Colby

The Broken Horn Ranch #1

by R.M. Neill

Colby
I never meant to fall in love with my stepbrother, but Dante cared for me in ways no one ever had before.

Then, he vanished without a trace.

For five years I’ve wondered how he could walk away so easily, leaving our hopes and dreams behind. I never thought I’d see Dante again, then my world is turned upside down when he reappears. I want to push him away, but I can’t. Not when he tells me the truth behind his disappearance.

Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to help him right these wrongs... even if it costs me everything.

Dante
I did what I had to in order to protect my family.

Never would I allow Colby to suffer if there was any way I could prevent it. He deserved the very best in life, even if that meant I had to leave to make that happen. But the five years of silence was too much. I need to see him and explain that I never stopped loving him, even if he already moved on.

Yet when I find out the person I was protecting him from broke all their promises, I’m prepared to fight for the life I left behind.

No way in hell am I walking away a second time.

Welcome to the Broken Horn Ranch Series, where a colorful crew of hardworking ranch hands work to claim their own happily-ever-afters!

Genres: M M Romance, Second Chance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Westerns, Family Drama

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2023

About the author

RM is an introverted Canadian author who likes to write about love while freezing in the winter.

Her mission is to always make you swoon and snort laugh, sometimes even in public.

She talks to her cat, Moon, and sometimes people. She married her prince charming, who often inspires her characters, but still can't place dirty clothes in the hamper.

When she's not writing swoony men to fall in love with, she's in her garden providing mosquitoes with an alternative food source. She can also be found inventing new swear words on the golf course.


You can find her on facebook or visit her website rmneillauthor.com

Reviews

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What kind of cruel world has the love of my life show up unannounced after five years, just days after I've decided to move on?"

Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, First Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 2/5 🔥🔥

"I loved him, and he loved me. Or so I thought."

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Overall Opinion
I really want to do this book justice with my review, but finding it so hard to put into words just how amazing it really was. I was invested from the blurb onwards and the amount of tears I shed would fill a swimming pool. We have two beautiful MCs who were torn apart five years earlier but never stopped loving one another, being given the chance to reunite. We get slow glimpses into why they were separated and the dark story behind it all. I would say it was a medium angst book but the angst wasn't relationship but rather situational. There wasn't big spicy scenes, and the ones there were mostly emotional, but I felt I didn't miss the spice at all. There was a wonderful dose of found family and healing, and the bad guy got what he deserved. The writing flowed perfectly and the plot was detailed but not in a way that was overwhelming, and I already want to reread this book now!

Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Stepbrothers
❣️ Medium Angst
❣️ Second Chance
❣️ Small Town
❣️ HEA

Trigger and Content Warnings: Parental abuse, incarceration, drug trafficking, chronic illness (migraines)

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that tell a great love story from beginning to end. There is angst, but it's not overwhelming and the relationship between the MCs is beautiful and touching.
Colby and Dante become step brothers when their parents get married. They get to know each other and eventually fall in love. They were so sweet together and I loved reading the early days in their relationship, which comes to an end when Dante leaves overnight without even leaving a note. Five years later they meet again and it's clear that their feelings for each other haven't changed at all, but they need to leave the past behind and start over.
I just loved both Colby and Dante, they were so in love that I could feel it through the pages. It was alive and persisted through time, despite being apart for several years. They were such good guys, with huge hearts and they just couldn't stop loving each other. I enjoyed witnessing how they got back together and their honesty when telling the other their feelings, fears and hopes.
The author does a great job describing emotions and also created a wonderful bunch of side characters that made my heart feel full of love. It is so difficult to find good people in this world that it made me so happy to see Colby and Dante get help from these amazing men.
This book is about young love, overcoming tragic circumstances and accepting help when it's offered from the heart. The story has that small town vibes that I love so much and it also shows that healing is possible and true love really exists.
I can't wait to read Blaze's story. It was surprising to discover who he really was and I'm sure I'll enjoy his book just as much.

[Marthea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Znowu trafiłam na przeciętniaka *westchnienie*
A nawet powiedziałabym na bardzo słabego przeciętnego przeciętniaka 😕

Do gdzieś tam mniej więcej połowy było jeszcze jakoś tam w miarę przyzwoicie. Ale potem zalała mnie taka masa słodkości i ckliwości, że myślałam, że się z niej nie wygrzebię. Dodatkowo znowu zabrakło balansu. Wszyscy byli dobrzy i bezinteresowni aż do bólu. I ci dobrzy zostali przeciwstawieni jednej złej do szpiku kości osobie, wokół której został nakręcony - nazwijmy to szumnie - wątek kryminalny i która była przyczyną rozstania głównych bohaterów.

Tiaaa... główni bohaterowie *westchnienie*
Dante to ten, który się cały czas poświęcał i który zrobiłby wszystko dla Colby'ego. Colby wg autorki to życzliwy, ale jednocześnie twardy młody mężczyzna, który od 5 lat właściwie musiał radzić sobie sam. Niestety, ja takiego wrażenia nie odniosłam - albo był smutny, albo przytłoczony, albo potrzebował pocieszenia od swojego przyjaciela (przytulanie podczas płaczu i po nim również), albo ktoś się o niego martwił, albo szedł mu na rękę, albo chciał go chronić, albo ratować i podawać pomocną dłoń. A ilość ogranych, rzewnych i ckliwych dialogów czy wyznań między nimi była naprawdę powalająca...

Było sporo drugoplanowych bohaterów - pewnie każdy z nich będzie miał swoją historię w serii. I zazwyczaj nie mam z tym problemów. Ale tutaj, skoro wszyscy byli tacy dobrzy, życzliwi i bezinteresowni, to powiedzmy sobie szczerze - zlewali się w jedno. Różnili się tylko imionami.

Słabo trafiłam 😕

[Amy Aislin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read by this author and it was massively enjoyable. Colby and Dante's romance just jumps off the page. I also really enjoyed the little mystery element, and the cast of supportive side characters were wonderful.

[ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t bother with this book. It is not good.

30% into the book and I’m not sure I want to finish. Dante shouldn’t drag out why he was sent to prison and keep secrets from Colby. Like what is the point except as a plot device to drag stuff out because you have no ideas on the story. It’s pretty lame. He’s waited 5 years already put him out of his misery.

38% the sex is SO awkward and cringy that I hope my expression doesn’t freeze on my face 🤪😬
Cringe AF dialogue too!

51% in and the dialogue is just SO bad. BUT I do want to to see if the dad gets his comeuppance.

85% they finally have “real” sex and it’s lackluster. No passion. It’s sad really.
5 years apart and this is what we get. Boring sex and it was super fast! Meh. This author is definitely not for me.

For the plot to be centered on the dad’s treachery, it was pretty anticlimactic at the end but so was this whole book. Ugh. I definitely don’t recommend. Read my (low)highlights to see how bad it truly was. 😵‍💫

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written story of love lost then found again. Though not straight forward, with misunderstandings and meddling, love will out! Great characters who were perfectly portrayed as passionate, sensitive, and totally believable. Colby and Dante were so cute together, they both so needed a big hug or three. I loved the camaraderie between them and their friends. It's very much a hurt/comfort, found family story. Great ending, now I'm ready for the second installment of the series.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up!

This was beautiful! It's my first book my R.M. Neill and definitely won't be my last. It really sucker-punched me in the feels a few times, but I adored Colby and Dante's story so much. Safe to say, this author just got a new fan.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dante and Colby

‘I lean in, cupping his cheek in my palm. "I always wanted to kiss you goodnight at the door." "You were always a gentleman," he whispers before my lips brush over his. Softly at first, we kiss. Those shy tentative kisses that really have no place between us. Not with all we've done and been through. Yet we still fall back to these fumbling moments and find each other all over again. His hat drops to the porch as he brings his hands to my waist and pulls me closer.’

RM Neill has expanded her writing to include the Broken Horn Ranch, in her new series. We have met several key characters in her Sheltered Connections series, and they lead us over a bridge where we find tragedy for two young men. As we learn of step brothers Colby and Dante, we initially thrill to their newly found heart connection. But evil lurks in the shadows of their burgeoning love, and Dante, against his truest wishes, becomes entangled in a series of events that take him away from Colby for five agonizing years.

This story mainly focuses on their chance to find that love again, and create a sweet, like Colby’s Candy shop, life together, while growing their friendships with the men who support them.

Colby and Dante’s story has a lot happening, including emotional ups and down, as well as some well loved characters who are helpers in the best of ways. There are secrets and stressors, and an extended community of those who focus on the well being of animals and humans alike.

I look forward to watching this series grow.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by R. M. Neill, but it certainly won't be my last. Quite honestly, I signed up to be an ARC reader for this one fully expecting I wouldn't get it. When it showed up in my Kindle, I couldn't really remember what I was getting myself into and what this book was about. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Colby and Dante work well together, and their relationship is sweet and mature. They both grow a lot throughout the course of this one, and it only made me like them more. The cast of background characters is so well-rounded, and I can't wait to see who makes reappearances in the next installments in this series. The only thing I would have liked to see more of was some of the angst that was already in the book. I felt like, at times, it could have used a bit more. But this is definitely a personal thing, and others will enjoy it because it has less angst.

Colby releases February 16th, so make sure to get your copy!

[Nedra81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't enough words to replicate the appreciation or adoration of this story. The tragedy family lays down, the domino effect said tragedy has on other members, along with the second chance given to two more than deserving characters was absolutely sensual!

𝐼'𝒹 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝐿𝒾𝓀-𝒶-𝒮𝓉𝒾𝓍 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝒾𝒻 𝒽𝑒'𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒.

Colby and Dante were to die for!! Their relationship was celestial, what dreams are made of, and fiercely perfect! Witnessing their growth, both personally and together, while furthermore learning to lean on extended family, will keep the reader intrigued until the last word.

"𝓝𝓪𝓱, 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓫𝓼. 𝓞𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾."

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colby and Dante met as teen-age stepbrothers when their parents married. As they turned 18, they began to feel a stronger attraction to each other, which later turned to love. At 19, Dante disappeared and wasn't seen again by his family for five years. Now returned, the two want to pick up where they left off, but so much is still secret and so much has changed. Can these two find a new beginning and a lifetime love? This book has a ton of emotion, forgiveness, support of friends and family, and a tender, resilient love.

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS!!!!!

Oh, I don't even know where to start. Colby and Dante. What an AMAZING couple. Colby is a hard working determined man. He is successful in the retro candy business. Dante is in a tough spot. He is now an ex con, homeless, jobless and heartbroken. This Book has unbelievable depth. This is a story that is truly beautiful and will give you all the feels. R.M. NEILL is a tremendously talented Author. I loved Muffin the llama and Colby's horse Babe. I just loved this Book!! I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!

[Lisa Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going in, I thought I was reading a story about second chances and proving that you deserve one. What I got instead, was an amazing story of love, forgiveness, acceptance, learning that it's OK to get help, and found family is something truly special. There was so much more to this book.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily gave my honest review.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Love Gets A Second Chance

This is a really good start to this new series. There is so much angst and intensity in this but it is absolutely worth it. This story grabbed my heart and didn't let go until we got to Colby & Dante's HEA.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[BrittReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story.. I enjoyed learning about the ranch and the people there. I will enjoy seeing their story's progress. I was upset with what Dante was forced to go through and was so happy he and Colby got their hea!

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

This story between Dante and Colby is excellent. A story about two teenage guys who just happen to be stepbrothers: they're torn apart because a father/stepfather is more concerned about greed than love for a family. Colby and Dante are separated for five years but they never lose the love that they have for each other. It's a story to be read. It's a story of found family where love and friendship abound. More emphasis was placed on the story and not just sex.

[lemonysnickety · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars I guess, I should have liked it more but I kept getting bored and annoyed that it was still going. Pacing is kind of messy—felt like there were 3 different endings because the main problem was solved at ~75% but the falling action was dragged out. I saw other reviews mention that the characters were all overly kind and the one bad guy was almost ridiculously bad, and they’re correct. It’s not that you can’t have a book with a lot of kind characters, but it was like every single was so so selfless in a way that’s just not realistic (even people that want to help aren’t actually able to help to that extent without screwing over their own lives/families).

Plot-wise the biggest problem was the “we’re in a conflict because you don’t know x, but I’m not going to tell you because… reasons”. It is one of the dumbest tropes to ever exist. Don’t have your character say “I’ve waited 5 years to tell this person” and then when meeting him say “I can’t share this info with you yet” 🙄🙄

Content was also repetitive. There is absolutely no reason to be at 80% and summarizing things we’ve already read summarized before—and things that have happened a few pages prior. Even at 98% in the epilogue it was still summarizing and repeating things we already knew.

