Dare to Hope by T.M. Smith #LGBT #Review

Dana reviews Dare to Hope (All Cocks Stories, book 4) by T.M. Smith (Published by TTC Publishing, April 4, 2016, 228 pages)  A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This week is reviewers choice week at Rainbow Gold Reviews. I’ve wanted to read this book for a while now, and with book 5 releasing in the near future, this is perfect timing for a review of book 4. I really enjoy the dynamics between the characters of this series. 

To read my review for Gay for Pay, book 1, click here. To read my review for Fame and Fortune, book 2, click here. To read my review of How to Deal, book 3, click here.

 

Blurb: 

Dare to Hope 

An All Cocks story

Tristan is the second oldest of the Brennan brothers and the odd man out. Most of the Brennan men have careers in law enforcement, but as a psychiatrist, Tristan chooses to help people in a different way. Quiet and restrained, he is content to hover in the background of his more gregarious brothers. Then he meets two men, each broken and damaged from losses beyond their control.

Gabriel Simenson is mourning his lover’s death. The random act of violence that took Gio’s life has left everyone at All Cocks reeling. The only thing keeping Gabe from drowning in misery is the friendship he’s forged with Micah, the newest model at All Cocks. He continues to struggle, and at the urging of his All Cocks family Gabe agrees to counseling with Tristan under one condition: Micah must go with him.

Micah Solo can relate to unbearable loss, having lost his leg and so much more in Iraq. The past two years he has been alone, adrift and vulnerable — the memories of war haunting his dreams, spilling over into his daily life. At All Cocks, Micah has found the acceptance he craves and the family he lost, but still he yearns for happiness and peace within.

The friendship between the three is instant, the mutual attraction evident. They circle each other, wanting more, yet unsure if it is truly possible. Is life the mundane reality they’ve each come to accept for themselves or do they dare to hope?

The All Cocks Stories is a series set within the world of online gay porn.

*Warning* Micah’s PTSD is told in detail, including flashbacks to his time in Iraq.
This book is an MMM Menage

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | ARe

I am a sucker for books set among the gay porn industry. Sometimes there are stories of men in that career who are doing it for the wrong reasons, or are forced into it. For the most part, though, the books I’ve read show a positive place where the owners and other actors become like family to each other. This series is the second of the two scenarios and the boys of All Cocks Industries are an awesome set of characters.

Gabe was introduced back in book 1. His character was sweet, and his easy-going nature made his co-stars comfortable. As a secondary character he wasn’t focused on, but in the next two books, he met a man, quit the business, and then lost his love. I liked that even though he was no longer filming gay porn himself, he was still included in the story line. It highlights the family-like atmosphere created by the three owners and lovers that run the business. In this book, he is slightly broken, but still a caring man who comforts Micah when his PTSD gets the best of him.

Micah wasn’t introduced until book 3. He was a newer actor to the company but he also seems to go with the flow and works well with the other men on set. Because of him, I came to like one of the mc’s in the last book that I didn’t think I would. He is a big support to Gabe who is dealing with his loss, but he suffers from PTSD after returning from Iraq with ghosts that haunt him and an amputation. He never seems to feel sorry for himself, even with all his pain. He has picked up the pieces of his life as best as he can. But he finds it hard to imagine someone loving him enough to enter into a relationship with him with his issues. It doesn’t stop him from lusting after Gabe and Tristan.

Tristan is a therapist and brother to one of the main characters in book 3. He meets Micah and Gabe after an incident that put his brother in the hospital and took Gabe’s boyfriend. He is one of four brothers in an Irish-Italian family. Out of all of them, he seems to be the most reasonable and least stubborn. He begins to counsel both Gabe and Micah and a friendship forms between the three men. He begins to question his ethics when he starts wanting them both in his bed and his life.

All three of these men are extremely likable and sweet. I adore them together once they decide to take a chance. I felt like the author brought back the pacing that I enjoyed in the first book, and though time passes by, nothing felt rushed to me in this book. The boys from All Cocks Inc. that are present in this book were ones I loved. I was happy to see how they were all doing after their books ended. Tristan’s family was as awesome as they were in book 3. It was a treat to see them again as well. I loved the lead up to the characters that will feature in book 5. Their story seems like it will be very interesting though possibly heavy in a completely different way than in this one. The author has created a world where the characters are never perfect, but when they are together with the ones they love, they are growing and striving to be the best they can be. I definitely recommend this book and the entire series.

9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel. Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!