Eli Henninger is stretched a little thin. He teaches riding classes, conducts therapy sessions, takes care of his son, and helps manage the family farm. He’s tired and overworked, especially because lately, no one else seems to do anything right. He and his partner, Geoff, haven’t have time together in so long, he’s beginning to forget what his longtime love feels like.
Geoff is just as busy with the farm, the business, and working through a complicated land purchase. He and Eli labor from sunup to sundown and then some. He knows taking care of their responsibilities is preventing them from taking care of each other, but he doesn’t see anything he can do about it. To make matters worse, they’re accused of behaving improperly toward some of the children in their riding programs.
Then Eli becomes ill and the investigators suspect foul play, forcing Geoff to reevaluate his priorities and hope fate will give them another chance.
This is a short story and part of the Love Means...Series. I have been a big fan for a while. I bought this on my Kindle the day it came out. There were a few parts of the book that seemed rushed or out of character. There was a passage about Eli talking about Tyrone, that I just thought was so out of place for Eli. This book also doesn't do as good as a job working in all the characters from the previous books. I understand it's a short story however I just missed some of the characters. Overall still a big fan, just expected more from Andrew Grey on this one. Maybe the book is a bit better. I got the audio and the narrator was terrible.
Love Means… Renewal is the newest in the Farm / Love Means… series and while short at only 56 pages, I loved revisiting Eli and Geoff along with all the wonderful people that live and love there.
As the blurb says, Eli is the recipient of someone's hate when he is accused of an abuse crime and then becomes ill. Watching as he and Geoff struggle with all the demands of work, business, family, and poisoning was heart wrenching at times.
In the end, Andrew shines as always when he reminds us that love is the true heart of a family, gender be damned, lol. Reading Renewal makes me want to bring out Love Means… No Shame and revisit how Eli and Geoff found each other and a love that has now spanned 10 years!
Alright - I admit it. I am addicted to these stories. Is there a support group for that??? I got my Dreamspinner notice today that it was out so of course I had to buy it.
This story takes us back to our original couple from the first book, Eli and Geoff. They have been together for some time now and have multiple business enterprises and a young son to raise. Things are getting pretty hectic and they seem to have very little time for each other. Then Eli gets sick and it seems that it is more than coincidence when someone is also calling in anonymous tips that there is inappropriate behavior going on with the horse-riding Therapy lessons as well. I loved seeing all the returning characters - including Robbie and Joey and Len and Duane. We have a new character in Tyrone and I hope that means that we will get another story.
Yep. Another story. That's what I need. To feed my addiction.
In this new Farm Series novel, we find Geoff and Eli drifting apart as life and classes and farm business push in on them from all sides. Jakey is now three years old and very demanding on his Daddy’s time especially with his pony rides. Eli is feeling the weight heavy on his shoulders, there are days when it is all he can do put get up and put one foot in front of the other, but he has too. Finding time to be with his partner is almost non-existent between the hours they are working and their son – as any parent knows a child changes the intimate time spent together.
One bright morning, when Eli is feeling especially bad, Sheriff Colton stops by, he hates that he has to investigate an anonymous complaint that there has been inappropriate touching during one of their therapy classes. Thanks to Deputy Duane Eli and Geoff had prepared for this by keeping records of who is with the classes at all times and making sure there are not fewer than two teachers there at any time. Then Eli becomes very ill with an infection out of Mexico. The only uncommon meal eaten away from the house was a dinner for the school that they went too about a week ago.
Geoff got so scared when he thought he might lose the love of his life, he promised once that they would start their morning rides together, providing a delicious hour to two for jus the two of them to reconnect each day; and there would be a renewal of their life as not just parents and land owners, but as a couple since that is what had started the whole thing; the young Amish boy trying so hard to court the big city man.
