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Ride #2
Ride Harder
From Western Spur award-winning author Gordon L. Rottman comes Ride Harder, the sequel to USA Today bestseller The Hardest Ride.
Another classic western yarn from a master storyteller, Ride Harder follows cowpuncher Bud Eugen and his resourceful fiancée Marta as they confront all of the dangers Texas in the late 1880’s holds, both old and newfangled. When the seed money for Bud and Marta’s ranch is stolen from a local bank out of its Yankee-made safe, along with an Army arms shipment, Bud and Marta go back to Mexico to secure their future and that of Texas itself, come hell, high water, or steam-powered locomotives.
Another classic western yarn from a master storyteller, Ride Harder follows cowpuncher Bud Eugen and his resourceful fiancée Marta as they confront all of the dangers Texas in the late 1880’s holds, both old and newfangled. When the seed money for Bud and Marta’s ranch is stolen from a local bank out of its Yankee-made safe, along with an Army arms shipment, Bud and Marta go back to Mexico to secure their future and that of Texas itself, come hell, high water, or steam-powered locomotives.
- GenresWesterns
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2017
327 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Gordon L. Rottman
208 books46 followersGordon L Rottman served for 26 years in the US Army in Special Forces, airborne infantry, long-range reconnaissance patrol, and military intelligence assignments in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. He has worked as a Special Operations Forces scenario writer for 14 years at the Army' s Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk , Louisiana where he developed training exercises for Special Forces.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey.He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey.He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 12, 2017
You aren’t allowed to read this book. Yet.
Confession time. I don’t usually like westerns. I didn’t like the Louis L’Amour paperbacks my father hid under his engineering journals. I didn’t like the beautiful edition of The Virginian that my grandmother gave me for my ninth birthday. I couldn’t see what my mother liked about John Wayne, Gunsmoke, or Bonanza. I sniggered at Spaghetti Westerns (except the ones with Clint Eastwood, because… Clint Eastwood).
But I absolutely loved The Hardest Ride, the first book in this series. It was firmly in the Wild West Show part of the genre, and author Gordon Rottman systematically checked off just about every trope and expectation and then proceeded to play straight with readers even as he subverted almost every trope. Cowboys, horses, guns, bank robbers, trains—all are in these books. And none are quite what I was expecting.
This genre subversion sneaks up gradually as young Bud Eugen narrates his journey into manhood. He’s such a nice kid that you almost don’t notice as he acquires the deadly skills and expertise that will make him a legend. Maybe it’s the fact that he’ll simply never catch up with—or even understand—Marta, the tiny, mute girl he reluctantly rescues but never sees it coming as she becomes the center of his world. Marta is, quite simply, a force of nature.
And that’s why you can’t read Ride Harder until you’ve read The Hardest Ride. You’ll miss too much Marta. Sure, you could probably get a good idea of what she’s all about in the very first chapter of Ride Harder. Bud and Marta have just been robbed of the money that was supposed to set them up with marriage and a ranch of their own. Bud is despondent, but Marta simply has no interest in hearing what they can’t do about the situation. And despite their language differences and Marta’s inability to speak, these two have no communication issues.
Confession time. I don’t usually like westerns. I didn’t like the Louis L’Amour paperbacks my father hid under his engineering journals. I didn’t like the beautiful edition of The Virginian that my grandmother gave me for my ninth birthday. I couldn’t see what my mother liked about John Wayne, Gunsmoke, or Bonanza. I sniggered at Spaghetti Westerns (except the ones with Clint Eastwood, because… Clint Eastwood).
But I absolutely loved The Hardest Ride, the first book in this series. It was firmly in the Wild West Show part of the genre, and author Gordon Rottman systematically checked off just about every trope and expectation and then proceeded to play straight with readers even as he subverted almost every trope. Cowboys, horses, guns, bank robbers, trains—all are in these books. And none are quite what I was expecting.
This genre subversion sneaks up gradually as young Bud Eugen narrates his journey into manhood. He’s such a nice kid that you almost don’t notice as he acquires the deadly skills and expertise that will make him a legend. Maybe it’s the fact that he’ll simply never catch up with—or even understand—Marta, the tiny, mute girl he reluctantly rescues but never sees it coming as she becomes the center of his world. Marta is, quite simply, a force of nature.
