Down and Dirty (Down Home #2) By Parker St. John
One kiss ended in tragedy.
Now they have a second chance to do it right.
Lane:
Bull fighter. Heart throb. Wild card.
Rodeo pro Lane Bell knows a thing or two about taking damage.
He’s made a career out of punishing himself, but he can’t outrun his troubled past. Not when it shows up in an irresistible package to spring him from county lock-up and demand he come home.
Denver Reed is rugged and ripped, with a voice like smoke and eyes that watch every move he makes.
Lane fell hard for him once, but never again.
Because Denver is straight.
Denver:
Bull rider. Mystery. Legend.
Denver Reed has never known anything but denial.
He once set the world on fire on the back of a bull, but his chance at fame is long gone. Because when Lane took off, it was Denver who sacrificed everything to clean up the shattered mess he left behind.
Denial has kept Denver alive all this time.
Denying what he feels for the sinful bull fighter with the lightning eyes and quick grin. Denying the fact that he craves Lane more than air to breathe. Denying his very nature.
Because Lane already broke his heart once.
He can’t survive it a second time. Down and Dirty (Down Home #2)
I was so excited to read this book that I started it without glancing at the blurb. And, realised that it's a standalone book about Lane, who was Cal's friend in book 1. Within a few pages, a sense of deja vu came to me and I did not have to think much to realise why. It's because there are a lot of similarities between this book and the 1st book. No, I am not saying that I felt it because this author like many authors has a distinct way of writing and we as readers identify with their unique style. No, I am saying, if we leave out minor details, this book is exactly like book 1. The story of Lane and Denver is a complete rip-off of the story of Cal and Eli from book 1.ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
•Both Cal(MC of book 1) and Lane are 'washed up' rodeos who are reckless and got injured in the arena while bullfighting.
•Forced to return to a small town to their families and had troubled relationships with them.
•Lane is stubborn, filled with self-loathing and jealousy and chooses mocking/aggression as his outlet. Again are we not describing Cal.
•Stoic, non-communicative love interest. Even though Eli from book 1 was not closeted like Denver, but both were pretty closed-lipped about their mutual past.
•Second chance romance- In the first book, Eli was Cal's high school boyfriend and here Denver is Lane's brother's best friend. But the relationship is the same. Both were Friends as teenagers and had feelings for each other in the past and even after 12 years the relationship is still complicated. They regularly butt heads, snarl and insult and sometimes show care for each other but never talk.ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'
•Both the MCs (Cal and Lane)do not want to stay in the small town because they feel trapped. And, their love interests are stuck there due to family obligations.
I mean we have the same plot, same kinds of execution with different characters like instead of ordering Kadai chicken you end up ordering butter chicken from the same restaurant.
You may enjoy reading this book because it's interesting however if you have read book 1, I feel you will end getting disappointed.ðŸ˜"ðŸ˜" ~3.5~
This is a beautifully written, stark story that speaks to grief, despair, denial, and running from the one thing you love.
I loved Denver for his willingness to be the rock to Lane's wind. He gave up his hopes and dreams so Lane could live his, however recklessly.
Unfortunately, Lane is the sole narrator of the story, and he's not always easy to like. He's selfish and careless. He does mature emotionally, but it takes a while.
Lane's internal monologues felt repetitive at times, and I longed for Denver's POV.
I loved Lane's family and the (at times brutal) descriptions of bull fighting.
The ending is heartfelt, a hard-earned, glorious HEA. That saved the story for me. Down and Dirty (Down Home #2) This book broke my heart. So many feelings. But mostly so much sadness. It’s very heavy, angsty. But also beautiful. I loved Denver and Lane.
My poor heart had to deal with another unexpected dead brother trope and it killed me. The guilt. The feeling that you don’t deserve to be happy. The lonely parents. It was too much.
I adored Lane. Self-destruction speaks to my heart. Sometimes when everything is just too much, I dream of setting fire to my life and running away. And that’s what Lane did. But now he is back. Temporarily at least. And Denver is still here. Lane never got over Denver, and they are both hurt and broken and drawn to each other. They made me cry for the young boys they once were and for the men they became.
I adored Denver. Abandoned by almost everyone in his life, he is putting everything he can into being strong and steady.
The sex scenes were pure fire. Their love was so sweet and beautiful. The descriptions of life on a ranch in Montana made me want to be there with them, working with the cows and horses. It had me feeling that maybe I could leave my academic job and city life and start over in the country.
I recommend this to anyone looking for a lot of feelings and a good cry. Or anyone who likes cowboys. â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸ English Even better than book one
I loved Cal and Eli's romance in book one, but in this, Parker St John has ramped up the ante even more.
What results is a simply spectacular piece of writing that takes all the visceral heat and noise of the rodeo rings of book one and layers on top such a depth of hurt/comfort that it's difficult to keep up at times.
My heart broke for Lane, the weight of the guilt he was carrying was crushing, slowly churning his life away in an endless cycle of painkillers, rough times in the ring and fears he'd never be able to save all the young bullriders.
Denver by contrast, was like a solid wall, no chinks allowed in the armour he'd wrapped so tightly around himself the final time Lane had walked away from the family's farm.
How he'd managed to keep so contained was a mystery until it becomes very clear his threads are going to snap in the slightest breeze.
The tension and burning mix of passionate emotion between them had my heart in my mouth. I couldn't leave this book alone, I needed to know how it could possibly resolve itself.
The air of sadness which surrounded the ranch had me tearing up so many times, I just wanted to take all their hurt away.
But the scene with Lane and his dad, that almost had me full on bawling. The strength he possessed to be able to carry on day by day when it looked like all hope was lost was immense.
It's a slow burn, which makes perfect sense, in fact Denver's explanation of how he'd tried to move on had me wondering if he wasn't somewhere on the demisexual spectrum.
His emotional connection is reserved for Lane and it's been locked away to protect his heart for a decade.
Of course, when the dam finally bursts, you'd expect an inflammation of heat to erupt. Surprisingly though, it's much more than just lustful chemical reactions.
These two men pour everything they've never had the chance to express or explore into their kisses and touches and it's poetry.
Honestly I could go on and on but instead I'll just say that this series is an absolute triumph and book three has me itching for December to get here! English ~ 🱠✧
♪♫ … Six feet under baby that's where I'll be
By the time that you're done with me
All these tears I cry
Drownin' in a tidal wave … ♪♫
♥ 𗜠- ð—ªð—¢ð—ªâ€¦ 𗜠ð—›ð—¢ð—¡ð—˜ð—¦ð—§ð—Ÿð—¬ ð—›ð—"ð—©ð—˜ ð—¡ð—¢ ð—ªð—¢ð—¥ð——ð—¦â€¦ which - yeah. That doesn't usually happen to me. This book came out of nowhere and knocked my freaking socks off.
'Down and Dirty' is an angsty, slow-burn, heartfelt, brooding book about two cowboys running from their demons.
✧✦ ð—¦ð—œð— ð—£ð—Ÿð—¬ ð—£ð—¨ð—§, ð˜ð—µð—¶ð˜€ ð—¯ð—¼ð—¼ð—¸ ð˜„ð—®ð˜€â€¦ ð˜„ð—²ð—¹ð—¹ ð—¶ð˜ ð˜„ð—®ð˜€ ð—²ð˜ƒð—²ð—¿ð˜†ð˜ð—µð—¶ð—»ð—´ ✦✧
Lane and Denver may not have been perfect. They'll probably frustrate you at times. But, man… they have a hidden depth to them that freaking captivates you. You will root for them. You will want to shake them. You will want to hug the ever-loving crap outta them. These men are bruised, a little bit broken, but they still have just enough room in their hearts for each other.
'DOWN AND DIRTY' captured my attention from the very first page, and by the time I got to the last I was left feeling warm and hopeful. I cannot recommend this series, or this book enough.
â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"'
ð——ð—¢ð—ªð—¡ ð—›ð—¢ð— ð—˜ ð—¦ð—˜ð—¥ð—œð—˜ð—¦
#ðŸ ð——ð—¼ð˜„ð—» ð—Ÿð—¼ð˜„ â€" ð—¿ð—²ð—¿ð—²ð—®ð—± ð—¶ð—» ð—½ð—¿ð—¼ð—´ð—¿ð—²ð˜€ð˜€
#🮠ð——ð—¼ð˜„ð—» ð—®ð—»ð—± ð——ð—¶ð—¿ð˜ð˜† â€" 🱠ð˜€ð˜ð—®ð—¿ð˜€
#🯠ð——ð—¼ð˜„ð—» ð—®ð—»ð—± ð—¢ð˜‚ð˜ â€" ðŸ¯.🱠ð˜€ð˜ð—®ð—¿ð˜€
â"•â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"â"™ Down and Dirty (Down Home #2)
And Denver. Every memory of him was seared like a brand into his heart. Someday, when he finally tangled with the wrong bull, the coroner would cut him open and see the etchings of Denver carved into his very bones.
