A Wild Ride (The Bullriders book 1) by Andrew Grey | Cat's Audiobook Review, Tams eBook Review, Excerpt & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @andrewgreybooks ~ '

A Wild Ride
The Bullriders book 1

By: Andrew Grey
Narrated by: John Solo
Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 02-27-18
Language: English
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC

Dante Rivers just lost the rodeo by two 100ths of a point; he’s frustrated as hell, needs to get laid, and he knows just where to go. That night, he meets Ryan Abbott and catches his eye - Ryan watched the rodeo and is still riding high on the rush. The chemistry between them ignites, but Dante, unable to deal with complications, leaves while Ryan’s asleep.

Ryan figures he’ll never see Dante again, but they’re fatefully reunited when Dante’s grandfather, Hy, hires Ryan to help straighten out some old investments. The attraction between Ryan and Dante still sizzles. Sex slowly turns to more, but obstacles abound: Hy’s failing health, Dante’s homophobic sponsor, an attack on Ryan, and Dante’s own struggle with his identity. Any one thing would be enough to separate them permanently...unless they both decide to hang on for the wild ride.

Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

Cat gives this one 5 Meows with a 4 Purr heat index...

" A sexy, intriguing, page-turning Ride"

Overall

Performance

Story

Dante is a bull rider and usually in control of his life. That is until he meets Ryan. He never dreamed he would like to be dominated but the way Ryan handles him balances him and relaxes him yet scares him to death causing him to flee. But life brings them back together when his Grandfather Hy hires Ryan's company to help him settle some affairs.

I loved this book but I am a sucker for a cowboy and Dante was sexy as hell. I also like a touch of surprise and that's what I got with the first sex scene. I loved the way the two men just fit both so different yet perfect for each other. Once again Andrew Grey came up with fabulous characters, a riveting plot, super hot sex scenes with the slightest touch of D's or domination, two hot Alpha men and some awesome side characters too.

The narration is also good. John solo has a smooth voice, great pacing and keeps you engaged in the story. I listened all in one sitting, lost in the story.

Tams gives this one 5 Stars...

This book really was A Wild Ride! Fast paced, well written, action packed and sexy as hell. Ryan is a no nonsense, take charge guy in every aspect of his life. Dante has no choice but to be in control at all times. As a professional bull rider losing focus, loosing that control could cost him his life. It’s no surprise that the single most satisfying sexual experience either one of them have, is with each other.

After an emotionally charged encounter, Dante runs. What should have been a one night stand becomes so much more when Ryan walks back into his life. Sparks are definitely flying and the attraction is electric, but Dante is still refusing to admit just how badly he not only wants, but needs the domination Ryan can offer him. As the story progresses their relationship grows and both men have to learn the meaning of the words give and take.

I loved the way Grey kept the story focused on Ryan and Dante, but gave us some fantastic secondary characters as well to round out the story. Dante’s grandfather Hy sort of became the glue that held these two men together. Dante struggles with his identity as Ryan struggles with his past. The chemistry is undeniable, but they’ll face a lot of obstacles on their journey to be together. The illness of a loved one, homophobia and a gay bashing remind us of the day to day struggles that gay men have to deal with in order to maintain a relationship. But they also get to have some mind blowing sex along the way!

If you like stubborn, sexy alpha males then this is a must read for you.

Excerpt...

DANTE RIVERS slowly paced the backstage area of the arena, breathing deeply as the crowd above and around him roared its approval at the unseen spectacle. He kept his breathing regular and his mind focused on the task ahead. This was what he’d trained and worked for his entire career, and he knew it was coming to an end. He could only ride bulls for so long, and at twenty-nine, he was approaching old age; he had one or two more years at most. No, he had to do it this year; this was his chance. One ride, one chance for the points, the money, and the title. All the other riders had had their rides, and this one single bull, Damnation, stood between him and everything he’d ever wanted. He’d drawn the meanest, orneriest bull on the circuit, which meant he actually did have a chance. The leader had drawn the money bull, which meant he’d had an easy time staying on, but he hadn’t gotten as many points as he could have. That twist of fate gave Dante his opening. He could feel his dream within his grasp.
“Dante, they’re just about ready for you,” Harvey, his agent and childhood friend, told him. Harvey had been with him since the beginning. He’d also hoped to ride, but an early injury that had nearly killed him ended that dream. Harvey had made a career out of what he loved anyway, and he rarely missed one of Dante’s rides.
“Thanks, Harv, I’ll be ready when they are,” Dante said without even looking away from the spot on the wall he’d been concentrating on. He cleared his mind and pushed away the jitters and nerves that threatened to bubble up. His dream was so close he could feel it. Yes, he knew winning would be a bit of a long shot. The leader was well in front, but it was possible, and that was all Dante wanted: a chance. In his life, that was all he’d ever wanted, and very few people had given him one without wanting something in return. Harvey was one of those few people.
“Let’s go,” Harvey said, and Dante picked up his bull rope and adjusted his protective vest before plonking his hat on his head and heading for the hallway that would lead him to the arena. His spurs jangled as he walked. He loved that sound, had ever since his daddy, rest his soul, had given him his first set. Yes, he had the hat and chaps, but it was the spurs and their jangle that made him a real cowboy and gave him what he felt was his personal connection and made him feel part of the long cowboy tradition.
He knew Harvey was behind him, but he always made the walk to the arena alone, no matter how many people were with him. His sport was solitary, and he liked it that way. During those seven seconds, it was just him and the bull. Everyone and everything else disappeared for the duration in a euphoric rush of adrenaline.
Dante stepped into the arena, and the crowd roared its excitement. He held his gloved hands and bull rope over his head in acknowledgement, and they cheered louder, the entire building cheering, clapping, and stomping their approval. The sound went right into his gut and groin, the way it always did. He handed his bull rope to the handlers, and they fastened it around Damnation. Then Dante checked the rope before climbing to the top of the chute. He waved to the crowd one final time and then settled on top of three-quarters of a ton of mean orneriness that no one had ridden to completion that year. The bull’s buck-off percentage was 100 percent, so Dante knew he was in for one wild fucking ride. He could practically smell the testosterone coming off the damned bull, and his heart kicked into overdrive. Dante got his hand and legs into perfect position as Damnation’s heat worked through his pants to his ass. “I’m going to fuck you up,” he told the bull and then descended into himself.
He gave the signal, the chute opened, and Damnation practically jumped out of the damned thing. Dante had anticipated the move and held on, tightening his legs as Damnation went into a death spiral. The damned animal tried to bend in half so he could get at Dante with his horns. Then the twisting and bucking began. Dante spurred the son of a bitch and then did it again as the fractions of a second ticked by. He heard and felt nothing other than the bull, his free hand waving and flipping for balance. It almost seemed like he could get into Damnation’s pea-sized brain and knew what the fucker was going to do. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t taking a beating, God no. His shoulder burned like it was on fire, and he willed the damned thing to stay in its goddamned socket.
The buzzer went off, and Dante bailed, landing on the arena floor and then running hell-bent for leather toward the rails and safety. Damnation had a real bad habit of going after riders. Dante scrambled over the rail, making it to safety, and only then did the roar of the crowd reach him. He’d had the ride of his life—he knew it in his heart and he could feel it in every fiber of his being. The arena erupted, and the vibrations from the entire building came right up through Dante’s laced boots, up his legs, and straight to his dick. He hoped to fucking God they didn’t see his hard-on, because he could certainly fucking feel the aching throb. It was nearly always like this, and while he was never obvious, he knew it was the same way for a lot of the other riders as well. He couldn’t really help it. While the wranglers took care of the bull and Dante waited for his score, he straddled the rail and waved to the crowd. They showed their appreciation by nearly bringing down the house. They all knew he’d had the best ride most of them would ever see, and he reveled in the attention.
Harvey appeared at the base of the fence. “Come on. They aren’t going to announce anything until you leave the arena and the crowd settles down.” Dante climbed down and took his rope when the wrangler handed it to him, then walked back toward the tunnel.
Dante made his way to the locker room. This was the last event and his last ride, so most of the other cowboys had already left to watch the action. Gently, Dante lowered himself onto a bench and sighed.
“The score should be up soon,” Harvey said.
Dante nodded slowly. Damn, he hurt all over. Dante opened the locker he’d been using and fished in his bag, popping a couple of Tylenol before taking the cup Harvey offered. “We need to get out there. If you win, they’ll want to see you, and if you don’t, everyone will be watching for that too.” Harvey’s voice held a note of warning.
Dante hoisted himself back to his feet. “That was a long time ago.” He’d learned a hell of a lot about how to act, win or lose, since he first started.
“You know that and I know that, but the fans have a long memory in this sport, and half of them wait just to see if you’re going to lose it.”
“Well, fuck them,” Dante said as he followed Harvey back out of the locker area. As he approached the arena again, though he’d only been gone a few minutes, the crowd was getting restless. Then a cheer went up, and Dante knew the results had been posted. The cheers muted somewhat, and as Dante stepped into the arena, he turned up to the scoreboard and felt his heart plummet to his feet. He’d gotten second place by two one-hundredths of a point. Two fucking one-hundredths of a point. No wonder it had taken so long to put the scores up. The judges had to make sure they were spot on. Maddox, the winner, walked into the arena, waving his hat above his head as he took his victory walk. Dante knew he was expected to as well, so he climbed up and sat on the edge of the rail, then took off his own hat to wave it at the crowd. His arm hurt like billy hell, but he smiled and waved, tamping down the roiling cauldron of frustration that simmered in his gut. Once he figured he’d made nice and played the fucking game, he climbed down gingerly and shuffled back to the locker room, where he collapsed onto a bench.
“You’ll get ’em next year,” Harvey said. “That was one hell of a ride you had, and people aren’t going to forget it. Neither is….” Harvey stopped mid-sentence as Maddox strode into the locker room with a smile as big as the Texas range.

Andrew Grey is the author of over 100 works of Contemporary Gay Romantic fiction. After twenty-seven years in corporate America, he has now settled down in Central Pennsylvania with his husband, Dominic, and his laptop. An interesting ménage. Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He is a recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and now writes full-time. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.