Reviewed by Stephen K
TITLE: Finding Ripley
SERIES: (The Men of River Gorge #1)
AUTHOR: Jacki James
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 164 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 23rd 2019
BLURB:
A cowboy Daddy and a big city boy.
Ripley Ellis never intended to return to Bluebird Ranch. The day his father kicked him out for being gay was the day he shook the dust off his cowboy boots and moved to the city. But thanks to his homophobic father, the only way he can claim his inheritance is to return. He has to stay for one year, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it.
The life of a rancher isn’t an easy one. Reed Warner knows that. He also knows that there is no other life for him. It’s all he’s ever wanted. Now that he’s retired from the rodeo, he’s ready to make his dreams come true. There’s only one problem—Ripley. The sassy city boy just inherited the ranch Reed is planning to buy.
If they can put aside their differences and work together, they may both find exactly what they’re looking for.
REVIEW:
Randall Ellis Jr. was raised on his mother’s family ranch by his caring mother and a distant all business father. When the mom passed away and “Randy” got caught in a compromising act with a neighbor boy, he was kicked out by his dad.
Randall Ellis Jr. left the ranch for the big city and took with him the money his mom left him along with the deed to half the ranch. He also took her maiden name as his new first name and Ripley Ellis, city boy, is doing just fine. He’s got his friends, his Maltipoo puppy, his you-tube followers, and a fresh new manicure… even if there’s no “significant other” yet. But the old homophobe dies and leaves a will deeding the rest of the ranch to the boy if he agrees to live there for a year. Otherwise it will be “donated” to a right wing homophobic church.
Of course, the town like the rest of the country, has changed and the small town that Randall Jr. left is not the town Ripley returns to. Several of Ripley’s school chums have come out. The new coffee shop in town has a rainbow flag in the window. The ranch has several gay ranch hands, and a gay foreman who are happy to be out of the closet now that the old curmudgeon is gone.
On it’s own this is a fun, fast, low-angst read of coming home, and finding a few “friends of Dorothy” in the old hometown. Of course, it does make one want to read the other books in the series just to spend time with these guys. I enjoyed it… Even if I am now gonna have to search You-tube for “goats in pajamas”
RATING: 
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