Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  The Wrangler and the Orphan

SERIES:  Farthingdale Ranch Book 4

AUTHOR:  Jackie North

PUBLISHER:  Blue Rain Press

LENGTH:  340 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 26, 2021

BLURB:

“Some scars run soul-deep. Some scars only love can heal.”

Brody is the wrangler at Farthingdale Ranch. He knows a lot about horses, but not a whole lot about people.

He is so broken, he cannot imagine anyone would want to love him. Then along comes Kit, a young man in need of shelter, searching for a forever home.

In Kit, Brody sees the scared young man he used to be. In caring for Kit, Brody is in over his head.

But as Brody makes room in his heart for Kit, both their lives begin to change.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with hurt/comfort, rescue, age gap, fish out of water, opposites attract, midnight rendezvous. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

REVIEW:

“I wanted to write a story about how someone with such a horrible, miserable time growing up could find love and happiness.  You hold the result in your hands.”  – Jackie North

The “result” is The Wrangler and the Orphan, Jackie North’s fourth entry in the wonderful Farthingdale Ranch series. With it, she achieves her goal and then some. In Brody, Farthingdale Ranch’s horse wrangler/whisperer, and Kit, an abused and abandoned young man, Ms. North creates a romance that is as much about healing and family as it is about love.

I admit I had concerns early on in the story about a romantic relationship between Brody and Kit. Kit is nineteen and Brody is twenty-seven, and while that age gap isn’t huge in numbers, it is in maturity. Brody is an old soul who’s lived through horrors and trauma. He comes across as older than he is, and until the picture is reframed with Quint, the trail boss and Brody’s pseudo-father, Brody and Kit together felt a bit Daddy/boy-ish, sans kink. 

As the story progresses, though, that impression drops away quickly. The gap starts to close. You see Kit begin to come into himself, mainly because he experiences love and kindness. He starts to trust and believe he can have good things in his life. He feels safe, thanks to Brody.

Similarly, we see the cracks in Brody’s veneer. He may be the silent, brooding type, but that’s because he’s always believed being alone is the safest way to be. He’s only trusted Quint, who saved him from his abusive father twelve years ago and has treated him like a son, protected and loved him ever since. Through that lens, we see and remember that Brody is young too, and like Kit, he’s still coming into himself and learning to love and trust. Thanks to Quint, Brody and Kit can heal.                                                                                                                

“[I]t felt like Quint was gently folding his wing over them both, like a Mama plover protecting her nestlings. And beneath that, Brody was spreading his wing over Kit, just Kit, drawing him close.  Keeping a watchful eye.”

The Wrangler and the Orphan is about so much more than just two men. This is a story of three broken men who create three generations of family. We don’t know Quint’s story yet, but he alludes to some darkness and devastation in his past that we will undoubtedly discover in the next book, The Trail Boss and the Brat.  But Brody and Kit need Quint, and Quint provides, in his intuitive, protective, loving way.

Brody strives to emulate Quint. Likewise, Kit strives to emulate Brody.  Watching Brody stretch into Quint’s role for Kit, but in an altogether different way, is utterly captivating. 

Jackie North possesses an exceptional, unique ability to create gorgeous worlds around us where she brings to life breathtakingly beautiful love stories.  I say “love stories” rather than “romances” because, while she consistently crafts sweet, lovely romances within the covers of her books, she also tells poignant tales of heartbreak and tragedy that are healed by the love of found family.  

In The Wrangler and the Orphan, she does both through her usual carefully constructed stories and exquisite prose.  She spins out a love between Brody and Kit that is like silk. It may look delicate, but at its core, it’s strong and resilient. Their love is pure and true.  There’s no guile. No secrets.  Quint guides Brody, encouraging him to embrace his feelings and trust.  

“Never be ashamed to say how you feel. …  [F]ollow your heart.  And tell him.  Don’t let the moment pass you by. Don’t wait until sunset. Do it in the light of day.  No regrets.”

Here, Ms. North showcases her distinctive talent and prodigious skill at world-building supported by fantastic imagery and picturesque, vibrant descriptions. She thoroughly immerses you in the world of Farthingdale Ranch.  In my previous reviews of this series, I’ve referred to it as the land of big romantic gestures and small everyday moments, which certainly holds true here.  As far as grand gestures go, The Wrangler and the Orphan contains one of the most swoon-worthy romantic sequences I’ve read.  *happy sigh*

If you haven’t indulged in this series yet, I highly encourage you to do so. Start from the beginning with The Foreman and the Drifter and read them in order. They are all excellent, and while you can read each as a standalone, you’ll enjoy them even more if you have the context from the previous stories as you go.  

If you are in the mood for a decadent, emotion-packed, slow-burn, swoony story of love with some angst but solid HEA, the Farthingdale Ranch series delivers that in spades, and The Wrangler and the Orphan the best of all. 

🤠🐴🌳🌞💓

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon