Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Bullrider and the Bookworm
SERIES: Snow Creek Ranch
AUTHOR: V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: Perky Rooster Press
LENGTH: 199 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 8, 2026
BLURB:
Sometimes the wildest ride isn’t in the arena – it’s falling in love.
Bull rider Hoyt Knox has spent his life chasing applause, adrenaline, and the next eight-second ride. With his body starting to break down and sponsors pulling out, he finds himself facing a possible life change. Confused and hurting, he heads to Snow Creek Ranch to try his hand at something a little easier as he heals while trying to figure out what’s left for him besides a sore back and a fading spotlight.
Enter Aubrey Lancombe, a quiet, bookish man who’s just moved to Chance to escape the city life – and the loss of his beloved grandmother followed by a bad breakup – and finally open the bookstore of his dreams. Aubrey has always preferred words to people, quiet to chaos, and certainly has no time for cocky cowboys with something to prove.
When their worlds collide over a shared love of poetry they strike up a friendship that teeters on the edge of something else entirely. But Hoyt’s not out and Aubrey is scared to fall again. As his time at Snow Creek Ranch passes Hoyt must decide if he’s ready to hang up his spurs for good – or risk his heart on the bookworm who’s rewritten everything he thought he knew about love.
The Bull Rider and the Bookworm is a 58K opposites attract, age gap, gay MM contemporary western romance with a weary rodeo rider, a shy bookhound, a ranch that heals all manner of hurts, a gentleman rooster, a plethora of romantic poetry, and a shiny as a gold buckle happy ending.
Content Warning: This story has references to past sexual abuse, death of a parent, and suicidal thoughts.
REVIEW:
Hoyt Knox is a closeted bull rider who is coming to the end of his career. He’s been badly injured by an angry bull and it takes his chute man telling him that he’s hanging it up at the end of the season to get him to realize that he’s got to get the needed surgery and rehab if he ever wants to be on the rodeo circuit again. He’s been off for a while and the sponsors are dwindling and he’s living out his horse trailer minus his beloved horse that he had to sell off. He’s as close to rock bottom as can be.
Hoyt agrees to the surgery but he has no place to go to heal. He does have a younger brother, Jesse, but he hasn’t seen him in years. After their father beat and kicked Hoyt out for being gay, he only went back once and that didn’t end well either. He’s lift with little choice though so he calls Jesse and asks to come stay for the summer.
The trip is rough and when he gets to the ranch, he’s surprised by his brother. He’s surprised by his brother’s boyfriend and the fact that his brother and his boyfriend own the ranch now. And his father is no longer the foreman. Abel Knox was not a good man and an even worse father. Now he’s suffering from a TBI as well. Hoyt feels a lot of guilt over leaving Jesse so he doesn’t want to cause more problems.
New in town is Aubrey Lancombe. He’s come into an inheritance and he’s bought a cottage and a store and is opening a bookstore. He’s left his cheating abusive ex in his dust and couldn’t be more excited about starting his new life. He’s got a cat and a rooster for company at his home and the new bookstore to run. When Hoyt comes in and asks about poetry, well it’s clear there is chemistry between them. But Aubrey has sworn off men. Too bad he can’t seem to resist Hoyt 😉
The more Hoyt sees Aubrey at the bookstore, the more he likes him. When he ends up sharing his poem that he wrote, Aubrey is thrilled. He just knows Hoyt has real talent – a talent he’s hidden for years after the beating he took from his father. But it turns out that poetry is the one thing that he is maybe able to do with a busted shoulder and time on his hands.
As Hoyt and Aubrey share dinners and kisses and more, Hoyt begins to question his life after his recovery. Does he really want to go back to the rodeo? It’s the only thing he’s ever done. But he doesn’t want to leave his brother. Or Aubrey. Could he really do something else?
Oh my! I was worried at first that this story was going to be very angsty. Thankfully it was not. Hoyt and Aubrey both have baggage. Nearing 40 and starting out so badly in life, it’s not surprising that Hoyt has a lot of issues after living a closeted life his whole adulthood. Seeing his brother living happily with his partner and having his ray of sunshine in Aubrey, well Hoyt just may get a second chance at living a full life. An authentic life. His care and devotion to Aubrey are complete. He knows a good thing when he finds it. I loved watching these two figure out their path. I loved Hoyt getting to step into being himself. The family – both blood and found – make a huge difference to both Hoyt an Aubrey. Their love wins and Hoyt gets his heart’s desire. Bravo!
RATING: 
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