Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Home for a Cowboy
AUTHOR: Amy Aislin
NARRATOR: Aaron Hokanson
SERIES: Windsor, Wyoming
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 6 hours and 35 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 26, 2023
BLURB:
Las doesn’t date seasonal workers. Marco’s on a three-month contract.
Lassiter Windsor-March has been planning for his future for as long as he can remember and he knows exactly where that future lies: at his family’s ranch in Wyoming. What doesn’t lie in his future is a summer fling with one of the seasonal workers—they never stick around.
Even if one of those workers is the college crush he’s invited to work a summer job at the ranch.
Marco Terlizzese is as laissez-faire as Las isn’t. He might not know where he’ll be once his contract with Windsor Ranch is up, but he knows three months is plenty of time to get his long-time crush to agree to go out with him.
Amid a starry summer sky, their chemistry ignites as feelings deepen, forcing Las and Marco to decide where they truly belong.
REVIEW:
Marco is a college hockey player who has just graduated. Las has also just graduated from the same college. They’ve been acquaintances/friends for a while. At the end of the school year, Marco asks Las out. But Las says he doesn’t really date, but instead offers Marco a summer job at his family’s ranch. Marco has been offered a potential trying with a professional hockey team, but he’s got nothing else lined up, so he takes him up on it. Also, he really would like to get Las to go on a date with him.
When Marco shows up in Wyoming, Las personally shows him around. His sister figures out right away that there is something more than friendship there between them, but Las just denies it. But after a week or so, he doesn’t really want to stay away from Marco and so they start hanging out more. Las shows Marco the ins and outs of the ranch and also some of his favorite spots on the property. He eventually spills about what happened with his ex and how hurt he was since he had their future all planned out. Marco sees more clearly why Las is afraid and why he’s been reluctant to pursue anything with anyone who won’t stick around.
As they grow closer, Las realizes that there is more than meets the eye with Marco and what he’d assumed about Marco’s future plans might not have been accurate. For his part, Marco is discovering exactly why Las is so determined to stay in Wyoming and continue to improve the ranch and the environment there. Marco is enthralled by what he’s found in Wyoming – the beauty and the peace are incredible and he feels like he can breathe. But he’s got to see where this hockey thing might take him and he really is undecided about his next steps and how to handle the pressure from his family as well. Both men want what’s best for the other, but they aren’t sure exactly what that means for them. A summer fling? Long-distance? One or both of them adjusting their dreams? Only time and their ability to find a common path will tell 😉
So when I read this book a few years ago when it was originally published, I really loved this story 🙂 One of the great things about this book is the evocation of place. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, but the beautifully descriptive passages about the natural beauty of the land (it really is spectacular) – as well as the town and the ranch were just perfect. Las starts this story pretty guarded – he’s been heartbroken in the past and he’s not ready to risk his heart again. Especially for something that might not last. He and Marco are so different and he just can’t see how it could work. But Marco is not what he seems on the surface. He’s looking for something that he hasn’t found at home in Philly or in college or even on the hockey rink – at least not for his next step. His disappointment that Las couldn’t seem to get past his fear of being hurt and/or left behind is a little bit heartbreaking. He’s so sweet how he treats Las – like a skittish colt – and has to work on him for quite a while to get him to see the light. It’s just a lovely fairly low angst story of two guys trying to figure out life and how they move into the future. I loved all the secondary characters too – friends, family, co-workers, etc.
Aaron Hokanson is a new narrator to me. I can hear the Canadian in his accent 😉 but his performance of these characters wasn’t at all distracting for that. As the author is Canadian, I think it fits. He did a really good job with all of the characters here – both male and female – and I really enjoyed his voice choices. He did a great job with the emotional tone of the book. There are some highs and loads, FINALLY come smexy times and some real heart to heart tender moments that thoroughly engaged me in the story. Highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy a sweet story of two deserving men falling in love and finding their place in the world. Together.
Also I still can’t wait for the next book – hopefully Austin’s story 😉
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