219-Love of a Cowboy

Sydney's on break, so welcome to Sexy Cowboy Summer! We're starting it off with a lot of drama, cults, murder, and child marriage! Don't worry, it wraps up a little too nicely if you ask us. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hi, I'm Delaney and I'm Seth, and this is book Cult.
Obviously today is a little different. We have Seth here
today filling in for Sydney because she had her baby
earlier this month, so she's going to be taking some
time off with the newest member of book Colt. And
while she's gone, I'll have Seth and maybe Jonathan as
my co hosts. So while Sydney's gone, we're going to

(00:32):
start what I'm calling the Sexy Cowboy Summer, because for
the past six seven years now, Sydney has been right
buying me a cowboy book for Christmas. And today we're
going to be covering this one she got me in
twenty twenty four. It's called Love of a Cowboy by
Jennifer Ryan. I also thought it'd be fun to read.

(00:54):
She puts little notes in them for me every year,
so this year the note was Merry Sexy Cowboy Christmas
twenty twenty five. Next year I'll have the baby pick
out your book, so that'll be fun for next year.
But to celebrate sexy cowboys, I think we're both drinking
the same thing, right, Yes, we're drinking. It's like crystal

(01:15):
and energy drink and vodka. We don't have a name
for it, but it's pretty fucking good. Uh so fun facts.
Like I said, Siddy's been getting me sexy cowboy novel
since twenty eighteen. I don't really know why she started
doing it, but here we are. She picks them at random.
They are all from different series and different authors, which

(01:36):
I think is really impressive because she does not remember
what she gets me, so good on her. This one
is part of the McGrath series, which surprisingly only has
three books. I don't know why I thought there would
be more. The first one is called Waiting On a Cowboy,
and then there's this one, and then Love of a
Cowboy is the Oh wait, no, sorry, I confuse myself.

(01:58):
This one is the second book, Love of a cow
and the third one is called True Love Cowboy, and
they're about the McGrath siblings. That's a hard last name
for me. And yeah, I thought there'd be more than
just three, but I don't know. I guess Jennifer's slacking.
I was. I looked on her website and I think
this might be one of the most or The third

(02:18):
book in this series came out in twenty twenty one,
and it seems like it's one of the more recent
books she's written, So I don't know whatever, Jennifer, do
what you want. So let's get into this. I've told
you a little bit about it, but I'm pretty excited.
This was a pretty good pick by Sydney. I will
say a little trigger warning there is I don't like

(02:40):
go into depths or talk about it very much, but
there is like sex trafficking in this book. There's like
bad biker gang vibes going on. So let's get into it.
Sky is sneaking around and she hears Gabriel yelling at someone.
Gabriel is the leader of the farm that she lives at,
and it used to be like a normal like co

(03:01):
op farm situation where everyone just like works and lives
together and has a great time. But ever since Gabriel
took over, there's been a lot of changes. It's more
cult like now, and so she's been spending She's spent
a lot of time getting evidence on all the shit
he's been doing. She does like the accounting for the farm,
so like she knows everything that's going on. So right
now she's peeking into the master bedroom and Gabriel is

(03:24):
having a fight with this girl, Lucy, and Lucy is
talking about how she's pregnant with Gabriel's child, and Gabriel
is like, you need to get an abortion because I'm
supposed to marry Sky tomorrow, and Sky would never marry
me if she knew I got another bit pregnant. Sky
already doesn't want to marry him. She never did want
to marry him. It's never really been her choice. But
like a bunch of girls are getting married off tomorrow

(03:46):
and don't really have a choice because, like I said,
this has kind of turned into a cult. So Lucy
is refusing to get an abortion. She's like, I'm not
about to do that. I already love this baby. So
Gabriel and this part's terrible, guys, this part is very
abusive and murdery. So Gabriel starts kicking her in the
stomach and she ends up dying basically, and Sky is

(04:07):
freaking out because she knows she can't help. She feels
bad that she can't help, but like she knows, she
can't do anything. So she runs downstairs and she steals
a bunch of evidence that Gabriel had hidden in the
floorboards that he didn't know she knew about. And she
also steals some money because there's alls some money in there,
and then she heads over to where all the other
brides are. I think there's like ten of them. I
don't know. It's a group of girls. They are arranging

(04:29):
from like fourteen to like twenty six. The fourteen year
old is already pregnant. So just to give you like,
this is bad shit that's going on in here. But
all these girls are like really excited to get married tomorrow.
They're like, Yeah, everything's gonna be great. We're gonna be married,
we're gonna have these families. And Sky knows that, like
they're kind of brainwashed and they don't really know how

(04:51):
bad things are. A lot of people in the commune
I call it a commune A lot they don't know
how bad things are. They're trying they still believe like
that their vision is happening, that it's a nice little farm.
They're kind of trying to ignore what Gabriel's doing in
the background, but it's getting harder. So Sky goes up
to all these brides and she's like, hey, we're going

(05:14):
to see a movie. Gabriel said, We've got all go
to the movies. So they all get into the van
to like go to town and go to the movies,
because they stay at this commune like ninety percent of
the time, like they homeschool, they do all that shit.
So she starts driving and the girls are all talking
about their husbands and their weddings, and Sky can tell
that not all of these girls are actually excited about this,
like they're kind of like eh, And so she drives

(05:37):
to the it's he's a lawyer. I think his name
is Banks. He's like the group's lawyer, and she's been
working with him for like the past year or so
because there's some accounting stuff that she doesn't know about
that she needs his help with because it's like law related.
So she's going to him because she's hoping he can
help explain to her these girls that like they don't

(05:57):
have to get married and they shouldn't because once again,
the younger is fourteen. And she's like, he'll call the cops,
but and she's like scared to go to the cops
because she knows a bunch of them are in Gabriel's
back pocket and working with them, so she's kind of scared.
But they get to the lawyer's place and Gabriel's men
show up like right as they get there, so Sky
has to bolt, but like she talked to Banks, the lawyer,

(06:19):
and he said he would call the cops and stuff,
or he said he did call the cops, and so
when the cops, she's like, the cops will get here,
that'll get fixed, But I gotta get out because they
are gonna kill me. Basically, so she runs off. She
has to escape alone. I think she drives off in
the van. Gabriel is pissed when he hears about this
because he knows that Sky has stolen all those files

(06:40):
because he like went downstairs, saw the floorboard open and
went only two people know about this, and the other
guy that knew about it is like, what, so it
wasn't him. So he knows that he needs to get
these files back from Sky because they him not having
them could get him killed because he's in deep shit.
So he goes around and tells ev Ever that Sky

(07:00):
killed Lucy and even fakes a nine to one one call.
Acts super upset when the cops get there, and like
plants evidence to make it look like Sky did it.
So he like goes and like grabs one of her
hairs from her hairbrush and puts it on the dead
body and then like grabs a pair of her shoes
from her closet and makes bloody footprints out the door

