Boystown Season One by Jake Biondi @BOYSTOWN_series #LGBT #Review

Dana and Dawn review Boystown Season One by Jake Biondi (Published on November 8th, 2013).

Why Dana read it:  As a native Chicagoan, I was interested in reading a series that takes place there. When I was offered a copy in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the chance.

Why Dawn read it:  I had this book recommended to my by a friend, and decided to take the plunge and read it.

 

Blurb:

One of the most diverse and lively neighborhoods in the country, Chicago’s BOYSTOWN has something for everyone. So it’s no wonder that Jesse Morgan and Cole O’Brien chose to live there upon graduating from college. Ready to begin the next phase of their lives in an exciting new city, Jesse and Cole quickly find themselves at the center of a new group of friends. Joyelle and Derek Mancini have been happily married for years, but Derek is harboring a secret that could tear them apart. Derek’s brother Emmett is about to discover that his boyfriend Keith Colgan has a past that will haunt them both. Long time couple Logan Pryce and Max Taylor must face a crisis that neither of them expected. And, before they realize it, Jesse and Cole find themselves at the center of it all in the adult playground known as BOYSTOWN.

 

Dana´s thoughts:  

I was a bit confused when I read the title Boystown – Season 1. Not book one, but season one. As I started reading it all made sense to me. It read like a daytime soap opera, or maybe a night time drama like Dallas, each chapter was called an episode and the book a season. There is a large cast of characters and the setting changes frequently as we follow several different story lines through the book. I’ll admit at first it was a bit confusing, but once I remembered their names and how they fit in with the other characters it became easier and I was quickly sucked into the drama.

The first character we really meet is Joyelle, an emergency room nurse. Her husband Derek is keeping a secret from Joyelle, but when he returns from a business trip without his wedding ring, she seems to fear that he’s not being completely honest and fears losing him. I would normally have a problem with Derek’s activities, but Joyelle appears to be a little bit manipulative and sneaky and I find myself excusing him.

Derek’s brother Emmett becomes engaged to his boyfriend Keith and at first look they seemed to be a perfect couple. The only normal couple, but not all is as it seems. Keith is very jealous and distrusts Emmett’s friendship with his long time friend, Max. Then there is Keith’s shady past relationship that seems to be haunting him. Emmett does seem to be an honestly good guy, but I thought he had more fight in him to make things right with his fiance.

Max loves his partner Logan, but Logan’s alcoholism is tearing apart their relationship. Max does seem like he is harboring feelings for Emmett at the same time but he keeps trying to make things work with his partner. Logan, despite his alcoholism, surprised me by not moving on quickly when an employee expressed his interest. I feel like he loved Max but there are some underlying issues to his drinking that he needs to deal with before he will be happy.

There were quite a few other notable characters in this story. Cole and Jesse were college roommates who move to Chicago from Notre Dame. They end up moving in across the street from Derek and Joyelle and become quick friends with the couple. Cole is in love with a married man and Jesse is interested in his new boss. Justin is Derek and Emmett’s estranged brother. Though we aren’t given the reason they haven’t talked in awhile, when he shows up, his actions seem highly suspicious. Jacqueline is Jesse’s mother, and has a history with one of the Boystown characters and is being courted by a man who is not what he seems. Ben is a former friend with benefits of Jesse’s and when his deepened feelings weren’t returned, he seems determined to cause a little bit of trouble. Last but not least is Michael, a detective brought in when one of the characters is kidnapped and appears to have interest in one of the other characters.

In true television drama fashion, things come to a head with the kidnapped character being found and shots fired. Who was shot? We don’t know. What a cliffhanger! With all these characters and plots weaving through the book together, it is never boring. There is a lot of action, heat, and drama. It kept my interest throughout the whole book though I wouldn’t consider it my usual read. While the couples did have feelings for each other, I wouldn’t classify at as a romance. It was a fantastic job of storytelling though, and I can’t wait to move on to Season 2.

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Dawn´s thoughts:

Well, what can I say about Boystown……. OMG, is one word that comes to mind.  I have to say there is never a dull moment in Boystown!!

I have to admit, it took a bit of getting used to, as it was swapping between couples, but I knew who everyone was, I couldn’t put the book down.

We meet Joyelle in the beginning of the book, when she is waiting for her husband Derek back from a business trip, but unbeknown to her, her husband rather than flying back to her to celebrate their anniversary, is currently with his latest conquest, and this time it is Cole. However, Cole doesn’t see this as a a casual fling, and he manages to find out Dereks ‘ address, and also keeps something that Derek leaves behind in his rush to the airport.

Cole and his best friend Jesse both manage to secure new jobs, and then move to Boystown, and literally across the road from Derek and Joyelle…… not a coincidence!!

When you read about Emmett and Keith, their relationship seems so secure, but looks can be deceiving, especially when you thrown into the mix that Keith seems to be jealous of the close friendship that Emmett and Max have.
The jealously that Keith has, is fuelled to epic and catastrophic proportions by a third party, which incidently is somehow connected to Keiths past.

Logan and Max you really feel for, as it seems both are unhappy, but neither want to take the final step….. this couple you can really relate to, as there are other factors causing problems within the relationship which is commonplace.

Things come to a head in spectacular fashion, and I am not giving you any clues, but it will not be what you expect to happen. The end result is even more so, and then into the mix of all the characters, you can add Dereks and Emmetts brother Justin, who is not what he seems…….. and Joyelle starts to show her true colours too.

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Excerpts

BOYSTOWN Season 1 – Episode 1 (excerpt)

“Nothing?” Joyelle’s coworker atThe emergency room should have been busier, but it wasn’t.  After all, Saturday night at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood was usually quite a sight – all the usual unusuals.  But things were quiet as Joyelle Mancini checked her cell phone for the umteenth time.  She shoved the phone back into her scrubs pocket and headed back to the nurses’ station.  Her baggy, blue scrubs covered the form of her gorgeous body and only those who knew her outside of the workplace knew of her model-like physique.  She was certainly modest, but enjoyed the compliments she regularly received on a night out on the town. the admittance desk asked.

“Nope. I just checked again.”

“I’m sure his flight is just delayed a bit. You know O’Hare.  Don’t worry, sweetie.”  The coworker smiled and Joyelle continued on toward the nurses’ station.   Everyone knew that it was Joyelle’s fifth wedding anniversary and she was anxiously awaiting word from her husband that he was safely back in Chicago from his business trip in Boston.

She quickly passed the nurses’ station, patted her hand on the counter twice to get the attention of her colleague, mumbled “I’ll be right back,” and headed toward the ER doors to the outside.  As she approached the doors, they flung open before her, and she stepped outside into the cool autumn air.  The area that was usually loud with ambulance sirens was eerily quiet and Joyelle took a deep breath.  She loved Chicago in autumn: the crisp air, the bright gold and orange leaves of the trees, and the dramatic waves of Lake Michigan.  Winter would be here before she knew it and Joyelle had learned long ago to make the most of Chicago’s short fall seasons.

Joyelle first met Derek about seven years ago at their five-year college reunion.  She had never known him when they were both undergrads at the University of Michigan, but they were introduced by mutual friends at a dinner event during their reunion weekend.  For her, it was love at first sight.  He stood there in front of her with his boyish good looks and a great physique that she could recognize hidden beneath his perfectly fitted suit.  They talked all night over cocktails as if they had known each other for years.  He had played varsity baseball at Michigan, earned both his BBA and MBA there, and worked at a law firm based in Chicago with clients all over the country.  He was intrigued not only by Joyelle’s beauty, but her brains as well.  She was articulate, sophisticated, and driven.  As a nurse, she spoke with compassion and empathy about her patients and was just about the kindest girl Derek had ever met.

Over time, they learned more about each other and each other’s families.  They fell deeply in love and five years ago this very night, they were married at a lovely autumn ceremony at Chicago’s Botanic Gardens. It was the fairytale wedding they had both dreamed of and married life seemed to suit them well.  They carefully balanced their careers with their personal lives, enjoying friends and neighbors in their Lakeview neighborhood and beyond.  Joyelle hated that Derek’s job took him out of town so often, but she appreciated the income it produced so she kept her concerns to herself.

Joyelle glanced at her wedding ring as it sparkled in the autumn moonlight.  Derek and she had designed their own wedding rings, specially crafted with both yellow and white gold and a series of diamonds.  People always commented on them because they were so beautifully unique.

Joyelle then checked her phone one more time.  No texts or missed calls.  So she put her phone away, took one last breath of the night air, and returned back into the emergency room to complete her shift.  Optimistic, she still hoped that Derek and she could celebrate their anniversary at least a little bit once her shift ended and he landed back in Chicago safely.

Unlike Chicago, Boston was experiencing a severe storm that night – frequent lightning lit the Boston skyline — but that wasn’t why Derek was late arriving back in Chicago.  Although rain pounded against the hotel window, music from an ipod next to the room’s bed drowned out that sound.  Lightning illuminated the otherwise dark bedroom, revealing the contours of Derek’s muscled body as he rolled back on top of Cole O’Brien.

Derek smiled looking into Cole’s eyes and shoved his tongue down Cole’s throat.  Clinging to Derek as if he would never let go, Cole dug his toes into the back of Derek’s calves and cupped Derek’s tight ass with his hands.  Derek’s tongue moved down Cole’s neck, then back up along his jaw line to his ear.  Cole’s moans urged Derek to continue, and he did.

In some ways, Cole’s body reminded Derek of what his used to be.  While Cole’s body was completely smooth except for a small tuft of blond hair that accented his penis, his muscled chest, arms and thighs were reminiscent of the hard body Derek had during his days playing baseball of Michigan.  Certainly, his body was still great, but there was a youthfulness to Cole’s that made it even more appealing.

Cole playfully nibbled on Derek’s chin and smiled.  Then he flipped over on top of Derek, sitting across his hips and looking down at Derek’s hairy chest.  He leaned forward and put his lips on Derek’s nipple, carefully biting the tip.  Derek twitched momentarily and then laughed, “Oh, no you don’t!”

Derek powerfully flipped back over on top of Cole and pinned him down, his arms over his head.  Cole watched the smile leave Derek’s face and anticipated what was about to happen.  Derek reached over to the nightstand to grab a condom and quickly pulled it on. Then Derek once again began to kiss Cole and pulled Cole’s legs over his shoulders.  As he took Cole’s toes into his mouth, Derek positioned his hard cock against Cole’s inviting hole.

“Yes,” Cole whispered as he grabbed Derek’s butt and began to pull Derek inside of him.  Derek thrust hard, and Cole’s face turned red, the tips of his blond hair stuck to the sweat forming on his forehead.   Cole’s toes curled as he felt Derek’s hard dick pumping into his hole.  The thrusts were long and penetrating, while Cole’s own hard dick was sandwiched between the men’s hard abs.  Cole loved the feel of Derek’s furry chest against his and ran his fingers up Derek’s back, digging them into his flesh each time Derek hit the spot deep inside of him.

Derek continued to kiss Cole as he pounded deeper and deeper, Cole wiping the sweat from Derek’s back.   Derek intended to once again show this boy who was in charge and Cole showed no signs of resisting.

“Oh fuck, I’m close,” Derek whispered as Cole smiled and tightened his ass around Derek.

“Stay inside me….please,” Cole begged, but Derek took orders from no one.  He continued to pump as his entire body began to tense up.  “Please,” Cole pleaded once again, but Derek swiftly pulled his cock from inside Cole, tore off the condom, and shot his load all over Cole’s smooth chest, letting out a large moan as he did so.   The load was thicker and larger than the previous ones, nearly hitting Cole’s neck.  As it settled on Cole’s chest, Cole’s whole body began to tremble.  Derek used some his own cum to stroke Cole’s incredibly hard cock.  “Oh God,” Cole moaned as his own load shot and mixed with Derek’s.  Derek collapsed onto Cole, kissing him and rolling over onto his back next to his conquest.

Derek took several deep breaths as he looked up at the hotel room ceiling, the lightning from outside casting strange shadows across it.  “Fuck…”

“You rock,” Cole smiled as he planted a kiss on Derek’s chest.  He ran his fingers through the mixed cum on his chest, making a random design.

“Looks like you need a towel,” Derek smiled as he hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.  Cole enviously watched Derek’s ass as it disappeared behind the bathroom door.  Derek tossed Cole a towel and then closed the door completely.

Cole tasted some of the cum on his fingers, then wiped up the rest with his towel.  He sat up and flipped his legs over the side of the bed as he pulled on a pair of Notre Dame shorts and shoved his toes into some flip flops.  Then he stood up and walked to the window.  It was still raining.

“Oh fuck!” Derek yelled as he ran back into the bedroom.  “I’m gonna miss my flight.”  Cole turned from the window as Derek scanned the room for this pants and shirt.  He pulled on his pants and sat down to put on his socks.  Cole crawled across the bed and wrapped his arms around Derek’s back, kissing his neck.  Derek smiled and continued to put on his shoes.  Then Derek stood up and pulled on his shirt.  “Notre Dame? Really?” Derek quipped as he caught a glance of Cole’s shorts.

“Yup.  So?”

“I went to Michigan,” Derek smiled.  “Notre Dame sucks.”  Cole just smiled back at Derek, no comment.  “What are you doing in Boston anyway?  You said you’re still in school.”

“I’m graduating early, in a few weeks.  Job interview here.”

“Oh cool.  Good luck with that,” Derek said as he pulled on his suit coat. “I gotta grab a cab.”

“When’s your flight?”

“I think I missed it.  Fuck.”

“Before you go, can I get your number?”  Cole smiled, then bit his lip.

“I told you.  Can’t do that.”

“Aw come on,” Cole pleaded again.

“Look, these two days have been awesome.  Hot, even.  But I have to go back to my life.  And you do, too.”  Derek leaned in to kiss Cole quickly on the lips.  “Thanks, man.”  And with that comment, Derek was out the door and gone.

“Ya, thanks,” Cole mumbled to himself.  He walked over to the mirror on the wall and checked himself out.  Then he let out a sigh and returned to the window to contemplate the storm.  As he walked across the room, the lightning reflected off something shiny on the floor, half-buried in the carpet.  He knelt down to take a closer look and picked up what turned out to be a ring.  It was both gold and silver in color and had a series of small diamonds in it.  Cole turned toward the hotel room door, then looked back at the ring.  He examined it more closely and then slipped it on his finger; Derek hopped into a cab outside.

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AuthorBio

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Jake Biondi fell in love with “The Windy City” at an early age.  He left the Chicago area for four years to attend the University of Notre Dame and, upon graduation, returned to Chicago.  He has been living in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood for over 20 years.
A huge fan of Charles Dickens’ novels as well as television shows such as Dynasty, Knots Landing, Dallas  and Revenge, Jake Biondi has created a serialized saga for contemporary audiences.

Because of BOYSTOWN’s huge success online and the serialized nature of Biondi’s writing, readers from all over the globe have been able to correspond with Biondi and influence the storylines of the BOYSTOWN saga as Biondi writes it.   Now, the first ten episodes of BOYSTOWN are available in book form.

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