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Bareback #1
Bareback
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?
372 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
71 people are currently reading
2715 people want to read
About the author
Chris Owen
101 books907 followersI live and write in eastern Canada. I went to a bunch of schools, learned a lot of things, and now make stuff up because not to do so is unthinkable. I'm fond of fountain pens, Levenger's Circa system, and Steampunk fashions.
I'm inspired by the day to day minutia of life, and find beauty in the way words go together. I like texture and richness of experience. I'm not shy. I'm happy, I'm learning, I'm living.
I'm inspired by the day to day minutia of life, and find beauty in the way words go together. I like texture and richness of experience. I'm not shy. I'm happy, I'm learning, I'm living.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
August 2, 2014
salad days.
the first review i wrote for this book was a kind of encapsulation of everything i have since learned about M/M but did not know Back Then, in the days when i thought 'M/M' meant 'Male/Male' and not 'Male-ish/Male-esque.'
those were the days.
you know of what i speak:
back when something so ludicrous as a character named Tornado being thusly christened because he could suck dick...
...like a tornado...
...did not strike anyone as even a little bit ridonk.
back before i understood that the american cowboy is to the cozy, suburban american romance reader what the highland prince is to the cozy, british romance reader: recreational masculinity abuse.
we like our cowboys and our highlanders, because the idea of an outdoorsy, rugged, sloe-eyed savage fucking our guts out is a lot more attractive than the sun-ravaged, horse-bestenched, no-underwear-wearing taint-stainked bunion-poxed melanoma-having manual laborers with approximately 3 teeth and a kind of chitinous exoskeleton of filth encrusting all their creases.
we're not so much into... quite... that... degree of cowboy authenticity.
but the blue-jeans? the hat? the bowlegged swagger and shitkicker hero pose?
oh, yes. gut me up against the barn, tor, like one of your french girls.
so that's how you get this mindless, equine-scented, wildly-improbable piece of poo; that's how you get rapey Carraghs and MacGuttybusters with E-Z Access Kilten Kocks.
and whatever the fuck that little purse at the front is called.
idealized male ...um, ideals.
a kind of hypermasculine yet utterly, distractingly, viscerally false cock-puppetry, like:
I AM A RUGGED COWPOKE WHO DON'T TAKE NO SASSAFRASS FROM NOBODY SO WHY CAIN'T YOU SEE MY TEARS!?!?!?
***
for fuck's sake his name—
—is tor-na-do.
***
yeah.
so.
...dafuq were we talking about, here?
oh. right.
selective application of critical thinking in the service of escapist happyfuntyme.
and it is fun—make no mistake.
fun if you don't think about... anything.
so much skill and craft thusly applied in the service of entertaining a reader blessed with that degree of escapist dedication—i mean, you could make a case that this isn't a cowboy contemporary so much as a western fantasy.
lots of good scenes, and memorable dialogue, and skillful characterization.
it's just... to appreciate them, you've got to ignore Teh Stupid.
***
but—that said—that's all popular entertainment, isn't it?
to different degrees, of course, but that's why nobody ever poops in a romance, right? even though we know perfectly well that, in real-life, they'd turn septic and fuckin die if they didn't?
aint nobody wanna be reading about no realnezz gurl, you be buggin.
***
so that's not the charge i level against this book.
context-sensitive reality in the service of better entertainment? that's perfectly fine.
cuz every author does that—even me.
no, the crime committed by this cowpatty of a story is pretty tragic, actually.
because i'm not even sure it could have been avoided.
i'm talking about the crime of NOT BEING VERY GOOD.
***
so here i am, two years later, trying to make sense of why i can slice this thing up 19 different ways today, but Back To The Future, all i could manage was:
see?
see that guy?
the one who wrote that review?
that guy's flummoxed.
bemused, even.
this guy?
this guy here? today?
this guy's got a goddamned grudge.
because fucking on bales of hay is like fucking on a bed of fifty thousand deep-tissue hypodermic needles, cunningly angled so as to remain optimally positioned to stab your ass—no matter which way you shift and shuffle to mitigate the comprehensively unpleasant sensation of being pierced by by sharpened sticks all over your body at once.
and that's before you shimmy outta your jeans like a hoor so you can rut with a barbarian.
happy trails!
the first review i wrote for this book was a kind of encapsulation of everything i have since learned about M/M but did not know Back Then, in the days when i thought 'M/M' meant 'Male/Male' and not 'Male-ish/Male-esque.'
those were the days.
you know of what i speak:
back when something so ludicrous as a character named Tornado being thusly christened because he could suck dick...
...like a tornado...
...did not strike anyone as even a little bit ridonk.
back before i understood that the american cowboy is to the cozy, suburban american romance reader what the highland prince is to the cozy, british romance reader: recreational masculinity abuse.
we like our cowboys and our highlanders, because the idea of an outdoorsy, rugged, sloe-eyed savage fucking our guts out is a lot more attractive than the sun-ravaged, horse-bestenched, no-underwear-wearing taint-stainked bunion-poxed melanoma-having manual laborers with approximately 3 teeth and a kind of chitinous exoskeleton of filth encrusting all their creases.
we're not so much into... quite... that... degree of cowboy authenticity.
but the blue-jeans? the hat? the bowlegged swagger and shitkicker hero pose?
oh, yes. gut me up against the barn, tor, like one of your french girls.
so that's how you get this mindless, equine-scented, wildly-improbable piece of poo; that's how you get rapey Carraghs and MacGuttybusters with E-Z Access Kilten Kocks.
and whatever the fuck that little purse at the front is called.
idealized male ...um, ideals.
a kind of hypermasculine yet utterly, distractingly, viscerally false cock-puppetry, like:
I AM A RUGGED COWPOKE WHO DON'T TAKE NO SASSAFRASS FROM NOBODY SO WHY CAIN'T YOU SEE MY TEARS!?!?!?
***
for fuck's sake his name—
—is tor-na-do.
***
yeah.
so.
...dafuq were we talking about, here?
oh. right.
selective application of critical thinking in the service of escapist happyfuntyme.
and it is fun—make no mistake.
fun if you don't think about... anything.
so much skill and craft thusly applied in the service of entertaining a reader blessed with that degree of escapist dedication—i mean, you could make a case that this isn't a cowboy contemporary so much as a western fantasy.
lots of good scenes, and memorable dialogue, and skillful characterization.
it's just... to appreciate them, you've got to ignore Teh Stupid.
***
but—that said—that's all popular entertainment, isn't it?
to different degrees, of course, but that's why nobody ever poops in a romance, right? even though we know perfectly well that, in real-life, they'd turn septic and fuckin die if they didn't?
aint nobody wanna be reading about no realnezz gurl, you be buggin.
***
so that's not the charge i level against this book.
context-sensitive reality in the service of better entertainment? that's perfectly fine.
cuz every author does that—even me.
no, the crime committed by this cowpatty of a story is pretty tragic, actually.
because i'm not even sure it could have been avoided.
i'm talking about the crime of NOT BEING VERY GOOD.
***
so here i am, two years later, trying to make sense of why i can slice this thing up 19 different ways today, but Back To The Future, all i could manage was:
Dunno how I finished this. All a blur of dislike. So antipathetic I forgot to mark it as read, even. The story: a pretext for cowboy fuckery. There's no there, there...
...except for a bit of actual conflict towards the end.
In a barn, of course.
Meh.
see?
see that guy?
the one who wrote that review?
that guy's flummoxed.
bemused, even.
this guy?
this guy here? today?
this guy's got a goddamned grudge.
because fucking on bales of hay is like fucking on a bed of fifty thousand deep-tissue hypodermic needles, cunningly angled so as to remain optimally positioned to stab your ass—no matter which way you shift and shuffle to mitigate the comprehensively unpleasant sensation of being pierced by by sharpened sticks all over your body at once.
and that's before you shimmy outta your jeans like a hoor so you can rut with a barbarian.
happy trails!
April 1, 2011
This book completely ruined me for anything even resembling a cheater book. I fucking hate Tor with a passion that is undeniable. By the end of the book I even hated Jake.
~~04-01-11~~
It has been well over a year since I have read this book and I just thought that I would add that I still hate Tor.
~~04-01-11~~
It has been well over a year since I have read this book and I just thought that I would add that I still hate Tor.
November 23, 2015
*** 4 STARS ***
Holy HELL...this was a HOT ONE.
Up against the wall,
In a hay loft,
Tied up in a barn,
A hot 4 way in a field.....
These men had some stamina!!
But,aside from the SEX the story was actually really good
I went into this one knowing it had lots of hot sex and cheating.I didn't want to put the cheating aspect in a spoiler because I think it's important to understand this book.
Jake and Tor both work on the same ranch and pretty much hate each other until one night things get down and dirty.They kind of become fuck buddies which eventually becomes so much more....
Their story spans over many years.They start a relationship that was highly passionate but along the way they get complacent and Tor crosses the line,leaving Jake devastated.
It's hard to evaluate cheating because it's a highly emotive subject.What I will say is that I think it's very well written.
I'm maybe a bit weird because I quite enjoy a cheating aspect,I think it adds a reality to some stories and in this case it was really well done.
This book is obviously a lot about the sex but when it gets to around 65% it takes a much more emotional aspect.
I'm all about sex in books but I actually enjoyed the more emotional part of the story here.
These men both made mistakes(one more than the other)but it's a story I really, really enjoyed...
Holy HELL...this was a HOT ONE.
Up against the wall,
In a hay loft,
Tied up in a barn,
A hot 4 way in a field.....
These men had some stamina!!
But,aside from the SEX the story was actually really good
I went into this one knowing it had lots of hot sex and cheating.I didn't want to put the cheating aspect in a spoiler because I think it's important to understand this book.
Jake and Tor both work on the same ranch and pretty much hate each other until one night things get down and dirty.They kind of become fuck buddies which eventually becomes so much more....
Their story spans over many years.They start a relationship that was highly passionate but along the way they get complacent and Tor crosses the line,leaving Jake devastated.
It's hard to evaluate cheating because it's a highly emotive subject.What I will say is that I think it's very well written.
I'm maybe a bit weird because I quite enjoy a cheating aspect,I think it adds a reality to some stories and in this case it was really well done.
This book is obviously a lot about the sex but when it gets to around 65% it takes a much more emotional aspect.
I'm all about sex in books but I actually enjoyed the more emotional part of the story here.
These men both made mistakes(one more than the other)but it's a story I really, really enjoyed...
September 20, 2018
Ceaseless in their desire and ardor, relentless in their passion and consumed by lust! Tor and Jake, Damn....they are Hot!!! Chris Owen, you certainly know how to write sex scenes...
I am late AGAIN to the party!.... This book and I, have been embroiled in conflicting arguments, for and against Tor, which has been highly entertaining! Having now read the book, I fully understand the reasons behind the contradictory emotions of Love, Hate, Passion, Disgust, Anger and Forgiveness. My own conclusion being you "Hate to Love it" and "Love to Hate it" plus - it is "Hot as Hell"...... which makes me feel the author got it right! To evoke so much emotion good and bad from readers, it must be something special, whether you like it or not!
The book is told completely from Jake's POV, so in my humble opinion we are already biased, not being privy to Tors thoughts and feelings, his inner turmoil and confusion hidden from us and his secrets not shared until he is ready to discuss them with Jake. There is no insta love between them it is a relationship where the dynamics are constantly changing over a four year period. In fact, initially, Jake hates Tor with a passion, to him he has no redeeming qualities and there is not one thing, that makes him even remotely like Tor!... except maybe the sexual tension between them that has yet to be explored. It does also cross Jake's mind that they were actually alike, but Tor's smart ass, arrogant and full of attitude nature, which in Tor is negative, Jake see's as positive in himself!...and so, the journey begins, from fuck buddies, to friends with benefits, to lovers, to forever!...with one HUGE FUCK UP in the middle!
There is nothing pretty about Tor and Jake, they are in fact your typical rough and tough, hard working cowboys, both ruggedly handsome, who also happen to have the libido of a stallion and the stamina of a marathon runner! They are insatiable, unable to appease their desire for each other. In other words, they seem to be walking around with a constant...hard on! Taking advantage of each other anywhere and everywhere...Holy Hotness!
