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Icon Men #1-3
Icon Men
All three books in Cat Grant’s EPIC Award-winning series, available together for the first time in this special edition boxed set. Set in the glittery world of Manhattan nightlife, the men who work at the Icon bar share friendships, family, laughter and heartache on their way to happy endings.
The First Real Thing
Cameron is the best—and most sought-after—escort in New York. He has only rule: never let anyone in. But when he picks up ad man Trevor Barclay in a hotel bar, Trev’s shy smile and soft green eyes have Cameron forgetting all the rules. Their steamy encounters leave Cameron shaken, breathless – and falling in love for the first time in his life. But how can he tell Trevor the first man he’s been with in sixteen years sells himself for a living?
Appearing Nightly
Diva Michelle is the hottest drag act in the Manhattan bar scene. But behind the diva is Mike, a lonely man nursing a crush on the Icon’s hot new employee. Ryan’s not just another pretty face – the skittish, fearful young man’s holding back secrets. He may find comfort in Mike’s bed, but he’s not sure if he can trust Mike with the pain of his past.
A Fool for You
Brian Barclay is trying to make it in the New York music scene, but he doesn’t count on his boyfriend Kit stealing all the songs they wrote together. Kicked out of his own band, Brian has no choice but to ask his estranged father Trevor and his partner Cameron for help. Brian and Cameron quickly clash, and when tensions at home escalate, Brian finds himself leaning on sexy blues guitarist Chase Aubrey. Chase and Brian make beautiful music onstage and off, but when Chase’s past threatens their newfound happiness, Brian fears he’s about to be played for a fool yet again.
The First Real Thing
Cameron is the best—and most sought-after—escort in New York. He has only rule: never let anyone in. But when he picks up ad man Trevor Barclay in a hotel bar, Trev’s shy smile and soft green eyes have Cameron forgetting all the rules. Their steamy encounters leave Cameron shaken, breathless – and falling in love for the first time in his life. But how can he tell Trevor the first man he’s been with in sixteen years sells himself for a living?
Appearing Nightly
Diva Michelle is the hottest drag act in the Manhattan bar scene. But behind the diva is Mike, a lonely man nursing a crush on the Icon’s hot new employee. Ryan’s not just another pretty face – the skittish, fearful young man’s holding back secrets. He may find comfort in Mike’s bed, but he’s not sure if he can trust Mike with the pain of his past.
A Fool for You
Brian Barclay is trying to make it in the New York music scene, but he doesn’t count on his boyfriend Kit stealing all the songs they wrote together. Kicked out of his own band, Brian has no choice but to ask his estranged father Trevor and his partner Cameron for help. Brian and Cameron quickly clash, and when tensions at home escalate, Brian finds himself leaning on sexy blues guitarist Chase Aubrey. Chase and Brian make beautiful music onstage and off, but when Chase’s past threatens their newfound happiness, Brian fears he’s about to be played for a fool yet again.
- GenresM M RomanceBDSM
428 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2011
212 people want to read
About the author
Cat Grant
51 books463 followersIf you're looking for epic sci-fi, fantasy, or historicals, that's not me. Contemporary all the way, baby!
However, if you're looking for down to earth, complicated characters dealing with real-world problems (and the occasional comfort read!), I might just fit the bill. :)
My Books:
Courtland Chronicles (m/m & m/m/f)
By Chance
Strictly Business
Complications
The Arrangement
Triad
Allegro Vivace (m/m)
Sonata Appassionata (m/m)
Icon Men (all m/m)
The First Real Thing (2012 EPIC Award Winner - Erotica)
Appearing Nightly
A Fool for You
Habanera (Originally titled Entangled Trio - 2012 EPIC Award Finalist - Erotica) (m/m/f)
Once a Marine (m/m)
Power Play (with Rachel Haimowitz) (m/m BDSM)
Power Play: Resistance
Power Play: Awakening
Irresistible Attraction (all m/m)
Priceless
Doubtless
Fearless
Flawless (2014 EPIC Award Finalist - Short Fiction)
Forthcoming:
The Only One Who Knows (with LA Witt) - January 2014
The Only One Who Matters (with LA Witt) - March 2014
Black Dog (Bannon's Gym #1) - April 2014
Takedown (Bannon's Gym #2) - July 2014
Guarded (with LA Witt) (work in progress)
However, if you're looking for down to earth, complicated characters dealing with real-world problems (and the occasional comfort read!), I might just fit the bill. :)
My Books:
Courtland Chronicles (m/m & m/m/f)
By Chance
Strictly Business
Complications
The Arrangement
Triad
Allegro Vivace (m/m)
Sonata Appassionata (m/m)
Icon Men (all m/m)
The First Real Thing (2012 EPIC Award Winner - Erotica)
Appearing Nightly
A Fool for You
Habanera (Originally titled Entangled Trio - 2012 EPIC Award Finalist - Erotica) (m/m/f)
Once a Marine (m/m)
Power Play (with Rachel Haimowitz) (m/m BDSM)
Power Play: Resistance
Power Play: Awakening
Irresistible Attraction (all m/m)
Priceless
Doubtless
Fearless
Flawless (2014 EPIC Award Finalist - Short Fiction)
Forthcoming:
The Only One Who Knows (with LA Witt) - January 2014
The Only One Who Matters (with LA Witt) - March 2014
Black Dog (Bannon's Gym #1) - April 2014
Takedown (Bannon's Gym #2) - July 2014
Guarded (with LA Witt) (work in progress)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 12, 2019
4.5 Stars ~ The First Real Thing
'The First Real Thing' by Cat Grant is book one in her new series 'Icon Men'. I was intrigued by the description and Cameron's voice. The book is written exclusively in Cameron's point of view, with the added fun of his voice being his blog he's just started about his life. I have read many books by this author and always enjoy them so I jumped right in.
No matter how professional you are, having sex with strangers is still an intimate act, and hiding yourself from that for years will, eventually, come back to bite you. In my opinion. As Cameron says, it doesn't matter what you call him, whore, prostitute, rent boy, it all comes down to the same thing; he sells himself for a living and he enjoys it. He's been in the business for five years and I was pleasantly surprised to discover he wasn't some young kid. Nope. Cameron is thirty and seems happy with his life until he meets Trevor, and everything Cameron thought goes straight out the window.
It was an honest mistake picking Trevor up in the bar and assuming he was Cameron's client for the night. When he realizes what's happened, Cameron doesn't know how to feel as his two hours with Trevor is the most real he's felt in five years. But Trevor is just coming out of a divorce and Cameron is the first man he's slept with in sixteen years. Trevor isn't even out to his family. Oh boy. Now what? Cameron figures Trevor will go home to Toronto and he won't call. Cameron is wrong and now he's tentatively seeing Trevor when he's in town and juggling his work. Uh-oh. What's the saying about tangled webs?
