Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Beau is riding like the two-time champ that he is, but nothing is assured in the world of bullriding—not happiness, not wealth, and not survival.

Beau is a two-time champion bullrider who is working on his third title. Sam is his long-time lover and traveling partner, who is feeling the sting of having just about the worst season he can remember.

 

The two of them are on the road together twenty-four-seven, and it’s starting to get to them a little, between the constant injuries Sam faces, and the relentless press that Beau has to put up with.

 

Add in friends on the circuit who need their help and the fact that they have to hide what they mean to each other, and it’s no wonder that Sam and Beau’s relationship is starting to wear a little from the friction.

 

When things blow up in their faces, Sam leaves the bullriding tour for a while, but the boys find out they’re far more miserable apart than they are together. Beau and Sam may agree to disagree in order to make peace and help out their friends Jason and Coke, but in the unpredictable world of extreme sports, nothing goes as it’s planned. Can Beau and Sam recover from what just might be the last ride of Sam’s life?

 

 

NOTE: This book was previously published by Torquere Press in May 2010. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

 

Book Review

Bull riders have to be tough and determined if they want to be successful. Sam and Beau are both, and it comes in very helpful whether they face their competitors in the arena of the rodeo circuit or the difficulties of making a mostly hidden relationship work. This third story in the ‘Roughstock’ series begins at the same time as some of the events in the previous book but focuses on two of the guys who have so far only been in the background.  Coke and Dillon from book two are back, and so are Jason (who is blind) and his partner Bax from book one. And it’s a good thing everyone is around because Sam and Beau need all the help they can get!

Beau is on his way up in the bull riding world. With two titles under his belt, he is going for championship number three, and he will let nothing stop him. He’s been together with Sam for many years and relies on him in the arena as well as during their free time. Not that they can make that second part official in the macho world of competitions. Beau needs Sam like the air he breathes, but with all the stress around his friend Coke in the hospital, Jason blind due to a head injury and trying to get back in the saddle, and Sam’s irrational (to Beau) jealousy, Beau has his hands full.

Sam is not doing as well as he wants and the stress of trying to keep up appearances and staying in the competition gets to him. He loves Beau with everything he is, but he feels as though he is worth less, maybe even holding Beau back. It all gets to be too much, and he leaves for a while, but all that teaches him is that he is lost without Beau.

Both men are far better off together than apart and years of being lovers should have taught them that figuring things out together is better than not having a relationship. They learn how misunderstandings, pride, and stubbornness can still create problems no matter how long they’ve been together, and that is a very emotional journey. I loved the secondary characters and how they rallied when things got critical and was rooting for Sam and Beau to survive their jobs so they could be together in peace and without all the stress of traveling and competing. It took them a while to figure it out, and it was a breathtaking experience to get to watch them.

If you like the world of tough bull riders, if you want to find out more about two men who have been lovers for years but have never been able to be open about how much they mean to each other, and if you’re looking for a read that is intense, exciting, suspenseful, and hotter than a grill at a barbecue, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. I’m ready for the next one in this series!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 194 pages/57015 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	19-January-2016
Price	$5.50 ebook, $10.50 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/file-gumbo