REVIEW: The Cowboy and the Hoodlum by Jackie North

THE COWBOY AND THE HOODLUM POSE

Farthingdale Valley - Book Two

by Jackie North

Release Date: May 31, 2023

Review

A rancher with a love for the finer things and an ex-con who isn’t sure he’s ready to give up his old life.

This is an opposite attract, slow-burn romance. Classic Jackie North. Royce seems out of place with his fancy pomade & lavender tea, but he certainly brings a different perspective and atmosphere to this ranch designed to give ex-cons a second chance. Spreading joy for the outdoors, good food and fresh clothes that these men have likely never experienced.

Jonah did two years for selling ghost plates and stealing cars. He’s unsure of the direction he wants to take now that he’s out. Skeptical of this life being offered to him, but also hesitant to return to his old life. Even with his best friend doing his damndest to make that happen.

Royce and Jonah were sweet together. Royce found someone who appreciated everything about him, even his quirky sides. And Jonah found someone who softened his hard edges and let him see a different possibility for his life. One that has hope, love, and someone who truly wants him.

Watching Jonah melt and show vulnerability was a particular delight.

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Synopsis

Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do when I fall for you?

A job in the valley provides the break Royce so desperately needs from his regular life. Fresh air, plenty of sunshine, and hard work? That’s the ticket. Evenings around a campfire? Sign him up.

But when a new group of ex-cons arrives, ex-cons he’s responsible for, Royce realizes he is woefully unprepared. Not for the task of being team lead, he’s fully capable of that. No, it’s the bad in one particular bad boy that he is drawn to. The challenging mind beneath that messy dark hair, the insouciant slouch, and the long legs in grease-stained blue jeans and disreputable black motorcycle boots.

It’s more than Royce is prepared to resist.

The bad boy in question, Jonah, has a telling I-don’t-care shrug that reveals a heart-stopping vulnerability—and now all is lost as Royce falls hopelessly in love.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with opposites attract, fish out of water, first time, falling for the bad boy, slow burn, endless flirting, birdwatching, and s’mores around the campfire. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

About Jackie North

Jackie North Pic

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

Luckily, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

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