Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Relative Best
SERIES: Foothills Pride Stories #5
AUTHOR: Pat Henshaw
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 87 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2016
BLURB:
Sometimes love sneaks up when you’re least looking for it….
Zeke Bandy, owner of Bandy’s Finest Hotel in Old Town Stone Acres, California, is too busy for love. Not only does he oversee the operations of the historic hotel and uphold his family’s tradition of offering refuge to strays and runaways, Zeke also sings and plays down-home music two nights a week at the Stonewall Saloon and for occasional celebrations. Then Zeke meets Victor Longbow, the man of his dreams.
Vic isn’t looking for love either. In fact, because of his upbringing in a strict, white foster family, Vic’s not sure he believes in love. He’s in Stone Acres to open a branch office of a national brokerage firm. He’s also hoping to find a vintage photo of what might be his Native American ancestor.
After their paths cross, they become friends, then more. Connected by their experiences as orphans raised by flawed fathers, Zeke and Vic realize that some men must find love, hone it, and create families for themselves.
REVIEW:
I really enjoy this author’s stories. I’ve really come to like the town of Stone Acres, California and its inhabitants while reading this series, and it feels like a real place that I could go and visit. Now I’ve got a place to stay. Bandy’s Finest Hotel sounds like the ideal vacation location to me!
Relative Best In the fifth installment in the Foothills Pride Stories, and it was a good one. In this installment we focus on Zeke Bandy who owns the hotel, but also performs at the Stonewall Saloon, which we’ve come to know through the other installments. Zeke is performing there one night when he meets Victor Longbow, a drop dead gorgeous Native American man.
Victor (Vic) is instantly attracted to Zeke, the handsome red haired man who is singing at the bar when Vic and his adopted brother are in town for a friend’s wedding. One thing leads to another, there is some family drama in Vic’s family, but the odd ball staff and residents of Bandy’s Finest Hotel step up and things are handled. I can’t say much else without doing spoilers, so I’m not telling you any other details!
I liked the interplay between these two characters, but honestly, I felt a little let down by this one. There were so many more details that could have gone into this story. I loved what we got, but I definitely wanted more details, more background, more character development, and just more of everything. An example would be Zeke’s medical issues. I don’t remember reading about him elsewhere in the series (I could be wrong) and I was confused over what he had had done for a procedure, what the prognosis was, etc.
I liked the story, and I’m definitely recommending it. I’d recommend reading the other four installments as well. They could easily be read as standalones since the characters flow over, but the storylines don’t. It is an enjoyable short, fast read.
RATING: 
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