This was an OK book. The writing is disjointed and alludes to more than the author promises. Mustang is a bull rider that gets injured and heads home to recuperate. He doesn't get along with his dad and now yearns for the "girl next door" that he hasn't seen in years and of course, instant attraction. Sage has had a crush on Mustang since childhood when he dated her sister. She's all grown up now but supposedly off limits. He's low on money so he agrees to do porn and then has to hide it from her for some reason. She basically forces herself on him and they begin a relationship. Not worth the read. ( )

3.5 stars? It was okey, but a bit boring. ( )

I really enjoyed [b:UnRidden|6523157|UnRidden (Studs in Spurs, #1)|Cat Johnson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1244390503s/6523157.jpg|6715075], the first book in this short series, and Bucked picks up where that book left off.

Mustang Jackson just nailed eight seconds on one of the rankest bulls on the pro circuit. Unfortunately, he also broke his forearm in the process.

Derailed by the injury and surgery to screw some metal into his arm, Mustang heads home to convalesce and bide his time.

Bucked is unusual in that this is very much Mustang's story. Oh, the prologue treats us to a pubescent Sage Beckett and her crush on her older sister's boyfriend, but 85% of the rest of the book is in Mustang's POV. At least half, and maybe a full two-thirds, of the action concerns Mustang alone. This is Mustang's story of his daddy issues, growing up and dealing with his own changing priorities. Sage is a foil rather than a heroine.

The sex is odd too. For an erotic novel, it's not erotic. I know I say that a lot, but this time it's true. Two of the three sex scenes are of Mustang pursuing the porn actor route and they're meant to be repellent. The third one, where he finally gets over his whore-Madonna complex with Sage, is fine and sweet and all, but it's a bit of too little, too late.

So why three stars when I am quite comfortable panning books for this sort of stuff? Mustang is a fully-realized character, with flaws and believable motivations in equal measure, and his story was still a joy to read. It just wasn't a well-rounded romance with a heroine equal to the hero. ( )

Mustang Jackson, in his early twenties, does two things well - ride bulls and love women. That is until an accident in the arena with the bull, Ballbreaker, forces him off Pro Bull Riding for 3-4 month. Having no additional income he backs up his trailer and heads of back home to Texas. Being back home is torture, his father lecturing about proper jobs, and the job at the Prison administrative wing is boring him to death, the only bright spot about the whole ordeal is the little sister of his former high school girlfriend.

Sage having had a crush on Mustang ever since she was in braces and pigtails can't keep away from the guy even though she's well aware of his player reputation and the fact that he'll be gone again in few months, but whenever he looks at her it all seems to disappear.

Mustang having to deal with his dad and the hated prison gig drives him to accept a modeling gig out of desperation and chance to get money more easily, but things don't go as planned and artistic nudity turns into a film, and before he knows it he is way over his head and feeling guilty and dirty as hell, and swears he's never going to taint Sage with his mere presence, but still she's the only one he can talk to, the only one ever who has made him feel like he has someone to come home to - so what will it be, honor or selfishness?

I have to say, I wasn't as fond of this as I was of the first book Unridden. I expected Mustang's book to be quite active, but I did NOT expect adult industry. With mixed feelings I still liked this book. It was good to see the industry from male point of view and how his naive view of the game was changed quite quickly, on more than one occasion though I wanted to yell at him, "Stop! What are you doing?!"

That said I loved his character, he's still as charming and funny as he was in Unridden though taking the lead here you learn about his darker side, and yes he does have one with doubts about where his life is going, what he has to do if his career suddenly ended and does he want to spend rest of his days bed hopping - and that is what redeems the book for me on the issue of him in front of the camera.

Now Sage, I would have liked much more from her, the little we got from her point of view wasn't as coherent and compelling as Jenna was in Unridden. I'd like to have gotten more about her work ( me being a kindergarten/pre-school teacher as well ) and studying, but in fairness this book was all about Mustang and what he went through, she was just his crutch, his heart and his home, and the story was about him finding her as that in himself.

I love Cat Johnson's style of writing! She keeps it clean, simple, witty and funny, with enough gritty word play to make the male characters as believable leads... and the way she writes love scenes, wow, props for that, those leave no one cold! ( )