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Riding Cowboy Flats #3
Riding the Circuit
Riding Cowboy Book Three
Rodeo cowboy Frost Barton spends most of his time on tour, and that’s the way he likes it. But when his dad dies suddenly, Frost returns to southern New Mexico to attend the funeral and help his mom decide what to do with their small family ranch. Frost is already considering retiring from bull riding and planting his itchy feet in the ground. Meeting horse trainer Matt Morales just adds another pull in that direction, though Frost still isn’t sure he’s ready to give up the circuit—even if Matt makes settling down look mighty tempting.
Matt is old enough to know better, but he falls for Frost anyway. They only have so much time to spend together before Frost goes back on tour, but Matt believes they might have something special. He keeps the home fires burning while Frost earns his living, but Matt hopes he can convince Frost to come home—to stay.
Rodeo cowboy Frost Barton spends most of his time on tour, and that’s the way he likes it. But when his dad dies suddenly, Frost returns to southern New Mexico to attend the funeral and help his mom decide what to do with their small family ranch. Frost is already considering retiring from bull riding and planting his itchy feet in the ground. Meeting horse trainer Matt Morales just adds another pull in that direction, though Frost still isn’t sure he’s ready to give up the circuit—even if Matt makes settling down look mighty tempting.
Matt is old enough to know better, but he falls for Frost anyway. They only have so much time to spend together before Frost goes back on tour, but Matt believes they might have something special. He keeps the home fires burning while Frost earns his living, but Matt hopes he can convince Frost to come home—to stay.
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2017
About the author
Julia Talbot
308 books273 followersJulia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia is a hybrid author, and has been published by many presses as well as self publishing. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Julia also writes as Minerva Howe. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 29, 2017
4.5 Stars
I haven't read much of Julia Talbot’s work but I enjoy getting a good cowboy fix now and then, and this was a treat. It's part of a series but worked just fine as a standalone. Set in New Mexico ranch country, I got a great sense of place and small-town flavor. Frost is a bull rider, which conflicted with his parents hopes and now his dad has suddenly passed away. Home for the funeral, he meets Matt, a local rancher who also helped out Frost’s family. Matt rescues Frost after a bar dust-up, helps buffer some of the head butting between Frost and his mom and the two spend time together, in bed and out, until Frost has to return to rodeo competition. The “will-he or won’t-he” question drove the plot line.
Told in third person, I appreciated the alternating POV’s and seeing the relationship from both sides. The scenes at the rodeo were written to easily allow a novice to understand what was happening. It's a short novella but provides a well-characterized, fully developed story, something I don't always find outside of novels. It was a simpler storyline but a refreshing, no-angst romance, western style. Getting to an HEA wasn't easy and tense scenes with a jealous ex and the dangers of bull-riding, kept the action moving. It's a sweet, fast read, recommended for any cowboy and rodeo lovers!
An ARC was provided at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read much of Julia Talbot’s work but I enjoy getting a good cowboy fix now and then, and this was a treat. It's part of a series but worked just fine as a standalone. Set in New Mexico ranch country, I got a great sense of place and small-town flavor. Frost is a bull rider, which conflicted with his parents hopes and now his dad has suddenly passed away. Home for the funeral, he meets Matt, a local rancher who also helped out Frost’s family. Matt rescues Frost after a bar dust-up, helps buffer some of the head butting between Frost and his mom and the two spend time together, in bed and out, until Frost has to return to rodeo competition. The “will-he or won’t-he” question drove the plot line.
Told in third person, I appreciated the alternating POV’s and seeing the relationship from both sides. The scenes at the rodeo were written to easily allow a novice to understand what was happening. It's a short novella but provides a well-characterized, fully developed story, something I don't always find outside of novels. It was a simpler storyline but a refreshing, no-angst romance, western style. Getting to an HEA wasn't easy and tense scenes with a jealous ex and the dangers of bull-riding, kept the action moving. It's a sweet, fast read, recommended for any cowboy and rodeo lovers!
