Underdog (In Vino Veritas)
by L.A. Witt
Gay FictionAdded on January 12, 2026
Description
Life in foster care wasn’t easy. Life after prison? Unforgiving. But I’m determined to stay out of trouble, and I’m gaining a foothold on the closest I’ve ever known to normal.Then, thanks to a pair of escape artist dogs from the sanctuary where I’ve found work, I cross paths with my boss’s neighbor, Ty Adams. He’s a horse trainer, and winter is his quiet season. It’s also the season when he gets restless and lonely—two things I know all about. He’s not interested in love or romance. I’m just happy someone’s interested in me at all, even if emotions are strictly forbidden.When we’re not together, I’m thinking about him. When we are together… Well, I’m definitely thinking about what he does to me and what I want to do with him.As we keep each other warm through the Vermont winter, this feels a lot more than physical. Somehow he soothes my pain, and I wonder if I’m touching something deep inside him too. But Ty won’t let himself love anyone. I never had a chance. And now, with my past closing in, I could lose the one man I hoped I could count on. The one I thought might be different.When his present and my history collide, is it too much to hope he’ll choose me?CW: Sick horse and a minor accident involving a horse—no animal deaths or serious injuries/illnesses.
Reader Reviews
I've really enjoyed each book set in the Vino & Veritas world - such a good setting for a story and fun to see people from past books pop up.I think this would be a perfect book for a horse-lover. But, as a horse-hater this book was too horsey for me. I skimmed/skipped the horsier parts. I just want to read a love story, not looking for an education in horses over here. The romance itself was good though.
I was halfway through this book when I got an ARC, and when I finished the ARC I’d forgotten I’d even started this. So. It obviously didn’t enthrall me. Landon is an interesting and sympathetic character. Points to the author for obviously understanding collateral consequences even if writing about them didn’t seem to work.There’s a good book here somewhere between 30% and 65%. I recommend ignoring the rest, unless you need to learn how to run a horse farm or enjoy endless repetitions of “Horses
September 2022.
