Review: Double Takes is a Star Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2014
4.5 Stars Rounded UpGio Savale is forty one and the lead singer of the band Three Deaf Mice. Their band was big through the nineties and slightly beyond but without a current hit, not touring, and having to support his soon to be ex wife, Christina, Gio needs money. He's signed on for a reality TV show and the director, Kevin, wants the show to be more meaty for the second half of the season to bolster ratings. Kevin has polled viewers, and based on a magazine interview Gio gave about having sex with both men and women, they want Gio's love interest to be male. The show hires an aspiring actor,  Kyrie, as his reality TV show 'boyfriend.' Kyrie is not what Gio is interested in and he isn't even sure he is attracted to men. Perhaps it was more to do with being high than being bisexual. Besides, for the last nine years he has been sober and with his wife. His son, Marco, is ten years old and he wants to be the best he can be for him. If he is bi, will it affect his ability to have his son in his life? What will Marco think?Gio doesn't like the director of the reality show, Real Rock, having him by the balls - and Kevin knows Gio needs the money for his divorce and to support Marco. Even though Three Deaf Mice were a successful band they tended to spend their money, so reality TV is the primary option for them all while they work on their latest album and get some gigs. All three band members are on the TV show, but the main focus is Gio and he feels claustrophobic with cameras in his face all the time.Thirty two year old Lance Garrett owns Double Takes a local Boston antique shop. He is a long time fan of Three Deaf Mice. Pretty soon Gio finds out that Lance is one of the few people Kevin can't grease the palm of to have in his shop. Absolutely no reality cameras allowed in Double Takes. This gives them some space when they do meet. Gio has items of his ex's that he can sell and he's commissioned Lance to sell them. Right from their first meeting Gio finds himself really liking Lance - he is genuine, straightforward, and attractive...with extremely inviting lips.  Gio doesn't have 'gaydar' so he's not sure if Lance likes him or is just a friendly guy. It is hard to tell with Lance and he is confused, unlike Kyrie, his fake reality boyfriend, who truly does love to sashay away.For a little while I thought Gio was going to be a bit of a jerk because he was a put off by Kyrie's flamboyance - I'm always sensitive to this in my reading. But Gio came good. Kyrie was so interesting, knew the whole reality show was crazy, but embraced his role, was a pro and helped Gio out when he was like a stunned mullet in front of the cameras with their "relationship." Sure, Kyrie was in it to get paid, and hopefully kick start his acting career, but he was also good enough to help Gio because he knew he was in a bind.Double Takes is a really enjoyable book. I liked Gio and Lance - individually and as a couple. The sex was hot, without saturating every second page, and the plot was very good. I also REALLY liked the occasional dirty talking from both guys -  the sex in the gym shower was mmm, mmm, mmm. I also thought Kyrie was a hoot. I would have loved more of him to be honest. If Kimber Vale writes another in the series, and I hope she does, I would love to see the flamboyant Kyrie and the uptight Greg get a book. Oh yes, there is a very interesting relationship right there.Overall:My blog partner can attest to the fact that I do not generally like kids in my books and I'm not particularly big on rock band stories. But I have read Kimber Vale before and enjoyed her writing, so my interest was piqued and I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with Gio and Lance. I was totally engaged throughout and it was incredibly sexy. If you like band/rock star books, sexy, slightly older men - forty one and thirty two - and a bit of a mystery component, then this is a good read. If you also like the idea of someone being sexually fluid and open to a loving relationship with someone of the same sex, with no big dramas over it (hallelujah), then Double Takes is a book I can highly recommend.More reviews at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.