A case of not recognizing someone led to true love
Timothy, who prefers to go by TJ, is feeling stagnant at college because his loving parents wish for him to return home with a degree and assume control of the family business. However, residing in Spruce, Texas appears dull to him, while it represents happiness for his parents.
To avoid the inevitable pain, he plans a cross-country road trip with his college best friend, aiming to make this summer bearable. Nevertheless, that best friend has found a girl he likes and replaces TJ on the trip. To soften the disappointment, TJ invites his best friend to a concert before they depart for different locations, but his bestie does not show up.
TJ then engages in a heated exchange with a stranger, which unexpectedly becomes pivotal to his destiny. The stranger, Chase, a handsome lead singer wearing a cowboy hat, is openly gay and is ascending in the music industry. TJ’s rant profoundly impacts Chase, stirring a desire in him to respond with an improvised song addressing TJ’s concerns, though TJ only hears part of it from outside the venue.
Subsequently, Chase seeks out the college student who prompted him to reflect deeply on his true path in that song. TJ becomes his muse for his songs.
This narrative exemplifies Daryl Banner's writing style, characterized by economical language and exquisite descriptions of the love Chase longs to experience, opening the door to a new journey that includes a search for TJ.
There is a touch of magic when the two meet again, leading to a…
‘How am I supposed to sing about love when I'm not allowed to have it?’- Finding love!
Author/composer Daryl Banner graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Theatre and Psychology. His writing includes new adult romance, M/M romance, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and dystopian. According to his brief biography he is ‘most inspired by the smart and unlikely hero, but urges you (the reader) not to fall in love with them; they may deceive you with their innocence.’
This is the eleventh novel in Daryl’s always excellent Spruce Texas Romance series, and after an excellent distillation of the people and places in Spruce, Daryl introduces the principle characters – Ty and Chase, opening with Ty’s thoughts : ‘It’s on a bench outside the Visual and Performing Arts Center under the shade of a sycamore tree that I pull out my pink-and-red notebook and matching pencil. At the top of the page is a title: “Things I could be instead of Timothy “TJ” McPherson.’ Below that, twenty items’…ending with ‘literally anything but taking over McPherson Tractor & Finance and pretending spreadsheets have personalities for the rest of my life…’ And that sets the impact that musician Chase Holt makes on Ty’s life as one of the most entertaining, humorous, and enjoyable romances that opens windows for two needy guys…just needy in different ways. The result is a song sung true! Said before, and say again - Daryl Banner just gets better and better with his gift for writing. Here is fine Southern atmosphere and a terrific romance. Read this one twice for all the character…
A
Amazon Customer
May 6, 2026
Verified Purchase
Spruce, Texas is HOME!!!!
Daryl Banner, you've done it, AGAIN....Roped me into another wonderful, funny, sexy book about Spruce, Texas. An amazing town, full of real life characters, set in a town I wish soooo deeply it was real. So, I live out my reality of Spruce in another wonderful book, with amazing characters, and heart filling and soul soothing people!!! A definite winner, again!!! Loved and bought for my Daryl Banner home library!!!!
Pull out the box of Kleenex! I had no idea what to expect from this latest Spruce adventure, but the story and characters grab you quickly and don’t let go until the very end. As with all of Mr Banner’s other books, this one is just a wonderful, heartfelt romantic adventure! It’s always fun to dive in a be a part of the Spruce Universe. And as always, I can’t wait for the next one. Until we meet again…
TJ/TIMOTHY MCPHERSON -- IT IS JUST ABOUT TIME YOU'VE COME BY
THIS LATEST SPRUCE TEXAS BOOK (11) IS THE BEST SINCE "FOOTBALL SUNDAE." THE WRITING & THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE INTERESTING, AS IS THE WHOLE TOWN OF SPRUCE TX. TJ BOTTOM/LOVER WITH AUSTIN TOP/LOVER EVERYONE DESERVES. THE WAIT IS OVER AND IT'S A BRONCBUSTER!!
