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The Fall #2
Riding Tall
Sequel to The Fall
Joe Sutton and Scott Mackenzie have ridden off into the sunset, but they wake to the cruel light of reality. Joe loves his family, even with the addition of three neighbors orphaned by a house fire. He loves the land that has supported them for generations. While there’s plenty of room left in his heart for Mackenzie, Joe must make room for him in his life.
Tired of taking and determined not to depend on another sugar daddy, Mackenzie returns to modeling in the city, but the wild clubs he once loved aren’t home anymore. Yet things aren’t right back at the ranch either. Joe is no longer the man he knew. Before the love of his life reaches his breaking point, Mackenzie must convince Joe he’s not lazy if he takes a break and not weak if he needs a little help. Finding the balance between give and take might leave them time for happily ever after.
Joe Sutton and Scott Mackenzie have ridden off into the sunset, but they wake to the cruel light of reality. Joe loves his family, even with the addition of three neighbors orphaned by a house fire. He loves the land that has supported them for generations. While there’s plenty of room left in his heart for Mackenzie, Joe must make room for him in his life.
Tired of taking and determined not to depend on another sugar daddy, Mackenzie returns to modeling in the city, but the wild clubs he once loved aren’t home anymore. Yet things aren’t right back at the ranch either. Joe is no longer the man he knew. Before the love of his life reaches his breaking point, Mackenzie must convince Joe he’s not lazy if he takes a break and not weak if he needs a little help. Finding the balance between give and take might leave them time for happily ever after.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2014
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253 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
February 3, 2014
I loved the first book, The Fall, so much because of the family oriented story that I jumped into reading this sequel – even if I thought the ending of The Fall was enough closure. I just can’t help it. I want to be with these men again, and the kids, and the community. Riding Tall is basically the story about how to make a relationship work, especially if your boyfriend is someone like Joe.
Joe had martyr syndrome, he felt responsible for everything and he felt guilty if things went wrong, especially for people he cared about. Sometimes he just frustrated the hell out of me. Especially when he excluded Mackenzie when it came to important decisions in regards to them and the family. It was like Joe still assumed that Mackenzie would love the city better and that he couldn’t provide what Mackenzie needed. I mean, SERIOUSLY, Joe!! Although I couldn’t get mad at Joe because he clearly was a family man. He loved his siblings. He loved Austin. He truly was a great guy.
So again, just like in book 1, Mackenzie became the endearing character, simply because he was willing to FIGHT for the chance of them becoming a family. Mackenzie realized that city didn’t give him happiness. Mackenzie refused to let Joe push him out of the door. The solution that Mackenzie provided which brought the whole community to help was proof of how I thought Mackenzie’s character development was slightly better than Joe’s. Oh, and that part, actually brought tears to my eyes. It touched me how the community was willing to help this kind rancher, who took strays and willing to open his house for abandoned kids.
This was the kind of story that worked REALLY well for me. The guys did talk about their issues; they tried to make things work (even if Joe could be stubborn). The foundation of it all was love and trust with each of the family members as the pillars to make this house a home.
It was beautiful and I was completely satisfied.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Joe had martyr syndrome, he felt responsible for everything and he felt guilty if things went wrong, especially for people he cared about. Sometimes he just frustrated the hell out of me. Especially when he excluded Mackenzie when it came to important decisions in regards to them and the family. It was like Joe still assumed that Mackenzie would love the city better and that he couldn’t provide what Mackenzie needed. I mean, SERIOUSLY, Joe!! Although I couldn’t get mad at Joe because he clearly was a family man. He loved his siblings. He loved Austin. He truly was a great guy.
So again, just like in book 1, Mackenzie became the endearing character, simply because he was willing to FIGHT for the chance of them becoming a family. Mackenzie realized that city didn’t give him happiness. Mackenzie refused to let Joe push him out of the door. The solution that Mackenzie provided which brought the whole community to help was proof of how I thought Mackenzie’s character development was slightly better than Joe’s. Oh, and that part, actually brought tears to my eyes. It touched me how the community was willing to help this kind rancher, who took strays and willing to open his house for abandoned kids.
This was the kind of story that worked REALLY well for me. The guys did talk about their issues; they tried to make things work (even if Joe could be stubborn). The foundation of it all was love and trust with each of the family members as the pillars to make this house a home.
It was beautiful and I was completely satisfied.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
February 8, 2014
I found myself getting angry more often than not while reading this installment. I wasn't just angry at Joe, but angry at the way this story plays out. Then I felt guilty about getting angry. I suppose I feel anger because I grew up in a similar dysfunctional family situation. I've been through the suddenly-an-orphan thing, and I would never wish upon Joe such a situation like the one he chose even if it meant I got to live with their awesome family.
I am sick and tired of the Saint Joe routine. Why does Joe feel it's his life's purpose to save EVERYBODY? People like Joe don't exist for a reason. Because they eventually burn out and fall apart. I found myself actually wishing Mackenzie would just go off to become a model in Europe or whatever just so I would get to stop reading about 'Saint Joe and the Never-ending Troubled Times of the Sutton-Walton Mish-Mash'.
I liked the family we got to know in the first book. I'm not sure why it was necessary to add another family to Joe's conscience? Of all the hardships a family can go through, the whole Walton family thing was exhausting in a disheartening way.
In the end, I felt emotionally drained and empty without any sense of concluding fulfillment. That little bit of happiness at the end felt thrown in, impermanent.
Sometimes, the most selfless thing you can do for someone else is to be a bit selfish yourself. I don't know if I can stomach another installment of Saint Joe's "selflessness". What's next: they become a halfway house? A refugee camp? A shelter for domestic abuse victims? The miserable possibilities seem endless.
I must sound like an asshole, but the point must be made. Life is unfair, obviously, but it doesn't have to be THIS unrelentingly unfair, and I'd rather not read about it.
I am sick and tired of the Saint Joe routine. Why does Joe feel it's his life's purpose to save EVERYBODY? People like Joe don't exist for a reason. Because they eventually burn out and fall apart. I found myself actually wishing Mackenzie would just go off to become a model in Europe or whatever just so I would get to stop reading about 'Saint Joe and the Never-ending Troubled Times of the Sutton-Walton Mish-Mash'.
I liked the family we got to know in the first book. I'm not sure why it was necessary to add another family to Joe's conscience? Of all the hardships a family can go through, the whole Walton family thing was exhausting in a disheartening way.
In the end, I felt emotionally drained and empty without any sense of concluding fulfillment. That little bit of happiness at the end felt thrown in, impermanent.
Sometimes, the most selfless thing you can do for someone else is to be a bit selfish yourself. I don't know if I can stomach another installment of Saint Joe's "selflessness". What's next: they become a halfway house? A refugee camp? A shelter for domestic abuse victims? The miserable possibilities seem endless.
I must sound like an asshole, but the point must be made. Life is unfair, obviously, but it doesn't have to be THIS unrelentingly unfair, and I'd rather not read about it.
