In Kyle by author RJ Scott, we meet two men with emotional and physical scars that have left them angry and afraid. Working at Legacy Ranch gives them hope for a future that they never dreamed possible. I received one copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest reviews but all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
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Kyle (Legacy Series Book 1) by author RJ Scott
Purchase Kyle by RJ Scott on Amazon
Title: Kyle
Series: Legacy Series Book 1
Author: RJ Scott
Publisher: August 31st 2016 by Love Lane Books Limited
ASIN: B01L9NNTWC
Genre: M/M, Contemporary
Length/Format: 361 KB/ 150p ages
Heat Rating: 2
Star Rating: 3 1/2
About RJ Scott: Learn more about RJ Scott by visiting her website or follow along on Facebookor Twitter.
Book Blurb:
Kyle Braden has nowhere else to go. With no money and no prospects, he turns to the only man who promises him help. Jack Campbell-Hayes wants to show Kyle that he can be more than he ever thought.
Kyle begins to see how far he’s come from being the scarred man who shut everyone out, when the first person through the doors of Legacy Ranch is Jason, a young man with nightmares that follow him when he’s awake.
Lost in the system and with three years on the streets marking every inch of his body, Jason Smith is scared. His life is an evil mess of hate and despair, and even the offer of a fresh start and a clean bed isn’t enough to make him feel safe. Until Kyle comes into his life and shows him that it’s okay not to be in control.
For these broken men, Legacy Ranch offers more than a place to live and work.
It offers hope.
My Review:
Kyle by author RJ Scott was a hard book for me to read an review. It is incredibly well written with unique and troubled main characters. The scenery is vivid with the horses playing a very central and emotional role. But, the book is very heavy and I did struggle to get through it at some points.
Legacy Ranch was designed as a bit of a halfway house for troubled LGBTQ individuals that just weren’t making progress in the system. Kyle has been at the ranch for a short time, long enough to know the ropes and to become a sort of ‘guide’ to the new guy coming in. Jason (the new guy) has been living and working on the streets but needs a clean start. Kyle was horribly abused in his pasts and is honestly terrified of most people. He categorizes men by how hard they would be to beat in a fight. Jason has some serious emotional issues and the mood swings were shocking. Bright and happy one minute and then deep despair the next when hit with a trigger.
Between the two of these guys, they have an incredible amount of emotional baggage but they see something in each other that calls out for help. They recognized each others signs of impending despair and help balance each other out. There is emotional growth on both sides as they learn to cope with their emotions rather than run away from them like they have been.
There is definitely a realism to this story. Problems do not magically go away. There is no instalove and magical happily ever after. There are struggles, emotional breakdowns, a slow building of trust and a gradual emotional attachment. Given their histories, the physical nature of their relationship is very slow and does not progress far, even by the end of the story. You do get a short epilogue that shows you their progress and they have definitely made positive changes but have a ways to go still even at the end of the book.
So, in terms of the writing itself, character development and style I would give it a 4. Minus half a point, though because Kyle by author RJ Scott was just too heavy with too much focus on their horrible pasts and not quite enough on building a happier future.
Want to check out other books by author RJ Scott? Try this one!
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