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Max Jenkins watched enviously as the love between his employers, Rory and Chance blossomed. He never thought to have someone of his own to hold until Bo shook up Max’s world and made him question everything he believed he knew about himself.

What might seem like an impossible dream for two wounded men can be a reality if they’ll only believe—in each other, and themselves.

Max Jenkins has been the foreman on Chance Gallagher’s ranch long enough to know love between two men can be a powerful thing. Despite his rigid upbringing, Max has watched Chance and his partner Rory, has seen the deep and abiding love they have for one another, and Max has found himself thinking about things he’d never acknowledged before. When Max’s friend, Bo Daughtry, is almost killed in a violent attack, Max realizes he has some decisions to make. Years of fear and ignoring his own needs make it difficult, but for the love of one man, Max will fight himself and Bo’s doubts and insecurities.


Reader Advisory: This story is part of a series but can be read as a standalone title.

148 pages, ebook

First published June 20, 2011

12 people are currently reading
160 people want to read

About the author

Bailey Bradford

191 books552 followers
A few things about me...

I am a married mom of four who spends most of the day writing, either on stories or at the blog. I love to write as much as I love to read. I am generally quiet and laid back, choosing to let things slide off me rather than stick and irritate me.

And it's really hard trying to think of descriptives for myself, so I'll just let y'all e-mail me or comment at the blog if there's something specific you'd like to know, and spare you from reading a boring bio:D

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5 stars
110 (24%)
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200 (44%)
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116 (25%)
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22 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Lexy.
1,093 reviews34 followers
January 17, 2022
I thought that this book was okay
Profile Image for Christy.
4,386 reviews125 followers
December 24, 2022
Book series really appeal to me, and have since I was a teenager, because I love being able to revisit characters from prior books, watch new interactions, and meet new characters who will continue into future books. I've always thought that a great book series made me feel like I was sitting down with family, and for that reason, they are often comfort reads for me. 'Miles to Go' is the second installment in the 'Love in Xxchange' series by Bailey Bradford and it can be read as a stand alone, but to get the full impact, I really recommend that you read 'Rory's Last Chance' first.

Rory, his partner, Chance, and Rory's sister, Annabelle, are back. It was wonderful touching base with Rory and Chance again, plus seeing more of Annabelle was an eye opener. I really like her and can't wait to read more from her. I kind of fell for Max in the first book, probably because of how accepting and easygoing he was, as those aren't traits often associated with southern men in their early forties. Especially not cowboys! Max was easy to like as he's very shy, not really comfortable with people, he had a crappy childhood, he's very loyal, and has a pretty laid-back attitude.

I didn't like Bo a whole lot when I first met him in Rory's book, but he redeemed himself, somewhat, towards the end. I wasn't really prepared to have him tug at my heartstrings in this story, as Max pretty much took care of that. But, it was hard not to care about Bo when his background of abuse was revealed. The fact that he had a hard time believing a man as good as Max could care about him was sad and made my heart hurt. Of course, once he does accept it, watching Bo bloom is a beautiful thing.

Max has never really been attracted to anyone in his whole life, having been raised in a strict fundamentalist, very abusive household, so he's pretty confused about some of the feelings Bo generates within him. There is some definite miscommunication between the two men until they get it sorted out, and you can imagine Bo's surprise when he discovers Max has never done anything with anyone, man or woman. To say that Max makes up for lost time quickly is not an exaggeration, and it was very sensual to read.

I really, really liked this second installment. It was warm, tender, rough, gruff, sweet, sour, and all the great things that a loving family has. The Galloway ranch and its inhabitants have become family and they will continue to love, and I think, recruit more good people to their close-knit crowd.

NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review.
Profile Image for Wendy❤Ann.
1,757 reviews48 followers
March 26, 2017
I’d say it took a little longer than usual for me to get into this story. Max is a bit of an anomaly and a bit hard to get to know. It isn’t until Bo gets seriously hurt that they have a chance to truly explore what could be a good thing between them. Pleasant and heartwarming.
Profile Image for Lena Grey.
1,611 reviews25 followers
September 30, 2011
'Miles to Go' by Bailey Bradford is the sequel to 'Rory's Last Chance', in the 'Love in Xxchange Series'. I enjoy revisiting characters I've become fond of in previous books. I like to see the progress they've made as their series continues. I was pleased to see that Rory and Chance, introduced in the previous story, were still together and thriving. I enjoyed learning more about Annabelle, Rory's sister. It was clear that she was a force to be reckoned with, but she turned out to be even more outrageous than I expected. The sibling rivalry between Annabelle and her brother, Rory. definitely added a lot of color to the story. She also served as a link between the past and present relationships, particularly the one involving Bo and Max. Annabelle was there to give them a kick in the ass they needed it and get their relationship going.

Max Jenkins was already a favorite of mine from the previous story. His calm and steady demeanor offers a contrast to the craziness between Chance and Rory. I adored Max for his quiet, unassuming gentleness. These qualities were evident in the first part of this story as well, but when he turned into a sex crazed Neanderthal, I felt that he'd lost a lot of his charm. It's not that I expected, or even wanted, him to be all hung up and afraid of experimenting and enjoying sex, but considering his background, I was surprised when he became so aggressive so quickly. Perhaps he was just making up for lost time. Of course, if he hadn't, none of the incredibly steamy sexual encounters between Bo and him would have taken place and that would have been unfortunate.

Bo Daughtry was also introduced in the previous sequel but I wasn't too fond of him then. Bo was arrogant and obnoxious at times, not to mention whiny; however, after finding out about his past, I began to feel a great deal of empathy for him. Bo definitely won my heart in this book. It was sad that he lived all those years feeling devalued; but it was wonderful to see him finally accept Max's love and believe that he is a good person, who deserves to love and be loved. I enjoyed watching him blossom into a happy, whole person.

'Miles to Go' is a poignant, rough, romantic, sensual love story which also deals with serious social issues such as gay bashing and child abuse. It shows the damage parents can inflict upon their children with their negative attitudes and physical and emotional violence. No child should have to grow up in an environment where they are constantly belittled. Another theme dear to my heart is that everyone is worthy of love and respect and that there's a special someone for everyone. Fortunately, Max and Bo were able to find their special someone in each other. This story can be read alone, but as with any series, will be more enjoyable after reading the first book, 'Rory's Last Chance'.


NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Profile Image for Phaney.
1,248 reviews22 followers
November 27, 2014
2014 Re-read:

I’m not hugely thrilled with the retcon about the interactions Max and Bo had in the previous book, but in this case I found that fairly easy to ignore once I set my mind to it.

What remains is a cute story about two not entirely romance-typical men. Poor guys – both are obviously messed up because, yay, the author cannot resist the traumatic/violent past or even present.

Max was endearing off the bat, but Bo – despite a late viewpoint – turned out especially well, considering his awful beginnings in the first volume. His drama (the underlying part, anyway) starts up fairly late but then he manages to pull those heartstrings with a vengeance). I do like that he does not seem to have suffered a complete character swap; he’s pretty much true to what was established. Max, I am not so sure about in that regard – although part of that has its roots in the scene between Max and Bo and then Bo and Rory that was entirely disregarded for this book; maybe that’s the reason the author pretends now it never happened.

Either way, once the two figure things out together they supply some utterly sweet and satisfying interaction. The best kind of mushy, as far as I am concerned.

Still, the sex is way too frequent and rather on the superlative side. I am not really complaining, simply mentioning that fewer of those scenes would have worked better for me. I don’t like to be forced to skim.

Mind you, skimming is what I might have to do a lot for the next book. It’s that ménage with girly bits. Probably an okay story if you are into that kind of thing, too. I just don’t much care for it here. However! That volume also strongly sets up and already weaves into the succeeding one and I do recall I liked that one a huge lot. So it should be worth it.


2011 Review:

Wow. Both of these first two books have been filled to the brim with trauma. It was actually a bit oppressive the way it just piled on, all the horrifying things… Granted, the author deals with it in a very good way, sensitive, taking things seriously but not over-dramatizing them, all that. Still. I think I want some happy-happy now. ^^;

Even if, of course, both of these books ended in a very satisfyingly happily-ever-after way.

