Journey to Lobster Cove

Cattle Valley #32

by Carol Lynne

Spreading acceptance one town at a time.


When the town of Cattle Valley runs out of room for new construction, Asa Montgomery begins to look into alternative locations. He discovers a picturesque fishing village in Maine for sale and begins to make plans to purchase Lobster Cove. Unfortunately, setting up a new community takes him away from his partner, Mario, who isn’t pleased about being left behind.

Meanwhile, after years of dancing around their mutual attraction, Cullen Bryant decides the time has come to lay his feelings for Joseph Allenbrand on the line. Unfortunately, his plan is cut short when Joseph sends him away with no other explanation than he should move on.

Joseph knows sending Cullen away is the kindest thing to do for the younger man, but when he hears Cullen truly may be moving on, he realizes it’s time to reevaluate his life. Will he work out his issues in time to save what he’s spent years denying?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Gay, Contemporary, LGBT, Erotica, Adult

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

erotic & gay romances

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the series that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend...

Seriously we're at book #32 and this is by no means a wrap. It is in fact the beginning of a whole lot more. The previous 31 books were set in Cattle Valley where we met a whole wealth of characters and now one of those men, Asa Montgomery, who happens to be rich beyond belief has bought himself a whole town. Some of the characters from Cattle Valley will be heading there with him and I like that. We'll have Asa and his partner Mario (sorry no Luigi, yet), Cullen who finally got his man in this story, Sully, who we've just barely met, other characters will I'm sure show up from time to time, Nate, Ryan & Rio are definitely on board to help as are Snake and Priest.

I don't think I could in all honesty say that this series is an epic or awesome or even amazingly good read. But in all fairness I've read every book so there's definitely something that just keeps me coming back for more. I had thought that maybe this would be the end of the trail for me but now that I've read this book I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking around to see what Lobster Cove holds for these men and the new ones who we have yet to meet or as with the new Sheriff in Lobster Cove, have barely met.

Lobster Cove is being created as a safe haven for the young men that Joseph Allenbrand has been rescuing over the years off the streets of Washington, things just aren't safe there for his group home anymore. Joseph as we discovered in a much earlier novel was the first love of Nate (partner to Ryan & Rio). So with all these men's lives so nicely interconnected Lobster Cove is going to be an interesting blend of the old and the new.

I'm already more than a little curious about Zander, one of the boys currently living in the group home. He's a sweetie and life had not been kind to him, but with a little help from Cullen and Kit (from Hawk's Landing CV #23) hopefully things will get better. Then there's Nick another member of the group home who seems to have a strong interest in Zander the question is, is it personal or is it because he wants to keep the group home low key and off of everyone's radar so the residents will have a safe haven? as he claims, I'm sure with time we'll find out. There's also Pip, yet another resident of the group home.

Pip is currently in the hospital recovering from a serious beating that was meant as a warning to Joseph to shut down his group home

There's a quaint little diner in Lobster Cove run by a sweet elderly couple who will be staying around because 'as long as they pay for their food and take their hat off when they're in the diner' they don't care who eats at their establishment and don't they have a nephew named Bishop. Bishop is gay and he's a chef...mmm...I wonder who's future we'll see Bishop in? Now I'm not 100% sure about this but I vaguely remember in one of her other books that I read Ms Lynne had a character named Bishop. So of course I'm curious to see where this might go will there be a tie-in with yet another series or maybe he's a minor character from an earlier Cattle Valley story, I'm just not sure?

There you have it just the tip of the iceberg as to why I don't see me quitting this series for a while. There's just way too much going on for me not to want to know? I mean really? It's small town life and I'm a small town girl and you know what they say? If you live in a small town and you don't remember what you did yesterday...just ask your neighbour and they'll be able to tell you.

[Deeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books remind me of dieting. I fail at dieting and I fail to stop reading these books even though I say I will.


This one was actually more in keeping with the original books. A hurt/comfort read to keep me interested and enough sex to keep those that like it interested too.

Looks like I'll be heading back to Lobster Cove in the future, now where's that slice of chocolate cake :P

[Ale Rivero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eso de quedarse sin espacio en un pueblo es tema complicado, y cómo no Asa se va a poner en medio para arreglarlo, pensar que cuando recién apareció es la saga era un poquito insoportable, pero obviamente el que haya terminado con Mario lo ha vuelto un amor.
Asa y Mario vuelven a aparecer en esta historia como pareja secundaria, y vemos un poco de cómo va su vida, cómo a pesar de todas las peleas que puedan tener llegan a darse cuenta que no pueden vivir el uno sin el otro y lograr arreglas sus problemas. En esta caso, relacionados una vez con el exceso de trabajo de Asa, que implica que deban vivir entre Cattle Valley y Lobster Cove.
En cuanto a la pareja principal, es una que tenía muchísimas ganas de ver finalmente, Joseph y Cullen. Estos dos tienen un pasado bastante duro. Podríamos decir que Joseph ya es un hombre grande, estando en sus cuarentas, pero es lo que es por lo que le ha pasado, luego de perder a alguien muy importante se vuelve un poco tonto en cuanto a aceptar que alguien más puede llegar a su corazón, y en esos momentos quise golpearlo, pero al final vuelve arrastrándose, y eso me gusta.
Cullen es un caso aparte, la devoción y el amor que le prodiga a Joseph es de lo más hermoso y sufrí mucho con él cuando veía como lo alejaba constantemente, al final no sé si hizo bien en aceptarlo tan rápido a Joseph, pero al fin y al cabo el amor lo pudo todo.
Creo que esta es una pareja que tiene mucho para dar y espero verla de nuevo en un futuro próximo dentro de la saga. Más teniendo en cuenta que probablemente algunos de sus protegidos tengan sus propias historias.
Obviamente esta es una entrega más de la saga de lo más recomendable.

[Arzu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5stars

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blogger Girls

I am not sure if this is a segue into a new series, but if it is, Carol Lynne did a great job of creating a new LGBT safe community without taking anything away from the existing Cattle Valley. Incorporating a few of the residents will make it a lot easier to see the move as a continuation instead of a brand new series. This is all my opinion, and I have no idea if a new series is in the works, but I think it works either way.

Joseph is a stubborn man. He runs the LGBT youth shelter in DC and gives up his own life in the process. He really needed to see that he could do both, but it takes years for Cullen to get through to the man. And then it really wasn’t even Cullen who convinced him. Cullen is a saint for waiting on a man “of God” to return his affection…even after rejection…but when you know he’s-the-one, then you never give up, and Cullen doesn’t.

This was also a story about Mario and Asa, and I must say that Mario really made me wonder what happened to him. He appeared to be a lot more selfish, and I was a little worried that the money went to his head. But that turned out to be false and the crisis was averted. What happens in life is that couples have disagreements and that’s exactly what happened here. Nothing awful, but I was a little concerned. Still, Mario is a hottie, and I would just about forgive him anything.

What I missed was a Rio and Ryan sighting. I know they can’t be in every book, but a girl can dream. So, for those loyal Cattle Valley fans, grab this book and continue the journey eastward. I guarantee you will enjoy the trip.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wouldn’t it be great to have a town that is all like-minded people? W
here everyone is Gay or gay-friendly? That’s what cattle valley is. Asa Montgomery, a man with money enough to buy a town (or two) worked hard with his friends to build Cattle Valley. It wasn’t easy but now it’s filling up fast. It is getting so full that now they are having to take applications for new residents.
Asa has sold most of his businesses and focuses on Montgomery enterprises the software company that keeps Cattle Valley going and gives him more time with his sexy Italian husband Mario.
A call from Joseph about one of his boys being stabbed has Asa seriously considering buying the quaint Lobster Cove that Mario has shown him a few days ago.

This is book 32 of the Cattle Valley series. You probably could read this without reading the others as Carol is good at dropping a bit of information so you do know the characters. And there are a lot of characters. I really do think it is best though if you have read the series.

This looks like a setup for a new series and I am doing the happy dance! I love Cattle Valley and am looking forward to more of these men and lots of new men and new situations.
This also gives us more on Cullen and Joseph.

So if you like Millionaires (or billionaires) sexy gym workers, ex-priests that run homeless boys shelters, and are looking for a new series to follow this is for you. Oh don’t forget some hot man-sex!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to see Asa creating a new Cattle Valley in the small town of Lobster Cove. It brings so many possibilities for future books.

Cullen and Joseph's story finally got the HEA they've needed. I'm glad they're moving the shelter out of DC and up to Lobster Cove. They can, and will, still travel to bigger cities to find kids to rescue and bring back to the shelter.

All in all, a good addition to the series and a nice way to branch it out.

[Mrsgeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than happy to move to a new location. As long as Nate & co visit from time to time.

[Christy Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read Saturday I'm just now getting around to posting cuz there's been a lot going on. This one has Cullen and Joseph's story were they finally get together after years and years of Joseph saying no even though Cullen is completely in love with him and Joseph loves him back but he refused because of his past guilt and wanting Cullen to find someone to love him.

