Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Spurs
SERIES: Cherry County Cowboys #1
AUTHOR: Jules Dixon
PUBLISHER: Evernight Publishing
LENGTH: 274 Pages
BLURB:
Dr. Grayson Taylor is convinced that a summer fling with the bartending cowboy is a quick remedy to mend his broken heart. Soon his plans to return to big city lights for a dream career don’t seem as attractive as the cowboy with dimples lying in his bed. When Grayson’s charred past reappears, can he learn that forgiveness costs less than pride and admit he is the one who needs to be healed?
Cowboy Izaac Scott drove into town with little more than boots on his feet, a well-loved baseball cap on his head and a cross-country journey on his mind, but he’s not sightseeing. He’s running from the ghost of a first love. Will the doctor be the one to help Izaac realize that true love can heal the past or will the cruel spurs of life jab him in the heart again?
REVIEW:
This was the first book I’ve read from this author, and I was pleasantly surprised. I’m never sure when I pick up something from a “new to me” author, how it will work out. I think that it is the author’s first full length book foray into the m/m genre, but I may be wrong.
We meet Grayson Taylor when he has just found his monogamous partner putting it to a barely legal summer intern on their kitchen table, just days before Grayson’s graduation with his Doctorate degree. Grayson is crushed, particularly since the partner didn’t stop until he “finished” and particularly since the partner was barebacking the kid!
Grayson has now run home to his family in a small town called Valentine, Nebraska. His family owns a successful farm there and it seems he is related to half the town, but it also seems like there is a lot of Grayson’s backstory that we don’t know yet.
Izaac Scott has also just arrived in Valentine, where he has been hired as a farm hand at the Taylor farm. He is also running away. In his case from a tragedy that happened five years previously that has kept him from being able to stay in one place for more than a few weeks since.
Both men have some serious issues, and are pretty broken…can they fix each other? Do they even want to try?
Add in quite a bit of family drama with siblings, cousins, parents, and well-meaning town folk, and you have an entertaining read. There is a reason behind Grayson’s reticence which ties all the way back to his childhood. The reason for Izaac’s reticence isn’t as far back, but is just as big a deal as Grayson’s issues.
I really enjoyed the interplay between these two men, as well as their interaction with the many well fleshed out background characters. I think the book was well written, and the characters were all well developed. I really enjoyed that the background characters had lives of their own, which the reader becomes pulled into as well. They are well enough written that I can see several stories following along in this series. I’m interested to see who gets their story told next and I’ll be looking forward to their book.
One note on the town of Valentine. I’m not sure such an accepting town actually exists anywhere. Valentine kind of reminded me of the town of Big Eden in my most favorite gay comfort movie of all time, Big Eden. Everyone in both towns are so accepting of everyone. I wish the world really was that kind of place.
In conclusion, I’m going say I really liked this book, and recommend it. Give it a try, I don’t think you’ll regret it!
RATING: 
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