review 1: So this book hits a little too close to home, of course not in a bad way as it’s just fabulous. But I knew these guys too well growing up. Reminded me of my childhood in so many ways. These were the boys (ok minus the gay bit as far as I knew) that I hung out with every summer. Watched the ego that placed them on the back of bulls week after week keeping their big heads stuck up their asses!Cody Grainger is at the top of his game. He has a commanding lead in the points for the NBR even at 32. On a bull he can do no wrong. The gold championship buckle looks to be a shoe in for him and he’ll be the first 2 time back to back NBR World Champion. With his boyfriend Johnny beside him Cody’s on cloud nine and there ain’t nothing going to bring him downJohnny Arrow... more loves his job and he loves his man. As far as he’s concerned spending his life out there in the ring staring down those 1000-pound beasts as a rodeo bullfighter is the perfect way to spend an evening. Followed quickly of course by getting Cody back to the hotel and into bed. If he feels a twinge every now and again about having to hide their relationship, well that’s just the way it goes. The rodeo ain’t no place for an out cowboy. Still he’s got it all. Yet he still finds himself gritting his teeth more and more these days as Cody makes all the decisions for the two of them and doesn’t seem to listen to a damn word Johnny’s saying. If Cody’s not careful he’s going to end up driving away the best part of his life by doing nothing more than letting his ego do the talking. First of all the depiction of the rodeo lifestyle here is extremely well done. Ms. Ford incorporated a lot of detail about what it means to be a bull rider and/or a bullfighter in the world of professional rodeo. The aches and pains are all just part of the sport these guys know and love. It’s a hard life on the road and one of those jobs you do because you have to, because you just can’t see yourself doing anything else. I think that’s why I enjoyed Cody so much even when I wanted to smack him. It’s a hard thing to admit when your body just can’t take the punishment of doing something you love anymore. It’s a very real fact that rodeo is a young man’s sport. There’s only one rider in the Top 10 bull riders in the world at the moment that’s over 30. And he’s certainly not in the Top 5. Cody is certainly not at absolute retirement, but I loved seeing his friends and family trying to get his mule-head thinking and start edging him towards plans for his future. At times his shear stubborn "bullheadedness" makes him seem like the younger man in this relationship. Johnny's decisions often seem to come from a place of more maturity.Oh Johnny, you run from pain so easily, but damn you had to do something. I was so happy when Johnny finally walked out the door. He’s not Cody’s doormat to walk all over before Cody switches his job title to blow up sex doll. I loved the fact that Ms. Ford gave equal attention to the job the bullfighters do in that ring. She’s right, those cowboys would never survive without the men on the ground risking their lives for them. Rodeo’s a dangerous sport and no event is worse than the bull riding. People love that though, being on the edge of your seat waiting to see what’s going to happen next. I’m of course waxing on about a sport I love and felt got an honest fair shake by Ms. Ford. But in the end this story is about two men and what they’re going through. Both of these guys had to grow up in this story. Cody needed to learn to give his partner the respect he deserves in and out of bed and Johnny had to learn to be able to stand up for himself. Just because Cody’s the undisputed champion and has in some ways earned that big head, doesn’t mean he gets to walk all over those around him. These guys are both good cowboys at heart and truly love each other. Personally I enjoyed that aspect of this book. This is an established relationship learning how to grow. These two guys reached the tipping point that can happen in a relationship of any length. People start to change and you either make changes together or you end up splitting there and then. Cody and Johnny had to fight themselves, and each other, to get through this rough patch but in the end their relationship will be the stronger for it. And quite frankly it was nice to see Cody knocked off his high horse and seeing his face end up in the dirt a time or two. Slumps happen in any sport and 9 times out of 10 it’s entirely mental. Lesson in all this, don’t mess with those your love. ;) One last note about gay cowboys…I loved the way this book dealt with it frankly. Some books in this genre take an unrealistic view, in my opinion, and try to pretty up the opinions these guys would face in this world. Not to say that I think it’s right or anything, but this is an extremely hard world to be “out” in. I enjoyed the fact that both of these guys understood this, had a great support system of the few people they trusted with their secret, and didn’t feel the need in the end to out their love to the rodeo world. Ms. Ford pushes the boundaries nicely I felt with Cody and Johnny’s conversation about the gay rodeo and wanting to walk in that pride parade someday in the distant future. It was the perfect bow on a truly lovely story. These men know the world they live in and aren’t trying to rock the boat just to rock it…maybe just tip it a little. review 2: Ugh. 2.75. Cody was a self-centered jackass for far too much of this story. I didn't fully buy his sudden reformation. Another example of men who can't talk to each other, which has become one of my pet peeves of late. I found some of the phrasing to be vaguely homophobic in the way that anything graceful or delicate was described as "(almost) feminine." Really? Men can't be graceful without being feminine? I dug Zane. I want to know his story.This was rapidly heading for a 1-star or DNF for me but the emotional impact of the Finals rescued it in the nick of time. The middle half was incredibly boring. I didn't need the non-stop explanation of bull riding, but I'm sure some people did, so it served its purpose but it did irritate me a bit. less
