Review: 5 sparkling wonderful mesmerizing stars
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 6, 2013
What a sweet and emotional romance about a lonely man who was brought to J-Bar as a foster kid with nothing to hold on to but his anger and fear. I could actually visualise this traumatised teen who learns to love and trust his foster family, particularly his foster father Crandell who became a role model for him.Malloy now is in his early 30s just like his foster father Crandell; a hardworking man with silent compassion and integrity. He stayed at the ranch ass a foreman and loved the ranch (including all who lived in it) with all his heart. He somehow convinced himself that he was content being alone and that was just fine for him...and he learnt to love from a distance rather than truly getting involved with those he really loved like his foster family. I guess that is how he dealt with his early childhood traumas and his abandonment issues...The ranch has other "strays" that Crandell and his wife found and offered a safe place to live and work. The ranch hands Eddie and Jim are some of those "strays" (can't wait to read their story too!)The story really begins when Crandell and his wife to Florida to visit their daughters & grandkids and Crandell asks to take another ranch hand "Crispine" who is family friend and another "stray" in my opinion. Crispine is a gay cowboy who is in his 20s with an endearing bubbly personality and that's how Malloy starts his journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with his unresolved childhood issues....and the rest.Z.A Maxfield created Crispin so well and perfect for malloy. he is everything Malloy needed; a passionate, emotional yet a strong younger male....for the most of the time. When he is fragile, Malloy becomes his anchor and support.I loved the fact that the characters in this story were imperfect just like the rest of us...fallible humans who are struggling to make a sense out of life and living...they were people with worries for their future, heart, wellbeing...but with a HEA. :)Malloy and Crispine's story put a lot of smiles on my face and uplifted my spirit. Don't be fooled with its sweet-start because this story evolves into something deeper and meaningful.I loved that the innocent one the older male in this story which was different and refreshing for me. I thought this story was emotional, sensuous, smooth-never loosing its steady pace and so well-written.I love the way the writer helped these guys heal too.Malloy and Crispine are such a sweet pair that anyone with some maternal or paternal instincts would just want to open their doors to them...This book will be cherished in my library