Sidearms and Spareribs (Hearts of Snow Lake #2) by Ashton Cade

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

BookBub Link

Blurb

Sean:

I'm a cop on leave. I fled to Snow Lake for some R&R after what I like to call a 'workplace injury.' Since getting shot, I'm jumpy—I can't help but be spooked, imagining danger around every corner. There’s only one man who makes me feel like my old self—Porter Gaines, the town butcher. He makes me laugh, makes me forget my pain, my fear. But there’s something more. Deep in those dark eyes, I see more than a glimmer of desire. Porter might be the medicine I need—igniting the fire inside me again and making me appreciate the warmth and beauty of home.

When I came out of the operating room, I was looking for something—someone—that didn’t exist. Or I thought he didn’t. I stayed up nights, wanting and wishing. I thought I was going crazy, but meeting Porter makes me feel sane.

I’ve been married to my job for so long, and my relationship with Porter is just temporary. But when Porter’s little brother is implicated in a crime he didn’t commit, I know I’m needed back in Snow Lake. Maybe I’ll find the truth—and my reason for living. 

Porter:

I don’t get many dates in a sleepy little town like Snow Lake. With my full cargo hold of emotional baggage, guys aren’t exactly banging on my door. Sure, I’ve got my dreams. I saw what my father had with his wife before they died, and I always wanted that kind of happiness. It’s just not in the cards for me. 

When I meet Sean, the s*xy cop with dark hair and midnight eyes, I’m tempted far more than I want to admit. I keep my cool whenever I see him, hoping he can’t read my dirty mind or hear my jaw drop to the floor. I should tell him how I feel, but going for it has never been my thing.

I like my small, comfortable life. I made a new normal after the accident that took everything away from me, and I work hard to keep my sh!t together. Throwing a monkey wrench into the whole thing is... terrifying. 

He’s only here for a little while, a tempting voice says. How much harm can a week-long wrench do?
A lot, another, less-tempting voice answers.

After what I've been through, I'm not sure I can resist the kind of love that Sean's offering. I just hope it doesn't destroy me.

Sean:

I'm a cop on leave. I fled to Snow Lake for some R&R after getting what I euphemistically call a 'workplace injury.' Since getting shot, I'm a little jumpy-- I can't help but be spooked, expecting something, or someone, around every corner. But there's one person that's making me feel like my old, bold self again--Porter Gaines, the guy who runs the butcher shop in my temporary digs. But deep in those dark eyes of his, the glimmer of desire I think I see not only makes me wild, but makes me feel like I've come home.  

I’ve always heard that a near-death experience can change your mind about life, but if I'm honest, I didn’t come anywhere close to dying. I did come out of the operating room looking for something though--someone that wasn’t there--that didn’t exist. Or I thought he didn’t.

My job's been my life for so long and whatever Porter and I have is just supposed to be a temporary thing. But when the phone rings and a mysterious man implicates Porter's little brother in a crime, I know I have to return and investigate. And maybe I'll not only find the truth, but also, find my reason to really live.


Porter:  

In a town like Snow Lake, potential partners are few and far between, and with my full cargo hold of emotional baggage, I don’t know who would ever be interested in me. I saw what my dad had with Bette before they passed, and I want a little piece of that for myself. And when I meet Sean, the s*xy cop with the dark hair and darker eyes, I'm tempted more than I want to admit. He's completely unaware of the mass of butterflies swarming my guts whenever he's around.    

But 'going for it' has never been my thing. I’m not thrilled about failure or rejection--it’s big change that makes me nervous. I like what’s comfortable and familiar. I like Snow Lake, I like my neighbors and our weekly rituals. As screwed up as my life has become since the accident, I still have made a new normal, and throwing a monkey wrench into the whole thing is... terrifying. 

He’s only here for a little while, a tempting voice says.

How much harm can a week-long wrench do?

A lot, another, less-tempting voice answers.

But after what I've been through, I'm not sure I can resist the kind of love that Sean's offering. I just hope it doesn't destroy me.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Sidearms and Spareribs is a super sweet small town romance by Ashton Cade. 

This second book in the Hearts of Snow Lake series is the story of two men. One is grieving the loss of his parents while having to raise his younger brother. The other is in town for a short time while recovering from a work place injury.

As Sean is only in town temporarily, his new found feelings for this small town boy cause a lot off confusion. What follows is a slightly angsty read that includes some homophobia, including a scene which left me gutted.

Both Sean and Porter are interesting and likeable characters. Each have some unigue issues to deal with individually, as well as to make a relationship between them work. The issues with Porter's brother are realistically developed and explored. I love his brother and all he brings to their tale.

This is the story of finding someone who calms you, anchors you, and helps you laugh at yourself. It's a story of finding a purpose in life and grabbing onto that purpose. 

As with Motorcycles and Macarons, the first book of the series, the writing is good, with a nice flow and some intriguing characters. The small town is well written, with many characters adding to the story, and a whole lot of people who know everyone and everyone's business.

I highly recommend Sidearms and Spareribs to anyone in the mood for a sweet, fluffy, and tender small town romance. This Ashton Cade standalone read will not disappoint.