Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Forgiving yourself is the first step toward finding true love.

Henry Atkins is determined to turn around his no-good, sorry life and prove to the residents of Clyde’s Corner that he’s not the town bad boy anymore. If going to church every Sunday with the Ladies Society is what it takes to polish his reputation, he’s all in. But when every secret fantasy in his head walks into the stables at Muddy River Ranch, the straight and narrow path he’s on takes a wild detour. It never felt so good to be so bad.

Micah has been one of the biggest porn stars in the world for five years, but he’s burned out. His body won’t cooperate to film even one more scene. A month’s vacation with his old friend Ben in Montana is just what his jaded heart needs. He wants rest, fresh air, and to not be recognized by a living soul. He sure as hell isn’t looking for a fling, and he wants nothing to do with Henry, the fanboy who works at Ben’s ranch.

The two men are both seeking a fresh start, an escape from the demons of their past. Fly fishing lessons on the river uncover the surprising number of things they have in common and forms a heartfelt bond that might save their weary souls. Only Micah’s past isn’t through with him yet

 

Book Review

If there were ever two men with less self-confidence, more doubts about “deserving” love, general angst about a relationship, and a lack of happiness in their current or future life, then I haven’t met or read about them. Henry and Micah may have different backgrounds and reasons for their misconceptions, but the result is the same for both of them. As the blurb says they need to figure out how to forgive themselves before they can move on, and that is one heck of a tough task!

 

Henry has had an awful childhood with an abusive father, a no-good time as a teenager acting out his anger at the world, but is now trying to put his life in order. As he is finding out, people are not very forgiving, and most still see him as a no-good lowlife. I really felt for him because he was trying so hard to make amends while not really believing he could ever make up for his misdeeds in the past. When the Ladies Society make him their “project” things are looking up – except their standards of morality mean that Henry, as a gay man, might have to hide a huge part of who he is to stay in their good graces.

 

Micah comes from an extremely religious family (his father is a preacher), so his career in gay porn means no contact with his family. He may have been very successful for quite a few years, but he is burnt out to the point where he can no longer perform. He needs a break and that is how he ends up in a small (fictional) town in Montana by the name of Clyde’s Corner. Everything is very different there and he begins to rethink his plan of staying another year so he can save enough money to start a business, but his self-imposed savings goal won’t let him change his mind. Well, not unless he and Henry get closer.

 

Henry and Micah do not have an easy start. Micah doesn’t want to deal with a fanboy – he wants something real. Henry is too shy to think someone like Micah could ever be interested in him. Slowly, slowly, they discover some common interests, begin to hang out together, and start to build a friendship. Even when they progress to a physical relationship though, nothing is easy or clear. It takes a pretty shocking event to make them both realize they might just be better off together than apart…

 

If you like angsty romances with lots of self-doubt, if two young men looking for love and a new life are your thing, and if you’re looking for a touching story with more than one stop and start before the main characters figure out what’s what, then you will probably like this novel. I loved returning to Clyde’s Corner and hope there will be another story set in this tiny town with all its quirky characters.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author via GRRT for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 258 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	30-July-2021
Price	$3.99 ebook, $9.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Trick-Pony-Clydes-Corner-Book-ebook/dp/B099FRJ9K7