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Transcendent
When Cory's new boss puts him into a compromising position, he agrees to the salacious proposal, but he isn't prepared for the feelings he develops, or the consequences they lead to. Will Cory risk his heart to save his career? Transcendent is an LGBTQ erotic love story.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2021
16 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Grayson Bell
10 books50 followersWriting has been a part of Grayson’s life in one form or another since childhood. Everything from academic and technical writing to blogging, and even writing fanfiction. These days he splits his time between writing queer fiction stories and writing articles about LGBTQ issues.
As an autistic, gay, transgender man, Grayson adds his personal experience to his writing, because it colors how he sees the world and because it brings much-needed representation to the genres he enjoys exploring.
Sharing his home in Colorado with his dogs, Grayson also enjoys whipping up something creative in the kitchen or escaping into the world of video games.
As an autistic, gay, transgender man, Grayson adds his personal experience to his writing, because it colors how he sees the world and because it brings much-needed representation to the genres he enjoys exploring.
Sharing his home in Colorado with his dogs, Grayson also enjoys whipping up something creative in the kitchen or escaping into the world of video games.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 7, 2022
Definitely not for me. The story goes from zero to fantasy porn scenario in five seconds flat and the boss is an HR nightmare. It is not a long story at all but there’s still time for contract negotiations, and while I am happy the main character gets both paid vacation and sick days, the whole thing reads more like someone trying to record a particularly feverish wet dream and not trying to tell a coherent narrative.
March 25, 2025
Oof. I read the first couple chapters (courtesy of the preview function here on Goodreads) and saw all I needed to see. You don’t see a lot of trans characters in gay romance/smut so that intrigued me, especially because it seems the author is trans as well - but as a fellow trans man, I could not get past the “wait, so he knows I’m a trans guy and yet he’s still attracted to me despite that?” thought the MC has. To be clear - this is a thought I’ve had many times in my own adventures in dating/sex, it’s absolutely an authentic thought - but it’s an unhealthy thought that I definitely did not expect nor want to encounter in what is supposed to be a fun and sexy read. Thoughts like that have led me to suicidal depression that I’ve had to go to therapy for. I wasn’t exactly “triggered”, but it seemed really out of place and off putting for the genre.
Furthermore, a trope that bothered me - the Love/Sex Interest is bisexual (because of course he is), the harmful trope here being that only bisexual men - not gay men - would want to be with a trans guy because genitals. I’m not advocating for bisexual erasure either - but there was no clear reason this character *had* to be bi, especially when this is going to come across as a little sus to many trans male readers. (And if SI is actually bisexual - why wouldn’t he just go with his father’s wishes and hire a woman to do this job as well as his sexual bidding? Bisexual men are genuinely sexually attracted to women and he would have been just as happy with a female “personal assistant”. So this doesn’t make any sense.)
As well as the fact that the Sex Interest basically doxxed the MC which is the only reason he knows MC is trans, and then decided to interview him because of bio essentialist bullshit like “you’re my loophole because you’re a guy but my father will only allow me to hire a woman and he will see you as a woman who pretends he’s a man so bazinga! Take that, Dad!” - this line is on like the fifth page of the book! Meanwhile IRL trans people in America are under governmental assault because of this very incorrect belief that we are actually our assigned sex at birth and are just cosplaying as our real gender. Whyyyyy. Why was this a plot point?
Finally, when MC has had a little time to review the employment contract, he asks Sex Interest/Prospective Boss whether he’s a chaser - and dude says no and MC takes him at his word, despite that SI gives MAJOR neon flashing chaser vibes. Combine that with this being a very very illegal work arrangement in the first place, and the vibe I’m getting from MC that while he finds the guy hot, he’s clearly also a little uncomfortable about whether he could actually consent to all this - there’s just something exploitative about this premise that makes it very unsexy. I’ve unfortunately been in sexual/romantic situations where I’ve been taken advantage of and used by men because I’m seen as a second class man whom they don’t have to take seriously, and again, not exactly triggered but like, can we maybe not put a trans guy at the losing end of a power imbalance relationship when we’re already disproportionately vulnerable to that IRL? How is that supposed to be enjoyable fiction? I’m no prude, and I’m fond of a little Dom/sub action myself but this felt icky.
