Case Holden hates his life. Made rich at a young age, he slipped into a lifestyle of partying with multiple boyfriends who only wanted to be with him for what he could give them. After confiding to his aunt that he’s miserable, she extends an invitation for a visit. Case plans to spend the time in small town Clover City to reprioritize and plant his feet on the road to happiness. He does not … expect the Clover City sheriff to step into his world and wreak havoc on his emotions.
Two years ago, after the death of his partner, Rawley Kane moved to Clover City, trading the painful memories and big city madness for a less stressful existence. Even as sheriff, his life is uncomplicated and quiet. That is until Case Holden rolls into town and reminds Rawley just how lonely he is, and of everything he’s been missing.
Case is everything Rawley shouldn’t want. The man has six boyfriends and a life back in Denver, not to mention he’s quite a bit younger than Rawley. No matter what he tells himself, he can’t get enough of the young man. And Case has made it clear Rawley is the only one he wants. Now if they could just get past Rawley’s guilt and Case’s insistent boyfriends, they just might stand a chance.
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Case needs a new life. Preferably one that he likes and one he chooses for himself. His trip to see his aunt doesn’t start on a high note… How can it when his car dies and leaves him stranded on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain and no cell signal or battery to speak of? But not all is disaster, a stunning roadside savior gives him a lift to his temporary home. As Case gets to know Rawley the mixed signals give way to passion and have him wondering just how temporary his stay might be. It’s when their budding romance is threatened by their pasts that they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to fight for a future where they’re the only one for each other.
Case was a mess, but an honest one. I enjoyed his zest for life, his determination to live a better life, the way he owns everything he is. And when he is faced with his past he doesn’t become bitter or revert to the selfish, callous jerk he once was, he tries to do the right thing for everyone as best he can.
It’s Rawley who has the hair-triggered responses that hint at an uncertain future for them. His lack of communication shows up at almost every chapter and while I can tell he’s a good man with quite a bit of emotional damage, I have doubts that he can be what Case truly needs. After his little trip to get his head and heart on the same page he’s better in terms of knowing what he wants and we can see him finally growing into his potential.
Their reconciliation is good mostly because of Casey. The way he refuses to lash out in confusion, hurt, or to make Rawley jealous proves just how far he’s come, just how good of a person he always was and with a healthy, happy environment that part of him is finally able to thrive.
Shortly after that very sweet scene, though, things go crazy. I don’t really understand what the purpose of the accident was because it didn’t add to the story, didn’t make Rawley more in love or determined to be with Casey, didn’t do anything to solve Casey’s dilemma with his exes…it just didn’t fit. If instead he finally made inroads with gaining closure with his past and used the drama unfolding via his texts to push for a dramatic event at the end that would have been much more organic, a way better fit for the flow of the story. Despite the consequences of the accident bringing reality into the story, I saw absolutely no value in the whole debacle. It ended very abruptly after that with no closure, no settling, no finality. Up to that point it was a really good story.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angie –
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Rawley right off the bat. Case/Casey was easy to like. These two guys are polar opposites, but they just work together so well. They balance each other out and have amazing hot sex! LOL. I loved Casey’s aunt who tried to play matchmaker as well. There was a little drama and some angst in this book, but it fit the story and didn’t seem just thrown in to fill the pages. The one thing I didn’t like was there was no epilogue, I wanted to know what happened after the dust settled. What happened with Trent, and what did Casey do for a living once he figured everything out?
Sarah –
This is a story about a small town sheriff who falls for a wealthy, city playboy. There are some sweet moments, a fair bit of heat, and some exciting scenes.
The character development feels superficial in this book. We get details about Rawley and Case’s pasts, but we don’t get beyond the surface of either man. Case’s six boyfriends are brought up regularly, but the exact number of faceless ex-boyfriends seems like an odd detail to keep recounting. We are told about Rawley’s PTSD but I’m not sure we ever see how it affects his life. Case is independently wealthy, and he seems a little bit vapid and idle. Fair enough if he doesn’t need to work, but with no charity work or social causes to invest in, he doesn’t do anything except drive too fast. I had a hard time feeling anything for him.
I found the insta-love completely implausible in this story. I also found it impossible to invest emotionally in Rawley because his character kept changing. From growly, closeted sheriff to jealous, teenaged lover to out and proud man, Rawley doesn’t change gradually, he lurches from one identity to another. The dialogue here is cheesy and sappy and I can’t see the sheriff or the playboy indulging in such flowery emotive conversations.
There isn’t a clear story arc in this book and while I enjoyed the small town moments, I’m not sure they added much to the central romance. Rawley and Case don’t spend enough time together for me to really believe in a relationship that can progress beyond instant attraction and I’m still not sure how the significant age gap is meant to resolve. The copy-editing errors in this story also put me off but I read an ARC and I assume that the errors will be fixed pre-publication.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Only You by Kay Doherty to read and review.