Maury Garcia’s one of the greatest bull riders in the world—and one of the biggest liars. Can he turn forbidden love with a rodeo rookie into a lasting romance? Ever since his brother was killed because he was gay, Maury’s worked to take his brother’s place as the bull rider, the provider, and the ideal of his family’s macho expectations. The only thing Maury’s ever done for himself is buy a … buy a secret ranch so he can get away from the responsibilities he’s chained himself to. Then he meets Tristão Silva, the younger brother of the one man who could rob Maury of his bull riding championship.
Tristão may be a world-class bull rider in his own right, but his kind, gentle nature and sexy samba hips make Maury long for something beyond his selfless, sexless life. The two men’s lives are worlds apart, even if they’re both buckling under family expectations. Will their future last beyond an eight-second ride?
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This is one of my favorite western/rodeo series. The cover is beautiful! I loved Cowboys Don’t Come Out and Cowboys Don’t Ride Unicorns. I have been waiting for more in the series and this one didn’t disappoint.
Maury is on top of the charts and destined to be World Champion. He is reaching his peak in years though and with his best friend Danny coming out and marrying his lover, working with Rand and Kai another loving gay couple, he longs for more. He feels he can never have it since he is sure his older brother’s death was no accident and his uncles had something to do with it. When he finds out his youngest brother is gay, he fears for Antonio. His rival with Silva gets worse on tour and when he meets the youngest Silva, Tristao, staying in the closet may e harder than he thought.
I loved all these characters especially Tristao. I liked getting to meet Danny, Laury and Rand and Kai again too.
The storyline is good too. I didn’t want to put the book down once I started. I have to say I would have loved to see that Samba scene!
You could read this as a standalone, but with as much as Danny, Laury, Rand, and Kai are in it, you may want to read the first two, so you understand those characters and get a better grasp of the story.
If you like Cowboys, Rodeos, interesting characters, age gap, family rivalries, and a hot romance this is for you!
Cowboys Don’t Samba is a heart wrenching story about a professional bull rider raised in a macho Latin culture home afraid to love the man he’s come to know also raised that he can’t be gay even though he most definitely is. They can take everything a two thousand pound bull throws at them but disappointing their family and PBRA fans is something they just can’t do. This is a sweet and touching story that will fill your heart and leave you with a smile.
Maury is a bull rider working hard to provide for his mama. He has worked hard in his profession but ultimately, he is lonely. He meets Tristao who is Maury’s enemy, he is wary of him. Tristao cannot come out because of family. I loved Maury and Tristao! They fought hard for what they wanted in their lives. The story is told in third person POV. I’m voluntarily leaving a review from an advanced copy that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
Tara outdid herself with this one! I adore this series and had high hopes for Maury’s story and she did not disappoint.
Maury’s relationship with his family is complicated and I felt that Tara captured a lot of the Mexican/Mexican-American family dynamic. Oh boy my heart skipped a beat with all that was said and unsaid. Tris’ family life is also complicated, but since he is younger and at a different point in life, his complications are different.
Their love story is hot and sweet and full of family and rodeos and love and family and complications and did I mention family? For both men, family drives what they do and yikes. The pressures they are both under are crazy. Sigh. Leave it to Tara to find a way to have them come together as equals. Both men make the big, romantic gesture and kinda outdo each other. Family drama, rodeo drama, a little angst and some danger for good measure. I loved it!!
4.5 stars
*I received a free copy of Cowboys Don’t Samba from the author. This has in no way influenced my review which is honest and unbiased.*
Cowboys Don’t Samba took a little while to take off for me, but once it did – it really did. Maury was living with his doubts, his fears, and his confusion. And until he met Tristao, he didn’t even think he’d ever find happiness. Lain managed to make most of the macho bull-riders in this story understand that love is love. And that it’s nobody’s business what a couple does when they’re alone.
I especially enjoyed that even if both of the men’s families appeared to be against them, the men still found it in them to fight for love and happiness.
Well written, in third person point of view, Cowboys Don’t Samba made me really happy, and I truly enjoyed the story.
TLain always explores different social/religious constructs which create prejudice and other issues that gay men must face. In Cowboys Don’t Samba , she takes on machismo – that culture of how masculinity is defined by Mexican and Latino societies. And she does it with aplomb. I was impressed with how she wove it into the story as well as how she ultimately allowed her characters to live life as determined by them because LOVE IS LOVE.
Sweet and heartfelt story about being true to yourself. Two men from a macho culture learn to really love each other and themselves. Family plays an important role in this story and we see the value add that a family can bring and the destructiveness that family can bring to a person’s life.
We experience the pressure of family and the PBR circuit on a person’s life. how living to meet others expectations can only lead to unhappiness for that person. The story was well written and the plot kept me reading and enjoying it cover to cover!
I so loved this story! Maury and Tristeo will make you warm your hearts and make you smile. i was rooting for Maury and Tris them every step of the way.
I love this series and look forward to more from this author!
I was gifted this book from the author and i freely give my review.
When they meet Maury and Tristeo have a connection that is tangible. But growing up in the macho culture, neither man is comfortable with their sexuality.
Seeing them grow and become true to themselves is wonderful. Despite family expectations, they reach for happiness and love.
I really enjoyed the journey they took towards their HEA!
4.5 stars
“Cowboys Don’t Samba” by Tara Lain showcases bull rider Maury Garcia, who not only has to deal with the challenges of the enormous animals he has to conquer in 8-second encounters, but must find a way to be himself in a homophobic professional and personal culture. Discovering his biggest rival’s younger brother, Tristao Silva, is not only a competitor in the sport but is a threat to his precariously balanced personal life may be just the thing he needs to shake him out of his rut, if he can avoid the fate of his late older brother.
This adult contemporary gay romance is part of the entertaining ‘Cowboys Don’t’ series that features men dealing with the very macho environment that tends to be very gay-unfriendly. Both Maury and Tris have to combat not only the cowboy culture but also their respective ethnic expectations and it was fascinating to get a brief glimpse of the rivalry between their countries.
I love that these two guys are so family-oriented and devoted to their respective moms while being fearless in their sport as well as respectful toward their prospective mounts. The conflicts that arise between their heart’s desires and their responsibilities are deftly showcased and the strong women in their lives are excellent additions to the story.
As always, the heavy emotional burdens of the story are leavened by lighthearted interludes, and the dance sessions are vividly entertaining. I like that the dangers of this intense sport are not minimized and I was delighted by the cameos by the guys previously introduced in the first two books in the series. There is no problem reading this as a stand-alone tale, but I think it enhances one’s enjoyment to know more about the backstory of some of the other men who form Maury’s support system. This is my favorite book in this trilogy and I am saddened that the series is ending but hopeful that the author will find that more of these characters demand their time in the spotlight. Those in search of a poignant and sexy gay romance should definitely give this one a try.
A copy of this title was provided for review
Cowboys Don’t Samba by Tara Lain was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Maury Garcia is a champion bull rider, who like a good son, helps his family financially and tries to keeps his slice of heaven in Chico quiet from the rest of his extended family. When he meets his enemy’s brother, Tristão, his world is turned upside down. Tristão is an up and coming bull rider who is on his way to rookie of the year and falls for Maury. Unfortunately his older brother is constantly watching him like a hawk. This book was a wild ride from cover to cover. It was an easy read but complex in emotions and gives you an inside look at bull riding and the mental gymnastics as well as physical beat down they receive each and every time they ride. Come on and join in the samba lessons to find the love you deserve. I can’t wait for the next installment.