Review - Tyler by C.H. Admirand

TITLE:    Tyler (The Secret Life of Cowboys)
AUTHOR:    C.H. Admirand
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 337 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for review

FROM GOODREADS:    Faced with a mountain of bills, rancher Tyler Garahan takes a night job with a lot of trepidation. But being a male performer at a strip club does come with at least one beautiful compensation-and feisty red-haired bookkeeper Emily Langley seems to understand Tyler even better than he understands himself...


MY TAKE:    I have come to a realization that I shouldn't read books that are about things that I have a deep personal knowledge of.  Even though it's fiction where the writer has complete artistic license, I get distracted when the subject matter is way off mark from what I know.  Real-life working cowboys are one of those subjects.  For those of you that don't already know, I grew up on a cattle and horse ranch.  Around dozens and dozens of true life, high-def working cowboys in all of their dust, manure and glory. I am still surrounded by many of these same guys to this day. This fact and my own realities of ranch life made it really hard for me to get into a book like this.  I find myself trying to picture even one of these guys I know in these situations and I fail miserably. 

In this story, Tyler is a cowboy, who along with his brothers owns a ranch that they are in danger of losing.  He decides to take a job as a male stripper in order to make ends meet.  The opening scene of the book is Tyler applying for a job and being sexually assaulted by several women.  (There is really no other description for it, sorry.)  While that sounds sexy and I'm sure really appealing to most men, I guarantee that any of the cowboys that I grew up with and around would have run screaming for the hills, even if it meant no paycheck. 

The romance aspect between Tyler and Emily was enjoyable, quite steamy.  In fact, I liked her character quite a bit.  She was funny and warm while the rest of the women, including Tyler's ex, came across as piranhas and other not so nice creatures.  Even with Emily being sweet and Tyler being sexy, I just couldn't really dig up enough feeling to care about all of these characters and their story.

I do want to say that I like the author's writing style.  Her words flow and she isn't overly-descriptive when it isn't warranted. You move quickly through the pages without being bogged down by extraneous information.  I think if the cowboy portrayal didn't annoy me, I would have really enjoyed the story.  Maybe if it had been a pilot as the main character?  (Even though I worked at an airline for a few years, several of the pilots I knew would have loved being pawed at and mauled by overly-amorous women :) 

I do think fans of western romance and romance in general, should give the book a try. Like I said above, the romance part is good, the cowboy and ranch part just wasn't a fit for me personally.  I AM looking forward to reading some of the author's medieval stories with swords and men in kilts!!  These sound good:

        

The Saxon Bride & The Lord of Merewood Keep

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Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

It was OK

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Threads West by Reid Lance Rosenthal

TITLE:    Threads West: An American Saga
AUTHOR:    Reid Lance Rosenthal
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 215 pages
PUBLISHED:   Rockin' SR Publishing, 2010
HOW I GOT IT:   Received from Author and Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  USA Book News National Best Book Awards ... Threads West is a WINNER in the Fiction & Literature: Western category and FINALIST in the Fiction & Literature: Romance category.

The romance of America, her people, her spirit, and the West. The ongoing story of us. This first book and namesake of the six-novel series is being compared by reviewers and authors to Lonesome Dove and Centennial. The tale bursts with the adventure, romance and promise of historical America and the West. The epic saga of Threads West begins in 1855 with the first of four richly-textured, complex generations of unforgettable characters. The separate lives of these driven men and independent women are drawn to a common destiny that beckons seductively from the wild and remote flanks of the American West. They are swept into the dangerous currents of the far-distant frontier by the mysterious rivers of fate, the power of the land and the American spirit. Their turbulent journeys are heartbreaking quests intertwined with romance and adversity, passions and pathos, despair and triumph. This is not only their story. It is our story. It is Threads West, An American Saga.



MY TAKE:    I started this book with high hopes as I absolutely love Larry McMurtry's stories which some have compared this series to.  Unfortunately I had a couple of issues with it.  First and foremost, there is a graphic rape scene that took me by surprise and pretty much colored my reading experience.  While I'm not opposed to sex scenes, I don't go for those that are graphic and gratuitous, especially involving rape.  While this act may have been an important point in the story, I could have done without the detailed account. 

The majority of the book was spent telling us about the characters and their backstories.  The action didn't really start until they were either on their way to or already in St. Louis.  Unfortunately that is also where this book ends.  It might have been a better idea to not cut this saga into so many volumes.  Six books are planned where I think three larger tomes might have been preferable.  Especially if the reader is going to be left with a cliffhanger five times.

All of that being said, I DID enjoy meeting the characters and think there is a lot of promise in this journey.  The author has created some interesting and memorable players that I will be curious to see what happens to.  As this book progressed, their lines or threads, if you will, began to intersect.  With all of this starting to finally come together, the ending was a bit abrupt, leaving me frustrated. But I do still want to check out the next installment: Maps of Fate when it becomes available.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

(It would have been closer to a 3 if not for the rape scene.)

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Brave by Nicholas Evans (audiobook)

By the author of The Horse Whisperer

TITLE:   The Brave: A Novel
AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Nicholas Evans
INFO:    Paperback Audiobook, Fiction, 9 cds
PUBLISHED:   Hachette Audio, 2010
ISBN#:   978-1-60788-929-7
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from Hachette for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  Tommy Bedford was just eight years old when he learned that his "older sister" was actually his mother. That shock was soon supplanted by glee when his youthful, glamorous mom became the amour of the TV cowboy most idolized. One sudden thrust of tragedy ended that idyllic moment, sending mother and son into frantic escape. Fast forward forty years later: Tommy has become Tom, a writer and documentary filmmaker, divorced and estranged from his only son. When that soldier son is arrested and charged in a military court for committing an atrocity in Iraq, Bedford must finally confront not only his own son, but his own hidden past.


MY TAKE:  When I heard about this book from the author of "The Horse Whisperer", I knew it was one I had to have.  "The Horse Whisperer" stuck with me for years so I had high hopes that this would be just as memorable.  I wasn't disappointed.

Nicholas Evans has once again created characters who drive a very well imagined plot.  The background and scenery are excellent, but it is the people who grab you and keep you involved in their lives.  Tommy and Diane are both fairly intense and their interaction really pulls the reader's heartstrings.  I loved Cal.  He is written very much like some of the real horseman in my life and made me think of them at times.

I enjoyed the fact that this story was based in both Tommy's youth and his later years.  The author did a great job of blending the time periods as well as showing the aftermath and effects of Tommy's childhood on his grown-up life and relationships.  It especially explained a lot about his difficult relationship with his son Daniel.

The narration was very good on this audiobook.  Actor Michael Emerson (of Lost fame) is outstanding in bringing this book to life.  This is so critical to me as a single voice can make or break an audiobook for me.  I got lost in the story while driving due to his excellent tones and characterisations.

I highly recommend this audiobook, especially to those who loved "The Horse Whisperer" as much as I did.  This is bound to become a new favorite.
   
MY RATING:    4/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon,  The Book Depository

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.