Reviewed by Morgan
Title: Pulling Leather
Author: L.C. Chase
Narrator: Dorian Bane
Series: Pickup Men #3
Heroes: Scott Gillard/Cory Ackerson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 Hours
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: March 24, 2016
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: The toughest ride of his life is all in his head.
Bull rider Scott Gillard has a reputation for quick fists and harsh words. What no one knows is where that anger comes from. After a shocking incident sends him into a tailspin, he knows he needs help: he’s been fighting a battle he could never win. Now he’s trying to navigate a new life and embrace his true self, but some days are easier than others.
Pickup man Cory Ackerson has suffered his share of harassment, but his light still burns bright. He doesn’t let anything or anyone keep him down, so when he meets the rugged cowboy with a battered chip on his shoulder and regret in his dark eyes, all he wants to do is help.
As their unlikely friendship grows into something deeper, Scott must overcome his past to be the man Cory deserves, or lose his best chance at his own happily ever after.
Review – Book: Scott has been fighting his sexuality his whole life. As a result, he’s been a raging homophobe as well. He’s picked fights and supported bigots. When Tripp ends up losing his career after being bashed, Scott has a bit of a wake-up-call and begins to see the light.
Cory has been picked on all his life for being slight. He’s an out and proud gay cowboy, mostly because he just can’t hide it. He’s bright, sunshiny, and full of fun.
Scott can’t help but be drawn to Cory’s enthusiasm. He wants what Cory has to offer but can’t force himself out of the closet. Cory wants Scott fiercely but won’t be kept a secret forever.
**
I laughed when I saw that I originally posted this book on Good Reads in September 2014. It’s taken til now and an audio book review to get me through this book. *sigh*
I wanted to love this book. I really loved the first two books in the series.
L.C. Chase is a great writer. It’s not that there are technical difficulties with the story – it just made me so frustrated!
Scott and Cory just danced around and around and around and around one another. Will he, won’t he, I want him, I can’t have him, he’s awesome, he’s a jerk… on and on. Then there’s a bit of drama with Scott’s father. Cory finally has had enough. POW – Scott can’t live without him and they’re together.
I was disappointed by the amount of time in limbo. I was frustrated by Scott’s continual denial despite his own mind having accepted his sexuality. I didn’t like the lack of a relationship – both sexual and in person – on page between Scott and Cory. (The couple goes on a couple dates, has a couple make out sessions, and the rest of the time they’re separated. There’s very little sex and not even one “I love you” amazing HEA sex scene.) I thought the situation with Scott’s dad wasn’t handled with enough on page discussion. (It felt contrived, though I can tell it was planned all along as a plot point, it wasn’t dealt with much after the big reveal and I really think this could have been a nice way for Scott to learn more about himself and his sexuality and it could have been a nice bridge from “I can’t come out” to “There’s nothing wrong with me”.)
All in all, I just didn’t care for this story much at all. (I loved Cory and was happy to see our other MCs again, but they weren’t enough to elevate the rating for me.)
Overall rating – Book: It was okay, but not good
Review – Audio: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Dorian Bane has the BEST cowboy voice out there! I absolutely adore his dialog and loved listening to him voice this story. I don’t love his non-dialog narration – he tends to lilt at parts that don’t need it – so many sentences end on an up swing and that gets repetitive. But… that doesn’t hamper my enjoyment of his narration overly much and I really think cowboys are his “thang”!
Overall rating – Narration: I loved it
Overall Impression: It was good
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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