Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I really enjoyed the first 50% (probably less) of this one. There was lots of hurting and a good setup for an emotional romance. Sadly, it all went downhill after that.

I didn’t actually buy into a romance between these guys at all. They both thought the other was hot, but the romance was nonexistent.

However, my main issue was the entire animal sanctuary plot and how fucking terrible Eddie was at it. He’s an incredibly priviliged man who has so many people willing to help him make the sanctuary a success, including financially if he’d just ask, but instead he chooses to not tell a fucking soul that the farm is struggling, putting himself before the animals because he doesn’t want to fucking ask for help. It pissed me off. Why would you want to run a sanctuary if you’re not gonna prioritize the animals? He also, for some goddamn reason, doesn’t tell his employee turned boyfriend about it, doesn’t make any effort to use social media for help, and doesn’t want to implement any of Samuel’s suggestions of ways to bring in more money. Got no one to blame but yourself, then. Samuel barely tolerates animals either so I don’t know why these two think they can pull it off.

A strange book that felt like it didn’t go anywhere. Enjoyed book 1 way more.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Animal sanctuary
Virgin MC
First times
Disability rep
Amish MC
Opposites attract
Forced proximity
Age gap
Boss/employee
Slow burn

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
On-page physical abuse by parent (MC whipped/lashed)
Graphic violence
Injured MC
Homophobic parent (religion based)
Internalized homophobia
MC disowned/shunned on page
Homelessness
Mentions of past bullying of MC
Themes of animal suffering (off page, food industry)
MC kicking pig (lightly, cultural, one time)
Graphic details of animal abuse and neglect
Injured rescue animals (no death)
Alcohol consumption

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Almost
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 19 and 28
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 284
Happy ending: Yes


Sometimes Samuel wished he could be like the animals, expecting nothing from life except food and sunshine and another day. They didn’t have the ache of knowing what they could never have.

“No one knows what God thinks, Samuel, no matter what they say. But I believe in love and in following the purest instincts of your heart. God gave us those instincts for a reason. He wouldn’t expect a cow or a goat to act against their instincts, so it doesn’t make sense to me that we’re supposed to.”

Still, Samuel craved touch so badly he thought he might die. It didn’t even have to be sexual, just… he needed to feel like he was worthy of being held, that he was visible and real, young and alive. Not ugly. Not unlovable. Not forgotten.