And that’s why you can’t read Ride Harder until you’ve read The Hardest Ride. You’ll miss too much Marta. Sure, you could probably get a good idea of what she’s all about in the very first chapter of Ride Harder. Bud and Marta have just been robbed of the money that was supposed to set them up with marriage and a ranch of their own. Bud is despondent, but Marta simply has no interest in hearing what they can’t do about the situation. And despite their language differences and Marta’s inability to speak, these two have no communication issues.
“What you looking at me for, niña? It ain’t my fault. Sumbitches got the drop on us good.”
From under the sombrero she’d taken off a dead bandito last December, her big ol’ black eyes were glaring a hole right through me. She’d held up her left hand to let me know again they’d taken her silver ring.
Here it comes.
Like a clap of thunder, she slapped her hands, stomped her sandaled foot, and jabbed her middle finger down the side trail.
“ Qué? You want me to go after them thieving desperadoes? I ain’t got no caballo, pistola, carabina, or escopeta,” the last being her own shotgun the road agents took. “You know they even took your derringer, uh, poco pistola.”
She slashed her hand cross her throat, then made a strangling motion and a scary gurgling choking noise. I know a lot of bad Mex words for people you’re mad at, and I bet she was thinking all of them and some I’d never heard. I say thinking, seeing Marta’s as mute as an angel’s statue, not that she’s exactly an angel.
What follows is indeed gritty, funny, bloody, and ultimately satisfying on a fundamental level. Not only does it add to their growing legend, but after the money they’ve recovered so bloodily is again lost in a bank robbery, it sets up Bud and Marta for the inevitable harder ride to come.
There are plenty of stock supporting characters—the by-the-book Army officer, the Texas Ranger, the beautiful but shady lady, the black-Indian half breed scout—but each is given three-dimensional life outside of their tropes, and an all-important sense of humor. Take this exchange between West Point educated officer Zach and cowboy Musty—“Honi soit qui mal y pense,” said Zach. “That means ‘Evil be to him who evil thinks.’”
“That ain’t Mex,” said Musty. “What is it?”
“Latin.”
“Latin. Ain’t never heard of that injun tribe. They way up north?”
“More eastward,” said Zach.
In addition to getting his job done, we get to see Bud take more steps on his road to maturity. And, clueless as ever, we see him trying to puzzle out just what it is that makes him love Marta.I liked watching her. Pretty as a filly in a parlor when she cleaned up. Her eyes, she looked at me, and I couldn’t drag my peepers away from her. Even when giving me her stern look, which I saw a lot. But it was somethin’ else. What did Clay call her, one of those sawbuck words? “Determined.” Clay said that meant to never give up and to concentrate. Whatever she was doing, she was concentrating up to her chin. And there was that other thing. I jus’ never knew what she was going to do. Kept me with my boots in the stirrups, you know? I mean, with most cattle you jus’ know what they’re going to do, the same old thing they all do. But there’s always a few in the herd, there’s no telling. Hell, all the cattle could be fighting to get away from a puma, but there’s one who’ll decide to go after the killer critter her own self. That would be Marta.
Maybe I should just be honest and say those five stars are all for Marta. But if I could, I’d give a few more stars too, for the author. Not only did Gordon Rottman show us both Marta and Bud growing into formidable individuals and into a rock-solid couple without her saying a word, but he tells their story through the voice of uneducated, virtually illiterate Bud without making either of them seem stupid or pitiable. In fact, I found Bud’s voice so engaging that when his grammar is repeatedly corrected by the painfully well-educated (but deadly) femme fatale Mera, it makes her seem the annoying one.
Like The Hardest Ride, I found Ride Harder impossible to put down. Please do yourself a huge favor and read it. Just don’t read it first. Marta would be angry with you.
**I received this book for from the publisher or author to facilitate an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
October 8, 2018
Overall, good action, plot is drawn out, characters interesting and some definitely Bad Guys, who are deserving of every rotten thing. What bothers me the greatest was the truly bad editing and inconsistency in the grammar. While book one was charming with the cowpoke slang and uneducated poor grammar, this one devolved into a mess of incredibly BAD spelling, misused words, poor editing and ‘over the top’ deluge of clumsy language. Aside from taking moments to highlight the messy parts, (the editor in me) the book has it’s exciting moments and drags the reader through another wild adventure in the Mexico/ Texas borderlands. For antique gun enthusiasts, Rottman loves to overly explain the weaponry used in this book, a history lesson of its own. I enjoyed the cheeky wit and humor of the characters.
I had a problem deciding if parts of the story were based on real events and people of the time. Which is what a writer can hope for, that readers are intrigued enough to do research of their own. Rottman, for the most part, has a built a niche for himself in historical fiction and the western genre. A cut above some of the other authors. There were a few breaks in dialogues where there seemed to be modern euphemisms and slang used that didn’t feel real. But me, the historian and entomologist, (and the author) might want to check on those bloopers!
I had a problem deciding if parts of the story were based on real events and people of the time. Which is what a writer can hope for, that readers are intrigued enough to do research of their own. Rottman, for the most part, has a built a niche for himself in historical fiction and the western genre. A cut above some of the other authors. There were a few breaks in dialogues where there seemed to be modern euphemisms and slang used that didn’t feel real. But me, the historian and entomologist, (and the author) might want to check on those bloopers!
February 15, 2018
I seldom read sequels because I’ve found most of the time they just can’t live up to the first book. No so with Rottman’s Ride Harder. It is not so much a sequel to The Hardest Ride as it is a story with the same characters plus some new ones. Although Ride Harder can stand alone, it would be a shame not to read The Hardest Ride first simply because you would miss really getting to know Marta. She is almost a secondary character in the second book as far as her involvement but she is very much involved in the man Bud has become and the reason he makes many of the decisions he makes. There’ll be some depth missing from this story if you don’t get to know Marta first. (However, you would only realize this if you had read The Hardest Ride.)
Like The Hardest Ride, this story is raw, gritty and sprawling. Rottman delivers a vivid sense of time, place and people. All the characters are flesh and blood, flawed, funny, sometimes not so smart, brave and sometimes violent. The story is narrated by an uneducated good-old-boy cow puncher who doesn’t really know what he’s doing but he figures it out along the way with some help from his pards. Blend together lots of action, sometimes bloody, centered around a Mexican revolution, dynamite, a train, a handsome army officer, a gritty Texas Ranger, a clever vamp, an ambitious Mexican general, and of course, Bud and Marta and you have a read that kept me turning pages long past bedtime. Definitely a must read. Looking forward to Marta’s Story and any other book with these characters.
Like The Hardest Ride, this story is raw, gritty and sprawling. Rottman delivers a vivid sense of time, place and people. All the characters are flesh and blood, flawed, funny, sometimes not so smart, brave and sometimes violent. The story is narrated by an uneducated good-old-boy cow puncher who doesn’t really know what he’s doing but he figures it out along the way with some help from his pards. Blend together lots of action, sometimes bloody, centered around a Mexican revolution, dynamite, a train, a handsome army officer, a gritty Texas Ranger, a clever vamp, an ambitious Mexican general, and of course, Bud and Marta and you have a read that kept me turning pages long past bedtime. Definitely a must read. Looking forward to Marta’s Story and any other book with these characters.
February 14, 2019
Ride Harder by Gordon L. Rottman is the second book in the Ride series. Although there are two more books in this series, I am stopping at this one. The author closed this book with enough back story and epilogue material that I don’t feel the need to get two more books about Bud and Marta’s children.
The first book of this series, The Hardest Ride was truly awesome. It has been a long time since I read a good Western. The second book of this series, Ride Harder was ok, but not as good as the first book. Ride Harder closes the story of Bud and Marta, who are then regulated as secondary characters as their children become the main characters in the last two books.
The first book of this series, The Hardest Ride was truly awesome. It has been a long time since I read a good Western. The second book of this series, Ride Harder was ok, but not as good as the first book. Ride Harder closes the story of Bud and Marta, who are then regulated as secondary characters as their children become the main characters in the last two books.
