Taction

Taction #1

by J. Rocci

After Evan Miller is severely wounded in combat he finds himself with a medical retirement from the Army and no idea as to what he's going to do with his life. Fortunately, Evan's grandparents offer him a temporary job at their horse farm and the chance to rehabilitate a rescued Thoroughbred seems like just what he needs. Cam Jackson, their stable manager, takes exception to the grandson who hasn't visited his folks in over eight years. Only once Evan arrives and Cam gets to know him better, the two find they have more in common than they thought and their friendship morphs into something deeper. Evan just needs to decide if the new direction his life is taking is what he really wants.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Westerns, Romance, Military Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Short Stories

75 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Since 2006, J. Rocci has published LGBT romance stories, ranging from contemporary to steampunk to fantasy. Rocci currently lives near Washington D.C. with the love of her life and their furry children, and loves giving her characters happy endings.

You can find Rocci on the web at:
http://www.jrocci.com

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Reviews

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Short story about a cowboy and a wounded military solider who find love on a ranch. There are several more books in the series and I can't wait to read the rest. Sweet, loving romance.

[Tamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars because I thought this was a warm, sweet love story between two great MC's.

My only problem with the story was that it was too short. I hope the therapy ranch goes well for them :)

[Elisa Rolle]

Taction was an unexpected story for various reasons: first of all it was not as angst as it could have been, former soldier Evan has lost a leg and his badly scarred but the author doesn’t indulge in his physical issues, just that right amount of info to let you know that it’s not easy, but that Evan has still the strength to fight. Second it’s more romance than erotic, and my false expectation was probably due to the publisher and the past stories I read about gay cowboys. But nope, Evan and Cam, even living in the same house and sleeping in near bedrooms, don’t fall into each other arms as soon as the introduction is done, and considering this is a short story, that is really difficult to avoid. But the author decided to use different points to held the reader’s attention, and in the end this is more a “comfortable” story about a soldier that for once, coming back home, has a second chance, and to my opinion, is a better chance also.

Actually Evan is true enough with himself to admit that he would have left the Army even if his accident hadn’t forced him. Aside for doing spite to his former Marine father, the only reason why he joined the Army was since he wanted to do something good for his country, but probably he realized the war he was fighting was not on that line. Second Evan is gay, and he knew that even before; living in the Army is not a way to find a partner, and I had the feeling that Evan was not against the idea. True, this is not exactly a passionate love story, but in a way I preferred it like that, Evan and Cam has the chance to know each other and when they arrive to be intimate, it’s probably the foreplay for something long-lasting.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K16U46/?...

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about a man who was wounded in war and needs to figure out what to do with his life. It's a true challenge, and he doesn't even know where to start - not beyond the physical therapy he needs so he can learn how to deal with an amputated leg and walking on a prosthetic.

Evan is a planner, doer, and organizer, and the fact that everything has changed now that he is missing one leg hits him hard. None of the plans he had previously made will work, and he's trying to deal with it all in the absence of support from his parents or any other relatives. Until he figures out that he needs to return to the only place that has ever been a home to him (even when he was younger his parents never really accepted him): his grandparents' horse ranch.

Evan's road back to really living is long and hard. Meeting Cam, his grandparents' stable manager, doesn't seem to help at first - the man is gruff, never talks, and seems to reject Evan. Turns out, there are reasons for that, and they've got nothing to do with Evan. The slow romance that develops from there is beautifully done, as is Evan's road back to himself and what he's good at.

If you like stories about wounded men who need to learn how to live with what is perceived as a disability by most people, if you like cowboys and horses, and if you're looking for a read that is as sweet as it is touching, then you will probably like this short story.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
I really need to change the bad habit I have of reading stories out of order.
I read Army Green a while back and didn't rate it, because I wasn't quite sure about the story, now I realize it was because this one really should be read first. Oops. ;)
Evan left the marines, he was going to leave eventually anyway, but having lost part of his leg and part of his hearing, moved the timeframe up.
He went to his grandparents farm, a place he always felt at home, he is working there and getting back into a routine.
Cam, the ranch manager is cute, but standoffish and Evan isn't sure why.
I have to say. Evan lost a lot, part of is mobility and his hearing and his career, but he never once moaned or showed self pity.
I'm going to have to go and reread the short sequel, I'm sure I'll appreciate it more now.

[Dolorianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a short story is done well and Taction is a great example.

You know from the blurb that the main character is coming home after an injury and the pace of the story allows everything to flow without mashing all the plot points together at one time. The slice of life method of the story shows Evan getting stronger over a period of months and reconnecting to the life he had prior to the Army. And even though Cam isn't overly thrilled to meet Cam at first, I would describe their eventual relationship as comfortable, subtly romantic and solid.

[Lady*M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gentle, quiet little story about finding new direction in life and a beginning of romance. I liked the setting and tone of the story a lot. Jenre pointed this out as well - both guys behaved in a very sensible, grownup way, which was refreshing after the temper tantrums we often read in this genre. Really enjoyable.

[Merwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pacing, great characterization, great writing. I'm often wary of shorts because they can feel rushed or underdeveloped but this one found the perfect balance and managed to pack a lot in a few pages and made for a very satisfying read. Highly recommended.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evan is an incredible character. Hurt from the war and now back living with his grandparents, he meets and falls in love with the farm manager Cam. They are beautiful together and very loving. Can't wait to see where they go next.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my reveiw HERE.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick light read, which was surprising given the description. There's really no conflict but that works for these characters and this story.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable story about finding new path on the road of living. The romance between Cam and Evan was only in developing stage. So there wasn't much enjoyment in it.