Well and I could take a break from the sex, too, even if it was done very well.

… What else are my demands? I mean, hey, these were great books and the writing was way above the usual fare, so why the hell am I even complaining? XD Chances are that whatever I pick up next will be sad in comparison, unless I go all out and pick a favourite author. Which is usually way dangerous, heh.
Profile Image for Brandielle.
910 reviews
April 4, 2018
I gave this 4 stars because I read it quite a while ago but somehow didn’t record it (or the first book in the series) but I remembered it. I remember looking for the story of Bo and him getting hurt etc. It stuck with me for a couple years and so even though it doesn’t knock me over as a favorite, it deserves a boost in my rating.
Profile Image for Kelly (Maybedog).
3,451 reviews239 followers
May 9, 2016
1.5 stars

This is how my notes started:

This is awesome. A hospital scene without the hospital. The guy's in the hospital, and I'm getting all that scared he's going to die stuff and it's great!

Max is a great character. The author really has him down, his mannerisms, his way of talking, his feelings. I love that he's not the brightest bulb but such a good man.

Tarantulas are poisonous, it's just that the toxin of most species isn't really dangerous to humans.

No normal bed is bigger than twin beds shoved together. That's the size of a king size bed. (It uses two twin foundations instead of a kind sized one.)

I love that they're both over 40.

A club--in a small town in Texas no less--where three men blatantly have sex within 10 feet of the door? No effing way.

I can't stand Annabelle. I don't know how I'm going to read a whole book about her and a threesome at that, which I hate.

This book was completely pointless. Very PWP. Basically soft porn. This had a lot of sex, even for this author, and that's saying a lot. The first actual sex was at 35%, and after that it was pretty much all sex interspersed with a few tiny scenes full of sexual innuendo and "need." It's pretty much just sex interspersed with a little holding while Bo angsts.

The sexual tension started almost from the first page, and other than Bo's beating in the beginning, this was all about desire and sex and need and romance. It had such promise for the first chapter or so with the danger and peril, but then that was over and nothing else happened. I like plot with my romance and I expect more from this author.

Profile Image for SueM.
777 reviews146 followers
May 5, 2012
(2.5 stars)
An average M/M romance about two men, both over 40 (which was nice for a change) and both scarred by their childhood.

Max, at 43, is still a virgin, something that is in part due to his parents violently enforced view that sex was dirty, had long considered himself asexual, until he meets Bo. Bo stirs up all sorts of feelings and desires that at first Max has difficulty in recognizing.

Bo's childhood, on the other hand, had led him to become, in his words, a slut, where one-night stands, or blow-jobs in a club's bathroom, seemed to be all that he could hope for - he didn't feel he deserved anything more.

Both these though, had a yearning for something more, for a relationship with one special person. When an unexpected event hits both Bo and Max hard, they both realize, despite the upheaval, that perhaps they could find that special person in each other.

There is not a great deal of depth to this story for me, with much of it seeming fairly predictable and in some ways, clichéd. The one female character in the story comes across as fairly shallow although an attempt is made to make her seem more caring. I also felt that if the author had left out a couple of sex scenes, the remaining ones would have been sufficient. As it was, I ended up skimming quite a few pages in the last third of the novel, as it seemed to consist mostly of pages of sex, interspersed with a few pages of plot/story.

While I have enjoyed other novels by this author, I think if I had read this one first, I probably wouldn't have read any more.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,860 reviews91 followers
April 19, 2016
Broken...broken...so very broken...I'm not sure when the last time was that I read a book with two such beautiful but damaged souls in it. I ached so much for the MC's, two men who came from such pathetic excuses for a family each seeming to be irreparably damaged and yet each seeing into the others heart and finding love.

Bo and Max on the surface were so different, Bo was the throw away child that no one seemed to want, who substituted sex for love and Max was the abused child whose parents had no idea of what being a truly good and loving parent meant, yet somehow these two men came together and found a love that was good and healthy and real, each helping the other to heal.

Were there things in this story that could have been better - possibly, were there editing errors - definitely, did I care not in the slightest because at the end of it all what I cared about was Bo and Max and the journey they went on that lead them to be together.
Profile Image for Kerry  sullivan.
957 reviews70 followers
June 8, 2012
This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm

This was such a sweet tale of two very damaged men finding love with each other. What I liked most about this was the fact Max had given up on the idea of finding love because he had never been attracted to anyone before so assumed he just wasn't built that way. Then you have Bo who thought he wasn't good enough for long term, never to be Mr right only ever Mr right now. So watching these two men come together was a real treat because they both had so much to learn from each other and that made for an exceptionally good story one that will stay with me for a long time!!
Profile Image for Bradley Mathis-Krone.
189 reviews3 followers
January 20, 2015
Once again Ms. Bradford has once again delivered a absolute page burning rabbit hole of a story. After the first book your hooked, and in the second book you find your self so invested in the lives of the characters you can't put the book down until you know what happens in the end. But then you find your self crying it's over and have to rush to get the next one... And then the cycle starts all over again. So needless to say I fill this must be a TBR!!!

Miles To Go (Love In Xxchange, #2) by Bailey Bradford
Profile Image for Merith.
216 reviews20 followers
September 18, 2011
What I loved about this story, what pushed it from a solid three stars to a four, is the way the author brought us Max without hitting us over the head with him. It was a slow introduction, methodical and quiet - like Max is. By the time Bo moves into the bunkhouse, I felt like I knew Max, and how he'd react to situations and loved him for who he was.

The rest of the story - Bo and his attack, his seduction of Max, Annabelle getting in their way, and even Rory's and Chance's interference - was just part of the story. What made it for me, again, is Max and how he found himself.
448 reviews19 followers
August 24, 2011
There was definitely simmering under the surface of the relationship of Bo and Max in the first release and here we get to see it come to a full rolling boil. The liked the characters, the pacing was smooth and having Rory and Chance return was a nice touch. My complaint is how they treated Max at times. Yes he might have been sexually inexperienced but he was still an adult and didn't deserve to be cross examined like a teenager.
Profile Image for Maya.
1,351 reviews73 followers
June 23, 2011
For some reason the way Rory and Chance treated the Max creeped me out. He is a forty-three year old guy who was getting quizzed like a teenager.

I like the over all story and I liked the way that the author built up the characters. I just found myself a little...not into it. It could be just that I was thinking about another (non-fiction) book that I was reading.
Profile Image for Melanie~~.
997 reviews23 followers
June 21, 2012
This story took me a little while to get into. I didn't connect with either Max or Bo at first. I finally did and enjoyed the rest of the book.

Some of the resolution seemed very quick. I suspect that some of that was due to not having a clear sense of time passing within the story.

Enjoyable enough to keep reading the series.
Profile Image for Rachel Emily.
4,444 reviews380 followers
July 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this one, possibly more than the first book in the series. I loved Bo and Max, how damaged and broken they are and how they both healed with each other. Annabelle was an enjoyable character and I liked seeing Rory and Chance back as well. I am really enjoying this series!
Profile Image for Ferdy Paz.
28 reviews4 followers
January 13, 2013
I enjoyed this book so much more than the first book of the series, not so much because of the story - but because I liked Max and Bo so much, they are both endearing and captivating, particularly Max.
Profile Image for Kira.
187 reviews
June 27, 2011

Interesting story. Loved the characters. It didn't wow me but it certainly is a good story for anyone who likes contemporary "western" and a bit different characters. :)
Profile Image for Aidee Ladnier.
Author 15 books365 followers
March 30, 2012
I really liked quiet Max and over-the-top Bo. They were such opposites but when it came right down to it, they had everything they needed in common.
Profile Image for Amanda .
982 reviews62 followers
May 14, 2012
2.5 stars
These books are like candy, I just can't stop after reading one. They are a little fast paced, insta-love type, but a good fast read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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