following it!
October 26, 2021
Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Hilarious, everyone is driven to pick at that cranky Eddie. That man choose the wrong business to be in. This was so moving, you can just feel the emotions that dig deep with Kit and Brody's both in past and present. No one had ever taken in Kit's feeling until he was basically adopted to the ranch of lost boys is just adorable, when Kit helped Brody tend the horses that forst time was hilarious, to him they was going to eat him alive.
Abandon with no one Kit is stuck with Eddie until Brody helps him make his escape. Both Kit and Brody have such a emotional story that you get lost in their tale. Kit makes Brody more bold in ways he never dreamed possible.
Was it chance or fate that had Brody outside the Rusty Nail at the moment?! Because what was the odds of the young man getting away from Eddie without help. Katie was all Kits had in small world, Katie stealing wasn't unusual, but leaving him behind to the likes of Eddie was a new low for his mother. Brody sees a lot of himself in the younger man! If Kit didnt come to realize what they had, falling for Kit, knowing that with one word from Katie, the man would leave without a backwards glance.
Abandon with no one Kit is stuck with Eddie until Brody helps him make his escape. Both Kit and Brody have such a emotional story that you get lost in their tale. Kit makes Brody more bold in ways he never dreamed possible.
Was it chance or fate that had Brody outside the Rusty Nail at the moment?! Because what was the odds of the young man getting away from Eddie without help. Katie was all Kits had in small world, Katie stealing wasn't unusual, but leaving him behind to the likes of Eddie was a new low for his mother. Brody sees a lot of himself in the younger man! If Kit didnt come to realize what they had, falling for Kit, knowing that with one word from Katie, the man would leave without a backwards glance.
October 20, 2021
I keep thinking there is no way the author can top the last book in this series but she keeps proving me wrong! My favorite book up to this point was book 2 with Ellis and Jasper. The way those two interacted was so beautiful. Well…damn. Jackie North you have killed me dead with Brody and Kit. Both men come from a similar background of abuse and neglect. But Brody was rescued from his nightmare and taught to love horses by a gruff cowboy. He has come a long way and has made peace with himself and loves his life on Farthingdale Ranch. When he sees Kit, he recognizes a chance to pay it all forward. Kit is skittish, afraid to trust, and ready to run but slowly Brody and the other family at the ranch help him realize he no longer has to be afraid. Brody uses all of his knowledge of handling skittish and abused horses to gentle and tame Kit. This story is pure poetry as they circle around each other. What they build is so beautiful. I laughed and cried and desperately wanted more. This story is so good! I can’t wait for the next two books and to see the last two men on the ranch get their happy endings.
October 31, 2021
This was such a sweet story. Slowburn, kindred spirits, mutual healing and a small dash of angst, so very well written.
Despite dark/tragic histories of both Brody and Kit, the book never felt very dark or heavy. Just the right amount of sweet and emotional😍.
I loved that the both of them were healing for each other and that their emotional growth felt natural and realistic. Brody and Kit are such sweet men, I loved getting to know them and their journey.
The book left me feeling like I'd been on a visit at Farthingdale Ranch and can't wait to return. A good comforting read for me.
Despite dark/tragic histories of both Brody and Kit, the book never felt very dark or heavy. Just the right amount of sweet and emotional😍.
I loved that the both of them were healing for each other and that their emotional growth felt natural and realistic. Brody and Kit are such sweet men, I loved getting to know them and their journey.
The book left me feeling like I'd been on a visit at Farthingdale Ranch and can't wait to return. A good comforting read for me.
October 23, 2021
Yes, yes,yes!!! Jackie North did it again! I fell so in love with this story and all the sweet moments 💛 Adore the writing.
These two need each other so much, and I really hope we’ll see them in the next book!
Sweet, tender moments, lots of feels and beautiful writing. Not a lot of steam, but it fits the story and characters.
These two need each other so much, and I really hope we’ll see them in the next book!
Sweet, tender moments, lots of feels and beautiful writing. Not a lot of steam, but it fits the story and characters.
October 24, 2021
Absolutely amazing story of overcoming your pass, and living a better future. Brody helps Kit get away from an abuser. Brody had his own demons but he knows he can help Kit. This is a wonderful story that shows people can become strong to overcome their past pain.
I did receive an Arc for a review.
I did receive an Arc for a review.
October 30, 2021
The Wrangler and the Orphan is the fourth the series and can be read as a standalone. Well, I haven't read the previous books and didn't feel lost at all.
I loved Brody and his understanding of horses. It was great to him interact with them. It was really sad to learn about his past and I'm so glad Kit and Brody found each other.
The writing is beautiful and the book is filled with sweet and tender moments. I really liked the secondary characters, especially Quint and his bond with Brody. Also very interesting character. I loved reading this book and highly recommend it to all.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I loved Brody and his understanding of horses. It was great to him interact with them. It was really sad to learn about his past and I'm so glad Kit and Brody found each other.