An ARC was provided at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2020
Rodeo cowboys are some of my favorite people, and the ‘Riding Cowboy Flats’ series has introduced me to a whole new group of them. While the focus in this latest novella is on two new guys, cowboy Tate and former military guy Dave from book one, as well as cowboy Dalton and rancher Hershel from book two are back in a supportive capacity.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 8, 2017
Full review available at: https://optimummblog.wordpress.com/20...
Riding the Circuit by Julia Talbot is the third book in the Riding Cowboy Flats series. This is a great cowboy book. It was short enough to read in one sitting and held my attention from the first page to the last. The book was well written and nicely edited. The dialogue between the characters was witty and had me smiling and laughing on more than one occasion and had some very spicy scenes too.
Frost Barton’s a professional bull rider. A profession that isn’t supported by his hometown or the fact that he’s gay. He takes a lot of ribbing from the old timers and some of the bolder bullies. So he’s stayed away from home as a result. But he’s forced back to his family home to take care of his mom and the family ranch. But he’s going to have to deal with some feelings of worthlessness and frustration over the fact that his mother didn’t tell him that his father was sick so that he could make amends.
Matt Morales’ a horse trainer who had been hired by Frost’s dad to take care of the ranch when he got sick. He’s there to be a friend and confidant to Frost and help him figure out what he should do with his life and the ranch. He’s also great at tempering Frost’s hot-headedness.
I loved the chemistry between Matt and Frost. I also loved that the men were older more experienced men which’s a nice change from a lot of western books. I also liked that Matt being older than Frost had already gone through having to come home to take over the family ranch and caring for the remaining parent and so he was able to help Frost with sorting out his own family crisis. He’s also there to help support his decision to finish out his bull riding circuit and watch over his mom and the ranch.
Riding the Circuit’s a standalone book. You don’t have to read the other two books in the series to understand and enjoy what’s happening in this book. However, the other two books main characters are friends of Frost and Matt, and they do make cameos in this book, so reading the other two books could only enhance your reading experience.
That being said, I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books in the series and see how Tate and Dave from Jackass Flats and Herschel and Dalton from Just a Cowboy meet and fall in love.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book***
Riding the Circuit by Julia Talbot is the third book in the Riding Cowboy Flats series. This is a great cowboy book. It was short enough to read in one sitting and held my attention from the first page to the last. The book was well written and nicely edited. The dialogue between the characters was witty and had me smiling and laughing on more than one occasion and had some very spicy scenes too.
Frost Barton’s a professional bull rider. A profession that isn’t supported by his hometown or the fact that he’s gay. He takes a lot of ribbing from the old timers and some of the bolder bullies. So he’s stayed away from home as a result. But he’s forced back to his family home to take care of his mom and the family ranch. But he’s going to have to deal with some feelings of worthlessness and frustration over the fact that his mother didn’t tell him that his father was sick so that he could make amends.
Matt Morales’ a horse trainer who had been hired by Frost’s dad to take care of the ranch when he got sick. He’s there to be a friend and confidant to Frost and help him figure out what he should do with his life and the ranch. He’s also great at tempering Frost’s hot-headedness.
I loved the chemistry between Matt and Frost. I also loved that the men were older more experienced men which’s a nice change from a lot of western books. I also liked that Matt being older than Frost had already gone through having to come home to take over the family ranch and caring for the remaining parent and so he was able to help Frost with sorting out his own family crisis. He’s also there to help support his decision to finish out his bull riding circuit and watch over his mom and the ranch.
Riding the Circuit’s a standalone book. You don’t have to read the other two books in the series to understand and enjoy what’s happening in this book. However, the other two books main characters are friends of Frost and Matt, and they do make cameos in this book, so reading the other two books could only enhance your reading experience.
That being said, I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books in the series and see how Tate and Dave from Jackass Flats and Herschel and Dalton from Just a Cowboy meet and fall in love.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book***
June 4, 2017
I like rodeo stories and this is one had good bones.
Frost has come home for his daddy's funeral. It is the end of the season and he is close to winning some money so he does need to go back, if nothing but for the rest of the season, then come home to help his mom with the ranch. He meets Herschel and Rusty, Tate and Dave and wonders if he could ever find a man to settle down if he got out of the riding.
Matt is a horse trainer that helps Frosts mom on the ranch and helped when his dad was sick. Matt and Frost hit it off quickly. What starts out as a one off turns into more fast.
I think that was my problem with the story. There is a lot going on, but it goes so fast. I think this story would have been so much better if it were a little longer. Having said that... it is a great romance if you like insta-love and of course if you like rodeo cowboys you have nothing to lose! It is hot, funny and sexy.
Frost has come home for his daddy's funeral. It is the end of the season and he is close to winning some money so he does need to go back, if nothing but for the rest of the season, then come home to help his mom with the ranch. He meets Herschel and Rusty, Tate and Dave and wonders if he could ever find a man to settle down if he got out of the riding.
Matt is a horse trainer that helps Frosts mom on the ranch and helped when his dad was sick. Matt and Frost hit it off quickly. What starts out as a one off turns into more fast.
I think that was my problem with the story. There is a lot going on, but it goes so fast. I think this story would have been so much better if it were a little longer. Having said that... it is a great romance if you like insta-love and of course if you like rodeo cowboys you have nothing to lose! It is hot, funny and sexy.
June 15, 2017
Frost Barton is a rodeo cowboy, he’s gone from home a lot, but he’s a good son to his parents—he sends his winnings home to help them keep their ranch going. The time has come that going home is painful for Frost since his father has passed. He feels guilty and would have come home sooner, if he’d only know his father was ill. He’s really trying to keep himself together, but it’s making him crazy.
As Frost has lost all patience, Mama Barton sends him off to brood during the wake, and he meets Matt Morales in the barn. Matt is a friend to the Bartons, and has been helping them keep the ranch running, mainly till Frost can return. Even though Matt has his own place, and works freelance with horses, he offers his help to Frost—who has an idiot boyfriend that sends him a text that spells the breaking point for Frost, and he finds himself in jail. Thank goodness for Mama Barton; she calls Matt and he heads into town to get Frost. Needless to say, Matt and Frost hit it off pretty well, and it definitely throws Matt off-kilter. He knows Frost will be hitting the rodeo circuit again, and Matt doesn’t know where that will lead.
Being on the rodeo circuit isn’t easy for Matt; he needs to be careful and just get one more big win under his belt. Being home has really opened his eyes. When he meets friends of the family, Tate and Dave, and Herschel and Dalton, and as he sees what these partners have, he knows this is something he wants too.
Riding the Circuit is another delightful addition to the Riding Cowboy Flats series. Julia Talbot knows how to bring her characters to life with simple stories of everyday living. This one has a little twist with Frost being the younger man and making the right decisions. Matt’s a worrier and hopes that somewhere he will fit in Frost’s life. This is another heartwarming HEA cowboy story, with family, friends, warmth and love. Riding Cowboy Flats is an enjoyable series, and I am so looking forward to the next novel.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
As Frost has lost all patience, Mama Barton sends him off to brood during the wake, and he meets Matt Morales in the barn. Matt is a friend to the Bartons, and has been helping them keep the ranch running, mainly till Frost can return. Even though Matt has his own place, and works freelance with horses, he offers his help to Frost—who has an idiot boyfriend that sends him a text that spells the breaking point for Frost, and he finds himself in jail. Thank goodness for Mama Barton; she calls Matt and he heads into town to get Frost. Needless to say, Matt and Frost hit it off pretty well, and it definitely throws Matt off-kilter. He knows Frost will be hitting the rodeo circuit again, and Matt doesn’t know where that will lead.
Being on the rodeo circuit isn’t easy for Matt; he needs to be careful and just get one more big win under his belt. Being home has really opened his eyes. When he meets friends of the family, Tate and Dave, and Herschel and Dalton, and as he sees what these partners have, he knows this is something he wants too.
