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Jackie North
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The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con: A Gay M/M Cowboy Romance (Farthingdale Ranch Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Jackie North (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 847 ratings

“If anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.”

Jasper has the perfect life. He’s a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.

Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. He’s about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?

It’s not love at first sight. It’s not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

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  1. Book 2 of 6
    Farthingdale Ranch
  2. Print length
    310 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    May 25, 2021
  6. File size
    4.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 6 books in this series.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B091KHZV88
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blue Rain Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1942809432
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Farthingdale Ranch
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 847 ratings

About the author

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Jackie North

Jackie North

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Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

Luckily, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
847 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers love this sweet story, with one describing it as a deeply tender book. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how the author uses words masterfully. Customers appreciate the character development, with one particularly enjoying the role-play scenes between Jasper and Ellis. The pacing is praised as a beautiful slow book, and customers find it comforting and tender.

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Story qualityWriting styleCharacter developmentPacingCaringBeautyComfort
33 customers mention "Story quality"31 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as sweet and touching, with one customer noting it is deeply tender.

"...This is a tender and sweet romance with beautiful backdrops, honest conversations, softened edges, and lots of baths." Read more

"This is a slow burn, comfort/hurt, tender love story that fits beautifully with the slow, steady life on the ranch. There isn’t much conversation...." Read more

"...It was so beautiful. Lastly, I would like book three now (Clay’s story). I know it comes out in late July, and I am beyond excited for it...." Read more

"...Hopefully. Extraordinary, simply extraordinary. (Did I say that already?)" Read more

18 customers mention "Writing style"14 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting how the author uses words masterfully, while another mentions the believable dialogue.

"...This is a tender and sweet romance with beautiful backdrops, honest conversations, softened edges, and lots of baths." Read more

"...There isn’t much conversation. They both seem to communicate with eyes, facial expressions, and body language...." Read more

"...Loved the story. Loved the pacing, the dialogue, the character development, the sense of found family, and generally the everything..." Read more

"...That Jasper is direct and honest and Ellis has lost his ability to speak because of prison trauma is a brilliant way of developing a special bond..." Read more

12 customers mention "Character development"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them great and true to their personalities, with one customer particularly enjoying the role-play scenes between Jasper and Ellis.

"...Loved the story. Loved the pacing, the dialogue, the character development, the sense of found family, and generally the everything..." Read more

"I appreciate the way this story portrays Ellis. They don’t sugar coat the fact that Ellis made some poor choices to solve his problems...." Read more

"...The story was very cute, the characters are great. I was just a little iffy on the speech thing but overall I enjoyed this!..." Read more

"...The author develops many characters and that was very wonderful. I will read the whole series!" Read more

9 customers mention "Pacing"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, describing it as beautiful and slow, with one customer noting how it's constructed through many tender moments.

"...It is such a gripping and emotionally compelling story, that I found myself reading it overnight...." Read more

"First of all, I loved this book. Loved the story. Loved the pacing, the dialogue, the character development, the sense of found family, and..." Read more

"...This second installment in the series is a slow and beautiful romance, constructed through many tender moments — this author uses words masterfully,..." Read more

"...It’s a beautiful slow book full of rolling scenes and beautiful imagery...." Read more

6 customers mention "Caring"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the characters' caring nature, with one review highlighting how Ellis and Jasper are good for one another, while another mentions getting insight into Jasper's personality.

"...Ellis and Jasper are good for one another. While they are both wary of one another at first, they find solace and comfort in the other...." Read more

"...man that is good with his hands🤗 among other things, his gentle, caring and passionate...." Read more

"...I also like the fact that we get insight into Jasper’s personality. I love how both men brought out the best in each other...." Read more

"I loved the fact that Jasper was a caring person and he was thinking of Ellis even when he first just saw him...." Read more

5 customers mention "Beauty"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful, with one specifically praising the sexy blacksmith character.

"...This is a tender and sweet romance with beautiful backdrops, honest conversations, softened edges, and lots of baths." Read more

"I loved it! Who doesn't love a great, sexy blacksmith man that is good with his hands🤗 among other things, his gentle, caring and passionate...." Read more

"...It’s a beautiful slow book full of rolling scenes and beautiful imagery...." Read more

"...To see Jasper be able do bring him out of his shell is beautiful. Looking Forward to book three." Read more

5 customers mention "Comfort"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book comforting and tender.

"...This is a tender and sweet romance with beautiful backdrops, honest conversations, softened edges, and lots of baths." Read more

"This is a slow burn, comfort/hurt, tender love story that fits beautifully with the slow, steady life on the ranch. There isn’t much conversation...." Read more

"...The heat factor is high and the feels are higher, and you won’t be disappointed at all if you enjoy a story of healing, restorative love." Read more

"...It’s the ultimate hurt comfort. There is a slight age gap and at times their relationship is almost Daddy/Boy like...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Deni
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Pairing
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con is the second book in Jackie North’s Farthingdale Ranch series. It is such a gripping and emotionally compelling story, that I found myself reading it overnight.

    Farthingdale Ranch is a special place full of lovely people. In this book, we meet Jasper, the ranch’s blacksmith and farrier, and Ellis, an ex-con placed on parole in Jasper’s care. Ellis and Jasper are two cowboys who end up on opposite ends of a slow burn romance. The honest and heartfelt way they care for one another, even before things turn romantic made my heart soar.

    Ellis has had a rough go of things. He turns from teaching to drug dealing as a means to provide medical care for his mother, who has cancer. He finds a way to bide his time in prison, but a tragic event and the denial to attend to that event sends him reeling. That coupled with time spent in solitary, results in Ellis experiencing mutism.

    Jasper has been screwed over in the past. He was in a relationship with a fellow soldier that ended with an honorable discharge from the Army. That relationship causes Jasper to keep people at a distance. He’s pleasant enough, but keeps to himself a lot. Being responsible for Ellis forces him to let someone into his personal space, literally and figuratively.

    Both men find themselves trying to heal from their respective pasts. Jasper understands Ellis in a way that few people do. The connection between them is unexpected, but strong. Ellis and Jasper are good for one another. While they are both wary of one another at first, they find solace and comfort in the other. This is a tender and sweet romance with beautiful backdrops, honest conversations, softened edges, and lots of baths.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • A Miller
    4.0 out of 5 stars Compassionate and warm
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a slow burn, comfort/hurt, tender love story that fits beautifully with the slow, steady life on the ranch. There isn’t much conversation. They both seem to communicate with eyes, facial expressions, and body language. It’s a good thing we get the POV/inner thoughts of each character, otherwise, we’d be lost! The scenic descriptions put you right on the ranch, wishing you were on a pony picnic ride or splashing in the pond with them. I wanted to wrap Ellis up in a giant hug, not that he’d really appreciate that. I like the way we get background of these two men, through their inner though process and ruminations. This is a very intense, deeply tender book.

    I own, but have not yet read, the 1st book in the Farthingdale Ranch series. It did not matter. You do meet the previous book’s characters, but not knowing their story does not impact Jasper/Ellis’s story. I was somewhat disappointed with the end. There is an epilogue, but it doesn’t quite cover the end of the time period that started this whole thing – his parole.. I hope this thread will be picked up in the next book of the series. 4 stars from me. I love this slow burn, tender romance story and hope we get more from Ms. North.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • HKS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Okay but this was a spectacularly good read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    First of all, I loved this book. Loved the story. Loved the pacing, the dialogue, the character development, the sense of found family, and generally the everything

    Second, how could anyone not like Jasper and Ellis?! I loved their dynamic. The fact that they both needed each other for different yet same reasons. It was so beautiful.

    Lastly, I would like book three now (Clay’s story). I know it comes out in late July, and I am beyond excited for it. I am incredibly hopeful that there will be additional books after that for other secondary/ background characters *cough cough* like Brody.

    I’m really happy I started this series. I absolutely loved this one. I made sure to read it slowly because I didn’t want it to end just yet. It was bittersweet when I came to the last page. It was lovely—what more can I say?
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Love Story
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Don't let that cover fool you--jasper the blacksmith isn't really that intimidating as he appears there even if Ellis the ex-con on parole thinks so upon first being introduced as Jasper's new helper at Farthingdale Ranch.

