Scan barcode
a_reader_obsessed's review
3.0
3 Hearts
There’s not much to say about this simple story, but if you like established couples then this is probably the best thing to scratch that itch.
Like the blurb states, Elliot and Clay are in a long term relationship, hard at work for an oil company grabbing any extra shifts in order to save money to fix up their remote cabin for future use. However, when the oil economy tanks, their plans change and they decide to go off grid and retire. Do these two have what it takes to give up their luxuries, as well as basic amenities to live off the land??
To say the least, Elliot and Clay are both tested personally and within their relationship as they face the expected and unexpected trials of fixing up a dilapidated cabin and bringing it up to date so that they can live in comfort. Add in some run-ins with fickle Mother Nature and some understandable doubts about whether they can actually accomplish their goals in time, their forced prolonged proximity brings out the best and the worst in both men.
Despite the challenges Elliot and Clay face, this was relatively angst free with a nice dash of smexy. Again, I don’t mind reading about established couples and this nicely showcased two guys who are committed to their dream and to each other. Very easy reading.
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
There’s not much to say about this simple story, but if you like established couples then this is probably the best thing to scratch that itch.
Like the blurb states, Elliot and Clay are in a long term relationship, hard at work for an oil company grabbing any extra shifts in order to save money to fix up their remote cabin for future use. However, when the oil economy tanks, their plans change and they decide to go off grid and retire. Do these two have what it takes to give up their luxuries, as well as basic amenities to live off the land??
To say the least, Elliot and Clay are both tested personally and within their relationship as they face the expected and unexpected trials of fixing up a dilapidated cabin and bringing it up to date so that they can live in comfort. Add in some run-ins with fickle Mother Nature and some understandable doubts about whether they can actually accomplish their goals in time, their forced prolonged proximity brings out the best and the worst in both men.
Despite the challenges Elliot and Clay face, this was relatively angst free with a nice dash of smexy. Again, I don’t mind reading about established couples and this nicely showcased two guys who are committed to their dream and to each other. Very easy reading.
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
suze_1624's review
3.0
Easy reading, low angst story - the blurb covers it.
It is a fairly short story and certainly kept me engaged. Other than the weather and the fixing up elements it is a character based story - not normally my thing but enjoyed this one.
Now a paradox - I would have liked more of the fixing up, more about the guys themselves, the working through that first tough winter, finding out about the errors they had to learn from.....but that would have made it longer and without another hook, I probably wouldn’t be happy reading so much character based story!
So for me, I guess this is a perfect length!
It is a fairly short story and certainly kept me engaged. Other than the weather and the fixing up elements it is a character based story - not normally my thing but enjoyed this one.
Now a paradox - I would have liked more of the fixing up, more about the guys themselves, the working through that first tough winter, finding out about the errors they had to learn from.....but that would have made it longer and without another hook, I probably wouldn’t be happy reading so much character based story!
So for me, I guess this is a perfect length!
the_novel_approach's review
3.0
SJD Peterson’s Going Off Grid is part of Dreamspinner Press’s States of Love series, which I have enjoyed very much overall. Peterson’s addition to the line features North Dakota as the state where our MCs are in love, but it wasn’t featured as heavily as some of the other states have been, which was sort of a bummer. Part of the enjoyment of the series for me has been learning about areas of the country I haven’t visited, or connecting on a fun level with places I have. I would have loved to have more of a sense of where the cabin was, or some other fun knowledge about North Dakota.
I did like the premise of the book a lot; I loved the idea of Elliott and Clay turning the misfortune of their job loss into an opportunity to go after their dream early. And all the stuff about them working on making the cabin livable and homey was great. The author did a good job of bringing the renovation project to life. And, I really loved Clay’s backstory of his close relationship with his Papa, and his special ties to the cabin. Those background details gave the story so much heart. Clay’s memories of growing up going to the cabin were lovely.
Overall, I thought this was a cute read. I enjoyed it while I was in the moment, but it lacked that oomph I was hoping for that would make it stand out. For me, this was one of those books that was good but not great, and where the MCs were both likeable but there was no stand out favorite, and I didn’t really feel the connection between them. Again, it was good, it just wasn’t great.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
I did like the premise of the book a lot; I loved the idea of Elliott and Clay turning the misfortune of their job loss into an opportunity to go after their dream early. And all the stuff about them working on making the cabin livable and homey was great. The author did a good job of bringing the renovation project to life. And, I really loved Clay’s backstory of his close relationship with his Papa, and his special ties to the cabin. Those background details gave the story so much heart. Clay’s memories of growing up going to the cabin were lovely.
Overall, I thought this was a cute read. I enjoyed it while I was in the moment, but it lacked that oomph I was hoping for that would make it stand out. For me, this was one of those books that was good but not great, and where the MCs were both likeable but there was no stand out favorite, and I didn’t really feel the connection between them. Again, it was good, it just wasn’t great.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
cadiva's review
4.0
Full review to come.
This is the first full length book I've read by SJD Peterson and I have to say, I really liked their style of writing and the whole narrative of this book.
It's part of Dreamspinner Press' States of Love series, each book set in an American state and with characteristics unique to that geographical location. This one is in the deep heart of rural North Dakota.
There's not, actually, a lot to the story, it's two men who've worked hard long hours, hardly seeing each other for more than a snatched day or so having a dream to go off grid and live out their early retirement in a cabin in the woods.
And that's it, but it's also more than that, it's a story about romance, about love, about compromise and hard work, about making sacrifices for the ones you love, about finding true peace and about working with nature to create your own perfect piece of paradise.
It's relatively low on steam but there's a couple of scenes which burn the pages for a short time and there is so much love between the two that the sex really is just a bonus. I loved Clay and Elliott and I like to picture them out on their porch, Little Man the obnoxious cat out chasing leaves, sipping their coffee and enjoying the life.
Grab your copy from Dreamspinner here: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/going-off-grid-by-sjd-peterson-9469-b
#ARC kindly provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
This is the first full length book I've read by SJD Peterson and I have to say, I really liked their style of writing and the whole narrative of this book.
It's part of Dreamspinner Press' States of Love series, each book set in an American state and with characteristics unique to that geographical location. This one is in the deep heart of rural North Dakota.
There's not, actually, a lot to the story, it's two men who've worked hard long hours, hardly seeing each other for more than a snatched day or so having a dream to go off grid and live out their early retirement in a cabin in the woods.
And that's it, but it's also more than that, it's a story about romance, about love, about compromise and hard work, about making sacrifices for the ones you love, about finding true peace and about working with nature to create your own perfect piece of paradise.
It's relatively low on steam but there's a couple of scenes which burn the pages for a short time and there is so much love between the two that the sex really is just a bonus. I loved Clay and Elliott and I like to picture them out on their porch, Little Man the obnoxious cat out chasing leaves, sipping their coffee and enjoying the life.
Grab your copy from Dreamspinner here: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/going-off-grid-by-sjd-peterson-9469-b
#ARC kindly provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
relly's review
4.0
Enjoyable
4 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this one. I’ve been thinking lately how great it would be to live away from everyone. I’m not sure I could do completely off the grid like the guys did, but I enjoyed the work they put into getting the cabin ready and that everything didn’t miraculously work out fine first time.
4 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this one. I’ve been thinking lately how great it would be to live away from everyone. I’m not sure I could do completely off the grid like the guys did, but I enjoyed the work they put into getting the cabin ready and that everything didn’t miraculously work out fine first time.
More...