The author introduced really great secondary characters like Cameron's best friend, Mike, or on drag nights, Michelle. Ryan, the young concierge who inadvertently loses his job and Cameron tries to prevent from making the same choices he did. And the bar, Icon, that Mike works at and will become a fixture in the series, although I can't say too much about it and ruin the surprise of Cameron's book.
This was an easy read, not too long, not too short, with some hot sex and a little drama. It was predictable in how Cameron and Trevor's relationship developed and the truth reveal by Cameron, but I still enjoyed it. Thank you, Cat, I had fun with your guys!
Appearing Nightly
'Appearing Nightly' is the second book in Cat Grant's 'Icon Men' series and features Cameron's best friend and business partner, Mike. Or as he's called on the weekends, Diva Michelle, the fabulously big and bold drag queen at the Icon. I really enjoyed the first book which featured Cameron and Trevor, but gave me enough glimpses of Mike and Ryan to whet my appetite for more. Cameron and Mike bought Icon and now own a gay bar with a lot of history under her belt.
"I knew I must look horrific before I dared to glance in the mirror. One whole side of my face - the side the beer torrent had blasted the hardest - reminded me of a cake with the frosting scraped off. One false eyelash stuck to my cheek. No idea where the other one was. Foam still clung to my chin and one side of my wig. Looked like I'd gotten splashed with the world's biggest cum-shot."
Owning your own business can suck. Pun intended. *snort* Mike and Cameron are working eighteen-hour days trying to keep Icon afloat. The recession has hit their bottom line, too, and it doesn't look like it's getting any better. At least not anytime soon. Ryan is just grateful that Cameron gave him a job and he's trying to keep his head down and out of trouble. Mike is working so hard not to flirt with him and Mike has no clue why Ryan turns tail and runs from him all the time. Cameron knows but he isn't saying. It's Ryan's story to tell, if he chooses. I'm not telling, although if you read the first book, then you already know. All I can say is that Ryan has been hurt, physically and mentally, and trust is really hard for him these days.
Fate hates Ryan. At least, he's pretty sure she does. When his temporary roommate sets his kitchen on fire and gets arrested for marijuana possession, Ryan's landlord evicts him. Mike finds out and offers to let Ryan stay with him for a few days until he can get himself sorted out. Literally the best thing that could ever happen to Ryan. He feels safe with Mike and protected, and Mike likes having Ryan to take care of.
I actually liked Mike and Ryan's story even more than Cameron and Trevor's. Mike is such a gentle giant who has to let his diva out two nights a week or he'd just wither and die on the vine. At first I was afraid that Ryan would be a bit of a snarky jerk, but he wasn't, at all. Ryan has had to take care of himself for so long that he doesn't know how to handle loving and being loved. Watching Mike and Ryan together made me just…sigh… Read it. You won't regret it.
A Fool for You
'A Fool for You' is Cat Grant's third installment in her wonderfully fun 'Icon Men' series. These books revolve around a gay bar, Icon, her owners, Cameron and Mike, and their respective partners, Trevor and Ryan. In the previous book, which was Mike and Ryan's story, Cameron and Mike took a huge chance and expanded Icon into a full time drag queen bar and cabaret. This edition picks up five years after that and features Brian, Trevor's son.
Brian and his band members, Kit and Stewart, are sharing a one-room apartment in Brooklyn while starting their musical career. Brian is a music prodigy who has taught himself how to play multiple instruments and he and Kit have written all of the songs for their band. Much to Brian's embarrassment, however, he can't read or write music, he's never learned how. It about broke my heart when Brian discovered Kit, his first and only love, was cheating on him with their new, smarmy agent, and that Kit had written down all of their songs and only given himself composing rights. Ugh. What a sleaze ball!
Brian ends up having to contact his dad and he hasn't spoken to Trevor in two years. Let's just say that Brian still has issues with his parents divorcing and his father falling in love with a male prostitute. It doesn't matter that Cameron is no longer in that lifestyle, Brian is a typical young man who is hurting and hiding it all underneath sarcasm and anger. Oh joy. Brian met Chase at a club that they both performed in and when Brian's life took a dive, it seemed only natural to hang out. At least Chase understood the music thing, which was more than Brian's dad did. What starts as friendship and great sex segues into feelings neither of them expected. When some of Chase's past comes back to haunt him, it's time for him to be honest with Brian and let the chips fall where they may.
This was a very sweet love story. It was refreshing to watch Brian gain maturity and a deeper understanding of what being an adult really means and how difficult it can be. Chase was adorable and the two of them together were very sexy. I definitely enjoyed this and thank you, Cat, for bringing me such fun characters.
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
'The First Real Thing' by Cat Grant is book one in her new series 'Icon Men'. I was intrigued by the description and Cameron's voice. The book is written exclusively in Cameron's point of view, with the added fun of his voice being his blog he's just started about his life. I have read many books by this author and always enjoy them so I jumped right in.
No matter how professional you are, having sex with strangers is still an intimate act, and hiding yourself from that for years will, eventually, come back to bite you. In my opinion. As Cameron says, it doesn't matter what you call him, whore, prostitute, rent boy, it all comes down to the same thing; he sells himself for a living and he enjoys it. He's been in the business for five years and I was pleasantly surprised to discover he wasn't some young kid. Nope. Cameron is thirty and seems happy with his life until he meets Trevor, and everything Cameron thought goes straight out the window.
It was an honest mistake picking Trevor up in the bar and assuming he was Cameron's client for the night. When he realizes what's happened, Cameron doesn't know how to feel as his two hours with Trevor is the most real he's felt in five years. But Trevor is just coming out of a divorce and Cameron is the first man he's slept with in sixteen years. Trevor isn't even out to his family. Oh boy. Now what? Cameron figures Trevor will go home to Toronto and he won't call. Cameron is wrong and now he's tentatively seeing Trevor when he's in town and juggling his work. Uh-oh. What's the saying about tangled webs?
The author introduced really great secondary characters like Cameron's best friend, Mike, or on drag nights, Michelle. Ryan, the young concierge who inadvertently loses his job and Cameron tries to prevent from making the same choices he did. And the bar, Icon, that Mike works at and will become a fixture in the series, although I can't say too much about it and ruin the surprise of Cameron's book.
This was an easy read, not too long, not too short, with some hot sex and a little drama. It was predictable in how Cameron and Trevor's relationship developed and the truth reveal by Cameron, but I still enjoyed it. Thank you, Cat, I had fun with your guys!
Appearing Nightly
'Appearing Nightly' is the second book in Cat Grant's 'Icon Men' series and features Cameron's best friend and business partner, Mike. Or as he's called on the weekends, Diva Michelle, the fabulously big and bold drag queen at the Icon. I really enjoyed the first book which featured Cameron and Trevor, but gave me enough glimpses of Mike and Ryan to whet my appetite for more. Cameron and Mike bought Icon and now own a gay bar with a lot of history under her belt.
"I knew I must look horrific before I dared to glance in the mirror. One whole side of my face - the side the beer torrent had blasted the hardest - reminded me of a cake with the frosting scraped off. One false eyelash stuck to my cheek. No idea where the other one was. Foam still clung to my chin and one side of my wig. Looked like I'd gotten splashed with the world's biggest cum-shot."
Owning your own business can suck. Pun intended. *snort* Mike and Cameron are working eighteen-hour days trying to keep Icon afloat. The recession has hit their bottom line, too, and it doesn't look like it's getting any better. At least not anytime soon. Ryan is just grateful that Cameron gave him a job and he's trying to keep his head down and out of trouble. Mike is working so hard not to flirt with him and Mike has no clue why Ryan turns tail and runs from him all the time. Cameron knows but he isn't saying. It's Ryan's story to tell, if he chooses. I'm not telling, although if you read the first book, then you already know. All I can say is that Ryan has been hurt, physically and mentally, and trust is really hard for him these days.
Fate hates Ryan. At least, he's pretty sure she does. When his temporary roommate sets his kitchen on fire and gets arrested for marijuana possession, Ryan's landlord evicts him. Mike finds out and offers to let Ryan stay with him for a few days until he can get himself sorted out. Literally the best thing that could ever happen to Ryan. He feels safe with Mike and protected, and Mike likes having Ryan to take care of.
I actually liked Mike and Ryan's story even more than Cameron and Trevor's. Mike is such a gentle giant who has to let his diva out two nights a week or he'd just wither and die on the vine. At first I was afraid that Ryan would be a bit of a snarky jerk, but he wasn't, at all. Ryan has had to take care of himself for so long that he doesn't know how to handle loving and being loved. Watching Mike and Ryan together made me just…sigh… Read it. You won't regret it.
A Fool for You
'A Fool for You' is Cat Grant's third installment in her wonderfully fun 'Icon Men' series. These books revolve around a gay bar, Icon, her owners, Cameron and Mike, and their respective partners, Trevor and Ryan. In the previous book, which was Mike and Ryan's story, Cameron and Mike took a huge chance and expanded Icon into a full time drag queen bar and cabaret. This edition picks up five years after that and features Brian, Trevor's son.
Brian and his band members, Kit and Stewart, are sharing a one-room apartment in Brooklyn while starting their musical career. Brian is a music prodigy who has taught himself how to play multiple instruments and he and Kit have written all of the songs for their band. Much to Brian's embarrassment, however, he can't read or write music, he's never learned how. It about broke my heart when Brian discovered Kit, his first and only love, was cheating on him with their new, smarmy agent, and that Kit had written down all of their songs and only given himself composing rights. Ugh. What a sleaze ball!
Brian ends up having to contact his dad and he hasn't spoken to Trevor in two years. Let's just say that Brian still has issues with his parents divorcing and his father falling in love with a male prostitute. It doesn't matter that Cameron is no longer in that lifestyle, Brian is a typical young man who is hurting and hiding it all underneath sarcasm and anger. Oh joy. Brian met Chase at a club that they both performed in and when Brian's life took a dive, it seemed only natural to hang out. At least Chase understood the music thing, which was more than Brian's dad did. What starts as friendship and great sex segues into feelings neither of them expected. When some of Chase's past comes back to haunt him, it's time for him to be honest with Brian and let the chips fall where they may.
This was a very sweet love story. It was refreshing to watch Brian gain maturity and a deeper understanding of what being an adult really means and how difficult it can be. Chase was adorable and the two of them together were very sexy. I definitely enjoyed this and thank you, Cat, for bringing me such fun characters.
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 13, 2015
Full Review here http://thebloggergirls.com/2014/12/19...
The First Real Thing:
Cameron is a rent boy who picks up the wrong guy and falls in love. That’s the basics of this story. But what you get is a whole lot more than this.
The story is told like a first-person diary account and it feels so authentic and real. I’m sure Cameron’s experiences of being a whore are a little bit watered down, in that by this time in his career he’s with repeat customers who mostly give him respect rather than a beating. But – the emotional impact he feels about how to tell Trevor and how to get out of the business and why he went into it – all felt very natural to me.
Though there were times I wanted to shake Cameron and tell him he was being ridiculous, he’s a very likable character and it feels wonderful for him to find someone like Trevor with which to share happiness.
The secondary characters play roles in the later books, so it was nice to see them begin to be developed here.
4.5 stars I loved this!
Appearing Nightly:
We met Mike in the first story. He’s Cameron’s new business partner and local drag queen. We also met Ryan, whom Cameron rescued from the evil clutches of Charles.
Mike is a hard-working, big hearted guy who is pretty lonely. Ryan is a totally messed up, broke, alcoholic, sexually confused, somewhat traumatized guy who just needs to make some money.
Ryan can’t help but be captivated by Mike/Michelle, but he’s not sure what to make of those feelings. Mike wants Ryan but doesn’t want to get burned by someone who is out to use him or who won’t come out of the closet for him.
In the end both our guys go through a lot of really deep soul searching and some pretty stressful situations and end up with what feels like a tentative but hopeful HFN/HEA.
I’m not sure I love Ryan for Mike. I LOVED Mike. He and Michelle are wonderful. Warm, loving, funny, charismatic, giving… Mike really needs someone worthy of all that amazingness. Ryan is more or less a whiny, insecure, broken creature who never quite redeems himself in my eyes.
Though I rooted for the couple (of course I wanted Ryan for Mike if that’s who Mike wanted!) I really felt that Ryan should have grown more and come around more before the story ended. It felt really tentative, half-hearted and rushed. I can see Ryan on the path, but there were all kinds of commitments being made that felt really dangerous to Mike as Ryan had done very little to earn any amount of trust at that point. (IE moving in together)
So – though I still really liked the story telling (Cat Grant is a great author) and adored Mike’s story – I didn’t love this story because it felt really unbalanced and I didn’t trust the happy ending.
4 stars - I liked this!
A Fool For You:
This story happens five years after Cameron and Trevor meet. Trevor’s son Brian is a 20 (almost 21) year old musician/student who has a crappy boyfriend and is in a mediocre band. One night, the crappy boyfriend literally steals Brian’s stuff and his songs, leaving Brian alone in NYC. Brian leans on Chase, a fellow musician he meets that night, and the two pretty much instantly hit it off.
From that night on there are several “hurdles” the couple has to overcome. Trevor and Cameron – the “parents”- don’t immediately approve of this rebound relationship with a guy 8 years older than Brian and Brian is kind of a dick to Cameron so they squabble here and there as well.
Chase has a whole bunch of back-story that trickles in to disrupt the happy couple. Instead of just laying it out there, Chase tries to hide his past and it ends up biting him on the ass.
Brian’s music is a mini-hurdle. First, they have to fight the ex for the rights. Second, Chase wants Brian to write more, but Brian has dyslexia and resists learning to compose.
Ultimately, the romance between these two happens very fast. The rest of the story is them overcoming obstacles to them staying together. In fact, they essentially move in with each other after that first night, and end up there when their HEA comes along.