August 9, 2016
I enjoyed the first book in this series quite a bit and while the sequel was enjoyable it didn't quite match up for me. I didn't think it was possible for Joe to feel more familial pressure but he does...almost crippling pressure. There were a lot of situations here where I felt Joe needed to step back and reassess with lesser expectations put on himself. I do love where the story ended up but there were times where I wondered if this was going to be the Empire Strikes Back of the series but thankfully there was no cliffhanger.
The story of these two men is definitely pushed forward here. Sometimes in good ways and sometimes in a hurtful ways which, I guess, is life. It's not all puppies and Christmas.
Austin remains adorable and I am looking forward to the next book but this definitely was a somber read for me.
The story of these two men is definitely pushed forward here. Sometimes in good ways and sometimes in a hurtful ways which, I guess, is life. It's not all puppies and Christmas.
Austin remains adorable and I am looking forward to the next book but this definitely was a somber read for me.
July 16, 2015
If I'm being honest, I'd have to say that I enjoyed this book more in theory than in reality.
For 85% of the book, Joe wanders around like a martyr, making unilateral, life-changing decisions that are in the best interest of everyone but himself and his relationship with Mackenzie. I get it: Joe is a man of strength and principal. He's community-minded. He's family oriented. He's a guy that feels responsible for the world and one that allows good old-fashioned guilt (however misplaced) to influence him.
At the same time, Mackenzie has essentially moved into Joe's family home, but still operates like he's single (or, at the very least, dating a man with zero responsibilities). He acts like a guest in Joe's home, allowing everyone around him to do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare, etc. When heavy shit hits the fan, he stays on the periphery, barely even offering up an opinion on the matter.
It's frustrating, because the two men definitely care about each other, but their relationship is NOT a partnership. As a reader, it was even more frustrating because the author didn't convince me that this relationship would have legs in the real world. No, I think the shit that got thrown at this couple happened too early in their relationship and was just too much for them to bear; in the real world, those two men would have been broken by this and someone - most likely Mackenzie - would have cut his losses and walked away.
In the climax of the book, Mackenzie FINALLY pulls his head out of his ass and decides to be proactive about something, marshaling his resources and coming up with a plan to make his life with Joe, his family, and the Waltons work. Joe FINALLY relents and accepts help from others. YAY! Here was the partnership that I was looking for! It was a good way to end.
Except.
Except that I STILL didn't feel as if Mackenzie was as invested in his chosen life as he would need to be to make things work in reality. I didn't feel the love or bond between him and the secondary characters; they still just felt like obstacles he had to put up with in order to be with Joe. And I had lost sight of what Joe saw in Mackenzie. Any spark the two men had had together in the first book seemed to be flickering in a low pool of wax, if not entirely extinguished.
So, this book was about the struggle and sacrifice that it takes to make a relationship work. In theory I should have enjoyed this more realistic look at what comes after the HFN. In reality, I was just exhausted by the whole thing and there wasn't enough "happy" to make this book the vehicle for escapism that I look for the material I read for pleasure.
For 85% of the book, Joe wanders around like a martyr, making unilateral, life-changing decisions that are in the best interest of everyone but himself and his relationship with Mackenzie. I get it: Joe is a man of strength and principal. He's community-minded. He's family oriented. He's a guy that feels responsible for the world and one that allows good old-fashioned guilt (however misplaced) to influence him.
At the same time, Mackenzie has essentially moved into Joe's family home, but still operates like he's single (or, at the very least, dating a man with zero responsibilities). He acts like a guest in Joe's home, allowing everyone around him to do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare, etc. When heavy shit hits the fan, he stays on the periphery, barely even offering up an opinion on the matter.
It's frustrating, because the two men definitely care about each other, but their relationship is NOT a partnership. As a reader, it was even more frustrating because the author didn't convince me that this relationship would have legs in the real world. No, I think the shit that got thrown at this couple happened too early in their relationship and was just too much for them to bear; in the real world, those two men would have been broken by this and someone - most likely Mackenzie - would have cut his losses and walked away.
In the climax of the book, Mackenzie FINALLY pulls his head out of his ass and decides to be proactive about something, marshaling his resources and coming up with a plan to make his life with Joe, his family, and the Waltons work. Joe FINALLY relents and accepts help from others. YAY! Here was the partnership that I was looking for! It was a good way to end.
Except.
Except that I STILL didn't feel as if Mackenzie was as invested in his chosen life as he would need to be to make things work in reality. I didn't feel the love or bond between him and the secondary characters; they still just felt like obstacles he had to put up with in order to be with Joe. And I had lost sight of what Joe saw in Mackenzie. Any spark the two men had had together in the first book seemed to be flickering in a low pool of wax, if not entirely extinguished.
So, this book was about the struggle and sacrifice that it takes to make a relationship work. In theory I should have enjoyed this more realistic look at what comes after the HFN. In reality, I was just exhausted by the whole thing and there wasn't enough "happy" to make this book the vehicle for escapism that I look for the material I read for pleasure.
February 9, 2014
Joe is a fixer, the kind of guy who feels that love requires him to smooth and take care of problems for everyone he cares about. But he also has a touch of ego that assumes he knows what "smooth" and "taken care of" should look like. He makes assumptions, and arbitrary decisions, and takes the whole world on his shoulders. So with the very best of intentions, he creates a wall between himself and the others, including Mackenzie. So familiar... I live with a guy much like this. And it's endearing, admirable, and head-bangingly frustrating in turns.
Despite a chronic desire to give Joe a good shake, I enjoyed watching this story unfold, seeing the interactions of family as well as the MCs. I believed the way the guys alternately avoided and then tried to talk problems through. The secondary characters were good, the conflicts that arose were realistic and heartbreaking, if somewhat unrelenting. Joe's stubbornness, his guilt complex, and a deep-seated niggling inferiority, forced Mackenzie to step up to the plate. That maturity looked good on him. And the ending was positive.
Kate Sherwood's writing is smooth, readable and engaging. These two books were an enjoyable read.
Despite a chronic desire to give Joe a good shake, I enjoyed watching this story unfold, seeing the interactions of family as well as the MCs. I believed the way the guys alternately avoided and then tried to talk problems through. The secondary characters were good, the conflicts that arose were realistic and heartbreaking, if somewhat unrelenting. Joe's stubbornness, his guilt complex, and a deep-seated niggling inferiority, forced Mackenzie to step up to the plate. That maturity looked good on him. And the ending was positive.
Kate Sherwood's writing is smooth, readable and engaging. These two books were an enjoyable read.
February 9, 2014
I liked it a lot - but not as much as the first book. The problems and drama just kept coming and for me it was a bit too much. Also Joe's waiting for Mackenzie finally leaving for good got on my nerves. Very much!
In the end he made good, but I would have liked that he had to work more for it.
I will read the next book, but I really hope that then the drama will be toned down.
In the end he made good, but I would have liked that he had to work more for it.
I will read the next book, but I really hope that then the drama will be toned down.
February 5, 2014
4.5
This was everything I hoped it would be. I loved The Fall so, so much that I was almost afraid of reading this one - I was afraid it might be too angsty, that there might be too many problems that could have been solved all too easily if the protagonists weren't such dickheads. I've read lots of sequels like that before. Riding Tall isn't like that - and I'm so damn thankful that it isn't.
There were angsty bits, sure. But never too much, not over-the-top. And best of all - it all fit. The problems here arose from difficult situations and from exactly the personalities I fell in love with in the first place. There were no silly misunderstandings, no general miscommunication. Duties, responsibilities, things simply accumulated until something had got to give. And something did give.
What I love about this, is that the drama here is not artificial at all, it's just all due to bad situations in a reality that doesn't care about bad timing. What I love about it, too, is that the resolution to the problem was realistic, lovely, and, again, fit the whole tone of the book perfectly. What I loved the most was, that Mackenzie once more saves the day simply by
Again, I really loved the secondary character set as well, although I was a bit sad that Will didn't play as big a role here - I really liked him in the first book. But the Walton sisters, Ally, Austin (of course), the dogs - they're all amazing and I loved meeting them again.
I'm very very satisfied with the ending here and I think that all the major story threads still open after the first book have been sufficiently addressed. I'd still love to read more about Joe and Mack, though. Simply because I love them so much and I hate to let them go.
This is such a wonderful series, people! Go, read it!
This was everything I hoped it would be. I loved The Fall so, so much that I was almost afraid of reading this one - I was afraid it might be too angsty, that there might be too many problems that could have been solved all too easily if the protagonists weren't such dickheads. I've read lots of sequels like that before. Riding Tall isn't like that - and I'm so damn thankful that it isn't.
There were angsty bits, sure. But never too much, not over-the-top. And best of all - it all fit. The problems here arose from difficult situations and from exactly the personalities I fell in love with in the first place. There were no silly misunderstandings, no general miscommunication. Duties, responsibilities, things simply accumulated until something had got to give. And something did give.
What I love about this, is that the drama here is not artificial at all, it's just all due to bad situations in a reality that doesn't care about bad timing. What I love about it, too, is that the resolution to the problem was realistic, lovely, and, again, fit the whole tone of the book perfectly. What I loved the most was, that Mackenzie once more saves the day simply by
Again, I really loved the secondary character set as well, although I was a bit sad that Will didn't play as big a role here - I really liked him in the first book. But the Walton sisters, Ally, Austin (of course), the dogs - they're all amazing and I loved meeting them again.
I'm very very satisfied with the ending here and I think that all the major story threads still open after the first book have been sufficiently addressed. I'd still love to read more about Joe and Mack, though. Simply because I love them so much and I hate to let them go.
This is such a wonderful series, people! Go, read it!
February 8, 2014
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and while I enjoyed this one, it just wasn't as good for me. At times I was getting very frustrated with Joe and him wanting to take on everything on his own without any help, he has other family members are they are really non-existent with any kinda of help with the exception of Ally. While I knew it would all work out in the end, I didn't like the way he acted towards Mackenzie. You know he loves him, he was just very unemotional when it came to certain things that it made me question his feelings. Joe's martyr act started to get to be too much. Overall it was a good read for a second book in a series.
August 11, 2015
I really think Joe should’ve consulted a psychiatrist for himself. His savior complex was rather disturbing at some point. Again, like the first book there was not enough interaction between Joe and Mack. Most of the secondary characters were annoying save for Austin (joe’s nephew) I’m not really buying the whole set up at the end. A third book is highly possible but perhaps, remove some of the children in it and have Joe’s supposed ex stirring shit up next time around?
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
August 1, 2021
I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Fall, so much I dove straight into this sequel. Still very good, but very different. Joe and Mack are a couple now, so the story centers around the men getting over their initial hurdles and plowing into domestic partnership.
Mack has to figure out his priorities and straigten out his career goals.
Meanwhile Joe is up to his neck in family responsibilities. Poor Joe still struggles with his guilt over not rescuing the three girls next door quickly enough, and heaps caring for them onto his already full plate.
Riding Tall is less of a love story, and more just an interesting tale with lots of family drama and good hurt/comfort aspects. Still, very good.
Mack has to figure out his priorities and straigten out his career goals.
Meanwhile Joe is up to his neck in family responsibilities. Poor Joe still struggles with his guilt over not rescuing the three girls next door quickly enough, and heaps caring for them onto his already full plate.
Riding Tall is less of a love story, and more just an interesting tale with lots of family drama and good hurt/comfort aspects. Still, very good.
March 22, 2014
The Fall just blew me away and I couldn’t wait to get back to Mackenzie and Joe. Riding Tall felt like coming home to the guys and the whole crazy family I missed so much, even the dogs and the bitchy mare Misery.
Joe and Mackenzie are finally trying to make their anything but casual relationship work and what‘s clear is that their lives will never be easy, especially with Joe having so much to deal with. Already struggling with his work as a rancher, part-time fire-fighter and his responsibilities for his little nephew Austin, Joe takes on the additional care of the three orphans he rescued from the fire. And as if that isn’t enough, he is weighed down by guilt for every-fucking-thing that happens, leaving Mack feeling like he‘s losing the battle for a place in Joe’s heart making him realise he has to do something… with no idea what! However, he’s not willing to just to sit back and let things happen.
“Look out, Joe Sutton,” Mackenzie said aloud, ignoring anyone who might be giving him strange looks. “I’m on your trail, hunting you down. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Joe, tired, guilt-ridden and overworked drove me crazy. One thing after another goes wrong and Joe seems to be incapable of finding a way out of his misery. He just can’t sort out his priorities and is unable let go of his self-reproach and insecurities. No, he’s not worthy of Mack’s love, no, their relationship will never be a long time thing, yes, Mack is far better off without Joe and his thousands of responsibilities. One more responsibility? Of course Joe will take care of it, that’s what he’s there for... yada yada yada. I could have strangled that annoying little bitchy voice in his head for persuading him Mack would break up with him at some point.
Joe swallowed hard. It felt like the beginning of the end. He’d known it all along. Mackenzie was only visiting the country; he belonged in the city. Joe was going to get his heart broken. It was coming.
Joe is the ultimate family man, he’s so full of love for his siblings, little Austin, the dogs, the horses, the three orphans… and Mack. Mack on the other hand is clearly the strong one in this relationship, so when Joe’s breaking point seems to be inevitable he takes matters into his own hands, determined to convince Joe he’s not lazy if he takes a break, and not weak if he needs help. And finally… finally he finds the key to helping Joe without losing himself in it all. It’s getting the balance right, giving them time for a true and committed relationship.
”I want us to be partners. If you take something on, I want you to count on me to help you with it. I want you to fucking talk to me about it before you take it on…I want to be your partner. Your boyfriend and your lover and your sweet schnookums too. I want all of that, and I want you to give it to me, and I’m going to help you get yourself in a place where you can give it to me. Okay?”
Overall, it was an enjoyable, entertaining read, a great book packed full of emotional moments. I just love Kate’s art of story telling. Her dialogue sounds so natural and her humour is subtle and heart-warming. She has the exceptional talent of painting pictures in her readers minds and reading her books feel like watching a movie. You don’t read the story, you live in it, experience it first-hand. What a precious gift!
It’s too bad that Riding Tall is the final part of series, a third instalment would have been the icing on the cake. Anyway, I don’t want to be too greedy and leave you with Joe’s new worldly wisdom.
Champagne made Mackenzie happy, and a happy Mack meant a happy Joe.
February 17, 2014
I hate to say this since I loved the first book, but I was disappointed in this one. Martyr Joe is not endearing. I found myself feeling irritated by many of his thought processes then I felt bad for feeling irritated. There was Austin to consider. Did Joe's decisions take into account the affect that spreading himself so thin would have on Austin? Not to mention the other sacrifices that would have to be made by everyone. Decisions made based on guilt almost certainly lead to resentment, and I felt this was the direction things were headed where responsibility for Kami was concerned.
It was also a really selfish move to not even discuss the choice with Mack. Joe would have deserved it if Mack had thrown his hands in the air and bailed. Claiming to love someone then not taking their feelings or future into account when making life altering choices is selfish and the way Mack just accepted it with a "well, just don't do it again" was eye roll worthy.
The story itself felt a bit disjointed. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, for the plot to pick up but it didn't. Not sure if there is another book planned in the series but if so I hope it's planned better than this one. The first book was written so well that it really deserves a better legacy than this second book gave it.
It was also a really selfish move to not even discuss the choice with Mack. Joe would have deserved it if Mack had thrown his hands in the air and bailed. Claiming to love someone then not taking their feelings or future into account when making life altering choices is selfish and the way Mack just accepted it with a "well, just don't do it again" was eye roll worthy.
The story itself felt a bit disjointed. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, for the plot to pick up but it didn't. Not sure if there is another book planned in the series but if so I hope it's planned better than this one. The first book was written so well that it really deserves a better legacy than this second book gave it.
February 8, 2014
3 Stars
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
We first met Joe and Mackenzie in The Fall where two total opposite men meet and fall in love. In Riding Tall we get to see what happens after the newness wears off and one tries to fit into another’s world.
Joe has his hands full and I mean a heaping plate of holy crap and guilt eating away at him like I have never seen written before. I have to admit right off that I spent a great deal of time while reading this book being completely irritated with Joe. I just wanted to shake and scream at him. He takes on more than he can handle instead of asking for help, he feels guilty for everything that goes wrong in anyone and everyone’s life-like it’s his fault and don’t even get me started on how he was breaking my heart with all his thoughts of how he basically didn’t think he deserved to find happiness with Mackenzie. I just wanted to give him a big hug and say “Joe! It will be ok.” and then I wanted to smack him in the head. Joe’s inner guilt and his need to take care of and be responsible for everything was one of the biggest downfalls for me with this story. I like Joe but I had a very hard time dealing with it on a regular basis.
When this story begins Mackenzie is off in the city doing a photo shoot trying to earn some money so he wont feel like a kept boy like he was when he was dating Nathan. Joe is busy trying to run the ranch, take care of his sister & nephew and now the added Walton children. Things are literally upside down and there is no righting this ship on the horizon. And if you think that’s crazy just go ahead and add another Walton child who has special needs caused from the fire, brother Nick is back and wanting more money and trying to blackmail someone to get it, Will has a shocking surprise of his own and to make matters worse our two men are already drifting apart. I know! It makes you wonder if these two will ever get things worked out and of course the author wouldn’t leave us hanging like that. With Mackenzie’s love for Joe and the family, he sets out to make Joe’s life a whole lot easier, so they can finally be together the way they should have been all along.
This book was full of complete chaos and though a lot of people thrive on all that angst, I really am not one of them. In my opinion I thought it was a bit too much and it made me unable to enjoy the story as much as I would have if a few things had been different. I really wanted more about Joe and Mackenzie and less about the family and the neighbor children. I am a fan of this authors work and I would recommend her stuff in a heartbeat but this story just was not for me but that doesn’t mean it wont be for you.
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
We first met Joe and Mackenzie in The Fall where two total opposite men meet and fall in love. In Riding Tall we get to see what happens after the newness wears off and one tries to fit into another’s world.
Joe has his hands full and I mean a heaping plate of holy crap and guilt eating away at him like I have never seen written before. I have to admit right off that I spent a great deal of time while reading this book being completely irritated with Joe. I just wanted to shake and scream at him. He takes on more than he can handle instead of asking for help, he feels guilty for everything that goes wrong in anyone and everyone’s life-like it’s his fault and don’t even get me started on how he was breaking my heart with all his thoughts of how he basically didn’t think he deserved to find happiness with Mackenzie. I just wanted to give him a big hug and say “Joe! It will be ok.” and then I wanted to smack him in the head. Joe’s inner guilt and his need to take care of and be responsible for everything was one of the biggest downfalls for me with this story. I like Joe but I had a very hard time dealing with it on a regular basis.
When this story begins Mackenzie is off in the city doing a photo shoot trying to earn some money so he wont feel like a kept boy like he was when he was dating Nathan. Joe is busy trying to run the ranch, take care of his sister & nephew and now the added Walton children. Things are literally upside down and there is no righting this ship on the horizon. And if you think that’s crazy just go ahead and add another Walton child who has special needs caused from the fire, brother Nick is back and wanting more money and trying to blackmail someone to get it, Will has a shocking surprise of his own and to make matters worse our two men are already drifting apart. I know! It makes you wonder if these two will ever get things worked out and of course the author wouldn’t leave us hanging like that. With Mackenzie’s love for Joe and the family, he sets out to make Joe’s life a whole lot easier, so they can finally be together the way they should have been all along.
This book was full of complete chaos and though a lot of people thrive on all that angst, I really am not one of them. In my opinion I thought it was a bit too much and it made me unable to enjoy the story as much as I would have if a few things had been different. I really wanted more about Joe and Mackenzie and less about the family and the neighbor children. I am a fan of this authors work and I would recommend her stuff in a heartbeat but this story just was not for me but that doesn’t mean it wont be for you.
July 19, 2016
Sweet lord, what's up for the next installment? Joe adopts an entire Mumbai orphanage of special needs children and then feels responsible for an entire litter of three legged puppies.
December 20, 2014
This was very close to being dropped to 2 stars.
So right off the bat, I was a bit nervous and preoccupied that we were going to have one of those predictable plot twists and Mackenzie was going to drink himself into a huge mistake. Thank God he stopped before it became a problem. However, his recurrent slip into drinking and partying with old friends from the city was somewhat of a theme, another cause adding stress to Mackenzie and Joe's already strained relationship.
But my biggest discontent was Joe's behaviour. I really liked him in the first novel. Yet in 'Riding Tall' he pissed me off to no end. I failed to understand his stubbornness in raising the orphaned girls. I could understand he felt guilty about Kami's mental issues, after her staying too long in the burning building. But he took that guilt to a whole new level. I was also pissed off when seeing that he had no problem taking on more and more things to look after, increasing his pile of worries but when it became obvious he couldn't physically take care of everything, his solutions were to give up the horses and Mackenzie. Really?! And his excuse was that Mackenzie wouldn't hang around much anyway. It wasn't really Mackenzie's lifestyle. Pleeease! That to me just read as "drama queen" and let's all gather around and feel sorry for Joe. He made those decisions himself. I hated that the author tried to show me how sad Joe was about losing Mackenzie, when it was something (maybe not conscious) but deliberately done by Joe.
And yes, I get that one of the major themes in the book was that "Mackenzie must convince Joe he’s not lazy if he takes a break and not weak if he needs a little help". But this went on for 90% of the book, one angsty moment after another. Joe kept lamenting and worrying about the day when Mackenzie would finally leave him, without doing anything to change that. Mackenzie worried about the growing distance between he and Joe but failed to find the words to clear things up. And then bang, Mackenzie has an epiphany, asks the town's help in caring for the girls and he and Joe are again on solid ground.
I finally decided to give this 3 stars because I was emotionally attached to the characters and experienced their angst, worry and love (albeit forcefully at times). There were a lot of emotional minefields the MCs had to go through. And they lived to tell the tale.
So right off the bat, I was a bit nervous and preoccupied that we were going to have one of those predictable plot twists and Mackenzie was going to drink himself into a huge mistake. Thank God he stopped before it became a problem. However, his recurrent slip into drinking and partying with old friends from the city was somewhat of a theme, another cause adding stress to Mackenzie and Joe's already strained relationship.
But my biggest discontent was Joe's behaviour. I really liked him in the first novel. Yet in 'Riding Tall' he pissed me off to no end. I failed to understand his stubbornness in raising the orphaned girls. I could understand he felt guilty about Kami's mental issues, after her staying too long in the burning building. But he took that guilt to a whole new level. I was also pissed off when seeing that he had no problem taking on more and more things to look after, increasing his pile of worries but when it became obvious he couldn't physically take care of everything, his solutions were to give up the horses and Mackenzie. Really?! And his excuse was that Mackenzie wouldn't hang around much anyway. It wasn't really Mackenzie's lifestyle. Pleeease! That to me just read as "drama queen" and let's all gather around and feel sorry for Joe. He made those decisions himself. I hated that the author tried to show me how sad Joe was about losing Mackenzie, when it was something (maybe not conscious) but deliberately done by Joe.
And yes, I get that one of the major themes in the book was that "Mackenzie must convince Joe he’s not lazy if he takes a break and not weak if he needs a little help". But this went on for 90% of the book, one angsty moment after another. Joe kept lamenting and worrying about the day when Mackenzie would finally leave him, without doing anything to change that. Mackenzie worried about the growing distance between he and Joe but failed to find the words to clear things up. And then bang, Mackenzie has an epiphany, asks the town's help in caring for the girls and he and Joe are again on solid ground.
I finally decided to give this 3 stars because I was emotionally attached to the characters and experienced their angst, worry and love (albeit forcefully at times). There were a lot of emotional minefields the MCs had to go through. And they lived to tell the tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2015
What a fucking disappointment!! This book started going downhill from jump. I had problems with the transitions between chapters, very choppy work. Where was the romance? Who gives a fuck about being the Mother Theresa of the M/M world? If I were Mackenzie, I'd dump Joe's ass faster than I deleted this shit off my Kindle.
The best part of this book was the exchange between Joe and Peyton. I'm glad Joe fucked with her. I had to read that scene twice, it was so good but that doesn't earn this book more than 1 star.
The best part of this book was the exchange between Joe and Peyton. I'm glad Joe fucked with her. I had to read that scene twice, it was so good but that doesn't earn this book more than 1 star.
February 4, 2014
4.75 stars
Ahhh...such wonderful writing.
Joe and Mack are struggling to accommodate the changes in their lives, to the detriment of their relationship and Joe as an individual. The girls from the fire have moved in, which has resulted in enormous and time consuming stressors. Joe is overwhelmed and buried yet unable to see a way out as one thing after another goes wrong. At this point, he expects Mack to get tired of it and walk away; he's waiting for it.
Most of the story is the recounting of the events that are drowning Joe, with the occasional comedic and pithy dialogue with Ally ( love that girl!). Mack stews about how to help Joe and the family without losing himself in the process.
Highly recommended.
Ahhh...such wonderful writing.
Joe and Mack are struggling to accommodate the changes in their lives, to the detriment of their relationship and Joe as an individual. The girls from the fire have moved in, which has resulted in enormous and time consuming stressors. Joe is overwhelmed and buried yet unable to see a way out as one thing after another goes wrong. At this point, he expects Mack to get tired of it and walk away; he's waiting for it.
Most of the story is the recounting of the events that are drowning Joe, with the occasional comedic and pithy dialogue with Ally ( love that girl!). Mack stews about how to help Joe and the family without losing himself in the process.
Highly recommended.
September 16, 2015
I love the family dynamics in these books. Since Joe is a big brother turned surrogate father to a handful of kids, you need to be okay with reading about family in order to enjoy them. For me, that's as much of a draw as the Joe/Mackenzie relationship. Sherwood really knows how to write believable children. Austin is a little sweetie and the sibling interplay is excellent too. With all the demands on their time, there are relatively few sexy-times for our guys, but the love comes through loud and clear. I really hope we'll see more of this whole cast of characters.
February 9, 2014
I had a wonderful visit with Joe Sutton and Scott Mackenzie today. The two have been living together for a few months and Mackenzie is still modeling in the city to finance his remodel of the church he’s turned into a wedding chapel. Joe is still taking on strays, not only his own sister, Ally, and nephew/son, Austin, but now also Lacey and Savannah, two of the three girls left homeless when he rescued them from a house fire that killed their parents.
Joe feels responsible for the girls because he failed to get them out of their intolerable home situation sooner, and he’s responsible for his farm and all the animals, as well as all the kids under his roof. There are days when all the demands for his attention conflict, and he’s just waiting for the day when Mack has had enough and leaves him. Joe just knows that he’s bound to lose his wonderful, cute, sexy man when Mackenzie gets bored enough living out in the country. He’s not at all surprised when Mackenzie calls him from his latest modeling job to tell him he’s detained. But he’s so laid back in his responses to Mackenzie that Mack can actually feel them being torn apart, piece by piece, and he’s helpless to stop it.
