Dead Ringer

by Heidi Belleau, Sam Schooler

Brandon Ringer has a dead man’s face. His grandfather, silver-screen heartthrob James Ringer, died tragically at twenty-one, and Brandon looks exactly like him. But that’s where the resemblance ends. Brandon is unknown, unemployed, and up to his ears in bills after inheriting his grandparents’ Hollywood mansion. He refuses to sell it—it’s his last connection to his grandmother—so to raise the cash he needs, he joins a celebrity look-alike escort agency.

Percy Charles is chronically ill, isolated, and lonely. His only company is his meddlesome caregiver and his collection of James Ringer memorabilia. When he finds “Jim Ringer” on Hollywood Doubles’ website, he books an appointment, hoping to meet someone who shares his passion for his idol.

Brandon? Not that person.

But despite their differences, they connect, and Percy’s fanboy love for James shows Brandon a side of his grandfather he never knew. Soon they want time together off the clock, but Percy is losing his battle for independence, and Brandon feels trapped in James’s long shadow. Their struggle to love each other is the stuff of classic Hollywood. Too bad Brandon knows how those stories end.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Disability, LGBT, Queer, New Adult

453 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2015

About the author

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, graduated with a degree in history from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and now lives outside of Edmonton, Alberta, with her tradesman husband and two kids. A proud bisexual woman, her writing reflects everything she loves: diverse casts of queer characters, a sense of history and place, equal parts witty and filthy dialogue, the occasional mythological twist, and most of all, love—in all its weird and wonderful forms. She is the author of the REAR ENTRANCE VIDEO series, and the co-author of THE BURNT TOAST B&B. Her latest novel DEAD RINGER, co-authored with Sam Schooler, is out now from Riptide Publishing. Her work has been reviewed in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY, LIBRARY JOURNAL, and BOOKLIST.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cross-posted at Shelf Inflicted and at Outlaw Reviews

After reading the excellent Bump in the Night, I was excited to read another collaboration by Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler.

Rent boy stories are one of my guilty pleasures, but Dead Ringer is really so much more. Even though the ending was predictable, the characters popped right off the page, the plot was captivating, and the characters’ struggles and joys were explored with a great deal of thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

After his grandmother’s death, Brandon Ringer inherits her mansion, along with a basement full of his famous grandfather’s memorabilia that he’s uncomfortable with and wants to sell. Selling all this stuff would help Brandon with his financial troubles and enable him to maintain the huge house, but he has conflicting feelings and an as yet unexplored connection with his grandfather.

The stories he knows about his grandfather, passed along by other family members, are less than positive. Brandon is resentful towards him for the shabby way he treated his grandmother, but is forever stuck with his likeness.

So rather than selling James Ringer’s precious possessions, Brandon decides to make money in a way he’s familiar with. Exploiting his grandfather’s fame and good looks, he joins an escort service called Hollywood Doubles. Brandon learns early on that physical similarities are not enough to convince his clients that he is an authentic double. Thanks to a supportive boss (a Marilyn Monroe double), Brandon eventually learns to embrace his role while retaining his identity and believing in himself. While learning all he can about his grandfather’s life from studying, through his clients, and most importantly, from his newfound relationship with Percy, a young man suffering from juvenile arthritis and dependent on a cruel nurse and his distant parents, as well as being a rabid fan of James Ringer, Brandon discovers buried truths and complexities about his character that show him in a different light.

I felt the portrayal of Percy’s disability was accurate and respectful, as well as the adjustments Brandon and Percy had to make to ensure his comfort while making love. I appreciate that the authors didn’t make Percy a victim despite his health issues and family situation.

Discovering the real James Ringer along with Brandon, and Percy’s struggle for independence were the best parts of the story for me. While I felt the chemistry between both men, their declarations of love felt very premature and the quick resolution of problems and dangling loose ends left me feeling unconvinced. The Hollywood ending was rushed and overly sweet, but didn’t detract too much from my overall enjoyment of this story.

Thanks to Mercedes from Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group for lending this to me.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

Previously:

WHYYY is it that every book I really want to read is being released two months from now or later??

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book to enjoy, without questioning too hard. The characters appealed to me; the angst was present, but not too heavy; the guys made mistakes, but they were young; the sex scenes well done and well-chosen; the secondary characters added interest, and all except a couple of the antagonists had at least some nuances. I read it fast, and really only began to doubt a range of minor points looking back. So I'd recommend this to those who are willing to not pick nits and just enjoy the ride.

One thing that did nag me through the book was that I couldn't quite buy the basic premise. Brandon has to turn to escort work to pay the upkeep on the old house he inherited, when he didn't also inherit any money with it. Minor spoiler -You have to accept that every piece of that huge, furnished house, not just his Grandfather's relics (which did have that believable untouchableness) but every picture and stick of furniture was so imbued with his grandmother's presence that he couldn't bear to part with any of them. That it was better to whore than sell them. He has a complicated relationship with sex work - seeing it as both earnings and, in an odd way, affirmation, and continues to do it after the guys are together....

Well, Brandon had his blind spots for sure, and he'd been on the streets as a teen, and he was a praise-junkie. So it wasn't impossible to get past that. Once you decide to accept that, this is a well-written story of a young man both obsessed with and trying to fight the shadow of his famous grandfather. He's been told all his life that he's a dead ringer, and he's flattered but at the same time hates his killed-young grandfather for having lived a shallow cheating life, hurting his beloved grandmother. So Brandon's relationship with his looks and the past is complicated.

He meets up with Percy, a young man who has issues of his own- a chronic illness that has kept him isolated, dependent on his caregiver and very distant parents for everything. Together, they figure out that life is seldom what it seems on the surface.

I appreciated that each young man in this book had a unique POV voice and viewpoint. They were two clearly-different guys who fit together. One major argument happened in a way that circumvented an emotional scene I wanted where Percy would have found out that one of Brandon's customers was severely abusive - a topic they never really explored together. But over all I empathized with them, felt for them, and enjoyed the build of their relationship.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of us have to find our way in the world but some find this harder than others.

Brandon Ringer is a dead ringer of his famous grandfather James Ringer, but this hasn't helped him in life. He has no qualifications, no skills, and now that his grandmother is dead, no real family and he is in danger of losing his grandmother's house if he can't pay the taxes on the property.

Percival Charles lives an entirely smothered and secluded life. His parents don't seem to care that he is isolated in his suite of rooms and his carer is controlling, abusive and manipulative. Percy doesn't have a life of his own because of his poor health but he comes alive through his interest in the dead fifties bad boy film star James Ringer. He has also discovered an escort service that has a James Ringer lookalike.

Brandon isn't very good at working. He has been sacked from most of the jobs he has had, even the most routine retail jobs but he has a chance to make some much needed money as a look alike escort and so he signs up only to find that the work challenges his bad attitude. He wants to make a go of something even if it is the job of an escort. He wants to achieve something even if it is just keeping a roof over his head and when he meets Percy, Brandon realises that not only does he want to do a good job for himself, he wants to learn more about the real James Ringer and Percy is the one person who can teach him.

And so the two misfits begin a friendship and sexual relationship but both of them each have pain and difficulties to address. Percy needs to find himself and find the courage to live despite his disability. Brandon needs to come to terms with the anger he harbours towards his dead grandfather. Each of them need to take hold of their lives and somehow make life work for them, but can they do this?