The technical issues were frustrating, too; lots of fragments and things that just were worded poorly. A weird amount of fuss made over one of the MCs being a virgin and one being more experienced. Author clearly wanted readers to be invested in all the relationships of the side characters but I didn’t feel connected to any of them (or the MCs tbh). Can’t figure out why the attorney was only called “Mr. Scott” when they’re all a bunch of adults but made me think of Michael Scott every time.

[SebFox · Rating 2 out of 5]

A saccharine sweet, candy floss book

I thoroughly enjoy a good comfort read and as the autumn nights are starting to draw in I found myself gravitating towards this book. This low angst MM romance seemed to be a perfect way to spend a cosy evening. Couple that with it being a book about cowboys and set on a ranch, I thought I’d hit gold. Unfortunately, I was very wrong.

I don’t like writing negative reviews about books, particularly with new authors, but I think there needs to be some balance considering all the positive reviews I have read which drew me in to reading this book in the first place. My description of this as being a “candy floss” book is probably quite accurate. It’s incredibly sweet, has very little substance or depth, and quickly dissolves to nothing once you consume it.

With “low angst” romantic books there needs to be 3 important things to make them work for me: the characters, the plot and the emotional connection. Sadly it failed on all 3.

The characters are paper thin and cartoon-like in depth. All are perfect human beings with virtually no faults and completely selfless. Aside from Colby suffering from headaches, it’s very hard to tell the difference between the two main leads. There is very little depth to them, despite the author trying to give them a back story, and I struggled to connect with them on any emotional level. The town they live in sounds like the most perfect place on earth. Everyone who lives there is incredibly helpful, welcoming, loving and supportive. By trying to portray everyone as perfect only serves to make the characters feel less real. Even when Colby has an angry outburst it’s so unbelievable, laughable almost, because it appears completely out of character.

In a similar way that we have 2-D characters, we also have a threadbare plot. This genre does not need to have complex plots akin to a spy thriller. Neither does it need to have a plot outside of the main characters developing love story. But what it does need is a plot that is sufficient enough to make you want to keep on reading. But this didn’t. Because of the emotional distance I had with the characters and their zero angst love affair, it made the dull nature of the plot even more prominent. Without the emotional connection to the characters or any feeling of threat, I didn’t really care if they managed to stop the villain or save Colby’s shop!

I think that ultimately sums up how I felt about this book. I didn’t care because I felt emotionally empty. I do applaud the author for trying to write a picture perfect romance, showing the nicer side of humanity, but it failed to connect with me in any way. The same can be said for the writing style too. It was very inoffensive but it also wasn’t engaging either. I even bought the audio to see if hearing a narrator would improve the experience but sadly it did not. In fact, the performance of the narrator was quite poor and I found it hard to distinguish between his characterisation of each of the leads. It all felt very am-dram.

I am sorry to have to give this a negative review and really wanted to love this book. Maybe I’m the wrong audience for this book, but I do love Lucy Lennox, someone who writes almost effortlessly in this genre. Hopefully R.M. Neill will develop her writing in future books as I do feel there is a market for low angst romances, but sadly Colby is not the one for me.

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colby is a wonderful start to the Broken Horn Ranch series. It has a wonderfully supportive cast with two MC's who are put through their emotional paces. We cover several tropes with stepbrothers, hurt/comfort, betrayal, second chance, and adorable animals. Dante and Colby's love was sweet and mostly innocent when they were eighteen but it was ripped away from them when Dante disappeared one night, a few weeks before they were due to leave for college. Five years later, they meet again by chance at Broken Horn Ranch where Dante has managed to get a job and Colby stables his horse, Babe. All is not as it seems, however, as secrets may threaten to separate them once more and both men have experienced such heartache already. Dante, especially, has been through more than a man his age should and considering the circumstances once all is revealed.
I really enjoyed how the story plays out, giving the reader a chance to know the two men before they reunite, knowing how they are doing five years after that night. Things then play out but nothing is rushed, though I was a little surprised with how quickly Colby brings Dante back but the man does have a huge heart still filled with love for the other man. The plot takes quite a turn when big secrets and history is revealed, showing that all was definitely not as it seemed and there is reason to be wary of others. I felt for Colby when that also had an impact on his future. There is a brilliant cast of characters that clearly love and support the two men. Landon is Colby's best friend and is very protective of him having seen his heartbreak firsthand. Then the guys on the ranch are wonderfully giving of their time and resources. Dan, especially, is one of those souls who are at their happiest doing things for others, be it human or animal considering how many rescues he has in the ranch.
A great story with lovely characters and a wonderful romance. I'm looking forward to who gets their story next in the series.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Katriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colby by RM Neill was a terrific redemption read.

I really enjoyed the characters RM created in this story. Colby and Dante are in love with each, they have plans to come out to their parents after they graduate. They are ready for that next step. But Dante's dad finds out and chooses to punish the both of them instead of being supportive.

5 years is a long time to be apart, especially if you don't quite understand why you had to be separated from each other. Colby has his horse Babe, his best friend Landon and his candy shop Lick It Up... The only thing his heart longs for is Dante.

Dante has been in prison for the last few years due to an unsavory character. Once he gets out he's determined to explain to Colby what happened. Will Colby hear Dante out and forgive him? You'll have to read to find out!

I highly enjoyed these characters, Colby was a bit more sure if himself and steady; while Dante was shy, romantic, and thoughtful. Not to mention protective. I also love the settings this book was taking place in. The ranch and the candy shop were described so well and very detailed. I wish I had a friend who brought me surprise candy bags!!

All of the guys at the ranch really became a family and rallied around Dante and Colby when they needed help. The plot was really fleshed out and the romance was very sweet. I'm glad these two men got the ending they deserved.

*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
In this story there is a little bit of dark theme that I wasn't expecting after reading the blurb. The first chapters are invaded by so much sadness that it's impossible not to feel sorry for Colby and Dante, especially when it's revealed where Dante has been during his five years of separation from Colby.
Despite that, there's low/medium angst and little by little hope and possibilities start to bloom.
Dante and Colby are two sweet boys who went through so much pain at a very young age, but what they found at the end of their misery was happiness and a new wonderful family. The side characters are in fact amazing, I hope we'll get to know their stories too.
I loved how Dante connected with the animals at The Broken Horn Ranch and took care of them: the part where he compared himself to Mittens, the llama, was heartbreaking.
The sex scenes in this book are just two and they're not at all about lust or horniness, but they reflect the intimacy and the connection between Colbs and D. All their interaction are romantic and sweet.
I didn't give 5 stars because of the main villain, who was too awful, I'd say almost unbelievable.
But I really recommend this story and I look forward to read more of this series.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review

[caffeinated.crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colby and Dante are together in secret before graduation. It has to stay secret because they're step brothers, and Dante's dad is a giant jerk.

Then Dante just disappears. Leaving Colby broken hearted and scrambling to change all his plans.

Five years later Dante is back. Things HAPPEN.

We find out where Dante was and why. We find out [redacted] ______ Dante to _____ and [redacted]. But Dante is ready to do anything to prove to Colby he still loves him and he's never leaving again.

*sighs because it's hella romantic*

This was a story about enduring love, found family, accepting help, and trying to do the right thing. It's got second chances and a secret baddie plot line. It's got an emotional support horse and a Llama that thinks it's a cat.  There's a candy store called Lick it Up *which is seriously making me need to listen to Bon Jovi's Bad Medicine for some reason. It's not heavy with the sex scenes so if it's smut you're after, this ain't it. But the love story is great!

This was a very sweet story and it can be read as a standalone. 💜💜💜

[Babara-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

SECOND CHANCE LOVE WITH A TWIST!

I devoured this new start to the series in one day and I look forward to so much more!

The blurb intrigued me as I am a sucker for step brother tropes but when I started this book I got swept away by Colby and Dante’s heart rendering story and immersed myself into their past history where a hard choice was made that separated them for five years…

I loved the side characters that gave them all the support and found family they both needed to find their way back to each other!

It was not an easy journey they undertook as there was a lot of unanswered questions and mystery surrounding Dante’s disappearance five years ago but with the help and support of friends of the Broken Horn Ranch, a horse called Babe and a Llama that thinks it’s a cat, they were sure to find their way…

I look forward to the next book with baited breath!

I voluntarily received an ARC from GRR for an honest review of this book.

[Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This broke my heart then put it back together again

I had a feeling this would be a book that was tough at times. The blurb gave an indication of that so I felt I was prepared. I was not. This book will break your heart. Colby and Dante had such a rough go of things. I wanted so much to just get able to fix things for them so they never had to deal with the pain of what had happened. I felt for both of them, they were each so hurt and because they didn’t know what had really happened (at least not the full story) they were stuck with feeling that pain. Once we got beyond that their romance was so sweet. It changed from something innocent and young to something more solid, longer lasting, something that was based on an understanding of how awful the world can be but how much genuine love can mitigate that. This book will put you through the ringer but the end is so sweet and so worth it.

[Ndaar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much, yet too little too

[Theodore · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 26%

First chapter was the typical awkward info dump where characters say things for the benefit of the reader despite it not making sense in context. It's always super obvious expo set up when characters say stuff like "We're nineteen and about to head off to college next week!" as if neither of them knew that already or it needed to be stated. At least it was short so it wasn't a big bother.

Colby still being incredibly hung up on Dante's disappearance five years later was a bit much. Yeah it was devastating, but having an event five years ago still be constantly at the forefront of his mind was hard to believe. Five years is a long time and regardless of how big things are, time really does fade things into the background a little as newer, more recent things happen (even if they're smaller in comparison).

Having a Dan in a book where one of the MCs is named Dante was a weird choice. Took me a sec to realize Dan wasn't just a nickname.

Their first reunion scene felt incredibly abrupt. I think it would've hit harder if we'd seen it from Dante's POV since Colby basically got jumpscared when he showed up out of nowhere, though I sort of wish the scene slowed down a tiny bit just to let the tension really build before Colby booked it.

Wasn't a fan of the characters talking to themselves to tell us readers what they were thinking (both Dante and Colby seemed to do a lot unfortunately). It's a lazy way of telling us how and why the characters feel a certain way rather than showing it. For example, Dante just goes on and on about not being able to live without Colby, but we don't really get a reason other than a vague idea of "love". It would've been good to see a concrete examples and reasons for why he loved Colby (like maybe Dante felt ostracized growing up and Colby was always welcoming and made him feel at home or maybe Colby consistenly offered him comfort over something he was struggling with). I needed to see something to justify the intense emotions these two held for each other (aka the reason for their romance in a romance novel) because without it, both MCs waxing poetic about how much they miss each other felt empty.

I chose to DNF after yet another instance of awkward dialogue meant to tell us readers what happened. Alec saying "We've worked together almost every day for a few weeks and I like you" was so awkward and obviously tell-y that I had to stop. I had hoped that the book would stop doing that when we got to the conflict proper and the characters and settings had been properly established, but if it still does this over a quarter of the way in, I'm good.

[Beagle Lover (Avid Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 breathtaking stars. ***(Minor spoilers!!!)***

Dante left Colby five years ago without saying a word. Having met through the marriage of their respective parents, the stepbrothers quickly fall in love. They planned their future together only to see those plans vanish, much like Dante did.

Colby yearns for Dante to return to explain why he left so abruptly. And to possibly rekindle their relationship.

Dante cannot contact his stepbrother. What he has done for his family prevents him from this act. He knows he has hurt Colby deeply and begins to plan to correct that hurt.

But returning to Broken Horn Ranch places Colby in more serious danger. Dante refuses to explain why he left so abruptly five years ago, further frustrating Colby. But as Dante schemes to right his wrongs, the duo's feelings reemerge, complicating an already dangerous situation for both men.

A story of deceit, forgiveness, strength and hard sacrifices, "Colby" is a book well worth the read. The author's prose is enthralling and well paced, the plot runs smoothly with minor present/future plotlines and the characters, every single one, are creatively brought to life. World building is brilliant, particularly the scenes at the ranch and Colby's candy store.

Of particular note is the secondary character, Blaze, who helps Colby with a generous and heartfelt act towards the book's conclusion. (He is also one of the MCs in the next book in this series!)

This book contains every emotion possible, but focuses mainly on forgiveness and doing what is right, no matter the personal cost. The correct balance of seriousness and humor only serve to assure the plot maintains its flow. The heat, in for a book of this genre, is secondary, but by no means ignored.

Possible triggers: a horse named "Babe," a obstinate llama called "Mittens," a candy store named "Lick It Up" and one seriously corrupt secondary character with a vile mean streak.