On the nights he’s in the city, Mackenzie usually goes out with his friends, and one night, after being drunk and feeling like he’s wasting his life, he has a sudden revelation that he no longer wants to be a party animal and is now willing to commit to living in the country with Joe. In fact, he realizes he’ll take Joe on any terms over the alternative of losing him. The problem will be to convince Joe of that. Circumstances conspire to help him get closer to Joe over the Christmas holiday, and they even get a chance to visit Mackenzie’s family. Joe establishes a good rapport with Mack’s mother, but he’s astonished at how nasty his sister and her daughter are. It was fun to watch Joe deliberately and humorously poke at the niece, Peyton, who had no sense of humor at all and became more obnoxious and bratty by the minute. The whole visit gave Joe a little better understanding of Mackenzie’s background and some hope that Mack would be able to become closer to his parents in the future.
Unfortunately, after the holiday, one more responsibility is laid at Joe’s doorstep when Lacey brings her young sister Kami home from the special care facility where’s she’s been placed after the fire. Kami suffered brain damage in the fire, and Joe blames himself because he could, or should, have moved faster and gotten her out sooner. So, against his better judgment, and with the cooperation of Kami’s social worker, he takes on the additional burden— one that truly begins to break him. He can’t manage everything by himself and he’s pushing Mackenzie and everyone else away when they offer to help him. It even looks like he’s going to have to sell his favorite horse, Misery, because she’s too dangerous to have around a child who has no boundaries.
The guys are never able to find time to be together with Joe being so busy and then exhausted all the time. They don’t even have sex anymore. But although everything seemed insurmountable to Mack, he still felt Joe was worth fighting for— he just couldn’t figure out “who or what to fight against”. Then to top it all off, Will comes along to say his girl is pregnant, and then Nick shows up looking sick and asking for more money to keep his business going. It was painful watching Joe try to deal with everything and Mack just didn’t know how much longer he could keep holding on. Disheartened after Nick tries to involve Mackenzie to get the money he needs, Joe finds he just doesn’t have enough energy or time to go around and he pushes Mack to leave.
Throughout most of this story, my heart breaks for Joe. He’s taken on the responsibility for everyone because he believes he’s the only one who can help, and after all, he feels like everyone’s problems are his fault anyway so there’s no point in getting anyone else involved.
After Joe pushes him to leave, Mackenzie takes advantage of time away from the ranch to reflect on their situation. During a meeting with his agent which sounds promising to his future career, he realizes that he belongs with Joe and will not allow Joe to push him away again. He walks away from his career and enlists the aid of Joe’s family, along with members of the community, to force an “intervention” on Joe. Amazingly, Joe demonstrates a willingness to cooperate with him and the guys are finally able to renew their commitment to their relationship and work toward their HEA.
Though the story ends with what can be a finale to the series, there is room for more, especially given all the secondary characters we’ve come to know and care about. I enjoy this author’s work and this was no exception. It’s a very character driven story, focusing mainly on Joe. I feel like I know Mackenzie more now than I did in book one, but I now really know Joe inside and out. I highly recommend this series to lovers of M/M romance and this book specifically to those who’ve read the first book, The Fall. As I said at the beginning of this review, I had a very enjoyable visit with Joe and Mackenzie today. I hope others will take the time to visit them as well.
Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.
Joe feels responsible for the girls because he failed to get them out of their intolerable home situation sooner, and he’s responsible for his farm and all the animals, as well as all the kids under his roof. There are days when all the demands for his attention conflict, and he’s just waiting for the day when Mack has had enough and leaves him. Joe just knows that he’s bound to lose his wonderful, cute, sexy man when Mackenzie gets bored enough living out in the country. He’s not at all surprised when Mackenzie calls him from his latest modeling job to tell him he’s detained. But he’s so laid back in his responses to Mackenzie that Mack can actually feel them being torn apart, piece by piece, and he’s helpless to stop it.
On the nights he’s in the city, Mackenzie usually goes out with his friends, and one night, after being drunk and feeling like he’s wasting his life, he has a sudden revelation that he no longer wants to be a party animal and is now willing to commit to living in the country with Joe. In fact, he realizes he’ll take Joe on any terms over the alternative of losing him. The problem will be to convince Joe of that. Circumstances conspire to help him get closer to Joe over the Christmas holiday, and they even get a chance to visit Mackenzie’s family. Joe establishes a good rapport with Mack’s mother, but he’s astonished at how nasty his sister and her daughter are. It was fun to watch Joe deliberately and humorously poke at the niece, Peyton, who had no sense of humor at all and became more obnoxious and bratty by the minute. The whole visit gave Joe a little better understanding of Mackenzie’s background and some hope that Mack would be able to become closer to his parents in the future.
Unfortunately, after the holiday, one more responsibility is laid at Joe’s doorstep when Lacey brings her young sister Kami home from the special care facility where’s she’s been placed after the fire. Kami suffered brain damage in the fire, and Joe blames himself because he could, or should, have moved faster and gotten her out sooner. So, against his better judgment, and with the cooperation of Kami’s social worker, he takes on the additional burden— one that truly begins to break him. He can’t manage everything by himself and he’s pushing Mackenzie and everyone else away when they offer to help him. It even looks like he’s going to have to sell his favorite horse, Misery, because she’s too dangerous to have around a child who has no boundaries.
The guys are never able to find time to be together with Joe being so busy and then exhausted all the time. They don’t even have sex anymore. But although everything seemed insurmountable to Mack, he still felt Joe was worth fighting for— he just couldn’t figure out “who or what to fight against”. Then to top it all off, Will comes along to say his girl is pregnant, and then Nick shows up looking sick and asking for more money to keep his business going. It was painful watching Joe try to deal with everything and Mack just didn’t know how much longer he could keep holding on. Disheartened after Nick tries to involve Mackenzie to get the money he needs, Joe finds he just doesn’t have enough energy or time to go around and he pushes Mack to leave.
Throughout most of this story, my heart breaks for Joe. He’s taken on the responsibility for everyone because he believes he’s the only one who can help, and after all, he feels like everyone’s problems are his fault anyway so there’s no point in getting anyone else involved.
After Joe pushes him to leave, Mackenzie takes advantage of time away from the ranch to reflect on their situation. During a meeting with his agent which sounds promising to his future career, he realizes that he belongs with Joe and will not allow Joe to push him away again. He walks away from his career and enlists the aid of Joe’s family, along with members of the community, to force an “intervention” on Joe. Amazingly, Joe demonstrates a willingness to cooperate with him and the guys are finally able to renew their commitment to their relationship and work toward their HEA.
Though the story ends with what can be a finale to the series, there is room for more, especially given all the secondary characters we’ve come to know and care about. I enjoy this author’s work and this was no exception. It’s a very character driven story, focusing mainly on Joe. I feel like I know Mackenzie more now than I did in book one, but I now really know Joe inside and out. I highly recommend this series to lovers of M/M romance and this book specifically to those who’ve read the first book, The Fall. As I said at the beginning of this review, I had a very enjoyable visit with Joe and Mackenzie today. I hope others will take the time to visit them as well.
Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.
February 22, 2014
In this sequel to The Fall, we see the life Joe and Mackenzie started together continue to grow and change. I really liked both Joe and Mackenzie in The Fall and still do. I was disappointed this time around by Joes’ defeatist attitude. I was able to get past it and really enjoy the book only because I was invested in the characters. That’s one of the best arguments for reading this series in order. I found myself sometimes tearing up when Joe was at his lowest and sometimes wanting to smack him for playing the role of martyr so devotedly.
Joe is still living on the family ranch, taking care of everyone and everything on his own. His refusal to ask for help is maddening. There are new additions to the family now, and others have moved on with their lives. Mackenzie does some modeling in Toronto, taking him away from Joe and the family they are building for days or weeks at a time. While they both miss each other terribly when they are apart, Joe finds it impossible to believe Mackenzie really misses him and wants to come back to the country.
Mackenzie and Joe met when Mackenzie hired Joe’s twin brother Will to help with renovations on an old church in order to turn it into a destination venue for gay weddings. They began a fish-out-of-water romance and are good together when they both let themselves accept their feelings for and from the other. Work on the church continues slowly, so I believe we will see another book in this series in which we see the completed church hosting its first event. Perhaps the marriage of our two main characters? I am hopeless. I watched 83 episodes of the American version of Queer as Folk just waiting for three little words and a wedding. So you know I’m not giving up hope on Joe & Mackenzie getting married in that church where it all began for them!
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. If you are able to overlook Joe’s martyr complex and accept the fact that he appears to be so brave and strong, but is really the most insecure person in the book, you’ll enjoy it too. Mackenzie grabbed the bull by the horns and proved that it takes a village to convince Joe that their love is worth fighting for.
The end was so sweet and romantic that it was worth all that Joe put me through to get there! Strongly recommended
Joe is still living on the family ranch, taking care of everyone and everything on his own. His refusal to ask for help is maddening. There are new additions to the family now, and others have moved on with their lives. Mackenzie does some modeling in Toronto, taking him away from Joe and the family they are building for days or weeks at a time. While they both miss each other terribly when they are apart, Joe finds it impossible to believe Mackenzie really misses him and wants to come back to the country.
Mackenzie and Joe met when Mackenzie hired Joe’s twin brother Will to help with renovations on an old church in order to turn it into a destination venue for gay weddings. They began a fish-out-of-water romance and are good together when they both let themselves accept their feelings for and from the other. Work on the church continues slowly, so I believe we will see another book in this series in which we see the completed church hosting its first event. Perhaps the marriage of our two main characters? I am hopeless. I watched 83 episodes of the American version of Queer as Folk just waiting for three little words and a wedding. So you know I’m not giving up hope on Joe & Mackenzie getting married in that church where it all began for them!
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. If you are able to overlook Joe’s martyr complex and accept the fact that he appears to be so brave and strong, but is really the most insecure person in the book, you’ll enjoy it too. Mackenzie grabbed the bull by the horns and proved that it takes a village to convince Joe that their love is worth fighting for.
The end was so sweet and romantic that it was worth all that Joe put me through to get there! Strongly recommended
May 9, 2014
I didn't like this book as much as the first one. It was a bit too heavy for me, with too many problems all hitting the characters at once. I like all the characters and I'm solidly invested in Mackenzie and Joe's relationship, I just didn't find this book very fun to read. I'm hoping there will be another book where they get to spend a little more time together.
Not really a spoiler and really minor detail, but it bothered me that .
I'd love to have some novellas or something between the first book and this one as well. There are definitely a few things that weren't really addressed in this book that I'm curious about. .
Long story short, this isn't my favorite thing by this author, but I'm hoping we get more of these characters.
Not really a spoiler and really minor detail, but it bothered me that .
I'd love to have some novellas or something between the first book and this one as well. There are definitely a few things that weren't really addressed in this book that I'm curious about. .
Long story short, this isn't my favorite thing by this author, but I'm hoping we get more of these characters.
February 19, 2014
I liked it but it was depressing. I liked Joe and Mackenzie in the first book. They had an interesting relationship and I loved how hard they had to work for it. That was what sold me on The Fall. I wanted to see it continued in Riding Tall.
The pressure Joe is under to keep his family together and functioning increases exponentially in Riding Tall. I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but it apparently is. Joe is stretched so thin by all of his responsibilities that he has no time or energy to give to Mackenzie. Their relationship felt like a barren wasteland. The stress of Joe's responsibilities along with coldness of their romance were enough to make me feel depressed as I was reading the book. It actually sent me into a funk for a day. I didn't enjoy that.
What should have been an obvious solution to their problems took them forever to figure out. The ending was supposed to be a happy one but I wasn't feeling anything more than relief. The overall book took a toll on me and I just wanted it to be over.
The pressure Joe is under to keep his family together and functioning increases exponentially in Riding Tall. I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but it apparently is. Joe is stretched so thin by all of his responsibilities that he has no time or energy to give to Mackenzie. Their relationship felt like a barren wasteland. The stress of Joe's responsibilities along with coldness of their romance were enough to make me feel depressed as I was reading the book. It actually sent me into a funk for a day. I didn't enjoy that.
What should have been an obvious solution to their problems took them forever to figure out. The ending was supposed to be a happy one but I wasn't feeling anything more than relief. The overall book took a toll on me and I just wanted it to be over.
January 14, 2015
Good sequel
This book is about what happens after the HEA. The trials and tribulations of combining two lives is never simple, throw in four children under 18, two of whom definitely have emotional problems and it gets harder, now throw in a special needs child and the stress levels go up.
There were times I wanted to slap Joe during the book. His heart is always in the right place but he put too much responsibility on himself and made decisions that should of been discussed with Mack. During one internal dialogue Joe was thinking about Mack " visitors should not be doing the cooking " (not sure of the exact quote but along those lines) and that was the whole problem, Mack was not a partner in Joes eyes. Joe never asked for help from anyone and this is probably his biggest downfall. I'm glad Mack pulled out all stops and straightened things out even if it took him nearly all book to work out what was important.
I really liked the fact that the author showed that it isn't easy. It was a good sequel.
This book is about what happens after the HEA. The trials and tribulations of combining two lives is never simple, throw in four children under 18, two of whom definitely have emotional problems and it gets harder, now throw in a special needs child and the stress levels go up.
There were times I wanted to slap Joe during the book. His heart is always in the right place but he put too much responsibility on himself and made decisions that should of been discussed with Mack. During one internal dialogue Joe was thinking about Mack " visitors should not be doing the cooking " (not sure of the exact quote but along those lines) and that was the whole problem, Mack was not a partner in Joes eyes. Joe never asked for help from anyone and this is probably his biggest downfall. I'm glad Mack pulled out all stops and straightened things out even if it took him nearly all book to work out what was important.
I really liked the fact that the author showed that it isn't easy. It was a good sequel.
June 11, 2016
3.5 rounded up
This had a different vibe and dynamic as part 1. I liked it but parts were overwhelming.
Joe was over the top with his guilt at times and his tendencies to destroy his relationship. I was a bit annoyed with the way Nick was written. I felt the same in the first book. I feel like his character is unfinished and that annoyed me
But all in all I liked to see the family working through all the hard times. There's no sugarcoating but it's hopeful. But again I need to complain about not enough time with Mack and Joe alone. they really need more. I need it more too ;)
This had a different vibe and dynamic as part 1. I liked it but parts were overwhelming.
Joe was over the top with his guilt at times and his tendencies to destroy his relationship. I was a bit annoyed with the way Nick was written. I felt the same in the first book. I feel like his character is unfinished and that annoyed me
But all in all I liked to see the family working through all the hard times. There's no sugarcoating but it's hopeful. But again I need to complain about not enough time with Mack and Joe alone. they really need more. I need it more too ;)
July 23, 2016
4.75 stars
I was lucky enough to get a galley proof of this wonderful sequel to The Fall. It continues Joe and Mackenzie's story now that they've settled into their relationship and made me love them even more than I already did. Kate Sherwood is one of the very few authors that are true auto-buys for me.
I was lucky enough to get a galley proof of this wonderful sequel to The Fall. It continues Joe and Mackenzie's story now that they've settled into their relationship and made me love them even more than I already did. Kate Sherwood is one of the very few authors that are true auto-buys for me.
January 30, 2015
I didn't like this one as much as the first. I felt like I was trudging through and it just made me exhausted to read. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for Joe's saving everyone and Mackenzie's bullshit. I think if things wouldn't have been resolved, we would have seen a real-life Joe spectacularly crash.
September 16, 2025
First off, I really enjoyed book 1 of this series. I liked Joe, I liked Mackenzie, I liked Joe + Mackenzie, and I liked the whole supporting cast. The humor in both books really worked for me, too.
But book 2? It left me frustrated. The hardships and unfortunate events just kept piling up until it all felt too heavy — for the characters and for me as the reader. Because I loved book 1 so much, I really wanted to stick with these characters. I almost always finish a book hoping it’ll turn around and win me back.
By the end, though, I didn’t really care about anyone anymore — except Misery the horse, who ended up being my favorite character.
But book 2? It left me frustrated. The hardships and unfortunate events just kept piling up until it all felt too heavy — for the characters and for me as the reader. Because I loved book 1 so much, I really wanted to stick with these characters. I almost always finish a book hoping it’ll turn around and win me back.
By the end, though, I didn’t really care about anyone anymore — except Misery the horse, who ended up being my favorite character.
July 20, 2019
Wow, I basically hated this book. For starters, it's entirely in the wrong genre - I'm not sure what genre it ought to be in, maybe there's one called Every Social Worker's Nightmare? - but it's definitely not romance. The majority of the plot was taken up by an endless slew of over-the-top trials and tribulations, most of them family-related or otherwise domestic (random orphans! random orphans' disabled sister! random orphans' troubled past! random orphan's drinking problem! blackmailing brother's drug problem! other brother's unwanted impending fatherhood! etc. etc.). I ran out of patience long before the author ran out of burdens to throw at the characters - well, the one character, since this was ALL about Joe needing to take on every problem under the sun because he thinks he's responsible for every single other person's problems and has a guilt complex the size of Mount Everest. It's not that it was an unlikely trait psychologically (it made sense and was sympathetically portrayed in the first book), but here it was just so overplayed it was ludicrous. Dude non-stop frets about how he should have fixed this and prevented this and saved this person or that person (the random orphans were basically the main characters, tbh) and his massive saviour/martyr complex became so constant that I could not care about any of these heavy-handed dramatics at all anymore. He'd go wandering around self-flagellating for the umpteenth time about the umpteenth ridiculous thing to feel guilty about and I'd just be rolling my eyes at his Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane bullshit. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones is to be a little selfish, and I hated the fact that this hugely unhealthy aspect of Joe's personality was never properly tackled. He lost me completely when he made dismissive if not downright nasty comments about the option of seeking therapy.
As a side-effect of how idiotic and ham-fisted all the domestic drama was, the romance pretty much falls entirely flat and I actually reached a point where I just wanted them to break up. There's such a thing as well-written conflict and then there's whatever this was. It was honestly so convincing at showing me these people were not compatible and this situation was beyond solving that I just wanted it over with. Mackenzie was essentially sidelined throughout the book, with barely a mention about his business or anything that wasn't fretting about Joe, who was fretting about everyone else. I didn't see why they should stay together. I didn't find them viable as a couple. I finished the book because I have this annoying thing where I can rarely DNF but the resolution is as ridic as the conflict - basically someone flips a switch and now everything's fine. Mkay.
Just a bizarrely frustrating reading experience all told, and so annoying it was genuinely stressful. Which, I read romance to de-stress, so yeah - this did not work for me at all.
As a side-effect of how idiotic and ham-fisted all the domestic drama was, the romance pretty much falls entirely flat and I actually reached a point where I just wanted them to break up. There's such a thing as well-written conflict and then there's whatever this was. It was honestly so convincing at showing me these people were not compatible and this situation was beyond solving that I just wanted it over with. Mackenzie was essentially sidelined throughout the book, with barely a mention about his business or anything that wasn't fretting about Joe, who was fretting about everyone else. I didn't see why they should stay together. I didn't find them viable as a couple. I finished the book because I have this annoying thing where I can rarely DNF but the resolution is as ridic as the conflict - basically someone flips a switch and now everything's fine. Mkay.
Just a bizarrely frustrating reading experience all told, and so annoying it was genuinely stressful. Which, I read romance to de-stress, so yeah - this did not work for me at all.
July 29, 2019
I almost DNFed it at the 50% mark. In a couple of chapters, a disabled child was taken from the facility where she was taken care of by a couple of teenagers and a nine year-old kid. The social worker looking after said kid just drops her on Joe's lap like "sorry, I know this is my problem but you're a fine guy, take care of her". AND JOE DOES. Yep. Like he had 99 problems and he decided round numbers were better. Gah. Then there's issues that go nowhere and it seems there only there to enhance the sense of chaos and despair: Nick, Lindsey, Lacey's drinking.
I also wish Mackenzy could've decided that he didn't want to pursue his modeling career because it didn't fulfill him. As it was portrayed it really seems he decided to change evrything he was just to fit Joe's life. NOT a fan.
I also wish Mackenzy could've decided that he didn't want to pursue his modeling career because it didn't fulfill him. As it was portrayed it really seems he decided to change evrything he was just to fit Joe's life. NOT a fan.
December 8, 2023
4.25 stars
There's a lot of working out the relationship here, both partners giving and taking. Some bits are especially rough, with family on both sides being difficult -- Nick, duh, but also some brilliantly toxic parts of Mackenzie's family. For those of you who've read this: I might never say the word "potato" without a smile... Beautiful to see these two support each other.
There's a lot of working out the relationship here, both partners giving and taking. Some bits are especially rough, with family on both sides being difficult -- Nick, duh, but also some brilliantly toxic parts of Mackenzie's family. For those of you who've read this: I might never say the word "potato" without a smile... Beautiful to see these two support each other.
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