I had one reason for never going back to the small town I once called home, but I never guessed it would be the same one that made me want to stay…BrooksI grew up in the small town of Eden, Wyoming, but never really felt like I fit in.Until I met the one boy who changed all that.When we were kids, Xavier Price understood horses, but somehow, he got me too. He’d made me feel like I wasn’t just … that.
When we were kids, Xavier Price understood horses, but somehow, he got me too. He’d made me feel like I wasn’t just the overdressed, too sensitive fifteen-year-old geek who loved math and didn’t always say the right thing. But all that changed the night he threw my trust back in my face and betrayed my family in the worst kind of way.
And while I’m back in Eden to make sure my uncle’s horse ranch is operating in the black, the one thing I know I won’t have to deal with is the man who’d been on the verge of stealing my heart ten years ago.
Because Xavier Price is still in prison for what he did and even if he weren’t, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to show his face in Eden ever again.
Right?
Wrong.
That’s what returning to Eden after ten years behind bars feels like. But it wasn’t like I had a whole lot of choices. And it wasn’t like I was going to be handed any decent job offers, let alone my dream one of working with horses.
But that’s exactly what happened and now that I’m foreman of Black Hills Ranch, I’m not letting this job go for anything.
Not even the spoiled little rich kid I’d thought was different when he’d glommed onto me ten years ago.
I have no doubt Brooks Cunningham didn’t wait long to move on to bigger and better things the second my jail cell was locked behind me, and that’s just fine by me. I’d been wrong about the sweet, emotional boy who’d had a habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve anyway.
Except fate has decided to have another go at me by tossing Brooks right back into my sometimes too small world. Gone is the scrawny, stars-in-his-eyes nerd who used to do math problems just for fun. In his place is a gorgeous specimen of a man who thinks he can go toe to toe with me and once again destroy everything I’ve worked for.
Not happening.
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A ONE SITTING READ!!!
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WELL HOT DAMN THAT WAS EPIC!!!
This Friends to Enemies to I can’t get enough of you was not just steamy as all heck, but so emotionally filled that I couldn’t stop reading.
You will have ” ALL THE FEELS” for this one!
Always Mine is book one in the Love in Eden series by Sloane Kennedy. This is a M/M second chance romance. This is my very first book by Sloane and I am hooked!
Brooks Cunningham is twenty five years old and has rarely been back to Eden, Wyoming, in the last ten years, ever since “that night.” His Uncle Curtis is having problems with the finances on his horse ranch, Black Hills Ranch, and things are struggling. Brooks might not be cut out for roping horses or cattle, but he is good at numbers. If anyone can figure out the problem, he can.
Xavier Price is twenty six years old and is the ranch foreman of Black Hills Ranch. Curtis Sterling gave him a second chance after Xavier spent ten long years in prison. Now he just wants to do a good job, work with the horses, and stay out of trouble. He wants to prove to Curtis that he was worth taking a chance on.
Ten years ago, when Brooks was fifteen and Xavier was sixteen, Brooks had a huge crush on him. Xavier was so patient with him, taught him how to do things on the ranch. He followed him around constantly. He never thought Xavier could or would do what he did! That he could betray his family like he did. He deserved to be punished and he was. He thought that Xavier was still in prison. But when arrived at his uncle’s ranch, he hadn’t even made it to the front door when there he was. His voice sounded different, but one look into those eyes and he knew it was him.
As Xavier and Brooks try to come to terms with having to share living space, they are forced to face the past that threatens to overcome them both. There are so many secrets, so many unanswered questions. When Brooks walked away, he just closed it all off. What he is finding now is that he shouldn’t have. He should have asked questions. He should have looked further.
One thing that didn’t fade, maybe even grew stronger, was the attraction they both felt when they were teenagers. Only now that attraction comes with so many complications. Mainly that Brooks shouldn’t feel that way at all! How could he feel attracted to him after what he did?!
This is such a good book that kept me turning the pages all the way through. This author has such a beautiful way of telling this story. I couldn’t put it down. These two might have seemed mismatched at the beginning but in reality, they fit perfectly. I loved watching them fall all over again, but this time as grown men, not as naïve teenagers. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Next will be book #1.5 of this series, Tempting Fate: A Love in Eden Short. I can’t wait!
Childhood crush to enemies to lovers story.
After being gone for 10 years, Brooks returns to his uncle’s ranch to help clean up his finances. When he arrives he finds his childhood crush is there working the ranch. His childhood crush, Xavier, who betrayed his family by burning down their barn and attempting to murder his father. His crush who was sentenced to 20 years in prison but is no longer there. Xavier in turn hates Brooks and dislikes him because while he was waiting for trial and sentencing for a crime he didn’t commit, he was sure that Brooks would use his wealth and power to save him or, you know, at least visit him.
This book was my first Sloane Kennedy book and won’t be my last. It had all the things. The chemistry between Brooks and Xavier was off the charts. Watching them struggle with their want for each other and trying to reconcile that with their feelings of betrayal had me on the edge of my seat and my heart breaking for them. They were both so tied up in each other but were too afraid to let go of the past and just be together. Then there was the mystery of what really happened that night. Not knowing and wondering when we would learn was eating at me the entire time I was reading in the best way.
As they were both in the closet I think there was a huge missed opportunity when Brooks confronted his father. I think that is something that everyone would have liked to have seen and the story wasn’t that long that it should have been glossed over like it was. Other than that I am in love with Brooks and Xavier and I wouldn’t cry if I saw them again in future stories.
This enemies to lovers/second chance romance was filled with tension and misconceptions but also with love and forgiveness. The two men were deeply affected by their joint history, so much so that they kept tripping over themselves as they were trying to work out their differences to be able to fall in love. I cannot wait for more stories out of this small mid-west town.
This was a fantastic romance between two men who had been friends early in life up until something happened that changed all that.
Life was fantastic for Brooks well as good as it could be until he got older, and then he is sent back to his hometown to look into things as a favor to his mom.
What he doesn’t expect to find is the one person he has fantasized about, the one who turned his life upside down. The one with secrets.
Xavier had a crap life, after he got out he knew what he needed to do and has been in total focus of that goal until… HIM…
Second chances can happen if you let them…
A new to me author and I hope to read more.
I read this book via kindle unlimited…
When I found out that one of my favorite MM authors was coming with a new series… it made me happy as a hippo.
There haven’t been so many great MM books out this year…it is slim pickings to be honest and I gotta say, I really needed this.
When I read the blurb, I figured I was in for a world of angst, but this wasn’t really the case.
Xavier and Brooks were really good friends when they were in their teens. Different as they could be…they still formed some kind of instant connection. Brooks is a numbers boy, who loves solving math problems and the ranch owner’s son. Xavier is more of a hands-on kind of kid and he is the son of the ranch manager.
Where Xavier goes…Brooks goes until the ultimate betrayal happens….but who is the one betrayed ??
Fast forward 10 years and these two will have to face one another again. Both of them are still chocking on their hurt and the betrayal, but neither of them knows the real/full truth…
No matter how much they try to hate and resent each other…their hearts have already chosen years ago…and what the heart wants, it will try to get.
These two have plenty of demons to fight, especially Xavier, but most of his past isn’t described in detail. There are mostly hints about why he is the way he is today. As far as triggers go, this is a very mild book, compared to what I have read in the past by this author.
It is mostly about loss, betrayal, overcoming your hurt and learning to trust again.
I really enjoyed reading this one, though I have to be honest and also admit that I am on pins and needles to read the next “protectors” book. I am a sucker for angst, drama and some darkness. Which is why that series (and the spin-off) will always be my favorite.
That said… I am very curious about the second book, and I hope it will be Jules’. I have a feeling I am gonna love that guy….and his love-interest 😉
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review