The writing is beautiful and the book is filled with sweet and tender moments. I really liked the secondary characters, especially Quint and his bond with Brody. Also very interesting character. I loved reading this book and highly recommend it to all.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
November 1, 2021
I have read the first 3 books in the series and though I loved them all I thought this was the best of the series so far. Brody, the wrangler, used his knowledge of horses to "gentle" Kit. It was a really sad story in how both men had been treated, but it was also a sweet and gentle romance. Definitely recommend reading.
March 30, 2022
Tell it True!
Absolutely heartwarming story of an amazing Ranch that has Guests come to stay for a week, to ride a horse and pretend. Its also where MM meet amoung the guests, dance, eat delicious meals and find true love. This is my four story that I have enjoyed and thoroughly recommend you to read. So looking forward on reading more in the Series and being able to read the Bonus story attached to each.
Absolutely heartwarming story of an amazing Ranch that has Guests come to stay for a week, to ride a horse and pretend. Its also where MM meet amoung the guests, dance, eat delicious meals and find true love. This is my four story that I have enjoyed and thoroughly recommend you to read. So looking forward on reading more in the Series and being able to read the Bonus story attached to each.
July 12, 2023
THE WRANGLER AND THE ORPHAN is the fourth book in the Farthingdale Ranch series, and although technically, I suppose you could read as a standalone, I personally feel it works best in a group.
Brody has been the strong, silent one up until now, turning Clay down when he came onto him. He kept himself to himself, preferring the company of the horses. Now we find out why. He had a horrific childhood himself and was rescued (quite literally) by Quint. This means he is able to understand fully where Kit is coming from and knows exactly how he feels.
This is slow-burn, with a couple of steamy moments, but the focus is on their relationship, and the changes Kit goes through as he finds somewhere so completely different to what he has known, he thinks it's like a TV show.
Although Brody has his own scars, both internal and external, Kit never questions them or Brody's past, and I really wish he had. No, they weren't the same, but I do think it would have helped.
This was a great addition to the series that I read in one sitting, so do I recommend it? You betcha!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2021
Brody has been the strong, silent one up until now, turning Clay down when he came onto him. He kept himself to himself, preferring the company of the horses. Now we find out why. He had a horrific childhood himself and was rescued (quite literally) by Quint. This means he is able to understand fully where Kit is coming from and knows exactly how he feels.
This is slow-burn, with a couple of steamy moments, but the focus is on their relationship, and the changes Kit goes through as he finds somewhere so completely different to what he has known, he thinks it's like a TV show.
Although Brody has his own scars, both internal and external, Kit never questions them or Brody's past, and I really wish he had. No, they weren't the same, but I do think it would have helped.
This was a great addition to the series that I read in one sitting, so do I recommend it? You betcha!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2021
December 10, 2021
Brody’s back story was incredibly sad but it is what helped him understand Kit, whose life was also pretty awful when Brody stumbled upon him. I loved Brody and his understanding with Quint and the horses. Kit seemed very young - much younger than 19 - whilst Brody seemed older than his 27 years. I guess experiences affect people differently. Kit seemed to me to be an odd mix of naivety and hard won survival strategies. I appreciated Brody’s idea of ‘paying forward’ Quint’s kindness to him.
The parts from Brody’s perspective were the highlights of this book for me - which meant the optional/free Bonus scene was absolutely essential as it gave me far better closure (even though it made me cry!).
Looking forward to Levi’s story and also Quint’s - who really deserves a HEA for his kindness to Brody.
The parts from Brody’s perspective were the highlights of this book for me - which meant the optional/free Bonus scene was absolutely essential as it gave me far better closure (even though it made me cry!).
Looking forward to Levi’s story and also Quint’s - who really deserves a HEA for his kindness to Brody.
October 27, 2021
The Wrangler and the Orphan is a sweet and touching novel about Brody and Kit, both with a history of abuse and neglect. The writing about the characters’ struggles is so descriptive and realistic that I was thrown into their world, in a way that I've felt inside the story myself, walking beside them as they navigated through the highs and lows of their lives. I simply adored these two men and seeing them heal, learning to love themselves and each other.
Yes, some pretty heavy stuff happened to Brody and Kit, and it wasn't easy to witness. But Jackie North wrote everything in a way that felt empowering, raw and real. This story gave me so much and put me through so many emotions. I cried, I laughed, my heary stopped and I was uplifted. I was grinning like a loon reading certain parts and tears making it hard to read in others.
Absolutely a must read.
