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bitchie's review
5.0
I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars, but because this one ticked off all of my "gay for you" boxes, AND it managed to draw a few tears out of me, I'm giving it the bump.
As to my boxes, when I read a gay for you, bisexual for you, whatever, and the story centers around the guy exploring his gay side, there are certain things that I want to see, on page. Call me a dirty perv if you want, but I want to SEE all the firsts: first BJ, both giving and receiving, first time topping AND bottoming, if the guy does both, and first time being rimmed is an added bonus. I'm thrilled to say, this book ticked ALL those boxes!
Oh, but you guys want to know about the plot? That was great for me too! Bridge has always been thought of as straight, although he himself knows he's been attracted to men before, and even fooled around once with a guy in college. He just never met a guy tempting enough to explore things further, until Eric. Eric has been left behind by everyone who was ever supposed to love him. His parents actually sent him to foster care when they learned he was gay, foster families always sent him back, even boyfriends. So he is understandably wary of Bridge's sudden attraction.
I loved how Bridge went after what he wanted. There wasn't a bunch of waffling around or angsting about falling for a man, and that was brilliant for me. I also loved Eric, he was SUCH a good guy, who just didn't trust that anyone could ever stick around for him. I dunno why, but I'm always a sucker for this type of MC, so long as it isn't over the top on the "woe is me" attitude.
I remember enjoying the first book in this series, but this one definitely hit more of my buttons, and is going on my favorites shelf!
As to my boxes, when I read a gay for you, bisexual for you, whatever, and the story centers around the guy exploring his gay side, there are certain things that I want to see, on page. Call me a dirty perv if you want, but I want to SEE all the firsts: first BJ, both giving and receiving, first time topping AND bottoming, if the guy does both, and first time being rimmed is an added bonus. I'm thrilled to say, this book ticked ALL those boxes!
Oh, but you guys want to know about the plot? That was great for me too! Bridge has always been thought of as straight, although he himself knows he's been attracted to men before, and even fooled around once with a guy in college. He just never met a guy tempting enough to explore things further, until Eric. Eric has been left behind by everyone who was ever supposed to love him. His parents actually sent him to foster care when they learned he was gay, foster families always sent him back, even boyfriends. So he is understandably wary of Bridge's sudden attraction.
I loved how Bridge went after what he wanted. There wasn't a bunch of waffling around or angsting about falling for a man, and that was brilliant for me. I also loved Eric, he was SUCH a good guy, who just didn't trust that anyone could ever stick around for him. I dunno why, but I'm always a sucker for this type of MC, so long as it isn't over the top on the "woe is me" attitude.
I remember enjoying the first book in this series, but this one definitely hit more of my buttons, and is going on my favorites shelf!
c_marie226's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book falls a bit flat compared to the first in the series. The couple is so dull and it doesn’t seem to really have a plot.
nicola949's review
4.0
I really liked book one of the Pickup Men series (which is a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Gay Romance) so knew I would enjoy this one and wasn't disappointed. As with the first book, there is lots of emotion set against a back drop of the rodeo. The characters from book one are here to some degree - Marty, Tripp, Kent - but I don't think it is absolutely necessary to read book one (although it would be a shame to miss it!)
I thought this would be more Bridge's story as he deals with his attraction to Eric and finally wakes up to the fact that he may be bi or gay, something his one-time experiment with a guy in college didn't clue him up on. But he accepts his attraction to Eric easily, having the courage to approach the man and push for a relationship. Surprisingly there's not a lot of issue with anyone else's reaction to his new path in life either, somewhere I thought the story would go.
The emotion surrounds Eric, with his low sense of self worth based on his childhood - abandonment by his own parents and subsequent foster homes - and experience with relationships. No one has truly loved him and stuck by him.
Eric believes there's something wrong with him and that Bridge will eventually see this. He looks for excuses and struggles to accept the truth of Bridge's feelings.
This is a story of sexual exploration (there's no hesitation from either man when it comes to the joys of sex!) with lots of soul searching thrown in. This cowboy isn't afraid of emotional conversations and going after his man. Of course, there's the big dramatic moment of the men coming together for their happy ending - I'm such a sucker for these types of resolutions! :)
This is a single sitting read - sweet and sexy with nice characters - an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
A copy of this book was received from the publisher via Netgalley in return for my honest review.