**
This was my second favorite story of the group. I liked Chase and Brian as a couple and felt each really helped the other grow. I was a bit dismayed by the amount of stuff they went through after they got together, considering how easy it was for them to get together in the first place.
I think, in terms of a more balanced story, I would have given them more of a build up to a relationship (I think Chase would still be pretty guarded with his past and Brian had only been single for like 22 seconds!) and let some of Chase’s past dribble in through the courting process. It felt a bit sudden that they’d meet at a gig and BAM! start living together.
But… I really felt that as a couple they had a great chance at making it and I liked them together.
4.5 stars I loved it!
Overall Impression:
4.5 stars – I loved it
The First Real Thing:
Cameron is a rent boy who picks up the wrong guy and falls in love. That’s the basics of this story. But what you get is a whole lot more than this.
The story is told like a first-person diary account and it feels so authentic and real. I’m sure Cameron’s experiences of being a whore are a little bit watered down, in that by this time in his career he’s with repeat customers who mostly give him respect rather than a beating. But – the emotional impact he feels about how to tell Trevor and how to get out of the business and why he went into it – all felt very natural to me.
Though there were times I wanted to shake Cameron and tell him he was being ridiculous, he’s a very likable character and it feels wonderful for him to find someone like Trevor with which to share happiness.
The secondary characters play roles in the later books, so it was nice to see them begin to be developed here.
4.5 stars I loved this!
Appearing Nightly:
We met Mike in the first story. He’s Cameron’s new business partner and local drag queen. We also met Ryan, whom Cameron rescued from the evil clutches of Charles.
Mike is a hard-working, big hearted guy who is pretty lonely. Ryan is a totally messed up, broke, alcoholic, sexually confused, somewhat traumatized guy who just needs to make some money.
Ryan can’t help but be captivated by Mike/Michelle, but he’s not sure what to make of those feelings. Mike wants Ryan but doesn’t want to get burned by someone who is out to use him or who won’t come out of the closet for him.
In the end both our guys go through a lot of really deep soul searching and some pretty stressful situations and end up with what feels like a tentative but hopeful HFN/HEA.
I’m not sure I love Ryan for Mike. I LOVED Mike. He and Michelle are wonderful. Warm, loving, funny, charismatic, giving… Mike really needs someone worthy of all that amazingness. Ryan is more or less a whiny, insecure, broken creature who never quite redeems himself in my eyes.
Though I rooted for the couple (of course I wanted Ryan for Mike if that’s who Mike wanted!) I really felt that Ryan should have grown more and come around more before the story ended. It felt really tentative, half-hearted and rushed. I can see Ryan on the path, but there were all kinds of commitments being made that felt really dangerous to Mike as Ryan had done very little to earn any amount of trust at that point. (IE moving in together)
So – though I still really liked the story telling (Cat Grant is a great author) and adored Mike’s story – I didn’t love this story because it felt really unbalanced and I didn’t trust the happy ending.
4 stars - I liked this!
A Fool For You:
This story happens five years after Cameron and Trevor meet. Trevor’s son Brian is a 20 (almost 21) year old musician/student who has a crappy boyfriend and is in a mediocre band. One night, the crappy boyfriend literally steals Brian’s stuff and his songs, leaving Brian alone in NYC. Brian leans on Chase, a fellow musician he meets that night, and the two pretty much instantly hit it off.
From that night on there are several “hurdles” the couple has to overcome. Trevor and Cameron – the “parents”- don’t immediately approve of this rebound relationship with a guy 8 years older than Brian and Brian is kind of a dick to Cameron so they squabble here and there as well.
Chase has a whole bunch of back-story that trickles in to disrupt the happy couple. Instead of just laying it out there, Chase tries to hide his past and it ends up biting him on the ass.
Brian’s music is a mini-hurdle. First, they have to fight the ex for the rights. Second, Chase wants Brian to write more, but Brian has dyslexia and resists learning to compose.
Ultimately, the romance between these two happens very fast. The rest of the story is them overcoming obstacles to them staying together. In fact, they essentially move in with each other after that first night, and end up there when their HEA comes along.
**
This was my second favorite story of the group. I liked Chase and Brian as a couple and felt each really helped the other grow. I was a bit dismayed by the amount of stuff they went through after they got together, considering how easy it was for them to get together in the first place.
I think, in terms of a more balanced story, I would have given them more of a build up to a relationship (I think Chase would still be pretty guarded with his past and Brian had only been single for like 22 seconds!) and let some of Chase’s past dribble in through the courting process. It felt a bit sudden that they’d meet at a gig and BAM! start living together.
But… I really felt that as a couple they had a great chance at making it and I liked them together.
4.5 stars I loved it!
Overall Impression:
4.5 stars – I loved it
December 4, 2014
4.5 star review by Dan
The First Real Thing
In book one we are introduced to Cameron, a high end escort (fancy way of saying male prostitute) who is the most sought after escort in New York City. He has been selling himself to men for about five years. It was never what he planned to do, but things happen. He is now making the low six figures annually, and owns a nice top floor apartment in lower Manhattan.
When he goes to meet his “appointment” for the evening at the St. Regis Hotel bar, he sees the man, Trevor, right away, but the guy insists on dinner and then they proceed to have hot sex. Only afterwards does Cameron discover that Trevor wasn’t the “appointment”!
We follow along as the two men spend more time together, getting to know each other and heading towards what neither of them expect. But Cameron isn’t telling Trevor about all the other men he is having sex with for pay. What will happen when he does? Drama!
Appearing Nightly
The second chapter of this trilogy is as good as the first. In the second chapter we are reintroduced to the characters from the first book. In this book Ryan steps front and center. Readers will remember Ryan as the former Concierge at the St. Regis Hotel, where Cameron met Trevor, and where Ryan was fired for having sex with Cameron in the hotel gym shower. Then circumstances forced Ryan into becoming a prostitute working with the same “scheduler” as Cameron. That ended when Cameron rescued him from the clutches of an evil man who had tied him to a bed and whipped him bloody.
Ryan is now working at the Icon, the bar that Cameron and his friend Mike bought when Cameron retired from the “business”. Mike is also Diva Michelle, the club’s main drag performer attraction.
Ryan seems afraid of Mike, and we know Cameron has warned Mike off and told him he can’t get involved with Ryan. Like that has ever stopped a gay man on a mission! But Ryan hasn’t told Mike anything about his past. What will happen when Mike finally finds out where those whip marks on Ryan’s back came from?
Again in this book we see a lot of drama, ranging from an apartment fire and a straight ex-girlfriend to raucous drag shows and homophobic fag bashers. A great second book.
A Fool for You
The third book in the set jumps ahead three or four years and focuses on Brian Barclay, Trevor’s gay son who was mentioned in book one. Brian has come to New York City from Toronto, along with his boyfriend Kit, and the third member of their band. Kit is the same guy that Brian’s mother caught him making out with in book one, and he is the only guy Brian has ever been with.
Brian discovers one night after a performance that Kit has been lying to him for months. When Brian finds Kit making out with their new manager and confronts him, he learns the truth. Kit has stolen all the songs that Brian wrote for their band. Kit announces that he and the other band member have cut him out of the picture and are going with the new manager to California. And of course, to make it worse, Brian finds out that Kit has been sleeping with that new manager!
A fist fight ensues and Brian accidently punches the theater manager in the face and charges are filed. The only way out of jail is for Brian to call his dad, Trevor, and his partner Cameron.
Thrown out of the apartment he shared with the other two band members, Brian is forced to stay with his dad and Cameron. But all is not lost. Brian met a hot blues player, Chase, at the theater where they had all been performing. He was now single, so why not get to know the guy? As usual in this series, someone is hiding a huge secret. In this case it is Chase. Will his lies and deceits cause the end of any relationship with Brian before they even get started?
BOXED SET REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this boxed set of Ms. Grant’s books. At 374 pages total for the three books, I really enjoyed the length. One note, if I had been rating the books individually I would have rated them a little lower because they would have been too short. Because of the formatting, it read more like one long book with the same interrelated characters running throughout, and I believe it read better than it would have in individual books. I personally like long books, so it was perfect for me! New characters are introduced along the way, but it is all one big happy family of characters in the end. I was a little sad when I got to the end, because I wanted it to keep going! Truthfully though, I think the author did a good job at wrapping up the series. I highly recommend this boxed set. For the cost of one book, you are getting three. And all three are really good!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
The First Real Thing
In book one we are introduced to Cameron, a high end escort (fancy way of saying male prostitute) who is the most sought after escort in New York City. He has been selling himself to men for about five years. It was never what he planned to do, but things happen. He is now making the low six figures annually, and owns a nice top floor apartment in lower Manhattan.
When he goes to meet his “appointment” for the evening at the St. Regis Hotel bar, he sees the man, Trevor, right away, but the guy insists on dinner and then they proceed to have hot sex. Only afterwards does Cameron discover that Trevor wasn’t the “appointment”!
We follow along as the two men spend more time together, getting to know each other and heading towards what neither of them expect. But Cameron isn’t telling Trevor about all the other men he is having sex with for pay. What will happen when he does? Drama!
Appearing Nightly
The second chapter of this trilogy is as good as the first. In the second chapter we are reintroduced to the characters from the first book. In this book Ryan steps front and center. Readers will remember Ryan as the former Concierge at the St. Regis Hotel, where Cameron met Trevor, and where Ryan was fired for having sex with Cameron in the hotel gym shower. Then circumstances forced Ryan into becoming a prostitute working with the same “scheduler” as Cameron. That ended when Cameron rescued him from the clutches of an evil man who had tied him to a bed and whipped him bloody.
Ryan is now working at the Icon, the bar that Cameron and his friend Mike bought when Cameron retired from the “business”. Mike is also Diva Michelle, the club’s main drag performer attraction.
Ryan seems afraid of Mike, and we know Cameron has warned Mike off and told him he can’t get involved with Ryan. Like that has ever stopped a gay man on a mission! But Ryan hasn’t told Mike anything about his past. What will happen when Mike finally finds out where those whip marks on Ryan’s back came from?
Again in this book we see a lot of drama, ranging from an apartment fire and a straight ex-girlfriend to raucous drag shows and homophobic fag bashers. A great second book.
A Fool for You
The third book in the set jumps ahead three or four years and focuses on Brian Barclay, Trevor’s gay son who was mentioned in book one. Brian has come to New York City from Toronto, along with his boyfriend Kit, and the third member of their band. Kit is the same guy that Brian’s mother caught him making out with in book one, and he is the only guy Brian has ever been with.
Brian discovers one night after a performance that Kit has been lying to him for months. When Brian finds Kit making out with their new manager and confronts him, he learns the truth. Kit has stolen all the songs that Brian wrote for their band. Kit announces that he and the other band member have cut him out of the picture and are going with the new manager to California. And of course, to make it worse, Brian finds out that Kit has been sleeping with that new manager!
A fist fight ensues and Brian accidently punches the theater manager in the face and charges are filed. The only way out of jail is for Brian to call his dad, Trevor, and his partner Cameron.
Thrown out of the apartment he shared with the other two band members, Brian is forced to stay with his dad and Cameron. But all is not lost. Brian met a hot blues player, Chase, at the theater where they had all been performing. He was now single, so why not get to know the guy? As usual in this series, someone is hiding a huge secret. In this case it is Chase. Will his lies and deceits cause the end of any relationship with Brian before they even get started?
BOXED SET REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this boxed set of Ms. Grant’s books. At 374 pages total for the three books, I really enjoyed the length. One note, if I had been rating the books individually I would have rated them a little lower because they would have been too short. Because of the formatting, it read more like one long book with the same interrelated characters running throughout, and I believe it read better than it would have in individual books. I personally like long books, so it was perfect for me! New characters are introduced along the way, but it is all one big happy family of characters in the end. I was a little sad when I got to the end, because I wanted it to keep going! Truthfully though, I think the author did a good job at wrapping up the series. I highly recommend this boxed set. For the cost of one book, you are getting three. And all three are really good!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
November 24, 2014
The First Real Thing
For the past five years Cameron has worked as an escort, high paid escort. None the less he is still a prostitute and he knows that there is not a man out there who’d want a relationship with a man who sells his body to other men. Thus Cameron doesn’t date for real. He provides his clients with the fantasy and release that they are looking for.
A mistake that leads to an incredible evening has Cameron reevaluating everything he does. Trev wasn’t the client he was supposed to go meet. Trev was simply in the right place with the look of exactly the type of man Cameron spends his time with. Trev enjoys his time with Cameron and does what any man would do, he wants to see him again and see where they can take their attraction.
I enjoyed how everything unfolded with Trev and Cameron. Keeping secrets never does a relationship any good. Any reader will know where that is going to go. The way it happened worked for this tale. This is a great start to the Icon Men series and I’m looking forward to where the other stories are going go.
Appearing Nightly
Mike and Ryan had small roles in The First Real Thing. With the trauma that Ryan experienced and the problems he still faces from that I’d definitely recommend not going into this one as a stand-alone. For the most part it could work but I don’t recommend it.
Ever watched/read that couple that couldn’t get on the same page with each other? Ryan and Mike are that couple. Mike thinks Ryan is straight. Ryan is beyond leery of Mike due to some of his past experiences. Ryan not telling anyone of how he knows Cameron is a big elephant in the room. Ryan having never come out to anyone that matters is an even larger obstacle.
New feelings leading to a relationship are not the only struggles that these two men face. Everything Ryan goes after seems to crumble. His life is a wreck that seems beyond repairable on a good day. Mike is trying to be more for Icon. He doesn’t feel like the partner in the business that he is supposed to be. He wants nothing but best for the club, but he feels like he is being shut down at every idea. Struggling with a crush for a man who he has been warned to stay away from adds even more stress to his daily life.
A Fool for You
Readers first meet Brian as the bratty teenage son of Trev in The First Real Thing. He’s older now, an adult but he still has a lot of growing up to do. He even has bratty moments. I LOVED Cameron from the moment I met him so Brian’s attitude made me have very little compassion towards him when he is wronged and when he experiences what secrets can do to a fresh relationship of his own.
Chase Aubrey lives for his music. He loves the connection he has to his guitar and the peace and tranquility it brings to his life. He has talent and he recognizes talent in the very young Brian. Just looking for friendship in someone he has something in common with is all Chase expected. What he found in Brian was unexpected. Chase’s past is one he hides for many reasons. It’s not something he lies about, just a topic he avoids. He knows that the ones that should love you the most are the ones that can cause the most heartache.
I liked Chase. He not only makes Brian tolerable but actually likable. Chase is also the influence in Brian’s life that makes him grow up and stop acting like such a brat. My only dislike with this story was a tiny thread that was left hanging. In the end it is inconsequential, but I’m still curious what became of it.
For the past five years Cameron has worked as an escort, high paid escort. None the less he is still a prostitute and he knows that there is not a man out there who’d want a relationship with a man who sells his body to other men. Thus Cameron doesn’t date for real. He provides his clients with the fantasy and release that they are looking for.
A mistake that leads to an incredible evening has Cameron reevaluating everything he does. Trev wasn’t the client he was supposed to go meet. Trev was simply in the right place with the look of exactly the type of man Cameron spends his time with. Trev enjoys his time with Cameron and does what any man would do, he wants to see him again and see where they can take their attraction.
I enjoyed how everything unfolded with Trev and Cameron. Keeping secrets never does a relationship any good. Any reader will know where that is going to go. The way it happened worked for this tale. This is a great start to the Icon Men series and I’m looking forward to where the other stories are going go.
Appearing Nightly
Mike and Ryan had small roles in The First Real Thing. With the trauma that Ryan experienced and the problems he still faces from that I’d definitely recommend not going into this one as a stand-alone. For the most part it could work but I don’t recommend it.
Ever watched/read that couple that couldn’t get on the same page with each other? Ryan and Mike are that couple. Mike thinks Ryan is straight. Ryan is beyond leery of Mike due to some of his past experiences. Ryan not telling anyone of how he knows Cameron is a big elephant in the room. Ryan having never come out to anyone that matters is an even larger obstacle.
New feelings leading to a relationship are not the only struggles that these two men face. Everything Ryan goes after seems to crumble. His life is a wreck that seems beyond repairable on a good day. Mike is trying to be more for Icon. He doesn’t feel like the partner in the business that he is supposed to be. He wants nothing but best for the club, but he feels like he is being shut down at every idea. Struggling with a crush for a man who he has been warned to stay away from adds even more stress to his daily life.
A Fool for You
Readers first meet Brian as the bratty teenage son of Trev in The First Real Thing. He’s older now, an adult but he still has a lot of growing up to do. He even has bratty moments. I LOVED Cameron from the moment I met him so Brian’s attitude made me have very little compassion towards him when he is wronged and when he experiences what secrets can do to a fresh relationship of his own.
Chase Aubrey lives for his music. He loves the connection he has to his guitar and the peace and tranquility it brings to his life. He has talent and he recognizes talent in the very young Brian. Just looking for friendship in someone he has something in common with is all Chase expected. What he found in Brian was unexpected. Chase’s past is one he hides for many reasons. It’s not something he lies about, just a topic he avoids. He knows that the ones that should love you the most are the ones that can cause the most heartache.
I liked Chase. He not only makes Brian tolerable but actually likable. Chase is also the influence in Brian’s life that makes him grow up and stop acting like such a brat. My only dislike with this story was a tiny thread that was left hanging. In the end it is inconsequential, but I’m still curious what became of it.
December 1, 2014
Awesome trilogy. Cat Grant is one of my go to authors and this 3-piece "ensemble" definitely underscores why I love her writing. The 3 novellas are interrelated but can, if you want, be read as standalones. But I wouldn't suggest that since they are all great and the links between the 3 stories make for a lovely read. The First Real Thing includes one of my catnip tropes - rentboy trying to go straight. But this has a nice twist. Cameron is a 30 year old prostitute who has been quite successful. He's tired but pushes on. He is meeting a client at the bar in the St Regis, a high end hotel where he frequently meets his clients. But... Cam picks up the wrong person. Trev is from Canada in NY on business and is in the bar winding down. He was married for a number of years and finally realized that he was living a lie and divorced his wife. After a night with Trev that blows Cam's mind he leaves Trev's room and realizes that he made a monstrous mistake. The remainder of the story is fairly predictable, however, it is done well. Good angst, great dialogue and Cat Grant's lovely smexy times make this a terrific read. Cam has a few lovely friends who are strong characters and are featured in the next 2 novellas. Icon is the name of the bar owned by Cam's friends, hence the name of the series. Appearing Nightly, the next novella, features Mike, a friend of Cam's who works as a bar/entertainer at Icon. Ryan, whom we met in The First...., is a MC in this second story and while I had some trouble getting a handle on his story, what happens is quite compelling. Don't want to say too much to spoil things, but life improves for Mike and Ryan in the nicest way. The 3rd, A Fool for You, takes place some years later and features Trev's son, Brian, whom we met in the first book. I really liked this twist - the son of a character who has his own story. Brian is a musician who is in a not so great band. His relationship with his father is nearly non-existent because of his reaction to his father's divorce and subsequent relationship with Cam. Brian gets into trouble and needs his father's help. Along the way, Brian meets Chase, a fellow musician who appears at the club where Brian and his band play. This was a little insta-lovey. I think the romance between Chase and Brian moved rather quickly but you could really feel their connection. Each books ends with a HEA that fits the couple. I particularly liked that we see bits of Trev and Cam in the last two book and the author realistically portrays their relationship. Not all rainbows and lollipops which is as it should be. Nicely done Ms. Grant!!
December 1, 2014
These were wonderful books! I loved each one separately, but enjoyed them even more together.
I loved how Grant used the three books to tell three different stories, yet they were all connected too. Grant did an amazing job!
The First Real Thing was fantastic - it was a true "finding yourself" story. I enjoyed both main characters and the secondary characters were equally great. Cam and Trent were amazing and despite Cam's less than stellar background, this story was a real relationship. It wasn't all hearts and roses - there were struggles realistic to life. (Well, ok, so maybe not "realistic" in the sense that you forgot to tell someone you were an escort, but still...)
Appearing Nightly was a story that melted my heart. I would have liked to have this one be a little longer, as it felt slightly rushed to me, but I enjoyed the twists and turns in this one a lot. Mike was truly a great character and Ryan, while somewhat clueless, was able to pull it together.
A Fool for You was my favorite of the three. I was able to relate to these characters the most. I don't know if it was because they were musicians or seemed younger, but these characters really spoke to me. The hardships that this couple endured - the forgiveness and love were amazing. I also loved how this one tied all three together. Family isn't always blood and it isn't always hearts and roses, but family always forgives.
Great stories!
AvidReader
I loved how Grant used the three books to tell three different stories, yet they were all connected too. Grant did an amazing job!
The First Real Thing was fantastic - it was a true "finding yourself" story. I enjoyed both main characters and the secondary characters were equally great. Cam and Trent were amazing and despite Cam's less than stellar background, this story was a real relationship. It wasn't all hearts and roses - there were struggles realistic to life. (Well, ok, so maybe not "realistic" in the sense that you forgot to tell someone you were an escort, but still...)
Appearing Nightly was a story that melted my heart. I would have liked to have this one be a little longer, as it felt slightly rushed to me, but I enjoyed the twists and turns in this one a lot. Mike was truly a great character and Ryan, while somewhat clueless, was able to pull it together.
A Fool for You was my favorite of the three. I was able to relate to these characters the most. I don't know if it was because they were musicians or seemed younger, but these characters really spoke to me. The hardships that this couple endured - the forgiveness and love were amazing. I also loved how this one tied all three together. Family isn't always blood and it isn't always hearts and roses, but family always forgives.
Great stories!
AvidReader
November 22, 2015
Good set of stories
The first story was a well used trope. Cam the rent boy falls in love with Trevor and doesn't know how to explain what he does. It was pretty good and introduced the other characters. Some rather jarring scenes with Ryan. Loved Mike right away. Well written and sex scenes were okay.
Second story was Ryan and Mike's. It progressed well but I couldn't understand Ryan's problem admitting he was gay when he'd been sleeping with Mike. It was at least a little more unique take on the reasons for a breakup.
Brian and Chase's story seemed rather rushed. They got together so quickly. Brian was a judgemental brat most of the time. He was a very young character, so I guess it's understandable. I didn't get much of a connection from their characters as I did in the first two stories.
The first story was a well used trope. Cam the rent boy falls in love with Trevor and doesn't know how to explain what he does. It was pretty good and introduced the other characters. Some rather jarring scenes with Ryan. Loved Mike right away. Well written and sex scenes were okay.
Second story was Ryan and Mike's. It progressed well but I couldn't understand Ryan's problem admitting he was gay when he'd been sleeping with Mike. It was at least a little more unique take on the reasons for a breakup.
Brian and Chase's story seemed rather rushed. They got together so quickly. Brian was a judgemental brat most of the time. He was a very young character, so I guess it's understandable. I didn't get much of a connection from their characters as I did in the first two stories.
October 29, 2016
The First Real Thing—Icon Men #1—five stars
Mistakes happen to the best of us. That's how Cameron, professional male escort, happens to pick up Trevor instead of his intended client. When he discovers the mix-up, it's already too late. Cameron has done what he's vowed to never let happen: he's fallen for another man. But how will Trevor react when he learns what Cam does for a living? Drawn deeper and deeper intp the torrent of lies and misunderstandings, Cam tumbles headlong into disaster.
This book is written in form of Cam's blog, so Cam becomes the 1st person narrator. His voice is witty, bitchy at times, laced with a refreshingly acrid humor, and honest to the point of painfulness despite the way he keeps pretending with Trev. Cam's personality and story are perfectly believable, although the client/ date mix up in the beginning comes across a little clichéd. Yet, Cam's voice makes it still worth wile, and afterwards - it's just great. The way the author makes the sex scenes an integral part of character development and plot forwarding is gratifying.
Everything else, I'd totally buy, too, from Trev's lifelong hiding and explosive openness after his coming-out, first to himself and then to his family to Cam's fear of rejection and his desperation when he discovers he can't simply stop doing what he does. The supportive cast was equally fine, particularly Mike the Drag Queen and Trev's son Brian, the sour, nosey teenager.
A fine, character - driven story with a dry, no-nonsense narrator's voice and some heartwarming moments of angst, heartache and sweet emotion. Highly recommended.
Appearing Nightly—Icon Men #3—3.5 stars
Drag Queen, singer and performer extraordinaire Michelle has been the star of the Icon Bar for more than five years. Mike, the man under the make-up and wig, jumped at the chance to own his performing venue with the help of his friend Cameron, a former male escort. But things didn’t look overly rosy lately; between the current recession and some mildly catastrophic evenings, the Icon seems faced with its ruin. The difficult financial situation puts a strain on Mike and Cameron’s friendship. And if that weren’t enough, there’s Ryan, the Icon’s only employee—a sweet young man with a penchant for getting himself into trouble—who jumps and runs at the smallest, most innocent flirtations on Mike’s part.
Only when Ryan hits rock bottom after being evicted from his apartment in the middle of winter and suddenly has to rely on Mike’s help, the two form a tentative connection that soon turns into more.
And once that happens, all bets are off.
This book is written in alternating 1st (Mike’s) and 3rd (Ryan’s) POV, a narrative style that, while allowing deep insight into Mike’s person, keeps Ryan at a distant arm’s length. I’m not sure if this was the reason, but I just couldn’t connect with the two main characters. I loved Mike in The One Real Thing, but being inside his head wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped for. Ryan I didn’t warm to at all, despite the tragic price he had to pay for the one little mistake we saw him making in the first book. Thus the connection between them seemed elusive to me.
Taken by itself, this was still a well-written story with a hefty dose of angst and a satisfying happy end. It just paled some in comparison to the other two.
Recommended as part of the trilogy.
A Fool For You—Icon Men #3— four stars
Brian, Trevor from book one’s son, is a talented musician with a major handicap: he’s dyslexic, especially when it comes to musical scores. So his deceitful boyfriend Kit has an easy job of stealing the songs they wrote together. Betrayed, homeless and facing criminal prosecution for assault after he got into a fistfight with Kit, Brian has no option left but turning to his father for help.
In Brian’s view, Trevor chose Cam over his own son. And even though both Trevor and Cam go out of their way to help him, Brian resents them both, still bearing a grudge against them. Along comes Chase, a musician Brian admires, a man he’s attracted to and the friend he so desperately needs. No wonder he falls head over heels for Chase, and the feeling seems mutual. Being in love helps Brian gain a different perspective on his father and Cam’s relationship, which in turn helps him pull his head out of his ass and become reconciled with the couple. But Chase harbors secrets of his own. When Brian gets at the truth, the repeated feeling of betrayal drives him away. Will two conspiring dads and a couple of determined fairy godfathers be enough to fix the rift between Brian and Chase?
This book is written in 3rd person POV, almost entirely from Brian’s perspective. Brian is one of those characters which I normally can’t stand at all—a supposedly adult man of almost twenty-one years with all the self-centered, egoistical entitlement of a teenager. Good thing he came to his senses thanks to Chase and turned into a reasonable human being eventually. And good thing that happened rather early in the story.
Most of the conflict in this book stemmed from Brian’s problems with Kit and with his father; once that was solved, the focus of the story shifted to the burgeoning relationship between Brian and Chase. Sweet, emotional and hot, those two made a beautiful couple until—well, until Chase’s past came back to haunt him. I found the balance between sweetness and angst a bit off here, although I greatly enjoyed watching Chase and Brian grow, together and toward each other. But all in all, I really liked this story. A bit coming-of-age, a bit hurt-comfort, this was a very pleasant read that I can warmly recommend.
Overall, these three stories, centered around the eponymic Icon Bar, make an almost seamless whole despite the different subject matters, main characters and narrative styles. I found it a good idea to bundle them all together, and even though I liked one part less than the other two, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on it. So a definite recommend for all three stories.
Mistakes happen to the best of us. That's how Cameron, professional male escort, happens to pick up Trevor instead of his intended client. When he discovers the mix-up, it's already too late. Cameron has done what he's vowed to never let happen: he's fallen for another man. But how will Trevor react when he learns what Cam does for a living? Drawn deeper and deeper intp the torrent of lies and misunderstandings, Cam tumbles headlong into disaster.
This book is written in form of Cam's blog, so Cam becomes the 1st person narrator. His voice is witty, bitchy at times, laced with a refreshingly acrid humor, and honest to the point of painfulness despite the way he keeps pretending with Trev. Cam's personality and story are perfectly believable, although the client/ date mix up in the beginning comes across a little clichéd. Yet, Cam's voice makes it still worth wile, and afterwards - it's just great. The way the author makes the sex scenes an integral part of character development and plot forwarding is gratifying.
Everything else, I'd totally buy, too, from Trev's lifelong hiding and explosive openness after his coming-out, first to himself and then to his family to Cam's fear of rejection and his desperation when he discovers he can't simply stop doing what he does. The supportive cast was equally fine, particularly Mike the Drag Queen and Trev's son Brian, the sour, nosey teenager.
A fine, character - driven story with a dry, no-nonsense narrator's voice and some heartwarming moments of angst, heartache and sweet emotion. Highly recommended.
Appearing Nightly—Icon Men #3—3.5 stars
Drag Queen, singer and performer extraordinaire Michelle has been the star of the Icon Bar for more than five years. Mike, the man under the make-up and wig, jumped at the chance to own his performing venue with the help of his friend Cameron, a former male escort. But things didn’t look overly rosy lately; between the current recession and some mildly catastrophic evenings, the Icon seems faced with its ruin. The difficult financial situation puts a strain on Mike and Cameron’s friendship. And if that weren’t enough, there’s Ryan, the Icon’s only employee—a sweet young man with a penchant for getting himself into trouble—who jumps and runs at the smallest, most innocent flirtations on Mike’s part.
Only when Ryan hits rock bottom after being evicted from his apartment in the middle of winter and suddenly has to rely on Mike’s help, the two form a tentative connection that soon turns into more.
And once that happens, all bets are off.
This book is written in alternating 1st (Mike’s) and 3rd (Ryan’s) POV, a narrative style that, while allowing deep insight into Mike’s person, keeps Ryan at a distant arm’s length. I’m not sure if this was the reason, but I just couldn’t connect with the two main characters. I loved Mike in The One Real Thing, but being inside his head wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped for. Ryan I didn’t warm to at all, despite the tragic price he had to pay for the one little mistake we saw him making in the first book. Thus the connection between them seemed elusive to me.
Taken by itself, this was still a well-written story with a hefty dose of angst and a satisfying happy end. It just paled some in comparison to the other two.
Recommended as part of the trilogy.
A Fool For You—Icon Men #3— four stars
Brian, Trevor from book one’s son, is a talented musician with a major handicap: he’s dyslexic, especially when it comes to musical scores. So his deceitful boyfriend Kit has an easy job of stealing the songs they wrote together. Betrayed, homeless and facing criminal prosecution for assault after he got into a fistfight with Kit, Brian has no option left but turning to his father for help.
In Brian’s view, Trevor chose Cam over his own son. And even though both Trevor and Cam go out of their way to help him, Brian resents them both, still bearing a grudge against them. Along comes Chase, a musician Brian admires, a man he’s attracted to and the friend he so desperately needs. No wonder he falls head over heels for Chase, and the feeling seems mutual. Being in love helps Brian gain a different perspective on his father and Cam’s relationship, which in turn helps him pull his head out of his ass and become reconciled with the couple. But Chase harbors secrets of his own. When Brian gets at the truth, the repeated feeling of betrayal drives him away. Will two conspiring dads and a couple of determined fairy godfathers be enough to fix the rift between Brian and Chase?
This book is written in 3rd person POV, almost entirely from Brian’s perspective. Brian is one of those characters which I normally can’t stand at all—a supposedly adult man of almost twenty-one years with all the self-centered, egoistical entitlement of a teenager. Good thing he came to his senses thanks to Chase and turned into a reasonable human being eventually. And good thing that happened rather early in the story.
Most of the conflict in this book stemmed from Brian’s problems with Kit and with his father; once that was solved, the focus of the story shifted to the burgeoning relationship between Brian and Chase. Sweet, emotional and hot, those two made a beautiful couple until—well, until Chase’s past came back to haunt him. I found the balance between sweetness and angst a bit off here, although I greatly enjoyed watching Chase and Brian grow, together and toward each other. But all in all, I really liked this story. A bit coming-of-age, a bit hurt-comfort, this was a very pleasant read that I can warmly recommend.
Overall, these three stories, centered around the eponymic Icon Bar, make an almost seamless whole despite the different subject matters, main characters and narrative styles. I found it a good idea to bundle them all together, and even though I liked one part less than the other two, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on it. So a definite recommend for all three stories.
February 25, 2017
M/M. 3.5 stars for this three story compilation. I wasn't sure about how good #3 was going to be (refer to Reading Updates) but it got to 3.5 by the end. Not sorry at all that I read this.
January 8, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Icon Men contains three short novels that were previously published separately and are now being sold as a set. The stories are intertwined and set in the nightlife of Manhattan. There is friendship, heartbreak, and laughter to be found on the way to true love.
The Icon Series offers diverse characters and the men they love. What is great about the series packaged together is that you can move from one story to the next and there is no loss of continuity and the stories really flow well into each other. The series offers contemporary stories that are easy to read and a familiar setting that continues to evolve as much as the men themselves.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Icon Men contains three short novels that were previously published separately and are now being sold as a set. The stories are intertwined and set in the nightlife of Manhattan. There is friendship, heartbreak, and laughter to be found on the way to true love.
The Icon Series offers diverse characters and the men they love. What is great about the series packaged together is that you can move from one story to the next and there is no loss of continuity and the stories really flow well into each other. The series offers contemporary stories that are easy to read and a familiar setting that continues to evolve as much as the men themselves.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
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