Riding the Circuit is another delightful addition to the Riding Cowboy Flats series. Julia Talbot knows how to bring her characters to life with simple stories of everyday living. This one has a little twist with Frost being the younger man and making the right decisions. Matt’s a worrier and hopes that somewhere he will fit in Frost’s life. This is another heartwarming HEA cowboy story, with family, friends, warmth and love. Riding Cowboy Flats is an enjoyable series, and I am so looking forward to the next novel.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
June 15, 2017
I really enjoy this series. I have been reading it since the beginning and have enjoyed each of them. Why I think I enjoy the most is each book brings back into play the previous characters from the books in this series so you get to keep up with what is happening with them also.
This book is aboutnone man who has to make a decision about what he is going to do now that his father has passed away and his mom needs the extra help around the farm to keep it going. Frost knows that he needs to be home but he will have to give up the rodeo if he does that. What makes it even harder on him is he never got the chance to apologize to his father for the things that was said between them the last time he seen him,so he never got to ask for forgiveness and he did not get to say goodbye. So this makes his fathers passing even harder on him.
Matt knows that Frost is taking his fathers passing hard and after they get to know each other better he knows that Frost is having a hard time with not being able to let go of the rodeo also. So Matt offers to help with the farm while Frost finishes out the year, hopefully winning the finals in bull riding.
The more Matt and Frost get to know each other the closer they become. There is only one thing standing in their way, Frost. Will Frost choose to retire or will he decide to continue on with the next season? Can these two men work together to find their happily ever after?
This was another great read by Julia Talbots's. I always look forward to the next book in this series because I never know what is going to happen next. I truly enjoyed this read and as always I look forward to the next book in the series.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
This book is aboutnone man who has to make a decision about what he is going to do now that his father has passed away and his mom needs the extra help around the farm to keep it going. Frost knows that he needs to be home but he will have to give up the rodeo if he does that. What makes it even harder on him is he never got the chance to apologize to his father for the things that was said between them the last time he seen him,so he never got to ask for forgiveness and he did not get to say goodbye. So this makes his fathers passing even harder on him.
Matt knows that Frost is taking his fathers passing hard and after they get to know each other better he knows that Frost is having a hard time with not being able to let go of the rodeo also. So Matt offers to help with the farm while Frost finishes out the year, hopefully winning the finals in bull riding.
The more Matt and Frost get to know each other the closer they become. There is only one thing standing in their way, Frost. Will Frost choose to retire or will he decide to continue on with the next season? Can these two men work together to find their happily ever after?
This was another great read by Julia Talbots's. I always look forward to the next book in this series because I never know what is going to happen next. I truly enjoyed this read and as always I look forward to the next book in the series.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
June 9, 2017
4.5* Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
Its been a little while since I’ve had a good dose of cowboys and this hit the spot perfectly. Frost is in a rough place emotionally; he hasn’t always seen eye to eye with his father, especially about his career as a bull rider, and when his old man passes away a load of guilt is left behind. With harsh words and anger the last thing between them, Frost is determined to at least do right by his mother and that includes giving serious thought to leaving the circuit and settling back at home full time. Meeting and falling into bed with Matt was just supposed to be a quick thing, over and done to scratch an itch, but there’s something about the other man that has him wanting to hold on instead. With the end of the season fast approaching, Frost will have to make some trough decisions about what he wants and where he wants to be.
This was just so good; it was nicely paced with characters I liked near instantly. At first glance, Matt and Frost seem to want different things but as they spend more time together, and apart, you get to see Frost’s priorities changing from what he originally thought he wanted to realizing what he actually needs. There wasn’t a lot of heavy angst in this but there were enough confrontations between various idiots and bigots to add a little something extra to an otherwise easy going story. I particularly enjoyed the issues surrounding Frost’s riding partner and the justice that comes his way later. There wasn’t an overabundance of sex in this but what was presented was well done; what I liked best, however, was the overall intimacy between Matt and Frost, even when they needed to be careful about showing it.
You don’t need to read the first two books to understand and enjoy this one but they do give the back stories for the other two couples that show up here. Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read that I very easily sunk myself into; I’m not even going to complain about wanting more because I found the ending to be sweet and practically perfect. If you enjoy books featuring the rodeo or cowboys in general, I’d give this one a look.
Its been a little while since I’ve had a good dose of cowboys and this hit the spot perfectly. Frost is in a rough place emotionally; he hasn’t always seen eye to eye with his father, especially about his career as a bull rider, and when his old man passes away a load of guilt is left behind. With harsh words and anger the last thing between them, Frost is determined to at least do right by his mother and that includes giving serious thought to leaving the circuit and settling back at home full time. Meeting and falling into bed with Matt was just supposed to be a quick thing, over and done to scratch an itch, but there’s something about the other man that has him wanting to hold on instead. With the end of the season fast approaching, Frost will have to make some trough decisions about what he wants and where he wants to be.
This was just so good; it was nicely paced with characters I liked near instantly. At first glance, Matt and Frost seem to want different things but as they spend more time together, and apart, you get to see Frost’s priorities changing from what he originally thought he wanted to realizing what he actually needs. There wasn’t a lot of heavy angst in this but there were enough confrontations between various idiots and bigots to add a little something extra to an otherwise easy going story. I particularly enjoyed the issues surrounding Frost’s riding partner and the justice that comes his way later. There wasn’t an overabundance of sex in this but what was presented was well done; what I liked best, however, was the overall intimacy between Matt and Frost, even when they needed to be careful about showing it.
You don’t need to read the first two books to understand and enjoy this one but they do give the back stories for the other two couples that show up here. Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read that I very easily sunk myself into; I’m not even going to complain about wanting more because I found the ending to be sweet and practically perfect. If you enjoy books featuring the rodeo or cowboys in general, I’d give this one a look.
January 10, 2025
Frost is nearing the end of his rodeo career and has been riding high until he's summoned home for his father's funeral. Frost hasn't been close to the rest of his family for years, and the ranch is now his, but is he ready to really settle down? Matt has become a friend of the family and he's a fan of Frost. The two first meet after the funeral. Frost ends up at the police station after a brawl at the bar and Matt is tasked with picking him up. The two talk and quickly get together. Is this just going to be casual sex or can it be more. Matt certainly wants more with Frost, it's just convincing Frost that there's life after the rodeo.
January 13, 2020
Rodeo cowboys are some of my favorite people, and the ‘Riding Cowboy Flats’ series has introduced me to a whole new group of them. While the focus in this latest novella is on two new guys, cowboy Tate and former military guy Dave from book one, as well as cowboy Dalton and rancher Hershel from book two are back in a supportive capacity.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 16, 2018
3.75*
June 8, 2017
Languid and Steamy Rides
3 1/2 Stars
I think this might be the end of the series, and if so you won't be disappointed. Though I didn't like it as much as the previous books, there was enough here to keep me going so that I finished it in one sitting.
Thirty-year-old bull rider Frost (what kind of a first name is that, especially in New Mexico) meets (maybe) 40-year-old all-around rancher Matt (who's half Mexican) in the barn during the banquet after Frost's father's funeral.
Instant attraction, wary feelings, torrid bedroom encounters, ex-BF betrayals, and the angst of being unworthy of following in his father's footsteps dog Frost while stoic, hopeful, and always there Matt steers him along the way (sorry for the analogy).
In any case, like the first two books love takes a while to unravel, and the future is planned with a little help from some friends. Nice finish to a series in which the author uses the New Mexico vernacular instead of the King's English to tell the story.
3 1/2 Stars
I think this might be the end of the series, and if so you won't be disappointed. Though I didn't like it as much as the previous books, there was enough here to keep me going so that I finished it in one sitting.
Thirty-year-old bull rider Frost (what kind of a first name is that, especially in New Mexico) meets (maybe) 40-year-old all-around rancher Matt (who's half Mexican) in the barn during the banquet after Frost's father's funeral.
Instant attraction, wary feelings, torrid bedroom encounters, ex-BF betrayals, and the angst of being unworthy of following in his father's footsteps dog Frost while stoic, hopeful, and always there Matt steers him along the way (sorry for the analogy).
In any case, like the first two books love takes a while to unravel, and the future is planned with a little help from some friends. Nice finish to a series in which the author uses the New Mexico vernacular instead of the King's English to tell the story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews