3.5 out of 5 stars
E-book. 320 pages. Published June 15th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire…
Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies’ man, and the FDNY isn’t exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish.
Griff’s caution and Dante’s cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there’s nothing Griff wouldn’t do… until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there—together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?
Likes:
- Dante and Griff were good guys.
- Sexy firefighters.
- Believable angst.
- Good smut.
- Dante’s family.
- The way people treated Tommy in the end.
- Alek turned out to be a decent guy.
Dislikes:
- Too much angst.
- Some scenes weren’t shown.
- The ending left wide open.
- No closure with Griff’s dad.
- The homophobia.
- Not much firefighting.
I’ve seen this book around for years, and was always curious about it. I held off because I figured there would be a bunch of angst. I mean, how could there not be? Griff is secretly pining for his best friend who goes through women like he does underwear.
Was I right about the angst? Yes. That’s most of the book. It’s angst. Even when Griff tries to reveal his true feelings, something inevitably comes up that makes him decide it’s a bad idea. Which happens multiple times.
Now, I’m not going to say anything against the angst. It felt realistic. Considering the low level of homophobia throughout the story, I don’t blame Griff for keeping quiet. There’s a gritty realism to this story. Griff is terrified of what will happen to him if his feelings are discovered. And he’s right to be scared. A side character ends up severely injured because of a hate crime.
Despite his mixed emotions, Griff was easy to like. He was a good guy and a good firefighter, though there wasn’t much firefighting in the book. His relationship with the Anastagio family was heartwarming. I loved the way they essentially adopted him, and the way they supported him and Dante.
Because the book is told completely from Griff’s point of view, I’m still not sure how I feel about Dante. He was a good guy but made some really stupid decisions. The way he got possessive about Griff when they finally got together bothered me to no end. Especially the shitty way he acted towards the photographer Beth, who was just trying to do her job.
As for the whole porn thing, which took up a vast majority of the book, I liked it. It was something I haven’t seen in many other books. The way it acted like a huge temptation to Griff added a lot to the story. Plus, it made for some great smut scenes. I am disappointed that the first scene Griff and Dante did together didn’t happen on-page. When I was reading, I honestly thought I’d somehow skipped a chapter.
In the same way, I’m a little disappointed in the book’s end. Yes, Griff and Dante get together, but so much is left unfinished. They come out to Dante’s family, but no one else. Griff admits that their relationship might cause them to lose their jobs, and acts like it’s no big deal. Which seemed strange because the whole plot of the book revolves around Dante needing money so he can keep his house. Being blasé about losing their job seemed strange. I was also disappointed at the lack of closure with Griff’s dad. The man seemed like he was developing dementia, and it wasn’t addressed at all.
I was happy with how things with Tommy ended. He’s supposed to be the main character of the next book, but since it’s been a decade since Hot Head came out, I assume the next book will never happen.
Love is Love Reviews 