Dark Horse

Dark Horse (Dark Horse, #1) by Kate Sherwood
Dreamspinner Press

Novel

4.5 out of 5

4/5 PL Scale

Blurb:
Dan thinks about just driving, leaving the whole mess behind. He's got enough money. He could just arrange to get his stuff and his horse shipped to wherever he's going. Taking off is what he used to do when things got to be too much, and it worked pretty well, really.

Dan Wheeler thought he'd found lasting love and stability with his life and work partner, Justin Archer. But when Dan finds himself alone again, still working as a horse trainer for Justin's parents, he has to find a way to accept that his perfect life is gone forever.

Then he meets billionaire Evan Kaminski, who arrives to buy a horse for his younger sister, and Evan's lover Jeff Stevens, a horse trainer who seems to understand more than just Dan's job. Struggling to deal with all the upheavals in his life, Dan finds himself drawn to both Evan's mercurial passion and Jeff's quiet wisdom. Is Dan strong enough to take a chance on new love, or would it be better—safer—for him to be alone?

Review:
My first book by Kate Sherwood and it came on strong, very strong. I had so many emotions reading this book, mostly I was a blubbering mess; with tears streaked face. The level of pain in the first 150pages of this book left me with a migraine, and so hopelessly in love. All I am saying is if you want a moving story, this is the book for you.

Dan is a horse trainer and a good one, living day to day is hard though.  It has been a little over a year since an accident cost him to lose his lover. Now Justin lies in a coma, just a body without life. Dan is hopeful that he will one day wake up. However, he has to be realistic and face the facts Justin is gone.  When a rich family comes to his barn, to check out buying a few horses, Dan has no idea that they are about to change his life. Justin’s parents decide that the next time he has a heart attack or seizure; they will not allow the doctors to bring him back. Dan can’t deal with that information and he becomes resentful and a bit of an asshole. The days leading up to Justin’s funeral will be a test to Dan’s sanity.

Dan finds strength in the least likely person and let’s say that Dan gets a new job, and the opportunity to begin a new life. Because in walks Evan and Jeff, though Dan is initially attracted to Jeff in the beginning he realizes that, he has a lot of love to give. Dan gets invited in a relationship that would involve all three and the next 150pages becomes all kinds of effed up, in the best way possible. Its really not a sexual realtionship until later, but these three are so connected that its clearly a relationship.

These characters have no idea what they are doing, Jeff and Evan is an established couple and inviting Dan is something they both want. I guess this where I became pissed, I have a love/hate relationship with Dan. He is endearing but he also is a bit of an asshole. His procrastination when it came to both Evan and Jeff sort of pissed me off. I hated that he was so easy with Jeff, but found it so difficult to accept Evan. Evan and Jeff are not safe from my wrath. I hated how they discussed Dan, and when they settled on a decision, they would include him. It was like a couple and a third, not a relationship involving three people.

Its no quick HEA, and really there isn’t one, but it’s a slow progression of a relationship that needs building, and even though I was irked most of the time I freaking loved it. I am all kinds of in love with Evan, he makes me happy. Jeff is just a little too perfect for my taste, and I hated his goody two shoes character, I just hated it. Dan is in a league of his own when you think messed up. I can’t blame it on his losing his partner and more on the fact that he has always been like that. He is offended easily, quick to jump to conclusions, and assumes way too much. Seriously, I had problems with Jeff and Dan; those fucking two pissed me off. I had problems with Jeff and Evan, Dan and Evan. Mostly I am just pissed cus I wasn’t there.

Sex is long way off in this book, frankly; it was well developed.  Sexual tension plays a key role, and I love sexual tension. It had the right amount to make you wanna chew your fingers off.

There is so much left to say but frankly, my fingers need a break. I do recommend this book, its a beautiful story, with real characters, and horses with some serious personality. Kate Sherwood is an author to look out for, gotta give props to someone who can write a character who is dead in most of the book, but makes you love him. Thank goodness, there is a sequel otherwise; I would be cursing Dan all the way, to wherever he came from.

I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!