This is an interesting story with great characters. The story develops slowly and we get to understand the challenges facing each man and the way their choices and circumstances have prevented them from being who they really want to be. As the story develops we get to see the way in which friendship and support enable each man to break through some of the issues confronting them.

It is a good story, albeit a bit long in places. I liked how the Brandon and Percy's relationship develops almost imperceptably. I disliked the misunderstanding they had. This is such an overused and irritating trope and I think it didn't do the story justice. It is a rich story. I loved the way in which we get to learn more about James Ringer at the same time Brandon does and how this helps him see himself in new light and the different characters are vibrant and engaging making this quite compulsive reading. I just wanted to see what each character was going to do. I wasnt disappointed with the ending either.

All in all I enjoyed this story. It is a long read but a good one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Stella ╰☆╮╰☆╮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW @STRW

Don't let you be misled by the old cliche rentboy plus rich boy equals HEA. There are all of these three elements in Dead Ringer ( and I admit I wanted to read it just for this), but so much more too.
I heard a lot of things about Heidi Belleau but I haven't read anything by her and Sam Schooler was totally new to me. Since I'm always looking for new authors I was so ready to rush through it. Of course what caught my attention first was the cover, I was pretty much drooling in front of the PC.

What I particularly liked in this book were the characters, Brandon and Percy both took my heart cause there are too young to be already so broken.
Brandon is 19 years old, he has just inherited his grandmother Dahlia's mansion and having no job, he's swamped with bills to pay. Point is Dahlia was the only person in Brandon life to care for him, she took him in her house when he was throw out by his parents and lived on the streets for some time. He's ready to do anything to keep her house. He's not new to the rent boy job so when he finds out about an escort service called Hollywood Double, being the spitting image of his famous grandfather, he soon decides to join them as the James Ringer doppelganger. This will be nothing as what he was used to be on the street and with the help of great people he will try to save himself and his new pricey home. And his job will take him to the lonely life of a sweet young man.
Percy is 21 years old, he is affected by a juvenile type of arthritis that force him to live as a recluse in his parents' big house, steadily under control of his caretaker. He has no friends cause he believes no one would stick with his disease struggles. He feels as a burden for his parents which pretty much ignore him and he is totally resigned to be alone with people who treat him as a disabled person, forbidding Percy to do even the easiest daily things. He's sick of be obedient and in a moment of rebellion, he hires his favorite actor's double, unaware his choice will give his lonely life an unbelievable turning point.

Brandon and Percy's is a beautiful story, thoughtful and crowded with emotions. But it's not just theirs, it's James Ringer story too. It's a believable journey in the discovery of a undisclosed past, essential to Brandon to start his new life.

I liked Dead Ringer a lot, it kept me glued to my kindle till the end but my rating stops at just 4 stars cause at first I found a little hard to get in the book, even if later I was able to appreciate the initial slower part as a way to know the MCs better. Moreover I was left with some doubts about Percy's caretaker and her behaviour.

I want to spend a couple of words about the double point of view Heidi and Sam chose to use. I'm not sure if each author wrote a specific character or if they simply mixed ideas and words but what it came out, what I felt and loved, was a real difference in the writing that amazed me. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it was just my feeling, both Brandon and Percy were very delineated and characterized, each of them with a specific writing style. It's not easy to find point of views so well done, moreover with a co-authored book, it was a surprise cause often it happens that the characters sound the same. Not in this case.

Last thing, I want suggest the authors to please consider the idea of a “spinoff ” about Nolan, he brought peace in the caos Brandon's life was. I'd love to read his story!

[Vanessa North]

Well. I'm an idiot.

I started reading this book literally the weekend it came out. I read the first chapter, and then I had something I had to do, and I set it aside, and I just didn't get back to it. I FINALLY picked it back up late last night, stayed up far too late reading it, and then finished it this morning while packing the children off to school.

What I really liked about this book was it's sort of gay fairytale cinderella/pretty woman sort of vibe, but without the sleazy and slut-shaming "rescued by a rich john" angle of the latter. I liked the respectful attitude it took toward sex work without glamorizing it. I liked that it was an NA story not set at a college, and I liked that it explored the ideas of identity/sexuality/presentation both on and off screen.

Recommended.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead Ringer was my first book by Sam Schooler and my 10th book from Heidi Belleau, but I wasn't quite sure how these two authors would work together. I've seen Heidi Belleau write things ranging from very kinky (most of my stuff from her!) to sweet, so I was curious to see where this one would fall.

It wasn't quite what I had expected.

First of all, I'm no stranger to porn stars/escorts/prostitute plot lines, but if you are or you have issues with your MC doing the nasty with other people other than the other MC, just skip this one. I don't really have a problem with it as long as it isn't deceitful, so I was okay with that aspect of the story.

I also love a character with a disability, and I love a good, long slow-burn romance, so I was excited to tuck into all 452 pages of this story.

I'll start off with some positives. I think that these two authors can really write. I found most of this story to be really well done, with characters that pop and a plotline that was easy to follow. Though the story dragged at parts (pacing issues), I still had no problem getting through it, which is sometimes a feat for books of this length. I really liked some of the secondary characters, and I found the way that the authors treated the other people working at the escort agency to be really refreshing. Not all people who work in the sex-worker field are monsters; some are just trying to do their best and to help others do their best too.

I was also into the struggles that Percy faced with his disabilities and seeing how they played out in his everyday life and in the bedroom. I really got into him as a character, and I liked his chemistry with Brandon. I even liked how the authors' addressed issues of consent and BDSM vs abuse in some scenes with Brandon, which I thought was really insightful.

Up until the 50% mark or so I was SURE that this was going to be at least 4 stars from me. But then, things started going downhill.

I HATE misunderstandings, and when authors use miscommunications to further the plot, it always really bothers me. I wanted to scream at my Kindle at times at the blunders between Percy and Brandon, and I had to put the story down to collect myself. However, what I hate even more are characters that feel like "evil villains" or caricatures. I did NOT understand what motivated Percy's nurse, and she seemed like such a typical romance villain that it was hard for me to stomach. Same with Brandon's driver. I like my "bad guys" to at least have proper motivation or some redeeming quality to make the story more multi-layered and less cliched.

I also thought that the plot was a little... holey. I didn't ever quite understand Brandon's whole "I have to prostitute myself" when he had a HUGE house full of antiques that he could sell, not even counting his grandfather's collection. I mean, sell a painting or whatever, for F's sake! It didn't quite make sense. There were also some other issues with Percy's living situation that rang false to me.

That ending also... everything wrapped up too neatly and in a way that was too schmaltzy for my tastes.

While I really enjoyed the beginning, and I thought that the story brought up some interesting issues concerning sexuality, forgiveness, and learning that appearances can be deceiving, ultimately I also had a ton of issues that really dropped down my rating.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[☾ Dαɴιyα ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.


Dead Ringer is one of those books I wanted to hug after finishing it; hug the book, its main characters, and the authors for writing it. And to the people responsible for this cover, I'd like to say: Well done! It is not only an awesome cover, but it's also perfect for the story. It was that cover that first caught my eye, and made me curious about the book, but what made me want to read it was that the main character was an escort. I remembered wanting to read as many escort books as I could at the beginning of this year. What ever happened to that plan of mine, I have no idea, but this was a great opportunity to put it back in action. Mentions of classic Hollywood didn't hurt either. (This book actually made me want to watch a bunch of old movies.) Needless to say, I started reading Dead Ringer with high hopes, and I'm happy to report none of them were crushed. The more I read about Brandon and Percy, the more I wanted to read about them. The book has quite a few pages, but never did I feel bored by the story. I got to the end and wished there was more, but content to leave Brandon and Percy at that point, seeing how far they'd come.


Before I get all teary-eyed again over the ending, I should go back to the beginning of the story, and Brandon's troubles. Brandon Ringer hadn't had an easy life. He was only nineteen, and because his parents found having a gay son unacceptable, he had been living on his own the best way he could for years. The only person in his family who'd always been on his side had been his grandmother Dahlia, who had recently passed away, leaving her Hollywood mansion to Brandon. Owning such a mansion didn't come cheap, but he was determined to keep Dahlia's house and her memories. He started working as a cam model, which led him to another job at Hollywood Doubles, an escort service with employees who look like celebrities. Being a spitting image of his grandfather, James Ringer, an old Hollywood legend, Brandon was perfect for the job.


Working as his grandfather's double wasn't an ideal situation for Brandon. All his life he was reminded of how much he resembled him, and not for good things. Plus, he grew up hearing gossip about James's numerous affairs, for which he was still angry on Dahlia's behalf. It goes without saying he was less than enthusiastic about playing the role of the man he despised, which showed quite clearly in the clients' reviews.
Everything changed after meeting Percy.


Percy, being chronically ill, spent all his time isolated in his part of his parents' huge house. His only company was his creepy caregiver, while his parents weren't exactly interested in his life, other than to take him to parties to show he wasn't too sick, and to show themselves in the best possible light as caring parents. At one of those parties, he met Kovie, a girl who soon became his friend and gave him the idea to do something rebellious. Percy being a James Ringer fanboy, saw hiring Brandon or "Jim Ringer" as an excellent plan to both rebel and spend time with another Ringer fan. The problem was Jim turned out to be a disappointment because other than the way he looked, Jim was nothing like James. On top of that he didn't seem to know anything about him.


After letting Percy down, and his other clients, Brandon decided to change his attitude, and become better at his job. This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Seeing Brandon trying hard to do his job well, then being so happy after receiving positive reviews from the same clients who weren't so pleased before, it was wonderful. Ah, it still makes me smile. Throughout the story it was easy to feel whatever the main characters felt, and Brandon's content for a job well done was contagious. More importantly, this was Brandon's first step in getting to know his grandfather. As the story progressed he found out more and more about him, making him realize not all was as it seemed, and that James Ringer wasn't the devil he was led to believe.
Percy played an important role in that.


Watching James Ringer movies wasn't all Brandon & Percy did during their meetings. After all, Brandon worked for an escort service. But that wasn't all, either. These two young men discovered how much they liked each other's company, how much they liked each other, and how much they wanted to be together off the clock. However, with Percy's medical condition and his quality of life depending on medicines controlled by his creepy caregiver and parents, and with Brandon's secrets, that wasn't easy to achieve. How they managed or did they manage, you'll have to find out for yourselves. I've said enough. I, for one, enjoyed every part of their journey, even the ones that made my heart hurt. In the end, it was all worth it.


Overall, with an interesting plot, subplots, lovable main characters, quite a few side characters who won my sympathies (there were a few exceptions, of course), and that old Hollywood feel, in my book, Dead Ringer was an absolute winner.


***ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t look at other reviews when I sit down to write my review. But this time I had to take a gander at the ratings because I was not a happy girl after reading this book. I needed to see if I was the odd one out. It appears I’m somewhat in the minority.

Also, my attitude right now might be the result of a head cold that settled in on the eve of nine days off work and the Thanksgiving holiday—me being THE cook and all.

I’m feelin’ a mite bitchy.

The blurb totally sold me on this book. And the cover. That cover, folks, is smokin’.

I’m a huge fan of James Dean, the young Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, Montgomery Clift…need I go on? I’m a total sucker for the brooding bad boys of 1950s movies in their white t-shirts and leather jackets. I thank my mom for that. As a kid she wrote fan letters to all her heartthrobs and has a fat scrapbook of autographed photos from most of them, including Marilyn Monroe and quite a few of the bombshell beauties. She shared that with me when I was a teen; and we spent many rainy weekends watching old movies. That was our thing.

So this book? This should have been right up my alley.

For something so long, it fell way short.

Look, I typically like longer books. I like something meaty I can settle in with and enjoy for a few days, savor it, feel like I’m a part of it, live in it, be sad to go when it ends. The thing is, it’s gotta BE something worth living in. It’s got to have a good steady pace with some ebbs and flows. It’s got to have something compelling to say that continues to grow, twist, and lead me willingly down a path with some surprises along the way and a rewarding conclusion.

However, this dragged and I was bored out of my mind more than I was engaged. Our heroes didn’t meet until around 28%. So much back story and setup was unnecessary to this degree.

I kept with it because, eternal optimist that I am, I kept hoping the pace would pickup and some big questions I had would get answered.

But nope.

Ranty Spoilers for those inclined:


Percy. Now, I liked him just fine. He pulled at my heartstrings, sort of. He’s definitely got the shit-end of the stick in a lot of ways. What I didn’t like, at all, was there was no satisfactory explanation or resolution with his fucked up family or evil caretaker. There was some seriously dark and nefarious business going on in that big old house that I thought was going to get a bit more attention and exploration—and I think should have; after, of course, cutting out some other parts that didn’t propel the story.

Brandon. The Dead Ringer of his grandfather. I was most excited about him. But there was no real transformation there, no real growth of character—except the bare minimum he had to do to be mildly successful as a rent-boy. Because, ya know, its all about the five star ratings on his profile and repeat customers. Otherwise, he didn’t seem to care about being a better person. The weird thing is, he knew his flaws, knew he was an asshole and a bit of a fuck-up loser. But the little bit of doing better and growing he did was not for the right reasons or any sort of authentic redemption.

Percy and Brandon are John and Escort, a business arrangement that isn’t entirely about the sex because not much of that happened between them. Okay, I could buy that. They don’t have a many encounters—but we get lots of Brandon’s encounters with other Johns. I wasn’t a big fan of that at all. They felt like sex scenes for the sake of sex scenes sprinkled about willy nilly.

These guys didn’t become a *thing* until much, much later…in the last 30% when they’re spouting the “L” word but hadn’t really been around each other much. I was so puzzled with that—almost to the point that I wanted to flip back through the book and count how many times they were actually together. I don’t think it was quite often enough, or the encounters quite profound enough, for such declarations. That kinda made it insta-love that took an inordinate amount of time to reach.

And while it was trundling and fumbling along they have a Big Misunderstanding that was colossally immature. Sorry, but that felt like a lazy way to toss in the obligatory conflict.

Okay fine with the immaturity. Brandon is 19, Percy is 21. They’re young. And I think it’s time I stop reading books with characters this young because, at 42, apparently I can no longer relate. Except, I’m all for “coming of age” IF THERE’S SOME ACTUAL GROWTH AND MATURITY. But, for all the possible words that could have gotten them there, it fell horribly short.

