The Good Fight (The Good Fight Series) by Andrew Grey

The Good Fight (The Good Fight Series) by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Length: 200 pages
Blurb
Jerry Lincoln has a problem: his Sioux Falls IT consulting business has more work than one man can handle. Luckily, that means he can hire some help. Jerry just hopes his new employee, John Black Raven, ends up being more helpful than distracting—but John’s deep eyes and long hair are very distracting.

John came to town for an education and a chance at a life he couldn’t have on the reservation, but what’s important to him now is getting a job and keeping it. Six months ago, his sister died, and now her children are in foster care. Despite having the law on his side, John can’t get custody—can’t even see his niece and nephew.

As Jerry and John grow closer, John discovers he doesn’t have to struggle alone. Jerry helps him win visitation rights and provides much-needed support. Yet their victories aren’t without setbacks. Child Services is tangled up with money, politics, and red tape, and Native American children are their bread and butter. But John and Jerry are determined to fight the good fight and to win—in more ways than one.

Overall
A classic Andrew Grey romance with an interesting story that touches upon specific topics I don’t see much in this genre. The unique elements definitely added to the story.

Review
I'm not a huge fan of Grey's writing style, especially during sex scenes, but I can't deny he does standard romance well. And while many of the stories I've read by him involve a dramatic climax, I found this story to be refreshing in that the conflict happened over the course of the book.

In addition to the main struggle between John and children's services, there were also multiple minor issues that kept the story flowing at a steady pace, including whether to date an employee, cultural differences, family acceptance, and being gay in a small town. Not all of these themes are challenges they have to actively face, but they all play a part in creating the men we see on page.

Some of the best, and necessary, moments of the story involved racism, both against natives and against whites. ("Evil White Woman" as a nickname was great.) This did an excellent job of showing that racism works both ways (although some degrees of racism seems more reasonable), and also worked to open the minds of both sides of the race barrier, not just one. Because people are people, no matter the color of their skin or their culture.

While children in stories often play a background role, Grey did a nice job of involving the children without overwhelming the story. They were a central point of the story and necessary to its progression, but they were balanced in the writing, and in their personalities, adding flavor, not distraction.

I think my biggest qualm with the storyline was at the very end, when one character is gay that I felt would have worked better as straight. While there's nothing wrong with the character being gay, and possibly makes the support he offers “make sense,” I felt it also made the resolution there feel less solid, as if his support (and that of the group he represents) of the situation was only because he was gay. I don't think that's what Grey was saying, but it left the ghost of that impression when I read it.

An Unsettled Range (Range #3) by Andrew Grey

An Unsettled Range (Range #3) by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Length: 200 pages
Blurb
The last thing Liam Southard expects when he flees his abusive father is to be taken in by a couple of gay ranchers. Soon he has a new job and a new perspective on his sexuality, and his life starts to turn around. Then someone pulls a gun on him.

In Troy Gardener’s defense, the gun thing was a mistake. Between his marriage falling apart and living in his uncle's isolated hunting cabin, he's been a little edgy. He wants to make it up to Liam, and once he discovers how much they have in common, he wants even more. But with Liam's father popping in unexpectedly and a mining company threatening the ranch’s water supply, the only guarantee is that life is never going to be boring.

Overall
I'll be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with Andrew Grey novels. I'm pretty much always mediocre about them, but for some reason I can't resist reading them. I was mediocre on the first in this series, and yet when the chance came to pick up this one, I did. I have all of the Farm series. I swear, it's a compulsion or something. I know it's the soft squishy feelings that fill his books, the perfectly happy endings, the absolutely escape from reality.

Even when I'm sighing and rolling my eyes through the pages, I can't help enjoying it just a little. I also realize that a chunk of my eye rolling comes from reading a fair number *cough*8*cough* of his books and knowing pretty much how the story is going to go.

That said, this is my ninth book, with 10 and 11 in the wings. He definitely has a certain rhythm to his books, and An Unsettled Range follows course. Fans of Grey will like this, undoubtedly, naysayers will...well I wonder why they'd pick it up in the first place.

I liked the first in the series better, and I didn't read the second. Without further rambling...

