After the Show

Perimeter

by Sasha Avice

Cisco won’t do love. Franco does love only.

When Franco gets his one shot with Cisco, he blows it. Literally.

When Cisco agrees to train this semi-mute, illiterate, virgin bouncer how to be better in bed, he accepts that he is on a mission from God.

A queen-glam rocker with anger management issues, Cisco has vowed never to be in a relationship—poisonous, pointless traps. Meanwhile, Franco dreams of his forever partner. And those dreams begin and end with Cisco.

Over the course of a long, hot summer working the clubs and bars in Australia in the 1990s, Cisco does teach Franco, but what he doesn’t expect is how much Franco teaches him, and how this not-relationship changes the course of his life in profound and unexpected ways.

After the Show riffs on fierce/shy, hurt/comfort, pining, family drama, and coming of age when you thought the dream was dead.

Sweet, painful and funny—the best stuff happens After the Show…

TW: mentions of a past sexual relationship that some readers might consider non-consensual. The MC does not view it this way, and the events occur “offscreen” in the past; however, if this is triggering for you, you might want to give this one a miss.

Genres: M M Romance

Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2022

Reviews

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umm...not sure why I liked this so much. Cisco was the biggest asshole ever. It's also not your usual romance so if you 're thinking "I love you's" think again. Anyway...still liked it.

[Laxmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS… I liked this one and found it a bit different. Enjoyed reading about these two guys, I love them kinda broken. There was a bit of character development yet I was looking for something more, a bit more history and for them to be more open.

[juli✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread~jan2025

❝i like you like this,❞ he said.
❝that’s not in that book,❞ cisco said and pressed his face into franco’s stomach.
franco laughed. ❝no, i mean. you get all mad, but then you’re all soft.❞
❝shut up and read or I’m leaving.❞ franco laughed again, but did as he was told.

×✩ cisco (H) was still a raging bitch, and i still love him for it… but, i did want to slap him upside the head a few times. that said, he loves fucking fiercely and we love to see it.


✩× i still love franco (H) and i can't help but love the way he is so soft for cisco. however, no man, no matter how fine he is, is gonna make me give up my cats. like- sir. what is with sasha avice heroes willingness to give up their pets?


× i do wish we had gotten more closure with cisco, his mom, and the whole christoph situation. similarly, i wanted more closure for franco with his family.


✩ i have to say, i still really adore francocisco's happily ever after. once again, avice proves that odd-couple pairings are superior above all else. plus, after the show is a great example of insta-love done right. francocisco are just the perfect black-cat and golden retriever pairing.


- - - -
first read~jan2023

❝you know, i know you’re actually nice,❞ franco said from in front of him.
❝yeah, well, don’t tell anyone else.❞

✩ cisco (H) may be a raging bitch … but he's my raging bitch. he is definitely the kind of person who expresses their love in an … aggressive sort of way and i love him for that.


✩ franco (H) was a lovable cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. i loved that the minute he locks eyes with cisco he is a goner.


➷ out of all the books in the perimeter series i'm gonna have to say that after the show is my favorite. i just can not get over how soft cisco is for franco. unexpectedly soft heroes are truly my kryptonite, what can i say 🤷‍♀️🥹

[Victoria Wilkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gem is set in early 90’s Australia. Cisco is a Queen working in a gay club. Franco works in the same club as security.
Here you might be forgiven in thinking.. ok so kinda obvious trope.. especially when the blurb mentions the deal they made for Cisco to teach Franco how to ‘have sex’!
But there is more fade to black than you’d expect- so if you are looking for high heat only… this read isn’t it. There is a lot of emotion packed into this story. With family pressure and discord in the background. Both Franco and Cisco are dealing with past trauma.

Cisco- well he’s very much like Marmite or as it’s in Australia- Vegemite! You are either going to love him and all his beautiful viciousness. his turning the air blue with many many F’s and C’s!! Or you won’t.
If you can look past this show- for that is what it is.. Then you’ll see the fear and hurt feelings Cisco is trying to hide.

Franco- ah.. where fools rush in.. yeah.. why does he put up with Cisco and all his defensive, even sometimes cruel words? ( I’m not sure- he’s a braver man than most!)
But he is so very much the calm to Cisco’s fire. This is a first attraction for Franco- a virgin and semi illiterate. His past has a lot to do with this. A gentle giant he maybe. But he somehow finds a way through the thorns Cisco surrounds himself with.

