One of the first gay cowboy romances that I read was Bareback by fellow Canadian Chris Owen in 2003 reviewed here and I was hooked. I love, love, love this book which became one of my Top Ten All Time M/M romances and I have read and re-read it countless times. When Jake and Tor fell in love I was in heaven, then Tor screwed up and some readers hated the book because they can’t stand cheats. But I and thousands of other readers couldn’t get enough of this couple and in the end it was well worth all the angst.
My next favourite gay cowboy romance is The Tin Star by J.L. Langley reviewed here which was released in 2006. This
was such a poignant romance between Jamie Killian and Ethan Whitehall that every time I re-read the book I want to hug them.
I’m so glad that Teddypig reminded me about a huge omission. Another great favourite is Longhorns by Victor J. Banis. This book is about a pair of old time cowboys, Les and Buck, and I reviewed it here. This phrase best describes Les –
“Les was a loner. Cowboys were , despite the camaraderie of the campfire. When you got down to it, a man sat alone in his saddle.“
If you’re looking for a wonderful book about life on the range Longhorns is the book for you. Here’s part of my review of this book
“This is not a modern M/M cowboy romance – far from it – it’s a story about life on the range where the men had to be as tough as nails to survive, and even then it could be touch and go. These were the days when men would do each other because women were not readily available, especially since they were away 3 months at a stretch.”
Of course the gay cowboy romance that most M/M readers know is Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx. What can I say about this book that you don’t already know? As Victor J. Banis said in his review here
“Brokeback Mountain book and movie, have become such an iconic part of gay lore that it’s difficult to think of anything that hasn’t been said about 
them already and hard for me to imagine that there is anyone gay or gay-interested who hasn’t read the former or at least seen the latter. If you love stories of men loving men, this is The One.”
This slim novella written in 1999 as part of the Close Range anthology went on to become the best known and probably best selling cowboy gay romance in history. It doesn’t seem to matter that there is no HEA (this is not a spoiler because this book has been around for over a decade), readers can’t get enough of this story. I just wish that the writer hadn’t gone the route of the “dead gay” in order to make the story marketable to straight women. Apparently many straight people in those days would only buy a book about gay men if they didn’t have an HEA, so Jack had to die. 🙁
Some recent cowboy romances that I’ve read and enjoyed include James Buchanan’s Twice The Cowboy, Twice the Ride and Jourdan Lane’s Stroke of Luck (Spurs and Saddles), T.A. Chase’s Home series. If you like cowboys Carol Lynne has an entire series based on them called Cattle Valley. 
I have been a fan of cowboys since I first read Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage and Last of the Plainsmen – these latter books are not gay romances but I loved them because they depicted the lives of cowboys in such a way I could actually smell the air they breathed.
Cowboys are the toughest breed of men, riding unending dirt roads all day long rounding up cattle under the worst conditions – I’m sure that being outdoors in the intense summer heat and snow and cold in the winter must affect their delicate complexion. 🙂 They repair fences with nothing more than barbed wire, a few nails and spit 😀 looking hot in those tight Wranglers, just waiting for the great looking foreman on the ranch to grab them at the end of a hard day and lick the sweat off their Adam’s apple. Oooh I’m getting hot.
There are countless gay cowboy romances around and those I mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg. Cowboys are definitely my favourite heroes. What are some of your favourite gay cowboy books?
My next secret kink? Dragonshifters. 😀 In a couple of weeks!
Um, Um, HEY!
And where is there a mention of my favorite Victor J. Banis book Longhorns?
Damn
You’re right TP. I’ll make that correction right away because it’s also one of MY favourites as well. Victor should kick me. 🙂
Given the Condom Shop stats on how the cowboy states are the least well-endowed in the US, I find it a tiny bit hard to read this post without giggling. God, I’m immature.
I guess I’m something of a freak because I don’t have a particular ‘thing’ for cowboys. I do *enjoy* books about them (love The Tin Star, for example) but no more than books about Samurai, businessmen, vets, police officers, graphic artists or strippers. I don’t know why.
Maybe it’s a case of being a giant slut because I love them all equally?
Alexi
I hope you don’t take those condom stats seriously. 🙂
Cowboys are hot! Have you readBareback? If not, I highly recommend it but if you’re put off by cheats maybe it’s not the book for you. Give the cowboys a chance and they will really grow on you.