Our two MC's are both flawed, in that they have deep issues in their pasts, with life changing moments, which haunt them. Jake has been alone for most of his life, his parents zealot homophobes threw him out at 17...to them, he was dead! Now, the closet thing to a family he has is Doug the owner of Gillians Ranch who took him in when he had nowhere to go.
Jake is happy on the Ranch, has no ambition for himself and wants only the simple things in life, so when our impulsive Tor, who when he wants something grabs for it regardless of the consequences, makes the first move, Jake is very tight lipped. Having had no role models to speak of he has no understanding of what a relationship entails and finds it hard to express himself, his past and previous loneliness attributing to the fact. Tor is far more confident than Jake and a bit of a lad, animated in comparison to Jake's quiet and unassuming nature, but Tor is also compassionate and caring wanting nothing more than to protect Jake, whilst dealing with his own inner demons and guilt.
So invested was I with these characters, I laughed, cried, blushed, been so angry to the point where my Kindle almost learnt to fly, felt sick to my stomach with the pain of deception and conflicted in my own emotions at these two men who had it all, but somehow managed to make a mess of things through lack of communication!
There is a lot of sex in this book, in fact I had to put it aside for a while, as the sexual tension, my own!....not theirs! was becoming uncomfortable..... sucking, moaning, grinding, rubbing, touching, stroking, teasing, kissing, shuddering, slurping, twitching, groaning, thrusting, FUCKING COMING!.....and that was all on one page! If i could give it more than 5 on the hotness level, I would. However, as much as I love smexy man on man action, there was probably a chapter too much! OMG...did I really just say too much sex! There is, also a great story between the sex, but you need to get around the 30% mark before it kicks in proper!
I loved this book, and I will now be popping off to buy the next one in the series..
4.25 stars.
I am late AGAIN to the party!.... This book and I, have been embroiled in conflicting arguments, for and against Tor, which has been highly entertaining! Having now read the book, I fully understand the reasons behind the contradictory emotions of Love, Hate, Passion, Disgust, Anger and Forgiveness. My own conclusion being you "Hate to Love it" and "Love to Hate it" plus - it is "Hot as Hell"...... which makes me feel the author got it right! To evoke so much emotion good and bad from readers, it must be something special, whether you like it or not!
The book is told completely from Jake's POV, so in my humble opinion we are already biased, not being privy to Tors thoughts and feelings, his inner turmoil and confusion hidden from us and his secrets not shared until he is ready to discuss them with Jake. There is no insta love between them it is a relationship where the dynamics are constantly changing over a four year period. In fact, initially, Jake hates Tor with a passion, to him he has no redeeming qualities and there is not one thing, that makes him even remotely like Tor!... except maybe the sexual tension between them that has yet to be explored. It does also cross Jake's mind that they were actually alike, but Tor's smart ass, arrogant and full of attitude nature, which in Tor is negative, Jake see's as positive in himself!...and so, the journey begins, from fuck buddies, to friends with benefits, to lovers, to forever!...with one HUGE FUCK UP in the middle!
There is nothing pretty about Tor and Jake, they are in fact your typical rough and tough, hard working cowboys, both ruggedly handsome, who also happen to have the libido of a stallion and the stamina of a marathon runner! They are insatiable, unable to appease their desire for each other. In other words, they seem to be walking around with a constant...hard on! Taking advantage of each other anywhere and everywhere...Holy Hotness!
Our two MC's are both flawed, in that they have deep issues in their pasts, with life changing moments, which haunt them. Jake has been alone for most of his life, his parents zealot homophobes threw him out at 17...to them, he was dead! Now, the closet thing to a family he has is Doug the owner of Gillians Ranch who took him in when he had nowhere to go.
Jake is happy on the Ranch, has no ambition for himself and wants only the simple things in life, so when our impulsive Tor, who when he wants something grabs for it regardless of the consequences, makes the first move, Jake is very tight lipped. Having had no role models to speak of he has no understanding of what a relationship entails and finds it hard to express himself, his past and previous loneliness attributing to the fact. Tor is far more confident than Jake and a bit of a lad, animated in comparison to Jake's quiet and unassuming nature, but Tor is also compassionate and caring wanting nothing more than to protect Jake, whilst dealing with his own inner demons and guilt.
So invested was I with these characters, I laughed, cried, blushed, been so angry to the point where my Kindle almost learnt to fly, felt sick to my stomach with the pain of deception and conflicted in my own emotions at these two men who had it all, but somehow managed to make a mess of things through lack of communication!
There is a lot of sex in this book, in fact I had to put it aside for a while, as the sexual tension, my own!....not theirs! was becoming uncomfortable..... sucking, moaning, grinding, rubbing, touching, stroking, teasing, kissing, shuddering, slurping, twitching, groaning, thrusting, FUCKING COMING!.....and that was all on one page! If i could give it more than 5 on the hotness level, I would. However, as much as I love smexy man on man action, there was probably a chapter too much! OMG...did I really just say too much sex! There is, also a great story between the sex, but you need to get around the 30% mark before it kicks in proper!
I loved this book, and I will now be popping off to buy the next one in the series..
4.25 stars.
April 3, 2019
Let me start with warning you that this reviews contains spoilers !!!! Don't read it, if you don't want to know what happens !!!!
I had to think about my review for a bit.....I also had to cool down before writing down my thoughts because this book was extremely HOT .......and I do mean really really HOT !!
SO, let me introduce you to Jake and Tor ;) Jake and Tor work together at the same ranch. Jake is sort of the boss' right hand man, and Tor is a farmhand. Jake has been living at the ranch for a long long time...Tor has been there a lot shorter. They are both gay. They are not out, and only Jake's boss knows everything about him. They are both in there late thirties.
These two start out as sort of frenemies. They don't like each other all that much, but this all changes, after one very hot encounter. They are all over each other from that point on, and they even come out together. Well...they are kind of forced to come out after an incident occurs. So pretty soon everyone knows about the two of them.
This brings with it some major bigotry...which of course pissed me way the hell off !! People can be so stupid !!!
Jake and Tor are both dirty boys ;) They have a lot of sex...and when I say a lot...I mean a whole freaking lot. They also play around with other men. In the beginning of the book there was a foursome...which I have to say was very nicely done. It's the only one we get to read about. There are some references in the book about the two of them playing with someone else, but it doesn't go into detail. They only do it when they are together and when they are both into it.
There is tons of grunting and moaning. These men can't seem to get enough of each other. It was actually kind of sweet how much they wanted to be with the other. It was also very HOT...did I mention HOT yet ?? :P
They are together for some time in the book...months turn into years and things pretty much stay the same way. Which is where the actual problems start. These two...they need each other and they really do love each other, but they don't talk. They fight (sometimes) and they fuck. Instead of talking about what's bothering them, they solve everything with a fuck.
That's when the cheating comes into play. Normally I hate cheating in a book, but I really wanted to read this one and I'm so glad I did. The cheating happens, when they've been together for about 4 years. It came out of nowhere and even though I knew it was gonna happen...I was still shocked. I just wanted to punch Tor in the teeth. God he made me so angry. I just couldn't believe he did that to Jake.
Poor Jake is crushed of course, and when he finds out it wasn't even a "one time" kind of deal, his heart breaks some more. At least he got Travis (that's the little bitch Tor was with) fired. He let's Tor stay however. He knows Tor's mother is sick and Tor is sending all his money her way. He knows Tor's family...and he doesn't want them to pay, for what Tor did. I felt so fucking sorry for Jake. I didn't think he did anything wrong to deserve any of this.
Of course Tor is sorry...really really sorry. But that doesn't change a thing for Jake. He is done. He might not be able to kick Tor of the ranch, but he does kick him out of their room. He lives like a zombie for a month or so, throwing up and crying and when he's done, he tries to pick up his life. He doesn't start any fights with Tor, what's the point. He thinks it's best of they just try to be colleagues and do their jobs.
This goes on for a long time. I think it was 8-10 months. Tor leaves 4 months after he figures out that Jake won't give him a second chance. Eventually an old friend/colleague comes to visit, and gives Jake an asswooping about not giving Tor a second chance. Now that pissed me off even more. Who the hell gave him the right to fucking blame Jake ?? Asshole...I really hated Hound right then. I lost all my respect for the dude, what an asswipe.
This get's Jake thinking and eventually he goes in search of Tor. Even though Tor really pissed me off, I did understand where Jake was coming from. He loved Tor and he knew Tor loved him back. He really wanted to be with him and if you want something so bad....you gotta go and fight for it !! He made Tor grovel and he made him pay. He didn't just roll over. It was his decision to make.
Of course there is some more delicious steam at the end...lol
Now even though this one ends on a HEA, I'm gonna read book 2. I really need to read about Tor redeeming himself some more and I heard book 2 is like one long ass epilogue and I really need that closure right now.
I'm so glad I gave this one a go, I am sure I will re-read it many times in the future.
I would recommend this one, to those who don't mind a lot of sex and cheating in their book. That said... it was also very sweet at times !!
Also ... sorry for all the gif's. I got a bit carried away :P
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This review is posted on Wendy's Wycked Words
March 19, 2015
I hated this!
Let me explain something. I'm young, yes. Some may say naive. But one thing I am not is stupid. I know what cheating is. I know I hated it and if you want to read this for the sex, my advice would be to go and watch some porn. It would be easier than this.
Not a fan of cheating!
Any of my Goodreads friends will know I hate cheating. For a couple who had so much sex, for Tor to have a 3 month long affair was ridiculous. I do not know why Jake took him back and I don't know why I cared after a while (but I did!).
This book left me with issues. I don't have a problem with erotica. But when there's cheating in a book when I want romance? I get extremely pissed!
The book was long and it was way too long for all the sex, cheating and weak characters. I don't know who was weaker, Tor might have been the weakest for me at first. Now I believe it was Jake. He took the ass back. I wanted to slap him for that, it was stupid. I am still spitting fire about that.
Tor and Jake. You two need to get your acts together.
Between Tor's cheating and Jake's ability to sleep with him, leave him again and then take him back all in the space of one book I am destroyed. I needed at least one MC I could love. I did not find one in this.
Did I also mention that there was a menage scene? Oh yeah. At the beginning of the book. They had sex with another couple. YAY!!! Not!
I didn't know about that. But it wasn't what I wanted to read. And between that and all the sex these two had, it made the cheating even harder on me, if that's even possible. Ugh, I was so angry reading this.
I can say the writing was pretty good and if things had gone differently, I would have liked it a lot more.
My final thoughts on this book.
I gave too much time to this book. :(
Let me explain something. I'm young, yes. Some may say naive. But one thing I am not is stupid. I know what cheating is. I know I hated it and if you want to read this for the sex, my advice would be to go and watch some porn. It would be easier than this.
Not a fan of cheating!
Any of my Goodreads friends will know I hate cheating. For a couple who had so much sex, for Tor to have a 3 month long affair was ridiculous. I do not know why Jake took him back and I don't know why I cared after a while (but I did!).
This book left me with issues. I don't have a problem with erotica. But when there's cheating in a book when I want romance? I get extremely pissed!
The book was long and it was way too long for all the sex, cheating and weak characters. I don't know who was weaker, Tor might have been the weakest for me at first. Now I believe it was Jake. He took the ass back. I wanted to slap him for that, it was stupid. I am still spitting fire about that.
Tor and Jake. You two need to get your acts together.
Between Tor's cheating and Jake's ability to sleep with him, leave him again and then take him back all in the space of one book I am destroyed. I needed at least one MC I could love. I did not find one in this.
Did I also mention that there was a menage scene? Oh yeah. At the beginning of the book. They had sex with another couple. YAY!!! Not!
I didn't know about that. But it wasn't what I wanted to read. And between that and all the sex these two had, it made the cheating even harder on me, if that's even possible. Ugh, I was so angry reading this.
I can say the writing was pretty good and if things had gone differently, I would have liked it a lot more.
My final thoughts on this book.
I gave too much time to this book. :(
December 13, 2023
4 emotionally conflicted Stars
Well, I’m not sure what to say?
Firstly, this review is full of spoilers, but I feel like they are necessary spoilers that will help readers, like me, to decide whether this is the kind of story they are willing to read or not. So, you’ve been warned and should continue reading this review at your own risk.
You see, this story is a gay romance, which by all accounts (I felt) was extremely moving and authentic. But the issue I had—and the issue many other readers may also have, according to some of the other reviews—lies in the fact that this story features a heavy theme of infidelity between the main characters. More on this later…
The story spans over four years following the tumultuous relationship between cowboys, Jake and Tor. When the story begins, the two have been working together on a ranch for years; they live in the same bunk house and have quite a frenemies thing going on between them.
When one heated encounter leads to the two men realising the other is gay, the two begin an extremely impassioned and erotic affair that slowly develops into something tender and profound.
As the years pass by, Jake and Tor face many trying times together, from dealing with family dramas and bigotry, to sharing and accepting one another’s past emotional traumas. They seem like a strong, solid couple, but eventually they lose their way (like so many couples do) and fail to open up to one another, limiting them from truly being happy together.
This is around the point (four years in) when Jake witnesses Tor cheating with a young ranch hand.
Jake was (understandably) shocked and hurt, and ultimately left broken by the discovery of Tor’s betrayal. Tor, in turn, was deeply remorseful—he was truly distraught over what he’d done and was left guilt ridden and heartbroken over the ramifications of his actions. I was devastated, too. I felt like it had happened to me. I know that sounds dramatic but I found myself so affected by the situation that I was in a high state of anxiety for days after I read the scenes in question, even working myself up to the point that I felt physically ill just thinking about it. Needless to say, I put the book aside for TWO WHOLE MONTHS because I just wasn’t in the right headspace to continue on.
Jump to this weekend, when I finally sucked it up and returned to the book to see how Jake and Tor’s story would end.
The final third of the book was extremely tough reading for me. I felt angry and sad and heartbroken right along with both Jake and Tor. That’s right, I actually sympathised with Tor and didn’t find myself hating him like I expected to. Don’t get me wrong, I was infuriated by his behaviour, especially once it was revealed that he had engaged in a meaningless affair with a guy he didn’t give a shit about for two months, while lying and essentially destroying every good thing he once had with Jake.
Eventually, with some distance and the healing powers that only time can bring, the two find their way back to each other, finally opening up to one another and facing the brutal truths that lead them to a point where Tor would even consider cheating in the first place. Blame was shared, actions were forgiven, hearts grew stronger, and love grew deeper.
I was left a blubbering mess when all was said and done. Hell, even as I sit here writing this review I’m crying silent tears. I can honestly say I was deeply affected by this story—by the good and the bad and every genuine emotional it elicited in between.
I need to make it clear that I strongly dislike any kind of cheating in my books (and abhor such behaviour IRL). It was a huge decision for me to even decide to read this one in the first place and the fact that I reacted as strongly as I did, even with the devastation the latter half brought on, I am still so glad I read this story. I feel like it all comes down to the writing. This subject matter handled by many authors can make a story and its characters intolerable and unforgivable to me, but somehow Chris Owen was able to give this story and these characters such genuine heart and such a realistic quality that I couldn’t help but be engrossed and moved by it.
Many readers have also been turned off by the abundance of sex scenes that occur in this story, but I didn’t seem to be bothered by this. To say that this was one of the most erotic M/M romances I’ve ever read would be an understatement. I never tired of these two together. Their chemistry was sizzling and the writing of their intimate scenes was exceedingly steamy. There was even a foursome scene near the beginning which I found smoking hot—and again, threesomes in my books, let alone foursomes, are not something I seek out or enjoy easily.
At the end of the day, this story will not be for everyone and I definitely understand that my personal reaction will not be felt by all (if many), but for those of you who are considering this story, I highly recommend doing your research, as I did, by reading countless reviews before making any decisions.
Well, I’m not sure what to say?
Firstly, this review is full of spoilers, but I feel like they are necessary spoilers that will help readers, like me, to decide whether this is the kind of story they are willing to read or not. So, you’ve been warned and should continue reading this review at your own risk.
You see, this story is a gay romance, which by all accounts (I felt) was extremely moving and authentic. But the issue I had—and the issue many other readers may also have, according to some of the other reviews—lies in the fact that this story features a heavy theme of infidelity between the main characters. More on this later…
The story spans over four years following the tumultuous relationship between cowboys, Jake and Tor. When the story begins, the two have been working together on a ranch for years; they live in the same bunk house and have quite a frenemies thing going on between them.
When one heated encounter leads to the two men realising the other is gay, the two begin an extremely impassioned and erotic affair that slowly develops into something tender and profound.
As the years pass by, Jake and Tor face many trying times together, from dealing with family dramas and bigotry, to sharing and accepting one another’s past emotional traumas. They seem like a strong, solid couple, but eventually they lose their way (like so many couples do) and fail to open up to one another, limiting them from truly being happy together.
This is around the point (four years in) when Jake witnesses Tor cheating with a young ranch hand.
Jake was (understandably) shocked and hurt, and ultimately left broken by the discovery of Tor’s betrayal. Tor, in turn, was deeply remorseful—he was truly distraught over what he’d done and was left guilt ridden and heartbroken over the ramifications of his actions. I was devastated, too. I felt like it had happened to me. I know that sounds dramatic but I found myself so affected by the situation that I was in a high state of anxiety for days after I read the scenes in question, even working myself up to the point that I felt physically ill just thinking about it. Needless to say, I put the book aside for TWO WHOLE MONTHS because I just wasn’t in the right headspace to continue on.
Jump to this weekend, when I finally sucked it up and returned to the book to see how Jake and Tor’s story would end.
The final third of the book was extremely tough reading for me. I felt angry and sad and heartbroken right along with both Jake and Tor. That’s right, I actually sympathised with Tor and didn’t find myself hating him like I expected to. Don’t get me wrong, I was infuriated by his behaviour, especially once it was revealed that he had engaged in a meaningless affair with a guy he didn’t give a shit about for two months, while lying and essentially destroying every good thing he once had with Jake.
Eventually, with some distance and the healing powers that only time can bring, the two find their way back to each other, finally opening up to one another and facing the brutal truths that lead them to a point where Tor would even consider cheating in the first place. Blame was shared, actions were forgiven, hearts grew stronger, and love grew deeper.
I was left a blubbering mess when all was said and done. Hell, even as I sit here writing this review I’m crying silent tears. I can honestly say I was deeply affected by this story—by the good and the bad and every genuine emotional it elicited in between.
I need to make it clear that I strongly dislike any kind of cheating in my books (and abhor such behaviour IRL). It was a huge decision for me to even decide to read this one in the first place and the fact that I reacted as strongly as I did, even with the devastation the latter half brought on, I am still so glad I read this story. I feel like it all comes down to the writing. This subject matter handled by many authors can make a story and its characters intolerable and unforgivable to me, but somehow Chris Owen was able to give this story and these characters such genuine heart and such a realistic quality that I couldn’t help but be engrossed and moved by it.
Many readers have also been turned off by the abundance of sex scenes that occur in this story, but I didn’t seem to be bothered by this. To say that this was one of the most erotic M/M romances I’ve ever read would be an understatement. I never tired of these two together. Their chemistry was sizzling and the writing of their intimate scenes was exceedingly steamy. There was even a foursome scene near the beginning which I found smoking hot—and again, threesomes in my books, let alone foursomes, are not something I seek out or enjoy easily.
At the end of the day, this story will not be for everyone and I definitely understand that my personal reaction will not be felt by all (if many), but for those of you who are considering this story, I highly recommend doing your research, as I did, by reading countless reviews before making any decisions.
October 14, 2011
This was such a fabulous story and I don't hate Tor.....yes he made a dreadful mistake, which both he and Jake payed for but Tor was truly remorseful and he deserved that second chance and maybe they both needed a shake up to realise how bad things were getting. It's romantic, angsty, sad and lovely. The struggle and emotion and finally they got through all those horrible misunderstandings to be genuinely happy together. There was a lot of sex but it really didn't bother me or matter too much as it wasn't meaningless or superficial, in fact it was both touching and sexy. A wonderfully written romance, I highly recommended this.
November 2, 2011
I did it! I finally read this book...from the very beginning to the very end. Every single word of it!
Surprisingly, I ended up loving it. Now, I usually hate books with this much sex. I mean it literally moved from one sex scene to the next. But Jake and Tor were so sweet and hot together I never even thought about skimming and I never got bored with them. They were just too fucking hot! Plus, I connected with both of them immediately. And somewhere between all the fucking there was a story about two very stubborn self destructive men. Yeah, they both made their own reckless mistakes but there is happiness and redemption in the end.
So, I know there is a lot of controversy over this book and I’m not going to go into any arguments about the cheating. I just want to state that yes, the cheating was bad. Yes, I hated it. Do I hate Tor? No I do not because I loved Tor from the very beginning and even though I don’t agree with what he did, I understand it. Yes, I forgave him in the end. So did Jake.
For those of you who have read this, here is the scene that made me cry:
Now, I was pretty well prepared for this and I went into it with a very open mind. I knew about the cheating and the tons of sex and I truly believe that that preparation helped me survive this book. It does have its faults but I still loved the story overall. It was angsty and emotional and that was exactly what I was in the mood for when I read it. I’m not sure if I will read the sequel because I think sequels hate me, but maybe I will risk it one day when I’m in a funk and the mood strikes.
I must admit that I am very proud of myself for stepping way outside my comfort zone and reading Jake and Tor’s story from start to finish.
Surprisingly, I ended up loving it. Now, I usually hate books with this much sex. I mean it literally moved from one sex scene to the next. But Jake and Tor were so sweet and hot together I never even thought about skimming and I never got bored with them. They were just too fucking hot! Plus, I connected with both of them immediately. And somewhere between all the fucking there was a story about two very stubborn self destructive men. Yeah, they both made their own reckless mistakes but there is happiness and redemption in the end.
So, I know there is a lot of controversy over this book and I’m not going to go into any arguments about the cheating. I just want to state that yes, the cheating was bad. Yes, I hated it. Do I hate Tor? No I do not because I loved Tor from the very beginning and even though I don’t agree with what he did, I understand it. Yes, I forgave him in the end. So did Jake.
For those of you who have read this, here is the scene that made me cry:
Now, I was pretty well prepared for this and I went into it with a very open mind. I knew about the cheating and the tons of sex and I truly believe that that preparation helped me survive this book. It does have its faults but I still loved the story overall. It was angsty and emotional and that was exactly what I was in the mood for when I read it. I’m not sure if I will read the sequel because I think sequels hate me, but maybe I will risk it one day when I’m in a funk and the mood strikes.
I must admit that I am very proud of myself for stepping way outside my comfort zone and reading Jake and Tor’s story from start to finish.
February 19, 2013
I LOVED THIS BOOK FOR ALL IT'S HOTNESS- BUT MAINLY FOR THE INTERNAL BATTLES WHICH JAKE AND TOR GO THROUGH IN THEIR QUEST FOR HAPPINESS AND LOVE
THIS BOOK CONTAINS HOT M/M SEX, YUMMY COWBOYS AND LOVE WHICH HAS TO BE REFINED BY THE HEARTS DESIRESThanks lovely Monique for the recommendation
FULL REVIEW TO COME
Yee-haw :D :D
Look I know it doesn't say cowboy orgy in the blurb but I just couldn't resist after finding these sexy ones :D
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THIS BOOK CONTAINS HOT M/M SEX, YUMMY COWBOYS AND LOVE WHICH HAS TO BE REFINED BY THE HEARTS DESIRESThanks lovely Monique for the recommendation
FULL REVIEW TO COME
Yee-haw :D :D
Look I know it doesn't say cowboy orgy in the blurb but I just couldn't resist after finding these sexy ones :D
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July 26, 2014
Where to begin, where to begin...
Hmm...can't really say much that hasn't been said already, really.
How about: this book is ten years old and still kicks major ass.
I love this book. Love! LOVE!
Jake, a gay ranch hand sort of kind of can't stand his fellow cowhand, Tornado. The two confront each other which leads to the start of their whirlwind love affair. The reader is brought along into four years of their lives. This is not insta-love, both men had to work for their HEA. And I loved it! That is the quick summary of the book. Sounds simple but there's more to these men lives: family baggage, angst, homophobia, infidelity...*sigh*Prince Albert piercings(I love you)*sigh* and cowboy life.
There's a lot of sex...A. LOT. It's not a deal breaker for me or a complaint. It made me grunt. I have bust out Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor out for the sex alone!
Hot men getting thrown against walls, floors, stalls, haylofts, riverbeds... in an orchard, being tied up, the biting or in a foursome?
*grunts*
Listen, some people communicate with hands, some with words, Jake and Tor...they used their penises. I'm not going to fault them. Both of them used their cocks very well! I got the message. ;P
And I knew going in about the cheating. (Seriously if you haven't read about it...I'm surprised) And I just don't understand the how and the why. Oh it's explained (pretty well too) but I'm still in a state of shock - like 'finding out the Easter bunny is not real' shock. Because I just didn't expect from him. I just...why? (you'll just have to read a review or the book to find out who did what)
I enjoy cheating in books. Why? When there's cheating and you can still make a romance out of the pain? It's interesting to me. I rather read about flawed characters than perfect ones. And if cheating is a deal breaker for you, that's fine (I think you're missing out) Cheaters can be redeemed. I love the psychology of it, I guess. And I fell in love with both Jake and Tor, after what happened...I still have nothing but love for both men.
When I talk to my Kindle (don't worry it didn't talk back), when I drop my Kindle in mid sentence to cover my face (I didn't cry, I was in angst) and then read on and the character pretty much has the same reaction, when my heart is shredded into bite sized pieces, thrown in a bucket and put back together again...you know you have a winner.
Well for me anyway.
My rating? It's actually not 5 stars. I have this jar full of them and can only go so high as 5 on GR. That's right, I rate it JAR FULL OF STARS!!!
I'm in such a mood I'm just giving them out. You want one?
Read Bareback...seriously.
Hmm...can't really say much that hasn't been said already, really.
How about: this book is ten years old and still kicks major ass.
I love this book. Love! LOVE!
Jake, a gay ranch hand sort of kind of can't stand his fellow cowhand, Tornado. The two confront each other which leads to the start of their whirlwind love affair. The reader is brought along into four years of their lives. This is not insta-love, both men had to work for their HEA. And I loved it! That is the quick summary of the book. Sounds simple but there's more to these men lives: family baggage, angst, homophobia, infidelity...*sigh*Prince Albert piercings(I love you)*sigh* and cowboy life.
There's a lot of sex...A. LOT. It's not a deal breaker for me or a complaint. It made me grunt. I have bust out Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor out for the sex alone!
Hot men getting thrown against walls, floors, stalls, haylofts, riverbeds... in an orchard, being tied up, the biting or in a foursome?
*grunts*
Listen, some people communicate with hands, some with words, Jake and Tor...they used their penises. I'm not going to fault them. Both of them used their cocks very well! I got the message. ;P
And I knew going in about the cheating. (Seriously if you haven't read about it...I'm surprised) And I just don't understand the how and the why. Oh it's explained (pretty well too) but I'm still in a state of shock - like 'finding out the Easter bunny is not real' shock. Because I just didn't expect from him. I just...why? (you'll just have to read a review or the book to find out who did what)
I enjoy cheating in books. Why? When there's cheating and you can still make a romance out of the pain? It's interesting to me. I rather read about flawed characters than perfect ones. And if cheating is a deal breaker for you, that's fine (I think you're missing out) Cheaters can be redeemed. I love the psychology of it, I guess. And I fell in love with both Jake and Tor, after what happened...I still have nothing but love for both men.
When I talk to my Kindle (don't worry it didn't talk back), when I drop my Kindle in mid sentence to cover my face (I didn't cry, I was in angst) and then read on and the character pretty much has the same reaction, when my heart is shredded into bite sized pieces, thrown in a bucket and put back together again...you know you have a winner.
Well for me anyway.
My rating? It's actually not 5 stars. I have this jar full of them and can only go so high as 5 on GR. That's right, I rate it JAR FULL OF STARS!!!
I'm in such a mood I'm just giving them out. You want one?
Read Bareback...seriously.
June 16, 2010
HELLO!!!!!! This is the most powerfully written, extraordinary, Man on Man, Gay, Erotic, Romantic, Angst filled, Cowboy lovin', book I have read. I mean, if you are really a reader, this book will grab you, hold you, whisper its secret to you. I have read this book twice. The characters are real and that's all any reader wants. A real book, with real characters, real personalities, real problems, and a writer with a real feel for the written word.
*Spoiler* There was an episode of cheating, but in a break your heart, angsty, wanna kick his ass, oh my goodness, WTF are you doing, you love that guy, kinda way. It helps make the story go where it needs to go to make it great,
I loved this book!
Update: 2013 This is STILL the BEST Cowboy Lovin' Book EVA!
*Spoiler* There was an episode of cheating, but in a break your heart, angsty, wanna kick his ass, oh my goodness, WTF are you doing, you love that guy, kinda way. It helps make the story go where it needs to go to make it great,
I loved this book!
Update: 2013 This is STILL the BEST Cowboy Lovin' Book EVA!
December 3, 2012
Let me preface this by saying that I love this genre, and I'll defend my love for romance novels to any cynical book snob out there. With that said, I'll admit there are a few books out there, like this one, that just make me feel like a dirty, dirty whore. I need a shower and priest after this one.
Now don't get me wrong, I like porn as much as the next person. But, if I want to follow two people fucking without feeling any emotional connection, I can find that for free online and it doesn't usually take ten hours of my time. I read because I want an actually story, I want to feel something (besides in my pants).
Let me sum this up for you in just a few words.
Oh, and in case you think this is an exaggeration, I've run a count on a few choice words and phrases below:
"Gonna come" used sixteen times.
"So good" used thirty times.
"Oh God" used forty five times.
And obviously, sucking was their favorite thing of all, because that word came up a incredible forty seven times.
I'm finished, I'm tired, and probably slightly dumber for having just sat through that.Sorry for the rant.
Now don't get me wrong, I like porn as much as the next person. But, if I want to follow two people fucking without feeling any emotional connection, I can find that for free online and it doesn't usually take ten hours of my time. I read because I want an actually story, I want to feel something (besides in my pants).
Let me sum this up for you in just a few words.
Oh, and in case you think this is an exaggeration, I've run a count on a few choice words and phrases below:
"Gonna come" used sixteen times.
"So good" used thirty times.
"Oh God" used forty five times.
And obviously, sucking was their favorite thing of all, because that word came up a incredible forty seven times.
I'm finished, I'm tired, and probably slightly dumber for having just sat through that.
August 26, 2014
Longest. BR. Ever.
I'm pretty sure a couple participants in the Cowboy-Off BR threw in the proverbial towel. You know who you are.
Remember that episode of Friends? You know the one.
I thought a lot about that episode while reading this. So many similarities… There were times when I thought I was going to have to turn off the porn, that this book had bested me, out smutted me and you can look at how long it took me to finish it for the proof. Oodles of apple infused penis wizardry and jizz filled hay lofts nearly sent me scurrying for the hills, but I kept looking at all the 4 and 5 star reviews thinking, 'what am I missing?'. Essentially, what happened was I REFUSED TO LET A BOOK OUT SMUT ME! I said to myself if I can read SM I can finish this. The problem with that plan is SM seldom writes more than 100 pages while this is the Love and War version of smutdom clocking in at damn near 400 pages. 400 pages of smut! I’d be risking porn brain to read that all at once. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I also read the dissenting opinion/ Julio’s review back in the day and had reservations, but Baby was insistent. For those of you who’ve not experienced this for yourselves, Baby can bea bit of a menace very persistent.
Bareback and I… *sigh* It was a rocky start betwixt us.
All the jizzing and needing coupled with jack in the box cocks and a fair amount of grinding and screaming and my kindle actually appeared to be oozing at one point. I have no idea what that was all about but it was upsetting. Around the 30ish% mark I started to think that Chris Owen was SM. The second half had a plot so I discarded that theory.
Anyhoo, I’m sure many will be surprised by the following admission but I don’t really like cowboys.
Don’t have a kitten. I don't hate em or anything just…
Let me explain.
I live in Texas. Cowboys are not in short supply. Most of them are dicks. Ignorant dicks who voted for anyone with the last name Bush multiple times and likely have the rebel flag screened onto the back of their dually and those “ladies” on their mudflaps. Don’t even get me started on the monster tires and the ginormous chrome grill that are undoubtedly meant to intimidate and blind everyone with their perfectly placed shininess forcing all to move over or risk permanent damage to their vision. Why? Why is this necessary in life? So, yeah, I have… issues, though I will admit the cowboy mystique has a certain appeal. They’re not a no go for me. I loved Falls Chance Ranch. I just ain’t all horned up about them in general.
That being said, Jake seems alright. Tor’s a crazy train. I should’ve known. Baby loves a crazy train. Yet, somewhere in the 40-60% range I started to care about these two whackadoodles. Could've been the aforementioned plot overtaking the porn. Don't get me wrong there is still a pornocopia happening, but they have some of obstacles that need more than sex thrown at them to fix.
I knew what was coming. You can see it coming from a mile away and I thought it was done well. I liked that they had to work for it, that the road wasn’t easy and a quick fuck didn’t fix everything. Really, I think it strengthened their relationship and made Tor slightly less of a crazy train. He still ain't right, but who is? Jake seems to like him so who am I to judge?
The best part was the peanut gallery of Elias, Kirk, and Hound. They had the best one-liners and stole the show. Every time I cracked up!
The first half was in the 2 star range. The second probably 4 star range, so I’ll split the difference.
Truly, I should be thanking this book because it taught me the amazing power of the apple. I had no idea. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all the apples who have sacrificed themselves in the name of science and Tor and Jake for help with the grinding. >___>
Thanks to this book I now have a burgeoning apple products roadside stand and at last count have amassed:
40 cases of apple juice
9 cases of apple butter
16 cases of applesauce
87 jars of apple chutney
28 gallons of apple cider
Apple pies and turnovers are never in short supply.
An untold number of various genus and species of apples for potency research purposes.
Research is ongoing. I've been told I should look into soaps, salves and lubes as well. We'll see.
I’m putting my money on the juice as the elixir of penis wizardry.
I'm pretty sure a couple participants in the Cowboy-Off BR threw in the proverbial towel. You know who you are.
Remember that episode of Friends? You know the one.
I thought a lot about that episode while reading this. So many similarities… There were times when I thought I was going to have to turn off the porn, that this book had bested me, out smutted me and you can look at how long it took me to finish it for the proof. Oodles of apple infused penis wizardry and jizz filled hay lofts nearly sent me scurrying for the hills, but I kept looking at all the 4 and 5 star reviews thinking, 'what am I missing?'. Essentially, what happened was I REFUSED TO LET A BOOK OUT SMUT ME! I said to myself if I can read SM I can finish this. The problem with that plan is SM seldom writes more than 100 pages while this is the Love and War version of smutdom clocking in at damn near 400 pages. 400 pages of smut! I’d be risking porn brain to read that all at once. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I also read the dissenting opinion/ Julio’s review back in the day and had reservations, but Baby was insistent. For those of you who’ve not experienced this for yourselves, Baby can be
Bareback and I… *sigh* It was a rocky start betwixt us.
All the jizzing and needing coupled with jack in the box cocks and a fair amount of grinding and screaming and my kindle actually appeared to be oozing at one point. I have no idea what that was all about but it was upsetting. Around the 30ish% mark I started to think that Chris Owen was SM. The second half had a plot so I discarded that theory.
Anyhoo, I’m sure many will be surprised by the following admission but I don’t really like cowboys.
Don’t have a kitten. I don't hate em or anything just…
Let me explain.
I live in Texas. Cowboys are not in short supply. Most of them are dicks. Ignorant dicks who voted for anyone with the last name Bush multiple times and likely have the rebel flag screened onto the back of their dually and those “ladies” on their mudflaps. Don’t even get me started on the monster tires and the ginormous chrome grill that are undoubtedly meant to intimidate and blind everyone with their perfectly placed shininess forcing all to move over or risk permanent damage to their vision. Why? Why is this necessary in life? So, yeah, I have… issues, though I will admit the cowboy mystique has a certain appeal. They’re not a no go for me. I loved Falls Chance Ranch. I just ain’t all horned up about them in general.
