Book Review: No Commitment Necessary by Talia Carmichael

Title: No Commitment Necessary
Series: Encounters, Book 2
Author: Talia Carmichael
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: December 19, 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

To commit or not to commit—it’s not even a question for laid-back cowboy Nate Bailey. Since he doesn’t do relationships and values his peace of mind, his initial reaction to the temptation of his coworker, Kevin Matthews, is a clear no. Then Kevin counteroffers “no-strings sex” and the game changes. Or does it?

Kevin Matthews wants to build a new life. Masterson Ranch is a great place for it, and the handsome cowboy who showed him the ropes when he started working on the ranch is just the man he's looking for. The problem is Nate’s fear of commitment. Hoping to entice him, Kevin offers a casual arrangement—but soon Kevin has to admit to himself that he wants all of Nate, not just his body

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Good MM cowboy romance but with so many secondary characters I felt a little lost.

The Set Up: Nate is attracted to the ranch’s new computer technician, Kevin, but doesn’t think he’ll ever be emotionally ready for a relationship with Kevin. When Kevin offers no-strings sex, Nate jumps at the chance but when Kevin’s past continues to haunt him, Nate may want to change the rules.

Why I Read this Book: I’ve recently been into gay cowboy romances so thought I’d try this one.

What I Liked: Nate and Kevin are both strong characters with slightly troubled, though mysterious, pasts that hinder their romance. I’ve always been a sucker for the troubled heroes so this fit my trope perfectly. I also like that Kevin sets boundaries for him and Nate and Nate respects Kevin’s boundaries. I wouldn’t say this is an incredibly intense emotional romance but it had enough for me to enjoy the men’s intimacy outside the bedroom as well as under the covers.

What I Also Liked: I also like the ranch setting. Being a city girl I have to admit to a certain fascination to animal husbandry jobs like horse training and cattle ranching. It doesn’t hurt that the setting includes sexy cowboys loving on each!

I hadn’t read book one in the series but I think the plot here is a continuation and it worked well. It doesn’t overtake the romance between Nate and Kevin but gives enough tension to balance the romantic tension. It ends a little neatly but as this is a series romance it worked for me.

Mixed Results: I like romances that include secondary characters and some of them here were good. For instance, Kevin’s best friend was a lovely character, rare in MM romance and very likable and Nate’s sister and husband provide a nice family component. However, there were simply too many secondary characters; they all made my head spin. Nate and Kevin work for the Mastersons’ Ranch and it’s run by two brothers and two cousins but then they have their parents and other cousins and spouses and kids and they all visit all the time. There were so many secondary characters that I got tired of trying to figure out who they were in relation to any other character. A great deal of these smokin’ hot cowboys are gay so I’m sure this is the author setting up a series, which isn’t bad but character introductions, in my opinion, should be done throughout the series not all in the early books.

IMO: This is a good sexy romance that was enjoyable enough to ensure I’ll continue to read the series.

J9’s Rating: