His Fresh Start Cowboy

Woods Ranch, Book 1

De: A.M. Arthur

Narrado por: Michael Dean

From acclaimed author A.M. Arthur comes a tender, sexy cowboy romance, the first in her Woods Ranch series.

Two cowboys will have to risk their hearts—again—to find a home on the ranch.

Hugo Turner's boots haven't touched Texas soil in almost a decade, and he's not sure they should now. Being in the state is complicated, but Hugo can't resist going back for a job working with his teenage crush. His best friend's hot older brother is now the ranch's foreman, so he'll be Hugo's boss. Inappropriate? Probably. Will it stop Hugo? Probably not.

Brand Woods isn't ready for the return of Hugo Turner. He decided long ago to keep his bisexuality private and to focus his life on running the ranch. Working next to the most dangerously tempting man he’s ever known stirs up questions Brand thought he'd put to rest.

The sparks that send their hearts galloping lead to a deeper passion than either man expects. But by giving in to the chemistry without taking a risk and committing to each other—or, more importantly, to themselves and living the lives they've always wanted—Brand and Hugo might lose their second chance at true love.

Woods Ranch

Book 1: His Fresh Start Cowboy

©2022 A.M. Arthur (P)2022 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Good Start For a Spin Off

Hugo from Clean Slate Ranch returns to his hometown area of Texas. He goes to work for the ranch owned by the family of his childhood best friend and his brother, Hugo's teenage crush. Michael Dean did his usual good job with narration, bringing the characters to life. This was an easy listen with a satisfying HEA.

more please!

loved the whole book and loved the characters. great job Michael Dean! how about some more!

Derinitely an entertaining story to listen to

The story is very interesting and it is an entertaining story to listen to. while travelling or relaxing around the home.

very good

Loved the Clean Slate Ranch series, and this first book is just as good. couldn't stop listening to it.

Standard Romance Novel

The book follows the standard romance story format. Introduction, charactet development, conflict, victim-defense, love exclamation, happy ending.

We have all read this book before.

I have been on a ghost kick as of late, and after two series and a standalone, I needed a palate cleanser and thought with as much as I enjoyed Arthur's Perspective series, this cowboy tale would be a solid option. From the start I was convinced I'd listened to this book before! Turns out, I hadn't read this one, but it is so amazingly predictable that it feels like just one more mediocre romance. Also, there are some missed opportunities that could have easily made this a four star book - Arthur knows how to hit hard. I have listened to her Perspective series several times and consider myself a fan.

Michael Dean is quite good, although he has some moments where he really, really gets into the sex scenes - his pace picks up and his tone goes up, as if he is living it out loud. His ease around a wide variety of characters is as expected from him, very solid.

Where I was most disappointed is how limply Arthur handles some of the key elements of the story. Brand is an uninteresting combination of issues, torn between I am your boss and I am your best friends older brother that feels like neither should be that much of an issue on a small family ranch. He has himself tied in knots that if he pursues a relationship with a man he won't produce a male heir by blood, resulting in disappoint for his parents. Granted, this is a spinoff of the Clean Slate Ranch series, specifically book two - Roped In - which features Brand's older brother Colt, Brand doesn't expect gay brother Colt to provide that blood heir. His other worry is his bisexuality could hurt the family's business a small town. Considering that Brand is pursuing a niche market product that is presented as something more popular in larger cities, his sexuality shouldn't be an issue as locals aren't buying the meat.

Hugo's backstory is generally solid and fitting within Arthur's semi tortured man pattern. In this case he was a teen runaway who left an abusive home where his mother turned a blind eye to what was happening to him. That part of the story is very well developed. The relationship issue with his mother has the emotional heft I expect from this author. His teen crush on Brand is also very believable and it makes sense the 16 year old would be desperate for a better life, and who better to imagine that life with than beautiful college grad who is generous and kind, and comes from a large, loving family. Hugo's return to Texas allows him to show that he has grown and can stand on his own two feet.

Hugo's well defined back story only serves to show how flimsy Brand's story is. He is so wishy washy, and we learn completely unable to commit. He has both a woman and a man that he can connect with for sexual release, but none of them want a relationship, it is a multiyear casual affair. Than he has managed to keep it a secret is hard to believe.

Arthur drops the ball again by not utilizing the potential tension with Brand's occasional tryst mate, Jackson, who also works on the ranch. Why isn't this the same conflict as Hugo working on the ranch? Brand attempts to explain it away by saying he was sexually involved with Jackson before Jackson worked at the ranch, Huh? Hugo's step brother Buck is released from prison - unrelated charges - and begins to stalk Hugo. We don't know why Hugo is such a focus of this guy's ire, he didn't go to jail for anything related to Hugo. Also, while Buck is menacing, he isn't used in a way that makes him truly a threat to Hugo. Naturally we have to meet the other characters for future books which, in the case of book two is not handled as deftly as Arther managed in the Perspectives series.

Another issue is that Brand leans heavily on his BFF/FB Rachel Marie who tends to propel the story along in a way that practically has a flashing sign that says "I am fixing things for Brand". Other characters fall into predictable tropes, Brand's father says "Good Man" a lot and Mrs Woods always has a pot of coffee and the first aid kit handy. Hugo's mother, and Elmer, the man Hugo rents a trailer from are underutilized and we don't get satisfying resolution with either of them.

Overall the book is ok, it is listenable and Hugo offers some really Arthur type moments in his journey. What makes it so limp to me is how one dimensional Brand is as an adult. Arthur also leans heavy into the whole ranching aspect with a focus on the family trying to move into organic grass fed beef that gets a bit old, and then there is a sideline circle-of-life for the cows aspect of giving the cows their best possible short life. As someone who eschews red meat, this is conversation I am all for having. However, I think you need to choose why something is important to the story you are writing before you stumble through it. Had there been a character that struggled with the ethics of meat farming, these conversations would have made more sense, but as presented, they just felt like aspirational filler. I would have preferred more to Rand's story. If you want a more satisfying and successful tortured cowboy relationship check out Wild At Heart, a collaboration by Christina Lee and Riley Hart.