You like books about strippers? WOW! I’ll have to send you a few recs. 🙂 There is something to be said for being a slut!
I do own Bareback, but I’ve not gathered the courage to read it yet because cheats do bother me, and I know I’ll get all teary and blotchy reading it.
It’s not that I don’t like cowboys and love strippers. I love them both *equally*. And all the other types of gay heroes too. Thinking about it, I honestly can’t find any kind of preference. So, yeah. Giant slut.
So here’s my pitch for Bareback. This book will move you, break your heart and make you jump for joy. Don’t take my word for it, read some of the comments on the review link which I included in the post. After you read the book (I know you will eventually) tell me about your assessment of the story.
(Whines) Oh, man! Now I have to buy extra chocolate AND tissues.
Actually, I probably will read this sometime next week, as it’s been rising to the top of my TBR pile for a while. I’ll let you know what I think when I get there (if I can see the computer screen with my red, swollen eyes).
Particularly on posts like this, I love the feature that lets you see where commenters are from.
You see, cowboys really don’t do it for me – given the choice, I’d rather read about cops, spacemen, firemen, rentboys (definitely rentboys!) and most other professions. Not that I dislike cowboys – they just don’t resonate with me in the slightest.
I’ve always assumed it’s because I’m British and lack the necessary cultural references! So I’ll be checking back to find out whether it’s just me after all… ;D
It’s not just you, JL. 😉 Cowboys don’t do it for me, either, and I think an important reason is the lack of cultural references you mentioned.
In my childhood, “cowboys & indians” was a well-known game and since those days I’ve always been very much more in favor of the Native Americans. The cowboys were the bad ones. *lol*
Give me a good story with a Native American as protag and you sure have my attention.
On the other hand I can see a certain appeal. Cowboys seem to be a symbol for masculinity and being macho. So I guess gay cowboys have to deal with even more prejudices and conflicts. Maybe that is part of the appeal?
“The Tin Star” was one of my first M/M romances and I loved it! Although the cowboy and farm stuff didn’t make the whole story more interesting for me I liked the romance, the characters and the humor. So if the story and characters are good I don’t care about the rest so much but I confess that a story with cowboys will slow down my buying decision in favour of other books.
Lilli
I suppose living in Germany probably wouldn’t give you a frame of reference for cowboys but I do love these guys because they are the quintessential alpha hero, along with cops, firemen, EMY’s, guys in the military etc. which is next week’s post. 🙂
>>On the other hand I can see a certain appeal. Cowboys seem to be a symbol for masculinity and being macho. So I guess gay cowboys have to deal with even more prejudices and conflicts. Maybe that is part of the appeal?<< You're quite right, this is part of the appeal for me but I know that not that many M/M readers love them as much as I do.
Hi JL
I can understand why, living in Britain, cowboys don’t do it for you. It’s a foreign concept. 🙂 Culture has a lot to do with your familiarity with this species. If you’re not exposed to them most of the time you’ll probably say “What’s the big deal about cowboys?” I would probably have the same reaction to a solicitor as a hero in an M/M romance. 🙂
I like cowboys okay and I like the concept of it a lot but in practice I find I get too frustrated with books where being gay can get your ass kicked (more than usual). This also applies to military books. There is often a very big element of paranoia and hiding (except for a few, say JL Langley’s cowboys or Lynn Lorenz who don’t run around wearing a feather boa but don’t spent most of their time angsting about someone finding out either) that makes me frustrated because the emphasis on that instead of “hey, do we actually even have ANYTHING in common besdes hormones?”. So I lilke the modern cowboy somewhat, other’s not so much.
At risk of disappointing you, I’m not a huge Bareback fan. It was okay but I’m one of the few it seems who doesn’t get what the fuss was all about. And no, the cheating didn’t really bother me either, I just didn’t care that much. LOL Sorry. My apologies to all the Jake/Tor fangirls/boys out there.
Tam
You heathen. 🙂 I love all the other characters in M/M books but cowboys do remain one of my favourites.
Getting your ass kicked whether you’re a cowboy or in the military is par for the course if you’re gay but that’s the same in many other professions – police officer, fireman etc. Any career where you’re expected to be macho would do that. On the other hand, living in the land of religious zealots is apt to get you killed, not just ass whupped.
I know that many readers disliked Bareback because of the cheating but there’s a whole lot of Jake and Tor fangirls out there. 🙂 You need to go out to Western Canada to appreciate cowboys Tam.
