I happened to stumble across Renae Kaye by accident- I was randomly browsing the Dreamspinner Press website- and the cover for this novel caught me eye; along with the title. Thankfully I decided to purchase the e-book and I haven't looked back- Kaye has become one of my favourite authors!
Most novels in gay romance take a focus on the life in the city; the “big smoke” so to speak. But this novel takes the opposite approach- gays in the countryside and with recent news and opinion pieces in the Australian media- it's a story that even in fiction needs to be told.
The main focus of the novel is of Henry “Hank” Woods; the shearing gun that the title refers to, a closeted mid 20s Australian footy player who has compartmentalised his work life and his “love” life.
This all comes crushing down when the new GP (Elliott) comes to town and challenges Hank and his ability to keep his love life away from his ability to keep it away (literally!) from the small country town.
After a football incident and the inevitable teasing and what ifs, Hank and Elliott start a tentative relationship while juggling work needs and also their need to keep their relationship a secret from the other people in their small country town.
The strength of the novel is Kayes' writing and characterisation- you are constantly laughing and experience a wide range of emotions while rooting for Hank and Elliott. The small things that Kaye puts into her writing- like the nickname Hank gives Elliott- really pays off as that is what we do in Australia.
Without giving too many spoilers I can say that the “cliffhanger” wasn't as bad as what I thought it would be- thankfully! If it was I don't think I could have handled the extra shot of “the feels!”
Author: Renae Kaye
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 214
Formats: E-Book, Novel,
Rating: