This is another Cattle Valley book I really liked. Its message about the importance of love and friendship came through loud and clear, as did the reminder that locking oneself away to try to avoid pain doesn't work in the long run. Eventually, it is the loneliness and isolation that will hurt most.

Kenny and Eli are both such lonely men, each in their own way that my heart went out to both them. Kenny has been in love with his ex-teacher for so long that he's almost given up. Never having had a real family to accept and love him, he's in desperate need of finding that acceptance.

Eli has been afraid of people wrecking his life ever since his childhood in a neighborhood terrorized by gangs. When he realizes the isolation he has driven himself into, it still takes everything he has to change life-long habit of hiding - both physically and emotionally.

Luckily, these two men are able to figure out how to help out each other. Like in the other books of the series, the characters are real and have great depth. Their struggle touched me deeply and I loved following their path to not just mutual love, but to helping each other see what was missing, then going about getting it for their partner.



Note: This book has been provided by TEB for the purpose of a review. ( )