Book Review: Well Traveled by Margaret Mills & Tedy Ward

Title: Well Traveled
Series: Gideon and Jedediah, #1
Author: Margaret Mills & Tedy Ward
Genre: Historical Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: October 2010 by Dreamspinner

Gideon Makepeace, a young man of twenty, knows who he is and what he likes: decency, men and women too, horse training, and fun... and in Livingston, Montana, in the lush autumn of 1895, he finds he likes a Lakota Sioux Indian better than he might ought to. Jedediah Buffalo Bird is seriously wounded and seeking medical care, and Gideon helps Jed when some bigoted townsfolk might have done otherwise. Jed, who knows the wild far better than Gideon and feels indebted to him, agrees to repay him by being his guide to San Francisco. Their trip takes them across thousands of wild miles, through the mountains men mine and the Indian reservations dotting the plains. Facing a majestic West, they learn from each other about white folks and Indians alike. Gideon's interest in Jed is clear from the start, but will Jed give up the life he knows for a young, brash white man he has perhaps come to love? Or will he push Gideon away in favor of the peace of nature and the personal freedom of having nothing to lose?

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Good MM romance with strong, unique leads and a meandering old West plot.

The Set Up: Gideon was born and raised in a traveling circus training horses for tricks. He accepts a job in Montana for a few months to train horses but when he goes to leave town he meets Jedediah, a Lakota Sioux Indian who is seriously wounded. Gideon helps Jed and in return Jed offers to guide Gideon to San Francisco where he’ll meet up with his family’s circus. Gideon and Jed couldn’t be more opposite in personalities but this adventure gives them time to explore their attraction.

Why I Read this Book: Historic western romance was some of my earliest reads and I like to return to it, no matter if the romance is MM or MF. Plus, this book has excellent reviews on Goodreads so I wanted to try it.

What I Liked: Jed and Gideon are such great characters but total opposite. Gideon is a born showman and loves meeting and talking to people. Jed has lived a difficult life in the bigoted west and is a cynic who doubts everyone and every situation. It was so entertaining to see these two different men work together on their journey. I also liked that both men have an easy acceptance of their sexual attraction to each other. Gideon more easily accepts his emotional connection to Jed and it was heartbreaking to watch Jed keep himself away from Gideon. This made the little moments when Jed would open up to Gideon even more romantic, in my opinion.

What I Also Liked: This is a classic old west romance. The men take a long journey through the small towns, mountain passes and Indiana reservations. They’re in danger constantly from snakes and outlaws but find time for sex. This is a full length novel but I read it quickly because Jed and Gideon jump from one adventure to another. The writing is top notch and full of great descriptions, from an Indian village to San Francisco and everything in between.

What I Didn’t Like: Gideon was so open and honest to Jed. His actions match his unbiased opinion of Indians and he doesn’t deserve the constant mistrust Jed fosters. In fact, even the ending made me feel like Gideon wore Jed down instead of Jed truly loving and appreciating Gideon. I know this is book one in two book series so maybe this is developed in the next book.

IMO: This is a very good MM romance but I wanted Jed to be just a tad more emotionally intimate with Gideon. Still, anyone liking MM historical romance should read this.

J9’s Rating: