“Masked Riders” by Parhelion

Jesse believes he would never see his anonymous one-night-stand again, but much to his surprise, Wardley Bridger turns out to be someone Jesse would be spending a lot of time with.  In late 1860’s California, sexual favors are traded between men only to avoid the diseases plaguing the female parlor houses of San Francisco, at least that’s what the men are telling themselves, including Jesse.  Riding the trails alone with Wardley on a quest to find a ghost rider making trouble near his family’s ranch, Jesse finds it difficult to keep pretending his interest in Wardley doesn’t run deep.

“Masked Rider” was a good story.  Jesse and Wardley are very opposite in personality.  Jesse constantly struggled with himself about his wants and needs, while Wardley quietly accepted things as they come.  “Masked Rider” was a low keel, but enjoyable story.

“Hung Up” by Cat Kane

Rodeo riding is Billy’s passion. It’s what he lives for, until he meets Spencer Quinn.  Spencer is not looking to get involved with anyone, especially not a rodeo cowboy, but things never go as expected.  

I really liked “Hung Up.”  Although Billy and Spencer came from different worlds, they were more alike than one expected.  They were both pretty much alone in life and they have both been disappointed and hurt by those who were supposed to love and protect them.  They both also had secrets and it was these secrets that were the root of their vulnerability.  Cat Kane did a great job with “Hung Up.” It was a very enjoyable story.

“Ricochet” by BA Tortuga

To say Holt’s break-up with Dave didn’t end well is an understatement.  Left with mental and physical scars, Holt does what he should have done a longtime ago when he came north with Dave; he heads back home to Texas.  With the help of his best friend Teague, Holt does just that.

“Ricochet” was good, but I had mixed feelings about it.  Dave was definitely unstable and Holt’s actions were justified, but I felt bad for Dave. The violence of the break-up, although brief, was still quite disturbing.  Holt obviously made the right decision to leave. He and Teague were more suited for one another and they were fun to read about.

Under this Cowboy's Hat is chocked full of sexy cowboys and sweet male/male love. I enjoyed it and I’m sure other readers will find one, if not all, of the stories to their liking.