My Rating for Luke's Present: 4 Stars and highly recommended
Buy in e-book only at Dreamspinner Press
Welcome to the Lost Cow
Ranch. When foreman Simon Bryan finds out that his partner, Luke, has postponed
his knee surgery yet again, Simon doesn’t know what to do. Luke has been having
nightmares and reeling from the flood that also took his beloved horse Lulu,
Simon is at the end of his rope. It comes to head when he feels Luke start to
pull away emotionally and Simon figures it is time to get through to Luke one
way or another. With a special Christmas present, Simon is hopeful that things
will return back to normal not just for him and Luke but also for the ranch
they both love so much. But Simon is unprepared for Luke’s present that just
may change everything in their relationship.
I absolutely adore Sue Brown’s Morning Report series and with this holiday novella, we return to the couple from the first book, Luke and Simon, who stole my heart in Morning Report (Book one). This is a perfect swan song for Luke, Simon and the rest of the boys at the Lost Cow Ranch. The story is at times realistic, poignant and down right naughty at times. Ms. Brown comes full circle in Luke's Present and the readers will enjoy seeing everyone in the first three books back again for Christmas at the Lost Cow Ranch. The story is well written, delivers some really humorous moments that had me chuckling out loud at times and the characters are multi-dimensional. You can feel Luke’s pain as he hobbles on a bum knee to Simon’s desire to get Luke to have the operation and get better and more.
The Morning Report series is one of the very first books I read from this author and from the very first book (Morning Report) I was hooked on the characters of the Lost Cow Ranch and the town it is in. The characters are well written, has realistic aspects in the story that you can not help but think "I have gone through that." or "I know someone who had that happen." This is a true testament of a masterful storyteller in my opinion. When the author can draw a reader in, capture their imagination and let themselves fall in love while reading of real life things that you may see online or in a newspaper article. The characters are the true stars, though, of this story and in Luke's Present we get a completed circle for the first set of boys, Simon and Luke, partners for over a decade and dealing with issues that may sink their relationship or it just might bring them closer than ever.
Luke's Present is a wonderful story
to enjoy this holiday or any day for that matter. If you enjoy sexy cowboys, a
love that is so real, you can’t help wish for it in your life and a story that
leaves you breathless in the end, then run-don’t walk-to grab LUKE’S PRESENT
today. I highly recommend this entire series to enjoy and suggest you start
with book one, Morning Report, to see how Luke and Simon’s story begins.
The Morning Report Series is as follows:
Book one: Morning Report
Western M/M
Dreamspinner Press
A decade on from their first kiss, Luke Murray is more in love with Simon every day. Running the Lost Cow ranch for Luke’s parents, they keep their heads down and get along with the locals, even if Luke is known for being a hothead. Then one day they discover the local store owners refuse to serve them.
They’re bewildered until Luke’s mom tells them the new pastor has targeted the couple in his sermons. Suddenly Luke and Simon find themselves alienated from people they called friends, and their ranch comes under a series of attacks. As the town’s hatred and homophobia turns on them, Luke and Simon will face a critical choice: give in to the town’s demands and disappear, or stand and fight for themselves and their love.
Book two: Complete Faith
Western M/M, Interracial
Dreamspinner Press
For Tommy Bradley, a hand working on the Lost Cow Ranch in rural Texas, admitting his sexuality is impossible, even if his bosses, Luke and Simon, are gay—Tommy has spent his entire life hiding the truth from his homophobic parents. Then Tommy meets pastor Noah Taylor in Luke’s father’s hospital room, and his difficult secret becomes that much harder to keep.
Noah is unlike any man of God—or any man—Tommy’s ever met. For one thing, his congregation is made up primarily of GLBT individuals and their families. For another, he isn’t afraid of the attraction he feels toward Tommy, and he makes his intentions very clear. But Noah won’t hide his sexuality or his love from the world, and he won’t start a relationship with Tommy while Tommy hides his, either. Faced with the choice of losing Noah or coming out to his parents, Tommy takes his first steps out of the closet.
But Tommy isn’t the only one facing challenges. Thanks to an outpouring of hatred from Pastor Jackson and a group of ranch owners, Noah must cope with the possible loss of his church and his livelihood.
Book three: Papa's Boy
Western M/M
Dreamspinner Press
When Ray Sloane tires of the men in his usual club, he finds himself in the Pink Palm, an inauspiciously named spit-and-sawdust dive, not the sort of place an elementary school teacher and pastor’s assistant should be seen in. On the other hand, Ray needs a fresh face. But what he gets is a closeted, desperately unhappy divorcé named Zeke.
Losing his teaching job and his kids has left Zeke bitter and in denial about his sexuality, but Ray is determined to get under his skin. Just as Zeke starts to relax, life interferes with Ray’s plans: Lee, the teenage organist from St. Mark's, tells his parents that he was abused as a teeanger by a prominent congregation member from his old church, and Ray becomes the target of bullies at school and has to worry about his own job. With the specter of what happened to Zeke hanging over him, Ray must protect Lee and his own reputation, all while trying to convince Zeke that he doesn’t need to run away when their relationship grows more intense.
Losing his teaching job and his kids has left Zeke bitter and in denial about his sexuality, but Ray is determined to get under his skin. Just as Zeke starts to relax, life interferes with Ray’s plans: Lee, the teenage organist from St. Mark's, tells his parents that he was abused as a teeanger by a prominent congregation member from his old church, and Ray becomes the target of bullies at school and has to worry about his own job. With the specter of what happened to Zeke hanging over him, Ray must protect Lee and his own reputation, all while trying to convince Zeke that he doesn’t need to run away when their relationship grows more intense.
1 comment:
Awesome review! Love this series.
I can't wait to read Luke's Present.
Happy New Year!
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