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ezichinny's review
3.0
Review posted at Oh My Shelves Blog
32 yr old Trey Stuart was a bullrider hoping to make enough money to buy a farm of his own and finally get away from the shared farm where his homophobic brother made him feel defective. Also going on the riding tours give him an opportunity to be around the man he has loved for 3 years, star rider Roy "Smoke" Carter.
The problem is that Trey was so afraid to let Smoke know how he felt that he went out of his way to push Smoke away. So they just continued a sexual relationship while both trying to secure their future by winning on tour. But both Trey and Smoke have reached a fork in the road and have to decide if there is a future for them.
"I want you. Every day, every night. I want to laugh with you and fight with you. I want to make plans with you. I want you in my life."
I don't really care about bull riding so those parts of the book were boring to me. What I did like what the interpersonal relationships with the girls, Dolly and Alex. I was also intrigued by the minor theme of discrimination and bullying of Smoke on the tour. The fact that they were an interracial couple was never really an issue so the focus was on HOW they felt about each other. When push came to shove (well, Smoke kind of pushed and shoved), Trey had to fight for his own happiness and that kind of character growth is what I love about books like this.
The writing wasn't full of angst. It was a steady pace with a predictable ending. I liked it and will try this author again in the future.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the e-arc given in exchange for an honest review.
32 yr old Trey Stuart was a bullrider hoping to make enough money to buy a farm of his own and finally get away from the shared farm where his homophobic brother made him feel defective. Also going on the riding tours give him an opportunity to be around the man he has loved for 3 years, star rider Roy "Smoke" Carter.
The problem is that Trey was so afraid to let Smoke know how he felt that he went out of his way to push Smoke away. So they just continued a sexual relationship while both trying to secure their future by winning on tour. But both Trey and Smoke have reached a fork in the road and have to decide if there is a future for them.
"I want you. Every day, every night. I want to laugh with you and fight with you. I want to make plans with you. I want you in my life."
I don't really care about bull riding so those parts of the book were boring to me. What I did like what the interpersonal relationships with the girls, Dolly and Alex. I was also intrigued by the minor theme of discrimination and bullying of Smoke on the tour. The fact that they were an interracial couple was never really an issue so the focus was on HOW they felt about each other. When push came to shove (well, Smoke kind of pushed and shoved), Trey had to fight for his own happiness and that kind of character growth is what I love about books like this.
The writing wasn't full of angst. It was a steady pace with a predictable ending. I liked it and will try this author again in the future.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the e-arc given in exchange for an honest review.
fantasyliving's review
4.0
Smoking hot bull riders at the Gay Rodeo Association championships show us how they ride each other *waggles eyebrows*.
Trey is a seasoned bull rider and ‘old’ by bull riding standards. He is still at it so he can save money to finally buy his own ranch and live his life without family judgement of his choice in bedmates. Not really out of the closet, he looks forward to his trysts with Smoke Carter, an enigmatic, show stealing bull rider who has no problems being out.
I’m being generous with my rating this time for the simple fact that this story was pure entertainment. The bull riding was pretty detailed, and I was transported to this fictional LGBTQ Rodeo competition with all the sights and sounds and happiness. I felt like I was on the bull with Trey, and Catt Ford managed to show me, in great detail, how to ride. Since I’ve only ever seen a bull in the Showgrounds of what we call the Ekka (search engine that baby and see what I’m talking about), and it was just standing there staring at me like a docile puppy, this really revved me up. I’ve seen “8 Seconds”, I’m not totally oblivious to what men can do on a bull, but it was great to have this intimate reading experience.
Trey is a seasoned bull rider and ‘old’ by bull riding standards. He is still at it so he can save money to finally buy his own ranch and live his life without family judgement of his choice in bedmates. Not really out of the closet, he looks forward to his trysts with Smoke Carter, an enigmatic, show stealing bull rider who has no problems being out.
I’m being generous with my rating this time for the simple fact that this story was pure entertainment. The bull riding was pretty detailed, and I was transported to this fictional LGBTQ Rodeo competition with all the sights and sounds and happiness. I felt like I was on the bull with Trey, and Catt Ford managed to show me, in great detail, how to ride. Since I’ve only ever seen a bull in the Showgrounds of what we call the Ekka (search engine that baby and see what I’m talking about), and it was just standing there staring at me like a docile puppy, this really revved me up. I’ve seen “8 Seconds”, I’m not totally oblivious to what men can do on a bull, but it was great to have this intimate reading experience.
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