Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad

SERIES:  Farthingdale Ranch Book 3

AUTHOR:  Jackie North

PUBLISHER:  Blue Rain Press

LENGTH:  3948 KB

RELEASE DATE:  July 27, 2021

BLURB:

“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”

Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.

Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.

Austin doesn’t know where his life is headed, but at least he’s got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.

The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is he’s distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. There’s no way this can work.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

REVIEW:

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad is pure romantic indulgence.  Like eating Godiva chocolate with a glass of champagne in a bubble bath by candlelight.  The scenery is lush. The men are delectable.  The words are gorgeous. There’s a little bit of heartbreak and a whole lotta swoon.  Minimal steam.  Maximum anticipation.  A super slooooooow burn.

This story showcases many of the things I consider quintessential Jackie North.  In particular, the use of imagery and the detailed, vivid descriptions that support Ms. North’s painstaking world-building.  I’ve rarely encountered writing that evokes pictures in the mind’s eye the way hers does.  You can see the blue sky, the fluffy white clouds floating by, the wind-swept grasses, and feel the heat of the bright sunshine.  Ms. North puts you right there, creating a thoroughly immersive environment.  She’s brought to life for us Farthingdale Ranch, the land of big romantic gestures and small everyday moments.  Beautiful, impactful, and meaningful.  You can’t help but fall in love with the land, the people, and the feelings they evoke.

Ms. North aims for romance in this sweeping story and romance she achieves.  However, it comes at the expense of realism.  That isn’t a flaw, though, at least not in my view.  After all, isn’t “realistic romance” an oxymoron?  Sure, they overlap to some extent.  But in that romance/realism Venn diagram, it’s ultimately the author’s prerogative as to how much overlap to include.

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad displays Ms. North’s choice: emphasize romance.  Indeed, in keeping with a lot of swoony, delicious romances, aspects of the story are given a melodramatic fervor and some things are underplayed.  The relationship between Austin and his ex-wife Mona, the circumstances of the divorce and how Austin handles it, his submission of visitation rights to Mona’s unilateral determination, Mona’s complete indifference to her daughter and the transition of custody – all of these things lack plausibility to some extent. 

For example, Austin’s inexplicable passiveness when it comes to Mona is confusing, even frustrating.  But as you move further into the story, the “why” of Austin becomes clearer.  Indeed, Ms. North conveys that Austin is an abused man trying to recover and heal.  His thoughts and actions reflect the emotional and physical repercussions of being belittled and ridiculed for years by someone who vowed to love and support him.  However, in the choice to romanticize, realism is downplayed so all of this is implied.  As a result, it is also perhaps overlooked and missing that crucial point renders Austin difficult to understand and empathize with.  

Sure, it would have been interesting to more deeply explore the very difficult issues Austin faces.  Mona’s cheating and emotional abuse.  His mental health and his daughter’s welfare.  Reconciling the value in building wealth versus building character.  Materialism versus getting back to basics.  But Ms. North aims for romance in this story, not a realistic exploration of complex, real-world issues. 

In that vein, The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad needs to be understood for what it is and not read with an expectation of something different.  Personally, I was able to overlook the lack of realism and get swept up in the grand romance of it all.  Embracing the characters, especially Clay, and reveling in the various relationships between the Farthingdale Ranch couples, like Leyland and Jamie from Book 1, The Foreman and the Drifter, and Jasper and Ellis from Book 2, The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con. 

Additionally, pervasive, lovely feelings of the Farthingdale Ranch found family envelop you in a warm embrace.  Ms. North excels at delivering this.  In fact, it’s one of the best aspects of the series.  She then spins out the entirety of the story in her gorgeous prose.  So if you are willing to let go and let be, it’s easy to sink into the luxury of Austin and Clay’s romance and let it carry you away.

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

Amazon