Jake Taggart’s life was almost perfect He’d worked hard to overcome his past, and he loved his job as foreman on a ranch in Arkansas. The only thorn in his side was a dark eyed cowboy named Tornado whose stubborn attitude brought frustration and confusion to Jake’s mostly happy existence. A late spring rainstorm brings out hidden passions and unleashes a chain of events neither of them expected–and eventually brings about events that threaten to destroy them and what they worked to create. Strong wills and forceful personalities make for intense encounters…but is it enough to keep love alive?
Foreman Jake Taggart is quite annoyed with ranch hand Tornado. He feels that Tornado is just too combustible and annoys the crap outta Jake at least twice a week. That doesn’t stop Jake from lusting after Tor, though. One rainy night they take their aggressions out on each other as well as their lust. This begins a relationship that they both thoroughly enjoy.
They work the ranch together and eventually move into the same room in the bunkhouse together. They have their arguments but they always come back to each other. They also like to play with other men together, but again, always end up with just the two of them. This continues for 4 years – living and loving. Until Jake discovers Tor loving someone else and all hell breaks loose.
This was a very intense read. I really liked the set up of this book as it didn’t follow the men on a daily basis but really went by the seasons. It managed to cover almost 5 years of Tor and Jake’s lives without covering the menial every day details but letting us get to know Tor and Jake pretty well.
The first part of the book covered Jake and Tor’s coming together as a couple and their transition into exclusivity. They were very much committed to each other and though there was a ton of sex that’s how they expressed themselves. The first part also covered Jake’s past and him coming to terms with it as well as Jake’s family finding him after they thought he was dead and the building of those relationships. I loved his family support even if they weren’t all overjoyed with the fact that he was gay.
The second part of the book was incredibly intense. Jake finds Tor with another man and more or less goes into shock and depression. He can’t eat, can’t sleep and of course kicks Tor out of his room and their relationship. The betrayal of Tor just got me right in the heart. Jake was just so devastated. I think Tor was in his own way as well but since he’s the one who cheated I just didn’t have as much sympathy for him. After many months and an incident with the two men Tor leaves the ranch. But Jake realizes, with a little help from his friends, that maybe he needs to look at himself a little more closely and how he and Tor handled issues in the past.
I have to say I really liked this book. As much as I liked the book at first I was getting tired of the fact that there was so much sex. But that led straight into the fact that the lack of sex was one of the indicators that there was something wrong in the men’s relationship. The second half of the book was incredibly emotional and I have to say made me cry more than once. Jake was just so torn up about the break up but was trying to go about his life as best he could. One of the major kudos I have for this book was the resolution near the end of the book. The conclusions that Jake came to about fixing his and Tor’s relationship were spot on for real life: Communication. I personally believe that this is one of the most important factors in any relationship. You can love somebody to death but if you don’t communicate the relationship is sadly lacking.
Overall a very good book that I would recommend. Remember – an intense book with some very sad moments – but with some incredibly happy moments as well.
Rating: 4 out of 5
This book will always hold a special place in my heart as it is my first M/M erotica novel. I loved the build up of the story and the emotional impact of the second part. Natural Disaster, bk 2, is a cherry on the cake and deepens the relationship even more. If you can, read that one too 🙂
Awww Tracy, I looooved Jake and Tor! One of my favorite M/M Erotic Romances — they're cowboys too. *sigh* Seriously though, I loved the way Owen wrote this story. 🙂
Great review.
This is one of the very few m/m books that I never finished reading. I got half way through and put the book down and never bothered to pick it up again – and I'm not even sure why. Everyone loves this book and talks about it as one of their favourite m/m romances.
Perhaps one day I'll pick it up again and finish it.
I'm with Jen, I did finish it but I know many people out there hold it up as the gold standard (even if the cheating part makes some people crazy) but for me it was meh. I have no idea why either. Nothing specific, I just didn't care about them all that much. Maybe it was too long so I lost interest? I have no clue but glad you enjoyed it.
I read this book when I first started reading M/M a few years ago. I loved it although I absolutely hated Tor's cheating. I was almost as devastated as Jake was. 🙂
There is a lot of sex in the story and probably if I were reading it now I'd be skimming through some of them. But I really enjoyed the growth of the relationship over time and even though I hated the cheating I felt for both of them afterwards, especially Jake.
It's still a book that holds a special place in my reading memories.
Leontine – I might just read Natural Disaster. I'd love to see their relationship go farther.
Hilcia – Yes, the 2 men being cowboys was nice. 🙂
Jenre – Although I never considered putting the book down I can see how the first part of the book might turn some people off. The amount of sex alone had me skimming some of them.
Tam – thanks. I'm thinking this is a book that you either love or don't..no in between. It was a really long book! I'm not used to that with m/m!
Lily – I agree. I HATED Tor's cheating and there was a huge part of me that didn't want him back with Jake but I tried to see things from Jake's point of view and that's how I dealt with it.
O noes. Cheating. That's going to make me even less excited about starting this book…
Chris – I know. Had I known that this book dealt with infidelity I may not have ever picked it up. But it was really good – at least imho. I thought that the infidelity was handled well.
Hmmm…. Sometime, when I've read everything else on my ereader…
Yeah, that's not likely to happen. But I would read it before starting on the freebie classics that came pre-loaded!
LOL One would hope! And it's GOOD! Of course it's intense and I know you. If I cried then I KNOW you'll cry. Just sayin.
You really aren't selling it to me here. 😉
*makes mental note to have big pile of hankies handy if I do read this book*
Buck up little pirate – you can do it!
:p
I want to read this. It sounds AMAZING! Title of the first AND second books noted 🙂 Thank you!
I loved the way Owen wrote this story. 🙂
your healthy choice
I just finished reading this book and absolutely LOVED IT. For all of you who enjoyed this book as much as I did, the sequel is Natural Disaster. There is also the book Running Away To Home which is the story of Hound and Dale. In between those three books there is Light touch a Jake and Tor story available for purchase, and also for free directly at the author's website under free fiction the following Jake and Tor stories:
Skinny Dipping-pre sequel to Bareback
35
Rain
Seeing is Believing
Bad Pennies
Storm in the Heartland
First Christmas
Doing New Years Right