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*I got this title free from the author in a give away (yay! I won something and actually got what I won!).

 

Stroke of Luck by Jourdan Lane

Blurb: Dale and Brandt are doing all right on their ranch in Colorado, raising horses and living together. Brandt still has a jealous bone, and sometimes they fuss about the small stuff, but Dale knows they love each other, and that things will straighten themselves out as long as he and Brandt are honest with each other.

When an old friend arrives from Texas, though, jealousy rears its ugly head, and Brandt and Dale find themselves at odds. Can they help Evan get back on his feet, and keep their own feet on the ground about their relationship with each other?

Note:  Brandt and Dale first appeared in the popular anthology, Cowboy Up.

Review:

Although this is a stand alone title, the characters are from a previous story and anthology so I’m going to touch on that as it impacts both this story and the characters. In the previous story of “Surrender”, ranch hand Dale is introduced with a fiery temper ignited by a derogatory gay comment the ranch manager, Brandt, spouts off. The two end up rolling on the ground and although both men are sore, it’s not the fun, spanky kind of sore. So it’s somewhat surprising that Dale goes to Brandt’s birthday celebration at a nearby bar that same evening.

As Dale is attempting to drink himself into a stupor to ignore that he is in love with the asshole Brandt, his luck seems to turn as Evan slides into the bar stool next to him. Evan is kind, observant, and attracted to Dale but before Evan can leave with him, Brandt shows up and drags Dale to a back room. There the two have painful and intense sex where upon finishing, Brandt flips out, treats Dale like utter garbage and tells him not to come home that night. Confused and aching, Dale accepts Evan’s offer of friendship and a place to stay for the night; although nothing sexual happens between them. When Dale returns home the next day, he and Brandt work things out after Brandt tearfully admits he’s in love with Dale but just had no idea how to act on it and couldn’t stand someone else hitting on Dale. The two eventually work things out and end up on a ranch of their own.

Problems with the couple were that there was no background information on either character so there is no explanation on why Dale who falls in love with someone who treats him like complete shit. Brandt does certainly treat Dale much better the next day; however, he never really apologizes for his actions and merely agrees he shouldn’t have reacted that way. While Brandt is somewhat redeemed by his complete turn around behavior towards Dale, the flip-flop of emotions leaves Brandt somewhat confusing as a character.

Now, fast forward two years to “Stroke of Luck”. Brandt and Dale are working their ranch and the opening scene shows that everything is not easy with two combustible personalities. They’re prone to fighting and apparently even break their own cardinal rules. However, they both are clearly trying to make the relationship work and can acknowledge where they are falling short. Brandt shows a loving, sensitive side that only appears to Dale, yet makes each man’s effort in the relationship worthwhile. That effort is to be tested though when Dale’s old friend Evan shows up, down on his luck and almost broken from repeated assaults. Dale’s first instinct is to bring Evan home to help him as Evan was a kind friend when Dale was in need. With repeated comments to “bringing home strays”, Dale is obviously a soft touch.

In typical fashion, Brandt reacts to this by yelling first and asking questions days later, prompting Dale to offer little to nothing in the way of reassurance or explanation. Clearly these two still have work to do on communication. Matters are further complicated when Brandt’s jealous reasons are proven true and the two men must get over their initial asshole tendencies to actually work out their differences. Thankfully as in the previous story, Dale and Brandt really do love each other and at least make an effort to correct their reactionary outbursts. Likely not to change in the future, there is the sense that neither man is purposefully trying to hurt the other and the story has the feel of two stubborn men that simply clash repeatedly but smooth things over afterward.

Brandt and Dale are complicated characters that are not immediately likeable; however, they do grow with each story. Their relationship is similar to their sex – sometimes rough, occasionally sweet but always scorching hot. Although the story has a wrapped feel to the two cowboys, I would be very curious to see how they mellow in a few years.  I get the feeling they may still be rolling in the dirt one moment and then getting it on the next. This definitely had an easy pace with enough action to keep it moving and ultimately, a pretty enjoyable read. If you like gay cowboys with a big dose of stubborn ass to the sexy men, then you will enjoy this offering.

Get Stroke of Luck HERE!
Cowboy Up is HERE!

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