The love between Eli and Geoff burns just as bright and hot as their first book that hooked me into this series and made me fall in love with Mr. Grey’s writing. This couple is still as open and giving of their time with the community and the farm, hiring as many misplaced young people they can. I rate this book a full 5 stars and encourage anyone who loves Mr. Grey’s writing and the farm series to please, pick this one up as soon as possible.
I absolutely love the Love Means… or as this author’s fans call it, ‘The Farm stories’. Andrew Grey’s stories have heart and I was absolutely thrilled to revisit with the main characters that kicked this series off in LOVE MEANS…NO SHAME. Geoff and Eli have a special place in my heart and I adored seeing these two again. The writing is tight and the story moves like lightening in a bottle, full of sparks, flashes of light and volatile energy. The reader is transfixed as we find out the issues facing Eli, Geoff and the farm as well as the cute little boy they are raising, Jakey.
Eli and Geoff have turned the farm around and have added to their land. But neither can figure out how to get some alone time together especially since both are working sunup to sundown every day and with hardly any breaks to reconnect as a couple, they are in danger of losing one another. Andrew Grey has a wonderful way of going straight to the heart of the matter with these two. With the right amount of love, desire and determination, he gives Eli and Geoff (plus the readers) something to show how much they have lost while doing their best for the farm. I love how the main characters learn to slow down, relax and reconnect. That spark I saw in earlier stories was almost snuffed out and this author did a great job in making sure it was recaptured again. Some familiar characters pop in and I loved seeing some old friends in the story.
LOVE MEANS…RENEWAL is a beautiful told story that captures your heart right from the beginning. Andrew Grey has another winner in his latest release and I, for one, cannot wait to see what else he comes up with for the residents & friends of the farm. I just hope we won’t be waiting too long for the next chapter to an amazing series. If you haven’t grabbed Andrew Grey’s Love Means… series, what are you waiting for?? Run and grab it-you won’t be disappointed in the least.
I intentionally chose to read this book. I had a craving for a sweet story following a known formula. However this book did not focus on a new couple, rather was about how busy and overworked Eli and Geoff were. Eli gets sick and this forces them to realise they need to take more time to themselves.
Yes it was sweet but it was also a bit boring. With the other books in the series, although following the same formula (men from different backgrounds meet, they are trying to sort out their own issues, they are attracted and get together, they have a misunderstanding or reason to part, the friends on the farm offer support and words of wisdom, they get back together....), there was a bit of story progression, some drama and character development. This story, although showing the strength of Eli and Geoff's relationship after 9 years, just seemed flat.
It was only a short book (under 100 pages) so more like a quick follow up.
Sometimes, you just want to go some place comfortable. And I always enjoy a trip to Laughton Farms. Geoff and Eli are two of my favorite characters.
Here's the short blurb. Eli is feeling overworked and longing for a little more Geoff time. Finally, everything catches up to him. Eli gets sick and has to be hospitalized, but maybe there's more to it than that.
I chose this story because I really enjoy the Love Means... series. Plus, I've been a little busy in my own life. I think I needed a little mental break. This story gave me just that. Not to mention a few smiles om my face, and a warm feeling in my heart. It's a short story, and just what I needed.
I adore this series! It's one of my favs of Andrew's. I teared up so many times during this story. I felt Eli's pain and despair of being over-worked and not being able to have just one moment of intimacy with Geoff. If it's not their jobs and Jakey, it's outside forces working against them both to keep them apart. I think all of us, who have partners/spouses can relate to these two. And the moral of this story, that we need to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, is a good one to adhere to.
I love this series and I was thrilled to read another book about Eli and Geoff. I've adored them since I met them in the first book! As a reader, I really appreciate watching how all of these characters have evolved since the series started. As a writer, I'm insanely jealous of him! This series is one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Things are running at full speed and both Eli and Geoff haven't had much time for just them. They realize this after Eli gets sick from someone who poisons him because he's gay. Even making false complaints about Eli. Duane and the sheriff investigate it and find the culprit. Geoff and Eli make some changes at the farm with the work load and more time with each other and their son too. Jakey is three now and growing so fast. He's adorable as can be. Another great book in this series.
