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bookschaosnart's review
4.0
second chance at life, friends to more as they feel each other out to avoid past mistakes they've both made in previous relationships, a bit of a mystery.
romitoak's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kindlemmromancereader's review
5.0
***ARC Review***
This is my honest review for the ARC I received.
This story sucked me in right away. There’s a mystery that needs to be solved. There’s relatable and heartwarming characters. There’s forced proximity. There’s a beautiful Colorado landscape.
Kieran is out for revenge. (There are a few The Count of Monte Cristo references in this book). He’s just served 20 months for a crime he didn’t commit. Finley is on a relationship hiatus. He’s been burned by bad and/or broken boys one too many times and no longer trusts his judgment.
The pair meet at Redemption Ridge, a ranch that rehabilitates horses and dogs. Finley is the equine supervisor at the ranch. He is extremely good with horses. Kieran has been hired there after doing work with the Arrowhead Correctional Center K9 program, which features Cash, the ranch owner’s, dogs. Kieran is a natural with animals as well. Cash starts him working with Finley and the horses.
Despite their prior baggage, both MCs have an immediate attraction to one another. They try to resist it but feel pulled to one another. The pair bond (Finley manages to get Kieran to open up) and their emotional connection eventually gives way to a physical relationship. This book is a delicious slow burn that crackles with chemistry and innuendo. The steamy moments between the duo don’t occur until the 64% mark, but by then the physical component is just icing on the cake to their overall connection.
While Finley and Kieran have explosive chemistry, it’s their vulnerability that makes them really stand out. Kieran has built a wall to protect himself from all of the people who have abandoned him or let him down. Finley wears his heart on his sleeve. Both men undergo an emotional journey in this novel. I really liked how they were able to talk to and lean on one another. These MCs tug on your heartstrings.
There’s a wonderful nod to found family in this book. The men at the ranch are great side characters. I’m excited to see what transpires in Ivan’s book (up next in the series) and Cash’s book after that. Finley’s mom Hope provides comedic relief in the story. His sister Harry is a spitfire. Walker provides strong character bonds, emotional acuity, engaging dialogue, and great pacing in this book. It was a wonderful start to a series and I’ll definitely come back for more.
This is my honest review for the ARC I received.
This story sucked me in right away. There’s a mystery that needs to be solved. There’s relatable and heartwarming characters. There’s forced proximity. There’s a beautiful Colorado landscape.
Kieran is out for revenge. (There are a few The Count of Monte Cristo references in this book). He’s just served 20 months for a crime he didn’t commit. Finley is on a relationship hiatus. He’s been burned by bad and/or broken boys one too many times and no longer trusts his judgment.
The pair meet at Redemption Ridge, a ranch that rehabilitates horses and dogs. Finley is the equine supervisor at the ranch. He is extremely good with horses. Kieran has been hired there after doing work with the Arrowhead Correctional Center K9 program, which features Cash, the ranch owner’s, dogs. Kieran is a natural with animals as well. Cash starts him working with Finley and the horses.
Despite their prior baggage, both MCs have an immediate attraction to one another. They try to resist it but feel pulled to one another. The pair bond (Finley manages to get Kieran to open up) and their emotional connection eventually gives way to a physical relationship. This book is a delicious slow burn that crackles with chemistry and innuendo. The steamy moments between the duo don’t occur until the 64% mark, but by then the physical component is just icing on the cake to their overall connection.
While Finley and Kieran have explosive chemistry, it’s their vulnerability that makes them really stand out. Kieran has built a wall to protect himself from all of the people who have abandoned him or let him down. Finley wears his heart on his sleeve. Both men undergo an emotional journey in this novel. I really liked how they were able to talk to and lean on one another. These MCs tug on your heartstrings.
There’s a wonderful nod to found family in this book. The men at the ranch are great side characters. I’m excited to see what transpires in Ivan’s book (up next in the series) and Cash’s book after that. Finley’s mom Hope provides comedic relief in the story. His sister Harry is a spitfire. Walker provides strong character bonds, emotional acuity, engaging dialogue, and great pacing in this book. It was a wonderful start to a series and I’ll definitely come back for more.
secret_librarian's review
4.0
Rating: 4
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 3rd person
Guys Like Him was a slow burn romance with revenge / redemption themes and a lot of delicious tension!
Kieran’s backstory certainly had my curiosity peaked, and I liked how his past was revealed bit by bit. He was pretty grumpy and standoffish at first, which was understandable considering what he’d been through. He and Finley had great chemistry from the start, I loved the tension between them and how it built for a while before they just couldn’t resist each other anymore.
It was so sweet to see them flirting and getting to know each other, and I loved the lighter, humorous moments that were there as well. There were a lot of animals in the story, and the way both Kieran and Finley were with the horses, along with the way they connected with them was lovely to read.
Kieran and Finley’s story was easy to get intrigued by and I really like the setting and premise of this series. I’m definitely curious to see what Aimee Nicole Walker will come up with next!
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 3rd person
Guys Like Him was a slow burn romance with revenge / redemption themes and a lot of delicious tension!
Kieran’s backstory certainly had my curiosity peaked, and I liked how his past was revealed bit by bit. He was pretty grumpy and standoffish at first, which was understandable considering what he’d been through. He and Finley had great chemistry from the start, I loved the tension between them and how it built for a while before they just couldn’t resist each other anymore.
It was so sweet to see them flirting and getting to know each other, and I loved the lighter, humorous moments that were there as well. There were a lot of animals in the story, and the way both Kieran and Finley were with the horses, along with the way they connected with them was lovely to read.
Kieran and Finley’s story was easy to get intrigued by and I really like the setting and premise of this series. I’m definitely curious to see what Aimee Nicole Walker will come up with next!
teenykins's review
DNF @ 44%
Truth be told it has been some years since the last time I tried Aimee's books. The first time around I wasn't a fun of the writing style, I have issues with the name of a characters being mentions 1000 times per page. But since it has been years since my one and only try with Aimee, I thought it was time to re-try.
This time around it wasn't the writing style that stymied me, but the story telling.
First of all there is an abundance of Irish/Gaelic names, most of them starting with K. Yes, not all of them are MCs or even secondary characters but in 20 or so pages we have a Keegan, a Kieran, a Kellan and a Finley... do I count the red-headed giant named Ivan? Yes Ivan isn't an Irish/Gaelic name but the whole giant ginger thing is.... anywayyys.... so things like that are so on the nose for me that draw my notice and I'm thrown off the story.
Next was the fact that every other sentence in Finley's POV was his abstinence from sex and bad boys, how he has sworn to himself he won't put his heart on the line with bad boys, how bad boys do it for him, how he can't resist bad boys but oh his bruised hearts, and oh look! A new bad boy is in town and he howls for his attention and love!!!
OMG!!! The howls and the coyotes and the lone... coyote thing!!! NO!!! It is not sexy, it is not tagging heart strings, it does not bring Alpha/mate things to mind, it is a contemporary story with no fantasy elements so let's stop the Alpha/mate thing!! Possessive I can do, to a degree, but this was not it!
Kieran had a reason why he went to Redemption Ridge and up till the point I DNFed it, he had thrown an opportunity or two to do something about it. Not only that though, it seemed, just like Finley, the pheromones are strong in RR in spring and neither can think anything else but about sex. They work, they eat, they sleep and all the while they think about sex, and they have minimal conversations.
So my interest waned while I was getting irritated from all the coyote/lone/howl mentions and the constant sex musings.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Truth be told it has been some years since the last time I tried Aimee's books. The first time around I wasn't a fun of the writing style, I have issues with the name of a characters being mentions 1000 times per page. But since it has been years since my one and only try with Aimee, I thought it was time to re-try.
This time around it wasn't the writing style that stymied me, but the story telling.
