I love cowboy stories; so this one, with two cowboys as main characters, was a treat for me. From the situation these two found themselves in, to the language they used and the way the dealt with life, everything breathed ‘macho cowboy’ to me. Flint may be in more trouble because he isn’t out, but Dustin suffers with him, in a way, because they can’t be a couple in public. An all-too-familiar conundrum which will be sadly familiar to many gay men.

Flint starts out, in my eyes at least, as a bit of an idiot. He’s old enough to be a man, but he certainly doesn’t behave like one. And not just because he’s scared to admit he’s gay, that could make anyone feel weak in their knees. No, it was the sneaking around his parents and the temper tantrums that added to the picture of a man who needs to grow a pair. I had to smile when I realized how well-drawn a character Kiernan made him. He certainly felt real to me, and my reactions to his stupidity were as strong as my sympathy when he ends up with his back to the wall.

If you like stories about cowboys, characters with realistic problems and reading about a man ‘coming of age’ as he takes his life into his own hands, you will probably like this story. I loved all of the above plus all the fun little details about rodeo life and the secondary characters. It all fit perfectly together and gave an excellent picture of the positive consequences of living your life like you want, not like someone else thinks you should live it.




NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online ( )