Well, I grew up in Manitoba, there are a few around there and some are pretty to look at but seriously, ummm, after that it kind of goes downhill. LOL
Well cowboys sure do it for me :-). I still need to read Longhorns. I’m a big fan of Bareback and Natural Disaster and JL’s Ranch series.
No Way Home by T.A. Chase is one of my favorites. Fine as Frog Hair by Sean Michael and BA Tortuga’s Roughstock series (rodeo bull-riders) are also pretty good reads.
MRB
I didn’t read Natural Disaster because it was too much “family” and not enough of Tor and Jake, but T.A. Chase’s “Home” series is another great set of cowboy books that I read and enjoyed muchly.
Fine as Frog’s Hair is on my list of books to review as an “oldie but goodie”. 🙂 I did read a couple of the books in the Roughstock series and enjoyed them as well although not as much as T.A’s Home series.
I love cowboy stories. Bareback is one of my all time favorites, same with Tin Star. I cried.. literally cried when Tor cheated. I don’t like cheating either which made the impact that much more for me. I still read that book every now and then.
Those are the types of books that have such an emotional impact I just don’t want to review them. I’d rather just enjoy the book for what it is.
I also find cowboy books incredibly romantic. Surprisingly they often show the greatest subtly because the men aren’t usually all over each other. They often express their emotions in a look, a brief touch, something small and nuanced which I find often more romantic than full on sex all the time in some books.
Kassa
Same here. I didn’t expect the cheating in Bareback because I read the book when it was first published and the word hadn’t circulated as yet, but after I got over it the emotion in the book is why I re-read it so many times.
>>I also find cowboy books incredibly romantic. Surprisingly they often show the greatest subtly because the men aren’t usually all over each other. They often express their emotions in a look, a brief touch, something small and nuanced which I find often more romantic than full on sex all the time in some books.<< I wish that more writers would learn that it's the little things that make a book romantic - not all the smexxin'. Less is always more.
I am with Tam on this. I thought Bareback was OK, for its hot sex scenes, but I don’t buy the romance at all. In fact, I skipped quite a lots of pages while reading it. But I have friends who rave about it and still read it over and over again, so I guess it’s just different stroke to different people.
I do enjoy a few m/m romance with cowboy as main protags and I am huge fan of Brokeback Mountain, both movie and the short story, however, when I really think about it, it’s not really the “cowboys” that attract me (or my kink, as you say 😛 ), it’s just that I like reading books about gay men in extreme masculine environment, and gay cowboys are one of them. If I have to choose, I have a bigger kink of gay detectives/policemen because those books will also fill my “mystery” need 🙂
Eve
I’m heartbroken that you didn’t like Bareback. (boo, hoo, hoo) 🙁
OK I’m over that now.:) I agree that it’s not to everyone’s taste but I thought that the romance was well done and that’s why I’ve read this book so many times.
Next week I’m indulging my kink of alpha heroes which include police officers, men in the military, EMT’s, firemen etc. so I hope you’ll be back to give me a few recs of books I might have missed. Isn’t it amazing that we all have our guilty pleasures?
Wave, go read Natural Disaster. After the family stuff there is plenty of good Tor and Jake time.
Lilli, I’m a German transplant living in the US and I so get the Cowboys & Native American comment. Growing up watching Winnetou (euro-western, Karl May). I definitely didn’t have a thing for cowboys before I read some of the m/m books, even though I live in a cowboys state (Texas) and white stetson are daily sighting here :-). It’s the characters and their interaction that make these books a great read.
Am I the only person who loves Bareback and wasn’t bothered by the cheating? *covers head to avoid heavy things thrown at it* Not that I’m a proponent or anything, but to me it added some heavy-duty conflict that helped make the story so good.
Cameron Dane’s books Falling and Knowing Caleb are ones I’ve enjoyed. I like cowboys and love paranormals so those were a match made in heaven for me.
Wren
I’m ashamed of you for admitting that cheating is not a deal breaker for you. The reason I was initially upset by Tor’s cheating was because I had no idea it was coming (I had read this book when it was first released and the word hadn’t circulated as yet) and it hit me broadside. Once I got over the shock I was OK. 🙂
Cheating doesn’t bother me in romances at all because I regard it as yet another conflict for the characters to resolve. If you want to read a really funny book where cheating is front and center pick up Sex, Lies and Celluloid by Chris Owen (as you can tell I really love her writing) and Jodi Payne.