For m/m romance reviews and more check out Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
I thought this would be more Bridge's story as he deals with his attraction to Eric and finally wakes up to the fact that he may be bi or gay, something his one-time experiment with a guy in college didn't clue him up on. But he accepts his attraction to Eric easily, having the courage to approach the man and push for a relationship. Surprisingly there's not a lot of issue with anyone else's reaction to his new path in life either, somewhere I thought the story would go.
The emotion surrounds Eric, with his low sense of self worth based on his childhood - abandonment by his own parents and subsequent foster homes - and experience with relationships. No one has truly loved him and stuck by him.
"A cold sliver of panic tickled across his chest. Disposable people didn't get to keep lives like this."
Eric believes there's something wrong with him and that Bridge will eventually see this. He looks for excuses and struggles to accept the truth of Bridge's feelings.
This is a story of sexual exploration (there's no hesitation from either man when it comes to the joys of sex!) with lots of soul searching thrown in. This cowboy isn't afraid of emotional conversations and going after his man. Of course, there's the big dramatic moment of the men coming together for their happy ending - I'm such a sucker for these types of resolutions! :)
This is a single sitting read - sweet and sexy with nice characters - an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
A copy of this book was received from the publisher via Netgalley in return for my honest review.
For m/m romance reviews and more check out Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
papercranestitches's review
4.0
***4.25 Stars ***
Well that was sweet and lovely. Definitely a better book than [b:Pickup Men|17727231|Pickup Men (Pickup Men, #1)|L.C. Chase|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364948817s/17727231.jpg|24797386].
Well that was sweet and lovely. Definitely a better book than [b:Pickup Men|17727231|Pickup Men (Pickup Men, #1)|L.C. Chase|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364948817s/17727231.jpg|24797386].
suze_1624's review
3.0
Won on Elisa Rolle's blog.
Another nice outing with the Rodeo pick up men. Tripp and Mack make an appearance, but this story is Bridge and Eric's
Bridge is the all out nice guy, and certainly he does seem to have a charmed life.
Eric has had the opposite and has learned not to trust, and especially not to trust anything good happening for him.
This is a gentler story, much more about the men and there is little rodeo involved. Though Bridge does teach Eric to ride - and Eric teaches Bridge to ride too!
An easy read, nice story.
Another nice outing with the Rodeo pick up men. Tripp and Mack make an appearance, but this story is Bridge and Eric's
Bridge is the all out nice guy, and certainly he does seem to have a charmed life.
Eric has had the opposite and has learned not to trust, and especially not to trust anything good happening for him.
This is a gentler story, much more about the men and there is little rodeo involved. Though Bridge does teach Eric to ride - and Eric teaches Bridge to ride too!
An easy read, nice story.
whitneydr's review
3.0
I read the previous book in this series, Pickup Men, which led up to Let it Ride. I liked the first book enough to read the second.
I actually liked Let it Ride better than Pickup Men. However, the prologue was very clunky and annoying. It just didn't match the flow of the rest of the novel and could've done without it since Bridge's sexual identity was repeatedly brought up in the following chapters. The prologue also had me fearful that Chase was going to be yet another M/M author who denies the existence of bisexuality in their work, which I really wasn't in the mood for. It seem to touch that line, but didn't cross it.
Getting passed the prologue, the story got much better. What I liked most about it was the slow burn. Chase did a great job building up the sexual tension between Eric and Bridge. Slow burning love is always the best.
I empathized with Eric a lot, but I did think his reasonings were repetitive. Actually, many of the same issues were constantly brought up-- like Bridge's sexuality and Eric's abandonment issues-- that felt like beating a dead horse.
This wasn't the best I've read in the gay cowboy genre, but another decent summer read. And I'll definitely read book three in the series. Chase writes on the sappy side, but the plots are enough to marginally keep my interest.
3 stars.
