Opposites who go together like country and rock ’n’ roll. Long before he was a superstar, Remy Sean had a secret crush on Jed Riley. But Jed sees Remy as a spoiled pop rocker and an extension of his father’s control. Still, Jed is willing to let Remy hide from the press on his ranch—but only as a way to get his father out of his life and business for good.
Used to being admired and fawned over, Remy keenly feels the sting of Jed’s dismissal. Can he make Jed see him as more than a pain in the ass? Or is Jed too tangled up in his ranch to see past his old hurt?
Jed doesn’t believe someone desired by so many fans could want him, a simple cowboy. But Remy is determined to change Jed’s mind and steal his heart….
My first reaction to seeing Skylar M. Cates was writing in the Dreamspun Desires line may be considered embarrassing to some. There was a ridiculous noise from my mouth, a lot of fast and loud typing and me talking to an empty office with “Oh hell yeah. Skylar Cates doing a cowboy and a musician?” possibly followed by a fist pump of epic proportions. I am a shameless fan of this author and was so excited to meet these men.
This book did it for me but that isn’t a surprise. The author has this way of creating characters who tell you their story so intimately, it’s like you are right there with them. There is always this level of angst that is like a buzz just under the surface waiting to make or break the romance. Angst is something I love and while this was a beautiful slow burn romance, the angst is present and surrounds these men like a warm blanket.
There's something about a romance built on borrowed time. Something about a story where you know the couple involved has limited time to get to know one another to fall in love and to stay together. As I said before I love angst and the ticking of the clock in a story like this, revs up the angst and I simply wanted to marinate in it until my fingers were pruny. A slow burn romance with angst, this has “rambling redhead” all over it.
We begin the story with Remy, our resident pop star who is on stage in Athens when chaos strikes during one of his shows. A fence broke in the crowd and the fans went rabid trying to get to the stage to where their idol is. Poor Remy is attacked by his adoring fans who just want to touch their idol but go about it in such a violent way. Remy needs an understandable break from it all, from his world as a pop star and the lingering trauma of Athens. When his manager suggests he take some time off to recharge and regroup before he goes out on tour again, Remy takes the offer without knowing where he’s being sent. I love that Remy has a connection to where Buddy his manager is sending him. When Remy was young and in need, Buddy took him to his family ranch were Remy crushed on his son Jed. It just so happens that Jed still lives at the ranch and Remy is filled with nostalgia.
Remy couldn't help flashing on a image of Buddy's son, Jed. Remy hadn't fully admitted he was gay, not even to himself, not until that summer, seeing Jed, so rugged and capable, riding up to them on a horse. One look at Jed's piercing blue eyes and extremely broad shoulders and he'd been a goner.
Yup. Unrequited love folks, we have it and it is fantastic. Remy has these memories of Jed but doesn’t know if Jed even remembers him and doesn’t know Jed’s sexuality. All he remembers is the ranch was a safe place where he was comfortable and he is excited to go back.
Now Jed, oh my poor prickly, adorable, loyal and capable Jed. You are not a fan of your father and have taken on his role for your sister and mother more than you should have. When the rodeo circuit lets you down, you took over the ranch and you run it well but the hold Buddy has over the land, is a hold over you. When your sister Melanie calls to say she wants Buddy to walk her down the aisle at her upcoming wedding, you know the bastard won’t do what’s right so when he calls to get Remy some time at the ranch, you strike a deal. Little did you know the deal with the devil would bring you sex on legs with the voice of an angel you would fall head over feet for.
When Remy arrives, Jed is prickly because of Buddy being in Remy’s life but softens when he begins to see that Remy isn’t just a pop star. There are layers to the guy and Jed can’t even fault him for having Buddy as a manager. As the days go by, the men learn to get along and begin a friendship that ultimately turns into more. It was amazing to witness these two let down their guards and let each other in. Both Remy and Jed come to this arrangement with baggage but they help each other work through it as they treat one another with honesty and respect. Seeing Remy unable to tell Jed what happened in Athens but Jed knowing how much it upset Remy and what he does about it warmed my heart so much. On paper these two wouldn’t work but being alone on the ranch, being in each other’s pockets daily, finding the other irresistible and not just physically, they make perfect sense. It’s just a shame that they both fight the time allowance they have and do consider how their worlds would fit…
And everything changed.
Yup. Everything changed and it kept changing and kept getting better. First kisses gave me goose bumps and everything after that had me in a big puddle of goo. I fell in love with Remy and Jed as they fell in love with each other. I don’t normally cast characters in books because I don’t always “see” who they are even by author description. I go with the emotions the characters have rather than their physical traits. And yet, I got a strong Harry Styles vibe off Remy with his pop star fame, admiration for a fancy and flashy wardrobe and his taste in music compared to what he put out for his job. For the record, I adore Harry Styles and he was the first person that popped in my head as I got to know and love Remy. Remember I don’t cast characters? It’s hard for me but since I gave a visual for Remy I think Jed with his gruff but soft ways easily reminded me of Heath Ledger or even Tom Hardy. You know, those men that seem untouchable and grumpy as all get out but they’re just like cold butter, they need a little heat to melt. Don’t laugh at me. Cold butter is not easy to spread.
Anyway.
This book was such a pleasure to read. I loved every bit of the romance and how Remy and Jed fought through all the hurt/comfort to get to their HEA. These two really worked every step of the way to their happiness and brought others along with them. I, for one, would love to see a certain scene in the future and how it is all done but the book told me it would happen – yes I am being vague – and I agree with the location the men chose.
Skylar M. Cates is creating a fangirl out of me with her stories and this is another I am adding to my favorites list. If you like musicians who love the music more than the fame and gruff cowboys who want nothing more than to work their horses and take care of their men… this is a book for you.
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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