Cameron Dane is not a favourite author for me because I can’t stand the way she refers to ass (or arse, if you’re British) as “chute” or “spincter”. As far as I’m concerned there’s only one thing that comes out of a chute and I don’t want to think of that in connection with romance. 🙁 She also uses medical terminology for cock. Every time I read one of her books I have to take a deep breath. 🙂
Undoubtedly, there’s a couple excellent authors writing cowboy erotica. And I will certainly read one that comes well recommended (or a favorite author), but not a genre I go hunting for merely for ‘cowboy’ content.
Denni
Cowboys are not for everyone – sadly I will admit that. 🙂 I hope you will join the discussion on Alpha heroes next week. 🙂
The weird thing is that I loved cowboys and Westerns when I was little. Now…I leave them both alone.
I think it has something to do with the fact that Westerns make me feel shut out. Ever since I was in high school, various conservative politicians have been talking about Westerners as if they’re the only ones who are truly in tune with what America is supposed to be, old-fashioned Western values and pioneer spirit and all. (I remember one nominee to a federal position whose qualifications were quoted as “He is a god-fearing Westerner and a fifth-generation rancher.”) Neither side of my family even got to America until the 1920s (in the case of my father’s family, the 1930s), so I never felt that I had any share in the pioneer spirit/covered wagon/wild West business. And the more that politicians have hammered at the image of the tough, gun-totin’ old West and living up to the traditions of America’s glorious ancestors, the less welcoming the era has been, at least in my eyes.
And the thing is, I know it’s not fair to the authors. I know that lots of people love Westerns. I’ve tried to read a Western that won the Pulitzer. I’ve tried to get past this, I truly have.
But I’ve heard the old West lauded so very much as “the REAL America” and the people of the old West as “REAL Americans”–which, I guess, means that anyone who has no connection to that time is a fake American–that I have a hard time liking Westerns and their characters, let alone finding the characters remotely sexy. All the political rhetoric gets in the way of my enjoyment.
Hi Tracey
You made some excellent points about why you just can’t get into these books. Not living in the US it’s hard for me to appreciate the background about REAL American as opposed to everyone else. One of the reasons I love these discussions is that they give me another perspective on a topic.
Thanks so much for enlightening me.
Great post, Wave! The cowboy thing is definitely a draw for me, and I loved The Tin Star. Also Brokeback Mountain of course. (Could only see the movie once because it’s so sad.) 🙁
Val
So many readers love The Tin Star which is such a wonderful book. I read Brokeback but I didn’t enjoy it because of “the dead gay” which was a feature of books about gays a decade or more ago.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh cowboy post! Yummie!
Yup don’t we all just love cowboys and there is nothing better than a gay cowboy novel to curl up with and read!
I actually haven’t read Bareback and I can just hear you thinking the What?! and the Why?! but I don’t really like Chris Owen’s writing style so it’s one of those books I want to read sometime but haven’t yet!
Among my favorites are of course the Tin Star but also His Convenient Husband and just about all of T.A. Chase’s book that future cowboys!
Hi Larissa
With all the positive comments on The Tin Star I’m betting that most of the readers who haven’t read this book will go out to get a copy. 🙂 It’s a fabulous book.
Re Bareback, just read it when you have some time to devote to it because it’s pretty long – the print version is almost 400 pages and I believe that the ebook is an additiional 10K (mostly sex scenes that were deleted from the print book). T.A. is one of my fave authors and he’s coming out with another book from the “Home” series soon.
Hey Wave! I read it on his blog! I can’t wait!
Funny though, secret kink. My (gay)cowboy obsession is everything but secret in my group of friends. *grin*
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yes, I know I was all squeeful the other day at the mere mention of cowboys. Would you believe I’ve not actually read any m/m cowboy books? Naturally, there’s a “yet” hovering around at the end of that sentence, because I’ll be running off to find out if I can get my grubby little paws on at least one of these books you’ve recommended 🙂
..and to add to the discussion about where you’re from vs. being interested in cowboys – I’m from the UK. My interest in cowboys may be partly to do with living in a rural area (we’re less remote than the Highlands, but…) but I think it’s mostly to do with hats, boots, and them being outdoors-y-kind-of men 🙂
Hmmm, maybe it’s just because I’m not a sufficiently outdoorsy sort of gal?