Strengths
The mining company plotline is a nice mellow threat that lurks in the background and keeps all the characters moving and interacting. It felt pretty realistic, and any issues I had could pretty much be resolved with, "Well, it IS the government."

I love Grey's families. The children are there, important and involved without overwhelming the story or being forgotten. Here, Sofia is cute and precocious, an absolute 5 year old who holds grudges but also easily forgives. Jeanie is not-surprisingly likeable and while she's never portrayed as an evil woman, you can't help but feel bad for her and frown disapprovingly in the same breath. At least in the beginning when Troy is hurting. Telling what happens later would be a spoiler. Sort of.

I liked that the sex scenes spiced it up a little. While they were definitely tender and sweet, they had a taste of dominance and aggression. Not much, but the small touch was appreciated.

Weaknesses
For those familiar with the Farm series, you'll fine Liam's story too close to Stone's story. The two series really mirror one another in some ways, although the first story in this series had more original content then I felt this one did. Readers unfamiliar with the Farm series shouldn't have a problem.

The relationship moved very quickly. Not much time passes before they are baring their souls and promising their love and devotion. I had trouble buying it, one because they both came from such tough spots, but also it's hard to believe anyone's relationship evolving so quickly. I know it happens, but this felt too Insta-Love for me.

Grey's writing doesn't make me want to plunge out my eyes with a wine corkscrew, but it does lack a certain originality. The language tends to explain an emotion behind an action that clearly expressed what the emotion was; gives excuses or reasons behind a behavior or reaction when it's either unnecessary or repetitive (or diminishes any mystery a person may have); or draws out a line that could easily be half as many words. While it's not bad, it leaves the story feeling cluttered and somewhat dragging.

A Shared Range (Range #1) by Andrew Grey

A Shared Range (Range #1) by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Length: 208 pages
Blurb
After a year in medical school, Dakota Holden returned home to take care of the family business full time and help his father cope with multiple sclerosis. Devoted to his family, Dakota allows himself just one week of vacation a year, which he spends in some exotic location having all the fun he can stand. On his last vacation, a cruise, Dakota struck up a friendship with Phillip Reardon, and it fills an important role in Dakota’s life.

So when Phillip decides to take Dakota up on his invitation to visit the ranch, Dakota is happy to see him and meet his veterinarian friend, Wally Schumacher. Despite Wally’s inclination to help the wolves Dakota’s men shoot to protect the cattle, he and Dakota find they have a lot in common, including a fierce attraction. But they’ll have to decide if the Wyoming range is big enough for Dakota’s cattle, Wally’s wolves, and their love.

Overall
A classically Andrew Grey novel, A Shared Range brings a new taste to some standard fare. Fans of Grey will find a work consistent with his other novels, especially the Love Means... series. New comers will get a taste of his writing and style.

I found the story to be good, but not amazing, and while I may potentially read it again, it's not a tale I'll return to repeatedly. It had several positive points, and throughout there were definite moments that had me smiling and chuckling, but it didn't grab me or move me. However, readers who want sweet and soft will find exactly what they're looking for in this cowboy tale.

Strengths
The interaction between Dakota and Wally was interesting and fresh. We have two men who come from very different lives and have very strong opinions on a sensitive matter. While they come to terms with their differences relatively quickly, it is the central theme of the novel that such a conflict doesn't have to mean that two beings cannot live harmoniously. The struggle of the men as individuals and as a couple is the central conflict and ties together the theme of the novel nicely.

Dakota's dad is used well throughout the novel and I applaud Grey's consistency in never forgetting to check on him before the men go out, and do things such as leaving the door cracked so they can hear if he wakes up. (Though I hope his father didn't hear them when they got noisy!) The father, as a tool to dispense wisdom and as a character, was well handled and added a level to the story.

In addition, I liked the balance of characters in the novel, and how the two main characters, while still the focus, were not the sole elements forming the equation. Too much attention solely on the two relatively average men would have become boring, but the introduction and use of the side characters added an additional dynamic to the story and interactions.