I think it’s pretty typical in whore-falls-in-love stories for the whore to, well, stop doing that when they find their one-true-love. But Brandon keeps his escort job. Because he likes it. And they’re typically old men, so that makes it okay and not really cheating.

So let me get this straight, NINETEEN YEAR OLD BRANDON LIKES GETTING PAID TO BE BONED BY WRINKLY OLD MEN WHO HAD STAR-CRUSHES ON HIS GRANDPA. Because, why now? It’s a public service? He’s fulfilling life-long dreams for old men? And Percy is okay with this? He says he is. Is it because he thinks he doesn’t deserve better? Can’t get better because of his disability? I can’t for the life of me grasp onto any good reason why Percy is okay sending his man off to work with a kiss and a pat on the ass to go be a rent-boy. Or why Brandon really wants to stick with this after he fills his bank account and has Percy living with him.

I needed something better to make me believe Brandon’s career choice was really okay for them.

The epilogue…I found no reason for it. It was a bit messy, a bit confusing, not redeeming, and didn’t exactly tie up any loose threads—other than showing that after some time had passed the boys were still together and found a way to capitalize on grandpa’s memorabilia.




Review posted on BackPorchReader.com

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A seriously emotional new adult romance between two young men, with the most transformative character arcs I've possibly ever seen in a romance novel.

Brandon Ringer, 19, looks almost exactly like his late grandfather, famous actor James Ringer, who died at age 21. (Think James Dean.) Broke, he joins an escort agency that supplies celebrity look-alikes. Percy Charles, 21, is a wealthy James Ringer superfan who lives in his parents' home, socially isolated due to how his family handles his significant medical needs from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (spoiler / content warning = by treating him like a child, and sometimes abusively).

The characters don't even meet until 30% of the way through the book, because Belleau and Schooler spend so much time establishing the characters in rich detail and starting their journeys. Brandon, grieving, insecure, and resentful, gets his first taste of wanting to do well at a job and having colleagues who actually care about him. Percy, frustrated with his isolation, connects with his first real friend and takes her encouragement to start rebelling against his parents and hired caregiver.

By the time Percy hires Brandon, hoping to meet someone who loves James Ringer as much as he does, it's clear they each have something important to give the other. But yay, their growing relationship supports the work they're already doing rather than acting as a magic wand to fix everything. Their (awesome!) friends become even more important, too, which I loved, because both of these guys have been lonely too long! As a final treat, Brandon and Percy also uncover some Ringer family secrets that help Brandon start healing.

This can be a tough read, including assault during sex work, abuse by a caregiver, slurs, blackmail, and plenty of not-yet-healed scars from Brandon's homophobic parents.

If you don't need to skip it for those reasons, though, it's SO worth reading! Cute boys, classic films, queer history, friends who'll break you out of jail, sex work positivity, and figuring out who you want to be.

Diversity Note: Heidi Belleau is bi. Sam Schooler is trans (using they/them pronouns), bi, and ace.

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC of Dead Ringer was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Ringer is the story about a young man with a huge chip on his shoulder and another young man who is woefully misunderstood. This book won't be for everyone, for sure. We have a rentboy and on-page sex with people that aren't the second MC. Now, those scenes aren't as explicit as those with Percy, but still, they're there. So if that kind of thing bothers you, then you should probably take a pass.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story. It's a rather neat concept. I mean, I've read plenty of rentboy stories and I tend to enjoy them. I liked the twist of Brandon working for a Hollywood star look-alike service. His boss is "Ms. Monroe", for instance. They have both modern and vintage look-a-likes and run a successful escort service for those looking for the star-fucker experience.

But Brandon has some serious attitude problems for a long time, that helped keep me from connecting fully to him. I never really understood his animosity toward his grandfather. His parents poisoned him about the man, I suppose. But I would have hoped that his grandmother would have helped clear all that up before she died. Evidently not, though, so when Dead Ringer starts, Brandon is still the entitled acting boy trying to get by without expending any real effort.

Percy, however, has completely different issues. He is 21 or 22 and has juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This condition means that Percy is in pretty much constant pain and needs help with many day to day activities. Percy has been isolated by his parents and his caretaker, Hazel. And, even worse, Hazel is verbally and emotionally abusive. That whole situation really made me a bit angry, and I didn't really like (or believe) how it was resolved.

So, while I really liked Brandon and Percy together, some of the surrounding story didn't work as well for me as I had hoped. A few of the characters (particularly Percy's caretaker and Brandon's driver) were more like caricatures, and Brandon's parents were mostly just not there. Everything wraps up in a neat little bow, too, which, I dunno, I felt kind of meh toward. The epilogue, especially, went too far in assuring me, as the reader, that Brandon and Percy would be ok.

Though Dead Ringer was not a bad story, at all, by the time I finished it, I found it just ok. Love the cover, though. That boy is hot.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

*spoiler alert*

A tale of two young misfits who came across each other over their opposite fixations of one legendary figure. For Brandon, James Ringer was the callous cheating grandfather he never met. But Percy admire the silver screen heartthrob and collected anything of Ringer's he could find. When these two met, so did the polar feelings over Ringer collided, though not all for the bad.

The story started rather slow with Brandon coming to terms with the fact that his grandmother, the only one ever care and love him, had died. We also had glimpses of what this young man had gone through in such short life time. Then switched to introduce Percival Charles, way better off than Brandon on monetary matters, but lived an isolated and rather loveless life due to his juvenile idiopathic arthritis condition.

Both characters, with their gloomy backgrounds, really didn't promise a cheery story to tell. Brandon had started hustling at fourteen when he was tossed out from home for being gay. Percy's life was depending on a meddlesome care-taker, literary for everything!

Shitty treatment to a dependent is a sour spot for me; which, in a way, explained my venomous contempt to certain care taker character throughout reading this. I guess I should applaud the authors that I played right into their tale. Otoh, I'm also exasperated how Percy didn't see his nurse for what she truly was much sooner.

I admit to have to take a break a few times before continuing reading because the care taker's abusive behavior escalating unforgivingly! To say my hands flexed and flexed for some necks to throttle was putting it mildly.

That saying, there were some very awesome supporting characters here too. Percy's new friend, Kovie was one of the reason I could finish reading. She's smart, witty, not a pushover, and certainly a catalyst to Percy's path to "rebellion". On Brandon side, there was kind, unassuming Theresa and the ever helpful and informative Judy, Brandon's trans manager at his escort agency. These people helped me warm to the main characters gradually.

But I didn't really get Brandon's such resentfulness to his grandfather. I thought he was one whiny young man. He never even met him in person and refused to see anything of James Ringer. At the same time, he was using his inherited look for a living, which was rather hypocrite in a way.. Perhaps being constantly compared to him was exhausting, and put dread as well as chips in the shoulders of. Which made the enlightening moments that much... sad, really.

The ending felt a bit rushed and overly dramatic to me. Too coincidental. Less painful punishment to the wicked witch (erm, care taker I mean). Too extended bed scenes...

I guess in a nutshell, while the story tried to be down to earth real, this was not the kind of happy ending I was expecting. I started reading fully aware one of the MC was a rent boy. I was hoping that by the time I closed the pages he would find new occupation. Unfortunately though... SIGH.


NOTE:
ARC was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lately, I dnf a lot of new books. I do not post everything on Goodreads, but while I am constantly searching for new reading material, few of them keep my entertained.

Maybe I am a little bit bored by most m/m romances, because I just read so many of them and all the clichés and recurring elements of the genre get on my nerves.

Anyway, "Dead Ringer" really managed to keep my interest. The plot sounds pretty strange and absurd, but the young, interesting characters and their individual development more than made up for it.

I was invested in both, Percy and Brandon, and - once again, this is something that does not happen often lately - surprised by their complexity and unpredictabiliy.

Old Hollywood served as a fascinating background to the story.

As a plus, Percy's disability was handled quite well ( I liked that he was dominant in bed, it just caught me by surprise, but added to his complexity. And it was hot! .

The ending was a little bit rushed and, as other reviewers have pointed out, too happy all of a sudden. But on the other hand, it is still quite unconventional. Brandon continues to work as an escort, because he quite likes it. And Percy is okay with it! And the caretaker was just such a bad caricature of a house dragon. I would have liked to understand her motives a little bit better.

So that is why "Dead Ringer" "only" gets 4 stars.

Definitely recommended. I was very pleasantly surprised.

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

HATED!! Hated. Hated. Hated. I cannot possibly fully express how much I absolutely detested this book and ... just ... everything about it!! UGH!! If it were medically possible to have an allergic reaction to a book, I'd be breaking out in hives right now. This reaction? This reaction is INCREDIBLY rare for me ... but it's happening and it's happening with THIS book. NO just NO!! HALF a star!!!

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars This is not the type of book I would have thought of from Heidi Belleau's name being attached to. I am use to her hard core stuff, and this was no it. BUT if you are looking for a book about a look-a-like grandson who didn't like his dead famous bad boy grandfather then this book is for you. Try and see if you like it.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Ringer is having a very hard life. His parents have thrown him out for being gay and he's done a lot of things he's not proud of to get by. When his famous grandmother dies and leaves him her house it doesn't relieve him at all. She's left the house but no means to pay for it's up keep and while it's now an albatross around Brandon's neck he can't let it go. It's the only place he was ever happy and his grandmother was the only person who ever showed him any love. Since Brandon is the splitting image of his dead but very famous Hollywood idol grandfather, James Ringer, he finds himself at a Hollywood escort services that specializes in celebrity look-alikes. Percy Charles is a rich young man but due to a chronic illness he is isolated and sheltered. His only passion is his love for old movies and his favorite celebrity crush, James Ringer. After Percy hires Brandon the two young men becomes friends and then lovers. Both men have a myriad of issues and the relationship is a hard road for them both.

I enjoyed this fresh take on an old trope (rich guy meets rent boy). It was creatively done and I found myself pulled in from the beginning. Both of the main characters were well written and they were not the typical characters you see in a story like this. Brandon's attitude towards his job was really interesting and I'm not sure I've seen this topic handled this way in any other book I've read . The plot was gritty and edgy and I honestly thought for much of the story that there might not end up being a happily ever after (which thankfully there was). I really enjoyed the side characters in this also. They all really added to the plot and they were well developed without over shadowing the two main characters or their story.

I had been really anticipating this book and I'm glad to say that it did not disappoint. Definitely a book I would recommend.

[Michaela Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, it's not often I leave five star reviews. But the more I read of this story, the more I flailed wildly over how amazing it was.

Brandon Ringer is my favorite kind of hero - broken, bitter, jaded and snarky. And his love interest, Percy Charles is - oh, be still my heart - disabled.

The writers did an amazing job showcasing the kinds of struggles people in chronic pain have to live with on a daily basis, and making it clear that his disability did not make him less in any way.

Brandon's character growth was lovely, drawn out in a believable manner, and I was so happy to see him coming to grips with his own self-worth and not relying on someone else's love to make him "better".

Also, can we talk about the representation in this book? POC, trans characters, lesbians, acknowledging that bi and gay are different and equally valid, and so many beautiful female characters who weren't there to be cardboard character stand-ins for the male leads but were fully developed in their own right, good and bad. It was just... so good.

If you like sarcastic assholes with hearts of gold, wonderful character arcs and believable storylines, do yourself a favor and read this book. (Also, holy hell, that cover is gorgeous.)

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first New Adult book I've ever picked up, so I'm not sure if it's considered one of the NA Gems, but it's definitely one of the tops.

Dead Ringer is a book about Brandon Ringer, who is the grandson of James Ringer, the famous actor from the 1950s. A lot of kids would be excited to have a cool grandfather like that, but not Brandon. James Ringer died well before his own mother was born, leaving behind a wife and an unborn child. Brandon has the same face and doesn't ever want to be associated with it, but when his grandmother dies and leaves her estate to him, he has to pay the bills somehow. The only way is to become an escort and pose as Jim Ringer.

Percy is often neglected by his parents, unless they attend/host a party. With a caretaker constantly saying he's incapable of doing anything fun/useful, Percy has started to believe it himself. Twenty-one year old Percy has started to rebel in hopes that he can prove just how capable he is.

~*~

Now, I'll tell you that I was an innocent eighteen year old before reading this book. I can no longer say that, because I thought an escort was someone who goes and is the person who just sort of hangs out for company. I was very wrong.

This book was not labeled as erotic in the description, so I went in blind on that, too. Let me tell ya, it was awkward when the first scene came up. I normally don't blush and get uncomfortable when a scene comes up, because I've read FanFiction in my day, but normally they advertise if it's going to be like that and I can at least prepare, but I was BLIND this time!

Anyway, past that awkward situation.

What I liked about this book were the two main characters. Percy, I felt really bad for. He was stuck in his home at 21, because caretaker refuses to let him do anything. He has a premature arthritis that prevents him from being able to firmly hold things, stand for too long, and makes him weaker at times. All of that sounds pretty bad, but Percy has even said that he is capable of doing things, if his caretaker would just let him do it. I was actually rooting for Percy to rebel. "Show that ho who's boss!"

Brandon is another person I felt bad for, mostly out of pity. He didn't really get along with anyone, because he had a really bad attitude. The only person he had a decent relationship was his grandmother Dahlia. He wasn't a really likable person, and if I saw him on the street I'd probably avoid him. But that's what made him real.

The caretaker, well... I hated her. She needed to just let Percy live his life for once. Like, she needed to shut up and she seemed more like a jealous girlfriend rather than a caretaker. Seriously, if she ended up being my caretaker, I would have given her so much attitude until she quit. Maybe, mess with her a little. Cause a few hauntings... you know.

It would be like Nanny McPhee all over again!

~*~

This book would probably be best for those who enjoy LGBT+ relationships, don't mind erotic lit, and just need an interesting contemporary story. I'd say just pretend it's not NA and dive in, because I've heard some horror stories about NA, but I decided to try it anyway.

[Silver-Flames · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story:

A man with a face exactly like his famous grandfather, a fanboy stuck in isolation, and a escort service that brings them together. It was a bizarre idea but I thought it was well executed, it wasn’t insta-love, it wasn’t over the top which always gets extra points from me. I definitely had hesitations going in to it because the escort romance genre can be a huge hit or miss for me. This one was definitely a hit! The only thing I’d change was having more Percy & Brandon moments...