I’d have to confess, Yorkshire sheep farmers don’t really do it for me either! ;D
LOL.
…I was trying to think of something else to say, but I think I summed it up already 🙂
*giggles some more*
I’m relieved you didn’t turn out to BE a Yorkshire sheep farmer, and get all annoyed at me! ;D
Damn, I should’ve pretended I was!
On the other hand, maybe I should try writing something that’d change your mind about Yorkshire sheep farmers?…
Well, as long as the sheep are only minor characters and not the romantic interest… ;P
Hi Tiggothy
If you’re going to read one cowboy book, maybe The Tin Star would be a good place to start. The after you ‘graduate’ you can try Bareback. 🙂 I hope you enjoy both books since they are my personal favourites but there are many other books about cowboys that are terrific reads.
>>..and to add to the discussion about where you’re from vs. being interested in cowboys – I’m from the UK. My interest in cowboys …. I think it’s mostly to do with hats, boots, and them being outdoors-y-kind-of men << I can see why you're interested in cowboys. 🙂
I’m with Alexi…Though I prefer the title m/m book whore lol!…if you write it I’ll read it…Cowboy, Strippers, Shifters, Men In Denial, you name it I am all over it! I do love Bareback and The Tin Star to the point I think I have read them about 50 times each *grins* (stay-at-home mom, what ELSE am I gonna do clean?)…The cheating in Bareback bothered me a little, however the “reason” behind it made me think, and realize that Jake and Tor are exactly like every other couple I know: they struggle in the same ways we do to stay connected and have the same issues the we do too. This alone is one reason that I absolutely adore the book. The follow-up, Natural Disaster let’s us see into their lives after they deal with infidelity and get back to being a couple in love. As for The Tin Star, Jamie and Ethan both emit such love for each other, their journey is a joy to read. Chris Owens and JL Langley are among my favorite authors! TA Chase’s Home Series are also Cowboy books (and ALL his others too)that make you really SEE love in it’s truest form.
JL, Tiggothy, Carol Lynne did a story on a Yorkshire sheepfarmer *g*
As for the cowboys, I love Longhorns! But setting does not really bother me as long as it has m/m.
And being Dutch, it does not has the same feel I guess as being American.
Yay! Saves me the trouble of researching etc., I can just sit down and *read* about yorkshire sheep farmers!
*g* I’ve read Moor Love by Carol Lynne.
Enjoyed it but… strong, silent types in wellies are strictly take-it-or-leave-it for me.
Hmm. Could it be that your outdoors, manual labour types usually have a firm sense of where they fit in the world, whereas I’m more naturally drawn to the tortured outsider? (Victor in Psycop FTW!)
I don’t mind the cowboy type — or any character type, for that matter — if it’s turned on its head a little. But the same old same-old doesn’t interest me in the least (you know, rugged, sexy, independent, slightly scuffed both physically and emotionally, and smelling incessantly of horses and leather). I’ll pass on that, ’cause it would send me into instant eye-roll.
KZ
Are you saying that licking the sweat running down their Adam’s apple doesn’t turn you on? Shame. 🙂
Maybe the attraction for me is because cowboys don’t usually live in the cities but in the wide open spaces. I wonder if they make love with their boots and ten gallon hats on. *Note to self to check that out.*
>>I wonder if they make love with their boots and ten gallon hats on.<<
Oh, I hope so 😉 (see previous comment re. boots & hats)
I like reading cowboy books and Bareback is one of my all time favorites. When I first read it about 3 years ago I hadn’t discovered the online M/M community so had no idea about the cheating. I think I was as devastated as Jake. But I loved them and the book. Natural Disaster was good but Bareback was so much better.
Longhorns, the Home & Roughstock series as well as The Tin Star are also really good. I’ve never read the book but I loved the Brokeback Mountain movie.
Ingrid
>>JL, Tiggothy, Carol Lynne did a story on a Yorkshire sheepfarmer *g*<< Now they will both rush out to check out the book. 🙂 Longhorns is another favourite that I have re-read several times (is there a pattern here?) 🙂
ElaineG
>>I do love Bareback and The Tin Star to the point I think I have read them about 50 times each *grins*<< A woman after my own heart but I think your record has mine beat. 🙂 You love all of my favourite authors but I wish that J.L. would publish a new book soon. I feel as if I have been waiting forever.
*says plaintively* It HAS been forever lol! I am not the most patient person on this planet, but I try to remember JL is worth the wait….it will be nice to read what’s next, which I think is another wolf story, but I could be wrong.
“You love all of my favourite authors but I wish that J.L. would publish a new book soon. I feel as if I have been waiting forever.”
ElaineG, my understanding from her blog is that her next book *is* a wolf one called With Abandon.
It’s been awhile since I read the Sackett series by Louis L’Amour but I don’t recall any m/m action going on. (I seriously do still enjoy his writing,)
Having a story set in “the old west” is not a selling point in my romance reading. I’m more apt to steer towards Regency books. The main thing I want is a little angst, some actual communication to eliminate incredibly stupid misunderstandings, and good hot smexxing.
I saw “Brokeback Mountain” when it came out and haven’t been able to watch it since or read the book. I loved it but God how heart wrenching. And I can’t go around smacking small-minded, bigoted religious zealots.
On that offshoot note, I’m proud to say I live in the state of Iowa, where same-sex marriage is legal. There are still those who are bitterly against it and I was actually told I was going to burn in hell for not seeing it as a “terrible judgement”. Good times…… 🙂
Sherry
>>And I can’t go around smacking small-minded, bigoted religious zealots.
On that offshoot note, I’m proud to say I live in the state of Iowa, where same-sex marriage is legal. There are still those who are bitterly against it and I was actually told I was going to burn in hell for not seeing it as a “terrible judgement”. Good times<< Iowa is a real bellweather state for just about everything in the US. Maybe this gay marriage thing will catch on. I hope.
Bareback was the very first m/m book I read, and I was hooked instantly. It’s still one of my most favorite m/m books of all time. Like a lot of you, I also love J.L. Langley’s and T.A. Chase’s coyboy books as well. Some other cowboy books I love are: Julia Talbot’s Jackass Flatts (cowboy & miliary–double plus for me), Sparkle and Shine; Tory Temple’s Tabula Rasa; B.A. Tortuga’s Back Forty, Cabin Fever (old west meets BDSM), Latigo & Bits Of Leather, Just Like In The Movies (ex-rodeo horse wrangler & movie star), Lassoed, Mud On The Tires (naked mud hole steer wrangling), No Bull; Mychael Black’s Hearth & Home series (Going Home, Well Laid Plans, On Solid Ground, & Beginnings–tatoo artist & cowboy); Dallas Coleman’s When The Bloom Is On The Sage (a 3 hanky read, but wonderful), Stormclouds, Oranges and Peppermints; Kiernan Kelly’s Riding Heartbreak Road, Two Spirits…just to name a few. (Can you tell I love the cowboy stories… 🙂 )
Hi countrygirlxxoo
A woman after my own heart. I have read many of the books you mentioned including MB’s Hearth and Home series which I believe is now out in print. I’m making notes for those I haven’t read especially Julia Talbot’s Jackass Flatts which I had never heard of. The one book that you mentioned which I read but hated the ending is Kiernan Kelly’s Riding Heartbreak Road. I thought the epilogue was totally unnecessary and heartbreaking and I couldn’t read the book again after the first time. I think I deleted it. When I interviewed her a few months ago I asked her why she thought the epilogue was necessary, and she had no rational explanation.
I will definitely be looking into some of your recs. Thank you.
I like cowboy M/Ms. And I liked Bareback muchly too. I used to hate cheating in M/Ms but have since learned to not just bear with it but to actually like it too (I get to hate the guilty protag for a time) but it has to be followed by a satisfactory amount (A LOT) of grovelling by and punishment on said guilty party tho. Sometimes I need the angst in fiction that I wouldn’t want in RL.
Wave, have you read Cap Iversen’s Dakota Series? They’re historical westerns tho.
Hi Salina
I’m glad you can differentiate between cheating in RL and in books. 🙂 Some of the detractors of Bareback were so angry at Tor that if he were a real person I swear they would have hunted him down. 🙂 Of course in this book there was a lot of grovelling, even to satisfy you.
No I haven’t read the Dakota series. I’ll put it on the list to check out. Thanks for the rec.
Wave – just to clarify on Bareback…there’s a LOT of grovelling, right? I can live with the cheating if there’s remorse. I’m thinking of taking Bareback on a train journey next week but I don’t want to be trapped on a train with a book that will make me so cross that I’ll arrive at my meeting and rip someone’s head off, you know?