And is MC actually okay with all this, or just “okay” with it because he’s horny and has this mindset, already established by the author, that it’s rare that a man will be interested in him while knowing he’s trans? This low self esteem and desperation is how trans guys get ourselves into these kinds of ambiguously-consensual and yet ultimately harmful relationships, and maybe we find them hot at the time (because we think with our dicks just like cis men do), but have to pick up the pieces later when we realize what we let men like this do to us. None of this translates to a hot steamy romance novel.
I’m very shocked a trans man decided to write this. I’m not going to psychoanalyse the author but something does not sit right. It screams internalized transphobia.
I’m just really questioning who this book is written for or who it’s meant to appeal to - certainly not your average trans man. Actually seems like the chaser demographic would be more titillated by this one. Unfortunately, they’re too busy taking advantage of real life trans guys on Grindr to be reading romance novels.
Furthermore, a trope that bothered me - the Love/Sex Interest is bisexual (because of course he is), the harmful trope here being that only bisexual men - not gay men - would want to be with a trans guy because genitals. I’m not advocating for bisexual erasure either - but there was no clear reason this character *had* to be bi, especially when this is going to come across as a little sus to many trans male readers. (And if SI is actually bisexual - why wouldn’t he just go with his father’s wishes and hire a woman to do this job as well as his sexual bidding? Bisexual men are genuinely sexually attracted to women and he would have been just as happy with a female “personal assistant”. So this doesn’t make any sense.)
As well as the fact that the Sex Interest basically doxxed the MC which is the only reason he knows MC is trans, and then decided to interview him because of bio essentialist bullshit like “you’re my loophole because you’re a guy but my father will only allow me to hire a woman and he will see you as a woman who pretends he’s a man so bazinga! Take that, Dad!” - this line is on like the fifth page of the book! Meanwhile IRL trans people in America are under governmental assault because of this very incorrect belief that we are actually our assigned sex at birth and are just cosplaying as our real gender. Whyyyyy. Why was this a plot point?
Finally, when MC has had a little time to review the employment contract, he asks Sex Interest/Prospective Boss whether he’s a chaser - and dude says no and MC takes him at his word, despite that SI gives MAJOR neon flashing chaser vibes. Combine that with this being a very very illegal work arrangement in the first place, and the vibe I’m getting from MC that while he finds the guy hot, he’s clearly also a little uncomfortable about whether he could actually consent to all this - there’s just something exploitative about this premise that makes it very unsexy. I’ve unfortunately been in sexual/romantic situations where I’ve been taken advantage of and used by men because I’m seen as a second class man whom they don’t have to take seriously, and again, not exactly triggered but like, can we maybe not put a trans guy at the losing end of a power imbalance relationship when we’re already disproportionately vulnerable to that IRL? How is that supposed to be enjoyable fiction? I’m no prude, and I’m fond of a little Dom/sub action myself but this felt icky.
And is MC actually okay with all this, or just “okay” with it because he’s horny and has this mindset, already established by the author, that it’s rare that a man will be interested in him while knowing he’s trans? This low self esteem and desperation is how trans guys get ourselves into these kinds of ambiguously-consensual and yet ultimately harmful relationships, and maybe we find them hot at the time (because we think with our dicks just like cis men do), but have to pick up the pieces later when we realize what we let men like this do to us. None of this translates to a hot steamy romance novel.
I’m very shocked a trans man decided to write this. I’m not going to psychoanalyse the author but something does not sit right. It screams internalized transphobia.
I’m just really questioning who this book is written for or who it’s meant to appeal to - certainly not your average trans man. Actually seems like the chaser demographic would be more titillated by this one. Unfortunately, they’re too busy taking advantage of real life trans guys on Grindr to be reading romance novels.
July 8, 2024
A Quick, Hot Read.
