ARC Review: ‘Pure Country’ by Kelly Fox
I received a complimentary copy of the book from The Author Agency in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Pure Country
by Kelly FoxSeries: Central Texas #2
Published by Self-Published on December 11, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, LGBT Romance, MM Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 299
Source: The Author Agency
Audience: 18+/Adult
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I’d sooner cage a wild bird than try to pin that cowboy down. But God, I want to make him mine.
Our sizzling banter and filthy texts are the stuff of legends, but Rowdy is the king of one-night stands, and one night with him will never be enough.
I crave a future with him, which is exactly why I’ve kept him at arm’s length.
One drunken kiss, however, has me questioning everything I thought I knew about Rowdy Lockwood. Is he the lovable himbo everyone thinks he is, or is there more to him than meets the eye?
Whatever the truth is, I’ve decided that my sassy cowboy is a mystery worth solving.
Pure Country is an age gap, friends-to-lovers romance that features a secretive cowboy with a filthy imagination, a sweet city lawyer with a nose for deflection, and a pushy friend with a flare for the dramatic.
Pure Country is the second book in Kelly Fox’s Central Texas series. If you enjoyed Rough Country, you’ll recognize the characters Rowdy and Kess in this installment. Pure Country tells a sweet, romantic story about two friends who share an instant bond, but are afraid to next time because one of them is keeping a secret.
Storyline: One night at Kess’s party, they share a kiss that leads to confusion between them. Rowdy has been keeping a secret from Kess and is hesitant to reveal the truth because only one person truly understands who Rowdy is. Kess realizes that Rowdy is likely not interested in settling down and starting a family. He understands that Rowdy is more of a player than anything else, while Kess has always wanted a stable life with a family of his own. As a result, Kess decides to move on and begins going on dates, even though he often finds himself thinking about Rowdy.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed reading the book by Rowdy and Kess, but it took me a little while to really get into it. The first two chapters almost made me put the book down, but I persisted because I was determined to find out how Rowdy and Kess would achieve their happily ever after. I’m glad I stuck with it because their happy ending was truly worth it, especially after all the truths were finally revealed between the two of them.
Rowdy was such a sweetheart in this story. I don’t want to spoil it by revealing what he does in his free time, but I do wish he hadn’t kept a secret, particularly from his cousin, Woody, who was completely unaware. Instead, Rowdy allowed everyone to believe he was doing something else.
I loved Kess’s character because he sensed that something was up with Rowdy. However, he showed patience towards him. When Kess eventually discovers the truth, he doesn’t pressure Rowdy. Instead, he understands him better. I loved how Kess didn’t pressure Rowdy either when it came to being intimate with one another after the truth came out.
Overall, I give the book 3.5 stars. It had such a sweet story between two people who were perfect for one another but had secrets that needed to be revealed first. Pure Country also had a great LGBT+ representation, including demisexual and asexual/aromanticism, which I haven’t read either in an LGBT+ book before until now. Thanks to the Author Agency for introducing Kelly Fox to me because now I need to check out Kelly’s backlist.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV
Standalone/Part of Series: It’s an interconnected standalone book in the Central Texas series, but trust me, you’ll want to read these books in order. Start with Woody/Emery’s book – Rough Country, and you’ll be introduced to Rowdy and Kess there.
What to Expect:
✓Small Town Romance
✓Opposites Attract
✓Age Gap
✓Friends to Lovers
✓Secrets
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About Kelly Fox
I write contemporary gay romance, which is to say that I curse way too much, drink exactly the right amount of red wine, and sleep far too little. I’m also lucky enough to live in Central Texas with my wife and two dogs, where the astonishing diversity of humans and landscapes and tattoo shops serve as my muse.
Want to know what projects I have coming up? Check out my Facebook reader group The Fox Den for giveaways, first-look cover reveals, and more, and follow me on Amazon to be notified of new releases by email.
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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