How long is the train journey? 🙂 Bareback is much more than cheating and there’s a lot of grovelling but you have to live through Jake’s grief and devastation before you get to the grovelling part. Tor did pay for what he did to Jake.
Before you get to the cheating you will experience the first 20 pages of the book where they had sex in the mud – so hot!!~
The cheating doesn’t take place until almost 3/4 of the way through the book so if you don’t read too fast maybe you won’t get there. Oh wait, I forgot – you’re a speed reader so scratch that. (BTW you have to email me and tell me how you speed read and retain most of what you read. I took a course in speed reading and it was totally useless.) But back to Bareback. I have another suggestion of a book that you might want to take with you if you haven’t read it – Sex, Lies and Celluloid by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne. It’s about cheating but hilarious, not serious like Bareback. If you have an ereader you can download it in a second and take it with you. 🙂
Seriously, I don’t know how you will react to Bareback – it depends on whether someone cheated on you. That’s the barometer I use. If it never happened to you it won’t matter, but if it did you will take the story much more personally. I hope that helps.
It’s a three hour round trip, so I’ll probably be able to finish the book in that time, just because there are no distractions on a train journey.
Yeah, without revealing too much painful history, I’m definitely going to take it personally. But it’s okay so long as there’s real remorse there and they can rebuild things stronger. What burns my toast (in fiction and real life) is where the cheat tries to make it the innocent party’s fault. Any of that and the e-reader will fly out of the train window (and those things are expensive). Anyway, I’ll give it a go – but I don’t know if I want to read the story where the cheating is ‘hilarious’ because I probably *won’t* find it hilarious. Personal issues there. Don’t ask.
I’m not really sure how I speed-read and retain. I taught myself to do it as a teenager in order to pass my exams and I’ve not been able to switch it off since. Basically, I’m a freak. Which I believe returns me to my original post in this comment trail…
Oops! I forgot to add, The Dakota Series might be out of print. I read them a long time ago. But these books (used) can be found at Amazon Marketplace.
Do you like Historical Western M/Ms? I think I must have bought Mel Smith’s Sweet Lips on your recommendation, but I could be mistaken. But I liked that book!
I’ll just say one more thing about Bareback. Both characters were at fault in the relationship, Tor more than Jake of course, but nothing in any relationship is ever one sided. Some readers couldn’t see flaws in Jake because he was not the one who cheated. Tor and Jake started out with random pick ups before they became a couple so it wasn’t as if they hadn’t *done* anyone else before in front of each other. The story is very complicated and the fact that Jake was Tor’s boss had a bit to do with Tor screwing around although that was a small part of it.
I hope you enjoy the book but I won’t kid you it’s a wrenching, complex story IMO.
And the other book? It really is funny. It’s not your usual cheating spouse.
Well, I promise to give Bareback a fair chance. You have good taste, so there must be something really special about it for you to love it so much; and I do like Chris Owen’s other books a lot.
I’m really looking forward to your reaction to this book. I don’t think it will be what you expect and I’m crossing my fingers that you will like it. 🙂 Good or bad, everyone has strong views about Bareback.
P.S. Crying is therapeutic. 🙂
Sez you! You’re not the one who’s going to get escorted off the train for being a looney-woman…
I enjoy reading what you are thinking about next, since your blog is a pleasant read, you are writing with fire.
:help: I am wondering if anyone has any good gay cowboy or any contemporary gay fiction/erotic novels.
I’ve read just about almost everything that i could find and now i am scouring the internet trying to find some titles i have not read.
Read all of
J.L. LANGLEY
K.A. MITCHEL
Z.A. MAXFIELD
CAMERON DANE
CARDENO C.
yeah read bareback hate that story because i hate cheaters…also read the seqeuel because i am retarded.
T.A. CHASE
G.A. HAUSER
MARIE SEXTON
CONNIE BAILEY
D.W. MARCHWELL
ASHLEY KANE AND BETHANY BROWN
READ CAUGHT RUNNING BY ABIGAIL ROUX AND MADELEINE URBAN–HATE THERE OTHER STUFF
JAN IRVING
MARY CALMES
WILLA OKATI
ANDREW GREY
STORMY GLENN
CLARE LONDON
ARIEL TACHNA
KEEPING PROMISE ROCK…. forgot author…
should probably mention that i only read books in paperback and not in ebook format as i refuse to become a part of this ereader phenomenon. :grumble:
This is fun! My sister was telling me about it last week!