Hi there! I’m excited to share a review for a new contemporary cowboy M/M romance from Hurri Cosmo. THEN SAWYER HAPPENED is a sweet love story, and a dangerous mystery wrapped together.
Catch my review, the excerpt and enter to win in the $50 worth of AllRomance giftcards giveaway below.
About the book:
Trace is nursing a broken heart. He lost his job, his boyfriend of two years was cheating on him, and his apartment building burned right to the ground with all his worldly possessions. It was time for Trace to get out of Minnesota.
So Trace heads for Texas and Riven Creek Ranch, the horse farm his Aunt Lois owns. But hours before he arrives, Lois is in a terrible car accident that nearly takes her life, and Trace finds himself in charge of the ranch kitchen. Sounds simple enough and it’s the least he can do for his recuperating aunt.
Then Sawyer happens.
Sawyer is his aunt’s big, beautiful, muscle bound, incredibly sexy straight ranch manager. Someone who has no clue Trace is gay. And meeting the big man should have been okay, except it was in the middle of his aunt’s kitchen at five in the morning and Trace was nearly naked. Embarrassing? Yep. But the very next day Trace proceeded to ramp up his embarrassment by quantum leaps when he nearly sets his aunt’s house on fire and the brooding Sawyer has to come to the rescue.
Seems like Trace’s “luck” followed him. Not to mention that Aunt Lois’s “accident” was actually attempted murder. And now, they just might want Trace dead, too.
Can Trace figure out who’s behind the attempts on his aunt’s life AND keep Sawyer from finding out he’s hot for the cowboy?
He probably can’t. But he’s going to try.
How about a little taste?
“Sawyer! Damn. You scared me.” Trace fell back against the freezer suddenly feeling light headed. He took in the big body blocking any escape he had and his cock twitched as if it liked the idea there was no way out. “I didn’t hear you… behind me.”
“I saw your car in the driveway. How’s Lois?”
Trace shook his head in an attempt to clear it. “She’s awake and very alert… but…” But someone wants her dead. Who? Someone on this ranch? Could it be Sawyer? I trust him with my life… That’s what she said.
“But what?”
Trace looked up into hard cold eyes. The question was genuine. He cared about the condition of his aunt. But what condition did he care her to be in? “Nothing… just… well… I guess you’re going to have to know… I mean…” Damn, he had to stop acting like a horny teenager in front of this man. “Let me… I’m going to make coffee…”
“It’s made. The big insulated urn on the counter is full. Just made it about a half hour ago so it’s fine.”
“Oh. Good. Let’s sit down. I need to sit down.” Trace took a few steps forward which brought him right in front of the cowboy. He expected Sawyer to move, to back up, but he didn’t. Then Trace did the unthinkable. His body reacted on its own as he put his hand on the big man’s chest and pushed. There would have been no way on God’s green earth he would have been able to physically move the cowboy without his express permission, not to mention help. But Trace’s brain seemed to totally malfunction in this man’s presence.
And, as expected, being pushed in any direction was never going to work for Sawyer. Sawyer grabbed his wrist, twisted it tight behind Trace, which brought Trace up solid, against Sawyer’s hard body, chest to chest. Being several inches taller, Sawyer glared down into Trace’s shocked face, a smoldering look in his eyes. Trace could feel Sawyer’s hot breath on his face, sense the man’s tense muscles from his pecs down through his thighs…
My Review:
Trace is a 20-something college graduate who’s having a run of really, really bad luck. Laid off, newly-single, and suddenly homeless, he returns to his aunt’s Texas ranch for the first time since his mother died several years ago. His aunt, Lois, is critically injured in a car wreck just before he arrives, however. She charges Trace with taking care of her ranch hands’ meals and managing the bills–while she recuperates. Her foreman, Sawyer, will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the ranch.
Trace is dumbstruck when he meets big, burly, beautiful Sawyer. His imagination often goes wild, but he knows better than to out himself on an isolated Texas ranch. Sawyer is a kind man, which only makes Trace more swoony. In the meantime, Trace has some hilarious escapades, messing up meals, getting bucked off his horse, needing general rescue which always seems to come in the form of Sawyer.
As the story winds on, we learn that Lois had been being pressured to sell her ranch to a neighbor, and her car wreck was clearly no accident. Goons try to physically intimidate Trace into convincing Lois to sell. Expect some homophobia and hair-raising moments as Trace endures beatings and serious physical threats. Also, expect Sawyer to make it clear that his intentions regarding Trace are thoroughly dishonorable…and a little kinky.
I liked the story, though I felt the pace was a little slow and the dialogue was a little juvenile in parts. Trace is a really neurotic guy, and his headspace is cluttered with needless doubt and questionable choices. I wanted to reach into the book and shake him every time he lied about his intentions, and his feelings, and his abuse. I loved Sawyer, and I really liked Trace a lot. He’s such a compassionate guy. I had some questions regarding Aunt Lois’ recovery–because it was written as if she was 80 years old, but that didn’t make any sense. Even if she was twenty years older than Trace’s mother, she’d still only be in her late 60s. She could have easily been rehabilitated enough to return home–to my experience. *shrugs*
If you’re looking for a mostly-breezy gay cowboy romance, this one will wet your whistle.
Interested? You can find THEN SAWYER HAPPENED on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, AllRomance and Smashwords.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!
About the Author:
Hurri Cosmo lives in Minnesota where she holds tight to the idea that there, where it’s cold a good part of the year, she won’t age as fast. Yep, she avoids the truth as much as she avoids mirrors. But one of the reasons she loves writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure. Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, she doesn’t mind “real life” and she does try to at least keep it in mind when she writes her stories, but she truly loves creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every – single – time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason she loves reading this genre, too. Give her a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and her computer, whether she is reading or writing, and she will entertain herself for hours. The fact she actually gets paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.
Catch up to Hurri online on her website, blog, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
About the book:
About the book:
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