I loved how despite Cisco’s determination to not let Franco in.. Franco just slipped through his defences by just being kind. You might, in the beginning feel a bit frustrated by Franco’s apparent ‘doormat’ behaviour towards Cisco… but deeper than that, is his ability to deflect Cisco’s many tirades and make Cisco see the wonderful kind, caring man Franco is… which of course terrifies Cisco.

Will Cisco let go of the past and see his future with Franco? He leaves you wondering, right up to the end. Like the Queen diva he is!

I will read more by this new to me author.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, but I'm rounding down. I like Sasha Avice a lot as a writer, I like the simple way she writes and the way her characters and settings feel real. I enjoyed this book because I enjoyed her writing, but I have to say that she has created an MC that I loathe so deeply, he may be my most hated MC in all of my adventures in MM. Cisco, the asshole in question, was just the absolute worst. Honestly, there was not one redeemable thing about him, and I am furious that he gets a HEA.

The premise of this book is that sweet, shy, naive and beautiful (and probably demisexual) Franco works as a bouncer at a club and there he develops a crush on Cisco. Cisco is a professional ballet dancer who has thrown his talent away as a 'fuck you' to his parents and now performs in a seedy bar. Cisco is a BITCH. He is shrill, rude, dismissive, manipulative, self-centred and just an all round drama queen. But Franco has it bad, so he makes a move with relationship-averse Cisco, and they end up in this super hot arrangement where Cisco teaches Franco how to fuck. Obviously feelings evolve, obviously sweet baby Franco gets his heart stomped on by Cisco - who has the emotional maturity of an Easter egg. We do get some insight into why Franco is the way he is, but I wasn't moved by it. Fuck him. He was so terrible to literally every person in this book. Franco deserved so much better.

So while I enjoyed the process of reading this, I spent a lot of time really hating Cisco and wishing he would get hit by a bus.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cyndy]

DNF 8%
I’m not feeling patient enough to get past icky Cisco. I’m assuming the story does get past the ickyness that is Cisco…??? Maybe I’ll try another time.

[Tracey Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so I genuinely don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now I’ve finished the tenth and last Sasha Avice book.
It should come as no surprise it’s a 5 star read for me.

I know she can write raw and gritty and soft and gooey bad boys.

But damn wasn’t aware she could write the hell out of illiterate virginal golden retrievers and the brattiest of bratty drag queens x ballet dancers.

I’m totally besotted with Franco and Cisco.
Although there were times I wanted to strangle that damn brat Cisco for hurting Franco.

Got to say and it’s a big call but damn if Sasha’s my favourite author!!. Thanks for writing ANOTHER absolute banger.

I’ll be recommending this book and the entire series to ANYONE who will listen.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, Franco is an absolute marshmallow that must be protected at all costs. However, while i think it’s quite well written and I was caught up in the moment, I’m left unsatisfied. First, Cisco’s personality is 80% catty bitch and 20% self harm. Why do all fabulous femme boys have to be a Mean Girl? I don’t get the appeal of this trope.
Im also unconvinced by the relationship. I get that Franco is mesmerized by Ciscos beauty and energy, but beyond the reading thing (which seems OOC for Cisco to be real), Cisco does nothing for Franco or anyone else. I don’t see any redeeming characteristics on Cisco’s part or any character development. Yes he has a sob story background, so I can understand why Cisco is the way he is, but then he just returns to his prior pre drug life. Where is the learning ? What is the story arc? Franco continues to be sweet kind Franco. Cisco treats Franco with minimum basic human decency and is a bitch to everyone else. The end.
But damn the sex scenes ..

[HappilyEverReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sasha Avice's writing, and this book was no exception. The setting of the '90s club scene in Perth, Australia gave the story such a unique atmosphere, and the nostalgia made it even more fun to read.

Franco absolutely made this book for me. He was the sweetest, most protective, patient, innocent cinnamon roll, and I wanted to give him the biggest hug. The way he adored his cats, cared so deeply for Cisco, and never wanted anyone else to experience the hurt he went through growing up completely melted my heart. What I loved most was that he saw something in Cisco from the very beginning. Despite Cisco's prickly attitude and sharp tongue, Franco looked beyond all of that and saw the person underneath. He loved Cisco with so much patience and grace, and it was impossible not to root for him.

Cisco, on the other hand, was honestly pretty awful to most people at first. But as he and Franco spent more time together, you slowly got to watch his walls come down. Some of my favorite moments were when Cisco taught Franco how to read. It wasn't anything flashy, but those quiet moments together became some of the most meaningful parts of their relationship. Watching Cisco gradually allow someone to hug him, comfort him, and simply care for him without expecting anything in return was incredibly rewarding. Before long, he had basically moved in, even if he refused to admit what they had.

