The Tin Star

I know J.L. Langley is well-loved but this book is just awful. Nothing rings true in this book. The characters are flat and underdeveloped, the dialogue is stilted, and the plot feels like an afterthought to pad the book between (really bland and repetitive) sex scenes. The two leads get together super fast without any sort of indication of why they fell for each other. It's explained that Jamie had a crush on Ethan for all his life but I never got a sense of what exactly he likes about Ethan, or vice versa. The main characters have little personality and pretty much no real character development.

There are also many things about the story that just don't make any sense. For example, Ethan started off being very quiet about his sexual show more preferences, he's very careful about not letting others know, and then as soon as he gets together with Jamie he's completely open about it to the point of seeming rather careless and doesn't mind that the whole town pretty much knows. For someone who'd been so careful about it all his life, I don't think it would be so easy for him to shrug off his caution and be perfectly comfortable with everyone knowing and even joking about his sexuality to people he hid it from previously.

And then there are the townspeople's reactions to the couple: either they are completely accepting of homosexuality without judgement, or are openly homophobic and hostile. Realistically, there should have been a wide range of reactions, including people being tolerant but still uncomfortable with it, people who disapprove but aren't openly hostile, people who are confused about their feelings toward their friends who came out, etc.

There was so much that the author could have written about that she just sidestepped; for example, what if Jamie's siblings were a little uncomfortable with their brother being gay? What about the 11 year age difference between the two leads? What about exploring Jamie's relationship with his father-- Jamie being conflicted between being loyal to his family but wanting to get away from his homophobic father and so on. Instead we got one-dimensional characters and equally one-dimensional villains and conflicts that were too easily resolved. I feel like the author took the easy way out, avoided writing about anything really difficult, and thus ended up with a boring and ultimately lazy book. show less

This was an excellent M/M erotic romance. Cowboys aren't usually my favorite, as they are so overdone. However, Langley manages to make this story fresh. Jamie and Ethan are a good couple, and the problems they face in their relationship, with family, society, and work, are realistic and often sad. The sex is frequent and steamy without being repetitive.

There are a couple of things in the story that stood out as being particularly well done. First, there is Jamie's older brother's relationship with Ethan. John is straight, and has known Ethan was gay for years--and they are still friends. Holy Moly, Batman! It's nice to see a straight male character that isn't bigoted, or has must have secret homosexual leanings. John is a show more well-developed secondary character who takes part in the story. Second, I like the fact that Jamie and Ethan have known each other for years. Since Jamie is 11 years younger, their relationship was necessarily different in the past. This makes their new found emotions more poignant. It's not the typical love at first sight--more like seeing possibiltiies that have been right before your eyes the entire time.

Hot sex, touching romance, a plot with some depth--I will definitely read more from this author. And, I love the cover art! show less

This is why I love her. Her characters are DEEP. they have feelings and they take their time expressing them. I have to admit, I felt it more for Ethan than Jamie when the big events happened but if it's one thing I have to mention is how I saw Jamie growing throughout the book. This was a very enjoyable read for me.

This is the 2nd book I’ve read by J.L. Langley, the first one I tried I didn’t care for at all. I was hesitant to try this one because I’m also not a big cowboy romance fan. I’m so glad I read it, I loved this book. I really enjoyed the characters as well as the plot.Ethan and Jamie were both great. I really liked them together. I loved that there really wasn’t any inner turmoil with these two. All of the turmoil came from outside sources. I felt so bad for poor Jamie, and if anyone should have wrestle with a lot of angst it should have been him. But these guys never dwelt on things; no whining; no crying; no false assumption of what the other guy wants or feels; no running from everything. It was virtually devoid of all that show more sappy annoying romance novel junk, very refreshing. The supporting characters were all just as well written. I can’t wait to read their stories.This is one of the best reads I’ve had in a while. I would probably even read this one again. I definitely look forward to reading more. show less

Ethan and Jamie, two cowboys in Texas from different ranches, who discover love and learn to deal with homophobia in a small Texas town.
POSSIBLE TRIGGER: Homophobia
Ethan is the owner of the Tin Star Ranch. John, his best friend since childhood, runs the Broken H. John calls Ethan and tells him that Jamie had dropped a bombshell on them that morning. Jamie finally worked up nerve enough and told them that he was very much more interested in the "cowboys", but not at all interested in the "cowgirls". With that bit of news, his father immediately opened the door and in no uncertain or misunderstood terms, invited him to leave and forget to come back.

