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Cattle Valley #17
Neil's Guardian Angel
After a fall from his horse leaves Neil Peters in need of around-the-clock care, he is forced to face a past he doesn't even remember. Ben Waters, the man constantly at his beside, doesn't even look familiar. So why does Neil feel there's more to the story when Ben introduces himself as Neil's legal guardian?
Ben's inappropriate feelings towards his ward once forced him to send Neil away. Now, Neil once again threatens Ben's control. Ben tries to push aside his desires as he helps Neil but they won't be shoved away this time. And soon he learns, reaching out to the man he still loves is the only way for both of them to come to terms with their pasts and their future.
Ben's inappropriate feelings towards his ward once forced him to send Neil away. Now, Neil once again threatens Ben's control. Ben tries to push aside his desires as he helps Neil but they won't be shoved away this time. And soon he learns, reaching out to the man he still loves is the only way for both of them to come to terms with their pasts and their future.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2010
8 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Carol Lynne
251 books1,198 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 31, 2022
Darum geht's:
Neil ist vom Pferd gestürzt und hat sich so schwer am Kopf verletzt, dass neben einigen körperlichen Einschränkungen auch sein Gedächtnis betroffen ist. Er hofft, dass das alles wieder heilt, denn Ben, sein ehemaliger Vormund, löst sehr zwiespältige Gefühle bei Neil aus. Neil kann sich beim besten Willen nicht daran erinnern, wieso er aus Bens Nähe weggezogen ist und was zwischen ihnen vorgefallen ist, das seine heftigen Reaktionen auf Ben erklären könnte. Und Ben schweigt.
Meine Meinung dazu gibt’s hier
Neil ist vom Pferd gestürzt und hat sich so schwer am Kopf verletzt, dass neben einigen körperlichen Einschränkungen auch sein Gedächtnis betroffen ist. Er hofft, dass das alles wieder heilt, denn Ben, sein ehemaliger Vormund, löst sehr zwiespältige Gefühle bei Neil aus. Neil kann sich beim besten Willen nicht daran erinnern, wieso er aus Bens Nähe weggezogen ist und was zwischen ihnen vorgefallen ist, das seine heftigen Reaktionen auf Ben erklären könnte. Und Ben schweigt.
Meine Meinung dazu gibt’s hier
June 22, 2010
I think this one ended too soon and skipped a lot of relationship building and mental healing. I don't know, did Neil get his full memory back? If so, we don't really deal too much with any of his past...or does he now love Ben even though he doesn't remember him? If so, on what is he basing that? He doesn't really know Ben that well. Even if you believe he remembers their past more than just what he read in his journals. Back then he didn't know him well either really, except that he was a source of comfort and caring...just like now.
Ben's dominant streak and belief in how a relationship should work was very undefined even though it seemed like it was overly defined. I am not sure that Neil isn't going to need to struggle every step of the way to keep a balance that is comfortable for him. I think Ben is capable, although reluctant to compromise - for Neil, but that kind of constant battle is difficult to grow a relationship in.
In order to get a better idea of how these guys are doing and what their longterm chances are (not really good at this point, IMO) I hope we see more of them, in depth, not just glance over them with some D/s glimpse, in future books.
Rather than taking over the youth program, Ben may be better suited to opening a dungeon in CV. I don't think they have one and it seems like quite a few of the town occupants may appreciate it and it might help with toning down his needs vs wants with Neil.
Ben's dominant streak and belief in how a relationship should work was very undefined even though it seemed like it was overly defined. I am not sure that Neil isn't going to need to struggle every step of the way to keep a balance that is comfortable for him. I think Ben is capable, although reluctant to compromise - for Neil, but that kind of constant battle is difficult to grow a relationship in.
In order to get a better idea of how these guys are doing and what their longterm chances are (not really good at this point, IMO) I hope we see more of them, in depth, not just glance over them with some D/s glimpse, in future books.
Rather than taking over the youth program, Ben may be better suited to opening a dungeon in CV. I don't think they have one and it seems like quite a few of the town occupants may appreciate it and it might help with toning down his needs vs wants with Neil.
June 17, 2010
This is a wonderful story about two men with a past who try to find love. Neil has been injured in a fall off a horse and faces months of physical therapy to try and learn to walk again. This is on top of his initial amnesia which means he cannot remember Ben. Ben is his former legal guardian who sent Neil away four years ago to protect him from his love, which he thought inappropriate.
Both men struggle with demons from their past and I loved following their gradual path toward a new relationship. It was very touching. I wish the book had been longer, because I wanted to see Ben grow out of his concerns about "how the relationship should be", based on the way his parents ran their lives. It probably happens, because Neil stays with him, but I would have loved to have "seen" it for myself.
Both men struggle with demons from their past and I loved following their gradual path toward a new relationship. It was very touching. I wish the book had been longer, because I wanted to see Ben grow out of his concerns about "how the relationship should be", based on the way his parents ran their lives. It probably happens, because Neil stays with him, but I would have loved to have "seen" it for myself.
February 12, 2022
Neil ist vom Pferd gefallen und hat dabei eine schwere Kopfverletzung davongetragen. Dadurch leidet er an Amnesie und hat große Erinnerungslücken. Ben, sein ehemaliger Vormund, hilft ihm durch diese schwere Zeit. Bens Anwesenheit löst Gefühle in Neil aus, die er sich nicht erklären kann. Als dann beide beginnen, die Vergangenheit aufzuarbeiten wird schnell klar, dass Liebe nicht vor einem größeren Altersunterschied Halt macht.
June 16, 2010
You know what I enjoy most about Carol’s books? It’s the fact that you don’t feel the need to even think that you might have already read one similar to this. Each one of hers are unique in their own way. They’re not repetitive and no two books are even remotely the same. This book is another great addition to her series that I always look forward to and I’m right on it when one’s released.
Again amazing story, Carol!
Again amazing story, Carol!
January 10, 2012
Nice book!
As usual Carol Lynne's characters're very sympatethic and easy to relate to, angst isn't overwhelming by any means and the whole story's rather sweet :) I loved it!
And I'm so happy they didn't end up in bdsm lifestyle! I don't have many squicks left, but it's one of my immedial turn offs :/ No offence to those, who enjoy it - both in real life and in fiction - I'm just not and I'm happy I didn't neet to put this story aside in the middle, coz I loved it :)
As usual Carol Lynne's characters're very sympatethic and easy to relate to, angst isn't overwhelming by any means and the whole story's rather sweet :) I loved it!
And I'm so happy they didn't end up in bdsm lifestyle! I don't have many squicks left, but it's one of my immedial turn offs :/ No offence to those, who enjoy it - both in real life and in fiction - I'm just not and I'm happy I didn't neet to put this story aside in the middle, coz I loved it :)
August 3, 2010
Again, nice story. Would like it to be longer.
September 19, 2019
Fantastic read
Neil took the horrible spill in the book before this at the end of Firehouse Heat. He's still in the hospital at the start in and out of consciousness. Ben, his former guardian is by his side giving him help. They have a lot to work out that's for sure because of Neil's past that he can't remember right then.
It takes time but they work things out into a relationship that is good for the both of them. Ben finally lets his self really be with Neil after all the years of wanting but believing he could never have. Neil wanted Ben so badly and now he has him by the end of the book.
I was so happy that they got what they both needed. The dedication at the end for the ones that died the year before was beautiful as well. I thought what Neil over came was great as well.
Neil took the horrible spill in the book before this at the end of Firehouse Heat. He's still in the hospital at the start in and out of consciousness. Ben, his former guardian is by his side giving him help. They have a lot to work out that's for sure because of Neil's past that he can't remember right then.
It takes time but they work things out into a relationship that is good for the both of them. Ben finally lets his self really be with Neil after all the years of wanting but believing he could never have. Neil wanted Ben so badly and now he has him by the end of the book.
I was so happy that they got what they both needed. The dedication at the end for the ones that died the year before was beautiful as well. I thought what Neil over came was great as well.
December 7, 2020
Cattle Valley
This story had a bitter sweet ending with the dedication of the new rodeo arena but also showed the growth of Neil as he worked through his forgotten memories, another great addition to the series
This story had a bitter sweet ending with the dedication of the new rodeo arena but also showed the growth of Neil as he worked through his forgotten memories, another great addition to the series
December 2, 2019
I wanted more details about how Ben took care of Neil when he was a child.
After his accident, Neil's memory loss seemed to gradually disappear...kind of miraculous.
After his accident, Neil's memory loss seemed to gradually disappear...kind of miraculous.
October 16, 2017
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
So, there was more going on in this installment of the Cattle Valley Series than I’d expected and while that can be a good thing at times, I found I had some issues with it here. Neil was introduced in the previous book and this is where you get to see him on the road to recovery after his accident. Besides having to work on being able to walk again, however, Neil is also dealing with some amnesia which makes things more difficult. Formerly Neil’s guardian, Ben is called in to help with his recovery but the reasons Ben sent Neil away are still there and despite the time apart, he finds he still has feelings for his previous ward. Ben also has some dominant tendencies that, coupled with Neil’s past, would make a relationship difficult.
A few books back, (#14) there was another story dealing with injury recovery that I thought had too much sex and not enough relationship building in it. Here, there was much less sex, but I still found the relationship building and connection between the characters to be on the lean side. I liked the characters in general but still couldn’t really see them together or their relationship lasting the test of time, so to speak. Besides that, there were other issues that I never felt were adequately resolved like dealing with Neil’s past and some lingering questions revolving around his amnesia and feelings for Ben. I was never really certain whether he actually remembered Ben, and loved him before, or if he just learned to love Ben now based on what he’d learned during this whole ordeal. *shrugs* I also personally felt bringing up BDSM and Ben’s dominant leanings were unnecessary as nothing every happened with it and talking about it only for it not to go anywhere seemed a little pointless to me.
In general the story was decent but there were too many unanswered questions for me and some others just weren’t satisfying enough. It was good to read it for series progression if nothing else but I don’t know if I’ll read this one again in the future.
So, there was more going on in this installment of the Cattle Valley Series than I’d expected and while that can be a good thing at times, I found I had some issues with it here. Neil was introduced in the previous book and this is where you get to see him on the road to recovery after his accident. Besides having to work on being able to walk again, however, Neil is also dealing with some amnesia which makes things more difficult. Formerly Neil’s guardian, Ben is called in to help with his recovery but the reasons Ben sent Neil away are still there and despite the time apart, he finds he still has feelings for his previous ward. Ben also has some dominant tendencies that, coupled with Neil’s past, would make a relationship difficult.
A few books back, (#14) there was another story dealing with injury recovery that I thought had too much sex and not enough relationship building in it. Here, there was much less sex, but I still found the relationship building and connection between the characters to be on the lean side. I liked the characters in general but still couldn’t really see them together or their relationship lasting the test of time, so to speak. Besides that, there were other issues that I never felt were adequately resolved like dealing with Neil’s past and some lingering questions revolving around his amnesia and feelings for Ben. I was never really certain whether he actually remembered Ben, and loved him before, or if he just learned to love Ben now based on what he’d learned during this whole ordeal. *shrugs* I also personally felt bringing up BDSM and Ben’s dominant leanings were unnecessary as nothing every happened with it and talking about it only for it not to go anywhere seemed a little pointless to me.
In general the story was decent but there were too many unanswered questions for me and some others just weren’t satisfying enough. It was good to read it for series progression if nothing else but I don’t know if I’ll read this one again in the future.
April 6, 2016
Neil.... he broke my heart, all the things he went through as a child... I can't say I was sad about what happen to his mother, in my opinion she deserved what she got and I hope she suffered!
We met Neil in other books but got to know him a lot more due to his friendship with Leo, we knew he was in love with someone older that he couldn't have, someone that had kicked him out of his life when he turned 18, so he ran to Cattle Valley and started a life there. I'm glad he did, i loved Neil.
BUT, an accident at EZ DoesIt left him in a coma for a bit with a serious head injury and Leo called the guy Neil never forgot about or stopped loving, Ben.
Ben was Neil's guardian after his mother thankfully died. I don't even feel bad about saying that, she was a deplorable person. BUT, Ben also knew he had feelings for Neil but because of his childhood he couldn't take the risk and hurt him further by the lifestyle he liked. So, after Neil's accident, Ben rushes to his side, but Neil doesn't remember much of anything since coming to Cattle Valley, including Ben. Ben doesn't let it stop him though, he loves him and helps him through everything. Helps him get better. It takes a while for him to relearn to walk and get mobility in his arms and legs, but he gets there and they fall for each other all over agian.
I loved it, I'm so glad Neil got his HEA....It was also nice to get clerification on his relationship with Gavin, although it sucks about Gavin, i'm glad Neil is with Ben now.
They're perfect together.
Still loving this series and can't wait for more!
On to the next!
We met Neil in other books but got to know him a lot more due to his friendship with Leo, we knew he was in love with someone older that he couldn't have, someone that had kicked him out of his life when he turned 18, so he ran to Cattle Valley and started a life there. I'm glad he did, i loved Neil.
BUT, an accident at EZ DoesIt left him in a coma for a bit with a serious head injury and Leo called the guy Neil never forgot about or stopped loving, Ben.
Ben was Neil's guardian after his mother thankfully died. I don't even feel bad about saying that, she was a deplorable person. BUT, Ben also knew he had feelings for Neil but because of his childhood he couldn't take the risk and hurt him further by the lifestyle he liked. So, after Neil's accident, Ben rushes to his side, but Neil doesn't remember much of anything since coming to Cattle Valley, including Ben. Ben doesn't let it stop him though, he loves him and helps him through everything. Helps him get better. It takes a while for him to relearn to walk and get mobility in his arms and legs, but he gets there and they fall for each other all over agian.
I loved it, I'm so glad Neil got his HEA....It was also nice to get clerification on his relationship with Gavin, although it sucks about Gavin, i'm glad Neil is with Ben now.
They're perfect together.
Still loving this series and can't wait for more!
On to the next!
March 31, 2012
3.5 stars
I really like many of the characters in the Cattle Valley series, but Ben just did nothing for me. I really like Neil and was glad to see him get a story of his own. Neil and Ben are many years apart in age, but you never really find out how many. Neil's age is given a couple of times, Ben's isn't. The only that shows you there must be a significant age difference (besides the constant 'I'm too old for him' moments) is that Ben was Neil's legal guardian after his mother was killed.
There was also a lot of talk about BDSM and D/s relationships, but nothing ever really happened between the MCs. I kept waiting for it and it never came to fruition.
Overall, it was a decent story, no where near the best of the series. I just could not bring myself to like or care about Ben. I wish Neil had ended up with someone really awesome... oh, well.
I really like many of the characters in the Cattle Valley series, but Ben just did nothing for me. I really like Neil and was glad to see him get a story of his own. Neil and Ben are many years apart in age, but you never really find out how many. Neil's age is given a couple of times, Ben's isn't. The only that shows you there must be a significant age difference (besides the constant 'I'm too old for him' moments) is that Ben was Neil's legal guardian after his mother was killed.
There was also a lot of talk about BDSM and D/s relationships, but nothing ever really happened between the MCs. I kept waiting for it and it never came to fruition.
Overall, it was a decent story, no where near the best of the series. I just could not bring myself to like or care about Ben. I wish Neil had ended up with someone really awesome... oh, well.
