50 Shades of Gay

So, dear readers, I hope I am not alone here in saying that I have never read Fifty Shades of Grey. So, when I saw Fifty Shades of Gay by Jeffrey Self on the review list I paused, wondering if this might not be either a) a parody of the original m/f book or b) a gay version of the same. Needless to say, I was intrigued and scooped it up from Wave as soon as I could. While I now know the answer to the aforementioned puzzler, I also know this: I laughed myself silly over this book, gasped aloud at the naughty scenes and silently cheered at the end. Allow me to introduce you to the finer points of Fifty Shades of Gay. Alex Kirby, aspiring writer, 24 year old virgin is asked by his roommate to fill in for him on a four minute interview with the uber-sexy movie star, Taylor Grayson. Alex who is not your most bold or brave of characters, manages to make the interview and squeak out one insipid question before being dismissed by Grayson’s handlers. But, much to his surprise, he later receives a personal invitation to Grayson’s premier opening and finds himself backstage with the man who is definitely interested in learning more about Alex. Taylor is shrouded in a mystery of his own making, however, and before Alex can assimilate it all, he is signing confidentiality statements and being offered a Dom/sub contract to have an affair with the very closeted Taylor Grayson. Taylor, is perhaps one of the more interesting characters I have read in a while. The minor glimpses we get from author Jeffrey Self into how the man’s dominant mind works and what he considers a “non-romantic” partnership is fascinating to say the least. Taylor’s response and seeming inability to be affectionate made my head spin at times and I found myself, on more than one occasion, yelling at my kindle for Alex to run far and fast away from the man. Of course, it was always at this point in the story that Mr. Self’s special brand of humor would come romping out to play and I would laugh my way into the next tense relational section of the novel. As is often the case with shorter books, I wanted a bit more. I wanted the ending to be a little less glib, the resolution to what seemed as almost insurmountable problems should have taken longer and the moments of discovery about how each man brought baggage to the relationship needed to be explored just a tad more. But while this was may have been my laundry list of how I wanted a longer story, it did not detract from the overall smart and witty quality of the book–it was good, better than good and I hope this author continues to write because he has a wicked sense of humor and is a deft storyteller to boot. So, whether you have read that other fifty shades or not, I think, dear reader, that this Fifty Shades of Gay by Jeffrey Self should go on your to buy list–but, as always the decision is yours. Know that there are bdsm elements in the book—but none that will overwhelm or make you squeamish by my standard. Let me know if you decide to pick this gem up!