Yes, some pretty heavy stuff happened to Brody and Kit, and it wasn't easy to witness. But Jackie North wrote everything in a way that felt empowering, raw and real. This story gave me so much and put me through so many emotions. I cried, I laughed, my heary stopped and I was uplifted. I was grinning like a loon reading certain parts and tears making it hard to read in others.
Absolutely a must read.
June 24, 2022
I don't even have words. This is the best book in the series so far. I cried for Brody and Kit both, and the abuse they suffered, the neglect and lack of care.
Sure, there was hero worship for a while, and the relationship seemed to develop quickly but it was utterly believable.
The writing style - I can't explain how it wraps around me and comforts me and makes me feel like I'm right there in the middle of this ranch under the wide open skies of Wyoming.
Beautiful.
Sure, there was hero worship for a while, and the relationship seemed to develop quickly but it was utterly believable.
The writing style - I can't explain how it wraps around me and comforts me and makes me feel like I'm right there in the middle of this ranch under the wide open skies of Wyoming.
Beautiful.
November 26, 2021
This review was first published on Joyfully Jay.
3.5 Stars.
Brody is a horse wrangler at the Farthingdale Ranch and he loves his life there. He has his own room in the staff quarters and he is admired by the dude ranch patrons for his cowboy mystique and his rope tricks. Brody had been part of a trick roping and riding duo of brothers back when he was a kid, abused and neglected by turns over his youth. Brody was beaten and nearly left for dead before being rescued by a horse trainer, Quint, who is still a good friend and mentor at Farthingdale Ranch.
Brody is in the nearby town of Farthing and comes across Kit, a young man breaking out of the basement of a local tavern. Brody recognizes the look of a malnourished and abused person, so he sneaks Kit into his truck and back to the ranch to escape his captor, one of a long line of boyfriends Brody’s mom had ripped off. Kit may be 19 in age, but his maturity seems less. A high school drop-out, like Brody, Kit has few belongings and even fewer people he can trust. His practical knowledge consists of cash-and-carry skills from the hand-to-mouth, destitute life his scam-happy mom led.
Now, being at the ranch, Kit sees that life can be very different and, with Brody’s help, he might be able to adjust himself enough to find a career and a life that’s truly his own. Maybe these two men who have had terrible childhoods can gain affection from more than just the animals they nurture and maintain, but also find love with one another.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is the fourth book in the Farthingdale Ranch series, but can be easily enjoyed as a standalone. I liked this story, with the hurt/comfort of Brody taking on Kit and all his anxieties and challenges. Kit is determined to reconnect with his mom, but she is dodging his calls going on weeks now. He’s doing good work in the stables and in the kitchen, where he’s learning to be a line cook. For once, Kit is earning his own money, and he loves sharing a room with Brody, who is so calm and serene, and sexy. Their mutual attraction is growing each day, but Brody has deep reservations about fraternizing, so he tries to keep Kit focused on their work, and not sexytimes. Brody’s desire to set a good and positive example competes poorly with his desire for Kit, and his stalwart resolve doesn’t last long. Kit’s trauma is so fresh, it seemed complacent for Brody not to attempt to discuss it with him and to help him recognize that his mother’s manipulation wasn’t love, and that he and Brody were finally experiencing love with one another.
For me, the pacing was very slow here, especially in the first half of the book where Brody recounts years and years of abuse and neglect, pre-Quint. I respect that it was there to give us context of why Brody is so closed off, and yet determined to help Kit rescue himself. It just felt long and unnecessary to have so much trauma narrated to us. Likewise, Kit’s history is unpleasant and long; I was just as tired of hearing Kit’s mom’s name as Brody was by the second day. Had the story spent half as much time discussing the past and twice as much time focused on the current conflicts, I would have enjoyed it more.
I did like the grand gesture that saves Kit from an unfortunate and dismal future. It was pretty fun to experience Brody riding hell for leather to save his man. Series readers probably knew all the side characters, but they were all well-described here. Again, maybe too much of their backstory was given; I had distinct moments of wanting to move through the current plot faster. For me, I would have also loved a solid conversation about the future possibilities between Brody and Kit, which might have shut down Kit’s desire to reconnect with his mom. The climax brought Brody’s selflessness to a well-deserved end, though, for which I was glad. He took absolute control of the situation and Kit’s regard was only higher for Brody being such a knight in shining armor. Expect a happy ending all around.
3.5 Stars.
Brody is a horse wrangler at the Farthingdale Ranch and he loves his life there. He has his own room in the staff quarters and he is admired by the dude ranch patrons for his cowboy mystique and his rope tricks. Brody had been part of a trick roping and riding duo of brothers back when he was a kid, abused and neglected by turns over his youth. Brody was beaten and nearly left for dead before being rescued by a horse trainer, Quint, who is still a good friend and mentor at Farthingdale Ranch.