It was heartbreaking when Cisco pulled away as soon as he realized he was falling in love. I did find myself wanting a little more insight into why he was so determined to avoid labeling their relationship, especially since they were essentially a couple in every way but name. I also wish there had been a bit more resolution surrounding Christoph and Cisco's mother. Closing those storylines would have made the emotional payoff even stronger.

The push and pull between these two during the final third of the book completely broke my heart. Through it all, Franco remained so steady, patient, and loving, happily accepting whatever scraps of time and affection Cisco was able to give him. And that grand gesture at the end? Absolutely swoony. It was romantic, heartfelt, and exactly what Cisco needed to finally stop letting his past dictate his future.

Overall, I loved every minute of this book. Franco completely stole my heart, and the supporting cast only made the story even more enjoyable. Between the nostalgic '90s setting, the drag performances, and the emotional romance, I was hooked from beginning to end. And while Cisco wasn't always the easiest character to like, I have a soft spot for a bratty power bottom, so I had a great time reading his journey.

If you enjoy size difference, bratty MCs, the greenest of green-flag love interests, virgin MCs, first times, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and an emotional push-and-pull romance that keeps you guessing until the very end, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

[MedievalMinstrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you find a book with characters that feel real? So real and fascinating that you could read about them doing anything and it would still, not only hold your interest, but be enjoyable too? After the Show is the story of Cisco and Franco, two characters who couldn't be more different, but they both know a world of pain and shame. In this journey we see them both dealing differently with the punches life has thrown at them. I love Cisco. His personality, his style, how intense he is, how hungry for life. I also love how sweet, how honest, how gentle and human Franco is. And I also really appreciate that each secondary character in this book feels real. They have stories, it's just that the reader is not privy to some of them and we get glimpses of others. Enough to keep us interested without deviating from our main interest: the story of Cisco and Franco. That's why this story feels real and raw. I was looking for stories with underdogs, stories that appeal to all the senses (as a visual reader, this book was a treat!) and stories that pull at your heartstrings and I found it in this book.

Narration-wise, the story is filled with these sentences that are like punches to your gut (in a good way). Sentences that have layers of meanings. Like this one, that I believe says a lot about the characters. It also made me raise my head from the book and think about it, enjoy it:

"Still, [Cisco] was here, and only thirty minutes late. Franco had come thirty minutes early."

*Chef's kiss*

I also like how Franco's illiteracy is dealt in the book. There's no condescendence, there's no "manual". There's a human being dealing with a problem and another one helping him with it.

Summing up: A good story, superb characters and beautul narration.5/5

[Jean Malherbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Show by Sasha Avice
Really good story.
I must be honest here, the Mc, Cisca is possibly one of the most obnoxious characters I have ever read. His contrary-ness almost caused a DNF for me... More than once. But... BUT... please, reader, don't give up on him. This author did a wonderful job with her writing and character growth/development. The mcs both progress in leaps and bounds throughout the story.
In a nutshell, wonderful, beautiful book.
*My only disappointment is that the book is riddled with unnecessary and careless typos, in spite of mention being made of an editor in the acknowledgements.
The repeated use of the word "span" instead of "spun", for example, consistently yanked me out of those scenes.
(this is a very primitive, archaic past participle of "spin" which I've never encountered before, even in historical literature).
Nonetheless, I can't NOT give a full five stars to this excellent story.
Most enjoyable!
Highly recommended!
(I read a complementary copy of this book)
* Heat rating around 3.5 🔥 (many, but not all intimate scenes happen off page)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this book up, I mean, I started it yesterday evening. The author once again wrote a great story. Cisco is a dancing queen and such a bitch 🤣 but regardless, Franco sees something in him that no one else does. And he calms Cisco. Franco may just be a big old teddy bear wanting Cisco’s love and attention and he gets it anyone he can. I loved their sweet quiet times together teaching Franco to read. I liked that most of the time Cisco didn’t make fun of Franco for being left behind in school. And Cisco was such a diva because i think he felt used and not good enough but Franco starts to teach him those things aren’t true. They truly learned and grew from one another.

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the first part of After the Show harder to read than Sasha's other works as Cisco was so very hateful to others. Franco was a darling. It's really interesting to see that two people both suffering badly from their life experiences reacting to their trauma so very differently, and very believably so. The character development during the story was excellent and Cisco and Franco certainly deserved their HEA. As always Sasha has done an amazing job of describing everything Perth during the 1990s. Another 5 star rating and a permanent spot on my reread pile

[Annie Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Show follows struggling dancer Cisco and bouncer Franco as they meet at the club they are both working at and ultimately fall in love.
I enjoyed this read and loved teddy bear Franco. But ultimately there were a lot of loose ends that I felt weren't totally tied up that ended me at 3 stars.

[Obsessed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, perfect Franco. He is why I gave three stars. Cisco just verbally abused him the entire book…not my jam.

I still like this author. I read two other books in the series and gave those five stars. This was just a miss for me.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Love Story

This is a lovely book about how love between two people with difficult lives can change everything, both internally and externally, for the better.

[Lynn P · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet story

Actually more than a sweet story as the character development was very good. It was easy to get engaged with the plot and people.

[❥ Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Cisco & Franco 💕 Franco is the biggest, sweetest, cinnamon roll type guy and Cisco is the biggest bitch, who only goes soft for Franco.

[frankie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bafflingly, the author seemed to give up on all the conflicts she set up. So many important things happen off page.

[Jessica Prince-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I love all of Sasha’s books, this one not as much as the rest of her series.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha Avice knows how to write realistic men. Some will struggle with Cisco but he’s like a wounded animal who lashes out at everyone including those who love him/want to help him….he’s in so much emotional PAIN. And underneath it all he’s caring and soft. Franco got that- saw it from the start and just hung in there. Gentle soul himself. Great character and relationship development that isn’t light on plot. I was hooked and couldn’t put it down for the last 50% which says a lot as I, distracted very easily. If you haven’t read book 1 in the series though, read that first because I think this book has a spoiler.

Drag queen x club security guard
Hurt/comfort to the max
Raging Grumpy x sunshine
First times
Teaching
90s Australia

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Second story set in the Perimeter series, it features two completely different characters, Franco and Cisco: the first shy, reserved, tall and chiseled; the second, bratty, loud, lean and feminine.
Despite the evident differences, the two men actually share similar traumas from their past, they both were bullied in high school and they both have homophobic family members.

They reacted to their trauma in an opposite way, though: Franco is always kind and cannot hurt anyone; Cisco is always angry and hurts everybody, including himself. In fact, determined to make his parents suffer for trying to change him and closing their eyes on his traumas, Cisco keeps refusing job offers, throwing away a brilliant career in the ballet world (that his mother wants for him very hard).

It will be Franco with his kindness, honesty, simplicity, who will make him understand his own value and push him to pursue his dreams. Franco he's a simple man who take care of himself; maybe he doesn't have big dreams or ambitions and he could seen as naive, but in reality he just choose to focus on what makes him feel better, ignoring the negativity around him. And despite his limits, he's also very brave (like when he asked Cisco out).

Cisco is unbalanced by Franco's personality, he's used to men who just want him for sex and built walls so high over the years, that it's impossible for anyone to get to know him intimately (the ones who dare, like Donna, are always berated by him). Cisco cannot believe how kind and open Franco is: he bullies him, yells at him, shoos him away. And yet, at the same time, he's completely drawn to him: his virginity and his inexperience should push him away. Instead they lure him closer.
Franco's illiteracy is the last straw that makes his walls crumble.

I think the title refers just to that: obviously, After The Show is a clear reference to the time the two meet. But I think it also refers to what's behind Cisco's facade.

Sasha Avice's style is always tremendous: she can be raw, crude and harshly straight to the point, but also simple, sweet and emotional. These two sides of her writing can be recognised in the language and way of speaking of the two MCs.

Last Thing, I loved saying Taylor again!

This story will require a little time to warm up to you, but it's totally worth being read.
Recommended.

[Seraphina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, Cisco and Franco, sheesh this was a tough read, the push and pull, and hurt inside Franco, he just needed to be loved. Franco, was a sweet soul he was. I picture this book as so many's realities int he real world. The hurt comfort, lack of trust from being hurt and knocked down. The care, concern and patience Franco had was incredible

[Misc · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the one hand, Cisco really is a selfish arsehole that’s very difficult to redeem lol. He was treading that fine line between traumatised brat and insufferable prick, often dangling too far towards one side. On the other hand, this book is quite well written and the romance portion was great, practically perfect even. I could read 10 more epilogues of the two main idiots living the the rest of their life together bc their chemistry is just that good 🥲 I need even more sex, more fluff, more swooning bc what I got wasn’t enough 😭