Soft Place to Fall

By: BA Tortuga

Narrated by: John Solo

Stetson Major and Curtis Traynor are about as opposite as two cowboys can get. Stetson is a rancher, tied to the land he loves in Taos, New Mexico, while Curtis is a rodeo cowboy whose wanderlust never could be tamed. But now Stetson's momma is dying of Alzheimer's, and she can't remember that Curtis hasn't been Stetson's boyfriend for a long time. Curtis's absence makes her cry, so Stetson swallows his pride and calls his ex-lover.

To Curtis, Stetson is the one who got away, the love of his life. And Momma is his friend, so he's happy to help out. Yet returning to the ranch stirs up all sorts of feelings that, while buried, never really went away. Still, the rodeo nationals are coming up, and Curtis can't stay - even if he's starting to want to, especially to support Stetson when he needs it most.

Stetson and Curtis want to find a place where they both fit, to be there to catch each other when they fall. But family, money problems, and the call of the rodeo circuit might end their second-chance romance before it even gets started.

©2019 BA Tortuga (P)2020 Tantor

Did my heart good

Loved this book very much, listened to it at work. Had coworkers asking me why I was crying? Explained that this book was tearing at my heart and bringing back memories of my mother. I would like to thank the writer for the great love story. My husband always tells me that I am a hopeless romantic. That is why I loved this book.

A great read or listen, I highly recommend it.

Don't miss it!

This is an excellent second-chance romance. Because, here is the thing, second-chance romance stories are hard to do right. I usually find that the reason for the break-up puts one of the characters in a position in which redemption isn't believable. Not here.

Stetson and Curtis' break-up comes from familiar circumstances and wanting different things from life. They were young and unable to reach a compromise and they split-up.

But now, Stetson's mom is dying from Alzheimer, she doesn't remember that they aren't together and doesn't understand why Curtis doesn't come to see her. So Stetson stomps on his pride and calls him.

What comes next is one of the sweetest, and yet most realistic takes on a second-chance romance that I've read in a while. It's not immediate, they fight and they make-up, they cry and laugh and they finally learn to lean on each other.

It's a perfect western, with the right amount of pride and stubbornness from the characters, presenting both sides of the cowboy's life: Stetson, steady and reliable, tied to the land but utterly lonely; and Curtis, living from rodeo to rodeo, loving his exciting and dangerous life but aware that he is getting old for the gig.

Their reunion happens at the right time for both of them, with change close in their futures and the chance to fix what went wrong the first time.

Heartbreaking but also heartwarming, and narrated by John Solo, who manages the sexiest Texan drawl I've ever heard, I finished this book with a big smile and a warm heart.

A great cowboy story plus a lot more

What a lovely story. Low angst with gentle, loving characters. The plot was interesting and moved along at a nice pace. John Solo, of course was wonderful. I found myself throughout really rooting for Curtis and Stetson. They truly deserved their HEA. Highly recommended.

Heartstrings

It was an okay story, read well by a good narrator. Really tugs at the heartstrings more than romance for me. But overall pleasant work

performance felt forced

i mean no offense but that sound like a city boy through an through... trying to emphasize the country drawl and it is just not how we sound, we sound different and we say y'all but good Lord

Prepare for tears – the sad and good type

BA Tortuga makes you fall in love with Stetson and Curtis. Some tears will fall, but more of the good kind than the sad. Personally, not a John Solo fan, but he did a great job in bringing the story to life. This is a perfect book to curl up on a rainy day.

Good story. Great narration.

This was a long slow cowboy romance packed with up an down emotions. As always, Tortuga fills the story with authentic cowboy moments that make me a little homesick.... up until hauling firewood is mentioned.

The narrator did a great job of adding a slow subtle drawl that fit the characters and the setting of the story.