C.K. Alexander

This is something like the second or third gay erotic book that I have attempted, going in knowing that it was a gay erotic book. I read it to read the requirements of a challenge, specifically to read books with erotic themes from the fifty states. Montana hadn't been covered, yet, so I looked around and felt adventurous enough to attempt another gay erotic book. I’m going in on the story while knowing that I normally do not find romances between two men to be, personally to me, that enjoyable.

So . . .. A newly minted doctor has a massive education debt to repay. Looks around. Spots a job over in rural Montana which will greatly help him pay much off his debt. So, mostly sight unseen, he accepts the job, finds a place to live while there, and then packs up to move. The short book opens with the good doctor packing up in New England. Ready for his trip to Montana.

Somewhat randomly, like throwing darts randomly, he buys a pick-up truck. Whereupon he almost promptly gets a flat tire. While trying to figure out how to fix it, a park ranger pulls up and offers to help. So, the damsel in distress in this situation is a dude. Being helped by another dude. Both of whom thinks that the other is quite handsome. It's interesting and somewhat refreshing to see both that the person in distress isn't a woman, like it almost always seems to be, and that the man in trouble is willing to accept help. This almost never seems to be the case.

So, there's one potential love interest meet almost immediately. The half-Cheyenne park ranger. Who isn't out as being gay. Later Dr. Adrian Cook, the doctor guy who I haven't actually named yet, gets to his new place of employment. Meets up with his boss. Another guy who appears to be quite attractive and is giving off gay vibrations. Another potential love interest, and another one who isn't out about who he is. There's mention of a lesbian worker at the hospital, not meet in the story, and a gay nurse, meet but much later. So, this small town of 5,162 in Montana has a lot of gay people.

So, the romance between Dr. Cook and Randall Banks, the park ranger, progressed nicely. With fishing and stuff. Then immediately hits a snag when Dr. Cook decides to go for a jog when the park ranger heads off to work. Only to spot said park ranger with his head bouncing up and down over another man in a car off the hiking trail. And so . . ..

There's an interesting bit of love triangle, blackmail, humans being humans, and the like going on. I like how one of the characters is out and out bisexual. The idea that such a critter can exist. Of course, in this specific situation, that little bit of detail causes a great deal of trouble.

Well, I'll depart with this thought: There's a good story here. Good character build up, and some interesting side stories, but . . . all the buildup kind of built up to . . . everything being wrapped up in a few words instead of actually writing what happened. Docked a star or half for that. Probably half star.… (mehr)

Shane is a bullfighter with the rodeo. He is also gay but keeps it quiet since he would have a hard time on the rodeo circuit. Within two days though he meets two men that could make him change his mind in C. K. Alexander’s EIGHT SECOND AFFAIR. Veterinarian Cooper James is quiet but Shane senses interest on Cooper’s part. Bull rider Jack McDonough from Australia joins the rodeo circuit and is open in his appreciation of Shane. With sponsorships and big purses coming up Jack wants to do well but something is happening to the bulls. They are going crazy and hurting the bull riders who end up hospitalized and off the circuit. Shane suspects someone is cheating but who? The cowboys who are in the lead are the ones being hurt. Shane finds a syringe after Jack finishes a ride. Is it him? How can Shane be sure?

EIGHT SECOND AFFAIR was a good read. It went quickly in the time line, basically two weeks. There is a lot of rodeo action that is realistic. The characters are likable and easy to relate to as I read. I liked the triangle of Shane, Cooper, and Jack. I wondered how it would turn out but I am not sure I liked how it turned out. It was too neatly wrapped up and I would have liked more conflict within the triangle with a different outcome. Unfortunately EIGHT SECOND AFFAIR was too short to work on both the relationship and the mystery of the cheating and hurting of the bulls. That mystery was easily solved. I liked that junior bull riders were shown with their hero worship. Tripp, one of them, was great as he spies behind the scenes.

This will not be the last time I read C. K. Alexander. I liked what I have seen here and plan to read more.… (mehr)