Review: Very good
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2013
I wasn't even ten percent into this story when I realized two things. One, I really, really despised Calum's father, Eric, and, two, my husband might be born and raised in Wyoming, but thank goodness he doesn't have the stereotypical attitudes about homosexuality and what makes a real man. I enjoy Barbara Elsborg's books very much, and since this one involved cowboys I knew I was in for a treat. The fact it's set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a favorite place of mine, meant I was going to be more invested in the landscape and, thus, the whole storyline. Turned out to be a giant win-win for me."The vacation he worked hard for all year would not be his usual solo tramp around Italy or Greece exploring ruins, but a stay on the Neilson Ranch where Jasper hoped to learn how to relax, to get dirty without worrying, to be sociable without blushing and to ride a horse without throwing up." Jasper is a London stockbroker and this vacation is his opportunity to find himself. Unfortunately, what he finds first is Calum, the rancher's son, and instant attraction occurs on both ends although they try to hide it. Calum's dad doesn't allow him to be gay and no matter how hard he works the ranch and minds his business, Eric still treats him like a second class citizen. Calum wanted to major in art, as he has real talent in clay work and painting, but his dad made him major in agriculture. Three years before, Calum and Eric had a huge fight about Calum's sexuality leading to his dad having a massive heart attack and informing Calum he'd write him out of the will if he ever caught Calum messing around with another guest. (On a side note, I was completely embarrassed by the two young, wealthy women from LA who did a wonderful job showcasing Americans' idiocy - go team!)Attraction turns into secret rendezvous trying to prevent anyone from knowing what they're doing. Of course, that doesn't work, and very suspicious situations begin to rear their ugly heads. What did amaze me, though, was how the ranch hands were allowed to speak to Jasper in such ugly and sneering ways. Considering Eric didn't want any trouble or to be sued and lose business, I would have thought, regardless of his personal feelings, he would have put a stop to that kind of attitude against paying guests. Then again, Eric wasn't exactly politically correct when addressing Jasper, either. By midway through the week poor Calum has been attacked by a mountain lion and almost shot by the ranch foreman who hates his guts, Jasper is put on a very high spirited horse with someone having sabotaged the saddle blanket and Jasper was thrown and could have broken his neck, and Eric has made it plain he can't stand Jasper. Great vacation!It gets even better when Calum's ex-wife shows up with a son she claims is Calum's, two ranch employees try to kill Jasper, and Eric has another heart attack. I kind of don't blame Jasper for refusing to see Calum while he's in the hospital. What's the point? Calum has more issues than anyone and no matter that Jasper fell for him, and vice versa, there's no way to make it work. Calum blames himself for everything that happened and, well, some of it did fall on his head for being unwilling to confront his dad over anything for fear of Eric's health. When Jasper does something so incredibly wonderful with a piece of Calum's art that Calum hid in his suitcase, Calum has no choice but to head to London to see him. And, no, I'm not saying anything more and spoiling the surprise.This was an entirely different cowboy book and I enjoyed it greatly. The struggle of two nationalities, two separate careers, and two homelands was interesting to watch. The love between Jasper and Calum was evident and they each deserved the wonderful ending they were given. I can easily recommend this as a good read.NOTE: This book was provided by Samhain Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews