Erryn reviews ‘Saving My Sanity (Sulfur Springs Book 3)’ by Taylor Rylan. This book was released by the author on October 1, 2018, and is 284 pgs long. The audiobook version of this story was narrated by Michael Pauley. It was released on October 16, 2019, and is 5 hrs and 54 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I enjoyed the first book and so was happy to get another one in the series.
Walker Roberts is a lost man. One fateful night, his entire life was turned upside-down. First, he was turned down by the young man he’d been gathering up the nerve to ask out for two years, and then he lost both his parents. Not only that, he discovers his life is not what he thought it was. At 34, how could he not know the truth about his family? Unable to cope, he walks away from the life he’d built for himself, only to discover his ties to Sulfur Springs might be stronger than he realized.
Tristan Stone is the youngest and most junior man on the Sulfur Springs Fire Department, making him the probie. His crew is amazing, and he’s watched one of his closest friends from high school fall in love with his lieutenant. So, why does he feel like he’s missing something? He’d thought he’d done well with hiding his attraction to the very straight Captain Walker Roberts, but has he? Without warning, Captain Roberts disappears in the middle of the night, and Tristan realizes just how much he misses the older man once he’s gone. Is he coming back?
Tragedy strikes in Sulfur Springs and one of their own is caught in the chaos. Will Walker return in time to save the young man he’s silently watched for so long?
Saving My Sanity is the third book in the Sulfur Springs series. This is a Men of Crooked Bend spin-off, but it isn’t a requirement that you know that series to enjoy this one. Familiar faces will be seen, but this series takes you off of the ranch and into the lives of those in Sulfur Springs. While each book will focus on a different couple, you should listen to them in order. Each book contains sexually explicit material between two men and is intended for adults over 18.
Buy Links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Erryn’s Review:
This book starts out heavy. Really heavy. Like I’m sniffling within just a few minutes. But I love those kinds of books and it does lighten up slightly as time goes on. Walker Roberts loses both parents and his sense of self all in one day. He’s always believed certain truths, but upon the deaths of his mother and father, he discovers much of what he thought he knew was a lie. That’s tough to swallow all at once and, knowing it will take time and that there is now much baggage attached to his old life, he decides not to return to Sulphur Springs.
Another tragedy brings him back. He faces the man he’d asked out but who had rejected him. Tristan Stone has always known who and what he was. Despite his mother’s valiant attempts to pray the gay away, he knows he’s only attracted to men. Men who are just scratching an itch? Not interested. Captain Walker is fourteen years older and certainly has had time to figure out he likes men. He’s been dating women all these years, so Tristan isn’t convinced when the older man asks him out that it’s legit.
But Walker is serious. He’s been watching Tristan from afar and those feelings of attraction – and possibly more – have grown over the two years. Living in close quarters with someone can solidify feelings, that’s for sure. And have other men and women discovered they are bi or gay well into their adult lives? It happens. Sometimes it’s because they just haven’t met the right person yet. For Walker, that man is Tristan.
Tristan comes with a lot of baggage. Walker is all-in from the beginning, though, and that speaks to the strength of his feelings. Fortunately Tristan feels similar attraction because the men are going to have to fight to save those Tristan loves most.
This book has plenty of feel good moments. And some tough ones as well. What happens when the ones who are supposed to love us, let us down? For Walker, it’s not quite as bad, but for Tristan, the results are horrendous.
Michael Pauley narrates this book and I’ll say again what I’ve said before – he hits every note perfectly. He’s great with the voices and the differentiations. He’s also good with handling the numerous female characters. I had criticized Ms. Rylan in my review for the first book because I felt there were no solid and good female characters. This book was certainly much better in that respect. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
Erryn’s Rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
Website | Goodreads | Twitter @taylorrylan1
After several years of daydreaming about sexy men in her head, Taylor decided to finally start writing about them! That’s where the Men of Crooked Bend came from, although at the time, she had no idea as to what she would name the town, nor what state it would even be in. She quickly learned that even though she had ideas in her head, it was her characters that ultimately decided what would happen in each story. She goes into each adventure with a set plan but already knows that in the end, things will change and that her characters are going to get their way.
When she’s not writing about sexy men, she loves to read about them. Even if, her reading time has become less frequent since she started writing, she still tries to find time to read at least once a week.
She is a busy mom of three and one kitten named Lucky.
Her Men of Crooked Bend Series is her first series but she already has a spin-off in the works. She also writes about sexy shifters and their fated mates. Her Honey Creek Den is just the first of several series planned!
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