Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Two of a Kind
SERIES: Dreamspun Desires #65
AUTHOR: B.A. Tortuga
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 224 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2018
BLURB:
Working on a full house.
Once upon a time, Trey Williamson and Ap McIntosh had quite the whirlwind romance—but that was before family tragedy left them the guardians of five kids. Their lives have changed quite a bit over the last six years, but Ap is still on the rodeo circuit, doing what he does best in an attempt to feed all those extra mouths.
That leaves Trey back on the ranch, isolated and overworked as the kids’ sole caregiver. Something has to give, and when Ap comes home, they’re reminded how hot they burned once upon a time. But is it a love that can withstand wrangling over time, money, and the future? They have to decide what kind of family they want to be… and whether what they share can stand the test of time.
REVIEW:
I can’t even imagine a worst scenario than a mom and dad (of five small children from ten years to six months old) alone in a vehicle with both of their sets of parents when a drunk driver hits and kills them all. Now add in two young gay cowboy men that were the brothers to the two parents being left to pick it all up and try to figure out how to make it work. With barely any time to breathe, let alone grieve the loss of their entire adult family, one uncle (Trey) stays behind to pick up the pieces and learn how to be a live-in dad/mom/caregiver while the other, an up and coming rodeo star (Ap), who literally lives on beans and rice and only gets to come visit on Thanksgiving and Christmas, sends every spare penny home he earns to keep them all a float. This goes on for six long years until Uncle Daddy Trey is ready to break. When Ap realizes the dire situation he skips the next rodeo – the stampede, he’s already scored enough to qualify and compete in the finals, and heads home to give his brother-in-law (and, in the past, sometimes friend-with-benefits) a much needed and hard earned break. After Trey gets away to the local casino/hotel, not far from the ranch, he realizes it isn’t going away that he needs but just a helping hand and adult companionship. He has literally worked himself into being a 28-year old old man. With sick kids, a menagerie of animals, and a lingering desire to be alone together again, how do these cowboys find a way to make things work for them?
There is absolutely no way that Trey won’t win your heart over immediately. He gave up his goal of going to college the second the accident happened to take over the raising of his sister’s five kids. And he is doing a wonderful job. The kids are well loved, fed, clean, dressed, active in anything that they desire, and grounded by a work ethic shone to them first hand by their Uncle Daddy. I doubt that he had ever even taken care of kids before let alone learning to diaper, cook and budget for a family of six. And Ap, even though it looked like he got the better end of the deal, getting to chase his dream, rode hard to support the every need of his nieces and nephews. But what both men gave up the most was the chance to live out their dreams without the burden of a ready made family with no one left to guide the way. I think the thing that got to me the most was that Trey was willing to put every cent away he could to guarantee that his nieces and nephews got the opportunities that he lost out on. These men had the hearts of gold and so much love for their family. They would give up any and everything to make sure that those kids got the childhood that they should have had with their parents and grandparents.
This poignant, heart touching book was simply wonderful. It’s a story of how much love prevails over adversity. It’s the story of two special men who give their hearts and soul to make sure their family is good. I can’t recommend this heartwarming book enough. A must-read in my opinion!
RATING:
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