Liam Southard may be at the end of the line. He ran away from his abusive father for the promise of a job. But when he got there, he was sent away. And he hasn't been able to find work since. Hungry, thirsty, exhausted, and overheated, he passes out on the side of the road. But he's fortunate when two men find him and bring him home to get cleaned up and back on his feet. He's even more fortunate when he learns they're willing to give him a job on their ranch.

Troy Gardner needs some time alone. So he's gone to his uncle's cabin to live with his thoughts for a while. When he's startled by a young man wandering onto the property, he turns a gun on him and tells him to leave. And within moments he regrets his action. Because not only has the man done nothing wrong, he is one of the most beautiful men Troy has ever seen. And so he sets out to apologize and make things right with Liam.

But even though there's a mutual attraction between Troy and Liam, both men have baggage from their pasts that might threaten the chances of a lasting and meaningful relationship.

--

If you know the formula that Andrew Grey's stories tend to follow, you'll see it in this one. As is typical, both men come to the relationship with an issue that needs to be sorted. And they work together to eventually try to solve it. In this one, though, the supporting cast (all the guys from the previous books in the series) provide a different sort of backdrop for the story. And it has that much more of a hook as a result. ( )

The only reason I've continued with this series is because this book got third place in M/M Group Member's choice Award 2012 in the category Best Story Featuring Cowboys. I though maybe this one is better than the other two in the series. I was wrong.

It's not the book itself - though I did wonder several times what crawled up Wally's ass, and it seemed to me Liam would have loved anyone who loved him back.

It's the things I've noticed through every one of Grey's books - the preachy tone whenever someone is in the closet or has difficulties coming out that reminds me of tv commercials trying too hard to sell you something; the difficulty to recognize any personality in the main characters; the way every single nuance of emotion needs to be explained - the stories are easily forgettable and are left with no redeeming qualities after all that.

I'll probably stay away from Grey's books after this. ( )

Much like the other two books in this series, this third volume is about two men learning to stand up for themselves and finding love. Both Troy and Liam have had a difficult time of it, but neither can move on before they have dealt with their pasts. Meeting at the Holden ranch gives them an opportunity to figure themselves out, as well as finding a new home.

Troy has been hiding his sexuality for years – but his unwillingness to admit he’s gay has cost him. Not just in terms of his personal feelings and needs going unmet, since he got married and has a daughter, other people are involved as well. This makes finally owning up to the truth and I really felt for him. He is not the only person this has ever happened to, but following a story like this, seeing the pain and anguish he goes through as his family suffers, made me tear up quite a few times. As much as I wanted to berate him for getting everyone into this mess, I also totally felt for him and admired the courage he showed when he finally did come out.

Liam has a very different battle to face, but one that requires as much courage as Troy’s and is no less scary. While he has always been honest about his sexuality (having been caught kissing another boy by his father), he has been beaten down so much that he feels as f he isn’t ‘worthy’ to be taken seriously. He is also very wary about being openly gay. Learning to stand up for himself, daring to fall in love and making something of his life isn’t easy, but he perseveres once he sees all the guys at the ranch who managed to do it.

Each of these books makes me fall in love with these guys more. Dakota and Wally, as well as Phillip and Haven are back, and have grown into a real support network for any new arrivals. Wally may be running a large animal rescue, but I think the ranch is turning into a ‘human rescue’ to match. If you like sweet stories about men who learn to stand up for themselves, if life on a ranch intrigues you, and if you like reading about real struggles with past mistakes and overcoming pain caused by the unthinking action of others, you will probably like this book as much as I did.



NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

I found myself skimming which I hate doing. There were certain aspect of this book I did enjoy, but overall it was rather dull and uninspiring. 2.5 stars. ( )

This is book 3 in the series
The last thing Liam Southard expects when he flees his abusive father is to be taken in by a couple of gay ranchers. Soon he has a new job and a new perspective on his sexuality, and his life starts to turn around. Then someone pulls a gun on him.

In Troy Gardener’s defense, the gun thing was a mistake. Between his marriage falling apart and living in his uncle's isolated hunting cabin, he's been a little edgy. He wants to make it up to Liam, and once he discovers how much they have in common, he wants even more. But with Liam's father popping in unexpectedly and a mining company threatening the ranch’s water supply, the only guarantee is that life is never going to be boring.
Once again the author shows why he is the master at creating endearing and likable characters such as Liam and Troy.
I look forward to the rest of the series. ( )