Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Long Ride
SERIES: How to Catch a Cowboy
AUTHOR: Cheryl Dragon
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 167 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2020
BLURB:
Book one in the How to Catch a Cowboy series
Finding true love can be a long ride.
Everyone knows Lucas Burr, rodeo star and cowboy, the man who put the tiny Texas town of Burrwood on the map. When one nasty and suspicious fall nearly ends his career, Lucas needs help. Jack Gable isn’t Lucas’ first choice but he’s the best physical therapist in town.
Out and proud, Jack Gable likes small-town life, but finding Mr. Right is harder than in a city. A former paramedic who’s worked plenty of rodeo nights, Jack is familiar with the damage done to a cowboy’s body. He can heal Lucas…if Lucas cooperates.
Lucas is sure he was sabotaged—he’s been riding since he was a kid and the ride felt off. He also owns a quarter of the booming rodeo business and a big family ranch, meaning plenty of suspects to investigate…with Jack along for the ride.
Straight shooter Jack is unafraid of small-town gossip…and also not afraid to tell Lucas how he feels. He’s ready to rope him into a very real relationship that could change everything for the more secretive, reserved Lucas.
But can Lucas come to terms with his feelings, or will public pressure and judgment tear the couple apart?
REVIEW:
Lucas is a cowboy who is quarter owner of a big ranch and rodeo operation. He has taken a bad fall off of a bull and his back is wrecked. He needs PT and wants to be back in the saddle quickly, so he agrees to work with Jack. Jack is the best PT in town. He also happens to be gay. Uh-oh. Lucas is attracted, but he’s used buckle-bunnies for cover for years. His dad was completely homophobic and shamed him when he was a kid, so he’s done everything in his power to ignore his desires for men.
Jack is former military, out and proud and the best PT in town. He agrees to work with Lucas, but he also kind of has to dodge his attraction to Jack who definitely let’s him know that he’s interested – at least in a secret hook-up. He’s not interested in hurting his reputation with the ladies or the rodeo fans. He does share his upbringing with Jack so that he understands why Lucas is hiding things. But he’s not going to be anyone’s secret.
There is also the issue of Jack’s fall. He thinks he was set up, but he can’t prove it. When Jack agrees to help him find out what happened, they end up spending a lot of time together outside of their intensive PT sessions. Lucas has a very hard time keeping things professional when they are alone though. Jack tries to keep things above board for a long time while still trying to help Lucas come to grips with who he really is and figure out what he really wants.
As they go through the prime suspects, things get interesting – not just on that front but also between them. Lucas continues to fight his feelings and desires and Jack does his best to be respectful – but it’s difficult 😉 There is a lot of innuendo and flirting 🙂
I enjoyed the story, but to be honest, I had a hard time liking Lucas. He was really messed up by his upbringing and his father’s insults. Jack tries really hard to be a standup guy and a support for Jack going through everything he is – both physically and emotionally. I really liked Jack and his approach with Lucas. Lucas had a lot of growing up to do, and it was good to seem him deal with his issues and learn to be true to himself. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will look forward to the next book.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Pride