(07:21):
so it looks like she ran. And then when the
cops get there, he's holding the body, so it's already
been moved. She's been moved, and he's like fake crying.
He literally got hot sauce in his eyes so that
he would cry. He's a terrible We hate Gabriel. So
all that's happening. Sky ends up at this random ranch
in Montana, and uh, she had found like she'd been

(07:43):
in town and she found someone in town saying like,
oh yeah, there's a farmer that's looking for work. There's
a ranch guy looking for work, and so she's like cool,
So she heads to that ranch and she finds the
ranch man in the barn and she's like, can I
work here? And then literally he passes out from hunger.
She's like holding a bunch of like gross apples because
he has like an apple orchard, and she's like, I

(08:06):
picked up all these apples in your orchard and like
they were off the ground, so like I don't I'll
give them back if you don't want them, but like
I'm really hungry and I would like to eat these.
And then she passes out and he's like okay, and
I think he like catches her before she like falls
to the ground, but like he takes her inside and
like puts her on the couch and then like makes
her a bunch of food. So she wakes up and

(08:28):
he's like eat this food. Yeah, you can work here,
and you can like stay here too, like as long
as you do hard work. I have a room with
your name on it, basically, and she's all like, oh,
it's too generous, Like I just need some money and
then I'll go get my place in a minute. I
was hoping I could work today and you'd pay me
today and he's like nah, like it's fine, all you
can work here. You know, there's your room whatever. Just

(08:49):
like he's like I'll think of things for you to do,
Like we need a lot of help because bro has
like no help on this branch because he's very like
I can do it all myself. Whatever, declan, we'll get
to him. So he goes off to do something with cows.
I don't know him and his brother. He has a
brother named Tate, that like works with him on the farm.
So he goes off to do cow stuff, and so

(09:09):
she just starts doing a bunch of work and like
she does a bunch of dishes, She does like all
his laundry, and then like wanders outside and like cleans
the horse stalls and like does a bunch of shit,
goes to the orchard. She's like, Oh, all these apple
trees need to be trimmed because it's like gonna be winter,
so you gotta like prep them for winter. So she's

(09:30):
just out there with a chainsaw trim and apple trees,
and he comes out to the orchard and he gets
pissed because she's like on the top of a ladder,
like leaning over with one handed chainsaw, you know, dangerous,
and so uh he's like, hey, don't fucking do that.
And she's like, hey, I know what I'm doing. And
he's like, okay, but you could have literally like maimed

(09:51):
yourself doing that, so maybe don't. And she's literally like yeah,
as I was doing it, I realized it was a
bad idea, so I wasn't gonna do it anymore. I
know what I'm doing, and I'm like, sky, calm the
fuck down. Okay whatever, But it turns out she knows
a lot of stuff, and she's like, yeah, I used
to work with a farm. We had a bunch of
chickens and stuff. And he's like, oh, interesting because he

(10:12):
wants to get chickens. So like they're really bonding, and
he's also like madly impressed with the amount of shit
she did during the day. Like he's like, I don't
know how she did all that stuff. It's only been
a couple hours whatever. She notices his leate his leg
is bleeding because he had to like he like went
through a fence or something trying to get this cow.
So it's like his leg is like sliced, like ankle

(10:34):
to calf, ankle to knee type thing. And she's like, uh,
your leg and he's like it's fine as because it's
like crusted in blood and stuff. And he's like it's
literally fine. And she's like, I'm gonna fix that, and
there's like a first aid kit in the orchard, I
don't know, so she just starts banding bandaging his leg,
and of course while this happens, she like stares into

(10:55):
his eyes and they're like inches away from each other
and they're like, oh my god, is there something here?
And she's like clinging to his calf and it's like
they have this moment whatever, and then he's like, let
me take you shopping because she literally has the clothes
on her back and they're like covered in grime, and
she's wearing like canvas tennis shoes and they're covered in mud.
She's been doing ranch work and tennis shoes not even

(11:18):
good ones. And he's like, let's go buy you some
things and she's like, oh no, it's fine, Like I
was gonna get some little cheapy boots later. And he's like,
let's go get you some things. So they get in
his truck, they drive to the store. She's trying to
buy everything from the clearance section and he's like, no,
you're gonna buy nice things that last a long time
that you're comfortable in, and she's like, I guess. So

(11:41):
he spends a whole bunch of money on her, and
then on the way back they stop at this little store.
So his sister owns this store that sells like ready
to cook meals basically, and so like you just get
them and heat them up, but they're like homemade ready
to cook meals. So they're like good basically, and it's
like this new store she started up. I'm assuming that's

(12:01):
the first book establishes this store and the sister. I
don't know. I haven't read it. And actually I think
the third book is about the sister. I think the
first book is about his brother. I don't know. I
don't care, but not the I don't know. It doesn't matter.
So they stop at the store to get food because
he does not cook, and that's where he usually gets

(12:23):
his meals from. So he's like, my sister is expecting me,
So they go in there. His sister obviously teases Imhella
about hiring this random girl and then immediately like showering
her with gifts. But Sky is also there and she's like, hey,
I do work also, I do work for those gifts,
and they're like, oh damn, So they leave whatever. The
next day, Declin is watching football and Sky is cleaning

(12:47):
and they have another cute moment of like sexual attension
because I forget what exactly even happens, but they're like
standing near each other and she like made him food
or something, and they like almost kiss, and then she
starts working on his laptop because I don't know, Like
he's doing work, and she's like, let me do it
for you, and just like takes his laptop and he's
like I can do that, and she's like you could

(13:07):
also watch television and he's like okay. So she grabs
his laptop and he can tell that she's like looking
for something, and I was like, oh shit, she's snooping
through his shit. That's pretty fun. That's not what she's doing.
Because then like her face like drops, she becomes visibly
super upset, and then she's like, I'm just gonna go
put this in the office, and like runs off, and
he follows her, and when he gets to her, when

(13:30):
he gets to his office, he can hear her on
the phone and she's like obviously super upset, and he
hears like snippets and he hears her saying like I
saw him kill her. That's not true. I didn't do that,
and like I'm somewhere safe, like I'm not telling you where, okay,
And then she realizes that he's there listening and so
and by that time, she's like finished the phone call

(13:51):
and then she's like it's private. We barely know each other,
and like runs off and he's like okay, and so
like she goes to her little and he tries to
like knock on the door and she's like leave me
alone and he's like okay. So she passes out crying,
but in the middle of the night, she has like
a nightmare and she's like screaming for her sister, who
is named Meadow, and he declan like wakes her up

(14:13):
and is like you are having a nightmare and she's
like oh, but like she won't tell him the backstory.
Still she's like, oh my gosh, we barely know each other.
But then she's like stay, don't leave, you know, makes
him stay in the room with her, and she's like
just until I fall asleep, and he's like okay, because
he's a nice guy, so he's gonna do it, and
uh so he does, and then like right before she

