Title: BAREBACK
Author: Chris Owen
Publisher: torquerebooks.com
Buy Link: Amazon.com
Genre: Contemporary GLBT (M/M)
Length: 371 pages (print)
Rating: 5+ stars out of 5
THE BLURB
Jake Taggart’s life was almost perfect–he’d worked hard to overcome his past, and he loved his job as foreman on a ranch in Arkansas. The only thorn in his side was a dark eyed cowboy named Tornado whose stubborn attitude brought frustration and confusion to Jake’s mostly happy existence. A late spring rainstorm brings out hidden passions and unleashes a chain of events neither of them expected–and eventually brings about events that threaten to destroy them and what they worked to create. Strong wills and forceful personalities make for intense encounters…. but is it enough to keep love alive?
I read this book several years ago and I was immediately hooked on M/M romances with cowboys in the starring roles. Bareback is just as fresh today as the first time I read it in 2003, and Chris Owen has become one of my favourite authors since then. This is the best cowboy story I have read to date and if you’re not turned off by cheating you will love it too.
The story is not very complicated. Jake Taggart is the foreman on a ranch in Arkansas and loves his job and its challenges except for one cowboy with an attitude, Tornado, who took every opportunity to torment him, until one day a thunderstorm and a mud fight made them realize that what was simmering underneath the surface was not anger, but a different type of raging emotion – lust. As they make out in the mud and rain (and this is only page 16) I could feel the emotion driving these two characters, neither one giving an inch in their game of oneupmanship. The sex was raw and unrestrained as they ripped their clothes off to get naked in the shortest possible time and I knew that this was going to be one helluva book and it was – it exceeded all of my expectations. The four way between Tor, Jake and two other cowboys which took all night – another steamy scene that was hard to top in any book I have read since Bareback.
The teasing and the sex were so incredibly hot I thought that the book would go up in flames. These two characters were tough, uncompromising hell- raisers but soft where it counted, with each other. They were probably two of the most memorable characters that I ever fell in love with and they made each other work for every wonderful moment in their relationship. Tor’s and Jake’s relationship was rocky at best but clearly they loved each other. After hanging around they decided to try commitment and it worked … for a while; they even considered themselves married and everything seemed to be going fine for our two guys but, of course, true love never runs smoothly and there is always a serpent in the Garden of Eden. Jake had a pretty horrific past and that helped to define the man he had become and how he dealt with issues like trust which was in short supply and hard to earn. His faith and belief in Tor was put to the severest test when Tor committed the ultimate act of betrayal of their love and marriage and Jake could not deal and totally fell apart.
What I like about this author is that she is real. In this book she did not create two perfect characters who were totally unrealistic. She made them imperfect like the rest of us with flaws that caused significant problems in their relationship. Some readers and reviewers have been very outspoken about the major plot point in the story – Tor’s infidelity – and a few of them have crapped all over the book because they personally don’t approve of cheating and all the sex in the book. I’m not giving away any secrets because this book has been around long enough for everything to be revealed, but most people seem to forget that M/M romance is about gay men, some of whom don’t play by society’s rules for the most part where sex is concerned, and the characters do what many gay men and some het men and women do, they play around and sometimes they get caught.
Chris Owen handled this difficult situation in a way that was realistic and she demonstrated how difficult Jake found it to forgive Tor as well as the major personal toll Tor’s infidelity took on both of them. It was not easy for either man to swallow his pride – one to ask for forgiveness and the other to grant it. This is such a powerful book about the human condition and how we as people always manage to screw up despite good intentions.
There were wonderful supporting characters as well to round out the story – Elias, a very complicated cowboy who never said much; the Big Boss, who was tough but had a very soft core; Missy his daughter who was a little brat and was always trying to get into Tor’s pants and sought revenge when he wouldn’t play, and a whole lot of other personalities who made this still the best cowboy book I have read to date.
This is one terrific story and I highly recommend it to any fan of the genre who is not turned off by a cheating spouse either in real life or in the fantasy world of books.
Sorry..last post was me..logged in as someone else!
I have had this for a while languishing on the TBR mountain even though it has my fav subjects. Cowboys……..and more cowboys.
Looks like it just got bumped up the pile a tad. Thanks.
I think you will enjoy the story. This is a real honest to goodness cowboy story and it’s very character driven. Whenever I can’t find something good to read that’s new I end up going back to my old favourites like this one.
