The Station (Gay Romance) Paperback – 16 Jan. 2018

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

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and the books I've had just haven't grabbed me at all. Even KA's (one of my go-to authors) latest books haven't worked for me but I was curiousabout this re-release - thankfully, I really enjoyed it.Colin leads a very privileged life, he comes from money, lives in a large home, has horses at his disposal, has a place to study at Cambridge and wants for nothing. Even as a very young boy, he knew he was different but it wasn't until he discovered the stable master, Patrick, taking his pleasure in another man that things started to click into place and Colin realised that not only did he have an attraction to the same sex as himself but that he was also attracted to Patrick who was twelve years older than himself.When Partick is caught with another man, Colin knows that this crime may very well mean a death sentence and his way of helping is to declare his own proclivities in the hopes that his parents will ensure a lesser punishment. As a result, Colin is no longer Cambridge bound but the pair find themselves aboard a prison ship headed for Australia and Patrick isn't quite as grateful as Colin had hoped. Over time, the men's relationship builds into something despite Patricks attempts to hold Colin at arm's length.This was just such an engaging story and I was very quickly drawn into their world. KA does a great job of describing the scenery, the characters and their emotions and it was all so easy for me to imagine. There were times where I could happily have banged Patrick and Colin's heads together to get some sense slapped into them but it all added to the tension.Although this is not the life that either man had envisioned, things do work out in their favour and there's a happy ending for all involved. I'd definitely recommend giving this book a go.Copy received from author in exchange for an honest review.Reviewed for Alpha Book Club

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

I’m a huge Keira Andrews fan and this book more than lived up to my high expectations for her work. The story begins in Essex, England in 1833. Colin is a head-strong aristocrat with no notion of how the real world works. Ensconced on the family estate, he spends his time studying, riding horses, and accepting dares from his cousin William. A good life for a lad of thirteen. Only when disaster is averted does he appreciate that his rash actions might not always be appreciated.A life for a life.Five years later, Patrick, the estate’s groomsman, is found in a compromising position. Prison and then the gallows are the usual end for sodomites and he is resigned to his fate. Until a scrappy young lad of eighteen steps forward and saves his life. Family connections ensure the men aren’t hanged, but they are sent to the penal colony of Australia. For Colin, it’s an adventure. For Patrick, it’s a fate as bad as death.The journey in the hull of a ship nearly does them in, but upon arrival in Australia, they are assigned to a woman making the journey to her new home. Her new station as it were. Emily had thought to make the trip with her husband, but now she faces the trek alone with only Robbie the twenty-one-year-old guide and two sodomite prisoners as help.The trip to the Outback is a learning experience for all involved and as time marches on, Patrick begins to warm to Colin. He’s able to teach Colin so many new things and Colin is a strong student. He wants to succeed as a cowboy in Australia. And thrive as Patrick’s lover.Now, this book is told entirely from Colin’s point of view – something quite common in Ms. Andrews’ books. Sometimes this limits the perspective of the other hero, but, in this case, it works. Colin is open and free with his emotions, often receiving chastisement from Patrick. Patrick is closed off – jaded and, for a while at least – untouchable.There are some harrowing moments in the book when characters were in peril – appropriate for the Australian Outback in the 1830s. I wonder what it must have been like back then, all the while clinging to my modern comforts. People survived, of course, because they didn’t know any better. But for Patrick, Colin, and Emily, the shock from idyllic and rural England to the middle of nowhere Australia was jarring.Joel Leslie narrated this book and he was freaking brilliant. He’s got Australian, British, and Irish to do and, as always, he delivers a solid performance. He brought the characters alive – from Colin’s naiveté, to Patrick’s irritability, to Robbie’s enthusiasm, to Emily disillusionment. The performance was amazing. I loved this book and was almost sad to see it end. But hopefully there will be more audios from Ms. Andrews in the future as I’ve loved everyone I’ve listened to.

Goed verhaal. Ik kende deze schrijfster al en heb verschillende boeken van haar. Het verhaal zit goed in elkaar, leuke karakters en geloofwaardig plot. Patrick ruwe bolster blanke pit en Colin een harde werker en dromer worden verscheept naar Australië. Daar proberen ze een nieuw bestaan op te bouwen. Prettig geschreven met een gelukkig einde. Ik kan ook haar ander boek "Kidnapped by the pirate" aanbevelen.

This book is amazing!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it.The sex scenes are quite *modern* (I guess some porn actors would blush at what these guys are doing in the Australian wilderness ;-)Colin and Patrick are a perfect romance couple, though. Patrick, 9 years Colin's senior, is a rather ruined character whose unknown motivations (the story is told from Colin's POV) make this an incredibly interesting read. Most romance novels have this kind of standard mold where the guys find each other, fall in love, split up under more or less dramatic circumstances and find each other again.With The Station, this path was never clearly visible. Since we don't know what's going on in Patrick's head (and he's not exactly an open book to the people around him), Colin might have easily ended up alone, making this a drama instead of a romance, lol.I just loved how you never knew what would come next in this strange relationship.Colin is just a wonderful guy. Once he escaped his narrow-minded surroundings of upper class England, he totally blossomed and became a real hero. Patrick is a rough guy, but I could totally see what Colin saw in him (beside GREAT sex, of course ;)Not to forget, the main side characters, Emily and Robbie, who were both very endearing and interesting.I am so glad to have read this gem and experienced those captivating adventures. While reading it, I felt constantly reminded of Paul Freeman's gay themed photo book "Outback".I wonder why? ;)5 stars!!(by the way, it's true that the 'Show. Don't Tell' rule was broken here, but I didn't mind at all. This book is a wonderful read)

I loved The Station. Patrick was super hot and I adored Colin. Loved the physical journey that they took. And as always, there were well-rounded secondary characters. I so wish there was a second book and that I could read more about Colin and Patrick and their lives together.

I had thought I had read all her books but alas had not. I always find her writing to be free of huge amounts of angst. There is a great deal of hardship in this book but Keira will always say she looks for a happy ending. Only trouble is, where is the next book with the baby present, new help falling for each other enlarging the house and providing new housing for Patrick and Colin?