Weaknesses
Not necessarily a weakness, the novel suffers from the condition that all Gays Out West stories bear the burden of: Who is accepting? Obviously if the story has too many un-accepting characters then the main characters will be miserable, but it's still a traditional and mainly conservative area, so not everyone can like it. Grey, from my experience reading his other works, tends to make characters accept more often than not, and A Shared Range is the same. However, the acceptance in this story felt mostly organic, and the trouble caused by the others was just enough to draw awareness to the traditional mindset of the area but not enough to make it the center focus. I put this in the 'weakness' section only because it wasn't really a strength of the novel.

Despite the originality of the characters and their conflict, the rhythm of the story as the characters fall into bed, was traditional Grey in style. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and for some the familiar style and pattern will be comforting and the exact element they return to this author for. It makes for an enjoyable story, but for me it's not different enough from some of his Love Means... books to really impress me.

Master of the Revels by Andrew Grey

Master of the Revels by Andrew Grey
Stars: 1/5

Overall
Having previously enjoyed Grey's work, I felt confident in picking up this book when I happened to find it in a bookstore on sale. I started reading it on the train ride home and wasn't impressed. The writing felt amateur, the dialogue stiff and the characters flat. At home I checked on GoodReads and saw it had over 4 stars, so I had the glimmer of hope that things would improve--some stories just have rough beginnings.

It didn't. While there was potential for a good story, it was destroyed by straw men conflicts and poor writing that left me finishing the novel only because I can't give a proper review without giving it a proper read first. I struggled through and had to skim the last half to a third just to get it over with.

While this book was a complete dud, it wouldn't keep me from reading more of Grey's works in the future since I'm already familiar with his other, better, works.

Strengths
Plot. While I wouldn't necessarily say this is a strength, it is the strongest part of the book. A lot happens (see below why this can be bad), opening up the potential for character growth and deeper understanding that I don't feel was ever realized.

Weaknesses
Writing. While my previous exposure to Grey's writing never left me amazed at his talent, this book left me in amazement at its difference compared to his other works. It felt like it was porn, even when it wasn't describing sex, as the dialogue was stiff, the actions were listed instead of described (often with unnecessary information) and the tenses changed from past to present any time a constant was described (eg, "My house is blue" while the story was "I sucked his lip into my mouth"). My only concession to the writing is that maybe Grey was trying to imitate the narrator's voice--but if that was the goal, it wasn't successful.

Characters. This suffered from two problems: Insta-love and flat characterization. Bill and Tom meet, fall in love, face some problems and everything is okay. While I can handle some Insta-love, this felt almost too instant. Part of this could be due to the flat characters not lending themselves to forming a bond with the reader. I wasn't involved when they fell in love, had lots of sex, or had fights.

Plot. There was "too much" plot and all of it was easily resolved. The start of the book (Tom going to The Room, getting caged and defeating the previous master of the revels to be the new master) sets up how every challenge is faced. Problems are resolved quickly (within the chapter in most cases) and sometimes in unrealistic ways, often with people doing whatever they can to help Tom and Bill. The couple faces plenty of challenges, which would seem like a great way to develop character and make this an action-packed book. Sadly, it only ended up making it feel very fake and unrealistic.

Love Means … No Fear by Andrew Grey

Love Means … No Fear by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Overall
Fans of Grey's work will find another story that fits the bill of the Farm series. While the characters aren't as memorable as Geoff and Eli, Raine and Jonah have a sweet, if not somewhat predictable, romance. You may know the ending, but fans will still enjoy the journey there.

Strengths
Although I don't think this is his best writing, Grey is consistent in his ability to guide a reader through the story with ease.

Different happy ending. While we expect a happy ending with Grey's stories, I think he gave the reader a slightly different happy ending than we are used to, and it was a nice change of pace from the cliche.

Overall an enjoyable story. Should not be the first read in the series though.

Weaknesses
The final resolution of Raine's attacker and all the facts related to it were unsatisfactory to me. While I could appreciate the tension the situation brought for the characters, in the end it didn't feel like it furthered the characters at all. Neither Jonah nor Raine grew as a result of the event, and while I can understand the initial event haunting Raine, I think the continuation didn't need to happen, or could have happened in other ways. I suppose Grey needed for Raine to remain on the farm longer in order for his relationship with Jonah to evolve, but it felt very strawman to me.