I read this in the fall of 2020 when the audible escape package was wrapping up. I enjoyed the book and narrator(s). I am just catching up on my reviews, but I will say that I did read several of this authors works all in a row. I think for this series alone I listened to about 7 of them!! Some quicker readers than others, some better than others. All of them between 3.5-5 stars, but to ease the reviews for them all I will say an average of 4.5 Thanks!!
These men have built a life for themselves. They have also built a farm as well that supports not only themselves but other people as well. But as so often happens in life both get so busy they loose sight of each other. But when there is a threat it helps both men see how much they mean to each other and work at getting back what is really important.
Love Means...Renewal is a novella that lets us get a peek back into Eli and Geoff's life and see how it is going. Also, it introduces us to Tyrone, a new worker on the farm. The farm is quite busy with new therapy sessions running all the time. Eli and Geoff have little time to themselves. The work seems never ending and their 3 year old Jakey wants and deserves a great deal of their attention. Add in the fact that someone is trying to make them look bad by accusing Eli of being inappropriate with one of the children, and it's no wonder Eli is exhausted. When Eli becomes extremely ill, and they have reason to believe someone may have intended for him to be ill, he and Geoff take a step back and remember what is important in their lives. As Duane investigates the situation with Eli, he learns that Tyrone's family may be involved. Eli and Geoff make the time they need to renew their relationship. As usual, everyone at the farm is completely accepting of Tyrone, although his family is involved. They let him into their home and lives with open arms. Grey, again, brings us home to the farm to catch up with everyone. It is like reconnecting with old friends and he does an amazing job of filling in the blanks in all of the story lines. This series, like all of Andrew Grey's work, does a wonderful thing in not only entertaining us with the story but also reminding everyone that you can't let life take over and get in the way of what is really important in our lives. It is a great “Feel Good” read for anyone.
About 2 years ago, I kept hearing about a fabulous and uplifting series of M/M Romance titles by Andrew Grey. They were officially known as the “Farm” series (at least on Goodreads), but they are more colloquially known as the “Love Means” series. I think they may have been officially rebranded as such, whatever. Love Means.. Patience is the 10th title in the series (7th major work with 3 minor works). We once again visit the Laughton farm and many of the heroes from previous installments. You don’t have to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this installment, but to understand just what kind of people Geoff and Eli are, it does help.
Patience focuses on two former Marines, Brick and Cody, both of whom were discharged under DADT, and both of whom have demons through which to work. I do not remember Brick from former installments, though he might have been a minor character. It has been a while since I have read the first 9 books in the series. For those readers wishing to catch up with old friends, you get to see Geoff and Eli, Joey and Robbie (No Boundaries), Chris and Len (Healing), Duane (Family), and of course Adelle (with mention of the rest of the series’ MCs).
Sometime is nice to have an insight on what is happening after the happily ever after; not that you want for the couple to break up or similar, but that little window in their future is usually nice and warming. For Eli and Geoff is exactly like that.
I admit I haven’t read all the series, so I didn’t know Eli and Geoff adopted a little kid, Jackie. It was a nice surprise to see them as daddies, and Jackie seems really a cute kid, very loving and loved as well. Even if Eli, currently, is very busy, and also tired, he always finds time to give love and comfort to Jackie, even when this means losing a little of intimacy with Geoff. But Geoff is not resenting it, he loves Jackie as much as Eli.
This is only a novella, there isn’t nothing new happening in their lives, but it’s a way to have a confirmation that their love is strong, and not limited to the two of them, but able to include in their circle of love the extended family they created, including family, friends and co-workers.
This was a follow-up to Geoff and Eli's story, Love Means... Courage, several years (and lots of changes) down the road. You don't really have to read the books in between if you don't want to, though there will be characters you haven't met from those books. (Robbie, Adelle, Arie, and Duane.) There's also a new character in Tyrone. His story is the next one in the series after this one, Love Means... No Limits.
This story is of Geoff and Eli reconnecting with each other when their daily lives seem to constantly pull them in separate directions. (I can completely empathize with this.) It's short and still sweet and still has just a touch of mystery to it, like the entire series. It's a nice, quick read.
This was a nice follow-up to the lives of Geoff and Eli, the MCs who are the foundation of the Farm series.
Eli has been ill and the police suspect that it's not a case of simple food poisoning. Both Eli and Geoff are overworked and stressed and can't seem to find time for one another.
That problem is ultimately resolved when they realize how precious every day is and how much they mean to each other. They commit to making the time, not only on a daily basis, but to an annual vacation with their young son every year.
One of my favorite series, it's my "go to" series when I need something to make me feel good. This one did not let me down.
A quick, easy, feel good read. A story in a series, so some of the minor characters were in place from their stories with no background so were hard to place, but the 2 m/c's were easy to get into, getting hints of how they got to this place. Their story is about the HEA after the HEA! Learning to deal with the pressures of living their lives. Incidents of hate crime thrown in to add extra pressure all lead to a better relationship. An enjoyable short story - good lunch time read to put a smile on your face for the afternoon!
This is Geoff and Eli 10 years later. They have adopted Jakey who is 3 yo. Their life is super busy and doesn't allow a lot of time for each other. When Eli is hospitalized Geoff realizes how things need to change. I loved how Eli and Geoff are with Jakey, they're great dad's just like they wanted to be. Andrew Grey does such a great job of introducing his new characters. The new farmhand plays an important part in this story. Even though its small. I hope theres more of his story in an upcoming book
Eli and Geoff have made a great life for themselves on the ranch. Eli's responsibilities, however, seem to be wearing him down. He is practically falling over with exhaustion. Eli and Geoff need to reassess their priorities and decide what the most important things in their lives are. This was a cute story but it was really short and a little underdeveloped. I enjoyed it overall and it was a nice addition to the series.
This book really touched a note in my heart! how relationships seen to reach a plateau and we take everything and the other person for granted... how we stop working on it just because we are sure it is there!
Geoff and Eli are stretched thin, and its just ironic how it was another visit to the hospital that made them see what was important in their lives.
Loved every moment of it. These two boys are just TOO close to the heart. Thanks AG for the lovely read.
I liked this short story but would love to see the Farm Series expanded again with new characters, a new plot line? You never know exactly what to expect from Andrew Grey and I will continue to keep him and his books on auto buy. A great writer who creates great characters and sweet relationships never gets old.
This is a wonderful short story that brings us back to Geoff and Eli. Ten years have passed since they first fell in love. The farm has grown much larger, the amount if work has doubled with all of their responsibilities and they their son whom they adopted. Needless to say they are tired and not spending the time with each other like they should. This story reminds us of how important our loved ones are.
Out of all the short stories attached to this series, this one actually got me interested. It’s not a very happy story because Eli’s in a bad position in more ways than one, but we finally got his perspective. Every one of the other eleven protagonists had their viewpoint but never Eli, who arguably remains one of the main characters throughout all of the books. So this? I liked! ^_^
It was nice, after 8 books in the series, 9 if you count the short story at about 2.5, to see one that again focuses on Geoff and Eli. And being married, with two jobs and two young childre, I can really empathize with poor Eli. A little bit of a tear jerker. This series continues to be excellent. Always looking forward to the next one.
This story takes us back to our original couple from the first book, Eli and Geoff. They have been together for some time now and have multiple business enterprises and a young son to raise. Things are getting pretty hectic and they seem to have very little time for each other. Then Eli becomes ill, and is accused of misbehavior with a child. All is not what it seems.
It was really good to see them reconnect. I would've liked to have seen more effort from Geoff, though. It seemed like one overture and everything was fixed. Also it would've been nice to have Geoff's POV while Eli was sick. To be honest he really wasn't written devastated enough for how direly ill Eli took. His POV would've helped there.