Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is the fifth book in the Cattle Valley series. In this story, we again meet up with Doctors Sam Browning and Isaac Singer. Their love interest is Matt Jeffries who’s a physical therapist. This book is told in third person from each of the character’s povs.



The author starts this story prior to the first time we see Sam, Isaac and Matt at the wedding in the previous book. In this one, the story starts with Matt reliving a nightmare of his time served in Afghanistan. He suffers from severe PTSD and his screams often wake up his landlords, Sam and Isaac. Sam and Isaac are very concerned about Matt and both extremely attracted to him. Matt is also attracted to them, but doesn’t want to break up their long relationship. show more This problem is solved quickly so there’s really no angst. Sam is gentler and more nurturing than Isaac is. Isaac likes sex a lot and so does Matt. Both Sam and Isaac welcome Matt into their relationship not just because of the attraction but because they are experiencing some conflict over their different sexual appetites. I didn’t think there was much difference between Sam and Isaac’s voices. The only difference appeared to be that one liked sex more than the other.

As usual in this author’s stories, conflicts are superficial and easily solved, almost magically. I always hope the author would delve more deeply into the characters’ personalities, but she never does. I’ve read the first five books in this series and they’re always the same. I’m guessing the rest in this series will continue along the same lines with easily solved issues between characters, lack of character depth, lots of monologue which leads to telling, and scenes that are compressed which makes the story move too rapidly with a lack of smooth flow. I should probably give up reading this series, but I wanted to give it a shot. I do like the variety of characters the author comes up with, but I feel little connection to them while reading. If I read future books in this series, it will only be a few more books on what appear to be the most interesting couples. The predictability of the writing is not worth reading the complete series.

Physical Therapy was one of the more interesting books in the Cattle Valley series, but I can only give it 3 Stars. I won’t be reading the whole series because it’s too long and the books are sounding the same with only different characters. YMMV of course.

show less

With this one Carol Lynne manages to make me cry. Maybe in these days I'm particularly weak, maybe it's the hot night and they are not tears, but sweat drops... but well, while I'm writing this, my eyes are blurry and I continue to blow my nose...

Matt was an army paramedic in Iraq. He saw a lot of things that no one should see, not one time, but day after day. His only friend and support was his fellow army buddy Danny. Danny was wonderful, handsome and nice and straight. But being Danny straight didn't prevent Matt to fall in love with him. But Danny died, in the only day Matt was not with him, and obviously Matt is torn with guilty.

Now Matt is living in Cattle Valley, he is the town new physical therapist and he is living in the show more above garage apartment of the two town doctors and lovers, Isaac and Sam. Sam is 52 years old and a very quite man; he likes his works and likes his home; comfort and peace are radiating from him. Isaac is 47 years old and a bit of a bull; strong and always in motion, maybe he is too much for Sam. And here is the problem: Sam and Isaac are together since 25 years and Sam always wondered if he is enough a man for Isaac; not that he ever doubt Isaac's fidelity, but well, he has always tried to accomplish every desire of his man, even when it was against his mood or wish. And now here there is a 27 years old man, handsome and nice, and in dear need of help. Sam wants to help him, but at the same time he fears that, allowing Matt to enter their couple, he will lose Isaac.

Well, I hope that you understand that I didn't cry for Sam's dilemma, but for Matt's journey to be able to move on his war trauma and the lost of his friend. Carol Lynne pushes all the right bottoms of emotion, the same bottoms that make you cry even if you are aware that you are reading a book, and that all you are reading is only fiction, but still you cry since you unfortunately know that what you read is not only fiction, but it happened and maybe is still happening somewhere in the world.

And now, after my emotional breakdown, I also want to try to analyze another aspect of the book: why when I read of a threesome between two men and a woman I hardly like it, and when it involves three men it doesn't bother me? I'm fully aware that I have a prejudice, and I also believe that it's a feminist thing (please, male friends don't shoot me, here I'm admitting one of my weakness...): since in my culture, the woman gives birth and the woman is identified with family, when there is a woman in the threesome, it's obvious for me that she is the center of the threesome, and at least one of the two man, if not both, depending on her. So when there is love between the two men, I feel the woman like an intruder, since I'm always expecting that she will broke the male bond. In an all male threesome, without this strong female figure, they are all equals, and I think they can build something together without never arriving to a break up.

Returning to the book in question, obviously Matt is the main character. All the book turning around him and his trouble, but there is still enough space to appreciate also Sam and Isaac. Maybe Sam is better outlined, and also is reasons pro and against the threesome are clearer. I still need to understand better Isaac... there is a strong sexual need that lead him to Matt, maybe a need that Sam is not ready or willing to satisfy, but I hope that he also loves Matt. If not, Sam will be the link between them, even if physically he is weaker than the two, probably he is stronger in will.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907010807/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less

This is the story of an established older couple who bring a third into their sexual relationship. The threesome turns into a love match, which was very nice, but the sex was just OK and the storyline was a bit too short to pack a real punch.