I honestly expected to really like the neurodivergent wilderness vet and be a bit iffy about the con-artist-ish one. But it ended up exactly the opposite. In this first book I'm not that big of a fan of Tean actually. I'm not sold that he's worth all the effort Jem puts in (throughout the book not just on their date). But, I was very interested in how things would play out until right near the end, so I'm going to do 4 stars and give him another try in the next book. ( )

This is a different side to Gregory Ashe, and I wholeheartedly approve.

This is that same smartass kind of dialogue, but between smart characters. They are VERY different from each other, and that is huge.

Really... That's all you need to know, if you've ever tried his work and were frustrated. Try this one. See if Tean and Jem suit you better.

The end is just... beautiful. ( )

This book was brutal to my feelings in the best possible way. I have 38 highlights, and this doesn't even count the multiple pages I have tabbed because the exchange was too long for highlights.

"Animals are better than people," Tean shouted after Hannah.
"You're a wildlife vet,"Hannah shouted back. "You know that's not true!">

And yet, I am speechless. Just WOW. This was good.

“You are a real treat.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’m statistically likely to die choking on popcorn in my apartment, and it’ll probably take days before anyone finds the body.”
“You know what?” Esme said. “It is.” Tean is extremely on my wavelength.

There's this 'everyday' scene that made me want to weep. There's this exchange that had me laughing and crying and wondering "is this the best ever?" But I can't review it.

One of the things I'm really liking Ashe for is his sense of place. I haven't read any of his books yet where I just feel plopped into anywhere, anytime, USA. The seasons are vivid. The place is pulsing. And how often do I feel like an author nails a place? Almost never, but Salt Lake City & Utah are done really well based on my visit.

The world was in motion: the clumps of rabbit brush and saltbrush, winterfat and sage, flickered in the headlights like the pieces of stop motion film; the shadows of rolled bales ballooned and then shrank in mowed fields of blue grama and buffalo grass; a few stalks of rye in a trampled field
trembled as they passed; a jackrabbit broke from a clump of dead weeds; the stars wheeled overhead. And Tean, too, caught up in that movement, pieces of him flowing on a current he was tired of fighting.

This book is just incredibly effective, rewarding, and the writing is wonderful. Caz mentioned that this series felt his strongest to date, and I have to say I would support that statement wholeheartedly, but I've only read the one series thusfar. Still, this is really ridiculously good. ( )