...because behind him was this boy watching me with this look in his eyes like he was starving. I knew that feeling. I knew you. I recognized you before I even knew your name.
I loved this. I've been having something of a reader's block, so it took me a while to get started, it managed to pull me in, and I read it in one sitting. I'm not big on second chance romances, but this one really worked for me.
From the first moment I saw them together, I loved the characters and I felt their connection. It was a delight reading their story. Their romance was interrupted before it even started, but it left a mark on both of them, and it felt like it was meant to be. It's also full of guilt, longing, regrets, miscommunication, pride, and just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a pretty angsty book, maybe even a little too angsty and frustrating at times, but so hot and emotional, and I never doubted their connection. I do wish we got at least a bit more on page time with them being happy and carefree. I'm not so sure about the conflict resolution scene. It was definitely a grand gesture, and I get the significance, but . Still, that entire scene and the aftermath was foreshadowed, so I can't say it came out of nowhere, and it did work in the context of their relationship. The ending had me feeling a little melancholic, because after all the push and pull, I wanted to see more of them together, but it was a beautiful ending.
It's a wonderfully written book, full of pining and passion, and very engaging. I highly recommend this. 😊 Kindle Edition Mmmmmm... this one wasn't as good as the first one but it had it's charm. ðŸ¤"ðŸ¤"🙃
3,5 stars!!!
What I loved:
- The writing, perfect as always.
- The ranch setting, far away from bullfighting thank you very much! Fuck the sport.
- The characters, they were lovely, specially Denver. I just wished we had more of his pov.
What got me annoyed:
L A N E
😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬
I KNOW! I know he's the main guy and we see this story totally in his pov, but yeah, I didn't like him much. He was really selfish, he had a weird god complex, I mean he thinks that if he's in every rodeo he can make THE difference and protect everyone, well newsflash, that ain't true. He was also a hypocrite, demanding stuff from Denver when he wasn't facing his own shit! 🤦ðŸ»â€â™€ï¸ðŸ¤¬
Don't mess with baby Denver!
And also, the author repeated the same thing over and over again, when Lane locked eyes with Denver: he was so strong, so wild, so masculine but he was wasting away, trapped in the ranch without following his calling. I get it!!!!! YOU ALL BECAME A MESS, don't tell me the same thing every other chapter please!
And I know, I KNOW he lost his twin, but the author made the mistake (in my opinion) of not creating a bond between the brothers, Lane said they weren't that close because they were really different. So all the guilt I don't get. 🤷ðŸ»â€â™€ï¸ðŸ˜¬
But I still liked it, so there is that. 🤣🤣🤣ðŸ'œ 234 was this book extremely similar to book one? yes! 1000%! it felt like the same story pretty much the whole time. did i care? no! not one bit! there’s something about this series where i just can’t get enough. i finished this book and immediately picked up book 3 (something i never do!! i usually wait a good long time before diving into another installment in a series unless i’m so obsessed i can’t help myself which is what happened here!) the setting itself is teeming with as much life and heart as the characters. i had no interest in second chance romance stories before this series but here i am…obsessed! the angst, the unfinished business, the what ifs and what could’ve beens if one person had been been braver, if one person had been less stubborn, if both people had followed their heart in the first place. the tension is so well done in this series and i appreciate that the reader doesn’t feel left out when it comes to the history both people had prior to the start of the book. we get glimpses and tastes in order to whet our appetite for what’s to come and what will unfold. the sex scenes are phenomenal. while there aren’t many in the series, what we get is magnificent. like lightning hitting a live wire. denver and lane deliver in heaps when it comes to romantic moments that will take your breath away. they’re as stubborn as the bulls they ride and as loyal as the animals they raise. i adore them. i hope you will too. English First read: 4.5/5 stars
Second read: 5 stars
I read this book for the first time 6 days ago but I just finished reading the first book in the series yesterday and I had to read this one again. Do I love it? Am I a little obsessed? Yes to both.
