"A Very Good Year"

Review - "A Very Good Year" by Patricia Logan

Fine follow up for Dmitri

Highly Recommended

***This book involves characters first introduced in "Captive Lover".  As such, this review may contain spoilers for that book.  I recommend reading it first, but it is not required in order to enjoy "A Very Good Year"***

When Dmitri Hernandez was eleven years old, he was kidnapped by Marcus Tucker,a vicious pedophile and brutalized for the next seven plus years.  He had given up hope, becoming numb, removed and a drunk to hold back the pain and fear and loss.  Until his captor made a mistake and was going to hurt another young boy, Jared Yates.  That brought Dmitri out of his daze and gave him the power to stand up and take his life back. 

Getting hurt in the process, he was cared for by Dylan Yates and Connor Black, the older brother of the boy Marcus has targeted and the man Dylan forced to kidnap and hold for ransom.  The three, along with Jared, became friends and support for each other.

After his recover, reunion with his family, and four years of college, Dmitri is back in Texas to become the new vintner for the Lazy E Vineyard and Dude Ranch.  His hard work has earned him a fine reputation, and he looks forward to this new chapter in his life.  After all, he will be working for the daughter of a now deceased professor from college, one who had a great influence on his young career.  And no one knows his past here.

What he did not expect to find was sexy cowboy Maverick Walker.  His years of abuse at the hands of Marcus left him divorced from his sexual side, and with an empty well where his heart was.  Mav awakes the lust in him and he begins an affair with the gruff cowboy.  But he warns Mav, he won't be falling in love. 

When Italian billionaire wine expert Carlo Degli Esposti arrives at the Lazy E to write an article on Texas wines and vineyards, the owner is ecstatic at the opportunity afforded the ranch.  And she counts on Dmitri to make a good impression and make every effort to accommodate Carlo.  But the beautiful Carlo ignites more than passion in Dmitri, driving him to distraction.

Will the newly ignited flames of lust Dmitri feels for both Mav and Carlo lead to more?  Or will the years he suffered Marcus' abuse keep him from opening his heart and allowing love to light him up?  And how will he choose between the two men after his heart?

Patricia Logan has written a fine follow up to "Captive Lover" and given us Dmitri's tale.  And what a tale it is.  Passion, hot sex, and hot cowboys fire up this fine take of Dmitri's gradual reawakening to love. 

Ms; Logan has an excellent feel for damaged men and how they grieve, hurt and need human contact.  She shows us their hearts, their pains and, bless her, their souls.  And gently and with care allows them to heal and find happiness again.

And if anyone deserves happiness it is Dmitri.  This poor man thought he was beyonnd redemption, and I was so happy he was getting his cowboy.  Then pissed when the smooth Italian playboy come on the scene.  I was prepared to hate him.  How dare he play with my Dmitri?

And then I realized, she had me hooked and protective of this man.  How did she manage that? 

By writing characters who matter, who care, who have the same doubts and fears and wants and needs as I do.

Damn her, she got me.  Bless her.

Tom