I actually liked Let it Ride better than Pickup Men. However, the prologue was very clunky and annoying. It just didn't match the flow of the rest of the novel and could've done without it since Bridge's sexual identity was repeatedly brought up in the following chapters. The prologue also had me fearful that Chase was going to be yet another M/M author who denies the existence of bisexuality in their work, which I really wasn't in the mood for. It seem to touch that line, but didn't cross it.
Getting passed the prologue, the story got much better. What I liked most about it was the slow burn. Chase did a great job building up the sexual tension between Eric and Bridge. Slow burning love is always the best.
I empathized with Eric a lot, but I did think his reasonings were repetitive. Actually, many of the same issues were constantly brought up-- like Bridge's sexuality and Eric's abandonment issues-- that felt like beating a dead horse.
This wasn't the best I've read in the gay cowboy genre, but another decent summer read. And I'll definitely read book three in the series. Chase writes on the sappy side, but the plots are enough to marginally keep my interest.
3 stars.
regencyfan93's review
2.0
Jus because there was more sex than I wanted in a romance, that doesn't mean you won't like this book. L.C. Chase writes well, though I recall a lower heat level in Pickup Men than I found in this book.
the_novel_approach's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
Let it Ride is the second in L.C. Chases Pickup Men Series. In rodeo, the pickup men manage the horses and bulls and rescue bronc and bareback riders from their horses after they make a ride. They are the men trusted to get the riders to safety from the ring and to escort the horse, bull or bronc out. Sometimes a pickup man has to put himself between a 2,000 pound animal and the rider trying to get over the fence. It is a dangerous job and not one that gets a lot of glory. That is reserved for the riders themselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed Pickup Men, the first in the series (it was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Gay Romance), so I expected to like this one just as much and L.C. Chase didn’t leave me disappointed. Like the first book, there are lots of emotional entanglements and relationships of different natures set against the back drop of the rodeo circuit. The characters from the first book are included as secondary characters in Let It Ride. As always, I like the chance to catch up with characters from previous books in a series and see how they fared after the last page of their story. While I don’t think it is necessary to read Pickup Men to get where this book is coming from, I think it would be a shame to miss it.
As far as everyone knows, Bridge Sullivan is straight. But Bridge has been infatuated with Eric Palmer, the paramedic we met in book one of the series. Bridge has been thinking, fantasizing and wet-dreaming about Eric since he saw him last. I liked that Bridge didn’t freak out at the thought of being attracted to a man, but decided to do a little home experiment, which is funny and hot at the same time. He concludes that yes, indeed, Eric does it for him.
To Bridge, it’s about attraction to another person, male or female. That’s refreshing and realistic. Love and attraction happen when and where they happen, and you don’t always find them where you might expect. Bridge just goes with it. He doesn’t care what other people will think, he is comfortable with himself and who he is. He is really looking forward to the beginning of the new rodeo season and seeing Eric for the first time since realizing just how much he is attracted to the man.
Eric has had no luck in love. He also has low self esteem due to repeated abandonment in his childhood by his own parents and subsequent foster homes. No one has ever loved him enough to stick around. Eric believes that Bridge will eventually see he is flawed and unworthy of love. He looks for excuses to reject Bridge’s advances and has a really hard time accepting Bridge’s feelings as truth, even though he has felt a similar attraction since the two met. He ignored his attraction, thinking Bridge was straight.
There’s no hesitation on the part of either man when it comes to the joys of sex. Though Bridge’s sexual experiences with men are limited, but both he and Eric are ready to try. They not only enjoy their physical exploration, there’s lots of soul searching involved. Neither cowboy is afraid of honest emotional exchanges. Eric and Bridge are so good together as friends, co-workers and lovers. As much as Eric didn’t want to fall in love with Bridge, he did, and it was terrifying for him. Ironically, all their friends were worried about Bridge breaking Eric’s heart and didn’t give a thought to how Eric’s reaction to his feelings and the fears they unearthed would affect Bridge’s heart.
L.C. Chase does a great job of taking the reader inside the ring of trucks and trailers surrounding the rodeo. The men who compete in the ring and those who work as support to them share an easy camaraderie. They are all friends, some lovers, some family. The struggle Eric goes through to believe himself worthy of love and to accept love is heart breaking and beautifully written. The 3.5 star rating is because at points the plot is a little too predictable. Things resolve a little too easily. I truly did enjoy the book, though.
I read Let It Ride in one sitting and believe you will do the same. Hot cowboys, angst, sex so hot the trailer is bouncing, and did I mention the hot cowboys?
Let it Ride is the second in L.C. Chases Pickup Men Series. In rodeo, the pickup men manage the horses and bulls and rescue bronc and bareback riders from their horses after they make a ride. They are the men trusted to get the riders to safety from the ring and to escort the horse, bull or bronc out. Sometimes a pickup man has to put himself between a 2,000 pound animal and the rider trying to get over the fence. It is a dangerous job and not one that gets a lot of glory. That is reserved for the riders themselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed Pickup Men, the first in the series (it was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Gay Romance), so I expected to like this one just as much and L.C. Chase didn’t leave me disappointed. Like the first book, there are lots of emotional entanglements and relationships of different natures set against the back drop of the rodeo circuit. The characters from the first book are included as secondary characters in Let It Ride. As always, I like the chance to catch up with characters from previous books in a series and see how they fared after the last page of their story. While I don’t think it is necessary to read Pickup Men to get where this book is coming from, I think it would be a shame to miss it.
As far as everyone knows, Bridge Sullivan is straight. But Bridge has been infatuated with Eric Palmer, the paramedic we met in book one of the series. Bridge has been thinking, fantasizing and wet-dreaming about Eric since he saw him last. I liked that Bridge didn’t freak out at the thought of being attracted to a man, but decided to do a little home experiment, which is funny and hot at the same time. He concludes that yes, indeed, Eric does it for him.
To Bridge, it’s about attraction to another person, male or female. That’s refreshing and realistic. Love and attraction happen when and where they happen, and you don’t always find them where you might expect. Bridge just goes with it. He doesn’t care what other people will think, he is comfortable with himself and who he is. He is really looking forward to the beginning of the new rodeo season and seeing Eric for the first time since realizing just how much he is attracted to the man.
Eric has had no luck in love. He also has low self esteem due to repeated abandonment in his childhood by his own parents and subsequent foster homes. No one has ever loved him enough to stick around. Eric believes that Bridge will eventually see he is flawed and unworthy of love. He looks for excuses to reject Bridge’s advances and has a really hard time accepting Bridge’s feelings as truth, even though he has felt a similar attraction since the two met. He ignored his attraction, thinking Bridge was straight.
There’s no hesitation on the part of either man when it comes to the joys of sex. Though Bridge’s sexual experiences with men are limited, but both he and Eric are ready to try. They not only enjoy their physical exploration, there’s lots of soul searching involved. Neither cowboy is afraid of honest emotional exchanges. Eric and Bridge are so good together as friends, co-workers and lovers. As much as Eric didn’t want to fall in love with Bridge, he did, and it was terrifying for him. Ironically, all their friends were worried about Bridge breaking Eric’s heart and didn’t give a thought to how Eric’s reaction to his feelings and the fears they unearthed would affect Bridge’s heart.
L.C. Chase does a great job of taking the reader inside the ring of trucks and trailers surrounding the rodeo. The men who compete in the ring and those who work as support to them share an easy camaraderie. They are all friends, some lovers, some family. The struggle Eric goes through to believe himself worthy of love and to accept love is heart breaking and beautifully written. The 3.5 star rating is because at points the plot is a little too predictable. Things resolve a little too easily. I truly did enjoy the book, though.
I read Let It Ride in one sitting and believe you will do the same. Hot cowboys, angst, sex so hot the trailer is bouncing, and did I mention the hot cowboys?
arielkirst's review
5.0
I was rooting for Bridge and Eric from the second the met in book 1, so I was very excited to learn that they were the focus of book 2. I enjoyed this one even better than book 1.
I got a little bogged down with Eric's inner turmoil, and kept yelling at him to stop being a huge idiot, but he stopped eventually.
It was a very sweet story.
I got a little bogged down with Eric's inner turmoil, and kept yelling at him to stop being a huge idiot, but he stopped eventually.
It was a very sweet story.