Speed. Raine and Jonah's relationship moved too quickly for both characters. Raine promises himself that he's going to go nice and slow with Jonah, and while Jonah is all for going to bed, the resistance Raine put up wasn't very strong (though I suppose who would resist when a cute guy is all over them?). Which brings me to Jonah, who goes from shouting "You're sodomites!" to bed with Raine in a couple weeks. I'm pretty sure they progressed faster than Geoff and Eli, and Eli was more comfortable with the general idea and more aware of his feelings previously. Not that different people can't react differently...I just didn't buy it.

Love Means ... Courage by Andrew Grey

Love Means ... Courage by Andrew Grey
Stars: 4/5

Overall
The second in the Love Means series, this novel takes place a good 20 years before any of the other events. Having been introduced to Geoff in Love Means No Shame, we are transported back in time to when his father and Len met. I read this last, since obviously order didn't matter too much, but I think it'd be interesting to see how everything played out if read first (instead of second as intended). As a romance novel, we can be pretty certain that we'll get a happy ending, but when we know how things will be 20 years later, it takes out all the potential for a twist.

Strengths
Even knowing how the story would have to eventually end, I was never bored while reading. What we're reading the Farm series for is the journey, not the destination. Watching the progression of the farm and their relationship is enjoyable, as are the characters. Ruby, Cliff's wife and Len's best friend from high school, plays a great role, little though it is. Normally women are either helpers or haters (both of which show up elsewhere in the story), but Ruby is just Ruby. Yes, she supports Len, but I found her role to be rather unique as the woman married to one half of what will end up a gay couple.

The writing felt stronger in this one than in did in some of the later of the series and the set up for the pairing felt well constructed and reasonable.

Weaknesses
The sex descriptions. They didn't completely throw me out of the story, but they didn't submerge me in the scene either. It's possible that this is personal preference, because I'm not sure any of Grey's scenes have ever called to me. Part of this may be Grey's attempt to stay more "realistic" and keep the scenes sweet and sexy rather than hot and passionate. They work well within the story, but aren't a draw if you're going in for some PWP (though if you were going for PWP, you wouldn't be picking this up anyway!).

Love Means ... No Boundaries by Andrew Grey

Love Means ... No Boundaries by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Overall
I have some difficulty rating these books, because on the one hand the stories do exactly what they accomplish, but they do nothing to WOW me. I don't think "wowing" is really what they are set out to do though, so I'm not sure I can hold it against them too much. Instead, this story is a warm blanket wrapped around you while you're sitting on the back porch on an Autumn day. It cuts off the chill, but it won't make you hot, hot, hot.

This, like the others in the series, is a sweet tale of understanding and love, of overcoming obstacles and finding where you belong.

Strengths
Robbie and Joey as characters are great--considerate, kind, and sweet, plus they care for each other. They work well as individuals and as a pair. Joey has some self-esteem issues because of an accident and Robbie is blind, which leaves him dependent on everyone around him.

Moral of the Story. While some books can't get away with having a moral or theme, I think this series (and this one in particular) can get away with it, after all, it's practically in the title! It's well handled and doesn't come off too strong and just adds to the novel's sweetness.

Weaknesses
Predictability. This isn't so much a mark of this book in particular, but of the series. I've figured it out. Boy meets boy. They fall in love. They are forced to split (or feel forced to split). They come back together and live happily ever after. This doesn't make the books unenjoyable, you just know what's coming. (Except, maybe Love Means ... Courage.)

Love Means ... No Shame by Andrew Grey

Love Means ... No Shame by Andrew Grey
Stars: 4/5

Overall
I think this is my favorite of the series, and conveniently the first (although I read it second). Order isn't vital to the stories, unless you want to be surprised by happy endings. So Geoff comes home after the death of his father and decides to stay and take over the family farm. Shortly after his arrival, Eli appears, 100% Amish and straight from the community. He's taking a year break to "diminish his rebel spirit."

Geoff and Eli have a very nice dynamic and are both sweet as sugar. They struggle, they talk, they deal, they love. I think my favorite thing about this story is that it's not fed on misunderstandings but on obligations. Eli and Geoff do what's right, even when it breaks their hearts.