AHA! FINALLY an ebook that I’ve read! (The newer ones are passing me by until I get me some eink, dammit– I was sooo hoping I’d win Torquere’s Scavenger Hunt).
Anyway, while I don’t remember the details as well as you do, Wave, I DO remember that I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Of course… gay cowboys… what’s NOT to love? There’s just something about those manly, dusty, blue-jean-wearin’ tough, sinewy guys, luvin’ on each other, and remaining ALL man (instead of chicks with dicks). mmm…MMMMM…mmm.
Exactly Bev. There are no chicks with dicks in this book.
There’s just something about those manly, dusty, blue-jean-wearin’ tough, sinewy guys, luvin’ on each other, and remaining ALL man mmm…MMMMM…mmm.
Are you trying to cause a riot woman? *g*
I’m so sorry you didn’t win the TQ scavenger hunt but there are some really excellent books available in print or ebooks.
Are you trying to cause a riot woman? *g*
Hee, sorry. I just got a bit nostalgic for all those lovely Torquere cowboys.
And I don’t really KNOW I haven’t won the Scavenger Hunt, but they were supposed to announce the winner on October 5th and so far nothing. So I’m just assuming that, since I didn’t get an email, I must not have won. But then again, since they haven’t announced who DID win, who knows?
Wave,
This is also one of my most favorite M/M books. Totally love it. Jake and Tor are both such “real” men for me, not the “almost perfect” protags some writers create.
I was totally blown away with Tor’s infidelity, my heart broke right along with Jake’s. But I rooted for their love until the very last page, and while the sequel was also very good, it’s this book that really got to me.
Wow, I can’t say enough good things about the book or in fact all of Chris’ work. I’ve read the books more than once and are Desert Island Keepers for me ;D
Hi Lily
Isn’t she a terrific writer? Although I’m not really a HUGE fan of BDSM I read her entire Deviations series because her books are always character driven.
This is one of my all time favourites.
I agree, she is terrific. I’ve got the Deviations series and loved it. I like BDSM as long as it fits the characters and their relationship, so in this series it worked for me.
I also love the books she writes with Vic Winters as Drew Zachary. I just finished reading Once Upon a Veterinarian and Playing the Market and loved both of them. Highly rec both of them 🙂
I am all for making out in the rain. 😀
Making out in the rain is one thing but how about doing it in the mud?
The mud is too dirty for me. Rain is fine, but mud would get in certain crevices and holes I don’t even want to think about.
Oh Lily
I haven’t read either of those. More books! What am I going to do? But I will check them out *g*
KB
That was so bad!
Wave,
Thank you for this review! This book keeps popping up when I go to Amazon so I might have to check it out. You didnt spoil it for me at all bc i got a feeling im still going to enjoy this book. I must say Im a little surprised that reviewers and some readers get turned off by the infidelity that you said is explored in this book bc THAT aspect will be something that draw me all the more to the book bc that is a realistic thing that happens in relationships gay or het. Im all for HEA (Im starting to get the lingo down..lol) but I admire and love it when a writer gets nitty-gritty with realism in their work. Just bc its M/M romance doesn’t mean that it has to be all flowery and fantastical. I will be putting this book in my cart. Thanks Wave
Hi Ozakie
This is one book I KNOW you’ll enjoy because it’s real. It explores a full range of emotions and then some. I think it’s still available as an ebook (maybe) but it’s a pretty long book. I myself bought it in print. Enjoy.
Bareback is still available at Torquere as an ebook, and I’d actually recommend that version…over 10,000 words -entire scenes- were slashed from the print version because of length and cost of printing.
I have a signed copy of Bareback on my keeper shelf, but when I want to re-read the series…Bareback, Natural Disaster, or any of the spinoff novelettes…I read the ebook versions.
Hi Emmy
I will certainly get it in ebook on your rec. I had no idea that the pub. had lopped off 10K b/c they wanted to save $.
I never got Natural Disaster because I didn’t think I would like it based on the blurb (too much family and not enough Tor and Jake) and I always wanted to ask someone whose opinion I trusted what she thought of the book.
Did the quality of the story come up to the level of Bareback and do you think, knowing a little bit about my tastes in books, that I would love it?
This was my first m/m romance. I’d read plenty of gay fiction, but that’s a totally different category. I remember being shocked when I found out the author was a woman.
This book is super duper steamy hot. Whew.