(14:36):
falls asleep, she's like I gotta go and he's like, no,
you don't. And so after she falls asleep, he just
goes and stands in the kitchen all night because he's
like she's gonna try and run away because she doesn't
want to tell him her tragic backstory because she's like,
you'll just get in trouble too. Like you'll be hurt,
and he's like, I don't care. So he just waits
for her in the kitchen and sure enough, like early

(14:58):
early morning, she tries to sneak out and he's like
nahh and he's like, let me help you. And she's
like you'll get hurt and he's like I don't care.
I want to help you, like that's my choice, Like
I'm going to help you. And she's like, okay, I'll
tell you my tragic backstory because she's like, i'll tell
you why I ran away, but it requires a lot
of backstory, and I'm like, oh boy. So she talks

(15:21):
about how so the place she left was called the
Sunshine Fellowship. I'm pretty sure it's called Sunshine. I call
it Sunrise a bunch. Also, I fucked up a lot
of the names while I was doing this summary, but
I think it's Sunshine. And so the Sunshine fell Fellowship
started as just like families living together, growing their own food,
like selling the extras. And it worked out super well

(15:41):
because everyone like worked really hard together and they were
like super profitable and stuff. And once Sky started getting involved,
they got even more profitable because she's like a natural
with numbers and really knew what she was doing. And
so Gabriel's dad was like the og starter of Sunshine,
and so like Sky was basically his right hand mand

(16:02):
Like after he died, evone expected her to take over
because she practically was running everything already, but Gabriel took
over because like Nepo, baby, I don't know. And once
he took over, he was like, oh, we should like
bring in some outside things like TVs and like the
internet and all the Sunshine people are like, whoa, we
don't care about none of that. We want to be

(16:22):
cut off from the world actually, But Gabriel starts buying
all that shit for like him and his friends, spending
a bunch of money on stuff just for him and
his friends, and they'd have like boys nights where they'd
watch TV and like they'd have parties and stuff, and
like Sky literally does the accounting, so she knows what's
going on, and Gabriel thought she was too dumb to

(16:43):
catch on to what he was doing on the side.
But it started as him and his friends just like
getting drunk and like watching porn and raunchy TV together.
But then like there's a lot of alcohol and then
they started stealing like a bunch of runaway girls off
the streets and like missing them better lives, but really
they're just sex traffick in them in the barn. They

(17:04):
call it the stable, and they have like stalls where
these girls just sit and wait for men to come
in and then they service those men. Basically terrible, terrible, terrible.
And Sky had gone to investigate once and she'd been
caught by the woman that was like in charge of
running the stable basically, and she told Sky she was like,
you need to get away because if Gabriel catches you,

(17:26):
you're gonna have to work here basically, like if you
know about it, you're gonna be stuck here. And so
this lady, also like the lady that worked there, doesn't
want to work there, but Gabriel is like threatening and
blackmailing her, so she's kind of stuck there too. It's
very shitty, and so Sky tells Declan all this and
he's like, girl, what the fuck? And she's like, yeah,
I know. And then I saw him saw him murder

(17:48):
a woman, so like had to run and he's like yeah,
and she's like yeah, and now he's blaming that murder
on me, and supposedly he has evidence, like my sister said,
he has evidence against me, And I don't really know
what's going on there. So like I guess I'm wanting
for I'm wanted for murder. And Declan is like, okay,
you you need to like talk to someone, you need

(18:10):
to get help. Like she also because she's been so
cut off from the world, she knows like nothing. She
doesn't get pop culture references, like she doesn't understand like
TV radio, none of that noise. Like it was a
cult basically. I mean it started off not but like
when you're that cut off from the world, like commune,
it was a commune gone wrong. So Declan convinces her

(18:36):
to call the bank's lawyer guy since he was helping
her before and so because she thinks that he's on
her side because like he was helping her before with stuff,
and so she calls him and like Declan's in the background,
and so she calls Banks and he's like, oh my god, Sky,

(18:57):
this is so crazy, Like I totally believe you didn't
do it, but like they have your bloody footprints at
the crime scene and some of your hair, and Skuy
is like, bro, I didn't even go in the room
and he's like, oh, I really believe you, Sky, don't worry,
but like the FBI are involved now because like you
ran away, and so like there's this FBI agent that

(19:18):
like maybe you can work with him, like I can
give you his phone number and you can talk to
him and he knows what's going on, and so that's
an option and so but Skuy is still like I
don't know, I gotta think about it whatever, but she's
happy she talked to this guy and then like her
and Declan finally admit that they really like each other

(19:39):
and they end up kissing and they're like there's a
spark every time we touch, and so that's fun. So
because of all the stress, they're like watching TV and
she's learning about TV and movies and stuff because she
barely saw any movies. And they end up like making
out on the couch and Declan's brother Tate comes in
because he works there, you know, and is like, hey,

(20:00):
we have work to do. He interrupts like two different times,
and Declan is just like, get out late, and then
he's just like okay, and I'm like he comes in
twice and I'm like, how long of a period? Of
time was it between the visits like that, you guys
are just still they're just making out whatever. After the
second time, they finally stopped making out, and Declan's like,

(20:21):
I guess I should go figure out what he's looking like,
what he's talking about, And so he goes to find
Tate and he finds that Tate has hired a ranch
hand named Brad, and Declan's kind of pissed about this
because he's like, I didn't hire this guy. I don't
even know this guy. And Tate's like, well, he's new
to town. He needed a job. Like I looked into
his past. It seems legit. And Declan is like, okay,

(20:43):
but because like Sky was kind of in a cult
that went bad and she witnessed a murder and so
she's kind of wanted for a murder and I got
to focus on that for a while, so I don't
really trust strangers. And Tate is like, oh my god,
no problem, Like I'll focus on the farm stuff, like
you focus on that girl, like, and I thought, I'm
here thinking, oh, this ranch hand is like a spy

(21:05):
or something like he never comes back, never comes back.
I was like, why do we even have this in here.
If he's never gonna come back, I was like, for
sure he's gonna try to murder Sky or something. Nope,
not even nothing. Brad never comes back. Whatever. Declan and
Sky go to town to buy a prepaid phone so
they can call the FBI without it being traced like
directly to them. And so they call the FBI and

(21:29):
they're like, we need to report a crime. And because
they just like call the FBI, they call the FBI
for the area that Sunshine Farms is in. I think
it's in Wyoming. They call like the closest FBI to
that I don't know, and they're like, yeah, we have
a crime. We have and we have information about the
Prosperity Militia. I didn't even talk about all that. The

(21:53):
Prosperity Militia is like a biker gang near Sunshine that's
super into drugs and weapons, and so basically Gabriel started
partnering with them, and that's when the sex trafficking girls
and everything started. And Sky found out about the partnership
with Prosperity, and Gabriel was like holding like a bunch

(22:14):
of fertilizer, a bunch of money, like a bunch of
bomb supplies. Basically, they were going to make bombs and
bomb a bunch of like big buildings, and Sky had
found out and she hid all the bomb making supplies,
and so that's what Gabriel's gonna get maybe murdered for
because she hit all those supplies. Prosperity wants the supplies.

(22:34):
So she tells the FBI that she has proof that
Gabriel has been working with Prosperity and that he ordered
a bunch of fertilizer for them, and like, basically, since
Sky runs all the accounting, she had seen like that
they were ordering like ten times as much fertilizer as
they normally do, and she was like, we don't need
that much fertilizer, and so then she starts googling, like

(22:56):
what could you do with fertilizer? And bombs is what
you can do with for and so she's like, oh
my god. And so Gabriel had had Sunshine by it
because they are farms, so it makes sense for them
to be buying fertilizer over a biker gang. And that's
when she keeps looking. She finds that Gabriel is also
holding onto a crates of guns for Prosperity, So she's like, oh,

(23:19):
this is all bad, and so she hid all that
and she tells the FBI dude, She's like, i'll tell
you where all this stuff is if you exume Lucy's
body and charge Gabriel for killing her because I didn't
do it. And the FBI like he really wants her
to turn herself in. He's like, oh, yeah, yeah, you
just have to turn yourself in and then we'll do
all this and it's like great, and she's like, I'm

(23:40):
not stupid. I'm not gonna sit in the cell for
a crime I didn't commit. Well, you try to figure
this shit out. And the FBI guy, his name is
Agent Gun with two ends. He becomes there like he's
their dude, and he's like, okay, okay, fine, we'll exhume
the body because this shit is suspicious. Because she's also
like you'll find out I couldn't have killed her. We

(24:02):
were the same height and she died by being kicked
to death, and like I couldn't have done that. I
don't have the force to do that. And they're like,
that does make sense, we'll look into it. They agree
to ExHAM the body basically, but it's gonna take some time. Meanwhile,
at Sunshine, Gabriel's freaking out because everyone is questioning him
because everyone loved Sky and they're like, I don't think

(24:23):
she'd murder someone. I don't know if Sky would have
done that, and they're all like, Gabriel probably would have
done that, not Sky, because he's trying to say like
he's trying to spin it because since him and Sky
were supposed to get married, he's trying to spin it
that Sky found out that he had been sleeping with
Lucy and gotten pissed and killed her in a jealous rage.

(24:43):
And everyone's like, it doesn't sound like Sky though, because
they all know Sky didn't really like Gabriel very much.
They never hung out, they never went out. There's nothing
between them, right, it doesn't make any sense. So then
the FBI shows up and uh so, Gabrie goes to
the gates and the FBI are like, hey, we're here
for Lucy's body. We're gonna exum it, and they're like,

(25:04):
why are you putting her family through all that? And
they're like, hmm, because we want to. It's an investigation.
There's some suspicious things happening, and one of the agents
is like, hey, Gabriel, I want to talk to you.
So they like walk off to sit on a bench
somewhere somewhat private, and he's like, hey, we've been talking
to Sky and she saw you murder Lucy and she

(25:25):
has a bunch of proof of that and a bunch
of other stuff you've been doing with Prosperity, so like
you're not as safe as you think you are. Basically,
they're just like, we got you, bitch, just wait, and
so Gabriel's like fuck. And so also when the FBI leaves,
they take Sky's family, They like go up to them

(25:45):
and they're like, hey, will you come with us? And
they kind of tell her. They tell her family that
like Sky's been working with the FBI basically, and some
shady shit is going on. So her family agrees and
leaves with the FBI, which is a very big deal
because since this is they're very wary of outsiders. They
don't trust outsiders. So all of this happening, like Sky

(26:06):
running away, like the FBI being involved, is so against everything.
And even when Sky's family leaves, Gabriel, because he's a dick,
calls out to them like if you leave with them,
you're never allowed back. In like you can't come back
if you leave with the outsiders, and everyone else in
Sunshine is like what the fuck, Like what because like

(26:26):
Sky and her family are a big deal here, so
they're just like what is going on? But they leave.
After they leave, Meadow calls Sky and she's like, hey,
you called the FBI, like what the fuck is going
on and tells her all about how they came to
the compound and like now Sky's family's staying at a
motel and Sky is like really happy that her parents
like agreed to come along, and so she basically tells Meadow.

(26:51):
She's like don't worry, like I'm gonna get it all fixed,
like I'll explain it later. Like Gabriel killed Lucy because
she was pregnant with his baby and like didn't want
to abor that's what's happening here. And Metow is like
that is so crazy because we knew you didn't kill her,
like no one thought you killed her. And then she's like,
let me talk to my parents. But then the a
FBI agene is like, no, my turn, and he's like, hey,

(27:12):
we got your family tape safe, like you have to
give us some evidence. You haven't given a shit, and
she's like, hey, you didn't clear my name yet. I'm
not giving you shit until you clear my name and
then she just like hangs up, and Declan is like okay,
like that was really a hardcore and like I get
your side, but you really haven't given them anything and
you're expecting a lot, and Skuy's like fine, I'll give

(27:34):
them the evidence tomorrow. And then they end up fucking finally,
Like this is like halfway through the book, but it's
like three days cowboy time, so yeah, finally, and then
they both admit to each other they're like, I've never
felt this way before about someone special. She's only had
like one relationship before this, and like she had sex

(27:56):
like one time and it was very like and I
don't know. He's been with girls, but it's never been
like this, and it's been a while since he's been
with someone. And he's like wow because his brothers are
like in love and shit, and he's like I want
to find someone. Now he has and he's like wow, great,
everything's great. So they have a great night together. Meanwhile,

(28:17):
Gabriel is having a terrible time because he's been questioning
everyone in Sunshine about Sky and like if they know
anything about the missing items that she hid, and instead
everyone was just like Sky is so great? When is
she coming back? Because there's no way she killed Lucy.
And he's just like, oh my god. He doesn't really
know what he's gonna do if he can't find this

(28:37):
missing stuff. He knows he can't run, kind of like
where's he gonna go? You know? So he goes to
the ranch where all the sex trafficking happens, and they've
like kind of closed the ranch off because of the
FBI stuff, but it's like they closed it to outside
like town people, but it's still open for like Sunshine
and Prosperity people. And I was like, how big of

(28:59):
an opera? I don't like this. It's whatever. So he's
meeting with Prosperity's leader, Jeremiah, and Jeremiah is really pissed
because everything's falling apart and he lost all faith in Gabriel,
and he's like, I want my shit back, Like you
hit all this stuff for me, I just want it back.
The FBI is involved, like you're an idiot, and Gabriel's like, well,

(29:21):
it's around here, somewhere. She couldn't have hit it very
far I don't know where, but it's somewhere, and Jeremiah
is like, yeah, the FBI have been here, and they
better have just been here about the dead girl, like
they better not have come come look at Prosperity, okay,
because they've been trying to sniff around Prosperity and get
evidence on them for a while. And then he tells Gabriel.

