Review: Honored To Write The First Review
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 8, 2013
I am honored to be the first here to review this astonishing novel. It is brilliantly written, the characters are lovingly drawn, with depth and care. The plot is perfect.Lewis is a tennis champion who came out when he won Wimbledon. Lee is a gay entrepreneur who runs a slightly-dirty Web site for gay men, an escort agency (no, really escorts, not hustlers) and has a reputation for bedding more than 1000 beautiful men. Scott is a former #1 ranked tennis pro who retired before the age of 30 due to injury.After his Wimbledon win, Lewis suffered more than a year of career disappointments. His coming out was not treated well by the crowds and their cries of hate during matches caused Lewis to lose his concentration and fail miserably. That failure led to too much drinking and even worse results.The Australian Open is his shot at redemption. His problem is not athletic, it's getting his head on straight. Unfortunately, he's surrounded by people who have agendas. Lee sees him as a great way to get free publicity. Scott, who is a hopeless closet case, is attracted, but wary. The press views Lewis as a great scandal that will sell untold numbers of copies. His surrogate father and coach, Jim, is OK with him being gay as long as there is no boyfriend and he doesn't have to deal with the reality of it. The Aussies are convinced that the gay boy's meltdown will provide the opportunity for their own home-grown "macho" players to make it to the top.But Lewis only has two goals: to make the father, who passed away when he was 12, proud of him, and to find someone to love - not a one-night stand, but someone to share his heart with. Everything he's done, up to this time, was to be deserving of "the perfect men" - the one who died, and the one he longs for.The message of this book is also one I admire wholeheartedly. It is: to be out and to be proud, to not live lies, or live in fear. And it is only when Lewis gets his pride back that he's able to soar, once again, and finally believe that he deserves and honors both of his "perfect men"."Naked Hero" is, quite simply, brilliantly written. The author is a true talent and a great find. The book is profoundly moving without being mawkish or manipulative, the scenes and dialog read true at every turn. There is not a single sex scene in the book, yet it manages to be incredibly sexy. And that's all because the author is not just a writer, but also an artist who evokes instead of tells and gently guides the reader deeply into the mind and soul of each and every character.I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Everyone should read it. Well done!