That being said, Jake seems alright. Tor’s a crazy train. I should’ve known. Baby loves a crazy train. Yet, somewhere in the 40-60% range I started to care about these two whackadoodles. Could've been the aforementioned plot overtaking the porn. Don't get me wrong there is still a pornocopia happening, but they have some of obstacles that need more than sex thrown at them to fix.
I knew what was coming. You can see it coming from a mile away and I thought it was done well. I liked that they had to work for it, that the road wasn’t easy and a quick fuck didn’t fix everything. Really, I think it strengthened their relationship and made Tor slightly less of a crazy train. He still ain't right, but who is? Jake seems to like him so who am I to judge?
The best part was the peanut gallery of Elias, Kirk, and Hound. They had the best one-liners and stole the show. Every time I cracked up!
"No woman never did that to me," Hound said mildly. "Maybe this guy thing deserves a rethink."
The first half was in the 2 star range. The second probably 4 star range, so I’ll split the difference.
Truly, I should be thanking this book because it taught me the amazing power of the apple. I had no idea. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all the apples who have sacrificed themselves in the name of science and Tor and Jake for help with the grinding. >___>
Thanks to this book I now have a burgeoning apple products roadside stand and at last count have amassed:
40 cases of apple juice
9 cases of apple butter
16 cases of applesauce
87 jars of apple chutney
28 gallons of apple cider
Apple pies and turnovers are never in short supply.
An untold number of various genus and species of apples for potency research purposes.
Research is ongoing. I've been told I should look into soaps, salves and lubes as well. We'll see.
I’m putting my money on the juice as the elixir of penis wizardry.
October 15, 2012
Story Rating 4.5 Stars
Character Rating 4.5 Stars
Romance Rating 4 Stars
Heat Level 5+ Stars, I think this was the hottest book that I ever read.
Overall Rating 5 Stars
This was a fantastic read for me. The writing was exceptional and drew me emotionally into this story on so many level's. I have to say that YES, there was a LOT of sex in this book probably too much for most readers. For me those scenes were so HOT that I enjoyed every encounter. I loved reading about how these two men coped with day to day life and how they went from just sex buddies to falling in love. They had some good time and then yep, some really bad times and I really felt the hurt. This story was very deep when it got going. I'm, just glad that they got things mostly worked out between them and I look forwards to continuing this story and finding out what is next for these two cowboy's in the next book, Natural Disaster's where their story continues on.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoy's a really deep M/M story that is also filled with a lot of sex scenes that are extremely HOT.
Character Rating 4.5 Stars
Romance Rating 4 Stars
Heat Level 5+ Stars, I think this was the hottest book that I ever read.
Overall Rating 5 Stars
This was a fantastic read for me. The writing was exceptional and drew me emotionally into this story on so many level's. I have to say that YES, there was a LOT of sex in this book probably too much for most readers. For me those scenes were so HOT that I enjoyed every encounter. I loved reading about how these two men coped with day to day life and how they went from just sex buddies to falling in love. They had some good time and then yep, some really bad times and I really felt the hurt. This story was very deep when it got going. I'm, just glad that they got things mostly worked out between them and I look forwards to continuing this story and finding out what is next for these two cowboy's in the next book, Natural Disaster's where their story continues on.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoy's a really deep M/M story that is also filled with a lot of sex scenes that are extremely HOT.
April 17, 2011
^^ON WITH THE BAREBACKING!^^
4.5
Bareback is just one of those books that leaves you thinking about it, days after you finished reading it. I was intrigued by the title alone, cus when you think bareback, you think BAREBACK!!
This is all cowboys baby, known for their manly horse riding skills, and their bull/cow rounding up smash down. It’s a little worrisome to be a gay man in this testosterone field of work. That’s exactly what both our main characters have to deal with. Jake Taggart keeps his sexuality to himself, cus its nobody’s business who he wants to f*ck. Foreman on a ranch he is liked and respected. There is only one person who seems to be blowing all his hard work at remaining invisible to hell and high-water, Tornado a.k.a Tor. The man gets under his, and Jake feels like he could crawl into his, all that aside he really can’t stand the other man.
Tor wants Jake something fierce and it’s hard to tell if the other man wants him. When a storm passes through the town, both men get the break they need to come together, and its hot, wet, and angry (yum). A tentative relationship begins, and soon it becomes a full-blown hot man/man ranch sex, open fields and intense feelings. I would have liked to walk in on the *accidently* a time or two,heheheh.
I thought it would be one of those smooth sailing books, but its filled with emotion, and a shocker of a lifetime. I never saw it coming people, and quite frankly I was super pissed. Jake and Tor are so flawed, yet the feelings and the relationship they had with each other was just so beautiful. I was so invested with them as characters that I also felt the blow down in my bones. I just was *SHOCKED* out of my mind. It was something that bothered me to the end, and days after. I also disliked that Jake felt it was somehow his fault for Tor being a bastard. There is not one person deserving of something like that, and he had the balls to lye beside Jake everynight. No one derserves that.
If you wanna know what I am talking about, you should definitely give this book a try. It’s so very hot and raw, and all my feelings for guys in jeans and horseback came gushing out. I loved Jake, he is so gloomy, his past should have shaped him to be a horrible person, yet he is sweet and cares deeply for those around him. Tor, I liked a lot but after what he did, his status is below the 50% mark.
So in the wise words of my book character soul mate Darien Hughes “On with the barebacking”. I really liked this book!
SIDE HOTNESS- A hot scene of four guys, "FOUR MEN" naked with each other. YUMMY!!!
4.5
Bareback is just one of those books that leaves you thinking about it, days after you finished reading it. I was intrigued by the title alone, cus when you think bareback, you think BAREBACK!!
This is all cowboys baby, known for their manly horse riding skills, and their bull/cow rounding up smash down. It’s a little worrisome to be a gay man in this testosterone field of work. That’s exactly what both our main characters have to deal with. Jake Taggart keeps his sexuality to himself, cus its nobody’s business who he wants to f*ck. Foreman on a ranch he is liked and respected. There is only one person who seems to be blowing all his hard work at remaining invisible to hell and high-water, Tornado a.k.a Tor. The man gets under his, and Jake feels like he could crawl into his, all that aside he really can’t stand the other man.
Tor wants Jake something fierce and it’s hard to tell if the other man wants him. When a storm passes through the town, both men get the break they need to come together, and its hot, wet, and angry (yum). A tentative relationship begins, and soon it becomes a full-blown hot man/man ranch sex, open fields and intense feelings. I would have liked to walk in on the *accidently* a time or two,heheheh.
I thought it would be one of those smooth sailing books, but its filled with emotion, and a shocker of a lifetime. I never saw it coming people, and quite frankly I was super pissed. Jake and Tor are so flawed, yet the feelings and the relationship they had with each other was just so beautiful. I was so invested with them as characters that I also felt the blow down in my bones. I just was *SHOCKED* out of my mind. It was something that bothered me to the end, and days after. I also disliked that Jake felt it was somehow his fault for Tor being a bastard. There is not one person deserving of something like that, and he had the balls to lye beside Jake everynight. No one derserves that.
If you wanna know what I am talking about, you should definitely give this book a try. It’s so very hot and raw, and all my feelings for guys in jeans and horseback came gushing out. I loved Jake, he is so gloomy, his past should have shaped him to be a horrible person, yet he is sweet and cares deeply for those around him. Tor, I liked a lot but after what he did, his status is below the 50% mark.
So in the wise words of my book character soul mate Darien Hughes “On with the barebacking”. I really liked this book!
SIDE HOTNESS- A hot scene of four guys, "FOUR MEN" naked with each other. YUMMY!!!
July 2, 2012
I will start this review with a quote from my friend Nik "this is like the best and worst book evaaaaaaaaaaa!" That is pretty much it in a nutshell. It is nearly impossible to review this book without spoilers, so rather than review the book, I want to talk about how this book makes people feel.
This is the type of book that is just like black licorice. You either love it or you hate it because of something that occurs that I will call the Big Event or BE for short. One thing that is indisputable, however, is that no matter how you feel, you will be discussing this book again and again. Every time a new friend reads it, all the emotions will come screaming back, and you will need to unleash them or implode. My friend Jenn said she read this book 4 years ago but she was right in the heat of our discussion, raging like she just read it yesterday.
Chris Owen does quite a spectacular job filling this book with angst and emotion. The one thing he does better than most authors, is to give us plenty of time to absorb the BE and to attempt to come down from it almost enough to be healed. I also really, really, liked the way the MCs dealt with the BE because in my opinion, it was very realistic. It is exactly how I would see myself behaving in the same situation. Because their behaviors were realistic, it was easier to accept the eventual outcome. In comparison to other books that I have put on my "read-rage" shelf, I will admit that at times I can almost feel at peace, but any discussions with my friends will bring my read-rage roaring back to the forefront. So why do I love this book? Even though it made me screaming angry, I've had some incredible discussions about it. The emotions that this book elicits from its readers are intense and overwhelming.
Did I finish this book hating one of the characters? Yes. Did I want an HEA? I did want my favorite MC to be happy, so grudgingly yes. Will I read the sequel? I'm not sure. I'm scared. But since I did NOT want to read this book, but eventually read it due to a lot of peer pressure and goading, I will likely read the sequel for the same reason. So okay, thanks to Candice, Vio, and Deeze for telling me how much of a "must-read" this book was. I agree. It is a must-read. Just be sure you have a stiff drink on hand and book your sessions with your therapist.
This is the type of book that is just like black licorice. You either love it or you hate it because of something that occurs that I will call the Big Event or BE for short. One thing that is indisputable, however, is that no matter how you feel, you will be discussing this book again and again. Every time a new friend reads it, all the emotions will come screaming back, and you will need to unleash them or implode. My friend Jenn said she read this book 4 years ago but she was right in the heat of our discussion, raging like she just read it yesterday.
Chris Owen does quite a spectacular job filling this book with angst and emotion. The one thing he does better than most authors, is to give us plenty of time to absorb the BE and to attempt to come down from it almost enough to be healed. I also really, really, liked the way the MCs dealt with the BE because in my opinion, it was very realistic. It is exactly how I would see myself behaving in the same situation. Because their behaviors were realistic, it was easier to accept the eventual outcome. In comparison to other books that I have put on my "read-rage" shelf, I will admit that at times I can almost feel at peace, but any discussions with my friends will bring my read-rage roaring back to the forefront. So why do I love this book? Even though it made me screaming angry, I've had some incredible discussions about it. The emotions that this book elicits from its readers are intense and overwhelming.
Did I finish this book hating one of the characters? Yes. Did I want an HEA? I did want my favorite MC to be happy, so grudgingly yes. Will I read the sequel? I'm not sure. I'm scared. But since I did NOT want to read this book, but eventually read it due to a lot of peer pressure and goading, I will likely read the sequel for the same reason. So okay, thanks to Candice, Vio, and Deeze for telling me how much of a "must-read" this book was. I agree. It is a must-read. Just be sure you have a stiff drink on hand and book your sessions with your therapist.
May 9, 2012
4.5 Stars
I wish I could give this book 5 stars, the story was great, the MC’s were great even that “something awful” that happens was, I won’t say great because it wasn’t I hated it, but it does make the story. The reason I took off half star is the sex.....there was just too much of it. It over takes the story in the first two thirds of the book, it wasn’t gratuitous, it was loving and sexy, I just wish there had been a lot less of it.
I have to admit this story confused me at first. The beginning drew me in right away but it didn’t take long and I was struggling with it, wondered what everyone saw in it, wondering if I could finish it. I was encouraged to keep reading, that it would get better, that by the time I reached the end I would get it, I’d understand why everyone loves it. Well they were right, I did end up loving it.
I know I should hate Tor but I can’t, I find myself really loving this character. What happens was so wrong and in real life could I forgive, I’m not sure, but I do know I would never be able to forget. This isn’t real life so here I will forgive and forget, cheer these two on and be happy for an HEA/HFN. Now Jake, at first I felt so bad for him, then I just wanted to smack him upside his head and yell at him to wake up! Don’t miss what’s right in front of you!
