Calling Dr. Love

by G.A. Hauser

Pride and ego make an unlikely combination for finding true love. Unless you discover another who is your mirror image. Twenty-five year old Phil Andrews left his family in Eastern Washington to escape the small town attitudes to be free to be himself in West Hollywood. But without an education Phil works as a go-go boy at a night club. Dr. Christopher Love is a success in everything but his relationships.Finding the kind of man he was attracted to sexually and one who was also was willing to bend to his demands was an impossible task. Until he met Phil Andrews. Two men, two opposite worlds. The physical attraction bonds them instantly, but soon their differences bring to the surface that deadly pride.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica, Gay, LGBT, Ebooks

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

About the Author Award-winning author G.A. Hauser was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA and attended university in New York City. She moved to Seattle, Washington where she worked as a patrol officer with the Seattle Police Department. In early 2000 G.A. moved to Hertfordshire, England where she began her writing in earnest and published her first book, In the Shadow of Alexander. Now a full-time writer, G.A. has written over eighty novels, including several best-sellers of gay fiction. GA is also the Executive Producer for her first feature film, CAPITAL GAMES. For more information on other books by G.A., visit the author at her official website. www.authorgahauser.com G.A. has won awards from All Romance eBooks for Best Author 2010, 2009, Best Novel 2008, Mile High, and Best Author 2008, Best Novel 2007, Secrets and Misdemeanors, Best Author 2007.

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Reviews

[Macky · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Has spoilers.*Unfortunately the whole book was hit and miss for me. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it either. The concept was good and initially the first meeting between the two protags- Chris and Phil- was hot, playful and fun, making me think that this was how the tone of the story was going to be but after that it rapidly turned more 'angsty'.Christopher Love is a rich, handsome, successful plastic surgeon ( Dr Love ) in his early thirties but for all this he is lonely and still single. Phil Andrews is a go go dancer, mid twenties, tall, beautiful and sex on legs but he is deeply in debt, running a car he can't afford and living in a small rented room. To supplement his income he also does gay porn reluctantly and has started to step over the line in his dancing, allowing the punters in the club where he dances to take 'liberties'' even though he hates it, as the more he let's them get away with, the more his tips increase.The two of them go their separate ways after their explosive meeting but neither can forget the other. They finally meet again and start seeing each other, the sex is out of this world and the urge to be together is strong but the budding relationship doesn't run smooth. Phil feels he is not good enough for Chris because of his lifestyle and won't accept that Chris could love him just for himself and Chris wants to help Phil by taking care of him and settling all his debts, but this makes Phil feel as though he will just become a kept man or the " little woman " in their relationship!I had no problem with Phil's predicament or lifestyle as I really feel sympathy for anyone who is forced into a life they would never choose to be in due to circumstances beyond their control but I wanted to know more about his back story and more about why he was in that predicament at all . We are given some bare facts about his early life that come out because of an incident involving the police at the club, we also know he's from a 'blue collar' family, that he never had the opportunity to go to college - not everybody does but that doesn't mean that a person hasn't got other choices in life! What situation and at what point in his life was he forced into the direction that his life has taken and why, what were the reasons? It would have made his character more sympathetic as at times as much as you can't help liking him and feeling for him, he does come over as a bit foolish and stupid with the choices he makes, and to be honest appears to be a little weak willed and self centred , he bemoans the fact he's always in debt and hates the things he does to earn his cash but still is tempted to use his "ill gotten gains" on expensive clothes and cars instead of doing what most people would at least try to do in desperation - however hard it would be - and attempt to get their spending under control using outside help,will power and common sense! At one point in the book his co worker at the club tries to give him advice about his problems and expenses and he just brushes it off, even though he's complaining about his situation at the time. Sometimes it just seems to be all about the money for Phil in spite of his worries and wanting to be more equal with Chris !The other thing I wasn't keen on was the way Chris is suddenly made to seem slightly obsessive in his feelings towards Phil at one point almost out of control and needy and quite a way into the book we are suddenly told he has Dom/sub fantasies ( not my favourite style of m/m romance but then each to their own) and their relationship and sex takes a different curve altogether, in the end it does tie into the conclusion but it seemed to change the feel of the original story and took away some of the enjoyment in my opinion, but that's me! Some of the sex scenes between them although always hot and steamy, lost the romance and just came over as frantic.Overall I did enjoy most of it but with reservations so I wouldn't want to reread this again. I can Recommend 'Boys' and 'Born to be Wilde' two other books by GA Hauser that I absolutely loved and are definite keepers.

[Elisa Rolle]

G.A. Hauser is a “sure” thing; I mean, you have to be used to her style, she is always over the line, she doesn’t play “nice”, and her characters are unpolitically correct, but if you know that, you also know that her stories are always uber-romantic, and that her men are 100% men who are not scared to feel emotions and to fall in love.

Calling Dr. Love is a typically cinderfella romance; handsome 33 years old doctor, Chris, meets hot 25 years old exotic dancer, Phil, and it’s sex at first sight… actually sex WITHOU sight, since they are trapped together from a black-out in a department store closet, and they find a way to spend the time in a pleasurable way. But the morning after, when Phil realizes how much out of his own league Chris is, he runs away, like Cinderella but without losing the shoe so that Chris has to find another way to track him down.

