New Review for Cowboy Drifter!

Cowboy Drifter by Winona Wilder

Cowboy Drifter by Winona Wilder
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (79 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Toys, Spanking
Rating: 4.5 cherries
Reviewed by Coreopsis

James doesn't know how he'll survive a road trip with Jet Cartwright. The cowboy drifter has been his wet dream for years, and keeping his true feelings hidden takes a herculean effort.

Jet travels the rodeo circuit and handles horse trading for busy ranchers. Settling down never crossed his mind—until he meets James, a mix of innocence and raw sex appeal. Jet quickly learns that he's willing to give up his ways for the young blond.

Will James be able to come clean with his feelings? Will Jet be able to show the younger man the many pleasures of the flesh, and will that be enough?

James is a young man with a secret, a secret he shouldn’t have to keep, but the fear of being shunned by his family has him keeping his lips tightly sealed. After seeing his father disown his brother for being gay, James doesn’t want to take the chance that his father will cast him aside for being in love with another man. This is a character who is torn between coming out of the closet or staying trapped in his own personal prison just to keep his family happy.


Jet Cartwright drifts between riding the rodeo circuit and helping rancher’s sell their purebred horses. He was hired by James’ father to teach him the ropes of trading horses, but what Jet teaches James has nothing to do with horses. He’s a man of many hats and is good at disguising his true nature. Jet has always admired James from afar but Jet knows his limits when it comes to relationships and he isn’t the settling down type. Still every protective instinct comes out in him when he's with James and has him thinking forever isn’t so bad.


I really liked the character of Jet; he doesn’t broadcast his sexual preference but he also doesn’t hide who he is. At times I found him to be frustrating, he is afraid of putting down roots and committing to one person for the rest of his life. But love outweighs any uncertainties he may have had; he just has to prove to his young and naïve cowboy that he’s in for the long haul.


This was a sweet loving story filled with plenty of misunderstandings between the two main characters. This author paired together a man still trying to figure out who he is with a man experience in life and in sex, so it’s a given these two men will butt heads often. The attraction is evident from the first touch they share. This is a couple that will keep me wondering what adventures they will share next long after the story ended. That's the true proof of a good book.

First Review for CHOOSING LOVE!

REVIEW

 

A strong debut novel from Winona Wilder, she packs quite a punch in this highly emotional short story. It didn't take many pages before I felt myself drawn into Cal and Waylon's world.

Cal has been in love with Waylon for years. But Waylon is the star quarterback at their college and is dating one of the most popular girls in school. Resigned to being in the "just friends" column, he keeps his feelings to himself. Cal is afraid to come out to even his best friend after being disowned and kicked out of the house by his mother and stepfather.

Waylon is the "big man on campus" but he is keeping a secret: He is in love with his best friend Cal. While out on a double date, Cal gets drunk and when Waylon pulls him outside to sober him up, the two kiss. When their dates come outside to see what has happened to them Cal runs away. Both guys are afraid of rejection and won't admit their feelings, and this puts a strain on their friendship.

When Evan, their History teacher, confronts the two because of their slipping grades in his class, it's just to be helpful, but turns into so much more. Evan is an openly gay man and tries to encourage the two younger men to admit their feelings, at least to each other. He never planned on falling in love with them.

Just when Cal finds the courage to be open on campus, the unthinkable happens and he pays a terrible price. It will take both the men in his life get him to choose love.

I am so impressed when an author can create a world and tell a story with such depth in so few pages. This could have been a true story on any college campus. I do have to admit that I was a little skeeved out with Evan at first, but in the end I was completely into their relationship. I also had trouble with the fact that there was not even a mention of Evan losing his teaching job by being involved with two students.

CHOOSING LOVE brought to light some of the very real issues that openly gay students (people) have to deal with. I will definitely be choosing the next book in this series.