Review: Roped Tight

Sam Ryker and Tucker Weston are true cowboys.  Sam is a world champion bull rider who has recently retired and come home to his family’s ranch in Montana after being gone for 10 years.  Tucker is a ranch hand who is more like a family member to the Rykers.  He’s been at Ryker Ranch for more than 10 years, but what no one knows is that he’s been desperately missing Sam for those years he was away on the rodeo circuit.

Just before Sam left home, he and Tucker spent one glorious week together renovating a secluded cabin for Sam’s parents.  Neither one was looking for it, but they fell in love.  But when Sam started talking about staying at the ranch so he and Tucker could be together, Tucker knew he had to let him go.  He couldn’t let himself be the reason Sam gave up on his dreams.  So even though it broke both their hearts, Tucker pretended Sam was nothing but a hookup, and successfully pushed him away.

Being back together on the ranch is both wonderful and terrible for both men.  Sam is struggling with guilt over the fact that he spent so long away from home, barely even returning when his dad died.  He has also never been up front with his family about the fact that he’s gay, and the thought of coming out to them is scary.  Tucker, on the other hand, hadn’t realized the consequences of sending Sam away.  He was never able to really move on, and with Sam’s return, all his old feelings have come back.

It takes some time for Sam and Tucker to realize what they mean to each other.  For Sam, he also needs to face coming out to his family, but when he does, he realizes he never had anything to worry about.  In the end, Roped Tight is a beautiful love story about both romantic love and love of family.