Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Two dozen roses, one dozen balloons and a night with a sexy, young stripper. It’s the perfect birthday present for the man who has everything. Or is it? Because the gift Jimmy really wants can't be bought at any price.

Adam Hyland's life is in the dumps. Living in his car and stripping for his supper, he doesn't expect much when the birthday-boy invites him to stay for cake and champagne. but the come-hither in Jimmy's eyes, and the fire in his kisses, dares Adam to hope for more. And for a while it seems he just might get it.

Of course, it could never be that easy. Adam's never been in the closet, and Jimmy's never come out. Adam's got nothing to lose, and Jimmy's got everything at stake. But when Adam's need to love in the light collides with Jimmy's compulsion to hide in the dark, desire alone can't sustain them. When the worst happens, and the flames of desire threaten to scorch them alive, can love rise like a phoenix from the ashes?

Note: This book was previously released by MLR Press in July 2008. It has been revised and reedited for this edition.

 

Book Review

When you first read the blurb for this story, you might think, "Oh, it's just another poor, openly gay man who dances for a living meets rich, closeted man piece of fluff." You couldn't be more wrong! I started reading this thinking the same thing, but I rapidly found out it was anything but. It's a complex and beautiful story about two men who are perfect for each other, but they let fears, other people's opinions, and their own insecurities get in the way of their future happiness.

Adam Hyland is in the middle of nowhere trying to find the house of his latest client. He's been hired to deliver a stripper gram as a birthday present, including roses and balloons. When he finally arrives, he finds a big, handsome, but shy man, instead of the wild party of women he expected. Adam is very attracted to Jimmy, and acts on it, even though he knows nothing can come of it. A chance encounter with Jimmy at a club where Adam has been hired as a dancer/bartender leads to both men deciding to give the relationship a chance, but between the misunderstandings, the hiding/not hiding conflict, the age difference, and other people's resistance, it will take a miracle for them to have any chance at all!

Jimmy Trent is the owner of a computer securities company. All the time he spends with running his company, having to hide that he's gay from his clients, family, and friends, plus the fear that others only want him for his money, has left Jimmy alone and leery of anyone who tries to get close to him. When he lays eyes on the sexy stripper his friend Rene gave him as a birthday present, Jimmy can't help but take him to bed, even though he knows it's a one-time thing. When he runs into Adam at a club Jimmy co-owns with his brother Laton, he can't help but want something more from him. The relationship seems doomed from the start, with both Jimmy and Adam assuming the worst about each other, Adam refusing to be kept as a secret, and family and friends objecting and throwing obstacles in the way. It will take a lot of work to give this relationship the happily-ever-after Adam and Jimmy so desperately need.

I read this fantastic story in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down! At times, I wanted to grab these characters, and shake some sense into both of them! This is a very enthralling story you definitely need to get for yourself.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 88345 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-July-2014
Price	$6.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.loose-id.com/playing-for-keeps-1-phoenix-rising.htmlc