(29:42):
He's like, oh, my men have found Sky, so like
we'll have her within the hour, and Gabriel is like, okay, cool,
let me have her, like once you're done with her,
because he's like gonna kill her himself basically. So cut
back to Sky once again. She's working on the orchard
but the chainsaw. As she does this time correctly and safely,
she gets a phone call from the FBI agent Gun

(30:02):
and he's like, hey, Prosperity knows where you're at. They're
coming right now. You have to run. We have got
guys on the way, but Prosperity is gonna get there first.
And she's like, you know where I am and he's
like vaguely, and she's like, I'm at you know, the
Cowboy ranch. This is where I am exactly, And then
she sees Declan running towards her and like pointing because

(30:23):
there's a prosperity guy behind her, so she ducks right
before he like swipes her head off, and so she
starts running, but he catches her and knocks her down
and then like punches her in the face, I think,
and then he has a gun to her head and
is like, don't move, but Declan also has a gun
and he is a shotgun. He shoots the guy in
the shoulder so it knocks the gun out of his hand,
but he's like still on top of her, and then

(30:44):
this guy like manages to knock him off of her,
but then there's like three more dudes coming, so she's
like fuck. But then the FBI show up and they're
like fuck all, y'all, and they arrest all the Prosperity guys,
but they also arrest Skuy. They're like, you're still wanted
for murder though, so you're arrested, and Declan is pissed
and like willing to fight the FBI for this. He
still has his shotgun and it's like you give her back,

(31:06):
and Sky is like, do not fight the FBI, Like
we knew this would happen, Please do not get yourself
killed for this, and they're like they tell Declan, They're like,
we want to question you too, So they all go
in together. After a couple hours, Declan is pissed because
they won't let him see Sky. He does end up
talking to Agent Gun and he's like, let me see her,

(31:27):
and Agent Gun's like, what do you even know about
this girl? Like who are you? And he's like, we
met three days ago, she showed up by my ranch.
And he basically tells Agent Gun everything he knows about
the murder and just how much Gabriel sucks. And he's like,
we both though Sky didn't kill that girl, and Agent
Gun is like, yeah, she definitely was not strong enough
to inflict the damage that was done, but like her

(31:49):
hair is on the body, and Declan is like, okay,
she lived there, her hair was everywhere. An Agent Gun
is like, good point, but the bloody footprints, and Declan
once again is like, bro, both know he could have
faked that. And Agent Gun is like, wow, you should
be a detective. And I'm like, bruh, it really is
not that great of evidence, but whatever, and so Agent

(32:10):
Gun is like, yeah, we talked to everyone at the
compound and everyone loves Sky and said that she ran
everything there and Declan is like, yeah, she did. That's
why Gabriel wanted to marry her because he thought everyone
would actually like him maybe if he married her, because
everyone loved her. And so Declan's like, let me see her.
I need to see her on like we're in love,

(32:31):
and Agent Gun is like her lawyer just showed up
and he's gonna talk to her. And Declan's like, what
lawyer And it's the sun the Sunshine Lawyer Brooks or
whatever his name is, and yeah, and Gabriel is like, yeah,
she talked to him. She talked about him, like when
she grabbed all the brides and escaped. An Agent Gun

(32:51):
is like what brides And he's like, what you don't
like when she ran away? There was a bunch of people,
a bunch of girls that were supposed to get pregnant
the next day, one of which we fourteen and pregnant
because of the alcohol and parties that Gabriel was having
all the time, and she was getting married. So it
wasn't a suss. So if like cops or anyone ever
showed up, they wouldn't have CPS called for the fucking
pregnant teenagers, and like the lawyer was supposed to go

(33:14):
to the police about this, like when Sky showed up
and Agent Gun is like, there's no police report, and
Declan is like, oh my god, the lawyer's working with Sunshine.
We got to make sure she doesn't like trust him
and like because at this point, the Agent Gun is like,
we can't listen into her conversations with the lawyer if

(33:35):
he's representing her because of like client patient confidentiality or whatever.
But if they get Sky to say he's not her lawyer,
but he Sunshine's lawyer, then they can because he can't
represent both of them without it being a conflict of interest.
So they're gonna let Declan talk to Skuy first so

(33:55):
that he can be like, your lawyer's a snitch and
she she'll like get him whatever. They'll be able to
listen to the conversation. So he goes in. He tells
Sky that she catches and catches on instantly because she's smart.
So then the lawyer comes in and Declan stays just
like to be there with Sky, and Sky is like,
I need a defense lawyer. Your Sunshine's lawyer, not mine,

(34:17):
And he's like nonsense. You need my help because he's
a fucking idiot, I guess. So then Sky starts talking
to him, and she basically starts questioning him instantly. She's like,
why didn't you go to the police like after I left,
and like basically poked holes in all of the excuses
he makes because he's like, oh, like I called them,
but then like the men showed up Yata, like you know,

(34:37):
he has all these excuses, and she's like, nah, fuck you,
And basically he snaps and admits that he proudly works
for Prosperity and he was really sent to watch her
to make sure she didn't catch on till a the
shit Gabriel was doing all the side, and she's like,
thank god I never confided in him about this because
I would probably be dead. So then he's like, where's

(34:57):
the stuff you hid? Like you're way too deep, you
don't even realize like the shit that you're in now,
and like if you don't tell us, like I'll kill him,
I'll kill your family, like you know, everyone's gonna die.
So then agent agent Gun comes back in and he's like, hey,
thanks for threatening to kill her while you were here
and we were listening. You're under arrest and he's like, no, uh,

(35:21):
she's my client, and they're like no, uh, she told
you at least twice that your Sunshine's client, not hers.
We all heard it. And so he's arrested and they
take him away. An agent gun turns the sky and
he's like, we really do need that info, like we
got this stuff back from Lucy's autopsy. It will exonerate you.

