Reviewed by Carissa

TITLE:  Lone Star

AUTHOR:  Josh Lanyon

PUBLISHER:  Carina Press

LENGTH:  84 pages

BLURB:  

Growing up in rural Texas, Mitchell Evans’ ambition to be a dancer made him a target. Though he found success in New York City, Mitch is at a crossroads, and heads home for the first time in twelve years to figure things out. When what appears to be a reindeer jumps out in front of his car, he drives off the road and into the path of the one man he hoped to avoid.

The last person Texas Ranger Web Eisley expects to see four days before Christmas is his first love. He hasn’t seen Mitch since they quarreled over coming out to their friends and family years ago. Though he’s not in the closet now, Web has worked hard for the respect of his fellow officers, but he still regrets the loss of Mitch in his life. And his bed.

The attraction between them is as strong as ever, and it doesn’t take long for the men to pick up where they left off. But is love enough to keep Mitch in town in the New Year?

REVIEW:  

Mitchell Evans never wanted to go home to Llana, Texas. His parting words from his father, the relationship-ending fight with his first lover, and a whole host of dreams of making it big as a dancer in New York meant that Texas was supposed to stay exactly where it was: in his review mirror. Then after ten years and many ups and downs–not to mention finding his boyfriend with his cock down someone else’s throat–Mitchell finds himself driving down a dark stretch of highway, back to the one place he swore to never step foot in again. When a accident with a deer–and it must have been just a deer, because reindeer, in Texas?–lands him right back into the arms and family of the boy, now man, he left behind, Mitchell is hard pressed to remember why exactly he spent so much time running from this place he once called home.

OK, I might have, on reflection, fudged it a bit for this month’s theme week since I am not entirely sure that Texas Rangers a even wear uniforms. Oh, well. I doubt they will punish me too severely.

But even if the requirements were not exactly met, this is a good book to read. It is Josh Lanyon, after all. And he is always worth it. Even the books of his that are not my favorites are usually on my reread pile. I know I’ve read this one at least four times.

It is a little out of season, what with this being a Christmas short story and it is now the middle of May, but really the holiday itself is not the  main focus so it wasn’t too weird (even with the north-pole based stalker of deer-ly proportions). There is a lot here about family and coming home and finding your place in life even after you were sure that you had already found it. It’s rather nice, especially after the doom and gloom I have been reading for the last couple of weeks.

My only issue really is how the whole ‘Marshall Crises’ seems to come out of no where, but maybe Mitchell really did need something to force his hand.

Overall a very good short story and one to enjoy no matter what season you are currently occupying.

RATING:

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