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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I tried to read it again but was bored. Knowing what is to come made it hard to keep me interested. I liked how the option to leave is often mentioned. I liked the parts about the disability and family. And disliked all the stories being told.
Read September 2015: 5 stars
I loved it.
I loved Jimmy and I loved Shane and I loved Rattlesnake.
And I love Kim Fielding :D
Re-read April 2021: 4 stars
I didn't remember anything about the book, but it failed to grab me this time around. That's not to say Kim Fielding doesn't squeeze you by the heart, because she does, every time.
I loved it.
I loved Jimmy and I loved Shane and I loved Rattlesnake.
And I love Kim Fielding :D
Re-read April 2021: 4 stars
I didn't remember anything about the book, but it failed to grab me this time around. That's not to say Kim Fielding doesn't squeeze you by the heart, because she does, every time.
I loved this book I can't even remember what took me so long to read it. Shane was the best his personality really won me over I wanted him and Jimmy to have a happy ending so badly. I even had to use a couple of kleenex for this book. LOL
It took a while for me to get into this story. I really liked the 2 MC's but their story was a little lacking in some areas for me. For a book where not much happens (and I am totally fine with that) it didn't pack enough of an emotional punch overall. I wanted more from the ending too.
I'm not sure this author suits my tastes but I can see why others enjoy her work.
I'm not sure this author suits my tastes but I can see why others enjoy her work.
I loved this. James is on the road, wandering place to place, homeless and forgotten. He picks up a lonely old man and agrees to take him to Rattlesnake, a small podunk town in the middle of nowhere, to find his son. On his way there, the old man dies. With nowhere else to go and a forgotten note on the floor of his car, Jimmy decides to keep his promise and deliver the letter in Tom's place. What he doesn't expect is Shane Little, Tom's gorgeous and sweet son.
This was heart-wrenching and wonderful. Two men, beaten down and broken by circumstance helping each other heal. Society may look at Shane as the disabled partner, but the way he heals and puts Jimmy back together a bit at a time is lovely and soothing.
A novel about healing, redemption, hope, and survival.
Themes: Homelessness, disability, podunk America, h/c, depression, chronic pain, hope, love, hea.
This was heart-wrenching and wonderful. Two men, beaten down and broken by circumstance helping each other heal. Society may look at Shane as the disabled partner, but the way he heals and puts Jimmy back together a bit at a time is lovely and soothing.
A novel about healing, redemption, hope, and survival.
Themes: Homelessness, disability, podunk America, h/c, depression, chronic pain, hope, love, hea.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Contemporary MM romance told in past tense, third person singular POV. It’s obvious that Fielding has thoroughly researched homelessness, and her attention to detail lends verisimilitude to Jimmy’s character. Shane has chronic pain and a traumatic brain injury after a car crash, and this is also well handled IMO.
There’s an element of found family and community building, which happens organically and feels true to the way the setting and characters have been established. Rattlesnake is a very character-driven story about two broken people finding peace with one another. I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
I'm happy the characters actually had some character. Their stories weren't mind-blowing or all that unique, but serviceable and interesting enough. My favorite thing about this book is probably how the conflict related to Jimmy's should-I-stay-or-should-I-go problem was handled. Instead of Shane being demanding and over-dramatic, he wanted what was best for Jimmy. The climax felt a lot calmer and better handled than in a lot of romance novels. All in all, everything felt...reasonable, I think is the best word. And that's nice. Not everything needs to be a super high stakes blowout.
Also, apologies to people named Jimmy, but Jimmy is a ridiculous name. I can't take it seriously. Particularly in this context, it just sounds like the name of a character from bad porn. Jimmy. Seriously.
Also, apologies to people named Jimmy, but Jimmy is a ridiculous name. I can't take it seriously. Particularly in this context, it just sounds like the name of a character from bad porn. Jimmy. Seriously.
4.5 Stars
Jimmy Dorsett is a drifter. He's doesn't have any family that he's in contact with and he's spent most of his life on the road, going from one city or town to another. He sometimes stays for a few months, gets a job to make some money, then he's off again. It's not a glamorous life but it's the one he's chosen and is comfortable with it. He can't stay in one place for long.
