Rating: 5 ‘Aww!’ Stars

Publisher: Emmy Sanders

Genre: Gay Romance

Tags: Contemporary, Grumpy/Sunshine, No Angst, Opposites Attract, Romance, Series

Length: 307 Pages

Reviewer: Cindi

Purchase At: Amazon

Blurb –

The only thing worse than letting him in is the thought of letting him go.

Jackson
If there’s one thing I don’t need upsetting my quiet and comfortable routine in the small town of Darling, Montana, it’s newcomer Ash Alcott crash landing on my family’s ranch like some sort of blonde angel.

I don’t need his flirting. Or his smile. I don’t need the way he makes me question whether or not I’m truly happy being alone at forty. I certainly don’t need to be giving him riding lessons or appreciating the meals he cooks for the ranch.

The man is dangerous for my equilibrium. And he could up and leave at any given moment, tiring of this way of life. It’s happened before.

No, I’m better off ignoring the way he looks at home in a new pair of boots and how my family and the ranchers all adore him. Ash may have brought some sunshine into our lives, but it’s best he learn sooner rather than later…

Ain’t nothing sweet about being saddled with a cowboy like me.

Sweet Like Whiskey is a grumpy/sunshine, small town romance between a stubborn cowboy and the optimistic out-of-towner who’s determined to win him over. There’s ranch life, close-knit family dynamics, gorgeous mountain views, moonlit shenanigans in a hayloft, and one very HEA. It’s book 1 in The Darling Brothers series but can be read as a standalone.

Review –

“When you get knocked down,” he says firmly, “you give me your hand, and I will pull you back up again.”

“Jack…”

“I understand why you feel like you have to do it all on your own. I do. I get it. But you said you’re in this, remember? So if you can’t learn to rely on me, at least a little, then what are we even doing here, Ash?”

I’ve read quite a few opposites attract slash grumpy sunshine books lately. Some of the grumpy characters were just jerks. Others were good guys who had been burned so many times that they felt they had nothing to be happy about. This carried over to those around him. Jackson definitely falls into the latter category. As for Ash, well, he was determined to get under Jackson’s skin if it was the last thing he did. 😉

The book starts with Ash driving into Darling, Montana to stay with his best friend, Virginia. He’s left everything behind in Maine – his job, his now ex, his mother, everything. Ash has no plans for his life when he gets there. He just knows it’s way past time for him to start over. His car dies a couple of miles out, but a nice man and his goat, Misty (yes, his goat) pick him up and drop him off near the bar where Virginia works. Soon after, he’s lucky enough to get a job as the cook at Darling Ranch, where he’ll also be staying in one of the guest rooms. All is fine and good until he meets one of his bosses, Jackson Darling.

Jackson doesn’t exactly give their newest employee a warm welcome. He’s not openly mean, just a bit grumpy. It doesn’t take long before Ash is determined to get Jackson to open up. It starts with a little flirting here and there, but Jackson doesn’t take the bait early on. Yes, he’s attracted to Ash, but he’s already been burned once by a guy who took off when he got bored. He damn sure won’t be allowing himself to feel anything for the new guy.

Watching these two was funny. Ash was constantly throwing out sexual inuendos. Jackson was constantly fighting not to smile or even react a little. Ash does eventually wear him down, but it’s hilarious as he works to get there.

“I’m going to have you, Jackson Darling,” he declares with all the confidence of a man who already knows he’s won. “When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

~~~

“Hypothetical question,” I throw out, stepping over an exposed tree root. “Is riding horseback with a boner uncomfortable?”

Jackson groans. It’s the answer I expected.

Ah well. Worth it.

The last thing Jackson wants is to develop feelings for anybody after his last ex, Otto, took off. He tries to avoid Ash the best he can, but it’s virtually impossible because Ash is always around. It doesn’t help that he’s a damn good cook, and that everybody seems to adore him, including Jackson’s parents and brothers. Jackson starts to soften when he learns that Ash lives with chronic back pain. He’s still stiff and standoffish, but he’s not as bad as he was.

I absolutely loved these guys together. Even in pain, Ash was happy and tried to live his best life. He knew nothing about life on a ranch, but he adapted quickly. He’d never felt anything like he does in Montana. Maine was where he grew up, where he moved from. Montana quickly becomes home.

It was so sweet watching Jackson allow himself to fall for Ash. It was a process, little by little, but it was beautiful. I do love a protective man, and Jackson was that in spades. The first time they did anything sexual… just wow. And not necessarily because of what they did – though that was pretty amazing too – but because of how it happened, what Jackson did to make it happen.

By the time the book came to an end, even before the added epilogue, Jackson had gone from being a bit of a jerk (though not really) to being amazingly sweet, even a little romantic. And the epilogue… let’s just say that my little hopeless romantic heart was saying Aww! a lot. I admit to getting a little misty-eyed more than once. Well, I got that way a few times during the book, with the main time being when Jackson has to rescue Ash. The epilogue almost had me blubbering like a baby.

I loved all the secondary characters, a lot of whom will have their own books. Virginia (aka Ginnie) was a good friend but not an annoying friend. Way too often I read about best friends who try to take control of the other one’s life, or give way too much unsolicited advice. Not Ginnie. I loved Jackson’s parents, Hank and Marigold, especially Marigold. She was the typical good mother who only wants what’s best for her children. If there was a little meddling by Mom, it was okay. It helped nudge things along.

“So you ever seen a castration, Ash?”

Ash’s eyes widen as my mom says, “What did I tell you about bringing up testicles at the dinner table, Hank? For Heaven’s sake.”

I also loved all of Jackson’s brothers, though I’m kind of iffy about Lawson, the oldest brother, I think? Colton’s book is next, Brim Over Boot. Colton was hilarious, and you know what they say about those who protest too much… yeah, I can’t wait to see him and his sworn enemy come together.

I can’t not mention the baby goats. Sure, there are lots of other animals because it’s a ranch, but I’ve always wanted baby goats so I had to mention them. There’s also a special donkey. You know it’s ‘special’ when the whole town is warning you to stay away from the donkey before you’ve even been there an hour.

Overall, this is a great book. There is ZERO angst, and some might say it was a little too sweet, and that things came together way too easily. They’d be right, but that’s exactly the type of book I’m in the mood for right now. Give me a sappy sweet romance book any day.

This is my fifth (I think?) by this author, and I am eager to read the rest of this series and to catch up on the Elite 8 Studio series and others.