Reviewed by Jen B.
TITLE: Single Use Only
AUTHOR: Pender Mackie
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
LENGTH: 257 pages
BLURB: Mike Strenton is tired of the hook-up scene. All the men he meets in the Las Vegas gay bars are interested in only one thing and only one night. Been there done that. About to turn thirty-eight, Mike avoids casual sex until his need for contact is too great to ignore. He secretly longs to meet someone who sees beyond his laugh lines and broad shoulders to the sensitive lover underneath. A man who’ll choose him over the early morning walk of shame.
Twenty-seven year old Chris Bennington has never even been to a gay bar though he’s into men as well as women. He sees the funny side of just about everything, even his first time with Mike. Chris wants a lover who doesn’t have a problem with his quirky sense of humor, his inability to cook or his bisexuality and he thinks Mike fits the bill. All he has to do is convince the big guy he’s not just sticking around for breakfast.
REVIEW:
Mike and Chris have a mutual friend, Jesse, who used to dance at the club Mike works at. They meet when Chris delivers some of Jesse’s old costumes. The first issue I had here was the lack of communication between these guys. Mike is looking for a more serious relationship, and he thinks Chris might be a candidate. Problem is that he doesn’t know if Chris is gay. They seem to hit it off, as their friendship grows. Chris doesn’t help much by sending mixed signals. Chris is bi, and though he has never actually been with a man, he is clearly interested in Mike. Well, clear to anyone but Mike that is. Unfortunately, these guys go back and forth and back and forth.
When they get together for the first time, they go to bed, get each other off, but don’t even kiss. This seemed a little odd for guys looking for a long-term relationship, but what do I know? I do know it got a little tiresome how they continued questioning everything about each other. I was also getting a bit bored with hearing about Jesse this and Jesse that. But, as the story goes on, those things faded away, and I was easily caught up in the story.
I loved Chris. He was funny and easy going, and I loved watching him experience sex all over again with a guy. Luckily he was bold enough to go after what he wanted, as Mike needed a bit of convincing along the way as he tried to protect himself from getting hurt again. I came to love Mike as well, as he learned how to let Chris in and accept that he was different than the other “single use” hook ups he was used to experiencing.
There is a bit of drama towards the end that was a bit unbelievable, or at least unbelievable that nobody saw it coming, but the finale is what really brings these two together. I ended up quite enjoying this story and will be looking to read more of Ms. Mackie’s work.
RATING: 
sounds good