Rattlesnake

By: Kim Fielding

Narrated by: K.C. Kelly

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night, he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something more: a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn't seen in years.

On a quest to deliver the letter, Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, a small town nestled in the foothills of the California Sierras. The centerpiece of the town is the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bartender is handsome former cowboy Shane Little. Sparks fly, and when Jimmy's car gives up the ghost, Shane gets him a job as handyman at the inn.

Both within the community of Rattlesnake and in Shane's arms, Jimmy finds an unaccustomed peace. But it can't be a lasting thing. The open road continues to call, and surely Shane - a strong, proud man with a painful past and a difficult present - deserves better than a lying vagabond who can't stay put for long.

©2015 Kim Fielding (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

Heart warming and Sweet

This story warms you like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. The way they have such poor self images but love the other is so sweet. You fall in love with these two gents and love the fact that they love so much,

Engaging and insightful - romantic and sexy!

Any additional comments?

This is yet another fantastic book by Kim Fielding, engaging and insightful. It's also another great reading job by K.C. Kelly. He really brings this story to life.

Rattlesnake shows so much depth and understanding of human nature. There is a lot of wisdom woven throughout it in a very natural way. This is a story about home and belonging as well as the courage to love and be loved. Jimmy and Shane are great characters, both scarred and resilient. And their romance is bittersweet and sexy. I love how certain aspects of their stories are revealed subtly over time.

This book has a realistic and down-to-earth quality that makes it very engaging. As I've noticed in some other books by Kim Fielding, her characters aren't supermodel types. It's refreshing and endearing. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a realistic love story with depth.

*I received a free copy of this audiobook from Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.*

God I love to listen to KC Kelly!

Jimmy is drifiting through life until the day he sees a man on the side of the road in need of a ride. He gives Jimmy a letter that ends up changing Jimmy’s life forever.

Shane is a small town guy with a head injury that forces him to keep life simple. When he meets Jimmy his protective urges kick in and he wants to do what he can to help and keep Jimmy around.

Though the plot is simple – two guys learning about each other and learning to love one another in the end – the emotions involved are deep, rich and complex. They both harbor self image issues and a history that makes their futures less than concrete. Their journey toward each other ends up healing them both.

**

I’m a huge Kim Fielding fan. She has a gift with characters and specifically for multi-faceted characters who don’t always do what you expect. I like that her “heroes” are unconventional to say the least.

In this novel she uses Jimmy’s “stories” as a wonderful vehicle for showing us the true nature of Jimmy’s heart. It’s creative, insightful and a delight to read. With Shane we get (on the surface) a more straight-forward story, but just when you expect things to be one way – blam! – there’s a bit more to him than meets the eye.

The gentleness of this story moves these guys forward in a way that is illuminating but not necessarily shocking. Day by day they grow closer until their future seems inevitable.

If I have any small complaints it would be these: First, I thought that the story lagged in the middle with a few too many of Jimmy’s stories (though themselves interesting – I’m not sure they moved the romance forward enough to justify their inclusion in such detail) and second, that the subtlety of the romance was almost too subtle. Though we absolutely get a very solid and forever HEA, my preference would have been for a bit more at the reunion scene to cement in the major shift that had occurred. It’s tough though – I suppose being true to the characters might dictate toward the subtle – but the romantic in me wanted a bit more, regardless.

In any case, this is a truly remarkable story with a lovely thread that starts with a dead man…

Audio

KC Kelly is the BEST choice for this narration. The “old west” flavor of the story is well suited by his drawl and his sense of timing is perfection! I think listening to this story (which is chock full of so many stories told by Jimmy) is a MUST. It absolutely adds to the overall enjoyment of the book and truly brings it to life!

6 of 5 stars

A Deadman Riding Shotgun

D@mn how I loved this low key romance.

Just a d@mn good story of a wanderer in need of a home he didn't realize he needed and man in need of his own forgiveness. How romance should be created!

wordy

Any additional comments?

This is a hard one for me to grade/review.

Overall I thought it was enjoyable, however, I did hit that 30 second fast forward button during the ‘courtship’ period while Shane and Jimmy were at the Inn, finding each other and themselves.

Jimmy, a broken man winds up in Rattlesnake on a mission to deliverer a letter from a dead man. But things go astray and he soon discovers that one more day is all he wants.

Shane, is also dealing with his own demons from a tragedy tens years ago. But luckily for him he’s got this amazing family that keeps him going.

These two are a pair, but holding secrets, and telling lies. By omission and right out. None horrendous but still they lay in between these two and this relationship through out the whole story. What I enjoyed most was that we got to see Jimmy heal and grow. Even at forty three, because he’s been on the street since he was fourteen he’s only known one life. And little by little Shane and his family was able to help with that. On the flip side of that, that’s also the part that dragged on a little and that I kept hitting the FF button.

One of things that threw me was how, passive Jimmy was, how young he acted. You always here how growing up on the streets makes a person grow up fast, hardens them. So to have a character not meet the mold that I’ve been given. Makes me want to know why? And, I just didn’t feel like the information we were given about Jimmy changed that. He had to sell his body at age fourteen onward, family rejected him over and over. Never finished school, no foster family to give the love and support. Arrested, nothing bad. But all leads to ‘harden, jaded, older then his true years’. In my opinion

The ending was perfect, Shane giving Jimmy all the information and letting him come to the decision he needed to.

And the epilogue with the HEA, including the stagecoach.

I thought the narrator did a great job, nailed all the voices, children, women and men.

I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review by Crystals Many reviewers

Wonderful story and performance

Ah Kim Fielding, just when I think I've got you pigeonholed you break out something like this. I have primarily pegged this author as a "fantasy" writer and I love her for it. Then she writes this and all bet are off; she is just a great writer and storyteller. There is not a drop of paranormal or fairy dust in this story, although there is lots of other dust as it takes place in a desert town. This is a story of a man finding himself in a most unique and unlikely way, through a dead man. And another man proving to himself and his family that he is a fully functioning human being despite his disability. Jimmy is a great character and the emotional depth the author gives him is wonderful. It is a slow drag to learn about Jimmy's life and struggles, but so worth the effort. Shane has had a very different life; surrounded by love and support. His demons are different but no less harrowing. This is the type of story that makes you smile through tears. K.C. Kelly's slow drawl is the perfect voice for these men. He gives a wonderful performance and really conveys the depth of emotion the story demands.

4.5 stars for this gem!

Any additional comments?

This is beautifully written and even more beautifully narrated. I cannot think of another narrator I would have preferred to listen to this by other than K.C. Kelly. Kelly takes this tale of a drifter finding a home he didn't even know he was looking for and gives it a depth that elevates the story. The characters are beautifully molded and described and in the end it's a heart-wrenching story about the hope and the chances we keep or give away.

The story itself is not about flash and speed, it more moseys than rockets, and K.C.'s perfect drawl draws the listener along. I loved the narration for the story.

I'll admit if it hadn't been for the whole not-telling-about-the-real-reason-he-came-to-town storyline this would have been a five star read for me. Other than that though, I thought it was really wonderfully done and can easily recommend it.

Recommended!

Heartwarming

This book takes the time for the listener to get to know the two main characters and to root for their HEA. It is extremely well written, the performance is good and the story is plausible. It is a reminder that too many people lead lives of despair and hopelessness. It is a book of hope.

No less than sublime

Wow! All the feels for this truly touching tale. A masterfully woven, character driven story revolving around acceptance, love, and worth; it already has a reservation on my Top Ten list for 2016.

I received the audio version of this story for review – I had not read it first. KC Kelly’s performance is no less than sublime. He had me transfixed with his affable vocal style; a style which perfectly imbued the easy going, unassuming, discomfited Jimmy. This was the perfect fit, as the story is told in third person single (Jimmy’s) POV.

It’s not news to me that Kim Fielding sure knows how to craft a compelling story, and she sure has outdone herself here. The nuanced characters, along with the exploration of the complexity of their emotions, struck a very deep chord. This is the story of a drifter, Jimmy, who discovers reasons to stop running without even realizing he had been. It’s the story of the man and the town who got under his skin - and found a way to his heart. It’s also the story of a character I fell hard for. I fervently wanted Jimmy to find happiness with all the trimmings.

There is a slow, deliberate, build up in this story - which was extremely effective in establishing in my mind what made Jimmy tick. I learned a lot about Jimmy through his musings and interactions as he drove the road to nowhere in his beat up car. Where he had traveled in his over 25 years of drifting; he’d seen nearly every state in the USA. What he had seen; you name it, he’d seen it. What he had done; he had held many and varied jobs. Where he had lived; nowhere was “home”. Who he had cared about; he cared about everyone, yet nobody. Having all of this background info going right from Jimmy’s head to mine served to make his coming actions especially profound. It also had me rooting for him to find that one place, that one person who could get him to still his wandering feet. I also wanted Jimmy to fill in the blanks, the ones regarding his childhood, and his family. Knowing Jimmy so well set the tone for how difficult a time he had recognizing and accepting the kindness he was about to find. In Jimmy’s shoes, it was easy to believe he could be so blind to, so unaccepting of, so downright scared of all the good he became surrounded by in Rattlesnake.

Being the kind and polite person that he is, Jimmy initially goes to Rattlesnake to deliver a note from a man he shared the road with for a brief, tragic while. And hey, he usually went wherever the road took him, so why not Rattlesnake? Plus, his crappy car was about ready to give up the ghost, and it did once he reached town. Karma, I hear you! Little did Jimmy know how much Shane, the intended receiver of that note, was about to change his life. Man walks into a bar and…. This is where I want to be sure to convey how wonderful the author’s writing is. The reader never gets inside Shane’s head, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt how Shane felt about Jimmy, from the moment he first set eyes on him and every page thereafter. Shane to me was quite an open book, but to Jimmy his attention was a puzzlement. To Jimmy, Shane was someone out of his league, someone too good to be interested in the likes of him for long. Well, back to the bar reference. Jimmy walked into the bar which Shane co-owned and tended, and Shane’s interest piqued immediately. Shane was a character who was so very easy to love. He was a gentle, vibrant man who on the surface had an absolutely positive outlook on everything. But, he had scars both visible and invisible. Shane didn’t know Jimmy’s back-story, he only knew the man who walked in, the man in front of him. And, as he patiently got to know Jimmy over the weeks, began to see his layers peel back, he became the man Shane fell in love with. Shane’s demeanor mirrored the easy yet yielding pace of the general story. He was forward with his desires. He pushed Jimmy somewhat out of his comfort zone, but in a gentle and undemanding manner. He was so very awesome at being patient with Jimmy’s reluctance to accept more than what Jimmy considered a temporary arrangement. The sex between the two men started out with what Jimmy figured would be a one- off. It moved to, well, maybe a two-off. As Jimmy stayed in town, the sex became more frequent - and more than mere sex. These moments - the sex scenes - were not main fare in the story, but they were passionate and quite integral in depicting the deeper relationship developing between Shane and Jimmy.

The town of Rattlesnake was an important and compelling character in itself. Shane and Jimmy initially bonded over the excellent fare at Mae’s restaurant, an every morning tradition. The food descriptions sure made my mouth water! Seemed nearly everyone was related to Shane in one way or the other, which was a hoot. Shane’s aunt ran the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bar was located and where Shane lived. As a Western and history buff, I was fascinated by the vivid picture the author painted of the Inn, the town, and the surrounding landscape. Shane’s family was all still nearby, his folks running a ranch outside of town. I appreciated how Shane’s family was understandably cautious and concerned about his attraction to a drifter, but were never overbearing or meddling. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really take issue with manipulative or “I know what’s best for you” characters.

Another aspect I appreciated was Jimmy being a mature man in his early 40’s, and Shane being 30. No kids these. Both men had led vastly different lives, yet both had logged their share of hard knocks. Experiencing their journey as they came to learn of each other’s painful pasts, how it affected the men they were, and how it affected their feelings for one another, made for one of the most heart-aching, beautiful reads I’ve experienced in a long time. Jimmy danced around his true feelings for quite a while. In fact, one of the most moving scenes in the story involved him and Shane slow dancing. Do yourself a favor; if you aren’t familiar with the lyrics to “Crazy” and “I Walk The Line”, look them up when you get to this chapter. This scene exudes romance, with the song’s words depicting feelings Shane wasn’t sure Jimmy was ready to hear him say yet. I swoon. ^_^
I want to go live in Rattlesnake, I need to see how everything, and everyone, is doing. And maybe have a slice of pecan pie at Mae’s. ♥

Sweet story. Good narration.

New author for me. I liked the story of Jimmy and Shane. And the town of Rattlesnake.
It’s a soothing story of love and healing. Jimmy learning to hope again after a hopeless loveless youth. Shane learns to move on after a terrible accident and unbelievable loss.
I can recommend it.