If you enjoy small-town romances with heartfelt characters and a touch of quiet reflection, Rattlesnake by Kim Fielding is a story worth discovering. With its mix of slow-burn intimacy, found family, and the healing power of connection, this book shows how even the most restless souls can stumble into a place, and a person, that feels like home.
Rattlesnake by Kim Fielding Genres: Contemporary, MM Romance
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A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years. On a quest to deliver the letter, Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, a small town nestled in the foothills of the California Sierras. The centerpiece of the town is the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bartender is handsome former cowboy Shane Little. Sparks fly, and when Jimmy’s car gives up the ghost, Shane gets him a job as handyman at the inn. Both within the community of Rattlesnake and in Shane’s arms, Jimmy finds an unaccustomed peace. But it can’t be a lasting thing. The open road continues to call, and surely Shane—a strong, proud man with a painful past and a difficult present—deserves better than a lying vagabond who can’t stay put for long.
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Jimmy Dorsett has nothing but a duffel bag, a beat-up car, and a lifetime of drifting from town to town. At 43, he has spent nearly three decades without roots, never staying more than a month in one place. One night, he gives a ride to an old man carrying a letter meant for his estranged son. When the man dies before delivering it, Jimmy finds himself in the small town of Rattlesnake, determined to honor the stranger’s last wish.
Rattlesnake is a charming little town steeped in old mining history, with its cozy café, local legends, and even a winery tour. But what truly stands out is Shane Little, the bartender at the Rattlesnake Inn. Scarred and limping from his own painful past, Shane still radiates warmth and confidence. When Jimmy’s car gives out, Shane offers him a handyman job at the inn, and soon, a place in his bed.
Told entirely from Jimmy’s perspective, the narrative is quiet, almost documentary-like. Days unfold slowly with ordinary tasks: fixing tiles, replacing lightbulbs, sharing meals. Life feels unhurried, yet beneath the surface, Jimmy wrestles with the pull of the open road and the possibility of belonging somewhere at last. The letter meant for Shane becomes a silent weight, a reminder that eventually Jimmy will have to choose between leaving and staying.
What makes this book captivating is not grand drama but the simple humanity of its characters. The gentle rhythms of daily life contrast with the storm inside Jimmy, a man who has spent 30 years running from stability. His transformation, while moving, sometimes felt too quick given the decades of habits and wounds he carried, and I wished that part of his journey had been explored with more depth.
Still, Rattlesnake is a tender story about trust, family, and hope. It reminds us that sometimes, slowing down and letting people in can be the bravest thing of all.
Final Rating: 3.5 stars!
Have you read Rattlesnake? Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to know if Jimmy and Shane’s story touched you too.
