REVIEW: 'The Rhubarb Patch' by Deanna Wadsworth
Title: The Rhubarb Patch
Series: Men of Gilead #1
Author: Deanna Wadsworth
Published: July 24, 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance
Length: 284 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; May/December; Animals: Dog; Second Chance; Opposites Attract; Humor; Family Drama; Friends to Lovers; Bear; HFN
NOTE: There are tags and content warning we chose not to disclose for sake of story arc.
About The Rhubarb Patch
City boy, sci-fi novelist, and recovering pushover Scott Howe doesn’t know what to expect when he inherits his grandmother’s house outside the quaint village of Gilead, Ohio—but it isn’t an enormous bald man in nothing but tighty-whities and orange rubber boots shouting at him to keep his weed wacker away from the rhubarb patch.
Scott has never met anyone like Phineas Robertson: homesteader, recluse… Republican. A tender—if unlikely—friendship grows over the summer while Phin and his schnauzer, Sister Mary Katherine, teach Scott about life in the country and the grandmother he never knew. Opposites attract, but widower Phin worries his secret will send Scott running faster than his politics, and Phin isn’t convinced he deserves a second chance at romance.
Scott is convinced—rural life, and his one-of-a-kind, older neighbor, is the future he wants. Before he can settle in, his mother drops a bombshell that strains their already tenuous relationship, and a cousin who believes he is the rightful heir to the property puts Scott in danger. It’ll take a lot of compromises, and even dodging a few bullets before they’re out of the weeds, but nurturing something as special as true love always takes hard work.
5 HEART READ
REVIEW:
I don’t know how I’ve not managed to discover Deanna Wadsworth’s writing before now… And honestly my review is way overdue. I read The Rhubarb Patch, the first in Deanna’s Men of Gilead series, at its release but emotional events in the book happened to coincide with the same exact occurrence in my life and prevented me from expressing my thoughts. For that I am sorry because this story is worth every moment spent between the pages.
Who wouldn’t be sold by this blurb? Believe me, it lives up to every word and more. When Phineas “Phin” shows up in his underwear with those boots the stage is set for how this love story will play out.
Not having any relation to his grandmother for years, which is surrounded by an air of family mystery that comes to light as the story unfolds, Scott has inherited her estate in a rural area of Ohio. A bit innocent to the ways of country living he’s hoping the seclusion will give him the opportunity to finish his newest novel, discover himself and learn that he doesn’t need a man to define him. What he doesn’t expect is his new neighbor, Phin. Who he inadvertently offends by weed whacking rhubarb that the man and his deceased grandmother grew together.
Phin, a widower, has heard all about Scott and is surprised at his feelings for the man as he reflects, “Scott had sparked more than just his body. He’d intrigued Phin’s mind.” However a deep hidden secret forbids him pursuing any real infatuation for fear Scott will never be interested in what he believes he can no longer offer.
Slowly, and a little begrudgingly on Phin’s part, the two begin to navigate an eleven year age difference as Phin finds humor in Scott’s naiveté about “farm life”, making it all the more charming.
Such as when Scott discovers farm fresh eggs he asks, “’What if there’s a baby chicken inside it?’” Phin even takes to calling Scott, “Mouse”, which even now makes me smile when I think about it. Over stories of Scott’s grandmother and Phin’s education on the ways of gardening, making jelly, harvesting, collecting eggs, pollinating plants, they find a budding friendship.
Scott soon finds himself wanting more from Phin and he can’t understand why the big furry man he’s come to adore seems to be pulling back. Enter Scott’s best friend and “brother”, Davis. A wonderfully adorable side kick (who by the way deserves his own book) he provides Scott a sounding board, a push of courage and helps further propel the puzzle of Scott’s history.
Wadsworth’s world building and scenery are so descriptive I could actually smell the bacon frying in the pan, I found myself learning right along with Scott and I could believe myself sitting on the swing with the men as Scott imparted he, “relaxed into Phin’s arms, the creaking of the chain and the high-pitched squeak of it rubbing the hook on the ceiling mingling with the soft sounds of the country at night.”
Through Phin’s care and nurturing of his beloved dog, Sister Mary Katherine, Wadsworth stealthily crafts a means to show these two that communicating ones grief, sorrow and loss has the power to heal.
When Phin’s secret comes to light and he conveys his darkest regret, its scene stealing. Like a sucker punch to the heart it’s an example of how loss can impact us body, mind and soul, until we have no regard for ourselves.
Maybe it’s coming from rural Iowa and spending my summers in the fields but I found myself charmed by the slow-burn country courtship between Scott and Phin. As I felt the sizzle of those first physical connections it was like reliving my first kiss, my first time. It’s romantic and yet full-on panty melting at the same time. Deanna Wadsworth makes Scott and Phin’s romance relatable, down to uttering those three little words for the first time when you are at your most vulnerable and, thank the Lord, a real “couple-fight”.
It’s not all dreamy though. Behind their love affair there’s this slowly developing hint of danger sprinkled throughout in which Wadsworth ties in the love hate relationship with social media, and being open on such, with Scott’s familial ties. And even though you can kind of tell where this mystery might lead, when it boils to a head, and it ties in with the climactic ending, it’s as revealing to the reader as it is to these men just where their relationship has taken them.
The Rhubarb Patch is a thought provoking story of love, loss and second chances. It’s an example of how our heart always has the capacity to love more even when we think it doesn’t. Scott and Phin’s journey is full of all the hope of spring and I want what blossoms after their happy for now. I want more from Deanna Wadsworth. This is one reader who is totally charmed and will be running for future editions in the Men of Gilead series!
A copy of The Rhubarb Patch was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Enticing Journey Book Promotions, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Meet the Author
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and is the current President 2017 for Rainbow Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.
For more from Deanna be sure and visit her website!
