Shards in the Sun (The Heart of Texas 1) by Trina Lane at Pride Publishing
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Cowboys/Cowgirls / Erotic Romance |
Reviewed by | Lena Grey on 15-February-2017 |
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Cowboys/Cowgirls / Erotic Romance |
Reviewed by | Lena Grey on 15-February-2017 |
The heart of Texas beats strong, fueled by the love between two men whose lives are interwoven like the long grass of the hill country they call home.
Brandon Blackstun has spent the last decade moving on from the hellish halls of high school. With an invitation to his reunion in hand, he plans to show his former classmates that not only did the repeated occurrences of being slammed into lockers not cause brain damage, but he’s now a successful cover artist for the very books they buy off the shelves.
Tyler Synder was determined not to follow in his father’s footsteps as head of the international corporation that bears the family name. Instead, his heart is tied to the beat of his horses’ thundering hooves. He operates a breeding program for Tennessee Walkers and a guest ranch a couple of hours from the urban luxury of Dallas where he was raised.
The two men might live very different lives, but the heat between them is hotter than any Texas sun. With the help—or meddling—of an unlikely pair of friends, the two explore a relationship that stirs something deep inside them. Distance and misunderstandings force Tyler and Brandon to consider whether the fulfillment they’ve experienced in each other’s arms is worth the sacrifice of the lives they’ve built individually.
Texas may be the second biggest state in the union, but is it large enough to embrace the love between these two men, or will their deeply hidden fears shatter the boundaries of their hearts?
“I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I'm with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself but what you are making of me; I love you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart and passing over all the foolish weak things you can't help dimly seeing there, and drawing out in the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
It's questionable whether Brandon, of 'Shards in the Sun' by Trina Laine, would have even been going to his ten-year class reunion if not for his best friend, Jess. She is determined to go with him to bolster his self-confidence by showing his former classmates that the small, skinny nerd who was bullied at the high school they attended, is not that person any longer. A quick stop at the bar downstairs from the reunion for some liquid courage almost prevents them from making it there when Brandon literally runs into a man he quickly dubs “Hottie Cowboy”.
At the reunion, Brandon runs into Javier, one of his former high school bullies. Javier has come out now and is being shunned by his old high school friends. Jess and Brandon feel sorry for Javier and invite him to hang out with them. Later, in a state of inebriation, Brandon agrees to go out with Javier. During their night out, Brandon encounters “Hottie Cowboy”, aka Tyler, while Javier is off scouting for his nightly conquest. Meanwhile Tyler, approaches Brandon and they are about to leave when Javier comes back. Tyler and Javier have a history and enter into a heated argument during which Brandon makes a run for it. He avoids Tyler for weeks afterward. He figures that anyone who can hold that much of a grudge isn't someone he wants to be involved with. After listening to weeks of Brandon moaning and groaning about his lost opportunity to get to know Tyler, Jess has had enough. She decides to interfere and arranges a “chance” meeting by texting Tyler in Brandon's name and inviting him to Brandon's place, without telling Brandon. Brandon is surprised and so is Tyler when he discovers the false pretense of getting them together. Although Brandon is peeved that Jess would interfere, he's also secretly pleased as well.
After this meeting, Brandon and Tyler establish that they want to pursue their feelings for each other and enter into a long-distance relationship. It's difficult sometimes but they keep in touch with each other and definitely make up for time lost when they see each other with some of the hottest, most passionate love making ever. Yet, neither say the words: “I love you.” When Brandon is offered a job he can work anywhere, Tyler figures that it's a good time to ask Brandon to move to the ranch without considering what this will mean to Brandon. Instead of accepting his offer, Brandon is angry at Tyler for assuming he's ready to give up his life in Dallas without even discussing it beforehand. They have a heated argument and Brandon walks out.
Since this is the first book in a new series, there's lots of world building, background information, and introduction of new characters, but it was so intricately woven into the story, it did not interfere with the flow. Brandon and Tyler are two of the sexiest men I've read about in a long time. Trina does a good job of fleshing them out. Their love scenes are so hot I had to fan myself to get through some of them. I loved Brandon's best friend, Jess. Everyone should have a friend like her. I loved and admired his mother; even though they had hard times, she and her son were secure in the love and respect they had between them. Trina's tale reminds everyone to follow their dreams and be true to yourself. Thanks, Trina, for an enjoyable, passionate book. I can hardly wait for the next one in the series.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.
Format | ebook and print |
Length | Novel, 250 pages/90598 words |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 14-February-2017 |
Price | $4.99 ebook, $11.99 paperback |
Buy Link | https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/shards-in-the-sun |