5 O'Clock Bar

by Sean Michael, Chris Owen, B.A. Tortuga

The Five O'Clock is a gay bar on the road between Denver and Cheyenne, a lonely stretch of road just perfect for owner Craig. Craig loves his bar, his life and his man, trucker Barney. But Craig and Barney are just two of the men who haunt the Five O'Clock. From Craig and Barney to bargoers who include cowboys, plumbers and musicians, the Five O'Clock Bar gives the boys a safe place to play, and a place to meet the man of their dreams. Blue collar or white, first-timers or regulars, all of them have one thing in common. They need someone to love. Sean Michael gives us the bar owner and his man, along with a down on his luck musician. Chris Owen presents jilted cowboys and pool hustlers. Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga serve up a healthy serving of working-class men and cowboys, all of them hunting the one thing money can't buy. Join some of Torquere Press' favorite authors as they explore the world of midnight pancakes, good beer, hot men, and the Five O'Clock Bar!

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies, Romance, BDSM, Gay, Contemporary, Westerns

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2008

About the author

Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Reviews

[Lexi Ander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the dozen or so short stories that surrounded this bar. From simple hook-ups to two people interested in something more, rednecks to IT techs, each story was unique while sharing the bar as a common thread of where they meet to have a good time. There were some that I liked more than others but the one the I loved the most was right smack dab in the middle called F*cking or Fighting. You gotta love a good bar fight.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The (Overall) Review:

Honesty from the outset~

Super short reads have to be something pretty damn special for me to sit up and take notice.

First things first~

I liked the premise of this book; being a series of encounters within the setting of a gay bar located in America's West. After all, what's not to like about gay cowboys. *g* Overall, however, the anthology did not capture my imagination.

It was nothing to do with the writing (I've read and enjoyed different books from these authors in the past). It was nothing to do with sex playing a large part of each story (um, hello, what do you expect from an anthology of stories about boys meeting boys at a bar??). It was nothing to do specifically with the characters and the encounters (although some I liked more than others). Rather it was that I personally failed to connect with the work as a whole. I finished this book, put it to one side and immediately started the next in my TBR pile.

Interestingly (well, it opened my eyes at least), the stories I appreciated the most of the ten included in this anthology reflect some - as well as the variety - of my reading preferences. These ran the gamut from those stories that had some kind of resolution or at least a 'happy for now' ending, to those that were a bit out of the ordinary. Obviously, I'm not the easiest of readers to please. :)

On to my faves of the stories...

Thursday Night Regulars by Sean Michael: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Sampling:

I know there are a few of them out there at the moment, but I'm a fan of the gay bookstore owner/worker character. I enjoyed this sweet story. It was about chance encounters and soul mates.

I also have to say that it never ceases to amaze me how many different voices Sean Michael seems to have. This anthology shows the author's diversity.

Fighting and Fucking by Julia Talbot: Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

The Sampling:

I could so see this encounter happening. It made me roll my eyes. Fighting one minute and then fuc... well, you get the picture. Boys!

Hustler by Chris Owen: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Sampling:

Leo was an interesting character and the author gave me a short, sharp taste that left me curious for more.

My (Overall) Recommendation:

This anthology is for those interested in short reads about bar hook-ups that have the potential to turn into something more, and for fans of these authors.

[Gwengwel · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 oneshot. Nine couples. 1 bar.

1. The bar owner and his lover. Hot. Contain kink that is not for everyone (enema and fisting)
2. A fresh new start. Hot and strangely touching.
3. A rodeo boy and a redneck. Want to know what happened after...
4. Not really a romance. But hot sex.
5. A sweet story about a librarian and a teacher.
6. A musician and a redneck. Love it.
7. A guitarist and an IT tech. Sweet
8. Two rodeo boy. A second chance. Good.
9. A second chance. Correct story.
10. Sequel of the first one. Sweet. Touching.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that all the stories in this anthology were related with the same bar and sometimes crossover characters.

[Shirley Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, funny and sensual stories around the Five O'Clock bar.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read September 2015

3.5 stars