    This is the place where Leland and Billy fell in love in the first book in the series and if you read that one and liked it, be prepared for this one because it's so different in every respect including the MCs.

    I cannot tell you how enraptured I became from this incredibly beautiful romance. Jasper the blacksmith, ex-army and much on his own, and Ellis the ex-school teacher who had to become a drug dealer to pay for his mother's cancer treatment, are not quite the personalities you would expect to become so joined at the hip that you can feel each rub between them, no matter how subtle.

    That Jasper is direct and honest and Ellis has lost his ability to speak because of prison trauma is a brilliant way of developing a special bond between two men who will still be around when the next in this series comes along. Hopefully.

    Extraordinary, simply extraordinary. (Did I say that already?)
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mark P. Batenburg
    3.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and tender
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Jackie North is the real thing: a good writer. This story gets all the details right, never slides into cliche. The romance is tender, sweet and believable. Only near the end did it get too saccharine for my taste.
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  • Blueleo
    4.0 out of 5 stars 💯 hot!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I loved it! Who doesn't love a great, sexy blacksmith man that is good with his hands🤗 among other things, his gentle, caring and passionate. Now the ex con is young, handsome but was dealt with a tragic circumstances, mom got cancer needed money to continue recuperation so decided to be a drug dealer and got caught, served two years and still at the end couldn't save his mom or see her before she die. This was very traumatic which left him unable to speak. His on parole now and was sent to a ranch To work and be there for six months. He meets the blacksmith who will be his mentor, caretaker and train him on his duties. Both get a long from the beginning even though he can't speak blacksmith can understand him and relate to him, before you know it they fall in love😍 can't wait to read the other stories!
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jodie.c
    5.0 out of 5 stars More than one way to shoe a horse
    Reviewed in Australia on March 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Poor Ellis was given such a crap hand in life, couldn’t afford to pay for his mothers cancer treatments turned to selling drugs that got him 2 years in prison which would mess anyone up, but thanks to the guess ranch and the great people there he feel in love with the blacksmith; Jasper, who supported Ellis fully even though he didn’t no why and from there love was the end game.
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  • Anky
    4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story
    Reviewed in India on June 3, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Jasper and Eliss's story was super sweet and beautiful and I loved the way their romance built slowly and steadily.
    Report
  • Goryel/BlackBolt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a wonderful book :)
    Reviewed in Germany on August 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This story is such a sweet read :)) I love the characters and especially Jasper, who is so patient with Ellis and his problems,, even if he is sometimes a bit gruff. Especially his way with Ellis is the best :)) I also love Ellis, my heart goes to him because of his problems.

    This is the first book in which there is in great detail described that there are oftentimes traumas someone can get in prison ... and how you should see and treat them. Oftentimes this persons are so wronged, because they are triggered and react ... PTSD is accepted with soldiers, but prisoners are also affected of it and can be triggerd. I also love the fact, that this story tells that sometimes life can throw you wrenches and you must do things, that can you get in prison when you have to help others. Sometimes you don't have a choice. :/

    The romance between Ellis and Jasper is so sweet and wonderfully written, I love it so much and it fits this story :)

    I recommend this book for all, who love a sweet romance and a non-violent story with sweet and loveable charas. It is very well written and flows nicely when reading :))

    *hugs*, Blackie ^^... (and sorry for my bad English, I am German ;)...)
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Two lost souls .
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    What a lovely love story. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Ellis traumatized in prison so bad he couldn't speak. Finds love in his blacksmith ,who had given up on love. Together they find peace in each other.
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  • Soda
    4.0 out of 5 stars A hard done by ex-con and a gentle giant.
    Reviewed in Australia on November 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I’d never read this author before and I admit it - my motivation for reading this story was based on recommendations of “eggplant” warming (& I wasn’t disappointed).

    This book was actually a lot sweeter than I expected, Jasper a real gentle giant, Ellis.. lost, looking for a home.

    I enjoyed the story and may look into the other books in the series yet!
    Report

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