Then he picks up an old hitchhiker who's trying to deliver a letter to the son he abandoned. But then the guys dies in Jimmy's truck and Jimmy can't help but want to deliver the letter. It takes him to the town of Rattlesnake and to Shane, the guy's son. Shane is a bartender. He's charming, resilient and optimistic despite the accident that injured his leg gravely enough that he'll never walk without pain or a limp. Shane is also very persistent about seducing Jimmy and you can't help but love him.
This book is from Jimmy's perspective (third person) and usually, in cases like this, you spend a lot of time wondering what the other guy is thinking. But Shane is so open and cards-on-the-table that I didn't have to wonder. I knew he liked Jimmy and wanted him to stay because his actions and words made that clear. And I, being a lover of honesty and transparency, couldn't get enough of him.
Jimmy was more complicated. He was adamant about the kind of life he thought he wanted and about not staying. And see, while I wanted him to stay and live happily ever after, I understood the desire to go. I could relate to him because it's something that I want as well. So even though he was stubborn, I understood him and he didn't annoy me. Besides, he was never an ass about leaving. He was always so kind and the perfect gentleman. His desire to leave was more about his own distrust of life and his insecurities than about the people he was leaving behind. I liked both Jimmy and Shane a lot. Great characters.
Also, Jimmy told stories. Most of them were probably made up but they were fascinating. This entire book was fascinating. It's written very beautifully and the details about the life of travel and about the town of Rattlesnake were so vivid, I felt like I was there. It's a book that immerses you in the setting and makes you care.
The isn't a dramatic story. It's very ordinary and feels homey, almost. I didn't love how things played out with the letter Jimmy was supposed to deliver and there was an epiphany that felt like too much of an epiphany (sorry if that makes no sense) but overall, this was a great book. I didn't cry through it like many readers did; it was more of a slow-burn, feel-good book for me, but that's a good thing. Books that make you cry are great too, but I prefer happier things. Definitely a story worth checking out.
Jimmy Dorsett is a drifter. He's doesn't have any family that he's in contact with and he's spent most of his life on the road, going from one city or town to another. He sometimes stays for a few months, gets a job to make some money, then he's off again. It's not a glamorous life but it's the one he's chosen and is comfortable with it. He can't stay in one place for long.
Then he picks up an old hitchhiker who's trying to deliver a letter to the son he abandoned. But then the guys dies in Jimmy's truck and Jimmy can't help but want to deliver the letter. It takes him to the town of Rattlesnake and to Shane, the guy's son. Shane is a bartender. He's charming, resilient and optimistic despite the accident that injured his leg gravely enough that he'll never walk without pain or a limp. Shane is also very persistent about seducing Jimmy and you can't help but love him.
This book is from Jimmy's perspective (third person) and usually, in cases like this, you spend a lot of time wondering what the other guy is thinking. But Shane is so open and cards-on-the-table that I didn't have to wonder. I knew he liked Jimmy and wanted him to stay because his actions and words made that clear. And I, being a lover of honesty and transparency, couldn't get enough of him.
Jimmy was more complicated. He was adamant about the kind of life he thought he wanted and about not staying. And see, while I wanted him to stay and live happily ever after, I understood the desire to go. I could relate to him because it's something that I want as well. So even though he was stubborn, I understood him and he didn't annoy me. Besides, he was never an ass about leaving. He was always so kind and the perfect gentleman. His desire to leave was more about his own distrust of life and his insecurities than about the people he was leaving behind. I liked both Jimmy and Shane a lot. Great characters.
Also, Jimmy told stories. Most of them were probably made up but they were fascinating. This entire book was fascinating. It's written very beautifully and the details about the life of travel and about the town of Rattlesnake were so vivid, I felt like I was there. It's a book that immerses you in the setting and makes you care.
The isn't a dramatic story. It's very ordinary and feels homey, almost. I didn't love how things played out with the letter Jimmy was supposed to deliver and there was an epiphany that felt like too much of an epiphany (sorry if that makes no sense) but overall, this was a great book. I didn't cry through it like many readers did; it was more of a slow-burn, feel-good book for me, but that's a good thing. Books that make you cry are great too, but I prefer happier things. Definitely a story worth checking out.
This was just perfect. Not a lot of action, no big misunderstandings, just a slow, satisfying love story.