Augustus Ambrose never planned to return to the United States after graduation. His mother’s final letter, with its dire threats about what would await if he did, had been more than enough to keep him away. But when his Aunt Grace dies unexpectedly and leaves him her ranch in the New Mexico Territory, he can’t ignore it. Grace gave him everything, and he can’t let her legacy suffer for his … childish fear of his mother.
Griffith Taylor doesn’t want much. Quiet nights on the range, a big blue sky, and no rattlesnakes in his boots. He definitely doesn’t want to travel to Boston to take care of his late boss’s heir. When he lays eyes on his charge, everything changes. Not just because Augie is the best looking greenhorn he’s ever clapped eyes on, oh no.
Someone wants Griff’s new boss dead, and they’re not afraid to use forbidden magic to get the job done. Griff can handle himself in a fight, but this job might be more than he’s prepared for.
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Range witch Griff took pride in being a scowling, rude, mean brute when it suited him. It kept unwanted attention at bay, allowing him to be just by himself and only with the company of his equally mean, bad tempered guardian(familiar) horse, Walt. Traveling all those miles from home just to fetch what he’d expected a prissy, fancy, greenhorn dandy heir has only increased his fowl mood and filled him with dread imagining the ride back. But, the heir turned out to be the complete opposite of a snob dandy. Augie Ambrose, in fact, was unpretentious, earnest…and dangerous to Griff’s peace of mind.
If I ever imagined someone to portray the saying “the bigger they are, the harde they fall “, I found it in Griff. Augie’s sweet smiles became the big guy’s kryptonite, and I laughed every time he went out of way just to keep the younger man happy. One look at those wide, innocent green eyes and he’d have done anything in his power to keep them sparkling with joy. Especially when someone was trying to dim that sparkle for ever.
Angie, on the other hand, was immediately attracted to Griff’s casual confidence, stunning body and wicked smile. And he liked how safe Griff made him feel, how, for the first time in his life he felt wanted and appreciated for himself, as opposed to only being taken advantage of and ridiculed.
Their journey towards The Lost Ranch started with a first attempt at Augie’s life, causing an overall tone of wariness and fear to their departure. But the close proximity also allowed them to act on their attraction, and while their chemistry was steaming hot, what I enjoyed most was their moments filled with tenderness, and the downright cute ones when Griff would kiss Augie’s cheek or the latter would cuddle close to Griff’s bigger body. Whatever gestures of public affection they might have shown were never met with censure or disgust, which I really appreciated… mostly because it allowed Griff to state his claim to the sweet man who has become “his Augie” and no longer only his boss.
I admit that books with grouchy, tough men turning soft and caring when in love are my catnip, and this one is incredibly well written, heart-warming, sweet and entertaining. The Wild West atmosphere didn’t hurt either and the attempts to Augie’s life and who was behind them added danger and suspense to the story. I loved Griff, Augie and their romance, the light, humorous writing style and the laughs, many of which thanks to the opinionated fourlegged companions. But, if I were to make an observation, if would be regarding the use of magic, or lack thereof, in the story. I wish the author had given a better understanding of range witches and their powers, and of Augie’s magic as well. Apart from that, I found Ruby Run an absolutely lovely, charming reading experience.
A place to call home
I can’t get enough of paranormals and when you add in a western historical theme, it’s love at first neigh. Augie is the best. He’s sweet, shy and has more to him than even he knows. Griff, I found to be quite the charmer but I am a fan of grumpy, sexy men. Together they are perfect, dusty or not. I want to visit Lost Chance to meet them and of course, the horses. I adore the guardians in this series. They are the driving force behind the people. I hope we see Augie and Griff again as I think they have more to share. Witches, magic, a quietly intense love and everlasting connection, I think I found my new vacation place in New Mexico and Ruby Gulch.
So much to love about this story. I loved the mix of the old west, magic, and zombies, which is genius. The world building is fabulous and very well thought out. That and the characters pulled me into the story, and didn’t let go until the last page. I thought it was a sweet story yet with plenty of action, and romance.
I loved the characters. I felt for Augie with his upbringing and crazy mother, and how his self doubt because of it. Having him not being able to taste or smell is an interesting original twist. I really liked how he became more confident in himself and his abilities as the story progressed. Although I guessed where his strength in magic lay, it didn’t detract from the story, as I enjoyed reading about his journey to that point. I love him and Griff together. They’re good for each other. I liked how Griff just took everything in his stride and wanted Augie right from first sight. I loved him in action in a gun fight too.
Walt, of course, deserves a mention. He’s a great character and steals every scene he’s in. I was very happy with the way Cerebus’ storyline pans out too. I would have loved to have met Augie’s aunt as she sounds like an amazing lady. I liked how this alternative west has some very capable women as part of it.
The magic is interesting and different, yet perfect for the setting. Although I enjoyed the epilogue and the closure it gave, I’d love to see another story with Augie and Griff.
I’m not a fan of spaghetti westerns, but the combination of magic and Cowboys drew me in. This was a lot of fun. Good heat level. An interesting plot. I was given an ARC, but I bought it to read again.
I really enjoyed the story, but some things were never explained. What’s a dust devil?
4.5 stars! Sam Burns is one of those authors who I just always click with. I don’t even usually like westerns, but with this one I was hooked immediately and had to force myself to put the book down to get some sleep. While this book is most definitely a western, it’s more than that too. I absolutely adored Augie and Griff. Their romance was incredibly sweet, and developed very naturally throughout the story and their trek out west. The magic was interesting, although it probably could’ve been expanded on a little (this might have happened in the other books in this shared world, but I’ll probably only read this one). There was definitely a fair amount of heat, and a constant sense of adventure. It really is a book that has it all.
From the very beginning the MC’s were interesting and complex. They’re not remotely similar to one another and yet there’s something more that brings them together. Their personalities are endearing in their own ways and for very different reasons. The overall plot moved forward at an acceptable pace that allowed us to focus on the MC’s, their pasts, their current difficulties, and what kind of life they would look toward when they finally reached Ruby Gulch.
I think what I liked the most was the honesty. Griff was admittedly a grouch but he never let that stand in the way of how interesting, adorable, and endearing he thought Augie was. Walt was really a reflection of his owner and yet his heart was soft as well. They made a great guardian/range witch pairing. Add in the adorably vulnerable yet eager Augie with his compassionate soul and earnest heart and they were a wonderful match. I enjoyed how their relationship grew and that there weren’t any angsty bits with past lovers or misunderstood intentions. Their honesty made their path relatively smooth.
As for the magic and the plot, there was a huge tilt in the balance toward the explanations and romance and not the mystery that followed them. Because we knew who the antagonist was and that they would eventually have their reckoning, the journey was used to build a foundation between Griff and Augie as well as give us a thorough transition from an uncertain future to a solid plan with intention. The confrontation was between exactly who it needed to be between and it hinted at a whole lot of magically awesome things that are to come for Augie in his new life. I wish we had more of their story after that point, but the epilogue was sweet and clear enough that there were no mysteries as to how their life is progressing, I just wish I got to see the settling down at the ranch.
I truly enjoyed this story and am quite excited to see what else this series has in store. The other books are all by different authors and in the same setting, though I’m not sure how much crossover we’ll get between the characters. I have certain hopes that we’ll see a larger picture of the ranch and the world they all created though, so I’ll be back for more for sure. Except I really hope for a little more explicit definitions as to the type of witches because using the basic “range witch” and “book witch” descriptions just weren’t enough to understand the scope of what the witches are and are capable of.
Historical Western Road Trip!