Reviewed by Ro
TITLE: Home Heart Hooves
SERIES: Beaker Brothers Ranch Book 1
AUTHOR: Becca Jackson
PUBLISHER: Silver Crown Books
LENGTH: 338 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2025
BLURB:
REVIEW:
Beaker Brothers Ranch is 100% a place I would love to visit. I would cow cuddle, visit the minis, play with the goats, everything, all the time. Dean Beaker runs the ranch with his brother, Niall, and some amazing people. It’s been in the family for generations. They are always working to make it better and they treat their animals so well. All the ranch members are awesome, but Connor and Skye really grabbed my heart.
The only issue is the local vet, Preston. Preston lived here when his dad was the vet and Dean had a crush on young Preston. It never went anywhere because Preston left town. But now he’s back and he’s taken over the vet practice after his dad’s passing.Preston is also vegetarian, so bonus points from me.
Preston had a serious girlfriend, Isabelle, when he lived in town before but they broke up when he left. Preston is great, maybe too great. Because Dean has a huge crush still and when he is around Preston, “…I struggle to actually listen to his words and end up just nodding agreement to everything he says or speaking in gibberish. Totally hot, right?” It’s not hot but it is amusing. What ends up happening is every time Preston finds a misfit, hurt, or special needs animal, off he goes to Beakers and Dean always accepts. Like Gordon the donkey, who was raised among the cows and believes he is a cow. He has a special harness so he can pretend to be milked like the cows. When there’s a new tagging system, Gordon has to be tagged. “It was easier for me to get Preston to tag him than to deal with his tantrum.” Seriously, I loved him.
There’s a big side issue (I don’t want to spoil) with Preston that makes him turn very cold about Dean, even after they’ve kissed. I lost some of the good feelings I had about him because I really felt it was unfair to Dean and at one point, I just thought – Dean, quit being a doormat! A little ghosting, one word responses, avoiding Dean while being at the ranch, where SO MANY of the animals Preston has put there are housed. It just left a sour taste for me.
Something that was driving me nuts, as a teacher, was the misspellings. Skye’s name was spelling “Sky” repeatedly, even on a page where it was spelled correctly two sentences later. Llama, the animal, was repeatedly spelling lama. “Sharers” for “shavers”, etc.
There’s a plot line that requires Preston and Dean to get closer and that was helpful for seeing how they related together. And again, the side characters rule. Niall, who brings out the “Bestest brother of the gays” t-shirt just seriously made me smile. And Connor, who for his whole life has wanted a pygmy goat to add to the collection and is thrilled when Preston finds a misfit who needs a home. Only to find out. “Little fucker won’t let anyone else hold him. I’ve wanted a mini goat for as long as I can remember and the thing can’t stand me.” Poor Connor! BTW, the goat’s name is Cuddles and I wanted to hold him too.
This story had some great character moments but seriously the setting is outstanding. Beaker Ranch is just the place you want to be, and it’s people are the ones you want to meet.
RATING: 
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