If I ever read it again, I think I’d just re-read the first 2/3 of the book. I can’t handle infidelity. This book gave me a 3-day emotional hangover. Can’t do that again.
Hi Jen
That’s quite understandable, you being married. I included the comment about the cheating so that people who are turned off by it won’t buy the book. But this was a really complex story about human emotions as well, and what happens when people do what human beings do – make very big mistakes and pay for them.
She wrote another book with Jodi Payne called Sex, Lies and Celluloid which I also love but don’t recommend you buy because this one, while being one of the funniest books I have read, also features the worst down and dirty cheat. I really loved this one as well *g*
Wow I never knew the publisher took that much away from the print version 🙁
ND is very family oriented, and personally I was a tad disappointed with it. But the writing is still solid. I was hoping for more than the author gave.
Sex Lies & Celluloid was a 5-Star Keeper for me. One of my all-time favorite books. 🙂 My review is somewhere on the book's Amazon page.
I think the only books I haven't read by Chris Owen are her sci-fi and of course that Deviations series I just couldn't get into. I even liked her twincest story.
For some reason, a man cheating on a woman with another man doesn't bother me in my reading. I liked Diplomacy by Zahra Owens too, and it also has a man cheating on his wife with another man.
A man cheating on a woman with another woman kills me…a man cheating on a man with another man is in the same category. Bad bad bad.
I've recommended Bareback to several people, but like you I always add the disclaimer.
I made S,L & C a 5 star keeper in my review as well. I also love the Deviations series (have all 4 books). The twincest book you're talking about, would that be Gemini? I’ve had it for ages and pulled it out to read just last evening. Diplomacy – another favourite. It was the first book I reviewed for this blog. Really loved it.
Yup, Gemini. Super hot. Cute story too.
Shady Ridge & Neon Sky is great too.
Stop with the Book recs. 🙂
I’ll put down Shady Ridge and Neon Sky on my To Buy list.
Payback’s a biatch, ain’t it? 😉
Natural Disaster…yes, very family oriented rather than Jake and Tor oriented. It deals more with Jake’s sister’s death and him having to raise his young nephew than just being a regular romance, per se. It was very angsty, and had several scenes dealing with prejudice that really set my teeth on edge.
Jess seemed to rally a little and her mouth once more assumed its straight line. “I would like to know, Jacob Matthew Taggart, why your sister left a young child here alone with you and this… this man.”
Jake froze, intensely aware that Tor had become as still as stone beside him. David looked furious, but unsurprised.
“Excuse me. Did you just say that we’re likely to abuse my nephew?” Jake asked quietly, but unable to hide his anger….Standing again he stared at her and put a hand on Tor’s elbow. “We’re gay. That means we like cock, not kids. Got it?”
David looked like he was either going to laugh or pass out; it could have gone either way in Jake’s eyes.
I didn’t hate ND, but it wasn’t as powerful as Bareback.
The other book in this series that I thought was just too cute for words is Running Away From Home, which is Hound(Kevin) and Del’s story. Bareback had Hound declaring he was gay and leaving for a bit, then coming back with a boyfriend. He was instrumental in getting Jake and Tor back together after Tor’s fall off the wagon, as it were. What Bareback failed to mention is that Hound left because he was in love with Jake, but it all worked out for him in the end. And it had one of my fave Tor moments out of all the books, when he was telling Hound what being with Jake is like.
“Being with Jake is like spring and summer together. Everything is new and growing, and full of life and hope. Like the rain is always
gentle and needed, and the little tiny start of green is sure to be something wonderful and strong by
the time it’s done growing. The storms are powerful and sometimes scary, but you know that they’re
gonna end and then there’s gonna be rainbows and birds and fresh sweet grass. There’s heat and
passion and long days that leave you exhausted and dead, but the nights are cool and refreshing,
and through it all he’s right there, being just what I need.”
*snifflesnif* awwwwwww
Wow that last quote really got to me. I don’t remember reading it in the print version of the book so I’m definitely getting the ebook – obviously there’s a lot that I missed. I’m still not sure that ND is for me – a lot of family angst – but I’m definitely buying Running Away from Home.
Thank you so much Emmy. I really appreciate this.
