Review: What happier ending could you ask for than this one?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 20, 2013
Chicken Ranch: Recession" is the second installment of a series related to an all-male brothel in rural Virginia called, yes, the Chicken Ranch like in that old Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton movie. The place of employment is not featured as much as in the first book, "C R Hunger". It does allow the author to revisit the question, "how does one handle it when the love of your life supports himself as a prostitute?" In "Hunger", one of the main characters struggles with the idea that his love is a rent boy but he tries to maintain the attitude that "it's your job, not who you are". In this book, the boyfriend (Miller Jacobs) of the working man (Garrett Ducaine) has a tougher time accepting it. Miller's viewpoint is probably closer to the one that most of us would have, "I HATE what you are doing so stop it and do something, anything, else." Garrett and Miller have a history. They were high school sweethearts, each other's first love. They dated, secretly, for four years and planned to go away to college together as soon as they graduated. But Garrett's mom suddenly died and the eighteen year old became responsible for his young brother. Miller had been kicked out of his home and could not wait to take his grandmother up on her offer to leave town to attend college. He hated going without Garrett but felt that he had no choice. Garrett hated the fact that Miller left but leaving was not an option for him, he had to stay and raise his brother Vaughn.As I would imagine is the case for most people who sell their bodies, Garrett sees no other way to make ends meet. The lack of more suitable employment does not change the fact that he has to provide for Vaughn. Just months after he begins the part time job at the brothel, he runs into Miller at the grocery store (where the two main characters in book one met up). Miller is suddenly back in town after a six year absence. While Garrett is still struggling day to day, Miller has made something of his life. He is successful and wealthy. He is also shocked and horrified to discover where Garrett is working. But Miller still loves the man and he tries to provide Garrett with another option. Garrett, Miller and Vaughn are all endearing characters, strong yet vulnerable, imperfect and real. I like that this story was different from the first. I was expecting to have at least a brief appearance of Declan and/or Killian from book one but we did a glimpse of Grey, still working and playing at the ranch. I do feel that Garrett was perhaps a little too blasé about things like keeping secrets from Vaughn, hiding the extra money, threesomes and needing the little blue bills that are sometimes necessary to be able to top on command. And it is hard to imagine that Garrett managed to keep his part-time job as a "professional lover" (the author's term, not mine) secret from his teen-age brother especially in a small town. Weren't some of the paying clients members of this community? Don't they run into each other at the post office or something?I love how Garrett is such a responsible, loving older brother and wish that Vaughn acknowledged the sacrifices and worked a little harder to support his sibling. But this did help highlight the efforts that Garrett put into his fulfilling his obligations. It is extremely important to Garrett that his brother gets everything he didn't, freedom from worries and responsibilities and a chance at a college education that promises a bright future. Vaughn did prove to be more mature and likeable as the story progressed. Miller may have been a tad too together but we didn't really get to know him as well as we did the Ducaine brothers. We do know that he was not blessed in the parental department but it worked out for him in the end. In fact, it worked out for the three young men as they managed to create a family that included them all. It proved to be a long, lonely journey for Garrett and Miller but they found their way back to each other. What happier ending can you ask for?Roux's 4 sweet pea review appears at mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=12767