Reviewed by Lesley

TITLE:  Dancing For Daddy

SERIES:  Coleman Ranch 4

AUTHOR: A.W. Scott

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 178 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2023

BLURB:

“Are you a Daddy too?”

Harlan gave up on having a happy ending the moment an officer slapped handcuffs on his wrist and shipped him to the county prison. Served with a five-year sentence, he accepted his fate knowing there was no one who would miss him. At least not until a handsome veterinarian comes in with therapy animals meant to help the inmates get one step closer t parole.

When Harlan was granted early release sooner than expected, he took off to find his new future without looking back. He planted himself on the Coleman Ranch and tried hard to forget the man he’d been falling in love with – the man he left behind.

Griffin was ecstatic about the opportunity to help inmates through his new farm animal therapy program. He never imagined meeting a man like Harlan, someone so obviously out of place behind those cold metal bars. One kiss, one late night dance, and he’s lost. His heart belonged to the cautious, grumpy man.

But when Harlan disappeared in the wind, Griffin gets left behind wondering how he misjudged the situation. Instead of wallowing, he dove into a self-reflective journey where he realized there was a part of him longing for something else – for a chance to be little.

Years later, life brings them back together, challenging them to face the truth – that they still want one another. Can Harlan accept the new version of Griffin, one in which he wants a Daddy to care for him? Or will Griffin be left behind again with a broken heart?

Dancing for Daddy is the fourth of the Coleman Ranch series. This full-length novel features a grumpy, new-to-the-lifestyle Daddy, a brokenhearted, but optimistic boy, a ranch full of found family, a peek at a forbidden past, and on-page steam between our two leading men. There will be crossover from the previous books in series. Recommended for readers 18+. Full CW at the beginning of the book.

REVIEW:
I enjoyed this book. It felt very different to a lot of the other books I have been reading lately.

Harlan is in prison for protecting his sister (which is really downplayed in the book). He knows he has anger issues with humans but is a well behaved enough prisoner to have also earned the privilege of being allowed to cook by himself for the other prisoners (pertinent to one of the main threads of the story). When a new animal therapy programme is started, he is selected to participate in it to help with his issues.

Griffin is a vet with a grand therapy scheme. He wants to set up animal therapy sessions at all the prisons. It is here that he meets an inmate that he cannot forget. After a few months, one dance and one kiss it seems like they will never get to see each other again when Harlen gets a surprise early release in between Griffin’s visits.

Life/ fate call it what you want does not work like that in a good story though. When Harlan is released, the warden has arranged for him to go and work on Coleman Ranch. A few years later Giffin goes home to take over his grandfather’s veterinary practice which is in the same town as the Coleman Ranch and he runs into Harlen.

Of course, things are never that smooth and Harlen is scared that if people find out that he knows Griffin already they will want to know how and why and he doesn’t know how they will react to his past…

One of the things that I liked about this book is the relationship build up. You get to find out about the characters backgrounds and their reasons for acting the way they do.

I also liked the fact that the book is not solely focused on Harlen and Griffin. We also get to see the characters we have met before and see how their lives are progressing or maybe disintegrating in Gerald’s case.

Oh and I can’t forget Juliet’s part in this whole book 😉

Looking forward to Corey’s book next year.

RATING:

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