COAL MINERS SON

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Later he was diagnosed with alcoholism. After that, he lost his apartment and had to sometimes resort to sleeping on the street.

A Coal Miner's Son by T.A. Chase | Dreamspinner Press

From time to time, he had enough money to get a room at a boarding hotel. Lou has continued over the years to be admitted in and out of the hospital because of falls or complications due to his alcohol consumption. He says he stayed sober for a while but then went back to drinking. Recently, he was again admitted to the hospital, this time to Swedish Covenant, for internal pain.

His doctor again discharged him to a nursing home and warned him that if he checks himself out again, he will drop him as a patient. Lou says he understands what is at stake, but finds it very hard to not drink. Certain things never bothered him, he relates, such as watching his parents die or witnessing men killed in battle. But small things set him off, he says. Daisy has not spoken to him for years, so Ramona has agreed to be listed as his next of kin.

She has told the staff, though, that she is not interested in being overly involved in his care. Meanwhile, Lou seems to be making a relatively smooth transition to the home. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. He never really had a conversation with him outside of work. He's never seen him socially, and never gotten to know him. I honestly think Cai disliked him to be a petulant child. I did like Cai, he was a overall good guy. He seemed a little high strung at times, but that can be attributed to the town he stays in and the people he deals with. After a stressful event, Cai ends up at James house. It's unexpected for both guys, but the invitation was out there. They realized after much debate how much they are interested in one another. The was a bit of a slow burn, but I really liked the two together.

I thought they were cute how they handled one another. All in all, I think this was a really good story. It had a few hiccups along with the way with names in the wrong places, and a mixed up paragraph or so. Overall, I'd recommend this story. Two guys who are meant to be but don't know it comes together beautifully. Dec 21, Ali rated it it was amazing Shelves: James has worked hard to not be like his father and appreciates the people who work for him. Cai acknowledges that James is making things better for the miners, but figures he is still like his father deep down.

Seeing James care for his family and the community make Cai doubt what he has always believed. James is fighting what feels like a losing battle with the board to make things better for the miners, I could just feel how passionate and caring he is in his actions and words. I loved seeing them stand up together for their love to grow. Cover art by Jennifer Vance is great works well for that characters in this story.

Apr 19, Hannah rated it liked it Shelves: I am such a sucker for novels set in little towns, and this was no different, even if not everything about it was perfect. This was pretty much a perfect 3 stars in my opinion, it was okay but not the best thing I've ever read.

I enjoyed my time with it, but there were definitely some qualms. So I obviously loved the setting of this. I love novels about people in small towns doing an honest days work and living their lives. I feel much more connected to these than I do to novels set in big cities I am such a sucker for novels set in little towns, and this was no different, even if not everything about it was perfect.

I feel much more connected to these than I do to novels set in big cities, and I thought it was interesting to see the way that James reacted with the difference between the city and such a small town. I also loved the one big community aspect. I always see the aspect of gossip flying around quickly in a small town, but I feel like I never see the other side of it, and this showed that so well.

Seeing how everyone can come together to make the town better and how they protect their own is so heartwarming. The overall setting also allowed a commentary on small town beliefs and adversity, which is something I like to see explored, and would like to see more of. As the world changes, and steadily becomes more accepting, or attempts to, we have to see how different populations are affected and how differences in lifestyles affect people, and what better way to explore that than through fiction like this. One of my other favorite parts about this was the family dynamic that was explored.

They were such a tight knit group that had such wonderful relationships with one another that were explicitly shown, and I liked that a lot. They all loved one another so much, which is something I value and find important. I also thought it was fitting for exploration since we got to see how families can change and grow with new circumstances and adversities thrown in. Overall, I had two main qualms with the book overall. I really enjoyed the relationship between Cai and James, but I don't think it was executed to it's full potential.

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I think they definitely grew and grew together and what we did see of their growth was good and made me root for the relationship. I just think that the book needed to be a little longer for further exploration, especially in the early parts of their relationship. I think it progressed too quickly from not being able to be around each other to falling in love. There were some deliberate details that I read as trying to soften that up, but I just didn't think it worked well.

I loved them as a couple and I loved them as individuals, I just think they needed more time at the beginning. My other problem was the writing, unfortunately. A lot of the time I found that I could read it just fine, but too much of the time I found myself being pulled out of the overall story because I just didn't like the way it was written.