February 1, 2018
I was happy to read another story about Bud and Marta, even though this one wasn't quite as much of a nail biter as the first one. I felt it kinda slowed down in the middle and, for me, it got bogged down with too much detail concerning various guns and train information. But the adventure and local color is still here. Also, I noticed more typos and editing needs in this novel. From the looks of the ending, Bud's and Marta's story is at an end, but maybe there's a novel about their intriguing daughter in Rottman's future writing endeavors? I hope so.
September 15, 2019
A GLR. Mexican Border Western Action Adventure (RH)
GLR. has penned a Mexican border western action adventure that takes place in the 1880's and they the 1890's. A married couple settle in West Texas approximately 150 miles east of EL . Paso. Using their money to reinstate the start of their ranch. After they finished building and moving in they were ready to buy cattle, but a Mexican Bandito gang robbed thermally town bank. The two set out for Mexico to chase down the banditos. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
GLR. has penned a Mexican border western action adventure that takes place in the 1880's and they the 1890's. A married couple settle in West Texas approximately 150 miles east of EL . Paso. Using their money to reinstate the start of their ranch. After they finished building and moving in they were ready to buy cattle, but a Mexican Bandito gang robbed thermally town bank. The two set out for Mexico to chase down the banditos. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
July 16, 2017
A worthy continuation of Gordon Rottman's topnotch book The Hardest Ride. I kind of expected to get "more of the same" with this sequel, but was pleasantly surprised that although the narrative continued right where The Hardest Ride left off it placed Bud Eugen and Marta in a different contextual situation that fleshed out their characters.
Good book. You will definitely want to read this book after having first read The Hardest Ride
Good book. You will definitely want to read this book after having first read The Hardest Ride
September 16, 2017
Another excellent adventure by Gordon L. Rottman. This time, Bud and friends (including Marta, who wasn't supposed to...) go back to Mexico to retrieve stolen money and hopefully put an end to a rogue general's plan to carve out a chunk of Mexico and Texas for himself. Lots of action, a big body count, and a satisfying ending.
January 28, 2019
Another writing marvel
Rottman truly is a master at writing intriguing, captivating marvels of historical fiction. Continuing the story of characters Bud and Marta while creating an historical perspective of difficulties between Mexico and the United States was so exciting that one was on pins and needles waiting for what would happen. WOW!
Rottman truly is a master at writing intriguing, captivating marvels of historical fiction. Continuing the story of characters Bud and Marta while creating an historical perspective of difficulties between Mexico and the United States was so exciting that one was on pins and needles waiting for what would happen. WOW!
February 23, 2019
Another good story
First of all I enjoy the story lines in this book. The thing I have trouble with is a visualization of the characters or the country side. I am from this part of Texas and would never be able to see the landscape or the characters through the authors descriptions.
First of all I enjoy the story lines in this book. The thing I have trouble with is a visualization of the characters or the country side. I am from this part of Texas and would never be able to see the landscape or the characters through the authors descriptions.
August 8, 2019
Good Read
I love the telling of this tough story in such believable language. The characters so perfect for the rough times. This story was non-stop action with very interesting characters. It was also fun to hear the future outcome of each character in the epilogue. You must read this.
I love the telling of this tough story in such believable language. The characters so perfect for the rough times. This story was non-stop action with very interesting characters. It was also fun to hear the future outcome of each character in the epilogue. You must read this.
September 10, 2020
Well Done
I enjoyed this part of Bud and Marta's story. Filled with a wide range of well developed characters, the book was filled with action. I would have liked to have seen more Marta, but all in all everything worked out as it should. A very enjoyable read my Rottman. Well done.
I enjoyed this part of Bud and Marta's story. Filled with a wide range of well developed characters, the book was filled with action. I would have liked to have seen more Marta, but all in all everything worked out as it should. A very enjoyable read my Rottman. Well done.
Read
August 12, 2023DNF. Might be that I took too long between the original and this sequel, but the portrayal of Marta felt off to me in this book. I only made it a few chapters in and she was pulling her gun in situations that seemed over the top, and she also was getting wicked pleasure against outlaws that seemed a bit out of character.
