Hi there! Well, the new year got a bit of a shove for me, because I’d been collecting books that I wanted to read on AllRomance E-books. Three days before the holiday I was notified that they were shutting their doors. Thus, I had three days to go in and download/backup all the titles I’d purchased over the past four years. O.O

I was unprepared.
I was also astounded by how many awesome titles I’d purchased…and never squeezed into my reading queue. See, I like to review books that have been recently released, as a rule. That means if I didn’t get to it within a month or two of release, well, it gets stacked into my ever-growing To Be Read pile. It’s a triumph of a fictional wasteland, and that’s saying a lot. I enjoy the books I read, but I nearly-always love the books I buy for myself.

So, expect Thursdays to (mostly) feature books that might be a tad bit older until I clear the deck, so-to-speak. First up is a return to the red dirt of Australia and my favorite tongue-tied cattle rancher in NR Walker’s RED DIRT HEART 3.

About the book:
Life for Charlie Sutton has never been better, or busier. With Travis now a permanent fixture of Sutton Station, a permanent fixture at Charlie’s side, Charlie’s convinced he couldn’t do anything on his ever-growing to-do list without him.

He can run a multimillion dollar cattle business, finish his degree, try and further the local beef industry, deal with staff issues, Ma’s failing health, and an attention-demanding wombat. He can even deal with an unexpected visitor and some shattering news.

He can deal with it all, as long as he has Travis.

But what happens when he doesn’t?

Red Dirt Heart 3 is the story of Charlie Sutton finally realising he can be the man Travis Craig deserves, even if he doesn’t have Travis. It’s a story of love, family, holding on, letting go and coming home.

My Review:
This is the third book in a series and best enjoyed when read in order. I’ve shared reviews of RED DIRT HEART and RED DIRT HEART 2 in the past.

Charlie Sutton is the newly out, 27 year old owner of one of the largest cattle ranches in Australia. He’s in complete and total love with Travis Craig, a Texas born and raised agronomy student who came to Sutton Station six months ago to complete an internship…and he never left. Charlie never imagined finding a man to love in their isolated part of the world, and now he can’t imagine living without Travis. Book one of the series was their initial love story. Book two featured Charlie’s coming out, and the struggle to keep Travis in Australia, despite immigration snafus. Book three is Charlie learning to love with an open heart, even if he loses Travis. Because it’s a bigger story. It’s about making a family of the people in your life, and building alliances and friendships that will stand the test of time and distance.

So, let’s talk about the book. Charlie and Travis are doing great. Really. Charlie’s become a surrogate mom to a baby wombat Travis rescued. It’s adorable reading Charlie’s gruff commentary about Nugget burrowing into his armpit and demanding to be fed by only him. Travis is tickled and jealous by turns. Charlie’s up for an election to the board of the Beef Farmers’ Association, and he’s preparing to demonstrate his new farming tools, including solar collars for herd tracking and management. He’s been using Travis’ expertise to reduce antibiotic need and reduce wear-and-tear on the land. It’s all very impressive to a new beef buyer who manages the purchase for a giant chain of restaurants–and both Travis and Charlie woo that line of profit. Professionally, things are going great for Charlie. And Travis.

Personally, they will be tested. Ma, the cook and compound chief–who helped raise Charlie after his own left mother when he was four–is ill. She’s been so gruff and obstinate about it that everyone is leery of calling in the doc. Being three hours from the nearest town, though, Charlie can’t take the agony of watching her wither. Learning she has cancer? Devastating. And that’s not the end of Charlie’s family problems. His missing mother even plays a role. And there’s even more drama surrounding her re-introduction.

But, no. That’s not even the biggest challenge. That comes in the form of Travis, and his family, and the absolute need for him to go back to Texas–Charlie is convinced forever. Forever has a different meaning for Travis, however. And man! I just love these guys to pieces. I held my breath and hoped to God and agonized through Charlie’s angst. I cheered and swelled with pride. I Googled “wombat” so I could picture Nugget better. I fell face-first into the red dirt and had my heart treated with all the care and consideration I’ve come to expect from Charlie and Travis. There’s struggle here, and there’s triumph over the challenges. And there’s unexpected joy and there’s a fantastic HEA that’s so very tender. Readers who follow this series won’t be let down in the slightest. It’s been out for more than two years and has 4.5 Stars average rating over 1650 ratings/reviews. I’m so glad I got back to these guys, and I can’t wait to finish the series.

Interested? You can find RED DIRT HEART 3 on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. The first book in the series, RED DIRT HEART, is only $.99 at Amazon. Talk about a steal.

About the author:
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal. She’s been writing ever since…

Find Ms. Walker online on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends! Also, tell me what books are languishing on your TBR. Maybe we can do a buddy read!