They didn't have what one might call a conventional relationship. For twelve years, Daisy and Rowdy spent just one week a year together at Burning Man. Neither knew each other's real names (Justus and Houston) or how to contact one another once their week was over. What they both knew was that they loved each other and that Houston didn't want children--ever.
Justus was hired to landscape an area on the Texas Rose Ranch and she was justifiably shocked to find out that Houston, the man she knew as Rowdy, was one of the Rose family's sons. But she wasn't the only one who was shocked, because Justus had kept a big secret from Houston. Finding themselves in the real world, could they rekindle what they had and make it work in the present?
TEXAS ROSE ALWAYS by Katie Graykowski is the second book in the Texas Rose series and can be read as a standalone. These characters are delightful. Readers will meet Houston's dog, Elvis, who has his own bedroom, drinks designer bottled water, and watches Animal Planet and River Monsters. The protagonists are likeable people who are trying to understand each other and themselves as well. Compromises will have to be made--are they up to it? The dialogue and witty banter are priceless. Much of it is laugh-out-loud funny. Even so, all of it is well-intentioned and meaningful. There are some surprising and memorable moments.
I found this story to be beautifully told to be packed with heart, romance, and the strengths that can come from family. TEXAS ROSE ALWAYS is a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.
Justus Jacobi loves three things: her seven-year-old son, landscape design, and the man she sees only once a year. For the past twelve years, they’ve spent a surreal week together, but Justus has never considered their relationship anything but a dream—especially since they’ve never exchanged their real names. But when Justus comes to the Texas Rose Ranch to work, fantasy becomes reality fast…
Houston “Rowdy” Rose is an award-winning vintner, the second son in the Texas Rose Ranch dynasty…and the keeper of a secret that, if discovered, would make him an outsider in his own family. If they knew where he went the first week of every September, it would throw into question his reputation—reserved, cautious—revealing an unbridled artistic side he’d rather keep hidden.
But that side of Rowdy is all Justus knows—until now. As they rekindle their passionate relationship in the real world, they learn what their lives look like outside of a once-a-year romance—and whether love can survive a reality check.
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