Brody is in the nearby town of Farthing and comes across Kit, a young man breaking out of the basement of a local tavern. Brody recognizes the look of a malnourished and abused person, so he sneaks Kit into his truck and back to the ranch to escape his captor, one of a long line of boyfriends Brody’s mom had ripped off. Kit may be 19 in age, but his maturity seems less. A high school drop-out, like Brody, Kit has few belongings and even fewer people he can trust. His practical knowledge consists of cash-and-carry skills from the hand-to-mouth, destitute life his scam-happy mom led.
Now, being at the ranch, Kit sees that life can be very different and, with Brody’s help, he might be able to adjust himself enough to find a career and a life that’s truly his own. Maybe these two men who have had terrible childhoods can gain affection from more than just the animals they nurture and maintain, but also find love with one another.
The Wrangler and the Orphan is the fourth book in the Farthingdale Ranch series, but can be easily enjoyed as a standalone. I liked this story, with the hurt/comfort of Brody taking on Kit and all his anxieties and challenges. Kit is determined to reconnect with his mom, but she is dodging his calls going on weeks now. He’s doing good work in the stables and in the kitchen, where he’s learning to be a line cook. For once, Kit is earning his own money, and he loves sharing a room with Brody, who is so calm and serene, and sexy. Their mutual attraction is growing each day, but Brody has deep reservations about fraternizing, so he tries to keep Kit focused on their work, and not sexytimes. Brody’s desire to set a good and positive example competes poorly with his desire for Kit, and his stalwart resolve doesn’t last long. Kit’s trauma is so fresh, it seemed complacent for Brody not to attempt to discuss it with him and to help him recognize that his mother’s manipulation wasn’t love, and that he and Brody were finally experiencing love with one another.
For me, the pacing was very slow here, especially in the first half of the book where Brody recounts years and years of abuse and neglect, pre-Quint. I respect that it was there to give us context of why Brody is so closed off, and yet determined to help Kit rescue himself. It just felt long and unnecessary to have so much trauma narrated to us. Likewise, Kit’s history is unpleasant and long; I was just as tired of hearing Kit’s mom’s name as Brody was by the second day. Had the story spent half as much time discussing the past and twice as much time focused on the current conflicts, I would have enjoyed it more.
I did like the grand gesture that saves Kit from an unfortunate and dismal future. It was pretty fun to experience Brody riding hell for leather to save his man. Series readers probably knew all the side characters, but they were all well-described here. Again, maybe too much of their backstory was given; I had distinct moments of wanting to move through the current plot faster. For me, I would have also loved a solid conversation about the future possibilities between Brody and Kit, which might have shut down Kit’s desire to reconnect with his mom. The climax brought Brody’s selflessness to a well-deserved end, though, for which I was glad. He took absolute control of the situation and Kit’s regard was only higher for Brody being such a knight in shining armor. Expect a happy ending all around.
October 31, 2021
Jackie North has once again penned a tale worthy of the majestic backdrop of the Farthingdale Ranch in which it is set. The Wrangler and the Orphan was everything you’d expect from this author: genuine heartfelt relationships, not only between the MCs but the whole cast; gorgeous, breathtaking descriptions of the surrounding landscape; and a feeling of family, comfort, and stability that the characterises the ranch.
At the heart of this book is the characters, and those that live and love on the Farthingdale Ranch are a found family. Their backgrounds are all widely different, but together they support and protect each other.
Brody and Kit were two broken souls who needed each other. Apart from Quint, Brody, with a similar background of abuse, was the only person in a position to help Kit, as their shared experiences meant that Brody understands what Kit is feeling. The relationship between Kit and Brody was beautiful, even with Quint making his presence known, it gave the feeling of a little family within the broader family.
But, and I absolutely can't believe I'm saying this, I had trouble with the romantic/sexual side of their relationship. Kit was emotionally much younger than his already young 19 years with even Brody mentioning it at one point. Kit's relationship with his mother and the men she surrounded herself with, stunted Kit's emotional development. Brody starts him back on the path to growth, but the sexual relationship just didn't work for me at this stage. To me, anyway, it felt like there needed to be a bit of a time delay with Kit maybe going off to college or something and then coming back. With a bit of maturity and growth under his belt, he and Brody were a perfect match. It was evident how much the relationship could, and would work, but at the point of time of the book, it just didn't.
Even with my minor issues with the relationship between Brody and Kit, this book was still a beautiful experience. The love on the page was real, even if it was a little unbalanced. I absolutely adored the frequent scenes with Clay and Austin; they added a lovely element to the story. The only thing missing was Jasper and Ellis, who had a small cameo, but I would have loved to see more of them. But then, they are my favourite couple, so I'm always ready to see more of them!!
The Wrangler and the Orphan was a beautiful story of both paying it forward and proving that love, kindness, patience and understanding can overcome many things.
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