Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Cash Hooper Saves a Life
SERIES: Goose Run #4
AUTHORS: Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 250 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2026
Cash Hooper has built himself a small, safe life in Goose Run. He has housemates he can trust, and his twin brother Chase is his ride or die. He has quiet routines that don’t ask too much of him—he works, and he reads, and he listens to podcasts. There aren’t many things that can make Cash talk to a stranger, but finding an injured animal is one of them.
Mason Ross is struggling. He’s come to Goose Run partly out of familial obligation, and partly for a break from working at a busy city veterinary practice that has him close to burnout. But when a cute guy brings an injured dog to his doorstep in the middle of the night, Mason finds himself drawn to him. The guy, not the dog. Though the dog is also cute.
As Cash and Mason spend time together caring for the stray, Mason finds that there’s more to his quiet midnight visitor than meets the eye, and Cash quickly becomes the sunny spot in his otherwise gray days. Mason can’t deny his attraction to Cash, but he’s also not going to make a move on a guy who flinches every time he’s touched.
Meanwhile, Cash isn’t sure what to do about the pull he’s feeling toward Mason. It’s new, it’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure—and Cash has a lifetime of trauma that warns against taking risks.
For there to be anything between them, they’re both going to have to take a leap of faith. Cash has to confront his past, and Mason has to decide his future. Because falling for someone is easy—believing that you deserve them is the hardest part.
Welcome to Goose Run, a small town full of quirky characters, big personalities, and unexpected romances. Just don’t ask about the goose.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fourth book in this series and as such has major spoilers for the previous books.
Cash Hooper doesn’t really talk – well not to anyone who isn’t his identical twin brother. He and Chase escaped their incredibly abusive childhood, ran away and ended up in Goose Run. They are now part of a found family of queer men who live together in Danny Hall’s Grandma Jane’s run down house. They are always broke and working hard – Danny at the gas station while going to school full time, Chase at the local bakery/coffeehouse, Wilder who is a roofer by day/exotic dancer by night, and Cash who is a janitor at the local senior living center where Grandma Jane lives. Cash and Chase have been through it, but Chase has always looked after Cash. Cash has terrible nightmares and Chase does his best to help Cash. But now Chase has a boyfriend and Cash is tired of being a burden.
One night on his way back from the Senior Center, he hears a dog crying. He finds it filthy, tied up ignored and bleeding. So he takes the dog to the local vet. Except it’s the regular vet’s nephew who is taking over while the older vet is on vacation. Mason Ross, DVM just knows this is not going to end well. And when Cash takes off before providing any information to Mason about the dog or payment, well Mason isn’t too happy. He’s already under a mountain of student debt and now he’s going to be stuck with this bill. Imagine when he goes to the coffee house the next morning and sees the guy who took off and he acts like he doesn’t recognize the vet he dumped the stray dog on. Except it turns out that the guy does have an identical twin brother 🙂
The guys show up at the vet’s office to pay the bill – but of course they can’t afford it. But Mason says Cash can work it off by helping him clean the vet office every day and help take care of the dog. Cash accepts and he’s really happy to have time with the dog he “rescued” until the actual jerks show up to collect the dog. Mason and Kayla, his vet tech, can tell these guys are bad news. So the bill suddenly has them remembering that maybe it isn’t their dog 😉 Cash is thrilled because he really wants to keep the dog. Even though he can’t afford a dog.
Things are going pretty well at the vet clinic except that Mason is overwhelmed. His tired, he’s depressed and his annoying parents treat him terribly. The bright spot is his relationship with Cash. Cash finally is coming out of his shell. He knows he has to ask for things and what he wants to ask for is Mason. They bond of orphaned kittens and the healing dog. And maybe they could be something? If only Mason wasn’t on a timeline. Not that he’s excited to get back to his stressful life in Cincinnati.
Finally things get to a breaking point for Mason and Cash is worried about him. He eventually calls in reinforcements in the person of a retired therapist who lives at the Senior Center. Cash is way more perceptive than he even gives himself credit for. And it turns out there is a solution that will perhaps make everyone happy.
I loved this story so much. I really wanted to see Cash get his own happy ending. His horrific childhood has definitely affected his ability to trust in anyone, but he’s been making strides. When he’s forced to interact with new people and especially Mason, he’s found someone who is willing to meet him where he’s at. Mason hasn’t actually had it easy either. His parents are no winners either, so when he’s ready to make the call about his future, it’s clear that the path in front of him should not include people who are not supportive and in fact denigrate him all the time. Uncle Jim, the Goose Run vet is the one support Mason has always had. It was great to see the rest of the guys and their partners here too. Everyone has grown so much since the first book! I just am such a fan of these authors and this series. The characters are quirky and funny despite dealing with serious subjects and experiences. These two really deserve to be happy. Highly recommended. Very uplifting despite the tense moments. Oh and of course Bobby Merritt and Lucille makes their requisite appearances too 😉
RATING: 
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