Sandra @ My Fiction Nook

This was... nice. I wasn't bored, but I also didn't feel the romance between Trey and Ap. I think what it boils down to here was that the romance took a complete backseat between Ap on the rodeo circuit and having a longing for Trey, and Trey being too damn busy with the 5 kids he inherited from his sister and brother-in-law after their death in a tragic accident six or so years ago.

Back before the accident, Trey and Ap had a casual thing, but then Trey got the farm and the kids to raise (2 boys, 3 girls, the youngest barely out of the baby stage), and Ap went on riding the broncs and the bulls to send home as much money as he could, only going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas., while Trey handled everything else. 

There were hints of things - like Ap feeling like he ain't much good for anything but riding the rodeos, and Trey feeling utterly overwhelmed and needing help, but being too damn proud to ask.

The kids were nice. The family dynamics were interesting, and I could see that Trey had done a fine job of raising his nieces and nephews as best as he could, teaching them manners and responsibility, and making them feel wanted and loved. 

There just wasn't a real romance. Ap comes home because Trey asks him to - he needs a couple of days off from the kids and the farm and everything - and then Ap stays through Thanksgiving, and their long-buried feelings come back and they have a roll or five, and Ap goes back to the broncs and bulls. 

There's so much going on that they just don't have the time to actually have a grown-up conversation about their needs and wants, because the kids take up a massive amount of time and energy. 

The story just follows them through their daily lives, and I never really got a sense that these two were actually in love with each other, even if the words are repeatedly on the pages of the book. I could tell that they did love one another, but I missed the passion, I guess. 

They were like an old married couple most of the time, which I suppose is comfortable and easy for the most part, but I expected a bit more romance in a Dreamspun Desires title, and the grand, sweeping romance I was looking for just wasn't in the pages of this book.


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher in exchange for an honest review. **