For some reason, I think I loved it even more this time than the first time I read it. I knew everything that would happen and it didn’t stop me from crying the entire book. This book destroyed me, but in a good way and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I have re-read two books in my life, I almost never re-read. I have been in a reading slump for weeks and haven’t wanted to read, like at all but I read this book two times in a week. That's how much I love this book.
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Original review
4.5 or 5 You're worth it stars
“You’re worth protecting too, Lane […] You’re more than a body that can take a beating and get back up, and you lost the chance to take damn fool risks when you came back. You’re mine, and I will never sit back and watch you hurt yourself again.â€
After this book, I need to regain my strength and stop crying. I think this book destroyed me, but in a good way, I absolutely loved the experience.
Look in true Florence’s fashion, I haven’t read the first book in the series but I really wanted to read this one … so I did.
God did I love this. As I mentioned before, i’m in a reading slump and getting interested by a book has been really hard for me. I also haven’t read a 5 stars book in ages so this book didn’t have the odds in its favour. But I started crying little tears at 3% into this book and by 13% I was full on crying and I don’t think it ever stoped until the end. At first I was crying at the angst but after that I was also crying at how sweet and good the comfort was. Everything about this book worked for me.
Brief summary
Lane is a bullfighter and he gets knocked by a bull, gets suspended from his job, then gets into a bar fight and is sent to prison. This happened in Montana where his family live, so they bail him out of prison and bring him to live on their ranch, because Lane doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Lane doesn’t want to be there, thats why he left when he was a teen to travel the world and be a bullfighter. Denver, who was abandoned when he was young so Lane’s family takes care of him, lives on Lane’s family ranch and he works for them. Denver and Lane kissed once, 12 years ago, but it didn’t end well. They meet again and realize how much they love each other and get together.
The setting? Absolutely lovely, the vibes were immaculate
The characters? Absolutely loved both of them and I want to meet them so I can give them hugs
The relationship? It was so hard fought but god was it beautiful
The relationship progression? So damn satisfying to read about
The grief? It broke my heart in two but the way it was handled was lovely
The writing? Absolutely gorgeous
The portrayal of families? So realistic and lovely to see in a book, it was so different from all the very stereotypical ways families are shown in books
The lack of communication? Actually made sense with the characters and the book so I couldn’t be mad at it
This entire book? Absolute perfection for me.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review. English This story is absolutely spectacular.
I wasn't too sure about it at the beginning, though. It's the story of Lane, a bullfighter, who ran away from his family's ranch after the death of his twin brother, thinking he wasn't worthy of being the twin left behind.
A bullfighter seems to be an assistant or first aid person to a rodeo rider. The rider falls off the bull, the bullfighter is there to distract the bull and save the rider. That was my impression. I know absolutely nothing about rodeo riding. Which was also the main reason why this story wasn't an immediate favorite of mine.
But damn, once Lane got hurt badly and even ended up in jail, guess who came to his rescue to bail him out and drag his ass home to Montana?
Only the most mouthwateringly hot and charismatic cowboy ever. A man with a name that makes shivers run down my back: Denver. Reed.
Oh my God. Denver is such a perfect character.
Starting out as an an unwanted orphan in Lane's hometown, Denver was taken in by Lane's family thanks to his twin brother's big heart and became a rising rodeo riding star in his youth, only to fall back down to earth heavily when a moment of distraction led to a tragedy that both Lane and Denver never seemed to be able to shake off.
Now, some ten years later, Denver returns Lane back home and tries to make him see that the long lost son is desperately needed at home instead of destroying himself bullfighting for reasons that only make sense in Lane's head.
The plot is really really good. And once I admitted to myself that yes, this book is about guys whose world revolved around bullfighting, I really lost myself in it.
And let me just say, Denver and Lane's intimate scenes are spectacular. They're a piece of art that you rarely see in m/m romance.
This story is a masterpiece right from the moment when Denver first shows up. Lane's self-destructive ways at the beginning and the separation angst that Lane constantly nurtured like a sword of Damocles over his family's heads were less easy to like, but damn did the guy come around at the end.
I seriously recommend this book. It's really a wonderful piece of romantic fiction between two hardened men who need each other to find peace in this world.
So fricking beautiful.
5 stars and a top ten read of this year! Parker St. John
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