January 1, 2019
Very good sequel
I really liked following the characters and their growth.... and the new adventure. All the characters portray all emotions and at the same time show the action and hardships of the wild wild west. Another great read. I will read about Marta now.
I really liked following the characters and their growth.... and the new adventure. All the characters portray all emotions and at the same time show the action and hardships of the wild wild west. Another great read. I will read about Marta now.
February 2, 2019
If you like westerns this is definitely a author you want to try. This is a follow up to THE Hardest Ride and you'll enjoy this more if you read that first. The first book was a survival story and this more of a shoot am up but they're both well above average for the genre. A soft 5.
February 9, 2019
And another great adventure under my belt
One more of your exciting adventures I can now remember (if somewhat blurry) with pleasure. Reminds me of my Louis Lamour adventures in my younger days. Thanks again.
One more of your exciting adventures I can now remember (if somewhat blurry) with pleasure. Reminds me of my Louis Lamour adventures in my younger days. Thanks again.
February 26, 2019
Commitment
This book two in the ride harder series continues to tell a realistic story of the early west. I like how the author used med language and translates, it is like teaching the language.
This book two in the ride harder series continues to tell a realistic story of the early west. I like how the author used med language and translates, it is like teaching the language.
March 2, 2019
Never thought I'd like a western that didn't say Louis L'Amour on the cover. This is grittier than L'Amour, and I wouldn't recommend it for readers under 14-16, but for everyone else, find something to hang on to! This one takes you along for a heck of a ride!
August 6, 2019
Action packed. Revolutiionarys meet the great train robbery. At times difficult to translate the use of both English (mutilated) and Spanish spoken in the same person in the same sentence. Translation not provided at all in some cases.
September 12, 2019
Wow, such adventure
Love the first book, and this second one has not disappointed. I felt like I had gone back in time. These books some I'd like to keep in my library to read over and over again.😊
Gracias Mr. Rottman. It was real adventure.
Love the first book, and this second one has not disappointed. I felt like I had gone back in time. These books some I'd like to keep in my library to read over and over again.😊
Gracias Mr. Rottman. It was real adventure.
April 6, 2021
Great story, poor editing
Five stars for content. I deducted a star because it is poorly edited, plenty of errors that someone should have caught and corrected. Just little things but I find it distracting when I'm in the middle of a good story.
Five stars for content. I deducted a star because it is poorly edited, plenty of errors that someone should have caught and corrected. Just little things but I find it distracting when I'm in the middle of a good story.
August 6, 2017
Good read.
I chose this book based on the previous "ride" novel.
Liked the story line, but the adventure a shade predictable.
I chose this book based on the previous "ride" novel.
Liked the story line, but the adventure a shade predictable.
November 5, 2017
Great adventure
Wonderful story told with great energy and with characters you want to know more about. A worthy followup to Hardest Ride.
Wonderful story told with great energy and with characters you want to know more about. A worthy followup to Hardest Ride.
December 28, 2017
Very good sequel.
This book is as action packed as Hardest Ride. Sequels sometimes have a hard time matching the excitement of the first novel but this one does. Very good.
This book is as action packed as Hardest Ride. Sequels sometimes have a hard time matching the excitement of the first novel but this one does. Very good.
January 20, 2018
I really enjoyed the book. The author is clearly in touch with the environment he wrote about. Authentic, best compliment I can think of.
May 7, 2018
A great story, kept you hooked page after page.
July 2, 2018
Enjoyed it, first book felt better ... . 3,5 *
February 4, 2019
This sequel isn't quite as good as The Hardest Ride, but it's still pretty good as fast-paced western adventure, nothing earthshaking but fine entertainment.
February 6, 2019
Enjoyed 2nd book too’
Interesting read, enjoyed the story of all
the characters. Looking foreword to 3rd
book. Wish book had told more of Marta’s
wedding to Bud though.
Interesting read, enjoyed the story of all
the characters. Looking foreword to 3rd
book. Wish book had told more of Marta’s
wedding to Bud though.
November 12, 2019
This was every bit as good as "The Hardest Ride". I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews