Gay for Pay by T.M. Smith #LGBT #Review

Dana reviews Gay for Pay (An All Cocks story Book 1) by T.M. Smith (Published by TTC Publishing, June 28, 2015, 174 pages)

Why I read this: I read Opposites by this author and loved her unique way of looking at society’s norms. The idea of a straight man in gay porn is not unheard of, but makes me very curious, so I really wanted to read this book.

Blurb: 

Gay for Pay
An All Cocks story

Christopher Allan Roberts thought he had a promising future; Captain of the football team with the promise of a scholarship to play for Alabama. His high school sweetheart and best friend for as long as he could remember, Amanda, by his side, and the love and support of his family. One night, one mistake changed everything. Chris moves to New York, adrift and alone. A walk one night brings him to the flashing lights, loud music and thrumming bodies at club Berlin. A flyer in the men’s room promises fame and fortune for anyone willing to go on camera and have sex, with another man. Money is money, and how hard could it be, right?

Christopher Allan Roberts becomes Kris Alen, All Cocks newest addition, a gay for pay porn star.

Lincoln Carter is honest with everyone in his life, including his family, about who he is and about his sexual preferences. Linc Larson, the openly bi-sexual gay porn star will do anything with anyone, which pretty much writes his ticket in a versatility charged industry. It’s not his sexuality that interferes with his personal life; it’s his inability to trust.

What Linc wants right now, more than anything, is the chance to do a scene with All Cocks newest acquisition, Kris Alen. Six foot two with Auburn hair, an exquisitely toned and inked up body, Kris Alen is sex personified. Linc doesn’t know if it’s the “I want the shiny new toy” aspect that calls to him, or the distant and wounded expression that haunts Kris’s eyes.

Linc figures out early on that Kris is only working the gay for pay angle that All Cocks brings to his bank account. Can a bi-sexual man with trust issues break down the barriers that Kris has built around himself and help Christopher overcome the painful past he is running from.

Gay for Pay is a gay for you story about two men that will have to come to terms with the mistakes they made in their past, if they want to stick around and have a chance at a future.

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | ARe

Let me start out by saying, I really enjoyed this story and the subject. That the author met and spoke to two gay porn stars at a convention and was inspired to write this story is neat, and the conversation had to lend a lot more realism to the situation.

In the beginning I was really ready to be angry with Chris when he makes a decision to do something extremely reckless. However, in the aftermath, the author expressed his regret and guilt so well, that I immediately felt for him. The one friend who stayed by his side, Michael, and Michael’s partner Max give him a place to live and are his only support system after being disowned. Until he goes to a gay bar and meets Colton, who provides some comic relief for Chris and the reader. Chris’s security with his manhood, his close friendship with a few gay men, and his desperation for work lead him to look for employment at a gay porn studio. Even though he is very much straight. Another gay for pay star, Jordan, takes him under his wing to give him pointers on how to get through a scene when he’s not attracted to the person he shoots with.

Getting close to the guys in the company, and shooting with them, does lead to a real connection with Linc. Without putting labels on it, you could just say he realizes that caring for someone and desiring them, doesn’t have to be confined to a gender, but with a compatible personality. Which really makes me love those “gay for you” tropes – the idea that people can just love people for who they are inside. I love all the friendships he makes with the characters that make up the porn company: Jordan, Gabe, Linc, Andrew, Matthew, and Victor. The latter three who are partners in life and work are really sweet. Also they like to meddle a bit in Chris and Linc’s budding romance. Most scenes with these characters are light-hearted.

But Gay for Pay isn’t just about Chris’s journey into gay porn or the other stars. There are many things happening in the story line, and a few important discoveries. For Chris, it’s about realizing in order to love someone else, anybody else, he has to forgive himself and let go of the past For Linc, it’s about realizing he is worth so much more than the way his ex treated him. And what a piece of work that ex was, causing lots of trouble for multiple characters. I really enjoyed the journey the characters made, even though it was not always easy, and really can’t wait for the next book of the series.