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bitchie's review against another edition
4.0
A great story by Lisa Henry! I admit, a lot of her stories scare me away, because they can get darker and heavier on the BDSM themes than I like, but I love her more easy going stories. Not that this was all fluffy bunnies and kittens (although there was a nice stray cat!), but it was just the right levels of angst and conflict for me.
I admit, Jason's judgy attitude bugged me at the start, but I guess I could see where he was coming from, as he only had the part of the story he got through the law enforcement grapevine. I just wish he hadn't taken so long to try to get to the real story.
This one was really slow burn, in part, due to that distrust at the beginning, but it was nice as they got closer. I would have liked to have seen Gio interact more with Jason and Taylor as a family unit, but I'm hoping that, since this says part 1, that we'll get more of these guys in the next one. I feel that there's still a lot of story to be told with these guys, in particular, with Gio's former BF and job, not to mention an exchange of I love yous.
I admit, Jason's judgy attitude bugged me at the start, but I guess I could see where he was coming from, as he only had the part of the story he got through the law enforcement grapevine. I just wish he hadn't taken so long to try to get to the real story.
This one was really slow burn, in part, due to that distrust at the beginning, but it was nice as they got closer. I would have liked to have seen Gio interact more with Jason and Taylor as a family unit, but I'm hoping that, since this says part 1, that we'll get more of these guys in the next one. I feel that there's still a lot of story to be told with these guys, in particular, with Gio's former BF and job, not to mention an exchange of I love yous.
shandra's review against another edition
4.0
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Warm and languid are good ways to describe the writing style Lisa Henry employs in Two Man Station. There's a slow, steadiness to her descriptions of life in the small town world where a two-man police station is all there's cause for and Bingo Night is the biggest problem the coppers should expect to face during the average week. I'd call the reading experience sensual if it had more of an erotic tilt to it, but, for the most part, I'd say Two Man Station is a book about learning to trust after losing all faith.
Gio brought a heaviness to the story with his Domestic Violence history which was covered up by the shame he'd felt at having had to report his former boyfriend to their superiors on ethical charges. I wanted to hug him more than anything else; his pride really got in the way of him being given any of the support he so richly deserved. Would it have been easier on him if he'd come forward about the domestic violence? I'm not sure. Would he have saved face with his friends if he'd been honest about the whole truth of his situation? That's something no one can answer because Gio made the decision to hide the truth rather than put it all out on the table.
Jason has his own baggage in the form of a ten-year-old son who only has him to look after him since Jason's wife and Taylor's mother has been deceased over five years. He wants to pretend he can do it all on his own -single parenting, running the police station without any real back-up, taking care of a huge territory with assistance two hours out in any direction- yet Gio makes him face the fact he can't. The man's only human. I could relate a lot to his need for human contact which he'd shunted aside in favor of trying to be both parents to his son whenever he could since he also had an obligation to his job, to their town, to being the lead officer in a territory too big for any one man to ever handle alone.
I found myself getting listless and tired, lazy in the fictional heat of Lisa Henry's Australia, and I really applaud the author for capturing the atmosphere so well. I enjoyed watching Gio and Jason find something for themselves in their relationship; I loved seeing Taylor get comfortable with the idea of someone new in his father's life. I'd call Two Man Station a languid read with heavy topics best broached on a rainy day when one has nothing else going on to distract them from the story. I'd recommend this read to people who enjoy a bit of story with their romance alongside those who enjoy atmosphere more than erotica. I look forward to seeing more of Australia with Lisa Henry in the next installment to the Emergency Services series.
Warm and languid are good ways to describe the writing style Lisa Henry employs in Two Man Station. There's a slow, steadiness to her descriptions of life in the small town world where a two-man police station is all there's cause for and Bingo Night is the biggest problem the coppers should expect to face during the average week. I'd call the reading experience sensual if it had more of an erotic tilt to it, but, for the most part, I'd say Two Man Station is a book about learning to trust after losing all faith.