Super-charged and steamy, though it all seems to happen a bit too fast for my taste. Despite the whirlwind story, it's a fun and engaging read that's both sexy and spicy. Definitely worth picking up.
Super-charged and steamy, though it all seems to happen a bit too fast for my taste. Despite the whirlwind story, it's a fun and engaging read that's both sexy and spicy. Definitely worth picking up.
May 11, 2023
I literally couldn’t put it down. This lowkey gave me Fifty Shades vibes but without bondage. I wasn’t expecting it Cory to be trans which kept me wanting to read more of the story. It was a short read and I didn’t want it to end. A lot of the plot twists I didn’t see coming…and I truly loved what Steve did for Cory!!
October 27, 2022
Excellent
A great romance. I saw much of myself in Cory, and I really felt for him when things went wrong. I'm glad it had a happy ending though.
A great romance. I saw much of myself in Cory, and I really felt for him when things went wrong. I'm glad it had a happy ending though.
May 1, 2024
Cory and Steve
Cory is interviewing for a position in the company he's always wanted to work for and is offered the job with more duties than he was expecting.
Steve, his potential employer, has a stipulation that anywhere else besides in a work of fiction would have him sued for sexual harassment or something.
Cory agrees to meet Steve's request, which leads to some very hot and steamy times for these two.
The problem they actually face is Steve's father who is a very bigoted idiot, but also the CEO of the company. He doesn't approve of his son being bi-sexual and wanted him to hire a woman. Too bad for him.
Cory and Steve spend a lot of time together and eventually start falling for each other, but they still have the obstacle above to get through. And he does not back down.
Cory is interviewing for a position in the company he's always wanted to work for and is offered the job with more duties than he was expecting.
Steve, his potential employer, has a stipulation that anywhere else besides in a work of fiction would have him sued for sexual harassment or something.
Cory agrees to meet Steve's request, which leads to some very hot and steamy times for these two.
The problem they actually face is Steve's father who is a very bigoted idiot, but also the CEO of the company. He doesn't approve of his son being bi-sexual and wanted him to hire a woman. Too bad for him.
Cory and Steve spend a lot of time together and eventually start falling for each other, but they still have the obstacle above to get through. And he does not back down.
December 19, 2021
I got this book after the author advised it was available and decided to give it a try as I love queer stories.
This is an even mixture between dirty and sweet in so many great ways. We meet Cory a transgendered man who is trying to just be himself in his way. On an interview he meets Steve the CEOs son and they instantly click and attraction burns, Steve offers an indecent proposal that Cory agrees to and they begin to enjoy each other and their time together. Steve’s father though isn’t trans friendly as to historic reports in newspapers and interviews which makes Cory naturally nervous.
I won’t say more you need to read it but I love how the sex was explained and how open Cory was about what he needed. A great book I’ll have to pick up more by this author.
This is an even mixture between dirty and sweet in so many great ways. We meet Cory a transgendered man who is trying to just be himself in his way. On an interview he meets Steve the CEOs son and they instantly click and attraction burns, Steve offers an indecent proposal that Cory agrees to and they begin to enjoy each other and their time together. Steve’s father though isn’t trans friendly as to historic reports in newspapers and interviews which makes Cory naturally nervous.
I won’t say more you need to read it but I love how the sex was explained and how open Cory was about what he needed. A great book I’ll have to pick up more by this author.
January 26, 2025
Flat characters with a weak plot
The characters are all flat and the plot is extremely immature. Writing could improve, as could grammar and proofreading. The scenes were good and plentiful.
Shows promise but needs more fleshing out,
The characters are all flat and the plot is extremely immature. Writing could improve, as could grammar and proofreading. The scenes were good and plentiful.
Shows promise but needs more fleshing out,
November 26, 2021
Hard to enjoy while mom and dad in the room
This is a great book but best to be read in private. Grayson really out did himself again. 10/10 will recommend to others.
This is a great book but best to be read in private. Grayson really out did himself again. 10/10 will recommend to others.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews