Lis’ Review: An Unsettled Range by Andrew Grey

Andrew Grey
An Unsettled Range (Range, #3)
Dreamspinner Press, January 9, 2012

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

Backblurb:
The last thing Liam Southard expects when he flees his abusive father is to be taken in by a couple of gay ranchers. Soon he has a new job and a new perspective on his sexuality, and his life starts to turn around. Then someone pulls a gun on him.
In Troy Gardener’s defense, the gun thing was a mistake. Between his marriage falling apart and living in his uncle's isolated hunting cabin, he's been a little edgy. He wants to make it up to Liam, and once he discovers how much they have in common, he wants even more. But with Liam's father popping in unexpectedly and a mining company threatening the ranch’s water supply, the only guarantee is that life is never going to be boring.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Cowboys, Farm, Coming to Terms with One’s Sexuality, Mining, Parental Abuse

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3
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Reviewed by Lis:

You all know how I can’t refuse a book with hawt cowboys in it, and An Unsettled Range, the third in Andrew Grey’s Range series, was no exception. Characters from the previous books also feature in this story and that is a definite bonus.

This third instalment features Liam and Troy, both from very different worlds. They meet up at the Range. Liam after having been found by Wally and Dakota, half dead along the road and out of work and no place to go. Troy after his marriage falls apart because he can no longer deny he’s gay and needs some time for himself to come to terms with everything that has happened.



The story settles around the mining company coming into town and the consequences, Liam’s recovery and a mystery from his past.

All in all this is a very enjoyable, yummy, hot story with some sexy cowboys, cute kitties and an annoying father. I loved seeing Wally again. So far he’s my favorite character.

The story is well written and well developed. There are some underlying themes going on. One concerns the consequences of hiding your own sexuality. The author does not shy away from the issue and it makes you want to bash Troy’s head in at first and then hug him tight. When reading the story I liked how the author dealt with this theme.

The characters are definitely their own persons, despite the love at first hold up. Liam is a sweet, strong character who doesn’t give up without a fight. He’s slightly naive and has a bad case of hero worship concerning Wally, but I like how he adapts to his new surroundings and grows into a strong, smart man.

As said, Troy is a harder character to like, especially after you learn what he’s done. While not deliberate (depending on how you look at it) he was firmly rooted at the utmost back corner of the closet until forced out. Once out, he stands up to what he believes and tries to do the right thing, which is admirable.

So to conclude this, I can say that An Unsettled Range is a recommendable read. It can be read as a standalone though I would recommend that you read the previous books first.

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Read Janna’s review of A Shared Range (Range, #1) here.
Read Lis’ review of A Troubled Range (book, #2) here.
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