Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: New York Heat
SERIES: The Go-Go Boys of Club 21 #1
AUTHOR: Cameron D. James
PUBLISHER: Deep Desires Press
LENGTH: 542 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 25, 2018
BLURB:
Club 21 is New York City’s hottest gay nightclub. The drinks are cheap, the music is infectious, and the go-go boys are the stuff of dreams.
For Dan, it’s where his life will forever change. With his signature on the dotted line, he goes from bartender to owner. And with that change, he realizes that both his responsibilities and his stress have skyrocketed.
Club 21 is home. The staff are family. Like a mama bear, Dan is fiercely protective of his clients and his staff, especially his go-go boys, whose carefree dancing inspires Dan to make Club 21 the best it can be.
Especially Ken, once a fling, now the love of his life. There’s so much that needs to get done at Club 21, but Dan is terrified that all the long evenings will drive his young go-go boy lover away. Dan doesn’t want to lose him, but if anything ever happened to his staff—his family—Dan would never forgive himself…
Content warning: New York Heat contains a scene of mass violence and the death of a main character.
REVIEW:
If you haven’t read the blurb, pay attention. There is an act of violence very severe in this book. A mass shooting, people injured or dead. If it brings up triggers, please be very careful.
I liked this book as a whole. Although the shooting got to me. But it’s more that it saddens me and still puts me in awe of the amount of hatred against the lgbt community or for that matter, anyone that’s different. Whether color, sex, race or whatever. It’s senseless and pointless and all that happens is people are hurt in some way or another. But up until the shooting part, this is a journey of five couples. They all work at Club 21. Or met through the club.
Dan was the bartender of Club 21 for a long time. Before that, he and Brad used to sneak in and have fun with their fake IDs. But now, Dan is the owner and runs the club with his go-go boy, Ken. Brad is there with his partner, Simon, to help celebrate the success of the reopening and ends up buying the building next door for his own business. Lance is a go-go turned bartender now, with his boyfriend, Liam. Jake, the head bartender has been interested in the DJ, Paul and finally gets the nerve, with a little push from Lance, to ask him out. Xavier, the new go-go, is interested in the new bouncer and they become an item themselves. Each journey is different for these guys. They have their own issues they have to deal with and things to work through. But it’s a journey into their lives. Their joys and sorrows, fears and doubts, and pasts that are not the best. But being together and sticking together, they are learning to deal with it all and what makes them stronger. One incident occurs that shatters Lance, but he learns how to be strong for he and Liam. But they get through it and things seem alright, for the most part, in everyone’s world, until the shooting. Having the Bible constantly preached at him and trying to fight being gay, it all became to much and….well. Bad results. And now they are all trying to recover and keep the club going. But with this kind of incident, will it cause the club to sink and will they all be able to come back from the horrible nightmare that haunts them?
This has been an interesting story. Lots of sex lol. But even with all the sex, it’s more than that. There’s the solidifying of relationship, intimacy that’s needed, comfort, love, and so much more. A few of these guys have been through a few things that have left them scarred and it takes a lot of trust to overcome and allow someone to enter their lives and open up. So, it’s been a good book. It shows what couples really go through. The good, bad and ugly. Along with the happy and joyous.
But the shooting is the biggest issue that causes turmoil. It changes people when they are a part of something like that. And it can separate the strongest of couples. Or bring them closer together to reaffirm life and living. It’s a horrible experience to go through and personally, for anyone who’s had to deal with crap like that, I’m sorry. It breaks my heart.
Like I said, it’s a good book. It really is. But if you are triggered, please take care of yourself first.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Read More » […]