Too much of the time it felt like the story was being told in bullet points, as if I was being told this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and on and on. Then there was the dialogue and this went in the same fashion; I could read on for a while just fine, laugh along with the characters, and then someone would say something that felt off. It was either a weird phrasing, timing, or just too formal for the situation. Overall, I did enjoy this book.

The characters were well done, and I felt connected to even the most inconspicuous of characters. I enjoyed the relationship and thought they were well done for one another. There were just a few things that made it difficult for me to enjoy it any more than I did. Jan 01, CrabbyPatty rated it liked it Shelves: James Callahan has always felt a kinship to Willow Hollow, its hardworking coal miners and their families and the beautiful West Virginia countryside, but it seems some people don't trust the son of the boss.

Unfortunately, the man James has always been attracted to - Cai Rees, the older brother of his best friend Owain - is one of them. But throughout the book, a crisis with the mining company and a Rees family emergency draws the two men closer. Chase does a beautiful job of describing the James Callahan has always felt a kinship to Willow Hollow, its hardworking coal miners and their families and the beautiful West Virginia countryside, but it seems some people don't trust the son of the boss.

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Chase does a beautiful job of describing the close-knit Appalachian community pulling together to help one another. The story of the community putting Bronwen Rees throughout medical school, with her promising to return as Willow Hollow's doctor, is very touching. I also liked the Rees family and their family dynamic. However I felt the on-page chemistry between Cai and James was lacking and their relationship was undeveloped.

There is an epilogue and a HEA, but these two men come from such different worlds and backgrounds and we don't see any of the work that got them to their HEA. My rating for A Coal Miner's Son is 3. Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out! Jan 21, Curtis rated it really liked it Shelves: James Callahan is the heir to a large mining operation who can't seem to live up to his father's expectations. For one, James has always been friendly and associated with the miners, and Nicholas Callahan doesn't understand why his son wouldn't want to spend his time with people of his same social standing.

But to James, he's never been any better than those who work the mines, and he's not about to let his position or his wealth become a divider. He's been best friends with Owain for years. And James Callahan is the heir to a large mining operation who can't seem to live up to his father's expectations. And Owain's older brother, Cai, always has a way of turning James's head--even if Cai avoids James at all costs. Cai Rees doesn't deny the fact that James is cute.

But they come from two different worlds. James is rich and the Callahans all think they are better than the miners, don't they? How could they ever have anything in common. And would Cai really want to put up with James's high-class family all the time?

No, Cai is right to stay away.

But when Cai finds he needs James's help with some family drama, he quickly realizes it may be much harder to stay away than he'd first imagined it would be. I have a soft spot for stories of people who have secretly harbored feelings for each other for years and finally see the chance to act on them. And when you've been carrying around feelings for a long time, it doesn't necessarily mean it's easier to express or process them. Sometimes it can be even harder to act when you've been holding yourself back for so long. And for Cai and James, years of family dynamics and assumptions layered on top of everything make for some additional challenges Jan 06, Suze rated it liked it.

Lots going on in a relatively short story, not sure all was necessary but there we go. I did quite like it, more time building up Cai and James would get more buy in to them as a couple. Jun 25, Misty rated it liked it Shelves: Oct 20, kris rated it did not like it. Did not care for the portrayal of coal mining in WV. Nov 01, Lily rated it liked it Shelves: Mar 02, Tammy Smith rated it it was amazing Shelves: For as much as James father Nicholas tried to keep James away from them James was just as determined to sneak away and therefore he made a life-long friend in Owain Rees, the son of a coal miner.

Owain and James have always enjoyed caving whenever they have the time. James has always been fiercely attracted to Cai ad has never understood why he avoids him whenever he comes to town. This trip James and Cai connect on a level neither has ever felt with anyone else and though it takes time they manage to overcome a lot of prejudice, misunderstanding and plain old pigheadedness!

Not connecting with the MCs, in large part because they are not really connecting. Too much other stuff going on. Jan 15, Serena Yates rated it really liked it Shelves: Cai is the one with the biggest issues around his attraction to James. Cai has been working in the mine since he was sixteen, and while his family is not dirt-poor, they do have to watch the pennies.

Not to mention that the physical attraction begins to pretty much sizzle between them once Cai opens up to the possibilities. It means Cai is upset enough to let James into his personal space, and they soon discover the differences between them are more superficial than real. But with quickly evolving feelings in the air, the incentive to find a way is definitely there. Jan 01, Natosha Wilson rated it it was amazing. This was a wonderful, sweet romance between two men who was complete opposites in life.

Chase did a magnificent job on this book. I read it and it really touched my heart how these two men came together and did not let their different walks of life come in between them. Cai comes from a hard working family that mainly consists of coal miners. Each of the boys for as far back as they could remember followed in their fathers foot steps before them by working in the mine.

Though they did not ha This was a wonderful, sweet romance between two men who was complete opposites in life. Though they did not have much as far as money goes, this family has so much more because they are extremely close as a family.

They have each other's backs as well as their neighbors in their communities backs. They may not have a lot but hey do not let anyone else go without if they can help it and part of that reason is because Cai's mom was smart enough to accept the help that is offered to them and does it with grace and pride. She is also smart enough not to say how she gets what they need and what everyone else in their community needs because that would just be asking for an uproar considering who it is that has been helping her.

James's father is the one that owns the company that Cai and his family works for. Even though James grew up around the mines, his father tried to keep him from interacting with the workers and their children because in his fathers eyes everyone else was beneath them but James never felt that way.

As a matter of fact he felt more at home with Cai and Owain then he does anywhere else. Owain has been James's best friend since they was little and Cai being Owain's older brother and the secret crush James has had forever makes him feel even more comfortable with them. James is also the one that has been helping everyone in the community that he loves so much but he does not want anyone to know because he knows it would be hard for anyone to accept it because of his family's money and him being the bosses son.

Finally after all these years Cai sees the opportunity to finally have with James the things he only dreamed of and James is more then willing.

“Just a Coal Miner’s Son”

The question is will they let their differences in social standing come in between them or will they both get over their positions to realize that love is more important then money or the lack there of it. As I said this was a great romance story. Chase really did do a wonderful job on this book. It is nice to read a sweet romance sometimes and this was one that will touch your heart. I look forward to more by T. Chase in the future. Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review Jan 20, Jaymie rated it it was amazing Shelves: So, I was prepared for lots of angst and conflict and the whole back and forth between the two MC's about having a relationship.

Instead, I was surprised by very minimal conflict and no angst at all. It was actually a sweet romance without the overly saccharine dialogue.

A Coal Miner's Son

Cai is the eldest son of a mining family, newly promoted to supervisor, working alongside his father and younger brother. While he's never hidden his sexuality, he definitely doesn't advertise it since their environmen 4. While he's never hidden his sexuality, he definitely doesn't advertise it since their environment inside the mine isn't necessarily very gay-friendly.

Although Cai seems to get along with just about anybody, the one person he can't seem to make up his mind about is James. James has never let the fact that his father owns the mine alter his friendship with his best friend Owain. He loves the town and the people and feels more at home around there than he does in the city. He wishes the folks there wouldn't see him solely as the boss' son. He especially wishes Cai, Owain' older brother didn't seem to avoid him whenever he could.

Both men are surprised when Cai comes to James to talk about family matters and the two are unable to pretend they aren't attracted to one another. From there they are faced with growing feelings and what to do about them while big changes are happening around them. I truly liked Cai and James and thought they were great together. They may have moved quickly when they got together but after knowing each other almost their entire lives and James being so close to most of Cai's family, it was only natural.

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I'm wishing we could have gotten to see a bit more of Owain though because I'd like to find out how their dynamic changed. Overall, the writing was good and the story a quick easy read. I'd definitely recommend A Coal Miner's Son. Jan 20, Kimberly rated it it was ok Shelves: Sometimes I like TA Chase However, I'm seeing people praise the research and feel of the community.

But it is all wrong. I was born in Appalachia, have used a functioning outhouse in my lifetime, and can make biscuits without a recipe. One of my grandmothers was one of 13, her husband one of First -- high school graduation isn't exactly rare. No one is going to be thinking of that one high school graduate in People are going to have cars, maybe junky needs-repairs cars I'm familiar with things happening like emergency rooms closing down in rural areas No community would starve itself to send the one bright girl to medical school.

Maybe some program would pay some of her costs to work in a high need community. But she'd probably get loans to last a lifetime like most other medical students.

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