Review: Heat and heart. Swoon!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 5, 2014
Cory is a thirty y/o gay American living in London. He has a history degree and no job--he bounces from odd-jobs and housing, barely scraping by. He could return to America, but why? His family isn't big on his orientation and he's still sore over the way his uncle, Luke, shunned him when he came out. Luke had been his mentor and closest confidante. To lose that connection shattered Cory.One night Cory's chatting with Tammy, his bartender friend at his regular pub, about his prospects for love and a job when he's approached by a young, beautiful man. Flynn has become a bit of a regular face in the pub--both Cory and Tammy have noticed him for weeks now--but neither can guess his orientation because he never talks to anyone. Still, Flynn has overheard that Cory is out of a job, and well, Flynn has a proposition:One thousand pounds, if Cory will masturbate in front of a window. For an audience.Okaaaayy...Yeah. It seems Flynn runs an online voyeurism group--people subscribe to find places where they can watch sex, or have sex with people watching. The members can make it as open or as discreet as they like. And they REALLY want to see Webmaster Flynn in action. Problem? Flynn is totally, cripplingly, shy. He's also 22 and a slightly-built man, but wants to project a bigger, more mature, image. Cory, standing over six feet tall and bulky with muscle, is Flynn's ideal surrogate. Having no better prospects, Cory (reluctantly) agrees. He's even more reluctant when he checks Flynn's profile and notices Flynn's orientation is marked "Hetero".Funny thing is, those settings aren't always real. Flynn sets up the big reveal, keeping Cory's face in shadow, and Cory does the deed. Surprisingly, Cory digs it. He'd never been big on voyeurism, but he kinda likes the sharing options Flynn's website promotes. And, naturally, Cory's masquerade is a huge success.What Cory didn't anticipate was Flynn being so cool. He's got a big flat with an extra room, that he offers to Cory. Living in close quarters it's not long before Flynn reveals that he's actually gay. And, totally into Cory.It's a nice slow build. And steamy. Oh, and Flynn is into more than just Cory physically. He works hard to get Cory to open up about his family, and even helps repair the rift between Cory and his uncle, Luke. I liked Cory and Flynn a whole lot. They felt so warm and genuine--and their relationship was as tentative as Flynn, at first. Cory continues to make "appearances" in Flynn's stead, but as his followers want even more, like a 'partner scene', Cory makes it happen--with Flynn. Definitely erotic.The book had a lot of heart and was thoughtfully written, with a good mix of angst and heat. I enjoyed the way both characters pulled the other out of his respective shell. I'll be looking for more from this author.