Burning the Midnight Oil | Ashley James

I think the best part of a series is you get to know characters before you get to watch them fall in love.  I have always had a little soft spot in my heart for Boon.  He is such a good guy and doting father. Even during his busy rodeo season he was always making time for his daughter.  It wasn’t a surprise to this reader that Boone was going to be a single dad. 

I will be honest, I never really liked Boone’s (ex)wife Jade so I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about her brother Grady.  But he surprised me in the absolute best way possible.   Grady is really just a kindhearted person, and an amazing uncle to Suzy.  After getting to know Grady and seeing another side of Jade I warmed to her a bit.  But Grady’s other family, that is a no for me.  They were truly awful to Grady. 

The inexplicable draw that Boone and Grady have towards one another is palpable, and I love how it grew over time.  The more the pair spent around one another the more clear it became that they were actually perfect for one another.  The forbidden aspect of their relationship was there but the universe kept putting them in close proximity to one another. Boone and Grady both deserved someone that supported them, understood them, and saw them for who they really were.  While Boone might have initially grappled with being attracted to a man he certainly jumped in with both feet.  Their exploration of the sexual aspect of their relationship was amazingly well written, the tension was written so well and it truly felt like they would burst if they couldn’t touch each other.  Scooter and Xander were added bonuses for separate reasons, and in true Scooter form he kept us laughing and pushed everyone’s buttons … .and Xander well, he is just the best and was such a great friend!  This found family filled with rodeo stars and their little town is easily a place I would love to hang out and I cannot wait for what is next in this Copper Lake series!  The little teaser at the end was amazing, but also makes me long for August of ‘24!

Book Details:

• Rating: 4.5 stars
• POV: First person dual POV
• POP: 65 %
• Series: Copper Lake 
• Type of Series: Interconnected Stand alone
• Tropes: age gap, single dad, forbidden, small town, close proximity, found family
• Release Date: 6/7/24
• Available on Kindle Unlimited