Even if there is a lot of sex, and sex is Phil’s line of work, I didn’t feel like Calling Dr. Love was only about that; Chris is a good man, but he is lonely; he sees Phil like the answer to his prayers, and to him it doesn’t matter they are from different social statuses. Like the Prince Charming in the notorious tale, he is not searching for money to add to money, he is searching for a good soul and a warming embrace; if that arrives in the body of a sex god, well, that is even better. I think most of Chris’s awesomeness is due to his parents: they are of course worried for their son, and a go-go dancer is not maybe their ideal son-in-law, but in the end they love Chris and they are able to accept what makes Chris happy. They brought up a good man, and they did so since they are good persons.

I think Phil has a little growing to do, but he has all the chances to win; he is starting maybe from a very low step, but I’m sure he will be able to climb the stairs, and once he will reach the top, he will be the perfect partner for Chris.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1448610575/?...

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hauser addresses a lot of stereotypes in this book, such as the gay porn star, society's views and prejudices against such, gay promiscuity, etc. While the characters themselves didn't appeal to me at first, their introspection helped them grow on me. Something about Hauser's books keeps me coming back, even though I haven't truly liked the last several I've read. I think they are written with honesty and if she could avoid the language that perpetuates the stereotypes that I personally don't care for (cause don't you know it's all about me?), then I'd probably like the books better.

[Clarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was very frustrating at times. I really wanted to shake both Chris and Phil and say just talk to each other and then you would not be in this situation. I was also a little mad that they kept saying he was too masculine to be treated like a woman. Whatever. So now you say how are you giving this so many stars when it me you obviously did not like it? I did like the book. I like this author and will read more. I actually wish there was a sequel in order to see how they work it all out.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the opening scene of this book. The leads, Chris and Phil, are both shopping in a department store - trying on clothes in the dressing room - when the power goes out. No emergency lights. No one coming in with a flashlight to help them out. They fumble around to find their clothes and end up fooling around a bit. Pitch dark. With only their imaginations as to what each other looks like.

It ends up being one of those "out of real life" type encounters. But when they try to bring their fledgling relationship into the real world all sorts of class and cultural issues serve to divide them. Chris is in his early thirties, a plastic surgeon, with a house on the beach. Phil is a 25 year old go-go dancer (like a stripper, except they start and end with the tiniest of undies) who is living hand to mouth, renting a room in an Asian woman's house.

Chris wants a man who'll be his "wife". He wants to care for and provide and doesn't care if his boyfriend does nothing more than keep house. But Phil is too proud to let Chris take care of him. It's too soon. The relationship is too new.

As for the BDSM element, Chris wants to top and tie up his boyfriend. All that gets him hot. On the other hand, Chris and Phil have a strange topsy tervy relationship in the bedroom. Both want to be the one doing the fucking (the penetration). So there are several scenes where Chris tops Phil in the BDSM sense, then Chris ends up riding Phil. So it's like they switched roles mid-scene. I thought BDSM switches tended to play one role or the other in a given scene. I don't know. It worked, but it felt a bit strange at the time.

Edited to add: Glancing at the other reviews, I do want to add that I would have liked an epilogue where we found out if Phil pursued the personal trainer idea.

[Miranda]

Mini Review:
...
The struggle is very emotional. Fighting with preconceived notions and even though the characters know their prejudices are wrong, they still fight to remove them. An extreme contrast in social status and struggle. But both characters struggling.
...
The HEA felt a bit rushed at the end. But it doesn't exactly tie itself into a pretty bow either. You could say the end is open... and allows for further exploration of this couple in the future.

Visit me at Sweet Vernal Zephyr for my long winded reviews.

[Eyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't. I felt bad for Phil because he was struggling so much, but I lost patience with his distress about debt when he refused to give up the lease on his extravagant car. I also had difficulty with Phil's phrasing of why he didn't want Christopher to take care of him and his debts. He said he didn't want to be a woman. I can understand that some men struggle with how others perceive them and how they don't want to be seen as weak. However, the way Phil came across made it seem like he viewed women as weak. I'm sure the author didn't intend it that way, but it was bothersome to me. Other readers might feel differently.

[Evamaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a mixed bag for me. I did enjoy the 'opposities attract' story and liked both protagonists and their attraction.

The biggest negative was the misogyny that started somewhere in the middle, when one of the characters suddenly revealed himself to be into dom/sub style sex - but instead of framing the relationship in a BDSM framework, the author chose to continuously repeat a man/woman dichotomy that felt very outdated. I also had issues with some of the more unrealistic sexual descriptions, which reminded me a bit of bad porn.

[Mara Ismine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story of the doctor and the go-go dancing porn star and their many misunderstandings. Both of them had their idiot moments, which I appreciated - so often one character ends up with all the idiot times while the other displays saintly patience. Phil did manage to ditch his pride rather easily in the end.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the characters had potential--I found Phil to be particularly interesting, if not quite fully developed--the story lacked something. I think the characters were just too weepy, to fast to declare undying love after a chance encounter in a Nordstrom's dressing room.

[Kavisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars!