Cattle Barons Bogus BoyfriendRating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


Jonah Hollis is a young 20-ish man working as the personal assistant to cattle rancher and oil/gas magnate, Lincoln Courtright. Jonah is out gay, and part of the reason he moved to Dallas with all his truck would hold was because his dear friend, Caylee, had a homophobic boyfriend who wanted Jonah out of the picture.

Lincoln spends most of his time at his Broken Spoke ranch, but comes into his Dallas office 2-3 days a week. Jonah has a serious infatuation with his big, brawny, kind-hearted boss, and is extra diligent in all his tasks.

Jonah lives in a gay-friendly area of Dallas with his gay mixologist/aspiring chef roomie, Wes, and has a strong friendship with a gay couple that lives next door. He’s putting down roots and enjoying his life, if only he had a good man to love. Really, life is good. He works hard and Linc clearly appreciates him…as an employee. When Jonah stands his ground against Linc’s pushy girlfriend, Melissa, he feels awkward—especially as Linc and Melissa break up—but that opens Linc up for some friendly lunches with Jonah.

Jonah can’t believe his luck, for real. He thinks Linc only wants him as a friend and companion, and that becomes a heavy burden for Jonah to carry—along with his growing affection. Learning that Linc is bisexual nearly does Jonah’s head in. As do the quiet dates and lavish benefits Linc asks him to attend. But Jonah worries Linc is just trying to enrage Melissa and cause her to fall back into line so they can get married and isn’t sure that he has a real chance with Linc.

I loved Jonah, but I didn’t love his impulsiveness. Every moment the morning after he and Linc attend the Cattle Baron’s Ball is a BIG MISTAKE, one that a man a bit older and wiser might have considered twice before making. That said, the book is so breezy, with such a light tone, that I swooned along for the ride. Jonah’s a sweet man, and Linc’s just a giant teddy bear. Their lovestory is sugar on a stick. I appreciated the tiny hints we received regarding Jonah’s sexual history, so it didn’t come as a total surprise when they finally reached the king-sized bed. Expect a lot of naïveté on Jonah’s part, and that was endearing, for me. I liked how Linc’s heart was just as big as his body—and how he didn’t even flinch about being a stand-up guy, and the hero of both Jonah, and Caylee, in the end. I wished for a LITTLE more loving, but that’s a small complaint. The secondary characters are all fun, and I truly dug the Cinder-Fella-esque vibe I got, with Jonah getting all gussied up for his big outings with Linc. It’s always fun to experience the excitement of big moments and new experiences, and this book is packed with both.

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.

veronica sig