Damon Suede

Bad Idea: Some mistakes are worth making. Reclusive comic book artist Trip Spector spends his life doodling super square, straitlaced superheroes, hiding from his fans, and crushing on his unattainable boss until he meets the dork of his dreams. Silas Goolsby is a rowdy FX makeup creator with a loveless love life and a secret streak of geek who yearns for unlikely rescues and a truly creative partnership. Against their better judgment, they fall victim to chemistry, and what starts as show more infatuation quickly grows tender and terrifying. With Silas’s help, Trip gambles his heart and his art on a rotten plan: sketching out Scratch, a “very graphic novel” that will either make his name or wreck his career. But even a smash can’t save their world if Trip retreats into his mild-mannered rut, leaving Silas to grapple with betrayal and emotions he can’t escape. What will it take for this dynamic duo to discover that heroes never play it safe?

Bad Idea is the story of Trip Spector, a comic book artist whose joy has been nearly extinguished by corporate culture but rediscovers his spark through Silas Goolsby, special-effect makeup artist and a pure ray of sunshine to Trip’s dour, doom and gloom. Through a beautifully bumbling, raw, and real relationship, Silas gives Trip the greatest gift an artist can be given; an anchor, and a space to dream with a tethered foundation of safety inside his dangerous "waters of creativity". Together the two men forge dreams, build new worlds, and start to make a foundation for their love to thieve. Too bad that Trip didn't handle this precious gift, with more care.

About midway into the story, I began to wonder if Mr. Suede had a big box of tissues sitting close by where he was writing this. He has completely outdone himself with this one, by creating what started out as a beautiful love story for Trip and Silas. He also gave us a chance to watch the creation of art in the book world in "real time". This alone is reason enough to read this book. The author has woven depth and breadth into his novel. The story is overflowing with truths, some simple, some so expansive that they may take multiple re-readings to fully grasp them all. Every page is a literary "minefield", sometimes of humor, sometimes of wisdom, often of both, but also with near total disaster for his two main characters. I read and own several hundred M/M Romance books, but this one nearly wrecked me.

Damon Suede's work has always received a 5-star rating from me, so why the 4.5 stars? I found myself becoming really angry with Trip for the way he allowed himself to be taken advantage of by his employer...who was a total creep, and for the way he lashed out and treated Silas when he was only trying to help. However, in spite of all this, I really, really like this author, and it's been some time since I have read any of his work. I do own many of his books. Rereads are something I really like and is never a hard task for me, so Mr. Suede and I will certainly be soon meeting again. I just hope he lets his main characters be happier. show less

I need to preface this review by saying I now want to read everything Damon Suede ever has written and ever will write. That is how much I loved this book.

Trip Spector, comic book artist and all around geek, meets Silas Goolsby, FX makeup artist and all around geek. It's lust at first zombie attack and it swiftly turns into so much more.

Reasons why I liked this book:

Trip and Silas are extremely well-rounded characters. As are the supporting characters. Every person in this book could easily show more get up and walk off the page.

I like geeks and nerds and writers and artists. I understand them. They are my people.

The sex was smoking hot. It wasn't just body part A meets body part B, it was emotional and intellectual and it was a full body and mind experience for Trip and Silas and therefore for the reader.

The conflict that comes between them was believable and natural and was not something that felt manufactured by the author just for the sake of having a conflict.

(Provided by publisher) show less

This was written nearly 15 years ago - released 15 June 2011. MM love, in a macho profession, didn't exist, openly. How different is it now in the NY fire department?

The novel is set in the New York firefighting community post 9/11 - within 5 years of 9/11 - so say it is set in 2004 - were there any circumstances where men like these two characters could be open about their relationship? These guys were "firsts". At least it wasn't "never" for their entire lives. They had that, even though show more homophobia was alive and well, and yet also widely recognised as a hate crime. Did they have an advantage living in New York?

But homophobia wasn't everywhere - Dante's family seem truly a loving, and accepting, family. I loved that this is how an Italian American family was portrayed - given that from my experience, Italian mores can be fairly patriarchal and macho.

Anyway ... this is background only to Suede's masterfully constructed romance novel..."novel" being the operative word, as Dante's seduction of Griff is such a round about, confusing set of circumstances, but such a marvellously novel plot idea ... when they become amateur porn stars to ostensibly make quick money but actually to finally cross a barrier that allows them to experience their feelings.

Up till now it's unrequited love and longing is killing them both.

The story is told through Griff's POV, and for all that he is emotionally involved to his core, he is passive except for how he is motivated to do anything for Dante ... if it helps Dante to keep the decrepit brown stone he has poured his heart into - "heart" because, as we find out, the kitchen, the house - it is home and family, and that is who Dante is, for all his rampant good looks and manwhore ways. Griff is drawn to both - family and Dante's beauty - like a moth to a flame.

Until they finally explore intimacy, Dante and Griff, who've been friends since they were youths, have unknowingly and then knowingly hidden their love behind a bro culture easily available to them through sport, family and the brotherhood of firefighters. Though anyone can see their friendship is special. They are joined at the hip, inseparable. It's overwhelming and joyful when they finally get on the same page, for the MCs and the reader! That morning when they wake up together and are absolutely stoked on happiness - for all the tension in other parts of the novel, that is the mountain top.

Charlie David - phew! some of the best narration I've experienced in this MM genre and yet no other books read by him in my libraries! Just looked up who he is and as I suspected, his career has largely been in film, TV and in a band. And he has done a lot of audiobook narration for Audible. His Wikipedia biography reveals him as a good fit for this particular novel, with his interest in straight men doing gay porn etc.

I bought this book on Audible (since it is nowhere to be found in libraries or Hoopla) because it is on many best-of lists. It deserves to be. It's perfection in its mix of hot and sweet, and while it follows a very defined trope (friends to lovers) it's not formulaic.

Later: I've listened to this again in Feb 25 - a few months after listening the first time.

This is such an impactful, generous book, I'm revising my rating to 5*.

I was surprised to see that there haven't been any reviews on LT since 2013 - how could that be?! Was there a sequel, as maybedog requests? Thanks AB_Gayle for the long background on the author and the book and your deep dive. show less

Hm. So. For this one I have to do star math. Not sure where we're gonna land.

Plot: 3.5 stars, because more than half the plot is unusual and good and gorgeous, but parts were teeth-grindingly annoying and this is how I protest. Maybe there are people who learn a thing and instantly discard it to wallow and whine. Maybe two of them are in a relationship, the fools. These two do this thing more than once, and that's too many for me. Too plot-device-y.

The characters: See, because of the plot, show more this is tough. But Silas is my favorite, so he gets 5 stars even so. Trip? I want to make him equal, but he is more of a putz. Way more. I don't care about reasons, he slacked big-time on the learning curve. 3 stars. So, mushed together and divided out, that's 4.

The...tidbits. Messages, funny lines, the kid, the wisdom and the joy and the kindness, the loving couple and sharp friend and the man who loves him, all the bits and pieces that sent me up out of the book with a smile or a tear or a sigh, 10 stars. I don't care if that's too many. Ultimately, it's what I come out absolutely adoring about this story.

3.5 4 10 = 17.5. Divided by 3 is more than 5. But now you know why, even though it annoyed me, it earned highest marks. show less