ANDY, GO-GO BOY

TITLE: ANDY, GO-GO BOY

AUTHOR: J.P. BARNABY

Length: Novella / 14000 words

Date: 26/03/2014

Grade: 4

Details: Working Boys Book 2

             Received from author

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Andy Finnegan is a six foot three brown-haired, blue-eyed, Mack f*cking truck. A former marine who spends his nights dancing for your entertainment, he has a dark side hiding beneath the beautiful veneer.

Sweet little Stefan is awestruck by the big, gorgeous dancer with the rock hard abs and the lonely eyes. Determined to see what lurks behind the perfect surface, he gets a little more than he bargained for.”

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My thoughts:

They say size isn’t everything and this story certainly confirms the truth in that statement. This may not be a very long novella but it sure packs a punch. And the same can be said for our main character.

Andy Finnegan is one angry and closed off hulk of a man. Ever since he left the Marines, Andy has kept his distance from others. He keeps his body in shape and does his job as a dancer in a gay club. Any hook up with another man is short, a one-off and completely on his terms. Determined to never be vulnerable again, Andy has his future planned. He wants to become a porn star. It’s the easiest way to make the money he needs and have the casual sexual encounters he craves. Tonight is the night. A porn producer will be in the club to watch him dance. If Andy plays his cards right, he might end up with exactly what he wants.

Two men seem determined to put a spanner in the works. The first is a former Marine buddy who can’t believe Andy has ended up where he did and offers him a ‘proper’ job. The other is a young man with dark hair. A young man who reminds him of somebody he has lost. A young man named Stefan who should be afraid of Andy and run away but does the opposite and stays, even after the Marine has shown him his worst.

Like I stated above, this is one short but powerful novella. When the story started I wasn’t sure I would be able to like Andy or even connect to him as a character. He came across as selfish, rough and mean. It is only as the story unfolds and we learn more about Andy, his past and his present that my feelings towards him started changing. By the time the story was over I had done a turn-around and developed a soft spot for this man who had only done what he felt he needed to do in order to keep his feelings locked up, deep inside, where he didn’t need to deal with them.

Stefan is just a sweetheart. Not nearly as well developed as Andy’s character he does manage to play a pivotal role in this story.

“How can you be so beautiful and hate yourself so much?”

I have a thing about stories in which the strong, seemingly untouchable man finds his redemption in the eyes and arms of someone who appears to be much weaker but turns out to have the ability to see beyond the obvious as well as the inner strength to persevere where stronger men would crumble.

This was a well written, hot and ultimately sweet story. It is also a clear indication that I’ve once again managed to find myself an author I need to further investigate. I seriously need more hours in my days.

Published by: Wilde City Press, March 26th,2014