dermkat 's review for:

Stirring Spurs by M.A. Wardell

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This is the first in a four novella series set at Rainbow Ranch, a welcoming, inclusive ranch in Oklahoma by the Adams siblings, all of them queer themselves. We start with Boone, one of the twins who are the oldest, who doesn't work with the animals and runs the kitchen instead. Their newest ranch hand, Wylie, arrives and the two men are immediately attracted to one another. Through good, flirting, time under the stars, connecting over familial loss, and lots of kissing (and then more), the men fall for one another all while knowing Wylie usually only stays until the rodeo is done at each ranch he works at. I've enjoyed all of this author's books and this one was good, too. I'm pretty sure he described it as Brokeback Mountain but where queerness is celebrated and they don't have to quit each other, and I'd say that's accurate! Didn't feel too short as a novella, which is great, and really set up the rest of the characters well, so I'm intrigued to see how the other authors (only one of which I've read before) do with theirs.