Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Saddle Up
SERIES: Clean Slate Ranch #3
AUTHOR: A.M. Arthur
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 336 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 17, 2018
BLURB:
Reyes Caldero keeps his past buried deep and his emotions buried deeper. But what he doesn’t say he always makes up for with his actions. When the hot chef he once saved from an abusive ex turns up at Clean Slate Ranch, the quiet cowboy is happy to act on their sizzling chemistry, even if he’s not ready to share his secrets—or his heart.
Miles Arlington needs to get the hell out of San Francisco, and heading north for a job near Clean Slate Ranch seems like just the thing. It doesn’t hurt that his secret crush slash onetime rescuer happens to work at the ranch. Miles has never been one for the outdoors, but the superhot Reyes has him ready to saddle up.
Reyes is happy to keep things casual, even though his heart has other ideas. And when Miles is forced to confront his past again, Reyes and Miles will have to put all their trust in each other if they want any chance at building a future together.
REVIEW:
Out of the three “Clean Slate Ranch” romances Arthur has written so far, this one is definitely my favorite. Not only does the main couple have sizzling chemistry, the plot kept me invested all the way through, which was the missing element in the first two books. This setting and these characters are really starting to fall into place.
At this point, the Bentley Ghost Town discovered in book one is finally open for business, and it is so much fun to read about. The details about hospitality, food service, and all the little things that go into running a huge entertainment destination always keep my interest. I’ve never read a setting quite like it before, and to have these characters navigate their own drama over the unique backdrop makes for a series that is hard to forget.
The dynamic between Miles and Reyes is significantly less kinky than the Mack/Wes and Avery/Colt relationships in the first two books, but they still bring the slow-burn heat as they take their time transitioning from friends to lovers. They’re definitely the most troubled pair in the series. Miles is still haunted by an abusive ex, and Reyes is still dealing with guilt from his past. They both care about each other too much to get the other man entangled in something dangerous, but of course, they just can’t stay away.
As Miles is stalked by his abusive ex-boyfriend, Dallas, I found myself really invested in the thriller-like plot as he fought for his safe space at Clean Slate Ranch and found his independence as the head chef at the Bentley Ghost Town. The stalking-ex plotline may edge into a cliché from time to time, but I still found it riveting, and I like how Reyes curbed his protective instincts and allowed Miles to find his own strength when needed. It can get a little hard to read, but as always in a Carina romance, everyone gets the ending they deserve.
I’ve noticed in many of Arthur’s romances, the romantic build-up is scorching, and then the passion fizzles out rather quickly. I don’t mean that the loves scenes are any less delicious, or that Miles and Reyes lose their chemistry—it’s just that the romance elements get a little repetitive and bland. While each man seemed like a fully-fleshed, original character in the first half, once they got together, there were more rote sweet nothings and repeated gestures than expected from an author of this caliber. They could’ve been any couple, even couples from the previous books. I wanted a little bit more originality to Miles and Reyes as an actual partnership.
The romance could’ve been developed just a little bit further, but this book really is a page-turner. It feels warm and familiar, even in a unique setting, and the characters are well-written and always engaging. These books just keep getting better.
RATING: 
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