I have two words for you…Australian cowboy. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, let’s thrown in an American farm boy from Texas. The accents alone are enough to do me in. Add in the fact that our Australian cowboy is firmly closeted thanks in large part to his deceased father’s negative influence and an attraction between our two main characters that is intense and grows stronger every day and you’ve got the buildup to an emotional eruption ready to go.
One thing I can say about N.R. Walker’s characters no matter which book of hers I’m reading is that they are complex, have lots of depth, and will make you emotional as well as they grow and evolve throughout the story. Charlie is a prime example of this–he’s denied himself for so long thanks to his father’s emphatic assertion that a “fairy” can’t run Sutton Station. Charlie has let this color his life-and not in a good way-even though it is blatantly clear to anyone who knows him that he CAN run it, and he does a damn good job of it. I felt so bad for him, suppressing his own nature and wants when even those who love him and call him family try to encourage him that it’s okay to be who he is and love who he wants.
Enter Travis-and thank goodness he came to Sutton Station. He’s the kind of guy who will tell you like it is, and doesn’t worry about what other people will say. He’s strong and hard-working, dedicated and pitches in to help even though he’s just arrived. He’s the perfect man to show Charlie how things could be if Charlie would just open up. The physical chemistry between the two is amazing, and the naughty scenes between them range from wild and passionate to intimate and sweet.
N.R. Walker paints a vivid picture of life on a farm in the Outback, and brings Travis and Charlie’s story to life so perfectly-expressing the intensely emotional bond the two forge so well that it hurt to think that Travis was only supposed to be there for a short while before going back home. The scene in the kitchen between them right before Travis is supposed to go home is one of my favorite scenes (and not just from this book, I mean overall), and when it comes to the audio version, Joel Leslie does a simply phenomenal job at relaying the intensity and tremendous feeling occurring in that scene-he honestly left me breathless.
This was a remarkable start to this series, and I highly recommend this story to any M/M romance fan 18+ (that’s for the adult language and super sexy, steamy, naughty M/M sexual content). 5 stars for Red Dirt Heart!
Audiobook notes:
Joel Leslie did a superb job at voicing Charlie and Travis, especially in the scenes that expressed raw emotion and heightened feelings. He injects passion into the characters voices and thoughts, and really brought Red Dirt Heart to life for me. And I’ve got to say it again–that kitchen scene is filled with such energy and emotion…you’ll see what I mean when you listen, and I think you’ll agree. 5 stars for the audio!