*sigh* Another book I’ve had for…close to forever, it seems, and haven’t read yet. (you know, I should always have that sentence read to copy/paste, it would go so much faster). I’d probably have read it long ago had I not learned of the infidelity thing beforehand. That put a big damper on my desire to read the story, even knowing it’s probably more than worth the ride. Don’t know how I would have reacted if I’d found out one cheated on the other WHILE I was reading… but now I,ve gotten used to the idea, so I’ll probably extract it from the pile next time I’m in a cowboy mood 😀 Great review. 🙂
Hi Mary
Thanks. I thought I had better issue a warning before people bought the book on my rec. This is a really terrific book and I hope that you have the ebook – I just found out that the ebook has 10K more than the print version so I’m buying it.
Great to have you back – now you know why I missed you so *g*
Hi Wave
"Unfortunately" I bought the print version… E-books annoy the hell out of me and it takes thrice as long for me to read it because I'm stuck in fornt of my computer not moving for hours. Since that one was rather long I bought the print. I saw the comment from the other poster when I first reade the comments for this and I was pi***d to learn the print verison was missing a lot of the original content. I hate when they do that. I've had to cope with that way too often already in the times I was reading only in French – publishers always cut pages and pages (if not chapters!) in the translation because French takes more room than English. You wouldn't believe all the new material I discovered when I finally read Diana Gabaldon's books in English >:-( Anyway. You had yourself read that book in print previously and you seemed to love it well enough, so I'm guessing it will be good anyway 😀
Mary
I never thought that the French versions would be ‘abridged’ but I guess it makes sense to the publishers b/c the book is longer in Fr.
Re this one, you will enjoy the print version it seemed a complete story to me until Emmy mentioned the lost chapters. I found out that the ebook is 114,000 words. But whatever version you read I think you’ll love it.
Hi, Chris Owen here!
I just wanted to comment on a couple of things — TP didn’t lop out 10K words to save money. I edited the words out in order to bring the book to a size which was able to go to print. Printing cost is by the page and Bareback was 114 thousand words — very long. It was a matter of “If it’s going to be printed at all it must be shorter” not “We’d like it shorter to save money.”
The quote from Tor about loving Jake is in Running Away to Home, not Bareback (which I think was correct in the original comment but someone else thought it was missing from the print version of Bareback).
I hate the idea that people might think they’re getting ripped off by one version. 🙁 I did NOT take out any plot at all — I took out only isolated sex scenes, basically. The thing with Bareback is that is wasn’t written as a novel; it was a long series of scenes that fit together into a form. Some of the scenes came right out without changing the plot or stunting any character development.
I hope that clears up some of the perception around why it happened. Printing is done on a per-page basis and as Bareback was one of the first three books to go to print, the small, new company was taking a huge risk even doing it; those extra pages were make or break.
Hi Chris
It’s so great to have you on the blog and I’m glad you cleared up any misconceptions.
It never occurred to me or anyone else that commented here, that reducing the size of the original ebook for the purpose of releasing it in print was your idea. I understand that TP had to make a tough financial decision at the time on whether or not to print the book, and it makes sense that length of the story would be one of the factors that went into that decision since, as you said, printing is priced on a per page basis. No one thought that you were ‘stiffing’ the readers. I had no idea that there was anything missing from the print version because it seemed complete and then I went back to TP and found the word count for the ebook. It was my intent to buy this version as well.
Of course publishers have to make the hard financial decisions and in hindsight it was quite a reasonable decision, especially since as you mentioned, Bareback was one of the first books they printed and in any event the content that was deleted was isolated sex scenes.
I think what you heard everyone say was how much we love this book and your writing and no one intended to infer that the difference in word count between the two versions reflected poorly on you. On the contrary.
I think what you heard everyone say was how much we love this book and your writing
Absolutely! *grin* Everyone should read such nice things about themselves — it kind of makes one float through the day on a cloud of warm feelings! 🙂
Publishing on the business end can be so tough; writing, too, now that I think about it. i just didn’t want anyone to think that we — TP or myself — deliberately shorted anyone. At the end of the day we all want to have happy people reading stories that touch them. I can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it is to have people saying that MY story has done that.
It’s the highest compliment there is, and I thank you all for that. 🙂
~ C
Hey Babe, if that’s all it takes, come back when I review 9-1-1, another old favourite *g*
I personally understand the world of making tough financial decisions having done business consulting for 12 years.
As I said earlier, it was great to have you on the blog and I appreciate you taking the time to clarify why there is a difference in content between the print and ebook versions of Bareback.
Wave