Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella

Lucas Reika is rich and spoiled and used to getting what he wants.  He is gorgeous and has no problem meeting men, including hooking up with the chef at one of his father’s restaurants, causing havoc.  That fling was enough for his father to finally give him an ultimatum: spend some time away living on the farm of one of his suppliers, or lose access to his father’s money for good.

Jared McFarland is a sweet, hardworking farmer in the small town of Hope, Arizona.  He has had a crush on Lucas for years, and the idea of the object of his desire living with him for two months is overwhelming.  Especially because while at first Lucas is a self-absorbed jerk, the more time they spend together, the more Jared comes to see and appreciate the warm, funny, full of life man Lucas really is inside.

As it turns out, Lucas has been attracted to Jared for years as well.  But he is hurt by his father’s ultimatum and isn’t sure how to adapt to life in the small town.  He doesn’t want a babysitter and thinks Jared has no interest in him.  But Lucas is surprised to find that life in Hope is much better than he imagined, and that he enjoys the quiet companionship with Jared far more than he expected.

Jared and Lucas are both attracted to one another and hoping for something more. But both are also scared to share the feelings that they don’t believe are reciprocated. Jared and Lucas are both hoping for a future together, but they must be brave enough to risk their hearts for a chance at happiness.

McFarland’s Farm is the first book in a new series by Cardeno C, and it is a really sweet and warm story.  I couldn’t help but love Jared from the start.  He is a big, hulking redhead who is also kind and gentle. He lives a quiet life in a small town, and while he has lots of friends, he is also lonely.  Lucas, on the other hand, starts off the book as a big jerk.  I mean, you aren’t going to like him at first because he is spoiled and rude and just biding his time until he gets back in his father’s good graces.  But we slowly see there is a lot more to Lucas. Mostly his attitude at first is a defense mechanism against the hurt from his father’s treatment and his discomfort over his attraction to Jared.  But as he settles in, Lucas works hard to help Jared with his business.  He ends up enjoying the quiet time with Jared and becomes a good friend.  So this is a story where we really see some nice character growth from Lucas as he finds his way.

The guys are likable together, especially as they make it over that hurdle of mutual attraction that neither one believes is reciprocated.  As always with Cardeno C, the sex scenes are super hot and the relationship sweet and loving.  So I enjoyed these guys as a couple and were happy to see them work through their fears and find their way to one another.

Things do happen fairly fast for these guys though. They go from sex to love and a happily ever after in just a few weeks. Lucas also goes from spoiled and bratty to sweet and caring in about that same time.  I think it fits the tone of the book as this is sweet, romantic story, so it didn’t bother me much, but you kind of have to just go with the speed at which this all happens.  You also have to go with the idea that Lucas’ father would decide without consulting Jared that Lucas is going to live with Jared for two months, which seemed somewhat entitled and unrealistic.  The men are supposed to be friends and Lucas’ father doesn’t even ask.  So a few things you need to just accept, but overall nothing too major.

So I really enjoyed this story. It is fairly short and a nice, easy read.  The guys are really likable, they are sexy and sweet together, and the story is a great introduction to the town that looks to be the setting for future books.  I am really excited about the new series and can’t wait to see what else is to come.  So sweet, sexy, romantic, and really enjoyable.

Cover Review: I really like this cover. The colors are so warm and the images are lovely. It fits the tone of the story quite well.