Crooked Tree Ranch

Cowboys, horses and abusive ex-husbands, oh my!

What made the experience of listening to Crooked Tree Ranch the most enjoyable?

Sean Crisden's narration was a definite plus, but I also really enjoyed the way the romance between these two men slowly bloomed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

That's a hard choice, I mean, both men have basically given up just about everything to take care of their family. I think it's this very trait that brings them together eventually. Well, that and the insane, unfightable, mutual attraction.

What about Sean Crisden’s performance did you like?

Everything. He really does an amazing Cowboy voice, that sexy southern drawl. He also makes sure that every character has their own tone, even if just slightly, so you never question who's talking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh out loud, like, a lot!

Any additional comments?

With Scott's ability to write broken down Cowboys and Crisden's ability to breath life into those words, these two are the perfect marriage. I enjoyed the grit in the storyline, the fact that Jay and Nate didn't just fall for each other, they had to work at it. I'm excited for the other books in this series to become available on Audiobook for my listening pleasure.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

love this series

it is so worth it you won't be disappointed it is so much but it is one of my favorites

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enjoyed the narration!

Any additional comments?

Crooked Tree Ranch is the first book in a (so far) four book series. There's a dual POV with slow burn, on page sexy times, some humor, and not a lot of angst.

While I thought the characters are mostly fleshed out, there's a lot that just skims the surface, and I felt like the story was missing some real conflict to drive it forward.

Nate is dyslexic, Jay was in a toxic relationship, Ashley has depression and has been physically and emotionally abused, and her son Josh has dyslexia, but none of this seems to be really explored.

The angst definitely could have been overwhelming from those storylines (especially concerning Jay's sister Ashley), but because everything is only very superficially explored, it kept the story from becoming too OTT.

At the same time, I can't help wishing some of the topics had been explored more.

As for the audio, Sean Crisden does a wonderful job with the narration, as well as with all the character voices, and the timing is really good. It's a smooth, enjoyable listen.

All in all, it's a slow burn romance and the pace of the story reflects it. It's a sweet romance and has a strong HFN/HEA and likable characters.

I enjoyed the narration, and will check out the next book in the series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Something is missing...

I enjoyed the plot, and the characters. For it being short the characters seemed real and were developed nicely.

However, that being said, I thought the writing could have been better. For some reason it felt very distant. Like the story was being told from an outside source. This made me feel not as involved in the characters lives. This was the case for the steamy parts as well, which the author flew through. It was pretty much over when it started.

But like I said, the plot was good. Just thought the writing could be done differently.

Crooked Tree Ranch

The book Crooked Tree Ranch is a feel good book that is an easy read plus keeps your interest throughout the book!! Can't wait to read the next one!!

Worth a listen

I’m usually a little wary of ranch/cowboy stories because they tend to have little substance in my opinion, but this was a nice story. Nothing too dramatic and over the top, but it also kept my attention. The worst part of the audiobook was the narrators voice for the women of the story. It was terrible. But I was able to ignore that small downside and I enjoyed everything else.

Slowww start, got better when I skipped ahead.

The narration was very good and made the story more enjoyable. But there was too much set up, it took forever for the main characters to meet and then the romance developed really quickly. I would have liked to see more development of their romantic relationship. However, the characters were memorable and made me want to listen to the second book in the series.

Family First

Jay ready or not is in for some changes in his life. And a new start seems like a good idea for the rest of his family. Nate wants what is best for his family and the ranch and know changes need to be made. Both of these men are loving and caring. They have both taken on the task to help care for their siblings which has kept them more than busy for years. But now they have the chance to actually start taking care of themselves a bit. I like that both area bit awkward. There are still problems to work out so I look forward to more in this series.

Not memorable but enjoyable

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a very easy listen, and I was able to finish it in two days. I enjoyed the characters, and there were a few good scenes, such as when Jay first got on horseback. I thought it was something worth listening to.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I feel that some of the ending was rushed, and not necessarily something that I felt was built up to within the story itself.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Crisden did a solid job with the pacing. My only complaint was the ending of the book, which as previously mentioned I felt was rushed.

Any additional comments?

RJ Scott has done a decent job with the Texas series (I listened to the first and read two of the sequels). While the Montana series didn't start as strongly as the Texas series in my opinion. I don't know if I want to continue the Montana series in the same way I wanted to continue the Texas series, however as a stand alone story it was enjoyable.

Really good story, solid narration

Would you listen to Crooked Tree Ranch again? Why?

Oh yes! It was very good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crooked Tree Ranch?

There are a few - when Jay gets on a horse again after being with Nate, when Jay has to talk to Henry - an old timer who isn't politically correct, but most of all when Henry decks a man because the man hits women and children, it's touching and funny.

Have you listened to any of Sean Crisden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He gave a solid performance here - I could distinguish between each character. My only niggle is that he sometimes narrates a little fast? But that's just me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Once Nate and Jay had gone on their first date, Nate laid out the 'ground rules' for their relationship - it was endearing. I loved how their relationship clicked into place after that.

Any additional comments?

I loved Nate and Jay- they worked well together. I admired Jay for his strength and his belief that things would work out. I liked that Nate once he made up his mind about something, he went for it.
I loved the audio ( I don't have the ebook yet, but plan to) and plan on getting the rest of the series.
While I gifted this audiobook by the author, I was not required to share my thoughts and opinions.