Release Review: Down and Dirty: Parker St. John

by - Thursday, August 05, 2021

 Down and Dirty
(Down Home #2)
Parker St. John
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Release Date August 5, 2021


One kiss ended in tragedy.

Now they have a second chance to do it right.

Lane:

Bull fighter. Heart throb. Wild card.

Rodeo pro Lane Bell knows a thing or two about taking damage.

He’s made a career out of punishing himself, but he can’t outrun his troubled past. Not when it shows up in an irresistible package to spring him from county lock-up and demand he come home.

Denver Reed is rugged and ripped, with a voice like smoke and eyes that watch every move he makes.

Lane fell hard for him once, but never again.

Because Denver is straight.

Denver:

Bull rider. Mystery. Legend.

Denver Reed has never known anything but denial.

He once set the world on fire on the back of a bull, but his chance at fame is long gone. Because when Lane took off, it was Denver who sacrificed everything to clean up the shattered mess he left behind.

Denial has kept Denver alive all this time.

Denying what he feels for the sinful bull fighter with the lightning eyes and quick grin. Denying the fact that he craves Lane more than air to breathe. Denying his very nature.

Because Lane already broke his heart once.

He can’t survive it a second time.

Lane Bell is a pro rodeo bullfighter and safety man. He feels like it is his duty to keep the bull riders safe no matter his personal cost. He has demons, an inner beast, and guilt that he cannot seem to outrun and it is currently costing him dearly. He is impulsive, reckless, destructive, untethered, and an adrenaline junkie trying to fill a void that cannot be filled. As he spirals down and faces injury, poor coping strategies, and trouble, he finds himself suspended and in need of somewhere to go. And that place is the ranch and family he left years before and has been avoiding going back. And he has no plans on getting stuck there. 

Denver Reed once was a talented bull rider, but he gave it all up when tragedy struck and Lane ran off. He now takes care of Lane's family ranch. He is dependable, reliable, responsible, and resentful. He sacrificed his own dreams and has been holding everything together while Lane avoids it. 

When they were younger, one kiss followed by tragedy changed the course of their lives. Both feel like they are doing penance due to an accident that they feel partially responsible for. One tries to do everything right, while the other has such low self worth he does not think he deserves anything good. 

But their connection and attraction cannot be denied all these years later. While Lane is openly gay, Denver has only ever kissed Lane and has been in denial ever since.

This is an intense, emotional, hot, second-chance romance with two stubborn cowboys. One broken man trying to find his missing pieces at home and with the only man he has ever loved. And the one left behind needing to be able to have his journey of self-discovery and self-worth. They will have to stop running and hiding, let go of the past, and believe in themselves and each other if they have a chance of finally being happy and fulfilled. 

I was totally enthralled by their story even though it definitely frustrated me at times. My heart hurt for them even when I wanted to shake sense into them. These guys have some deep wounds and can be self-deprecating. But I felt their bond and need, and was really rooting for them to find their peace. I hope to see more in this series with some of the side characters and I enjoyed getting a bit with Cal from Down Low

Down Low

Parker St. John
Website | Facebook | Parker's Heroes FB group

Gay romance author living in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

I love strong alpha men, rugged working class smokeshows, icy billionaires, mortal enemies, and childhood friends who will all make you SWOON as they fall in love.

Every reader deserves a Happily Ever After.

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