Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Rusty Hunter and Jack Malone have been pen pals for years; seventeen years to be exact. There isn’t much that happens in each other’s lives that the other doesn’t know about. The first person Rusty came out of the closet to was Jack and vice versa.

When Rusty’s letters stop, Jack feels alone and rejected. When he drops everything to visit the Charro Ranch to check on Rusty, he gets more than he bargains for. Rusty’s reason for stopping writing is nothing but chivalrous, but what if Jack doesn’t want to be protected?

Rusty Hunter knows that even though he’s been friends with Jack for so long, he must let Jack go. For the past two years, Rusty finds himself wanting more from his long distance friend than friendship. He’s been having some rather steamy dreams of the handsome Texas Ranger, so when Jack shows up on his doorstep Rusty knows he really is in trouble.

BOOK REVIEW:
This is an erotic, but confusing story about two long time friends that finally confront their growing feelings. The book opens on an erotic dream sequence where Rusty is having some pretty graphic and hot sex with Jack, but awakens to an empty room and slight panic at the escalating dreams. Since he can’t or won’t admit his feelings to his long distance friend, Rusty instead allows silence and distance to lengthen until Jack flies from Texas to Canada to confront Rusty on his lack of communication. Predictably it takes a bit for these two to actually talk and confront their feelings, but it’s a happy ending once they do.

It’s important to know this information as the book is confusing without a lot of background. The author uses the blurb to give essential details that are not offered within the body of the story itself. The story fails to identify the friendship between Rusty and Jack, nor their long distance or even why they’re keeping their feelings from each other. Reading the blurb carefully is a must to understanding the story. Not everyone reads blurbs though so the story definitely would have benefited if the background between Rusty and Jack had been given.

Rusty is a working cowboy living in Canada on his ranch and exchanges letters with Jack, a Texas Ranger. How these two met is never explained although there is a comment about Rusty being an essential part of Jack’s life when he was much younger and coming to terms with his sexuality. Unfortunately this again is just hinted at quickly and forgotten. Neither man is very well characterized, with each being rather stoic and prone to not explaining themselves or their feelings.

However, the sex is generous and steamy with several explicit scenes within the short context. This is definitely a quick, erotic friends turned lovers theme that will appeal for those wanting something light, hot, and satisfying. Although the men were classic cowboys with miscommunication, fear, and the tendency to make comments and then run off ~ they were fun to watch and the chemistry between Rusty and Jack leapt off the pages. The justification for Rusty’s fears felt rushed and insubstantial as Rusty mentions his past only once as reasoning and then the two men hurry to a resolution. I’d have liked more development of the characters, their situation, and their past as clearly there is a wealth of material that could have been added and really fleshed out this short story into a compelling and interesting tale.

As it was, the confusion in the story and brief explanations left me wanting more but the classic characters and theme was enjoyable for a quick, hot read. The prose was clear and easy, making for a fast read that is sure to heat readers. For those who particularly like cowboys in friends turned lovers theme, be sure to pick this up. Just read the blurb first and you’ll enjoy the story even more.

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