[lagos · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing about me, I love a book with a pretty cover. But i think the cover was better than the plot for this one. Its not that i didn’t like it but it felt too fake and lazy for me. Like at first, i thought we were getting the whole falling in love montage but when this book began they were already in love. And i was willing to overlook that but if u aren’t giving me them falling in love, at least it needs to make up for it with a good plot. When i saw all the yeehaw bjs the were having in the barn i knew this was only going to go south (i don’t trust them for doing that with horse poop in there). At first i was all about the plot because i love a good mafia related drama and gay heartbreak. But then the book started to feel endless, the drama started to feel pointless, the solutions to the problems where just stupid and lazy. Basically if u want anything solved have rich bestis. And talking about bestis, why you gotta do my boy Landon like that?! He was the best friend ever, i loved the dude and then when Dante came back to sing his lil Yeehaw lullabies to Colby he suddenly stopped existing?! Also, how am i supposed to believe Landon the shoulder to cry on#1 was just like “sure, Dante seems okay, go to him” Like yeah, he was a good guy but Landon didn’t know that and the fact that he just accepted him was annoying. And talking of accepting: This people have no pride, do they? I loveeee the whole pity plot like when dante was fresh out of prison and had nowhere to sleep! i was about to cry! but why do they gotta accept help so easily!!! Colby was like “Come on cowboy u sleeping with me tonight” and Dante was like “me? oh no i cant cuz im shy uwu 👉🏻👈🏻🙈” for 2.0 seconds and next thing i know he’s picking his favorite pink towel to dry his ass after showering in what is apparently his new home????! idk it bothers me because they look stupid. Finally the first sex scene was boring and the last one was weird. Like sex and Fun-dip don’t belong in the same sentence let alone room. At least that one was interesting…To summarize, i had fun reading this but it’s not what i was expecting, the plot was not plotting & i wasn’t a fan of the writing style.

[Woodatsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice start to this new series by R.M. Neill. It was a heartfelt story about two boys who fell in love at a young age and were cruelly torn apart for reasons beyond their doing.

Dante and Colby's love story starts when Colby's mom marries Dante's dad. Both were 18 at the time and Dante was a shy, withdrawn boy who really opened up when meeting Colby. They fell in love and were planning to start a life together away from their dad/stepdad, who was nothing of a father to Dante. But then one night everything crumples when Dante just disappears without a word. Colby is devastated, hurt and angry. He knows he has to move on but can't forget Dante.

Fast forward 5 years and Colby is living a rather contented life. He's got his own candy store, a great best friend and a place where he can go to for riding his beloved horse Babe. And it's there that he comes face to face again with Dante.

Dante had his reasons to leave Colby so abruptly, but can't tell him the truth of why he had to leave. The only thing he can tell him for now, is that he left Colby for his own protection and that he will explain things in due time. He's never stopped loving Colby and will do whatever it takes to get him back.

They reluctantly start again and discover very quickly that the love they shared as young boys has only grown stronger with the years.

This was a real heartfelt story, both men shared such a deep love that no time, no separation could end. They had to fight hard for their love and it was great to see them get their happy ending.

*I kindly received a copy of this book by Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.*

[Dinoh (Akari) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading and reviewing books by R.M. Neill for a while now, and they all have some common denominators. They are entertaining and sweet, they have some fun, some drama, some longing and luckily a HEA. But none made me cry like this story.

While I expected some angst during the split and reunion of the two MCs, which is hinted at when reading the description, I never imagined what the reason would be, and OMG everything Dante went through really broke my heart, because not only did he have to leave Colby behind without a word, making him believe that he was simply abandoning him and abandoning their very careful plans, but he also had to suffer the betrayal of the one who should have protected him, and he had to do it in a hostile environment, dangerous for an adult let alone a teenager, all alone, and knowing that maybe when he could return to Colby and tell him why he left, it might already be too late. And yet, he never gave up, and he wasn't afraid to accept help even when he felt he was at his lowest point.

And yes, Colby's anguish was painful for me too, but at the same time, it was less. Because he had the opportunity to move on, he was able to build a life, empty, because for him a life without Dante was nothing, but at least he had his business, his best friend and people who cared about him.

And when they finally meet again, when they are face to face, the past doesn't matter, they recognize the love between them, a love that nothing could break.

This story is about soulmates, about loyalty and sacrifice. Of a love so great that there were no limits that could stop it.

I was given an advanced copy and voluntarily wrote a review.