Bullfighter Coke is having a rough time in the Roughstock universe.
When his dear friend Sam Bell is injured at the finals of the bull riding season, he takes that and his injuries pretty hard. His very own clown, Dillon, is determined to take care of Coke, which is tough when Coke is usually the one to care for everyone.
Coke has a huge secret from his past, though, and, when Dillon digs to discover what it is, the skeletons in Coke’s closet threaten to destroy both men.
Publisher's Note: This book has been previously released elsewhere. It have been revised, re-edited and significantly expanded for re-release with Pride Publishing.
Coke and Dillon are learning to live together, and heading out to Dillon’s ranch in Ohio after the Rodeo tour season is over for a few months. Dillon wants to spend some alone time getting to know Coke a little more, and just being together. But Coke is the cornerstone of their Rodeo family, and everyone constantly wants a piece of him. Nevertheless he loves spending time with his clown, and is thankful for the blessings he has, and the time off to just be.
I haven’t read “And a Smile” which is the story where these two get together, so I’ve come into this a little bit blind, and I definitely felt it. There was a lot of back story that I needed to get a complete picture of Dillon and Coke’s dynamics, as well as Coke’s dynamics with the wider group of characters. I had to fill in the gaps by assumption at this stage, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this story. For those who haven’t started this series, I’d probably recommend you go to Roughstock - Blind Side and work your way up from there.
This was a great story. I enjoyed the established relationship, but it still being new enough for Dillon to be learning, which helped me as a reader learn more about them both. Dillon is a Rodeo clown, and has the personality to fit. He is happy, bubbly, and bounces around a lot. This helps keep Coke in a state of happiness too, but a little more mellowed out than Dillon. As a bullfighter he gets injured a lot, and his body is starting to wear down. From what I gather he has a recent neck and back injury, but not the first one, so he needs the rest to get stronger.
There isn’t much in the way of Rodeo in this story, because it’s the end of the season and focuses on this couple during the holidays. It was nice to see how they got along, and all the behaviours each of them displayed while being with each other, instead of the crowd.
As the story progresses Coke is the go to man for everyone in their circle of friends, and Dillon struggles to balance being supportive and pushing Coke to say no more often. Coke doesn’t seem to mind at all, and this is a pretty low angst relationship, with a lot of fun and hot sex.
Coke has some pretty heavy demons that he doesn’t like to dwell on, but is forced to revisit it because Dillon is inquisitive and asks some invasive questions. Coke tries to dodge most of them, but little bits filter in which make Dillon even more curious, and he starts to poke around with friends. This causes some minor angst as the secrets are revealed but they were handled well, without a great deal of emphasis on the drama, and more on the resolution.
I was definitely intrigued by this story, and I will be going back to the beginning to work my way through this series. I really enjoy the writing style, although some terms are foreign to me, being an Australian. There is a roughness to the writing that is endearing, and enjoyable to work through.
The erotic scenes were smoking hot, and the chemistry between Coke and Dillon was strong. There was a particularly sexy dance scene that gave a kick.
The plot points worked well, and showed how Coke and Dillon fit into the broader cast of characters. I was a little lost, but only because I haven’t read from the beginning. I’m sure once I go back it will make more sense to me. If you’ve read through the previous books, this gives a bit more insight into Coke and Dillon as a couple and how they are fitting with each other as an exclusive couple living together.
Recommended for those who enjoy western erotic-romance between men, and some pretty adorable puppies.
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