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The Tin Star
by J. L. Langley
| List Price: |
$10.99 |
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$9.89 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
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$1.10 (10%) |
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Paperback
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
When James Killian comes out to his father, he finds himself banished from his home and fired from his job. His savior comes in the unlikely form of Ethan Whitehall, his older brother's best friend. Ethan has always had a soft spot where Jamie Killian was concerned, and he will do whatever it takes to keep his new lover safe. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This book contains explicit homoerotic sex that some readers may find offensive.
| Customer Reviews: |
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| Skip it |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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I know that The Tin Star is a work of fiction, but nothing rang true about the characters or the plot. The only reason I finished this book was because I paid money for it...and I regret doing so. I had no interest in any of the characters, and much of the dialogue was painful to read through. The character development is really amateur; a lot of the characterizations are on the surface. The author attempts to flesh out the two main characters but doesn't really succeed. I had little interest in what happened to Jamie or Ethan. Development of supporting characters is just horrid. I am always critical of the literature I read, and I'm usually able to find a few positive things even in my least favorite novels; I honestly couldn't find anything I liked in The Tin Star. The story is dull and the characters are weak. The sex scenes are bland, unimaginative, and repetitive. Definitely skip it. And apparently the characters' southern accents come and go.
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| Solid m/m romance with a decent plot |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- Very likeable characters: Ethan and Jamie are both sexy, caring, and selfless. They're comfortable with each other and share a nice, easy banter back and forth. And I liked the supporting characters also, especially Jamie's brother and Ethan's aunt; they're loving, supportive, and funny.
- One character who's a virgin but who (realistically, I think) is curious enough about sex to have bought and used toys by himself.
- Pets with cute, funny personalities (as opposed to the puppy in Langley's Without Reservations): a horse that steals things in order to make people chase him, a dog that is protective and playful but not in an annoying way.
- Perfect happily ever after ending. One of the happiest I've read.
CONS:
- The physical relationship moves a little too quickly. Jamie's in awe of Ethan, his idol, at the beginning of the story (not to mention Jamie's a virgin), and Ethan's pretty deep in the closet, so the ease with which they act on their attraction seems odd.
- A bit melodramatic. I couldn't help relating the various close calls in this book (verbal/physical threats, vandalism, gunshots) to the various close calls in Without Reservations. Langley is a fan of drama.
- Some quirky words here and there that I'm sure Langley used in order to avoid repeating certain terms too often, but which served instead to pull me out of the story with a raised eyebrow. "Peepers" instead of "eyes"? (At least 5 times, according to my count.) Hmm.
Overall comments: A good read: sweet romance, hot sex scenes, decent plot (if a bit artificial, at times), humor. This was one of the first 5 m/m romances I read (I've read it twice now; the first time was about 6 months ago), and I still like it even after having read many more since then.
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| Downer On The Farm |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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The Tin Star was an OK read and a good way to waste a few hours, but not anything to rave about. The characters and setting are somewhat bland and not very well defined. The two main "cowboys" go from rough and tumble roughnecks in one chapter to over-emotional wusses in the next. It was nice to see the characters as vulnerable, but one characters dog was his "baby" and they called each other "Cowboy" and "Blue Eyes" too much for my liking. Some will likely find this endearing, but if you are going to do a love story about tough ranch hands it could have been more believable if they had been slightly less soft(which admittedly would have taken away much of the romance).
The plot twists in this book are what kept me hooked. Every chapter told a unique story and kept you interested enough to read the next, with several storylines that continued nicely throughout. My only problem with the twists were how abruptly they were dealt with. Without giving away too much, I'll just say that life altering events are tackled and forgotten quickly in The Tin Star, and our heroes are never too down on their luck for the every-other-chapter roll in the hay, which I found myself skipping by the end of the book whenever something in either Jamie or Ethan's "tight Wrangler pants stirred".
It was hard to keep track who's point of view the story was coming from a lot of the time. Each section was from one of the twos POV but I often forgot which one. Maybe just me but this was confusing and the way the story was written totally unnecessary.
I found the book somewhat stereotypical in its portrayal of the two lovers. Ethan was older and wise and always right, although he was rough around the edges and deeply in the closet. Jamie was young and carefree and made a bunch of stupid mistakes that his older lover had to rescue him from. Ethan also threw money at the young guy like it was falling out of the sky. In return, Jamie did all the cleaning and cooking and was more than willing to do anything Ethan asked in the bedroom. Ethan seemed like a "sugar Daddy" to me and Jamie like an oversexed housewife.
Sorry to trash this book! I had high hopes for it, and while I won't call it a complete waste I can't recommend it either.
PS: The author used the term "waggled their eyebrows" at least 4 times in this book. Just a pet peeve I had with the story. Who the heck "waggles their eyebrows" nowadays? Especially in erotic fiction?
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| A wonderful love story |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I just finished reading "The Tin Star" for the fourth time and I enjoy it more each time I read it. The main characters Ethen and Jamie are very well developed and by the time you finish the book, you fell like you know them and they have become friends. This is a beautifully written love story and it is such a pleasure to see the love and caring that grows between Ethen and Jamie. Love like theirs is something that is hard to find and the book leaves you with a very satisfied and warm feeling. The story line is well developed and the plot carries through the entire book. I highly recommend "The Tin Star" to anyone who enjoys m/m romances. This one is a real keeper that you will want to read over again.
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| Cute, engaging story |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This story is a cute, funny romance between two men. The format is very similar to the short Harlequin romance stories available in grocery stores and drugstores- fairly light on plot and heavy in romance and sex. The characters were all quite likeable and reading this was an enjoyable way to waste an afternoon. The resolution of conflict in the story was rather abrupt, though- an extra chapter or so of resolution would have helped with 'flow' of the story.
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