A. R. Steele

Well, I didn't get very far before bailing on this freebie. The prose is not bad, a little tedious but not bad, but I stopped reading at the second direct contradiction in story action. If the author/editor can't be bothered to check these things, I can't be bothered to continue reading.

The thing is, there are far better series with this general theme, and they're better researched, better written, and better edited. And yet, some people enjoyed this story, and I'm glad. That's how books are, they have to find their audiences.… (more)

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Gabriel is interviewing to become a stripper and pretty much sucks at it. Ace already works there and has an immediate attraction to Gabe. He helps him learn moves so he can be successful and they end up developing a friendship. Ace and Gabriel were good matches for each other. They complemented each other and were adorable together.

The book seemed rushed in some aspects. There were a lot of feelings and emotions that seemed to be glossed over. The challenges Ace was facing were rather huge for him, yet he kept it all inside (with the exception of just being a grumpy Gus) until he was just all of a sudden OK with it. We didn't see any real resolution or processing on page; we found out about it a month or so later.

Outside of that, though, I would be interested in reading the rest of the series. I want to know if and how Trenton will keep the club going and I would want to know more about the other guys.… (more)

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Cooper works as a stripper at the club with Ace and Gabriel (from [b:Hard Wood|30511011|Hard Wood|A R Steele|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1465681358s/30511011.jpg|51030174]) and a bunch of other guys including Owen. Cooper is the more mature of the guys and acts as the group big brother. Owen, who has identified as straight for his whole life, is all of a sudden realizing that he is finding Cooper attractive. He struggles with it for a short while until he watches some videos and acknowledges that he does not find women attractive like he does Cooper.

I liked how there was a little bit of a dance between Cooper and Owen before getting together. There was definite attraction between them, but the book explored Owen's feelings rather than glossing over it quickly. Despite being interested, Cooper didn't rush right into a relationship and really encouraged Owen to decide who he was and what he wanted before taking their relationship to the next level.

I thought this was a great addition to the series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.… (more)