Strengths
Is what it is. This novel tells you what it is and delivers. No secrets, no sudden twists, just a basic love story on a farm. It does it well. The pacing fits well with the story and the environment; it keeps moving but doesn't seem rushed (keeps a "country" pace, so to speak).

Ending. I think the rising action/climax/falling action were all well handled. I connected to the characters and their suffering, as well as their triumph. Everything felt pretty well handled, and for never appearing on screen, I loved Eli's mother.

Weaknesses
Mellow. Not really a weakness, but if you're looking for an extremely emotional story, or action packed, this isn't it. The plot is basic and straight forward with more loving than angst.

Review: A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey

A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Overall
With my previous exposure to Andrew Grey (Love Means ... Freedom), I was looking forward to A Taste of Love, especially since it involved a chef, and I have a thing for chef stories. (Food is the way to the heart, after all.) My first read through left me wanting. The story itself is good and surprising, but the writing felt awkward and stiff at times and my initial reaction was to give the story 2 stars.

However, I know that mood can affect how I read something, so I gave it some time and re-read it. I did enjoy it more the second time, perhaps because I knew what to expect. The writing isn't terrible, but it does have some weak points, and if this makes or breaks a story, you may want to avoid this one. It wasn't bad enough that I wanted to rewrite the story (overall plot and character development was okay), but I did want to edit it. Just be forewarned if you're a picky reader!

Strengths
Resolution. I think the way he ended the story, while perhaps a little on the fairy tale side, was good. He found a happy ending without having to be ridiculous about it.

Children. The children felt realistically portrayed. They were cute and heart warming, a nice addition (though it could be argued they are really the center of the story!).

Emotion. The emotion, especially in the first climactic point, was very powerful and moving. Even though I knew there had to be a happy result to what was happening, I still got a little choked because of the desperation and defeat that Billy felt.

Weaknesses
Writing. As I mentioned above, I think Grey's writing suffered in this novel. While I recall moments of him telling instead of describing in his previous novel that I've read, he seemed to fall harder onto this crutch.

Sadly, I think the writing did the most damage to the novel. It made the interaction between Darryl and Billy stiffer than it should have been once they hooked up, told the reader what to feel and think instead of welcoming the reader into the emotion, and didn't really engage me into the story as much as I think would have been appropriate.

Love Means ... Freedom by Andrew Grey

Love Means ... Freedom by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3.5/5

Overall:
This is an enjoyable story, following two young men, one who needs to learn to stand up for himself and another who needs to learn to see what people are like inside. This is a tale of healing, some physical and some emotional, as Preston and Stone struggle for love, understanding, and freedom from their past.

What I liked
Pace. Once Stone and Preston start dating, they move at a reasonable pace. They confront Stone's issues without it being a huge deal (since said issues effect everyone differently). And take time before really confronting the issues, which felt realistic. They also both slowly grow feelings for one another, rather than instantly, but still don't talk about it immediately.

Length. There is no "big" climax, but rather several smaller ones (pun recognized, if not intended). This works in order to fit in their entire story and express the theme of the book (Love means freedom, in case you missed that). Each time I hit a mini-climax, I'd see how much I had left, shrug, and continue. The story never dragged, no matter how long it was, but just steadily went along. All those stories I've read where "I wish there was more" was satisfied with this one, where we kept going until we're cozy.

What didn't work
Telling, not Showing. Sometimes the author tells us, or spells out what was already implied. This was a small stone tripping me in my travels, but for the most part wasn't too distracting. I would come across a line, wince, then move on. It didn't terribly detract from the story.

Pace. It felt like the transition from "you annoying jerk" to "I want to kiss you" went quickly, but again this didn't detract from the story, since their initial getting together isn't really the focus. Also, Preston does apologize and offer to make amends, but I think having Stone realize that he just uses his cockiness as a defense in the beginning (rather than making an awkward reference about it later) would have smoothed the problems on Stone's end.

Equine therapy. Being a horseback rider and familiar with equine therapy, I felt some of these things facts were a bit off. It could be the type of therapy center they are running, and some of the facts were spot on, but other parts had me questioning the realism (certification, experience, training, lack of sidewalkers...) This probably won't bother most people.