Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding is the story of a geeky trainspotter learning that there is more to life than watching his favorite trains.  I received a copy of this book at no charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and this post contains affiliate links.

Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding

Purchase Links:  Amazon / Samhain Publishing

Title:      Blowing Off Steam
Series:     N/A
Author:   Joy Lynn Fielding
Publisher:   Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (May 26, 2015)
ASIN:      B00VNK4J7G
Format/Length:   800 KB/184 pages
Genre:      M/M, Contemporary
Heat Rating:     3
Star Rating:  3 1/2

Blurb:

Two guys, a train, and lots of steam.

Sam Chancellor has been in love with the steam engine Old Bess since he was six years old. Well, maybe not literally, but even when he’s lost everything else in his life, he’s always had her. But now her place in his heart has been unexpectedly challenged. Her new driver, Ryan Saunders, is the embodiment of all Sam’s fantasies.

Ryan has written off Sam as just another geeky trainspotter—until the moment Ryan sees him without his usual shapeless hoodie, and realizes that for a nerd, Sam’s pretty built.

When Ryan overlooks Sam’s awkwardness long enough to suggest a hook-up, Sam seizes the opportunity—and Ryan—with both very eager hands. Finding common ground in their shared love of Bess, their time together is better than Sam ever dared dream.

But there’s a reason Ryan never talks about his past. And when Ryan’s job is threatened, Sam’s well-meaning intervention puts both Ryan and Bess in deadly danger.

My Review

Sam’s parents passed away when he was 11, leaving him in the care of an older uncle.  This makes a huge difference in Sam’s life.  His uncle shares his love of trains with Sam and nothing is ever the same again.  Sam is not just a little bit interested in trains.  He spends DAYS watching them go by, taking notes on their formation and chatting about them in Internet forums.  He works, he has no social life, and he watches the trains.  But there is a little niggling thought in his head that he is missing something very important.  And then he sees Ryan….

Ryan is a reformed bad boy from a very well off family.  Having spent years partying and sleeping around he has grown tired of the life and wants something more for himself.  Working as the conductor on Bess, an old and well refurbished passenger train, is something Ryan comes to truly love.  He is struggling a bit to stay on the straight and narrow and when he sees Sam he just can’t resist taking him for a tumble or two.

I liked Sam’s character…he was a really old soul with an incredibly kind heart.  He was a geek but a sexy one just waiting for the right guy to coax him out of his shell.  He is an awesome combination of fumbling shyness and take charge sexy.  Ryan turns out to be sweeter than I thought he would be.  After years of partying and one night stands he is surprised at himself for wanting more from Sam.

There is a bit of a mystery in Blowing Off Steam in terms of some financial problems that the city is having in terms of running the trains.  You can pretty much guess who the culprit is but there is a nice amount of suspense as the story unfolds.

Overall, Blowing Off Steam was a nice story with enjoyable characters.  I learned more about trainspotting than I ever would have guessed possible.  Who knew that there were entire forums of people who discussed these things!  Enjoyable characters…Sam was quite unique and as odd a couple as he and Ryan are, I think they fit nicely together.  The story didn’t grab me and suck me in completely but I ended it with a smile, happy that these two found their soul mate.