Title: ⟫ The Blacksmith and the Ex-con
Author: ⟫ Jackie North
Blurb: ⟫
“If anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.”
Jasper has the perfect life. He’s a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.
Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. He’s about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?
It’s not love at first sight. It’s not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Review: ⟫ This was a very sweet read, despite the subject matter. Ellis made a mistake, under very trying circumstances, and more than paid for it. The situation with his mother was heartbreaking, and although I half screamed at his plan for when he reached the ranch, I did understand. I was gratified by Jasper's response, and that sustained me through what I would definitely describe as slow-burn, which I am not used to reading. The relationship between Jasper and Ellis built very slowly in an organic fashion, with Jasper showing understanding and care with Ellis, despite his initial impressions. The cast of characters were interesting enough for me to look for other books in the series, and the descriptions for the horse ranch were extremely enjoyable.
Solid 4/5 from me and I will be looking for the rest of the series at some point.