Gio brought a heaviness to the story with his Domestic Violence history which was covered up by the shame he'd felt at having had to report his former boyfriend to their superiors on ethical charges. I wanted to hug him more than anything else; his pride really got in the way of him being given any of the support he so richly deserved. Would it have been easier on him if he'd come forward about the domestic violence? I'm not sure. Would he have saved face with his friends if he'd been honest about the whole truth of his situation? That's something no one can answer because Gio made the decision to hide the truth rather than put it all out on the table.
Jason has his own baggage in the form of a ten-year-old son who only has him to look after him since Jason's wife and Taylor's mother has been deceased over five years. He wants to pretend he can do it all on his own -single parenting, running the police station without any real back-up, taking care of a huge territory with assistance two hours out in any direction- yet Gio makes him face the fact he can't. The man's only human. I could relate a lot to his need for human contact which he'd shunted aside in favor of trying to be both parents to his son whenever he could since he also had an obligation to his job, to their town, to being the lead officer in a territory too big for any one man to ever handle alone.
I found myself getting listless and tired, lazy in the fictional heat of Lisa Henry's Australia, and I really applaud the author for capturing the atmosphere so well. I enjoyed watching Gio and Jason find something for themselves in their relationship; I loved seeing Taylor get comfortable with the idea of someone new in his father's life. I'd call Two Man Station a languid read with heavy topics best broached on a rainy day when one has nothing else going on to distract them from the story. I'd recommend this read to people who enjoy a bit of story with their romance alongside those who enjoy atmosphere more than erotica. I look forward to seeing more of Australia with Lisa Henry in the next installment to the Emergency Services series.
anadomingos's review against another edition
4.0
It wasn't an easy book for me. It's a reality so different than mine. The book starts very slow but then picks up the pace. I really enjoyed the end. But I'm still thinking about an unanswered question, did anyone feed the cat???
ktcasa87's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 3.5 stars. This felt like a first book in a series, which I see after I finished it that it is! Interested to see where the series goes.
bookish_notes's review against another edition
5.0
I have read books by Lisa Henry before, but they've all been co-authored books. This is the first time I have picked up a solo book by the author and I loved this book. This might be my favorite from this author? This is an incredible book and I found myself reading this book all in one sitting because I could not put this book down.
Trigger warnings in this book include bullying, harassment, emotional abuse, and domestic violence. I recommend checking out the publisher's website for a more complete list of warnings.
As an American, I guess the blurb and the beginning of this story did confuse me for a few chapters. This is not set in Richmond, VA. This is actually set in a little town called Richmond in AUSTRALIA. This story is unabashedly Australian and I love it. There were quite a few words or phases that were unclear to me, but a quick Google search will answer all questions.
This story is about Gio and Jason. Gio has been demoted from his position in the city. Essentially. He's been taken off his police force in the big city and sent hours away to a small town where it's only him and one other police officer, Jason, on shift. Hence, the title - Two Man Station. The closest hospital is two hours away, and while it's a small enough town where nothing too bad ever happens, things can escalate that requires two officers to handle the job.
Gio is not happy. He's been bullied his way out of his position and thrown into the middle of nowhere. It's a whole new world for Gio in Richmond and Jason is not a guy who's easily messed with. Jason likes his job in the small town. Jason doesn't really know why Gio was reassigned to his station, but he's not really one to complain since he can't really do all the work himself.
This book is heartbreaking and the relationship is a slow burn. This story isn't fast-paced, but it does take you into the day-to-day life of what it means for two officers to work in a small rural town. I love small town books, so this was perfect for me. I loved the secondary characters, especially Jason's son Taylor.
It looks like there might be more books set in the Emergency Services universe and I can't wait to read them if they're anything like Two Man Station!
***Thanks to Riptide Publishing for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***
Trigger warnings in this book include bullying, harassment, emotional abuse, and domestic violence. I recommend checking out the publisher's website for a more complete list of warnings.
As an American, I guess the blurb and the beginning of this story did confuse me for a few chapters. This is not set in Richmond, VA. This is actually set in a little town called Richmond in AUSTRALIA. This story is unabashedly Australian and I love it. There were quite a few words or phases that were unclear to me, but a quick Google search will answer all questions.
This story is about Gio and Jason. Gio has been demoted from his position in the city. Essentially. He's been taken off his police force in the big city and sent hours away to a small town where it's only him and one other police officer, Jason, on shift. Hence, the title - Two Man Station. The closest hospital is two hours away, and while it's a small enough town where nothing too bad ever happens, things can escalate that requires two officers to handle the job.
Gio is not happy. He's been bullied his way out of his position and thrown into the middle of nowhere. It's a whole new world for Gio in Richmond and Jason is not a guy who's easily messed with. Jason likes his job in the small town. Jason doesn't really know why Gio was reassigned to his station, but he's not really one to complain since he can't really do all the work himself.
This book is heartbreaking and the relationship is a slow burn. This story isn't fast-paced, but it does take you into the day-to-day life of what it means for two officers to work in a small rural town. I love small town books, so this was perfect for me. I loved the secondary characters, especially Jason's son Taylor.
It looks like there might be more books set in the Emergency Services universe and I can't wait to read them if they're anything like Two Man Station!
***Thanks to Riptide Publishing for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***
thelittledeath's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
missawn's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up ...
I enjoyed this tremendously. Compelling and engaging ... but not without some notable flaws. First, the chemistry relied rather heavily on physical attractiveness but there was still plenty of chemistry ...
This is a lovely slow burn romance ...
What I probably enjoyed the most was the really great setting and the interesting cast of characters. Both are exceptionally well done. There was a heavy focus on the MCs respective exes which is not something I particularly enjoy ... that and kids ... the cute factor is often overdone but thankfully that was not the case here. The balance between cute and heartwarming was nicely executed and supported the story without too much melodrama. But there were some inconsistencies that I found distracting. I wasn't all the keen on the blurred lines between doing the right thing and breaking the law ... it made me a uncomfortable that at times they felt like they were above the law and I not really okay with that ... and of course the inappropriate workplace relationship around which this book is centered (always a tough pill for me to swallow). That part did not feel particularly believable and/or was not particularly complimentary to either MC's judgement/character. Then there were the strange eddly timed, out of the blue revelations
If you can get past that then this is a great read ... the ending did not exactly carry the momentum of earlier chapters but I did enjoy this book very much ...
I enjoyed this tremendously. Compelling and engaging ... but not without some notable flaws. First, the chemistry relied rather heavily on physical attractiveness but there was still plenty of chemistry ...
This is a lovely slow burn romance ...
What I probably enjoyed the most was the really great setting and the interesting cast of characters. Both are exceptionally well done. There was a heavy focus on the MCs respective exes which is not something I particularly enjoy ... that and kids ... the cute factor is often overdone but thankfully that was not the case here. The balance between cute and heartwarming was nicely executed and supported the story without too much melodrama. But there were some inconsistencies that I found distracting. I wasn't all the keen on the blurred lines between doing the right thing and breaking the law ... it made me a uncomfortable that at times they felt like they were above the law and I not really okay with that ... and of course the inappropriate workplace relationship around which this book is centered (always a tough pill for me to swallow). That part did not feel particularly believable and/or was not particularly complimentary to either MC's judgement/character. Then there were the strange eddly timed, out of the blue revelations
Spoiler
Jason's sexuality was rather abruptly revealed when he makes a sudden pass at Gio and then his kinky threesome history while he's in hospital recovering from a nearly fatal incident ... odd!If you can get past that then this is a great read ... the ending did not exactly carry the momentum of earlier chapters but I did enjoy this book very much ...
cindaren's review against another edition
4.75
I love anything Lisa Henry writes. This was a quick read, driven by interesting characters and a great story. I love that a lot of times Lisa's HEAs don't mean every wrong is righted, but that bearing the aftermath of a wrong is possible with the right person(s) at your side to help you share the burden.