A review by red3horn
Buckled by Pam Godwin

I can't begin to put together the words to say how much I loved this book. What am I saying? Of course I can! Are you ready to ramble?

I loved Conor and Jake's story but it was a story about true, enduring forever love. This? This was about finding what you never knew you could have and fighting to keep it.

Goodness. It's been a long time since I considered any man in a book to be a book boyfriend but let me tell you, Jarret Hoslten is my damn book boyfriend. The man is full on alpha, sexy as all get out, a ridiculous hopeless romantic and stubborn as a mule. He loves so damn hard and protects who he loves with a tenacity that will make you agree to any deal he throws at you. Jarret is amazing and his love for a lost girl named Maybe Quinn is absolutely stunning.

I have to tell you, this is not a stand alone book. You must read Knotted before this so you understand the loyalty and dynamics with Jarret, Jake, Conor and Lorne. While we get deeper into the man Jarret is in this, you have to know what he has gone through to understand the dark things he has done. You really need to know because when a twist gets thrown into this story it will sucker punch you hard and you will love it.

Yup. This book was amazing and I can’t get the stupid grin off my face from it nor wonder why
Spoilerthere is no really good cowboy porn out there. All the porn is about cowgirls and dammit, that’s a fucking (pun intended) shame. Sorry, got off track there but really, can we do better about sexy cowboys? This book demands there be sexy cowboy porn. Okay?
Anyway. I absolutely fell in love with Jarett and Maybe. I love how in tune the Hoslten boys are to silent emotions. The twins don’t need a lot of words to express how they are feeling or to hear words to catch on to who someone is. From the first meeting  Jarret is intrigued by Maybe and her claim to want the story of what happened when they were sixteen but her demeanor, her stubborn pride and his instincts to what she shows him lets Jarret know there is more to this “reporter” than she lets on.

I adored Maybe for a few reasons but one that stands out is how she stands up for herself. I love that the author made her a vegetarian who isn’t on level 10. What I mean by that is there are some people who go to the extreme when they have a different view on something like their diet but Maybe didn’t. You see, I have been Vegan for 23 years and I have been married to someone who isn’t for almost 17 of those years and I am okay with that. Life isn’t perfect and sure, it’s stuff of fairy tales for like-minded or diet minded folk to fall in love but would I miss out on the love of my life for the way we choose to eat? No. He knows where I stand with my ethical decision to not eat meat and he respects it and doesn’t try to change me and I do the same for him. We’ve found a balance, he knows the things that tear at my heart when it comes to how animals are treated in the agriculture business and he empathizes with my heartache. I do love that Maybe stands up for herself to Conor, Jake and Jarret that first morning when they give her shit about not eating meat and I love her idea of rescuing all the chickens and creating a sanctuary. But while I love Maybe for not changing who she is and standing up for what she believes, I fell hard for Jarret when he doesn’t try to change her. The way Jarret sees Maybe being a vegetarian and him being a cowboy rancher raising cattle for slaughter… it’s all about respect. He gives in when she asks for Chicken (the calf) and makes her microwave oatmeal when everyone else is shoveling bacon and eggs into their mouths without asking her if she needs anything. He knows what Maybe needs. He doesn’t just want this woman in his bed, he is prepared to wrap his head, heart and arms around her to love her and respect her before a single declaration or vow is made. The author did amazing with this and oh boy did my hopeless romantic heart clench when Jarret is so
Spoiler distraught over losing Maybe that he gets nauseous at the thought of eating meat.
That folks is a man head over feet I love!

I can keep going on and on about this book, about Maybe and Jarret and how organically they came together. The way the work on the ranch was like a well-choreographed dance that led right into the bedroom. These two complement each other on every level and they are electric with those storms. Yup. Storms do something to them and I am here for what it does. I want to sit down and talk about everything in this book. About the secrets they both keep from each other and about how it all comes to light. How the twist I wasn’t prepared for made me so nervous to the way both Maybe and Jarret would handle it, to the separation and what Jarret does that rivals some of the BEST romantic gestures in books and movies. The horn honking deal had me thinking of Pretty Woman, the standing in the rain had me thinking of … gah! Just everything. Jarret is so fucking romantic I have to come out of book boyfriend hiatus to claim him even if he’s only 24 years old.

Jake and Conor were great to see of course and the buildup to Lorne’s book has me on edge. What the ever loving fuck was Raina doing with John Holsten and why was she in that condition at the end of the book? I can’t wait for Lorne to get his long overdue HEA.

Man, this book and this series seriously have my emotion’s all tied up and I love it. This series is my first taste of Pam Goodwin and I am definitely going to check out her backlist and marinate in it. But first, it’s time for Lorne’s book so I’ll be back.