Ethan calls Jamie and convinces him to come to work for him at his ranch. It would give show more Jamie a place to stay and something to do until things hopefully cooled down with his father. (Don't hold your breath for that to happen.) Jamie agrees and moves into Ethan's bunk house. Things are not exactly "love and roses" there either as not long after, two of the ranch hands drag Jamie outside and attack him. Ethan steps in and stops them and quickly fires them both. He moves Jamie into the house with him, which I thought he should have done in the first place since he didn't really know how his ranch hands would feel about Jamie's sexuality. If any of them had negative feelings about Jamie, they're going to have another surprise shortly.

Jamie has had a crush on Ethan for years...and as you can surmise if you read many M/M romance books... Jamie and Ethan soon become lovers. Jame asks his brother, John, who is also Ethan's "bestie", to gather his things from the place that is not now, nor ever will again be...his home. John brings his belongings and his dog, Fred...to the Tin Star Ranch...Jamie's new home where he will be happy and will always be welcome.

Jamie's troubles are not quiet over yet...seems that someone is trying to get to Jamie and is not being very secretive about it. First his truck is shot up, then someone drugs his beer at the club where his birthday celebration was happening. He and Ethan have several suspects... Jamie's father being on the top of the list. Then the attacker(s) start to target Ethen, and Ethan is shot. Jamie takes over running the ranch and caring for Ethan while he recuperates. Jamie is in constant contact with the sheriff, Grayson Hunter, who is investigating the attack on Ethan as well as the attacks on Jamie.

"All's well that ends well". In the end, the shooter is revealed as well as who was behind all the attacks on Jamie and Ethan. Ethan and Jamie are publicly "out" and most everyone is okay with their relationship.

Overall, J.L. Langley has given us some more wonderful, believable characters, both the main ones and the supporting ones, who added so much fun and depth to the story. Ethan's best friend John, (Jamie's older brother), shows how supportive he is of his brother and best friend, Ethan, while keeping his sense of humor in the process. He offers a bit of light-hearted happiness to what could have turned out to be a very depressing story. Julia, (Jamies sister), and John, keep them all in line and provides another level of hope and humor to the story as well.

These two books really do need to be read in order, which you all know that I, of course, didn't. show less

I found this book hard to rate. I enjoyed the author's writing style and the character interactions - the MCs were great together and I loved watching their relationship start and develop.

My problem is that so many of the western style romances have this exact storyline - whether it is M/M or M/F or multiples of these options. It seems to me, that when I open a cowboy romance, more frequently than not, someone is out to 'revenge/scare/kill' one of the protagonists - we have vandalism, cattle rampaging, horses injured, shots are fired multiple times, etc etc etc. (This didn't all happen in this book, but you get the idea.) It's all a bit predictable :(

I note that this book was released in 2006...

So I'm in a quandary - it isn't the show more author's fault that I have read so many other books of such a similar storyline before this one, when those other books may well have been penned after this release...

To be fair, I'm going to ignore identical storylines and base it on the writing and character development. 4 stars. show less

The Tin Star is a book that has been on my to-read list for some time, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It certainly did not disappoint.

When Ethan Whitehall's best friend's brother, Jamie, comes out to his father, he is banished from the family ranch, losing both his job and his family. Ethan, who owns a ranch of his own, reaches out to Jamie and offers him a job and a place to stay, both knowing that Jamie has excelled as a ranch foreman and feeling that what his father has done is wrong. Not long after taking Jamie in, Ethan finds himself attracted to his new employee and quickly facing the question of being more public about his own sexuality. And as people in their small town start to find out about it, there are show more definitely some who are not going to take it very well.

The Tin Star is not just an m/m romance - it's a story about family and the true meaning of love. The reactions of the people around Ethan and Jamie, including their friends, acquaintances, and relatives, tell a story of family and support that is truly inspiring. show less