Title: Love, Like Water
Author: Rowan Speedwell
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel Plus (284pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (10th July 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Three years undercover with one of the worst gangs in the country left FBI agent Joshua Chastain shattered. Battling nightmares and addiction, he leaves the concrete jungle for New Mexico horse country, hoping to start over on his uncle’s ranch.
Foreman Eli Kelly spends his life rehabilitating abused animals, and Joshua is just another lost soul. But as Joshua slowly begins to put his life back together, Eli realizes that Joshua is a lot more than his newest project.
Joshua’s plan seems to work—maybe a fresh start was just what he needed. Then, just when he has finally found a sense of peace, crime and hatred nearly destroy all his hard work, forcing him to reevaluate what he wants out his relationship with Eli and his own life.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3970
Review: Joshua was nearly broken at the end of a three-year stint undercover for the FBI, the gang life nearly killed him, and now he is trying to pick up the pieces. He leaves the city far behind him for New Mexico horse country and his uncle’s ranch, where he hopes to find some peace from his nightmares and drug addiction. Eli is the foreman at the Triple C ranch and he works with abused horses, when he first meets Joshua the younger man reminds him of a badly abused horse and he soon realizes that there is more to Joshua than a wrecked shell. Just as Joshua begins to make real progress, a shocking hate crime makes him re-evaluate and his guilt makes him rethink his relationship with Eli. But, Eli isn’t willing to give up but can he get Joshua to rethink his decision?
This story blends the horrors of FBI work, PTSD and ranch life brilliantly while adding in other horrors to make an angsty, guilt ridden, rediscovering yourself story with added romance. Joshua has been through hell for his job, he lived in the underbelly of a gang for three years to bring their drug cartel down, but it wasn’t without its casualties. Forced into murder and drug addiction Joshua now has to live with the guilt of what he did, but his self-worth is low and he doesn’t feel he has anything left to give. Eli is drawn to the damaged young man and can see the light hidden deep inside, he can imagine what the man has faced but knows Joshua isn’t bad or evil; he is just dented and needs to recover. Living deep in cowboy country doesn’t make it easy for gay men but they make a go of it until tragedy strikes.
I really enjoyed this story with its life on a horse ranch and the recovery of a damaged man, crippling nightmares, the guilt that Joshua has to live with, and the love of a good man. Eli is an incredible man who has incredible patience when it comes to horses and people, but even he may have bit off more than he can chew when it comes to stubborn Joshua. Joshua is a man who your heart goes out to, he has been to hell and back all in the name of the job and now he has to piece his life back together, his self-esteem is gone and his guilt plagues him. Together they are fantastic but theirs is a rocky path with Joshua throwing obstacles in their path as his doubts resurface.
From the opening lines of this book, to the last, lines you are gripped with the trauma Joshua has gone through, we see a man struggling to hold on to life and who now thinks he is worthless but it takes one hot cowboy to begin to heal his wounds. Eli is a compassionate man and we root for him to shore up Joshua’s soul, we see his progress and setbacks as he handles the skittish Joshua. I loved this entire story from the day-to-day life on a horse ranch, to the struggles of a broken man trying to find his place in life, to the compassionate lover and the horrific attack that makes Joshua doubt himself. This is a story that is filled with angst and depression with a hero clawing his way to recovery, I loved that Rowan Speedwell didn’t have a magical fix for Joshua and that we see the true reactions to his situation.
I recommend this if you adore angst driven drama, unexpected horrific attacks, and two men finding their way to love and understanding and an ending that is family driven.