DUO REVIEW BY CINDY & VICKI
TITLE: Eyes Only for Me
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 182 Pages
Blurb:
For years, Clayton Potter’s been friends and workout partners with Ronnie. Though Clay is attracted, he’s never come on to Ronnie because, let’s face it, Ronnie only dates women.
When Clay’s father suffers a heart attack, Ronnie, having recently lost his dad, springs into action, driving Clay to the hospital over a hundred miles away. To stay close to Clay’s father, the men share a hotel room near the hospital, but after an emotional day, one thing leads to another, and straight-as-an-arrow Ronnie make a proposal that knocks Clay’s socks off! Just a little something to take the edge off.
Clay responds in a way he’s never considered. After an amazing night together, Clay expects Ronnie to ignore what happened between them and go back to his old life. Ronnie surprises him and seems interested in additional exploration. Though they’re friends, Clay suddenly finds it hard to accept the new Ronnie and suspects that Ronnie will return to his old ways. Maybe they both have a thing or two to learn.
Cindy’s Review:
Clay is a good man…a good friend…with an impossible crush. He’s been dreaming of his friend Ronnie for a very long time, but knows nothing will ever happen because Ronnie is a very straight man who only sleeps with women…lots and lots of women.
Ronnie is a man who’s starting to see his best friend in a new light and it scares the hell out of him.
I’m gonna go on record here and say that I really, don’t care for the “gay for you” kind of stories. I have a hard time with people who have never looked at the same sex in a sexual way suddenly deciding that their soul mate is a “gay” match.
But I knew going into this book what it was, and I took it anyway because I’m a fan of Andrew Grey and I’m always interested in seeing where he goes with his stories.
I liked Clay and Ronnie, but I didn’t love them. I had a hard time connecting with either character although there were definitely some moments of empathy that I shared with both of them.
Clay’s some-what estranged father is the catalyst for bringing Clay and Ronnie together, when he becomes ill. Ronnie lost his own father and can totally understand the pain and fear coursing through Clay.
Their first time together kind of bothered me. I felt a little like Ronnie was taking advantage of Clay’s pain and vulnerability, even though I know that sex was Ronnie’s way of offering Clay a little comfort. Sometimes the only way we can think to care for someone is by being there for them physically when we are unsure of how to give them the emotional support they need.
The writing is good, like every Andrew Grey novel. His characters are interesting to learn about and his side characters in this story add a lot of humor (in the case of their mutual friends) and little heart-tugging (in the case of Clay’s father).
The plot moves along smartly, never bogging down in unneeded plot devices and it definitely kept me interested enough in Clay and Ronnie to cheer them on to their happy ending.
In the end though, I was left feeling a little “meh” about the whole thing. It was okay, a nice read and I’m sure fans of Andrew will love it, it’s just not one of the many stories by this author that will be on my read-again list.
Rating: 
Vicki’s Review:
I was interested in reading this book because Andrew said it was different from his usual books, and it was in some big ways. It’s not a pretty, perfect romance. In fact there isn’t much “romance” in it.
Clay and Ronnie have been best friends for years, Clay having a bit more feelings that just friendship, but Ronnie is straight. Ronnie also has some issues, OCD, obsessive thinking, and he’s still grieving the loss of his father. He’s kind of a slut, way in to his toys, and is pretty obnoxious. I really didn’t like him. I wanted to, and I hoped as the story progressed that I would, but he was just too obnoxious for me. I liked that he did have issues, he wasn’t this big perfect man with money, a great career, the perfect body, and a group of friends, but I couldn’t find the point that I liked him.
Clay on the other hand I liked. He’s a little more realistic, he lives a more moderate lifestyle, is still a bit lost after the ending of his long term relationship, and seems to get lost in his friendship with Ronnie. Ronnie is a user, and Clay is the one that gets used most often. But Clay appears to be fine with that.
We see them as friends, hanging out at the gym with their group of friends, at a party, basically just being friends. But that all changes when Clay receives a call from a hospital telling him his father has had a stroke and to come now. Ronnie steps up and drives Clay the 100 miles to the hospital, then stays with him overnight. That night in the hotel things change for the two men. What starts as a bit of teasing turns in to Clay fucking Ronnie. Which leads to some drama between the two, but maybe a change in Ronnie’s life.
Now I don’t have a problem with GFY or BFY stories, and I didn’t really have a problem with the way it was done in this book. I liked the…. discomfort? Maybe that is the word, between the two men. Ronnie just isn’t sure this is a real thing, and wants to keep Clay as a fuck buddy, but still date girls. Clay obviously has an issue with this and tries to put Ronnie in his place. Ronnie has some emotional crap that comes out from his past, that Clay helps him work through. All of that worked very well for me. But it comes down to the fact that I didn’t like Ronnie, and I’m not sure he’s the best match for Clay.
This was a different Andrew Grey book. It isn’t as pretty and perfect as his books can be. Ronnie is a deep character, with some emotional and mental problems. I wish that had been explored more. This story is all from Clay’s perspective, I think if I had seen in the Ronnie’s head I may have liked him more. But other than not liking Ronnie, this is really a good book. The plot is pretty basic, it’s more about the characters and the struggling relationship between Clay and Ronnie. The sex between them is explosive and hot, but did have some cheesy dialogue I could have done without. I liked the extra characters, the group of friends centered around a gym reminded me of Andrew’s gym series, this one is similar in feel but much more gritty. Even though I didn’t particularly like Ronnie, I liked his darker, edgier feel. I liked Clay just fine.
I am glad I read this book, Andrew Grey fans will love it, and someone that hasn’t read his books before should read this one too, it was a great character driven story.
Rating: 
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