Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: The Tin Star

SERIES: Ranch #1

AUTHOR: J.L. Langley

PUBLISHER: Loose Id

LENGTH: 300 Pages

BLURB:

When James Killian comes out to his father, he finds himself banished from his home and fired from his job. His savior comes in the unlikely form of Ethan Whitehall, his older brother’s best friend. Ethan has always had a soft spot where Jamie Killian was concerned, and he will do whatever it takes to keep his new lover safe.

REVIEW:

The Tin Star is one of the first books I read after discovering this wonderful world of m/m romance. I originally read it on the recommendation of another author and have re-read it many, many times since.

Twenty one year old Jamie Killian finally worked up the courage to face his intolerant father and tell him that he’s gay. He was expecting anger and yelling, but he never expected to be thrown off the ranch with only the clothes on his back. Driving about somewhat aimlessly, a phone call from his brother’s best friend, Ethan, seems like the answer to his prayers. Ethan offers Jamie a job as a ranch hand, at least until he sorts things out with his family.

When Ethan hears that Jamie has been cast from his family’s ranch he does what he knows is right offers him a place to stay. Ethan has been friends with John, Jamie’s older brother since before Jamie was even born. Jamie was the cute little brother who would follow Ethan and John everywhere they went, and when he offers him a job it’s as a favor to both John and Jamie.

And when two sexy gay cowboys find themselves living under the same roof what else can they do but fall madly in love, right!?

I adore this story, a hell of a lot of people do, but I’ll be honest, there are also a whole lot of other readers who aren’t so keen. And that’s a kind way of saying it. To say that the plot and characters are a little clichéd is probably understating the matter. Jamie is the cute, young, rather naïve son of a rancher who has always wanted his daddy to love him. Ethan is the older, closeted ranch owner who takes in the younger MC when he finds himself homeless. Sound familiar? Then there are the villains. The homophobic, bordering on insane father who thinks he’s above the law. The homophobic, moronic ranch hands who are never able to win a fight, plus the homophobic shop assistant who refuses to serve the gay customers. Throw in parental figure aunt who “always knew those boys were gay” and you pretty much have the complete set of must-have-small-town-gay-cowboy-story collectables. The only thing missing was the bigoted sheriff but since the sheriff here was gay and has his own story, I guess the author went with option B on that one. But you know what? Sometimes I just love a cliché and this one obviously works for me.

For all the bigotry and threats of violence there’s no angst to this story. Ethan and Jamie get together early in the book and from that point on their relationship only strengthens, while the plot’s drama comes from outside sources. The speed with which the two men get together wasn’t unbelievable considering Jamie has always had a crush on Ethan, and Ethan acknowledges that he always found Jamie attractive, though both believed the other was straight. The fact that there is over ten years between their ages never becomes an issue nor does the fact that Ethan is sleeping with his best friend’s younger brother.

The ending is just perfectly adorable and tilts this book even further into sweetness territory. If you’re in the mood for a book that reads a bit like a cowboy fairytale but with some pretty hot sexy-times thrown in, then I recommend you check out The Tin Star.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Loose Id

ARe