Percy:

Oh how I felt for him, the poor man. He was in such a horrible situation with his parents not giving a damn and putting him under the care of a abusive and disgusting human being. I was sickened by Hazel and the way she treated him. He was a 21 year old man yet he had no control over his life, no freedom. It was devastating but what made the situation interesting (in a sad way) is that he never complained, he had this belief that because he was rich and provided for the physical and metal abuse wasn’t serious enough to complain, like he had no right too. His growth over the book was beautiful, realising he was worth something better, finding confidence in himself, it was touching.

Brandon:

Ahhh my moody bad boy. I cried over his shitty situation and his interactions with his clients, some worked out in a heartwarming way! I definitely didn’t expect his growth over the book, his dynamics with Judy, Nolan and of course Percy... He was so sweet with Percy, he didn’t baby him, rather respected him. Treated him as the normal human he really was but never knew.

Steam:

All I’m going to say is this book was hoooooooooot. It was good sex. Not the best I’ve ever read but definitely good.

Overall:

Very much enjoyed it, the beginning was a bit slow but I understand they wanted you to get a feel for what their situations were. Side characters like Judy and Kovie built the story up too, by making the book more than just two boys secluded from everything... Because most of the story takes place in his bedroom it can feel like you are closed off from the rest of the world, which I’m guessing was intentional to show you how the boys felt. Overall? Good story but I will admit too feeling a lack of passion that would have boosted the story up to a 5 star rating. You know when you read a great book, and there is that WOW factor? Yeah, not quite there with this one…

Also I was surprised by the ending. Read it and come discuss with me if you’d like!

This title was generously provided by NetGalley for a honest review!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.

Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Ringer is a standalone romance from authors Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler and brings together two of my favorites: old movies and M/M love stories. This is a romance between Brandon Ringer and Percy Charles, but at the center of it all is James Ringer, a Hollywood actor who made a name for himself by being somewhat of a rebel. In my head, I was picturing a combination of James Dean (one of my favorite actors ever) and Marlon Brando in his younger years. It's possible that the legend that is James Dean served as the inspiration for the James Ringer character since they both died in their twenties in car accidents and had endless rumors swirling around them even after their deaths, including their sexuality.

This has got to be one of the more original stories I've read this year and I liked that both Brandon and Percy had very interesting individual stories that had to be told. They had their struggles--Brandon was someone who just lost the only person who cared about him and was virtually alone trying to make ends meet while living in a mansion while Percy didn't want for money but his parents had abandoned him in the care of his mentally and emotionally abusive caregiver and he didn't have any sort of freedom. Aside from trying to make sense of what was going on between the two of them, they were also trying to find their place in the world, and along the way, they meet other supporting characters who were memorable.

Books that are written by more than one author only work if the reader can't distinguish where one writer begins and where the other ends. I've read Heidi Belleau's Flesh Cartel series as well as The Burnt Toast B&B (all of which were co-written with Rachel Haimowitz) and I was introduced to Sam Schooler's writing by way of her contribution to the Silver & Gold anthology, and it appears that they've created a seamless story with this first joint effort. This wasn't a sappy love story but there were a few sweet moments between Brandon and Percy. Dead Ringer was about two separate journeys that converged into one when two young men met, became friends, and fell in love. I hope this five-starred read goes on your TBR list. ♥

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books you can read with a certain degree of detachment, even if you're really into them. This is the other kind of book.

Both main characters - Percy, a son of rich distant parents with a chronic illness, and Brandon, a broke, disowned by his parents, street-hardened and immature grandson of this book's version of James Dean, were cut such a raw deal in life and were so compellingly written, it was impossible to stop reading or to stay impartial to them.

I cheered like mad when Percy finally tried to stand up for himself and Brandon started growing up and taking pride in his work (of an escort, no less). I was enraged when their efforts were being crushed. This book was like one big emotional roller coaster.

Here also lies my single beef with this book: it was so easy to Loathe the bad guys, you barely even stop to consider that they're kind of one-dimensional. No redeeming points whatsoever. Yes, in the end I wish they had been more realistic, but I can't say it really spoiled my enjoyment of this book in any way.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I'd expected of this book, but what I got was not what I expected.

And.

I loved it!

Brandon was a bit of an ass and a mess, but he had good reason. Percy was a bit of a mess and a pushover, but he had good reason too. This book took the two of them, and all their issues, and made a beautiful story about both of them, separately and together. I loved how Percy's love of an old school movie star allowed Brandon to accept his past and future. I loved that Brandon accepted Percy and his challenges without either coddling hiim or making them a huge deal. I loved that Brandon wasn't expected to give up his sex work to have his HEA with Brandon. I loved that they loved each other for who they were, as they were. I could probably pick at a few issues (the thing with Percy's caregiver was, admittedly OTT, and unexplained) but this was one of those stories that I was so engrossed in the story that I was able to ignore those things that I didn't love.
I am so glad to see a book with good sex worker and chronic disease rep, it doesn't happen often enough.
It's been too long since I read a long book that I didn't want to end, this was definitely that book. I would have liked to see further books with some of the secondary MCs as well. I highly recommend this story!

[Hot Stuff for Cool People · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Also, this review was originally posted on Hot Stuff for Cool People.

I loved this book!

I was actually a little surprised by how much I loved it, because it took me a really, really long time to get into it. I was intrigued by the premise right off‐ Brandon is the spitting image of his late, famous movie star grandfather, but he completely resents being compared to him. But when he needs to make a lot of money fast, he starts working for a look‐alikes escort service. Percy is housebound, ignored by his parents, belittled by his caretaker, and obsessed with Brandon’s grandfather. He hires Brandon on a whim but it turns out to mean more to both of them than either expected.

I mean, it’s a bit of a trope‐ prostitute falling in love with a client‐ but it’s one I guess I have a soft spot for. And I thought this particular story did a great job of keeping the plot really original and exciting. But wow, it did take me a long time to get into this. I was more than a quarter of the way in before I even started liking it.

It’s not that I didn’t like the characters, or the story, or the writing‐ I loved all of those things, immensely. It’s just that it was so very stressful. Incredibly, incredibly stressful. Brandon and Percy are both in bad situations and sometimes those situations are just so… dire, that they feel honestly unbelievable. Even though I think they really are pretty believable. And the stress of those situations is basically relentless for the first half of the book.

But… like I said, the plot and writing and characterization are so good that you get sucked in, even while you’re wondering how on earth these characters are living like this. And then you’re just so invested in their stories and their lives and the developing romance, and it’s just fantastic.

There are so many things to like about this book. I loved the characterization. Each character was so real and alive and very unique. Even the most minor characters were really well thought out. I adored Kovie, Percy’s friend‐ she was so much fun and so open and so much her own person, even though she was only a side character. And I felt like even Brandon’s grandparents, who never actually appear in the book because they’ve passed away, were real people with stories of their own.

I also loved how, although the initial premise is one that’s been done before, there was a lot of stuff in this book I didn’t expect, or that led readers to look at things in new ways. Percy, for example, is ok with Brandon’s job as an escort, because Brandon honestly likes his job (after a while.) And the escort business itself could have been presented as typically sleazy and uncomfortable, and I’m sure in reality a lot are, but this one wasn’t. And that did make it feel more plausible. It has its sleazy, uncomfortable moments, for sure, but I loved that Brandon comes to really feel for his coworkers, and even gets to befriend some of his clients. I liked the way the sex was looked at‐ that some of Brandon’s clients just wanted to relive a fantasy, or be held, or have someone to talk to. It made it seem so much less one‐dimensional than it could have been.

Everything about the book just makes it so easy to fall into it, to invest yourself in it and in Percy and Brandon. And after that initial (long) period of stress, the ride is a lot of fun, but also very realistic. At least, it felt realistic to me.

I also found the writing to be very solid. Not necessarily lovely or memorable in itself, but neat and clean and tight, and the dialogue was believable and just really nicely done.

There were definitely some things I didn’t like about the book. There were a couple places where I thought maybe things could have been handled better, or that were just odd to me, but they were mostly minor. There were also a couple continuity issues, but this wasn’t the final version of the book that I read, so it’s quite possible those will be fixed. And the overwhelming stress, of course, was really uncomfortable. And honestly, I wondered if it was realistic for Percy to let people treat him the way he did, without questioning it… but I couldn’t say it was unrealistic, either.

So, overall, not a perfect book, but I thought the faults were minor. And what the book did do was make me feel for the characters. It drew me into their lives, into the story that was happening. Not perfect, no… But I enjoyed this so much. I can see it becoming a comfort read, something I go back to over and over because it’s so rich and exciting and sweet.

[Eva Müller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review also appears on Bibliodaze

This book did some things very well. There are no control-freaks disguised as alpha-males. In fact, there are no alpha-males at all which is a nice change from the current trend in (gay and straight) romance. The good side characters are likeable, diverse and even those who don’t appear too often have depth.

The authors are also aware that ‘man hires escort who looks like long dead film star he is obsessed with and then falls in love with said escort’ is something that needs to be handled with care. It is addressed hat Percy developed feelings for Brandon and not the spitting image of his favourite actor.

And the plot sounds great. There’s Brandon, a guy who doesn’t like his grandfather much but still uses the fact that he looks like him to earn money. And there’s Percy, a chronically ill man who can’t leave the house much and who adores and obsesses over the films of Brandon’s grandfather. Then the gay version of Pretty Woman happens. Warm and fuzzy feelings all round.

Except that’s not quite how it goes. Instead everything just ends up being too much. Brandon doesn’t only dislike his grandfather, he hates him. He’s convinced he broke his grandmother’s heart; the only family member who was ever kind to him. (His parents’ reaction to his coming out was suggesting conversion therapy and when he refused that kicking him out). He never watched any of his films or interviews and sees all remarks about their similarities as an insult.

Percy isn’t just dealing with overprotective parents and a ‘meddlesome’ caregiver. His parents don’t care about him as long as he doesn’t make them look bad and Hazel, his caregiver, is downright abusive. Both emotionally – by persuading him that nobody would want to be friends with because his disability would only bother them – and physically – by withholding food and his medication when he doesn’t do what she wants.

Suffice to say both are in a really bad place at the beginning of the novel. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing except that things are just getting better too smoothly and easily for my taste. After all Brandon and Percy aren’t just going through a short and rough patch; both have dealt with a lot of shit for most of their lives. Still a few meetings are all it takes to turn everything into rainbows and butterflies.

Only until shit happens of course. And just like it wasn’t enough to have the characters be in a bad place at the beginning and it had to be rock bottom instead it now isn’t enough that just something bad happens. All the worst possible things happen at the worst possible time and you suddenly realize that even if you’re at rock-bottom you can still dig a hole.

Those bad things are also all set off by people who are just plain evil. Unlike the good characters the bad ones are just horrible for the sake of being horrible. Apart from Hazel there are two more characters that have zero depth and only seem to enjoy making other people miserable. I’m all for the big problem between the couple not just being the result of them being unable to communicate like rational adults but this way isn’t much better.

Just like at the beginning things just get better too fast. I never worried about either character because things turned around so quickly again. And all of a sudden nothing goes wrong anymore. Once they made up their mind how to resolve the situation everything goes according to plan. No misunderstandings or unexpected things that mess everything up. It’s like there are only two possibilities: everything goes horribly wrong or everything works perfectly fine. There is no in between.

It’s a pity because I liked the main characters and enjoyed the bare bones of the plot. If the authors had not turned the trouble-meter up to eleven and then made all problems disappear as fast as possible I could have loved the book. But as it is I’m simply not overwhelmed. (I still would totally read a book about Judy, Brandon’s boss, and Theresa, the agency’s secretary. They are the most adorable side-characters I’ve come across in quite a while).

[Ariadna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.8

As someone who is a fan of classic Hollywood movies, the premise for this novel was v. enticing. Brandon’s grandfather was an avatar for a version of James Dean.


What I liked

+ No shame about sex work.

I appreciated that none of the sex workers have the expected tortured backgrounds. It is true that Brandon’s family rejected him for being gay, but he’d moved on from his mom’s rejection.

The approach to sex work (including the mundane aspects of it) is refreshing. Throughout the book we see Brandon with some of his clients and, with the exception of a specific john, these interactions are positive.

Another thing I liked was that Brandon was honest with Percy about his work. In return, Percy doesn’t force Brandon to quit the agency. This is something that goes against the grain for a romance novel (since the usual storyline is that the john "saves" the sex worker for a degrading job.) I can imagine some readers being upset with this resolution since there aren’t many romances featuring a monogamous/non-monogamous dynamic that have a HEA.


+ Awesome Female Characters FTW!!!!

One of the main things that kept me reading was the fact that there were 3 (THREE!!!) really great female characters with their own personalities and goals.

Whether sweet like Theresa, wise like Judy, or supporting like Kovie, I felt that the story picked up whenever they interacted with the MCs.


+ Queer and POCs too!!!

The inclusion of queer characters as well as POCs gave this novel a realistic vibe.


+ Sex and Disability done right.

Percy has an illness that impedes super athletic sex. He’s also a person who has sexual needs and desires. It’s cool how the story gives Percy the space to express himself sexually without relying on handwaving the realities of his physical limitations.

It shows that the authors did a lot of research.


+ Great villain (Hazel)

As an emotional and psychological abuser, I pre-emptively cringed whenever she approached Percy. As his designed caretaker, she was a looming presence that began mildly evil and became slowly terrifying.

I wish we’d gotten to learn her reasons for being such a terrible person. #Alas


What I didn’t like

- Slow start

The plot didn’t kick off until the third chapter or so. Thankfully, pacing wasn’t an issue afterward. If anything, the story sped up in the last four chapters.


- Weak almost-villains

Cyrus was the agency’s homophobic driver. There’s a throwaway explanation about him needing to work due to financial responsibilities. However, something happens and it’s obliquely addressed. - makes so-so gesture -

Meanwhile, Percy’s parents don’t show up until v. late into the story. The worse Hazel behaved, the more I wanted to know what was up with Percy’s parents. Their one major scene was anti-climatic.


What I’m neutral about

+/- Brandon/Percy

The stop-go dynamic between Percy and Brandon was great from the start. Eventually, a consensual power imbalance develops.

It’s very meta that Percy has such a crush on Brandon’s grandfather. Like, when he’s with Brandon, there are moments here and there where he sees James superimposed over Brandon (in regards to resemblance and mannerisms.) But his sexual and romantic connection is with Brandon.

They have a lot of mad sexual chemistry (with tweaks of power imbalance.) I liked them in bed as well as their conversations. That said, I never felt the sweeping romance I’d expected. The emotional/romantic angle never solidified for me.


