Review: Cowboys and rodeos
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 21, 2013
I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.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.