Jake and Tor were the main focus of this story, any other characters in this book were less than secondary, you never really got to know any of them, which was a shame there were a few I would have liked to get to know better. The Lego thing was funny, nice to see we never really need to grow up!
Their story may have been a struggle, it made me cry and scream but I am glad I didn’t give up. It doesn’t end here though there is a sequel I'm told so I will read it to see what happens with these two.
I wish I could give this book 5 stars, the story was great, the MC’s were great even that “something awful” that happens was, I won’t say great because it wasn’t I hated it, but it does make the story. The reason I took off half star is the sex.....there was just too much of it. It over takes the story in the first two thirds of the book, it wasn’t gratuitous, it was loving and sexy, I just wish there had been a lot less of it.
I have to admit this story confused me at first. The beginning drew me in right away but it didn’t take long and I was struggling with it, wondered what everyone saw in it, wondering if I could finish it. I was encouraged to keep reading, that it would get better, that by the time I reached the end I would get it, I’d understand why everyone loves it. Well they were right, I did end up loving it.
I know I should hate Tor but I can’t, I find myself really loving this character. What happens was so wrong and in real life could I forgive, I’m not sure, but I do know I would never be able to forget. This isn’t real life so here I will forgive and forget, cheer these two on and be happy for an HEA/HFN. Now Jake, at first I felt so bad for him, then I just wanted to smack him upside his head and yell at him to wake up! Don’t miss what’s right in front of you!
Jake and Tor were the main focus of this story, any other characters in this book were less than secondary, you never really got to know any of them, which was a shame there were a few I would have liked to get to know better. The Lego thing was funny, nice to see we never really need to grow up!
Their story may have been a struggle, it made me cry and scream but I am glad I didn’t give up. It doesn’t end here though there is a sequel I'm told so I will read it to see what happens with these two.
January 4, 2017
One hot steamy read
That was a one hot steamy read. Jake and Tor.....Tor and Jake..... What a couple.
They ware almost only making out and f*cking through the first half of this book.
Being tough and all man. You could feel the train come crushing and struggling coming toward them. And that was just really a deepening in this book. The sex was great and hot and steamy but I liked it when there was real struggle and so much struggle it was almost to big to overcome. But they were growing and that was so heartwarming and touching it made me cry. The feelings were so real and the characters were so real stupid and stubborn it made me gnash and desperate. They had both great personalities I really doubted whether they would make it together.
It was really a big plus this book took a deepening and that made me gave it 5 stars
That was a one hot steamy read. Jake and Tor.....Tor and Jake..... What a couple.
They ware almost only making out and f*cking through the first half of this book.
Being tough and all man. You could feel the train come crushing and struggling coming toward them. And that was just really a deepening in this book. The sex was great and hot and steamy but I liked it when there was real struggle and so much struggle it was almost to big to overcome. But they were growing and that was so heartwarming and touching it made me cry. The feelings were so real and the characters were so real stupid and stubborn it made me gnash and desperate. They had both great personalities I really doubted whether they would make it together.
It was really a big plus this book took a deepening and that made me gave it 5 stars
March 14, 2016
A 5 star re-read with my 5 star friends...
I re-read this book as part of a buddy read over on GR with my friends Eleftheria, Jewel & Renee. These ladies are awesome to buddy read with I ended up basically disappearing on them yesterday but they were still there for me and I had all their comments to read when I got back so I didn't feel left out and even though I was definitely the last across the finish line on this one it was still a hella' good time.
Now onto the book. First let's address one of the obvious issues in this book the copious (trust me I'm being conservative here) copious amounts of sex in this book. I kid you not Tor and Jake put bunnies to shame. The world over those little critters are sobbing in despair as their reputations lie in tatters in the wake of Jake and Tor's libidinous activities. I also have to admit that usually when a book contains the amount of sex that this one did I start rolling my eyes and mentally pleading to get on with the story. Much to my embarrassment that didn't happen. I was quite amenable to a little voyeuristic participation. I blame this slip in behaviour on my lovely buddy read partners. The visuals were very helpful ladies because lord knows I wanted to lick those two from head to toe after seeing the pics (See Renee's review on GR for said pictures).
Ok so there's lots of sex we've got that out there on the table (and yes I'm pretty sure there was at least one table involved) and frequently when there's lots of sex the story can tend to be lacking, not so. Chris Owen has created a story that covers the span of several years in which we see two men come together and develop a relationship and then as often happens in the real world we also see these two men get torn apart because sometimes life, the everyday mundane things that come up gets in the way and clouds our judgement and sometimes an elephant walks into the room and people don't know how to deal with it.
So at somewhere between 65-70% the elephant struts into the room and for the remainder of the book we are left with our hearts in tatters and a box of tissues clutched in our hands because these two men live hard and they love hard so it's inevitable when they hurt they hurt the same way. It's hard, it's gut wrenching and it left me struggling to breath so much so that I had to keep reading I had to read right through and get back to the good place again, back to where I could breath.
Now I'm going to talk about the elephant that was in the room so the rest of this will be in spoilers.
I re-read this book as part of a buddy read over on GR with my friends Eleftheria, Jewel & Renee. These ladies are awesome to buddy read with I ended up basically disappearing on them yesterday but they were still there for me and I had all their comments to read when I got back so I didn't feel left out and even though I was definitely the last across the finish line on this one it was still a hella' good time.
Now onto the book. First let's address one of the obvious issues in this book the copious (trust me I'm being conservative here) copious amounts of sex in this book. I kid you not Tor and Jake put bunnies to shame. The world over those little critters are sobbing in despair as their reputations lie in tatters in the wake of Jake and Tor's libidinous activities. I also have to admit that usually when a book contains the amount of sex that this one did I start rolling my eyes and mentally pleading to get on with the story. Much to my embarrassment that didn't happen. I was quite amenable to a little voyeuristic participation. I blame this slip in behaviour on my lovely buddy read partners. The visuals were very helpful ladies because lord knows I wanted to lick those two from head to toe after seeing the pics (See Renee's review on GR for said pictures).
Ok so there's lots of sex we've got that out there on the table (and yes I'm pretty sure there was at least one table involved) and frequently when there's lots of sex the story can tend to be lacking, not so. Chris Owen has created a story that covers the span of several years in which we see two men come together and develop a relationship and then as often happens in the real world we also see these two men get torn apart because sometimes life, the everyday mundane things that come up gets in the way and clouds our judgement and sometimes an elephant walks into the room and people don't know how to deal with it.
So at somewhere between 65-70% the elephant struts into the room and for the remainder of the book we are left with our hearts in tatters and a box of tissues clutched in our hands because these two men live hard and they love hard so it's inevitable when they hurt they hurt the same way. It's hard, it's gut wrenching and it left me struggling to breath so much so that I had to keep reading I had to read right through and get back to the good place again, back to where I could breath.
Now I'm going to talk about the elephant that was in the room so the rest of this will be in spoilers.
October 13, 2011
Who knew this erotic book would resonate so deeply? The character development is expert and the final product so touching I am a fan of Ms. Owen for life. Touching without pretense and fulfilling without saccharine this novel works on so many levels. Gay or straight please take a chance. You will be rewarded.
January 30, 2012
*This review contains mild spoilers*
Right. This is one of those times I can’t do a real review so I’ll mostly do the bullets thing and, hopefully, I’ll make some sense in the end.
So. I started reading this for research purposes (long story, don’t ask) and ended up being furious. Great.
Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts; in no particular order:
• This was one of the rare cases a single POV story worked well for me. POV-wise, kudos to the author for a job well done.
• I liked how Jake’s past served as a catalyst to who he eventually became. I also loved how Doug (the owner of the ranch) believed in him and stood by him over the years.
• The sex. There was a lot of it, admittedly. But it didn’t bother me that much. I still understood the characters and felt that they developed as the story unraveled so no problem there by me. I have to admit though that the bondage scene in the barn was..wellllll...not good. Plus, letting someone use some horse reins on you once does not a submissive make.
• The Lego. I loved the mental image of all those cowboys playing with Lego to relax and arguing about who gets to get the Harry Potter set or the space station set and so on. It made me smile more than once.
• The gay bashing. Given that the story takes place in a small town in Arkansas, I expected it to be much worse. But it wasn’t. I guess I should be happy.
• We didn’t get to see any of Jake’s interaction with his family (except for that visit his older brother paid him in the ranch, but that doesn’t count, it wasn’t welcome) and I wonder why. We did see how the couple’s first visit to Tor’s family was so why didn’t we see how things went when they first met Jake’s sisters and nephew?
• Jake. He was an OK character. Since the story is told through his POV, I identified more with him and I was 100% behind him when he reacted like he did after that barn incidence. But I can’t say the same about his actions in the very last part of the book. Seeing “the light” after a mild bitch-slap from an old friend made those ten months of absolute misery he put himself through seem a little pointless. But at least he behaved like an adult most of the time.
• Tor. I started off not knowing what to think about him, then tolerated him, then thought I had managed to like him (especially when he replied “I like how he tastes” to his little niece when she asked why he was kissing Jake, another man) and ended up hating him with a burning passion. You don’t do what he did, behave like he behaved—and not once but several times—and then go all “Boo hoo, I’m so sowwy, it won’t happen again” and expect things to return back to normal. You just don’t. It’s juvenile. Tough shit, Tor. You were caught red handed. Man up and live with the consequences. End of story.
• Tor’s nickname. He got it because he did something resembling a tornado while giving head? All right. No further comment.
• The last 1/3 of the book, where all hell broke loose. It was nicely done. The angst? It worked. I had to put everything else on hold to see what happened next. Work and RL be damned. Jake’s feelings? They came across quite clearly. Tor? Don’t get me started with him. At least he realized the real impact of his actions and repented.
• There were some scenes that stayed with me and broke my heart a little. Like Jake asking Tor why he was still there and Tor replying that he was staying because Jake was there. Or Jake asking, ordering, Tor not to utter the “I love you” Tor so obviously wanted to say because he had missed his chance.
• There were other scenes that made me roll my eyes. Like Tor’s ten-year-old niece, Susie, telling her middle-aged and somewhat narrow-minded distant aunt Dot that Jake was married to her uncle Tor and doing it on purpose because aunt Dot pretended uncle Tor was something he wasn’t. Hello cheesiness!
• The HFN. It makes perfect sense. These two aren’t even close to resolving all their issues, they are relearning each other and reinventing their relationship so giving them a HEA would be downright ridiculous.
So I can’t say I “enjoyed” this book because it made me wanna skin one character alive and yell at the top of my lungs to the other one but I liked it. It pushed the right buttons.
Right. This is one of those times I can’t do a real review so I’ll mostly do the bullets thing and, hopefully, I’ll make some sense in the end.
So. I started reading this for research purposes (long story, don’t ask) and ended up being furious. Great.
Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts; in no particular order:
• This was one of the rare cases a single POV story worked well for me. POV-wise, kudos to the author for a job well done.
• I liked how Jake’s past served as a catalyst to who he eventually became. I also loved how Doug (the owner of the ranch) believed in him and stood by him over the years.
• The sex. There was a lot of it, admittedly. But it didn’t bother me that much. I still understood the characters and felt that they developed as the story unraveled so no problem there by me. I have to admit though that the bondage scene in the barn was..wellllll...not good. Plus, letting someone use some horse reins on you once does not a submissive make.
• The Lego. I loved the mental image of all those cowboys playing with Lego to relax and arguing about who gets to get the Harry Potter set or the space station set and so on. It made me smile more than once.
• The gay bashing. Given that the story takes place in a small town in Arkansas, I expected it to be much worse. But it wasn’t. I guess I should be happy.
• We didn’t get to see any of Jake’s interaction with his family (except for that visit his older brother paid him in the ranch, but that doesn’t count, it wasn’t welcome) and I wonder why. We did see how the couple’s first visit to Tor’s family was so why didn’t we see how things went when they first met Jake’s sisters and nephew?
• Jake. He was an OK character. Since the story is told through his POV, I identified more with him and I was 100% behind him when he reacted like he did after that barn incidence. But I can’t say the same about his actions in the very last part of the book. Seeing “the light” after a mild bitch-slap from an old friend made those ten months of absolute misery he put himself through seem a little pointless. But at least he behaved like an adult most of the time.