January 31, 2013
After Neil's accident in the last book, Leo calls Ben, Neil's old guardian to come quickly. Neil has several problems after he wakes up, he seems to remember his new life but doesn't remember Ben who he used to be in love with and happened to be his guardian after his mom died. There's a major age difference in this book but of course we all know I love age gap stories :)
I really enjoyed all the obstacles that both characters had to overcome to end up togething in the end. This book prefaced the next book where we find out that Zac has been in a terrible domestic dispute situation and get we the beginnings of the situation with Jakob and Zac for Scarred.
I really enjoyed all the obstacles that both characters had to overcome to end up togething in the end. This book prefaced the next book where we find out that Zac has been in a terrible domestic dispute situation and get we the beginnings of the situation with Jakob and Zac for Scarred.
September 7, 2014
This is #17 in the Cattle Valley saga. It had potential because of an interesting back story. The two main characters knew each other quite well but the relationship in this book developed pretty slowly - and since this is a short book that made it a bit tedious for me. I can't get into what I found frustrating because it would spoil it - I will just say that these two had some serious potential for hotness between them (given some of the details of Ben's past lifestyle preferences) but they danced around each other and the issue for too many pages to make it happen.
May 30, 2015
Cute, sweet, a little on the short side but I enjoy these little stories and all the people from Cattle Valley. This one was about Neil after he fell off his horse and ended up in the hospital with a broken body and no memory of his life before Cattle Valley. Ben was from his time growing up so Neil didn't know him at all yet had to depend on him for everything. It had element of D/s and past abuse but I didn't feel either was delved into all that much. Not great, not bad, just okay.
November 17, 2013
I think Carol Lynne has realized that we can't just have sex, sex, sex, and more sex in these book. I enjoyed this one. I liked Ben and Neil. Not sure if we were ever told what Ben did back in South Dakota, but it must be nice to just up and leave his home to take care of a sick friend for two months with no worries about his job, his house, etc. Must be nice.
I especially liked that Neil did not crave to Ben's ideal of how their relationship should work. Good story.
I especially liked that Neil did not crave to Ben's ideal of how their relationship should work. Good story.
October 24, 2015
On page 39 Ben is fighting his attraction and in page 40 Neil just goes to talk to him in the barn and Ben attacks - seduces - him. That scene really needed to be from Ben's perspective for the story to make any sense.
Needless to say I checked out after that because there was too much happening and not enough explaining.
It's book 17 so if you've followed the series thus far you might as well continue. It has definitely been an investment.
Needless to say I checked out after that because there was too much happening and not enough explaining.
It's book 17 so if you've followed the series thus far you might as well continue. It has definitely been an investment.
November 12, 2013
This was pretty much what I expected. I like this author's formula and the way she lets the reader catch up with characters from other stories. Cattle Valley is like a soap opera. Usually, I can guess what's going to happen, but I have to read it anyway.
I just wish the books were longer.
I just wish the books were longer.
July 6, 2011
One of the reasons I didn't rate this book higher is that the description threw me off. At no time did I find the guys in or near Seattle - they were in Cattle Valley the whole time. Did I have a different version of the story?
Other than that it was a good read, in a rehabilitative sort of way.
Other than that it was a good read, in a rehabilitative sort of way.
August 16, 2014
the two guys on the cover of this book make me flash on the brother in jail from prison break and dean from supernatural ... (both hot btw) I as always loved this book I am so glad my GBFF got me hooked on this series not only that but he keeps me supplied with all the books .. :)
August 7, 2013
good story, not my favorite, but still a quick hot read!! Neil and Ben
April 17, 2014
Wow... wonderful book! Excellent story with a dramatic plot. I loved Neil and Ben. one of my favorites so far!
June 12, 2014
Loved Ben and Neil.
August 4, 2014
I thought I gave up this series, not even sure why I bought this book? I think it was because I though the author was price gouging ? so this was ok
June 1, 2016
3.5 Stars
December 6, 2015
didn't really care for the way it ended but other then that it was a good read and i'm glad we get to see how the town is mending
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews