Chance Galloway thinks walking into the Xxchange might just be the biggest mistake he’s ever made, but one stranger who seems to know just how to touch Chance is going to make it a night he’ll never forget.
Chance Galloway is used to being alone. Once a wild and voracious player, he became a loner after a traumatic event in his past tore his world apart. Older and wiser, years of loneliness and a moment of weakness drive him to seek another’s touch. The only problem is, the club he chooses to visit is filled with PYT’s—pretty young things Chance simply doesn’t find appealing.
Rory Calhoun has his own baggage that haunts him. Still, he gives in to curiosity and decides to check out the local club. Inside he spots a man who fires up every fantasy Rory’s ever had. The only problem is, despite a quick, enthralling encounter, the stranger makes it clear he isn’t interested in PYT’s, a label Rory knows would be slapped on him in a heartbeat if the stranger ever saw his face.
Rory has one unexpected opportunity to make Chance see him as a man, and he’s going to grab that opportunity, and Chance with both hands.
I am a married mom of four who spends most of the day writing, either on stories or at the blog. I love to write as much as I love to read. I am generally quiet and laid back, choosing to let things slide off me rather than stick and irritate me.
And it's really hard trying to think of descriptives for myself, so I'll just let y'all e-mail me or comment at the blog if there's something specific you'd like to know, and spare you from reading a boring bio:D
Every now and then I like to read a light hearted fluffy story. I like to while away a few hours on something that isn't too demanding but at the same time is enjoyable.
This normally works quite well for me but I am not sure it did with this book. There is a really nice cowboy mm romance here somewhere but the first part of the story is lost amongst an outpouring of hard-ons and arousals and male genitalia (I am trying to be polite here, because reviews are public).
Such a pity.
The story really starts in the second half.
In the first half of the book there are hard ons everywhere: in the barn, at the club, in the shower, in the dorm, and even at an interview. An interview for a job! I think the author went a little overboard with all of this, obviously trying to set the story up as some kind of erotica but alas for me it wasn't erotic at all, mostly just impractical and irritating with sex scenes that padded out the story but added nothing to it.
But how did they manage to run a profitable ranch with all those hard-ons all over the place?????????
The mind boggles!
The second half was where the story really began even though it was somewhat smothered by the trying to be erotic parts. In this half the story emerges when the two main characters get together and realise they have both had encouters in their past with a brutal abuser.
This is where the story really starts and then becomes a story about two people who have found something together but also need to confront the abuser from their pasts and protect close family members.
I don't know why the author started off with all the supposed-to-be-erotic-but were-not scenes at the beginning of the story. I am glad I persevered and got to the point where the real story began but it doesn't encourage me to read the rest of the series which is a pity because the author's writing is actually quite enjoyable.
So there you go. I will still try and read something else by this author because I like my occasional fluffy reads hopefully next time I will get more story than padding.
This is the first book in a new series 'Love in Xxchange' by the wonderful Bailey Bradford. As I enjoy this author's writing and her series are always entertaining, I was looking forward to this new adventure. The fact that Rory and Chance met in a bar called The Xxchange I felt was rather amusing, especially considering it's a gay bar in a fairly small, rural Texas town. There aren't too many of those around.
Chance is forty years old and wants nothing to do with PYTs - pretty young things. He does, however, need to hire experienced ranch hands. Chance has been thrown about quite a lot by life, and has some serious pain in his past, but he has always picked himself up and made it on his own two feet. Of course, that also means he hasn't had a lot of experience with love and sometimes he thinks a warm body to snuggle with at the end of the day would be a great thing to have. It was in one of those moods that he went in to the Xxchange but quickly discovered the music was horrible and everyone there was a PYT. Until he met a stranger, but didn't get a good look at him, before the stranger rocked his world and then left. So, when he interviews Rory he almost says no because the guy is young, with the face of an angel, but he has the ranching skills and Chance takes, well, a chance on him.
Rory has moved to this small area from Montana after his father threw him off his ranch and disowned him. When he spots an incredibly hot older man at the Xxchange, he can't help but walk up behind him and make a move. When Rory hears how Chance feels about PYTs he knows he'd better not let Chance see his face, so after a scorching encounter Rory disappears. Of course, with Rory's luck, when he shows up to interview for a job at the Galloway ranch, Chance is the owner. But since Chance never got a look at Rory he knows he's going to have to prove to Chance that Rory is a man well capable of loving Chance.
Chance and Rory both have their share of insecurities and vulnerabilities. Chance has spent his whole life insistent on never allowing anyone close to him emotionally. Rory has spent his life trying to bury his desire to be loved. When both men realize they share something from their pasts, it throws them both for a loop. And, no, I'm not saying what. That would spoil it! *grins* Just be warned that it was ugly and destructive to both men. But, Chance and Rory, together, put an end to that problem and justice is definitely served.
I have read some great sensual and erotic novels in my time and Chance and Rory rate high on the heat factor spectrum. It's not even so much the sex as the powerful yearning, need, hunger, and love which exists between them. I really enjoyed this first installment and look forward to reading more.
NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review.
3.5 stars rounded up for warm fuzzies. This story is about two of the most well adjusted and mature men ever. Both men have past baggage that left some scars. However, they think before they speak, are considerate of each other's feelings, and trust each other quickly. Very quickly. In spite of all that perfectness, I did connect with Rory and Chance. This is a nice easy read with only a few glaring typos. If you like cowboys and May-December romance with just a hint of angst, you might enjoy this story.
I liked this book and the characters were also likeable but I didn't end up feeling any emotional attachment to them like I prefer in my fave books. Rory and Chance are a nice couple but I just didn't find any "oomph" in them and their relationship, plus the fact they were both abused by the same man didn't sit well in my head.
No idea why it took me soo long to get into this series. I've got all the books on my Kindle, I just never got around to reading them. I did today, mostly because the Kindle is running out of space, and Mr. A says I can't have another Kindle until I read all the books on this one so I...But I digress. Loved. On to book 2
I have to say that I don't know how I feel about certain aspects of this book.
Likes:
*Chance was kind of crotchety but he got over it in a reasonable amount of time. He wasn't stuck on asshole and when he did something crappy he apologized. It didn't take Chance long to see the light.
*Rory, oh, Rory. He was cute and sexy at the same time. I loved that he was pretty but he was also tall and muscular. I also loved that he wasn't completely happy with the fact that he was pretty. He wanted people to see something other than his pretty face.
*Once Rory and Chance are together there's no Big Misunderstanding that rips them apart. They're a united front.
*Chance's ex and the other ranch hand...so cute. I really hope they get a book because reading about men in their forties finding love warms my heart.
Dislikes:
There's only one; the plot. The mystery (I'm guessing that it was supposed to be a mystery) was, I don't know, a little too contrived. There were too many coincidences. Also, the bad guy and all of his evil transgressions felt tacked on. I didn't hate the Bad Guy plot. I didn't like it either. I could take it or leave it.
Overall, this book was worth the read. I've said in other reviews that I like Bailey Bradford's work and that hasn't changed. I just think that this isn't one of her best.
Although the title is kinda corny (Rory and Chance are the MCs), the book is really good. Of course, Bailey Bradford is a very talented writer and was able to keep me hooked till the end.
I had some issues with Chance (he's a little too uptight, but given the antics of his youth, I guess that's to be expected). I really liked Rory, though; very cute and very sexy. One thing that was a little off-putting was that once these guys got together, for me the book kinda got less interesting. The only conflict was them trying to get over their issues so they can be happy together. There was a bad guy (this was a plot that was a little disbelieving), but it didn't mesh well with the story, I think. I kept asking myself "Why in God's name didn't Rory get a new cell number????" And one thing that really ticked me off to no end was how the story had an incredibly hot start (the stranger behind Chance), who of course turned out to be Rory, but us readers were never shown Chance's reaction to finding out later that it was him. We were told about it vaguely from Rory's POV. Which made me wonder what the whole purpose of that scene was about. The book could have just started in Chance's office with him hiring Rory to work the ranch.
But those were just my niggles....the book really is good!
The start in the bar was totally hot and the image I got about the mysterious man, spoke volumes. I really wanted to know him, to see what kind of man he was. I asked myself why he left Chance so abruptly at the bar... but then how the plot continued, everything changed. What a disappointment. This mysterious guy was a kid named Rory and Chance, became the older man, with lot of experiences in his years. I really don't know what to say, the start was awesome but then everything changed and the plot became week and boring. Even emotions didn't feel right, at list not for me! I simply couldn't relate to this couple!
Chance and Rory were just fated to meet. Chance is an older retired rodeo cowboy looking to get his ranch up and started. He swears he is done with PYTs and is looking for someone more his age. Rory who just so happens to be a PYT is trying his hardest to get Chance to give him the time of day and show him that he's not like all the other young guys. After they finally get together they are just combustible and it's incredibly hot. The mystery of the story was kind of boring and not all that mysterious, but the story was really good, just wish it had been longer and more in-depth.
I was disappointed by this story. There was very little conflict aside from the push and pull to get Chance into Rory's bed. The past troubles with Art was a minor thing that ran its course quickly. The story was primarily a series of sex scenes which while good, they did not make for much in the way of character development or depth. I just cannot see Chance and Rory running a successful ranch together from the bedroom.
Rory hires on at Chance's ranch! ( yes, a cowboy story:) they had a hot encounter at a bar, but Chance doesn't know it was Rory! Chance was a bit of a jerk, but gets over it pretty quickly, not a lot of angst, despite the plot and no big misunderstanding (always a good thing! ). Overall, a nice read!
