Lis’ Review: A Troubled Range by Andrew Grey

Andrew Grey
A Troubled Range (Range, #2)
Dreamspinner Press, March 25, 2011

Links: Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
The neighboring Holden and Jessup ranches are anything but neighborly—Jefferson Holden and Kent Jessup loathe each other. But despite his father’s long-held grudge, Haven Jessup just can’t bring himself to hate, especially after Dakota Holden takes him in during a violent storm and Haven meets Dakota’s friend, Phillip Reardon.
Phillip accepts Haven for who he is, seeing through the mask Haven uses to hide his attraction to men, but their tentative and secret relationship will be under a huge amount of stress. Sabotaged fences, injured animals, unsavory plans, and Jessup family secrets will threaten Haven’s new found happiness and his hopes of a future with Phillip.

Author's Note: This is the follow up to A Shared Range.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Cowboys, Bigotry, Secrets, Coming Out, GFY, Virgin hero

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3
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Reviewed by Lis:

Yihaaaaaaa! Here I thought I was deep in the reading slumps – which I was – until this book demanded it be read! And what a book it was! It sucked me in from the first page right to the last. It is actually a sequel (to A Shared Range), something I noticed a few chapters later, but it can be read separately.



A Troubled Range focuses on Haven, Dakota’s neighbor. Haven is a young, friendly, slightly troubled and confused cowboy who works for his father. His father is a dominant, scheming and bigoted father. He constantly puts Haven down and has no love for his son. Despite that, Haven stands his own and doesn’t let the family farm go to ruin. His fortune changes when Phillip visits his friends Wally and Dakota. There is an instant attraction that is slow to build, something I liked about this story. It’s clear Phillip and Haven are attracted to each other, but they don’t just jump straight in.

What is also very likable about this story is the fact that none of the conflicts in this book are obvious or take the obvious route. Yes there is a misunderstanding, but not an obvious one. Yes, both characters love each other, but it takes time to realize it.

Haven is a very likable and sweet character. He is a tough cowboy on the outside, but a sweet and insecure boy on the inside. In this story he slowly comes into his own when he realizes he is in fact gay (something his father is very against) and that it’s okay to be gay. It’s who he is and not something he can change. He is very caring of the people he loves.

Phillip is more world wise and has been around the block a time or two. While he knows what he wants, even if he doesn’t admit it out loud, he’s afraid to get it. It takes a friendly push in the right direction to realize it. It was both nice and interesting to see the role he takes on with Haven. He is both a mentor – slowly guiding Haven – and a lover – and boy do they make hot love!

The writing is good, solid and the author uses the right words to tell the story but not lay it all out there. There is no simple use of words, but the author uses words that fit the scene. It’s clear Andrew Grey knows what he writes about.

The story is set mostly on Haven and Dakota’s ranch. It fits the story, but at the same time I would have liked to see beyond that a bit. There is a good description of the land and when the boys go riding it almost feels as if you’re riding right there besides them without given a three page description. At the same time I would have liked the see the characters step beyond their comfort zone.

All in all this was a very enjoyable, hot and sweet story with tough cowboys and a slick city boy who is good with numbers! A Troubled Range can be read as a stand-alone and is most definitely a story I’d recommend!

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Read Janna’s review of A Shared Range (Range, #1) to find out more about Dakota’s love story. Philip also plays a role in that first book of the series.
And a review of book #3, An Unsettled Range will be posted coming Wednesday at RDB.
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