This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite
In Bangtail Instinct by Bruce Leaf, Tom Sparks is like a spring compressed and held tight; at some point, something will have to give. He’d been in line to inherit the family ranch since birth, a small spread that simply didn’t produce enough in modern times to make ends meet. With the bank breathing down his neck and his wife’s discontent growing with each passing day, he finally let go of the spring. Some thought what he did was selfish, while most saw him as a hero. Tom didn’t really care. What he decided to do, he did for himself, something he hadn’t ever been able to do since he’d taken over the ranch. As he lit out on horseback on a long journey south, a cloud of electronic media he’d never used in his life followed along behind, holding its breath as they waited to see what would become of the old cowboy Tom.
In Bangtail Instinct, Bruce Leaf captures the essence of what it’s like to shed your burdens and ride free. He expertly draws you into the tension and hopelessness of a burden you’ve borne your entire life and can do nothing but watch it fall apart. His character, Tom Sparks, allows the reader to live vicariously, shrugging off the burdens of the daily grind to do something nearly impossible to pull off. You will feel the tension tighten, and then the sweet relief of freedom. Having grown up on a ranch near Gunnison, I was able to truly appreciate the tension that comes with trying to make ends meet in a world that no longer understands the value of ranches and agriculture. Gritty, poignant, and liberating, I couldn’t put this book down until I rode all the way to the end with Tom. Unquestionably a five-star read.