• Tor. I started off not knowing what to think about him, then tolerated him, then thought I had managed to like him (especially when he replied “I like how he tastes” to his little niece when she asked why he was kissing Jake, another man) and ended up hating him with a burning passion. You don’t do what he did, behave like he behaved—and not once but several times—and then go all “Boo hoo, I’m so sowwy, it won’t happen again” and expect things to return back to normal. You just don’t. It’s juvenile. Tough shit, Tor. You were caught red handed. Man up and live with the consequences. End of story.
• Tor’s nickname. He got it because he did something resembling a tornado while giving head? All right. No further comment.
• The last 1/3 of the book, where all hell broke loose. It was nicely done. The angst? It worked. I had to put everything else on hold to see what happened next. Work and RL be damned. Jake’s feelings? They came across quite clearly. Tor? Don’t get me started with him. At least he realized the real impact of his actions and repented.
• There were some scenes that stayed with me and broke my heart a little. Like Jake asking Tor why he was still there and Tor replying that he was staying because Jake was there. Or Jake asking, ordering, Tor not to utter the “I love you” Tor so obviously wanted to say because he had missed his chance.
• There were other scenes that made me roll my eyes. Like Tor’s ten-year-old niece, Susie, telling her middle-aged and somewhat narrow-minded distant aunt Dot that Jake was married to her uncle Tor and doing it on purpose because aunt Dot pretended uncle Tor was something he wasn’t. Hello cheesiness!
• The HFN. It makes perfect sense. These two aren’t even close to resolving all their issues, they are relearning each other and reinventing their relationship so giving them a HEA would be downright ridiculous.
So I can’t say I “enjoyed” this book because it made me wanna skin one character alive and yell at the top of my lungs to the other one but I liked it. It pushed the right buttons.
February 8, 2017
Buddy Re-read with Eleftheria, Karen and Renee !!!
I remember there being a lot of sex in this book and I remembered right! Holy cow, it starts off hot and just keeps going. As my reading buddy Karen said - bunnies are envious of these two. So the first half of the book is sex sex and more sex, along with a bit of character and relationship development. And sex. The second half of the book is where the real meat is (I'm not talking about that meat! Get your mind out of the gutter. Just because the first half was all sex... ;-) )
Bareback was every bit as good the second time around and I would definitely recommend it, even though . It was never couched as right or ok and there was a lot of damage done but it really got Jake and Tor (eventually) actually talking and though it took them the better part of a year to get there, they do get their HEA and they really earned it. There's a span of about 20% where my heart hurt so bad, I wasn't sure if I would survive it. But I did and Jake and Tor came out of it stronger than ever. In fact, I'm raising my rating from the original 4 stars to 4.5.
Thank you Eleftheria, Karen and Renee for this reread! It was such a blast to get to gush and rail and hate Travis with other people, instead of just doing all that in my head. This buddy re-read was EPIC.
**********Original Review from Sep 2014**********
I bought this book a couple months ago, but just now picked it up to read. It was much longer than my usual reads and I think that is what kept me from reading it for so long. Not sure why, considering I always have my Kindle at the ready for when I have a spare few moments during the day and also for my reading times in the evenings. But, I finally decided to give it a go and I'm happy I did.
The book takes place over the course of about 5 or 6 years, and as you get further into the book, there are time jumps so that we get a progress report of sorts on how our cowboys are doing.
The story starts out with Jake, who is in charge of the hands, getting irritated and riled up at Tornado (apparently not an uncommon thing) when Tor isn't where he was supposed to be. Tor isn't being irresponsible, at all, but when the bosses daughter ropes you into helping with something, well you help, right? Tor is a good hand and works hard. And I get the impression that he rather likes getting a rise out of Jake (pun most definitely intended).
Things heat up very quickly between these two cowboys and they stay hot for the vast majority of the book. Considering the sheer amount of sex in the book (and let me tell ya, these men do like their sex and they tend to get naked every chance they get), there was still still a fair amount of character development. I really feel like I got to know both Jake and Tor over the course of the book. Both Jake and Tor have pasts that left them a bit damaged. Jake, especially, is a bit skittish when it comes to the prospect of relationships, but he quickly comes to the conclusion that he just can't function without Tor nearby. It takes Tor a bit less time to come to the same conclusion about Jake.
And we see them go through a lot together. As with so many relationships, people get into routines and then tend to take each other for granted. Then little things and not so little things build up and if they're not dealt with, the relationship suffers. No different here and both Tor and Jake make some huge mistakes and it nearly destroys them. And, like real life, it takes months and working through a whole lot of stubbornness and pain to get back to the good.
I just started the second book and I look forward to seeing where Jake and Tor end up.
I remember there being a lot of sex in this book and I remembered right! Holy cow, it starts off hot and just keeps going. As my reading buddy Karen said - bunnies are envious of these two. So the first half of the book is sex sex and more sex, along with a bit of character and relationship development. And sex. The second half of the book is where the real meat is (I'm not talking about that meat! Get your mind out of the gutter. Just because the first half was all sex... ;-) )
Bareback was every bit as good the second time around and I would definitely recommend it, even though . It was never couched as right or ok and there was a lot of damage done but it really got Jake and Tor (eventually) actually talking and though it took them the better part of a year to get there, they do get their HEA and they really earned it. There's a span of about 20% where my heart hurt so bad, I wasn't sure if I would survive it. But I did and Jake and Tor came out of it stronger than ever. In fact, I'm raising my rating from the original 4 stars to 4.5.
Thank you Eleftheria, Karen and Renee for this reread! It was such a blast to get to gush and rail and hate Travis with other people, instead of just doing all that in my head. This buddy re-read was EPIC.
**********Original Review from Sep 2014**********
I bought this book a couple months ago, but just now picked it up to read. It was much longer than my usual reads and I think that is what kept me from reading it for so long. Not sure why, considering I always have my Kindle at the ready for when I have a spare few moments during the day and also for my reading times in the evenings. But, I finally decided to give it a go and I'm happy I did.
The book takes place over the course of about 5 or 6 years, and as you get further into the book, there are time jumps so that we get a progress report of sorts on how our cowboys are doing.
The story starts out with Jake, who is in charge of the hands, getting irritated and riled up at Tornado (apparently not an uncommon thing) when Tor isn't where he was supposed to be. Tor isn't being irresponsible, at all, but when the bosses daughter ropes you into helping with something, well you help, right? Tor is a good hand and works hard. And I get the impression that he rather likes getting a rise out of Jake (pun most definitely intended).
Things heat up very quickly between these two cowboys and they stay hot for the vast majority of the book. Considering the sheer amount of sex in the book (and let me tell ya, these men do like their sex and they tend to get naked every chance they get), there was still still a fair amount of character development. I really feel like I got to know both Jake and Tor over the course of the book. Both Jake and Tor have pasts that left them a bit damaged. Jake, especially, is a bit skittish when it comes to the prospect of relationships, but he quickly comes to the conclusion that he just can't function without Tor nearby. It takes Tor a bit less time to come to the same conclusion about Jake.
And we see them go through a lot together. As with so many relationships, people get into routines and then tend to take each other for granted. Then little things and not so little things build up and if they're not dealt with, the relationship suffers. No different here and both Tor and Jake make some huge mistakes and it nearly destroys them. And, like real life, it takes months and working through a whole lot of stubbornness and pain to get back to the good.
I just started the second book and I look forward to seeing where Jake and Tor end up.
August 7, 2011
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2011
This book was my first take at Cowboys love, at first I really liked how the relationship between Tor & Jake was developing, Two Alpha males both hot for each other and Strong willed, and the book was amazing at first, really awesome how they started they relationship until they committed to each other, but just when the dead ex-boyfriend subplot starts, it all began to go downhill, and as i continued reading it got worst, Tor took the dominant role in the relationship, Jake topping less and less, but when the foursome happened tor actually bottomed for the other couple top guy, and yes, this may sound stupid but I'm a very equally guy, so I would have liked for Tor to Top him too, as the book goes on, it feels like it had too much sex, like if all the relationship between Jake & Tor was solely based on sex, i kind of understand that Chris Owen was doing this to make us see that they were falling apart each other, but still, then the betray happened, and I must say it it was very stupid of Tor, but as he later stated it, he wanted Jake to find him, to hurt him, but I still CAN'T forgive it!, the reason why Tor supposedly did it was very stupid to me, more so because how he reacted when Jake found it, wanting to mend up everything, i just couldn't understand it, and i'm very good and putting myself in someone else shoes, later when they break up Tor DOESN'T TELL HIS FAMILY, who still believes they are together when they call, making Jake feel worse.
When Jake shows his backbone i feel very proud of him, when Tor tells him he let Travis fuck him is is subtle but very important, because to me it felt like Jake was holding into a very little hope that tor didn't had share his entire body with Travis, when Tor confirms it, it was all over.
On a good note when the cheat happened I must say how Chris managed the feelings of Jake, they just flowed to me and even if i'm a 26 y/o guy, i've cried like a teenager, so emotionally bounded, because Jake gave himself completely to Tor, clean and without any mental baggage, but Tor was full of shit, Tor had Jake entirely for him, body & heart, but Jake had to share Tor's heart with a dead ex boyfriend who Tor was so adamant to not forget that it always bruised the relationship, and if I were Jake i would feel hurt as hell, but Jake put up with it because Tor's body was his, but then Tor was sharing his body with Travis, and I feel like he stripped Jake of everything, it wasn't just the cheat it was more that if Tor would never had been completely Jake's.
Then later when after a night together Tor finds that Jake could maybe never forgive him he goes away, later Kevin comes back, and I really couldn't wrap my mind about how he put himself in Tor's side, I just couldn't and then he and everyone else makes Jake feel like shit, to me it was like mental abuse, and this mental abuse is what in the end lets Jake put up with all the shit Tor has just because Tor loves him.
Then Chris tried to tie everything up with a problem of miscommunication but uh huh, while it was a problem, it wasn't the WHOLE problem, that was Tor's emotional baggage, his feeling for his ex, so sure, Tor swears he would never cheat Jake with someone else again alright, that doesn't mean Jake would not have to share him anymore, some people could say that his ex was his past & Jake is his present and future, like the author state it in the book, but it was a lie, because no matter how much time went, Tor would always carry his dead ex in him, and the worst was that that he would always make sure Jake remembered it, like he does again when they are back together, before people come and say to me that i don't understand how it feels, I've understand it, more than I wish to, so when someone dies, you can remember him, but you can't let it control you and affect your future, like Tor did, he was so obsessed with not forgetting him that it would always be a thorn in their relationship, and the fact that they didn't try to fix that problem, bugged me to no end, because in real life sooner or later it would be way to much, and would end up killing the relationship for good, and I expected that, but Jake changed so much and not in a good way, and with the mental abuse I said earlier, that it seemed almost like it was his job to put up with that, instead of trying to fix the problem, he lost a lot of his self-assurance and even went Tor went back, he was still a fucking bastard when it came to the dead ex.
There's something I have to say about this book and that is that no other book has ever affected me so emotionally strong as this book did, a shame it affected me in a bad way.
I've read the continuation of this book and the spin off, but just because i'm a freak of completion, there's a short story called Bad Pennies, where Travis shows up again, and that was the finishing blow, it made me super mad, I will not read another book by Chris Owen, sorry.
When Jake shows his backbone i feel very proud of him, when Tor tells him he let Travis fuck him is is subtle but very important, because to me it felt like Jake was holding into a very little hope that tor didn't had share his entire body with Travis, when Tor confirms it, it was all over.
On a good note when the cheat happened I must say how Chris managed the feelings of Jake, they just flowed to me and even if i'm a 26 y/o guy, i've cried like a teenager, so emotionally bounded, because Jake gave himself completely to Tor, clean and without any mental baggage, but Tor was full of shit, Tor had Jake entirely for him, body & heart, but Jake had to share Tor's heart with a dead ex boyfriend who Tor was so adamant to not forget that it always bruised the relationship, and if I were Jake i would feel hurt as hell, but Jake put up with it because Tor's body was his, but then Tor was sharing his body with Travis, and I feel like he stripped Jake of everything, it wasn't just the cheat it was more that if Tor would never had been completely Jake's.
Then later when after a night together Tor finds that Jake could maybe never forgive him he goes away, later Kevin comes back, and I really couldn't wrap my mind about how he put himself in Tor's side, I just couldn't and then he and everyone else makes Jake feel like shit, to me it was like mental abuse, and this mental abuse is what in the end lets Jake put up with all the shit Tor has just because Tor loves him.
Then Chris tried to tie everything up with a problem of miscommunication but uh huh, while it was a problem, it wasn't the WHOLE problem, that was Tor's emotional baggage, his feeling for his ex, so sure, Tor swears he would never cheat Jake with someone else again alright, that doesn't mean Jake would not have to share him anymore, some people could say that his ex was his past & Jake is his present and future, like the author state it in the book, but it was a lie, because no matter how much time went, Tor would always carry his dead ex in him, and the worst was that that he would always make sure Jake remembered it, like he does again when they are back together, before people come and say to me that i don't understand how it feels, I've understand it, more than I wish to, so when someone dies, you can remember him, but you can't let it control you and affect your future, like Tor did, he was so obsessed with not forgetting him that it would always be a thorn in their relationship, and the fact that they didn't try to fix that problem, bugged me to no end, because in real life sooner or later it would be way to much, and would end up killing the relationship for good, and I expected that, but Jake changed so much and not in a good way, and with the mental abuse I said earlier, that it seemed almost like it was his job to put up with that, instead of trying to fix the problem, he lost a lot of his self-assurance and even went Tor went back, he was still a fucking bastard when it came to the dead ex.
There's something I have to say about this book and that is that no other book has ever affected me so emotionally strong as this book did, a shame it affected me in a bad way.
I've read the continuation of this book and the spin off, but just because i'm a freak of completion, there's a short story called Bad Pennies, where Travis shows up again, and that was the finishing blow, it made me super mad, I will not read another book by Chris Owen, sorry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2012
Several smokin’ sexy sweeties show some super, spontaneous, steamy, smexing.
What can I say...this is a joyful smutfest, a non-stop feel ‘em up, get ‘em off kinda love story. Our guys Tor and Jake are hot for each other but their relationship runs the gamut, not all is easy goes it.
With a dollop of angst, a dash of homophobic bullying, some heart-rending betrayal but a lot of tender loving, this is a twinkie in the grand scheme of m/m romance; some simple, sweet, goopy fun.
Comely cowboys cumming constantly copiously. But really...
dang, dudes, dial down the debauchery. It is a bit much sometimes...even when they
energetically emit ecstatic, effervescent emissions effortlessly. Whew, still you gotta love it when those...
mighty, meaty men make mendacious mating mischief... they...
find fulminating fulfillment; from feverish, frantic frottage, and flushed frolicking to final fervent fellowship and faithful fortitude.
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would at about 25% into it :)
What can I say...this is a joyful smutfest, a non-stop feel ‘em up, get ‘em off kinda love story. Our guys Tor and Jake are hot for each other but their relationship runs the gamut, not all is easy goes it.
With a dollop of angst, a dash of homophobic bullying, some heart-rending betrayal but a lot of tender loving, this is a twinkie in the grand scheme of m/m romance; some simple, sweet, goopy fun.
Comely cowboys cumming constantly copiously. But really...
dang, dudes, dial down the debauchery. It is a bit much sometimes...even when they
energetically emit ecstatic, effervescent emissions effortlessly. Whew, still you gotta love it when those...
mighty, meaty men make mendacious mating mischief... they...
find fulminating fulfillment; from feverish, frantic frottage, and flushed frolicking to final fervent fellowship and faithful fortitude.
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would at about 25% into it :)
July 13, 2015
I have to say I am exhausted after reading this book. Knowing that there was going to be some 'difficulties' that arise somewhere in this story had my tummy in knots for most of the book! The sex was HOTT and often and I loved the relationship between Jake and Tor (who couldn't love a guy named Tornado?!). I laughed, I cried, I felt like I got punched in the stomach, was nauseous,....how can a book do that to a person? I am so happy that I didn't let some of the reviews scare me off! This is definitely worth the read...AWESOME story!!
November 20, 2016
Buddy re-read with Eleftheria, Jewel, and Karen
It's been a few years since I've read this book, and it's definitely a controversial book. So many strong feelings about this one. People seem to either love it, DNF it because of the beginning, or hear about the and never pick it up. And I can't say I blame them. That particular subject is a hard limit for me. Not kidding in the least - I will not read a book with that content. I read this book in the beginning of my m/m days, and had no idea about it before I read it. If I knew beforehand, I wouldn't have touched this book. And I would've lost out on one of my favorite stories. So for those of you who haven't ever read it because of that reason, take from that what you will.
Now our tastes change over the years. So I wondered if I was honestly going to love it as much as I originally did. The answer is yes, but I appreciated it in a wholly different way.
Let me address the other reason some people avoided or DNF'd this book. The first 50% is PWP. I won't lie. It SO is. There is definitely relationship development, but there are so many sex scenes, your head will explode. If I rated this book on the first half alone, I'd give it 3-3.5 stars. And I will say to those who DNF'd it - you missed out on one of my favorite stories. But I completely understand and agree with you about how this book is perceived based on that first half alone.
So let's dive in now, and I will share why this book is so fabulous. We have Jake and Tor, both working years on a ranch in Arkansas. The entire book pretty much takes place on said ranch. And the chemistry between these two, fans self, just wow.
Here is our version of Jake:
And here is Tor:
Hot, right? Both mid-thirties at the beginning of the book. This book spans 5 years of life, love, and heartache between Jake, Tor, and life on the ranch. I'll say now (and I loved this), there are no side stories. This book is solely about Jake and Tor. All 300+ pages of it. And aside from the beginning PWP where we get snippets of the relationship development, it's one of my favorite m/m love stories.
Neither Jake nor Tor grew up around healthy relationships. And keeping their sexuality discreet, if not hidden, didn't help matters. So it is an absolute pleasure to see them grow into each other over the course of 5 years. They laugh, love, fuck, and fight. And they mature. That's the beauty of this story. It could've happened to any one of use - the heartache they had to bare.
So let's address the elephant in the room. Pretty much everyone has either read this book or knows about the elephant. I'll tag it, but I'm sure this isn't really a spoiler. There is a part in the story where there is some definite strain in the relationship. Jake and Tor are not good communicators, and it takes its toll in a major way. The 68% mark will rip your heart out. And the next 20% does the same in the aftermath of .
Many of us, including me, LOVE those books that rip our hearts out but manage to put them back together. The HEA in this book is one of the hardest won HEAs of any m/m couple I've read. It's real, and it's beautiful. The actually adds something to this story. It's integral and one of the best things that could've happened to this couple. So while I HATE it with everything in me, I completely appreciate it in this story.
I will always recommend this book to m/m readers and consider it a "classic" that everyone should experience. It was an absolute pleasure to reread with these lovely ladies. Thank you to Eleftheria, Jewel, and Karen for the wonderful idea of this reread. Can't wait to see your thoughts as well.
Since the first half was 3-3.5 stars, and the second half was 5+ stars, I will average it out to 4.5.
It's been a few years since I've read this book, and it's definitely a controversial book. So many strong feelings about this one. People seem to either love it, DNF it because of the beginning, or hear about the and never pick it up. And I can't say I blame them. That particular subject is a hard limit for me. Not kidding in the least - I will not read a book with that content. I read this book in the beginning of my m/m days, and had no idea about it before I read it. If I knew beforehand, I wouldn't have touched this book. And I would've lost out on one of my favorite stories. So for those of you who haven't ever read it because of that reason, take from that what you will.
Now our tastes change over the years. So I wondered if I was honestly going to love it as much as I originally did. The answer is yes, but I appreciated it in a wholly different way.
Let me address the other reason some people avoided or DNF'd this book. The first 50% is PWP. I won't lie. It SO is. There is definitely relationship development, but there are so many sex scenes, your head will explode. If I rated this book on the first half alone, I'd give it 3-3.5 stars. And I will say to those who DNF'd it - you missed out on one of my favorite stories. But I completely understand and agree with you about how this book is perceived based on that first half alone.
So let's dive in now, and I will share why this book is so fabulous. We have Jake and Tor, both working years on a ranch in Arkansas. The entire book pretty much takes place on said ranch. And the chemistry between these two, fans self, just wow.
Here is our version of Jake:
And here is Tor:
Hot, right? Both mid-thirties at the beginning of the book. This book spans 5 years of life, love, and heartache between Jake, Tor, and life on the ranch. I'll say now (and I loved this), there are no side stories. This book is solely about Jake and Tor. All 300+ pages of it. And aside from the beginning PWP where we get snippets of the relationship development, it's one of my favorite m/m love stories.
Neither Jake nor Tor grew up around healthy relationships. And keeping their sexuality discreet, if not hidden, didn't help matters. So it is an absolute pleasure to see them grow into each other over the course of 5 years. They laugh, love, fuck, and fight. And they mature. That's the beauty of this story. It could've happened to any one of use - the heartache they had to bare.
So let's address the elephant in the room. Pretty much everyone has either read this book or knows about the elephant. I'll tag it, but I'm sure this isn't really a spoiler. There is a part in the story where there is some definite strain in the relationship. Jake and Tor are not good communicators, and it takes its toll in a major way. The 68% mark will rip your heart out. And the next 20% does the same in the aftermath of .
Many of us, including me, LOVE those books that rip our hearts out but manage to put them back together. The HEA in this book is one of the hardest won HEAs of any m/m couple I've read. It's real, and it's beautiful. The actually adds something to this story. It's integral and one of the best things that could've happened to this couple. So while I HATE it with everything in me, I completely appreciate it in this story.
I will always recommend this book to m/m readers and consider it a "classic" that everyone should experience. It was an absolute pleasure to reread with these lovely ladies. Thank you to Eleftheria, Jewel, and Karen for the wonderful idea of this reread. Can't wait to see your thoughts as well.
Since the first half was 3-3.5 stars, and the second half was 5+ stars, I will average it out to 4.5.
May 11, 2015
9/5-Buddy re-read with Jewel, Renee and Karen
4.5 stars
Some people love it, some people hate it. Others avoid it like the plague once they find out about the cheating. I freaking adore this book!
Now, let me clarify something. As a reader, I don't have many hard limits. In fact, I think incest is my *only* hard limit. This does not mean I enjoy cheating between MC in my books, far from it, and I sure as hell don't condone it in real life (ask my husband, he knows by heart all the detailed plans I have for his man parts in such case). BUT I would never dismiss a good book because of it. And Bareback is a great book.
First half of the book is sex, a little relationship, sex, great secondary characters, sex, coming out and be together and have feelings for each other.And sex. Yes, there is a lot of it.Did I skim sex scenes? No. Did I get bored? No.
And then the cheating came. Damnmit...I hated Tor at that moment.In my mind I nearly killed him.And then I hugged him nd felt sorry for him.I 've never loved a cheating asshole like I loved Tor.Not since Brian in Second Chances
This is why I think people hated Tor so much (not making excuses, just saying how I see things):
*We never get his POV.
*Things between Jake and Tor have started deteriorating a long time before the cheating came. Jake admits it himself that they were almost over before this. Unfortunately I believe the author failed to portray how bad things have been between them .It should have been described in more detail (maybe cut back on some sex scenes?) ,so that the reader doesn't feel that the cheating came out of nowhere. This the only reason I remove half a star from my rating.
*The cheating scene was too detailed and it was not a one time thing.
What came afterwards? Stab through the heart. There is hell to pay before the HEA. Jake and Tor bleed without each other. It takes hard work to rebuilt the trust.I trully believed in the remorsful Tor and his intention of not doing it again. Their struggles are depicted with realism and they actually come out stronger and more solid. And although it is hard for me to believe in a HEA when cheating is involved, I totally believed in theirs.
Thank you girls for reading with me. I had tons of fun!
Check out Renee's review for pictures of our Jake and Tor. I'm just adding Travis, the homewrecking SOB.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2011
What to say about this book what`s not already been said?
Perhaps this - the guys playing with Lego,somehow that made the book for me.
Utterly charming...I can`t help it.
Perhaps this - the guys playing with Lego,somehow that made the book for me.
Utterly charming...I can`t help it.
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