However, after another incident at the rainbow youth center that Joseph runs Asa Montgomery steps in with his partner Mario idea to move the youth center to a brand new location in Maine. Cullen and Joseph almost lose out on what could have been a great relationship because of Joseph's stubbornness. He went up to Maine finally after snake told him that he needed to go after what he loved which was Cullen.

They both have a past that is hard especially Cullen. They both have guilt weighing on them and Joseph's guilt is what stopped him. Thankfully they finally pulled their heads out of their rears and Joseph accepted Cullen's love for him and gave it into his own.


This was supposed to be the start of the spin-off series however I'm not sure what happens to the author of the series but she vanished. I miss her so much because I wanted to have this other series because it sounded like it was going to be so wonderful. I wish that I could have seen how this town would have thrived because Lobster Cove sounded beautiful. There was also Asa and Mario love in this and plenty sex.

[andrea moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cattle Valley

The mythical town of Cattle Valley is full to the brim, and after more than 25 couples have found their happy ending there it’s no wonder! But the costal town of Lobster Cove is shaping up to be just as inclusive

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star review by Vicki

Yeah!! Cullen and Joseph at last!

I’ve read all of the Cattle Valley books, some I’ve loved, some I’ve liked, and some I have not liked as much… I am happy to say this is the best one I’ve read in a while! I loved the drama of Cullen and Joseph in previous books, and I, along with a bunch of other fans, have been hoping and waiting for them to get their shit together and get together! Here we finally are…

So let’s do a quick overview of the Cattle Valley (CV) books, in case anyone reading this review is not familiar with this series. There are a lot of them. This is the 32nd book in the series, that has got to be a record! They focus on Cattle Valley Wyoming, a town populated by gay and gay friendly folks. We’ve had every possible combination of pairings, a threesome of all men, a threesome of two men and a woman, a transgendered character, pairs with age differences, characters with physical issues, some with mental issues, dominate and submissive characters, etc. We’ve seen drama of all sorts, sex of all types, and the storylines are usually all tangled up together. The issue now is that CV has a limited amount of land, and they have maxed it out. There is no room to grow, and more people wanting to move in.

Asa Montgomery, the richest man in town, and owner of the largest company that employs a good portion of the town, knows a change needs to be made. His partner Mario shows him a video of a town in need of rescuing in Maine, called Lobster Cove. Asa decides to check it out, and see about setting up an east coast version of CV. That is half of the storyline of this book. The other half is Cullen and Joseph. We met them a few books ago, honestly at this point I can’t tell you which one! Joseph runs a shelter for rescued gay teens in Washington DC, Cullen was one of the teens that Joseph rescued, and then sent to CV. They have been apart for some time, setting up a nice reconnection story…

In this book, some drama happens at the shelter and several of the CV crew head off to help, including Asa and Cullen. A change in the shelter location needs to be made, and Asa offers space in his newly acquired town. I’ll stop there with the plot!

I enjoyed seeing Cullen and Joseph get their story, the drama with their individual stories was good, as well as their history together. I loved the slow build to their sexual relationship, that fit in very well considering their pasts.

So Carol has set her self up quite nicely to either start a new series around Lobster Cove, or at least continue the CV books but set some of the stories in LC. Either way works for me. I was just starting to get tired of CV, it really was time to bring some new life in to this series, a new setting is fantastic. I can see the potential here and I’m a happy girl! This was one of the best CV books I’ve read for a while, I really didn’t care for the last one unfortunately. I’m so glad I liked this one as much as I did! The writing was very good, the drama was perfect, the plot was interesting, and I can’t wait for the next book! If you are a fan of the Cattle Valley books, you are in for a treat. If you aren’t, you need to go find the first one and give them a try.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!

[Lena Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” ~ Steve Maraboli

Cullen Bryant has been in love with Joseph Allenbrand for a long time. Cullen suffered through a lot for Joseph's safety, but he doesn't resent him for it. All he wants is for Joseph to let go of his guilt for not being able to protect Cullen and admit that, despite their age difference, his feelings for Cullen are just as strong as Cullen's are for him. Despite Cullen's best efforts, if anything, Joseph is pushing him even further away.

Cullen has changed a lot since he was sent to Cattle Valley where he could be safe. Cullen has become a strong, confident young man who is respected and appreciated by other Cattle Valley residents. He's put the past behind him, but he can't put his feelings for Joseph aside. It was his choice to stay on the streets to protect Joseph from his pimp and he's never regretted it. When he has an opportunity to see Joseph again, Joseph practically ignores him and when Cullen confronts him about his feelings, Joseph shoots him down telling him to move on. Cullen has no alternative but to try to do so. Fortunately he has a new project to keep him occupied. Due to his growing expertise at building and scheduling, Asa Montgomery has enlisted him to help build a new community similar to Cattle Valley in Lobster Cove, Maine. Cullen is awed by the opportunity and the faith Asa is putting in him and is determined to do the best job he can.

Joseph is a mess. He loves Cullen, but doesn't think he deserves to be with him after all the years he let Cullen sacrifice himself to keep Joseph safe. He regrets not being able to save him sooner and can't get beyond that guilt. Joseph knows how Cullen feels about him, which is one of the main reasons he sent Cullen away to live in Cattle Valley. Joseph wanted him to be safe, but he also wanted him gone so Joseph didn't have to be tempted. Even though Joseph tells Cullen to move on, he is upset when Cullen goes out with someone else. When a crisis occurs at the Washington DC shelter, Joseph is forced to move his charges to the new community starting up in Lobster Cove, Maine. Joseph knows Cullen is there and he has some big decisions to make before it's too late and he loses Cullen forever.

I have read and enjoyed all of the books in the Cattle Valley series, but I especially like the concept of Lobster Cove. It still boggles my mind that Asa can afford to buy an entire town! I'm looking forward to reading about its development and meeting the new characters who will surely be coming and, hopefully, visiting with some of the Cattle Valley folks as well. Thank you, Carol, for what promises to be a great new slant on the Cattle Valley series.

NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Journey to Lobster Cove
Author: Carol Lynne
Publisher: Totally Bound
ISBN: 9781784304454
Buy Link: https://www.totallybound.com/journey-...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Cattle Valley 32
Spreading acceptance one town at a time.
When the town of Cattle Valley runs out of room for new construction, Asa Montgomery begins to look into alternative locations. He discovers a picturesque fishing village in Maine for sale and begins to make plans to purchase Lobster Cove. Unfortunately, setting up a new community takes him away from his partner, Mario, who isn’t pleased about being left behind.
Meanwhile, after years of dancing around their mutual attraction, Cullen Bryant decides the time has come to lay his feelings for Joseph Allenbrand on the line. Unfortunately, his plan is cut short when Joseph sends him away with no other explanation than he should move on.
Joseph knows sending Cullen away is the kindest thing to do for the younger man, but when he hears Cullen truly may be moving on, he realizes it’s time to reevaluate his life. Will he work out his issues in time to save what he’s spent years denying?



Summary:
From the beginning, the Cattle Valley series gave life to a town that was safe for anyone who had difficulty finding acceptance or a safe place to live. Each of the stories was unique as the town grew to a point where there wasn't enough room for the people who needed it. Asa has always used his money to help others especially youth in danger on the streets. It was wonderful how when he learned that Lobster Cove in Maine was for sale he went to look into it and he took Cullen,a young man who his safe home in Washington, to check out the town. What they found was better than they ever expected and in spite of the complications to their lives they take on the challenge. Asa's partner Mario isn't sure about the change and Cullen was still fighting for his place a Josephs side. This may be the beginning of a new dynasty that could rival the Cattle Valley series and I for one can't wait for it to start!

[Readsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Carol Lynne's series where it the Cattle Valley series or any of her others. This story is an intro to the new Lobster Cove series and I can see the two series having crossover stories. Many of Ms. Lynne's stories are MM romances though she also writes multiple partner romances. The characters have personal issue's to over come. These are feel good romances for mature readers.

[Moomba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol, you're brilliant! When all stories are told it's time to move on. Smooth way to introduce new series Lobster Cove (I hope it will be the new series). Looking forward to meeting new characters and keeping up with old, beloved ones :)

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love that Carol is "Spreading acceptance one town at a time." I have enjoyed all of her Cattle Valley books and I'll be very happy to follow her to Lobster Cove! Just have some of those CV men pop in from time to time!

[Maryann Kafka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realky liked the idea about a new place to live. Asa and Mario are just too good together. It was good to see Cullen and Joseph finally getting together. Looking forward to the progress that will be made in Lobster Cove.

[Tailtiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[Sabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to read new stories from Lobster Cove. This book opens a whole new universe of new stories.

[Elayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cattle Valley is full! So a new destination and new characters. I love Cattle Valley, these will be a continued must read for me!

[Amber "Epp" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am still addicted to this series I simply love love love CV ...... :)

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow about time this couple got there act together. Love it

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely cross-over from CV to Lobster Cove!