I kinda liked this one more than I expected to. Both men had vulnerabilities that left them a little raw but perfectly suited to one another. I loved the older, supportive, and definitely curious ranch hand, and the ending was one of those that pulled an “awww” out of me. Very pleasantly surprised (and not quite sure why).
I really liked this book. In fact, I liked it so much, I immediately purchased all the rest of the books available in the series. There's just something sexy about an older man being swept off his feet by someone younger.
My biggest complaint about Rory's Last Chance is the cover. The characters are depicted so well by Bailey Bradford that I have no idea who the children on the cover are supposed to be since they are absolutely not Chance and Rory. Chance who is 40 and a wiry, rangy cowboy with salted hair and Rory who is a beefcake with an angel face. (And how great is that match-up!?)
This book has some amazing aspects to it. The May/December romance, the sexy cowboys, the hot power plays in the bedroom, the sizzling sex scenes, and more and more. I really liked this book. It was endearing, but realistic. It moved fairly quickly, but I also felt like I got the full story. It goes back and forth in perspective and I think that works well given the power exchanges that occur between the two men.
Readers may want to be aware that it does describe past sexual assaults in some detail. I am not particularly sensitive to recounting past assaults and I found this to be upsetting (which is also kind of the point). Moreover, I found that this element became an emotional hook for me as a reader. It is handled exceptionally well and promotes a positive dialogue and healthy response to such events.
I will be looking for more books from the Love in Xxchange Series given how great I found Rory's Last Chance. I also think Xxchange is a great name for a bar.
Chance doesn't really like Pretty Young Things and two of them are approaching him in the bar. He is 'rescued' by someone behind him unseen, who turns out to be yet another PYT. Chance and Rory meet again, face to face this time, and there is an instant spark. The age difference doesn't mean a thing to either men, they just click nicely thank you very much. This was a fun read, sexy sex scenes between two gorgeous hunks, what more could you want? A BIG trigger warning though, recollections of rape are mentioned here, describing the pain and anguish of young men being drugged and raped. My one big peeve is not about the book but about the cover, this has to be the biggest WRONG cover ever! Did the artist even read the plot? It shows a blonde boy, who looks about 15, not in the 20's as Rory is. Then it also shows another young man, dark haired, and he looks about 18 to 20, not the 40 that Chance is.
Chance is an older man and when he steps into a bar with the hopes of finding someone, he realizes he's made a mistake. Especially when two pretty young men start stalking him. He decides to get out of there and backs into another male and achieves liftoff, something that hasn't happened in years. Who then gets away without Chance seeing him or finding out who he is.
The next morning Chance hires to new ranch hands for his ranch. An old timer, Max, and a pretty young thing, Rory, who he met unknowingly the night before...
This book has drama, sweetness, and does deal with some hard topics. It's well worth the read.
Bradford has a very concise writing style that I appreciate she focuses on the storytelling and less on the angst which can get pretty heavy in m/m romance. The story was told pretty naturally, I mean there were a few blips here and there, but overall it’s a quality read. I started reading it and I couldn’t put it down. It made me so happy to read Rory and chances story. I love this series, this author and these characters.
MM Romance - 2019 Q2 Read Your TBR Quarterly Challenge - Line item #1R - Rory's Last Chance
This is my read with this author; found her voice and its style unique though typical. The focal was more on the sex and angst than the premise or story line. The characters are believable and likeable. The world building was believable as well. I have other pieces of her work so will continue with this new author.
I loved it. Most men on men stories are just graphic sex scenes, this has a full on story that was told as well ,as a story of sexual abuse, that had a positive outcome without more violence. As always the happy ending for the very hit guys was great. My only regret was ... That it wasn't longer!😁
Very good story. They "meet" in a club- Rory stands at Chance's back & gives a major handjob then walks away- and when they meet again, C. figures it out. R is mid-/late-20s while C is nearing 40. Both are overcoming their past experiences, one man in particular (the villain of the story who GETS his in the end- yay!).
I enjoyed reading this book. Chance and Rory have an encounter in a gay club and Rory leaves before Chance can see who it is. When Rory is hired to work on his cattle ranch, Chance struggles to keep his emotions in check. Before long the men are all over each other but then they realise they have a bad experience in common, with the same man.
Steamy is the only way to describe this love story! The chemistry between Chance and Rory is mind blowing! Finding Love that is filled with that much passion is every person's quest! Thank you, Bailey Bradford! You have left my Kindle sweltering in the heat!
Liked the story and characters. There were quite a bit of of typos and I found it odd that a native Texas author used UK English words instead of U.S. English. For example: cheque not check, colour not color. I probably fixated on it too much and it took away some enjoyment for me.