TL;DR: A novel between a sex worker and his client that merges pseudo-classic Hollywood history into the narrative. Although I never bought the love affair between Brandon and Percy 100%, I didn’t doubt their intimate connection for a second.

The sex scenes were great. It also has fantastic queer and POC representation (not to mention amazing female characters.) I recommend it.

[Adara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of the 19yo grandson of a celebrity who died young (who is not James Dean, but that's who immediately comes to mind) and left behind his wife and newborn baby girl, as well as a legacy that his grandson can't seem to escape because he's a dead ringer for the man he never met, James Ringer. Everyone seems to think that because Brandon looks just like his grandfather, he'll end up dying young, just like his grandfather. And that includes Brandon.

Percy Charles is a James Ringer superfan, but he has no one to share any of his passion with. He has a rare condition that hinders his ability to function "normally," and parents and a caretaker who "know what's best for him," which in his parents high-society circle of friends means keeping him isolated from the public unless they need to trot him out at the occasional party in their home. Even when he makes a friend, Percy's caretaker undermines his confidence at every turn, slowly stripping him of his independence.

Brandon's career starts off on the wrong foot, but soon he makes the effort to ask Percy for help in understanding James Ringer. In the process, Brandon discovers layers to James he never knew existed, and which he can't explain to Percy without giving away the secret of his lineage.

Brandon's got all these ideas in his head about who his grandfather was, but he never actually asked his grandmother about any of it, and she never offered. It takes a not-so-chance meeting to find out that everything he thinks he knows is a lie, and that maybe his grandfather wasn't the prick Brandon had always thought him to be, and that maybe Brandon isn't doomed to the same fate.

Percy discovers he has more strength than anyone—with the exception of Brandon—ever thought he had. Brandon never saw him as crippled or unintelligent, unlike the stares Percy usually receives.

Both are flawed. They make bad decisions on top of bad decisions, as you can often expect of youth and inexperience. But they grow... if not together, then at least parallel. They are both different people by the end of the story than they were when it started, and they both find they have more support than either of them knew they had. I honestly can't say that I liked either character more than the other because they both grow so well over the course of the story, and I identified with each in different ways.

Well crafted and knit together. Excellent story.

[Karine · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are way too many things I loved about this book, so I'm going to try and make a list.

-One of the characters being disabled but still very much wanting to live his life. His story felt painfully realistic, and I wanted to cheer for him every time he took a step toward being more independant. It was so satisfying to watch him find his way because, while there are obviously things he can't do, there are also things he can, and yes, he is the best judge of that, no matter what some people around him might think.

-The second MC being a sex worker who's good at his job and enjoys it and has no intention to stop anytime soon, and the fact that his partner supports him in that. It's so refreshing to see a sex worker who's happy with what he's doing, and even more to give him a partner who's happy that he's happy and doesn't question what he does for a living.
I also love that the book doesn't shy away from the potential downsides of the job, but it's only that, a potential downside. Not an inavoidable consequence or a sign that he should be doing something else with his life.

-The supporting cast is full of amazing women, who all feel like they could have their own story. I fell in love with every single one of them, and they all left me wanting more. I want Judy's story. I want the love story of the lesbian couple that was hinted at. I want to know what Kovie is up to now.

-And, talking about wanting more, I also really, really want the story of James, Dahlia and Nolan. Both the tragic version of what actually happened, with James dying at 21, and the AU where they get their happily ever after, and Brandon get to grow up with two grandpas and an amazing grandma instead of homophobic parents who think the right answer to their son being gay is conversion therapy.

Long story short, Heidi Belleau was already near the top of my, "I'll pre-order (almost) everything she writes", and if Sam Schooler's next novel is as good, she's going to end up there very freaking fast. I can't even say how much I loved this.

[Trix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I failed to write a review right after finishing the book so the fine details elude me now. I'll mostly speak about the feeling this book left behind.

I hated the caretaker, Hazel. It took a while to see past the fake care to the shrewd woman determined to keep control of the mansion, purse string and over Percy. I really liked Kovie for the spunky attitude, the free spirited personality and for being a woman in a MM story that wasn't the stereotypical evil. And about Brandon and Percy... what a difficult relationship and what hard characters to read.

Brandon originally came into the story by hating his grandfather. So naturally, as the reader, I also felt hate towards him. It was difficult to change my mind or see Brandon so easily change his after learning the truth of his grandfather and grandmother's relationship. It was difficult to imagine how Brandon took it all in, hating his grandfather, then learning that not only did he have his looks, they also shared the same sexual preference.

And Percy, too much time being cocooned by his family and Hazel, struggling to gain independence. That segment in the book when he cancelled his date with Kovie because of what Hazel told him made me really angry. I kept hoping he would grow out of the stage and trust more in himself. It took him the entire length of the book to become free... or at least move in with Brandon. I understand his condition required special attention but with enough will and determination, I'm sure he would have found a way.

In a nutshell, I liked the book but it wasn't a hit with me. There is character development, there are good guys and bad guys, there are interesting twists in the story and plenty of sexual morsels. So that should be enough to keep you hooked to the end.

[Kate Vane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great mix of Victorian gothic and classic Hollywood, transplanted into contemporary California. The conveniently named Brandon Ringer has inherited his movie-idol grandfather’s looks and his mansion – but he has no cash and a dark past. He finds work as a look-a-like escort just to get by, but taking on the role of James Ringer brings to the fore his ambivalence about his grandfather.

One of his clients is Percy, a young disabled man who comes from a wealthy but uncaring family. They keep him isolated from people of his own age. He lives for James Ringer’s movies but fears he will never have his own life. Brandon and Percy are attracted to each other, but there are obstacles between them and happiness – not least themselves.

Both Brandon and Percy have some traumatic experiences. If you read this as realism it could be concerning that they apparently shake them off quite easily. However, the book has an almost mythical feel that makes it work. The archetypes of the orphan with a legacy, the ancestral curse, the invalid locked in the attic are woven into a world where identity is bound up with movie legend as much as ‘real’ life.

This book has some flaws – there’s too much exposition at the beginning, the dialogue could be punchier in places and some of the plotting is contrived – but I somehow didn’t care. I found the story really engaging and loved the vivid characters. I wanted to keep reading and for the story to have a Hollywood-style happy end.
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I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

I was utterly blown away by Dead Ringer. Aside from being an extremely well written novel with amazing characters and an intriguing plot, Dead Ringer contained a vast amount of emotional depth that really caught me off guard. Most of us have had a film crush or two, especially when we were younger. Mine was Steve McQueen and I was 13. I was utterly entranced by his films, but ostracized from my peers because everyone else was swooning over New Kids on the Block. Like Percy’s adoration of James Ringer, I read everything I could about McQueen and watched every movie a dozen times. Though I left most of that particular preoccupation amongst the detritus of my childhood, I absolutely understood Percy and his devotion to the long dead James Ringer. I understood that for Percy it wasn’t about obsession so much as finding freedom from isolation and an escape from pain. Percy was such a sweet character and despite the limitations his disease has placed on his life, he was truly eager to experience the world around him. His parents and caretaker were not interested in him as a person and refused to allow him any measure of freedom. While they came off as rather outlandishly cruel, I still adored Percy for finally standing up to them.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.