The Station: Gay Romance

4.5-5 starsI just love this author and I've always loved Australia so this book was a double dose of love for me. It doesn't hurt that the story was very good and I loved the characters, even Patrick (though he tends to act like a bit of a prig at times). I'm not sure exactly when this book takes place but Australia was a penal colony between 1788 and 1868 so it could have been anytime during that period but I suspect it's more on the latter end of that time-frame.Colin was born to a well-off family in England. He wasn't the best student but worked hard at his studies so he could get into Cambridge like his family expected. Colin didn't enjoy his studies but figured when he was away at Cambridge, he'd have some freedom and be able to "find himself". Colin tried to find an interest in women but instead, found himself fighting urges that could get him killed.Patrick is an Irish born man that works as a stable master for Colin's parents. Patrick has always had an attraction for men but let himself fall in love once and got burned by it. Since then he just worked hard to save money and has only had physical relationships, never letting himself get emotionally involved with anyone.Colin and Patrick used to be friends when Colin was young but when Colin saw Patrick and a groundskeeper together, it brought out all sorts of feelings in Colin that shamed him. He started avoiding Patrick and not knowing the real reason, Patrick thought the worst. Just before Colin is supposed to be leaving for Cambridge, Patrick is caught with another man and sodomy wass considered a killable offense back then. Colin is desperate to save Patrick and yells out that if they kill Patrick they'd have to kill him too. This causes some consternation and Colin and Patrick don't get hung...instead they're sentenced to be sent to the penal colony in Australia.Regardless of Colin's actions to save Patrick, Patrick is still standoffish towards Colin for most of their journey to Australia but some things do happen that bring them closer, even if Patrick wont admit it. In addition to the prisoners, the boat had settlers on board as well and a typhoid fever epidemic on the boat killed some, including Mr. Grant, who was moving to Australia with his wife to start a cattle station. Mrs. Grant needed some workers so Colin and Patrick lucked into working for her instead of the normal prisoner experience. Colin finds his new life hard but also learns to love working a cattle station. Things between Colin and Patrick are difficult because Colin wants love and Patrick is very resistant to anything resembling emotions. Regardless of Patrick's attempts to keep their relationship physical, emotions do escalate between Patrick and Colin. There's some angst and such to get through but once all is said and done, the story ends with Colin and Patrick together and accepted so they can start a HEA together.I greatly enjoyed this story. I've always love Australia so I was thrilled to find out that this story took place in the pioneer days of Australia. Colin was a really good character and I was so happy he found his pace in life...and eventually found his place in love as well. Patrick was so standoffish that I kind of wanted to slap him at times but down deep, I could understand his reasons for his defenses. Overall, I loved the characters and through the story was great so I'd definitely recommend it. :D

For a while I skipped on buying this book. I didn't see how I'd enjoy a book where the main characters have everything taken from them and have nothing to look forward to. I was so wrong.Loved this book!Colin is high born and has his path in life set out for him. The story starts out when Colin is 13 years old and Irish born Patrick Callahan is 22. Colin is intrigued by Patrick right from the start and even though they hold different stations in life, they forge a friendship as Patrick teaches Colin how to ride a horse and they work together in the stable. When Colin is 16 he sees Patrick with another man and he's transfixed and somewhat appalled that he wants that with Patrick. For the next three years he avoids Patrick and their friendship becomes a thing of the past...even though Colin's fascination with Patrick continued to grow.One night during a party Patrick is accused of buggery. A crime punishable by death. Colin knows he has to do whatever he can to save Patrick's life and he sacrifices everything when he confesses to the same crime. I was so impressed with Colin. He doesn't think much of himself, but everything he does from that point on shows how brave and loyal he is, even when his actions put his very life at stake.Colin's confession stopped Patrick's likely hanging, but convicted himself along with Patrick and they are arrested and shipped off to the prison colony of Australia. The POV is Colin's and it was done so well that I never felt like I was missing out by not having Patrick's point of view. I would have liked it, but it wasn't missed. Patrick is rather stoic with Colin, in part because Colin has kept his distance from Patrick for the last three years, but also because he's been betrayed in the past and his motto in life is that you can only trust yourself. Colin isn't weak, or whiny or clingy, I saw him as uncertain at times, but also brave, loyal, accepting, hopeful and strong when he needed to be.Their arrival in Australia is welcome, but uncertain. Colin knows he's a prisoner and will have to serve his sentence, the only thing he hopes for is to not be separated from Patrick. He misses William, his cousin/best friend, and his younger sister, but now he's on the other side of the world and will likely never see either of them again.I don't want to give away what happens, but I was happy with the turn their bleak future took upon their arrival in Australia. Two supporting characters emerge that become good friends, and they really added to the story. This was so well done. So much detail was given that everything came to life and felt real. The overall feeling after reaching Australia, was hopeful and feel good. With a bit of frustration over Patrick keeping a tight reign on trying to keep any romance or real feelings out of his relationship with Colin. But little by little, Colin chips away at Patrick's defenses, and that makes for a fun journey.I stayed completely caught up in this story, I didn't want to put it down, and I didn't want it to end. I would love to see a book two.

This is a gay romance set in the mid 18th century when you could be hanged for being a "sodomite", Patrick is head of stables at a wealthy family home in England and Colin is the young son of the wealthy owner. Colin saw Patrick having sex with another man from the estate and began to feel turned on by this.Patrick gets caught about to have sex with another man and he is charged with "attempted buggery" an offence that could carry the death penalty. Colin pleads leniency for Patrick and outs himself to family and others.As prisons are full in England they are sent as convicts to Australia. The journey by sea takes months and conditions on board are horrendous.Emily is a settler who is left alone as her husband dies on the ship with typhoid, she is heading to a cattle station that her husband had bought, as a woman alone the officials decide to send Patrick and Collin as her labour convicts, obviously as they preferred the company of men no harm should come to her.The story traces their long trip to her Cattle Station deep in the outback.Colin has lusted after Patrick and they eventually have sex but Patrick sees that as a pleasant distraction while Colin feels more than that.After months of travelling they finally reach the station and found that it was far from the homestead that they and Emily imagined. Hard work is needed and a powerful neighbour wants Emily out but she is determined to stay.Very violent scenes take place, Colin and Patrick drift apart and the station dream is about to come to an end when the neighbour's thugs come to kill them.More twits and turns keep you interested until the very end.A gay romance in the rough outback could not be more convincing and gripping. Loved every minute of it.

I enjoyed this unusual take on a m/m historical romance. Traditionally in these storys the possiblity of discovery and prosecution hangs over the protagonisits like a sceptre. In this book that all happens in the first few chapters, and then the real story begins.Unable to fit in with his aristocratic friends, Colin secertly lusts after his fathers stable master, Patrick. Unaware of his admirer, Patrick has a string of liasons with other servants, he clearly does not take enough care over not getting caught. WHen the enevitalbe happens Colin leaps to his defence and finds himself in the dock too.Sentenced to transportation to Australia, Colin and Patrick must leave every thing familliar behind. What they find is a hard life in a strange land, but it also is liberating and rewarding in unexpected ways.There is just too much of this story that was far to unbelivable - I am happy to suspend disbelief up to a point, but this takes it too far. I didn't really buy into the chemistrty between the two main charecters either. This was a shame because I really thought that this could be a great story, it shattered so many of the norms of what can sometimes be a very formulaic genre.

As with everything I’ve read so far from KA, this tale was yet another wonderful fusion of romance and plot. The story begins in England 1841, when a 13 y/o Colin is saved during a riding accident by 22 y/o Patrick, the stable master for Colin’s very affluent family, which leads to a sort-of friendship between the pair. Some years later, Colin unwittingly stumbles upon Patrick and another man (unbeknownst to them both) having sex and realising he has the same inclinations and is also VERY attracted to Patrick and can’t begin to confront this as yet, decides to avoid Patrick and the stables almost entirely, leaving Patrick assuming the boy has just become a bit of a stuck-up git. A few years later again, a party is in full swing at Colin’s family home, when Patrick is caught red-handed with another man by some of the party-goers this time. And on hearing the angry pleas from the raucous guests that Patrick be hanged for sodomy, a terrified and very brave Colin admirably steps up and admits his own homosexuality, much to the horror of everyone there including his own family. And although the MCs “crime” is punishable by death or imprisonment, an arrangement is instead made that they both be exiled to Australia.This was utterly heartbreaking in parts, and admittedly had me tearing up occasionally. I felt so angry on behalf of both men, but even more so for young Colin, as he had virtually never been outside of his privileged home in his 19 years, never lead any kind of life yet and had even been home-schooled. To say he was traumatised being carted off in chains as a criminal and dumped onto a ship bound for the other side of the world alongside ACTUAL criminals, without as much as a goodbye from his own parents, would be a massive understatement. But what I so loved about Colin was his amazing inner strength to survive, that he himself wasn’t even aware he possessed. And as much as I understood Patrick’s hesitancy to befriend Colin at first, as he had been burned by a previous lover and was wary to trust again, I was also so mad at him for ignoring such a lost and innocent young lad like Colin. But he more than redeemed himself in my eyes, when he showed his deep affection for Colin by saving him from a gang of fellow prisoners on board the ship.And as much as this was an entirely believable and real slow build of not only a beautiful romance but solid friendship also between these gorgeous men, I have to say the world-building stole the show for me in this one. Such wonderfully descriptive writing of both the horrors on board the ship and the undeniably beautiful but equally deadly and almost uninhabitable Australian outback, and not forgetting the seemingly never-ending epic journey to The Station itself of course. It gave the reader a glimpse of how dismal and bleak these times could be coupled with a strong sense of new beginnings and hope at the same time. This was an utterly captivating story, with main characters you just champion one hundred percent from beginning to end, and some equally intriguing secondary characters who you come to really care for also. A harsh read at times, but it’s ultimately an uplifting tale of love and happiness against the odds. This one's a real keeper.

I am utterly speechless at this perfect story. Every aspect of it is perfect. The pacing, the angst, the relationships, the supporting characters…I absolutely adored it. It’s one of those stories that you never want to end. I could say so much but I’ll just say this book left me fully content. Keira delivering another 5 🌟 read!

This definitely isn't a story about love at first sight. I wouldn't even say its an enemies to lovers story at all either. However it was most certainly a long time coming for Colin and Patrick. Even though Colin fell in love with Patrick from the moment he laid his eyes on him, it took Patrick a long time to come around and discover his true feelings for Colin. But when he did... It was pure magic.