First of all there is an abundance of Irish/Gaelic names, most of them starting with K. Yes, not all of them are MCs or even secondary characters but in 20 or so pages we have a Keegan, a Kieran, a Kellan and a Finley... do I count the red-headed giant named Ivan? Yes Ivan isn't an Irish/Gaelic name but the whole giant ginger thing is.... anywayyys.... so things like that are so on the nose for me that draw my notice and I'm thrown off the story.
Next was the fact that every other sentence in Finley's POV was his abstinence from sex and bad boys, how he has sworn to himself he won't put his heart on the line with bad boys, how bad boys do it for him, how he can't resist bad boys but oh his bruised hearts, and oh look! A new bad boy is in town and he howls for his attention and love!!!
OMG!!! The howls and the coyotes and the lone... coyote thing!!! NO!!! It is not sexy, it is not tagging heart strings, it does not bring Alpha/mate things to mind, it is a contemporary story with no fantasy elements so let's stop the Alpha/mate thing!! Possessive I can do, to a degree, but this was not it!
Kieran had a reason why he went to Redemption Ridge and up till the point I DNFed it, he had thrown an opportunity or two to do something about it. Not only that though, it seemed, just like Finley, the pheromones are strong in RR in spring and neither can think anything else but about sex. They work, they eat, they sleep and all the while they think about sex, and they have minimal conversations.
So my interest waned while I was getting irritated from all the coyote/lone/howl mentions and the constant sex musings.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
elizabethbaker's review
3.0
DNF @ 56%. The cover is stunning and the blurb sounded great but I just couldn't finish this one. The writing style was too descriptive and detailed on things that weren't super relevant to the story. There were a ton of characters and clearly this book is a setup for the rest of the series, but I wanted more focus on the main characters. The slow burn was frustrating because basically all we know about these guys is how much they want to jump each other's bones, but it was taking forever. I like slow burn but something about it for these two felt off and annoying.
With that said, it was well written and I think others would enjoy this book. It just wasn't my particular cup of tea.
With that said, it was well written and I think others would enjoy this book. It just wasn't my particular cup of tea.
brittaddictedtobooks's review
4.0
Very sweet. This is a new to me author and I’ll definitely read more from her. It was a good balance of in relationship issues and external stuff and wasn’t too angsty.
robinsease's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
letstalkaboutpaiges's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Gah I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one!! I know that I’ll love everything that Aimee writes, and this was no different. The lone coyote and pack references threw me a bit (can you tell I’m coming off a shifter romance kick?), but seeing Kieran find his place made me so happy. And oh Fin. Sweet spicy no filter Fin. Talk about an entry!
Beyond just being a really great story, this was a flawless series opener. I’m now fully invested in everyone on the ranch, without it feeling like there was a super obvious “welcome to the cast of characters” setup. So well done!
Beyond just being a really great story, this was a flawless series opener. I’m now fully invested in everyone on the ranch, without it feeling like there was a super obvious “welcome to the cast of characters” setup. So well done!
ktk8's review
2.0
So. This one was hard. It took me a while to get through it. I persisted because the plot made me curious to know how the end would come about. However the writing was difficult for me. Odd words, or wrong words would jar me out of the book… (can one person be a cohort nudging you, sitting next to you in a truck??)
The characters were not super believable for me. We are told about the emotional issues but then the behaviour doesn’t really support what we are told. And there were at least 3 epilogue-y endings where I thought I had got to the end end. But there was more. And then a bit more. And then the next protagonists for the series were introduced in the next little bit more.
Having said that, because of the storyline set up , I AM actually curious and somewhat invested to know what happens in the next book. I’ll have to have a think about whether I get it or not though because the writing WAS hard for me to get through.
The characters were not super believable for me. We are told about the emotional issues but then the behaviour doesn’t really support what we are told. And there were at least 3 epilogue-y endings where I thought I had got to the end end. But there was more. And then a bit more. And then the next protagonists for the series were introduced in the next little bit more.
Having said that, because of the storyline set up , I AM actually curious and somewhat invested to know what happens in the next book. I’ll have to have a think about whether I get it or not though because the writing WAS hard for me to get through.