(35:42):
But the ATF kind of wants to charge you for
hiding all those weapons and stuff instead of reporting them,
because like that's kind of a big deal. And he's like,
if you help us, I'll get you immunity for all
those crimes. Like you got a lot of info. Anyone
would agree to that, And so he's like, you need
to get a lawyer, and because she's sheltered and from

(36:05):
a cult, she's like, you'll make me a straight deal.
I don't need a lawyer. We agree on things, and
Declan is like, bab no, you really want to get
a lawyer, just like just in case, and even the
fbigen is like, yeah, listen to him, you probably want
a lawyer, And so there's that At Sunshine, Gabriel is
realizing that everything is crashing down upon him because all

(36:28):
his bros that used to be on his side from Sunshine,
they're all trying to get back to the farm life.
They're like, you fuck this up. We didn't need all
that stuff. Now we're behind on all our farm orders.
We're trying to get it back to farm stuff. And
then he gets the news from like Jeremiah the Prosperity
Boys that the lawyer was arrested, like he was supposed
to be getting influenced Sky and stuff, but instead he

(36:51):
is arrested, so that's fucked up. And then Prosperity is like, oh,
Sky is being moved, like we have a place, so
like Gabriel thinks he has hope. All of the shit
pissed me off so much. I was like, these FBI
agents suck ass, because it's about to get real messy.
So they moved Sky and Declan to the same motel

(37:13):
that her parents is staying at her family's at, and
so she's reunited with her family. They're all really excited
to see her or whatever. Meta was like, oh my god,
you're here with a hot cowboy. Like her sister is
instantly like, who's the hobby and she's like this is
my man. I met him three days ago. And then

(37:34):
her parents, her parents are like, why didn't you tell
the counsel about this? Why did you have to go
involve outsiders and the cops and the FBI, Like why
didn't you tell us? And she's like, I literally saw
Gabriel kill Lucy because she was pregnant with his child
and he's literally partnering with Prosperity, like this is beyond us.

(37:55):
And her parents are still like, why didn't you just
tell us? And she's like, you I would have done
this shit, like we wouldn't have been able, Like the
cops were in his back pocket, he's part of the council,
Like what what is any of that gonna do? And uh,
They're still like I don't know. And then the FBI
agents are like everybody get down and gunfire, just gunfire.

(38:16):
There's guns going, and so Sky's dad gets shot in
the chest he did not duck fast enough, and then
one of the FBI agents is like dead instantly, so
they're all freaking out on the ground and then Prosperity
boys come in and they take Sky and Declan and
like drive off. They just take them, and I'm like, really,
good job by the FBI agents, really just good job.

(38:38):
So the whole drive back to Sunshine, Sky is giving attitude,
which is pretty funny because like she's like, I don't
regrete anything. You guys are gonna get what's coming to you.
And they're like, we're gonna kill you, and she's like,
I don't care. And so they take them back to
Sunshine and they take them to the stable once again
that's where the bad shit happened, and she's like looking

(38:59):
around like I can't believe but just lived here, Like
that's so terrible, Like I did the right thing and
I'm like, you did, girl, And then like so she's
taken to talk to like the Prosperity guy and then
they take Declin into another room because they only brought
him because he killed one of the Prosperity guys. He
like shot the dude in the shoulder, and so they're like, oh,
that's the guy that shot Beetle. The guy's name was Beatle,

(39:21):
and they're like so they put him in another room
and they're like, we're gonna deal with him later. So
he gets taken to this other room. The guy that
takes him is an undercover FBI agent, which they knew
there was an undercover agent, but like they don't know
who it is. Obviously. This guy's like, hey, if you
want your girl out, you gotta help me because backup's
not gonna be here for a while, so you're my backup.

(39:41):
So he gives him a gun. This is all very believable,
totally what would happen, And he's like, you're my backup.
So then they go out there and start shooting, and
he for you know, skying what's his facer having a
talk because she's basically like, y'all are stupid. There's no
way this would have Like she's given total attitude and
I'm like, you go girl whatever. But then Declan and

(40:03):
the FBI agent come out and start like shooting, and
then like the FBI do show up, but there's more shooting,
and then like Sky is like behind a bar with
Declan and someone grabs her and she just like walks
off with him without looking. It's Gabriel. Gabriel grabs her
and she just walks off with him because she's like, oh,

(40:24):
someone's here to help me, gun fire Nope, So he
pulls her into her car they drive off, So then
Declan gets in a car with a agent gun because
like they got all the prosperity guys or whatever, and
they're like, where did they go because they can't follow.
It's like middle of the night. It's like pitch blackout
right now, and they're like where would they have gone?
And they're like, well, Gabriel's obviously gonna try and run,

(40:45):
but like where would the money be? And so Declan's like, oh,
Sky told me where she hit all this stuff. She
hit the guns in the rafters of the stable, so
they were on top of the dudes the whole time,
and that's pretty funny. She hit the fertilizer at the
chicken coop because Gabriel hates the chicken coop so he
would never go there. And then he's like, but where

(41:06):
did she hide the money? And they're trying to think,
like Gabriel would want the money, and they're like, maybe
at the chicken coop because Gabriel is such a chicken.
So they go to the chicken coop and Declan's like,
what if I'm wrong, and they're like, we gotta try,
so they drive to the chicken coop. Sky meanwhile in
the chicken coop with Gabriel and he's like, tell me
where the money is. And it's like, I say, chicken

(41:26):
Coop's giant because there's like a back office, so I'm
guessing it's like it's like a barn sized chicken coop.
And so she's like trying to stall and like while
they're walking to the back, and she's like, why did
you do all this? And he's like, we did the
same shit every single day. It was so boring and
there's so much in the world that I wanted to

(41:46):
bring here, and Sky is like like prostitution, and Gabriel's
like maybe, like he has no remorse for any of this.
He has no remorse for killing Lucy, Like he doesn't care,
he has no respect for he doesn't even like women.
And he's like, just tell me where the fucking money is,
Like I don't give a shit about any of this,
and she's like mm, and then she makes him like

(42:08):
she keeps asking himself. He does admit to killing Lucy,
and then she's like the money isn't even here. I
was just stalling until the FBI can catch up. And
they totally heard you admit killing to Lucy. They heard
you admit killing Lucy, and like she doesn't actually know
if they're there or not, but she's right because then
Declan and the fbi age and they're like, yeah, I
heard that, and I'm like what okay. So then Gabriel

(42:33):
is like, I'm gonna kill you, so he's gonna shoot
Sky and then she just knocks the gun out of
his hand, like she just bats it out of his
hand and then drops to the floor and Declan Declan
shoots Gabriel dead, and then like a bunch of the
Prosperity people are arrested, and like some of the Sunshine
boys are arrested, and then the ATF is there uncovering

(42:56):
all the stuff Sky hid, and everything's like yay, but
they know, like the cleanup is gonna take a long
time because like court and everything. And then like she
goes off to help them uncover the fertilizer because one
of the ATF guys is like using a whatever to
like dig out the fertilizer and he's not doing a
very good job. So this guy's like, I'm gonna go
do that for him. He's struggling, so she does, and

(43:18):
they just like let her do that, and I'm like okay,
So then you think it's over. It's not. We don't
get any of the court stuff. I don't know what
happens with any of that shit, but I assume it happens.
But they're both thinking about how like he has to
go back to his ranch and she has to go
back and fix Sunshine. But they're also in love and
they need to be together, so like what are they

(43:39):
gonna do? But then Skuy also like she has to
go visit her dad in the hospital, since you know,
he was shot in the chest. But he's fine. He's
like at a surgery. He's stable. And so she goes
to see her parents and sister and they have a
really nice reunion. Cabriel's like, not Cabriel, Declan's he doesn't
come in for that. He's outside the room. And her
parents finally understand everything and how she saved the day,

(44:03):
and they're like, we're really proud of you, and they
hug and they cry and it's really great. And then
Declan calls his brother and catches him up on all
the drama. He's like, yeah, there was a shootout, I
killed some people. It's fine, blah blah. He's like, I'm
gonna go home tomorrow, Like I'm gonna rent a car
and you have it all set up. I'll be back tomorrow.
He doesn't tell Sky that. He never doesn't tell her,

(44:26):
So then him and Sky go back to her place
in Sunshine. I call it Sunrise at this point, I
don't know why they bone the whole night as you do.
And then in the morning she's like, I gotta start
fixing shit with Sunshine. So she's doing a bunch of
stuff and then declan He like had stayed behind because
she was like, I'll be five minutes, and then she's
gone for like three hours, and so he goes and

(44:48):
finds her to tell her that he's gonna leave because
he has not told her, and so he's like, yeah,
I'm gonna drive home, like right now. And she's like
sad but understanding because she's like, I thought you'd be
here for at least a couple more days. And he's like,
there's no use in like, you know, extending it out,
and I'm like, bitch, well, your brother literally said he

(45:08):
could hold the fort down a couple more days, you
could wait whatever. And then he's like, oh, I'll buy
you a cell phone so we can talk all the time.
And then like he does. He sends her a cell phone,
and so over the next six weeks they only see
each other like a couple times for like a day
or two, because it's really hard for them to find
times when their schedules line up, because she keeps having
to go out of town to do shit and like whatever.

(45:30):
She ends up driving over one night because he like
guilt trips her. He doesn't, I don't think he means to,
but he's like really upset about them never seeing each other.
So then she feels really bad and drives to be
there for literally five hours whatever. And then after that visit,
they don't see each other for like a month because
she is so swamped with work because she's trying to

(45:51):
get Sunshine to be sustainable without her, because it's not
fair that one person makes everything work. She's like, we
have a whole community, Like everyone should be doing this shit.
It shouldn't just beat me. It shouldn't just be one person.
So she's doing that that takes a lot. She goes
a whole day without texting him, and he freaks out,
so he calls Sunshine and like some girl answers and
he's like, hey, it's me. Declan like, where's what's her

(46:13):
face Sky, And she's like, oh, yeah, she's probably not
answering her phone because her phone broke because like this
guy got stuck in the tiller and he was gonna die,
so then she had to pull him out of the tiller,
and then her arm got broken because her jacket got cut,
and so she like broke her arm instead of like
letting her arm be ripped off by the tiller. So like, yeah,
she was at the hospital, but like she's already back,

(46:35):
like she's fine. The other guy's still in the hospital,
but she's helping Meadow because Meto's gonna leave her college
here soon, so she's helping Meto pack up for that.
And Declan's like, what the fuck. I don't know any
of this. He knew Meadow was going to college, but
not like now, and so he's like, you tell Skuy
to call me like as soon as possible, and she's
like okay, but I don't really know where she is.

(46:57):
And then so he's freaking out. Medo calls him and
she's and or texts him something. So he calls Meadow
and he's like, what the fuck Skuy broke her arm
and she's like oh, yeah, she's here with me. She
actually just like passed out because like she's been working
so hard lately and like has been sleeping. She's only
been sleeping like four hours a night, so I think
it finally caught up to her. And she's taken a

(47:18):
really good nap right now, and Declan's like, wake her
up right now, I need to talk to her, and
Metal's like, oh, I don't, Like she literally just fell asleep,
like I think she should rest, and he's like, wake
her up, Meadow, So she wakes her up, and then
she gives the phone to Sky and Sky's like hi,
and he immediately starts yelling at her, like he's like,
why didn't you tell me you broke your arm? Like

(47:39):
bla la la, He's like yelling, and so then she
gets mad and she goes, I know I've been really
busy lately, and I'm disappointing you and I'm disappointing everyone,
but I'm doing my best and you just called and
yelled at me and you didn't even ask me how
I was doing. I'm doing bad, thank you. And then
she's like I'm in pain. I gotta go. I have
a lot of shit to do. And like hangs up
on him, and so he's like feels really bad because

(48:02):
he's like I should have asked how she was doing,
because he should have. And so he texts Meadow and
he's like tell Skuy that I'm sorry, I understand she
needs space, like I'm here when she's ready. So for
four days it's radio silence. He just waits. She doesn't
text him, no nothing, but like she's like really happy
that he understands that she needs some space, Like she
is like, oh what a man I have. So four

(48:26):
days goes by, she gets all her shit together, like
finally she's ready to leave Sunrise and like I've on
like throat. They like have a good bye banner. They're
like we know you need to go with ya. Mayan
like you whatever, and she's like I'll be back, you know,
because she's planning on coming back like once a month,
and uh, Declan doesn't know one of the things she's
been doing, because like in the beginning, there was a

(48:48):
whole thing. He wanted to start a chicken coop because
he wanted to get eggs for his sister's like company.
But then Sky is like, I know farms, you should
stick to cows, like, you don't need to do chickens.
That's too much. So he doesn't know that she's been
partnering Sunshine with his sister's company and they're gonna send
eggs and produce to his sister's company, and so that

(49:09):
partnership is happening, and so Sky she's all done at Sunshine,
so she drives over to Declan's house to surprise him
in the middle of his family dinner that like she
knows it's a family dinner, and she's like surprise, ha ha,
and he's like, everyone leave. He's like, everyone but Scott
get out and they're like ha ha ha, and they're
like gonna go. But then she's like wait because she

(49:31):
has to sign the contracts with his sisters. And she's like,
by the way, Sunshine is partnering with your sisters and
we're gonna give them eggs and produce and stuff. And
he's like what that's so cool, blah blah blah. So
then his family leaves and Sky explains she's like, yeah,
I was busy getting Sunshine to work without me so
that I can stay here. And he's like here, you're gonna,

(49:51):
you're gonna, you're gonna live here, and she's like, yeah,
I'm moving in and he's like great, He's like pumped,
and she's like, yeah, I just have to go back
like once a month, no biggie. They and like they
end up calling her like every day for help. But
it's like, you know, she's with him. At least they're
running fine without her, and like they start going on
horse rides every day. They have their own little routine.

(50:12):
They're having a great time. When she goes back to Sunshine,
she only has to stay for like three days because
like they barely even need her. So one day her
and Declan around their little horse ride and on the
way back, when they get to the house, she notices
that her family and his family are just waiting on
the porch. They're all just standing there, and then in

(50:32):
the yard there's a giant flower, like a giant heart
made out of flowers, and they also they've gotten a
dog together, and their dog is sitting in the middle
of the heart like a very good girl. And Declan's like, surprise,
I'm proposing to you, and she's like, oh my god, yes,
and then he's like, yeah, your family's staying the weekend
so you can like, enjoy this with your family and

(50:55):
everyone cries and that's it the end. What would you
rate the story seth on one to five? How many
stars are you giving?

Speaker 2 (51:08):
Solid? Three?

Speaker 1 (51:10):
Three stars? Okay, the people they fairly agree with you.
This kind of four point one four stars on Goodreads.
One thing I noticed about all the five star reviews
is they were all like, oh, I was given this
book by like the publishing company basically, so like they
were paid reviews, which I thought was kind of funny.

(51:31):
But let's get into it. First review. Never read this
author before, and this was a random, oh, this looks
sweet pick from the library. Didn't read the blurb. I
never do so when in blind expecting some kind of
sweet on the ranch romance, what I got was fucking insane,
and I loved it five stars. I like this review

(51:52):
because I rarely read the back covers or like, I
didn't read the cover of this one. I don't think.
I just like started going, yeah, Sidney does, and like
half the time she'll pick a book and then I'm like,
I had no idea what to expect because I didn't
even read the back cover. It's a fun way to
go about it.

Speaker 2 (52:09):
This was not what I was expecting, and let me
tell you that I was pleasantly surprised. We have some
show stopping, heart beating, armchair gripping scenarios which will get
you into the book from the very beginning. Again, not
what you thought you would get, but must say glad
I grabbed and feel for Sky and the web of
lies she discovers. But through it all we have declan cowboys,

(52:37):
stop said nothing to protect Sky. Four stars.

Speaker 1 (52:40):
I picked that one just for the okay cowboy time. OMG,
the crime Girl. It makes me so mad when someone
is wrongly, wrongfully accused. Three stars. That was a whole review.
Well that one. Most of these are cut. That was
the whole review.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
And join her earlier books. But this one, in the
previous one in the series, approached the suspense aspect by
throwing every convoluted plot twist the author could think of,
hoping the reader wouldn't notice the missing character development or
the weak plotting. The author can do and has done
much better. Two stars.

Speaker 1 (53:20):
Not wrong. I haven't read any of her other stuff,
but I would say not wrong. This okay, this says
it's an Avon book. I don't know what that means,
but if you know, maybe you'll understand this. So since
since this is an Avon book, I was surprised how
poorly it was. I was surprised how poorly written it was.

(53:42):
I got forty percent in and just gave up. The
flow of the story doesn't work for me either. It's
disjointed and repetitive, a lot of telling not showing. For example,
he thinks she doesn't know a lot of pop culture references,
but the author never shows us that it would have
been better. It would have been a better book had
there been a better build up of the characters and
their story. Instead, a lifetime of events was packed into

(54:04):
three days. One star three days. And that's very true
because and the only one star reviews. Both of them
were like, didn't finish like blah blah blah, And I
was like, I get it. I did think it was interesting,
but I mean, yeah, she's like completely cut off from
the outside world, and yet they don't even like, yeah,
they barely get into it. Okay, So for questions, I

(54:28):
only have one. We also were not going to be
doing favorite quotes on this one, maybe on the next one.
There weren't that many great ones in this one. But
so my main question here is. Do you think everything
wrapped up way too nicely?

Speaker 2 (54:41):
Yeah, it just felt like it everything worked out perfectly
for them.

Speaker 1 (54:46):
And I feel like she tried to make like a
lot of drama, being like, oh my god, the Prosperity
guys got her twice. But to me, I was just
like what the FBI? What are they even doing? Like
it made it sound like there were so many FBI
agents all over the place, but no, oh, I don't know.
And like in the book it does say like they
skim over the trial because they say most of the

(55:07):
dudes like plea out or whatever, they just admit to it,
like all the Sunshine dudes. But like I want to
know what kind of like what are they getting charged with?
How much did they like did they get all of
the Prosperity people. Because also, and it's very brief, there's
like one line that talks about they were planning on
bombing like like New York City, the Stock Exchange, like

(55:30):
a bunch of big buildings and monuments like exactly, it's
like this giant militia group and yet like they're just
like Nope, everything's done. And I'm like I feel like
they would be like some witness protection, like Prosperity found
this dude's farm, like they know where he lives, they
know about her, they know they're the ones that like

(55:50):
made this happen, So I would think they would need
some protection, but I don't know, because they made it
be like oh, we can't, like we haven't been able
to get this militia group yet, we have no evidence
on them. And then it's just like, Okay, you got them.
It's good, You're welcome. That's it. I also really thought
Sky was gonna get pregnant, because they made a big

(56:13):
deal about at one point when they were doing like
the long distance thing, like someone at Sunshine had a bit.
Oh yeah, the fourteen year old had her baby, and
so then she was like I want a baby, and
he was like, we could have babies, and so I
was like waiting for her to be like, oh, by
the way, I'm pregnant. But no, that never happened, and
I was like, I feel like it could have and

(56:34):
they would have been happy about it, but that's fine.
I don't know. It wasn't a bad book, but I
did like the cult stuff and I really think Sidney
would have loved it, which I think is so funny
that she picked it without knowing that that's what it was.
So I guess these kind of have morphed into my
final thoughts of that it's fine. I guess I don't know. Fine.

(56:58):
I feel like it the drama just didn't live up
to what it started with, Like you start with a murder,
you know, and that was just like la la la
la la la la la. Oh yeah they're back. Also,
what the fuck was up with Brad? He never came back?
He literally never, there's never like, oh yeah, me and
Brad got the fort hold held down.

Speaker 2 (57:17):
But the one uh with the one review was talking
about the just canceled character development.

Speaker 1 (57:24):
There is none, none of it, and like that's the thing. Also,
like Declann is like the perfect man the whole time,
Like it's just there's no they have no relationship issues.
They're just like, yep, she's never been in a relationship,
he's never had one like this, and it's great. They're fine,
no issues, everything's perfect, and they're really good at communicating.
And I was like, Okay, I guess, do you have

(57:47):
any more thoughts?

Speaker 2 (57:48):
No, that was a pretty good Submary.

Speaker 1 (57:51):
Those are the thoughts that we have on this book.
I read Yeah, So hopefully you guys enjoyed this. If
you did, make sure to listen to all the other
episodes that are not Cowboy related, and make sure to
give us a five star me wall you're there. You
can follow us online at on Instagram, at Bookcult Podcast,
on TikTok, at bookcook cal Book book blah Blah b

(58:12):
Book Cult Pod, or online at Bookcoultpod dot WordPress dot com,
which hasn't been updated in a long time. Next week,
to continue our crazy Cowboys summer, were will be reading
A Cowboys Justice by Lisa Childs. I don't it's about
It starts with the murder again. It's a cold case,

(58:35):
so that's exciting. Thanks for listening.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
You're now part of the cult.

Speaker 1 (58:40):
No taxie's backsies. Hopefully it's a good cult and not
a cult that's gonna end in murder.