Dex in Blue by Amy Lane

Hello, hello, hello. It is a fabulous Tuesday and I leave for GRL in Albuquerque tomorrow at O'dark thirty, so I wanted to leave you with a review for one of the authors that I will be stalking....er hoping to meet. I hope to come back with lots of books and many new friends.

 It is also a little bittersweet for me. The reason I signed up to go to GRL was at the encouragement of William Neale, who passed away in March. I was looking forward to spending time with Bill and his partner and now I will be taking the time to remember a man who's books touched my soul. I miss you!

There are many names on the list of authors attending and I am happy to say that I have read a lot of them...not all but I think I made a pretty good dent in the list. I promise to share my experiences and thoughts with you all next week.

Dex in Blue, Amy Lane, Dreamspinner Press
Johnnies #2
Ten years ago David Worral had plans to go to college and the potential for a beautiful future in front of him. One tragic accident later, he fled to California and reinvented himself as Dex, top porn model of Johnnies.
Dex’s life is a tangled mess now, but the guys he works with only see the man who makes them believe even porn stars can lead normal lives. When Kane, one of Dex’s coworkers, gets kicked out of his house, the least Dex can do is give him a place to stay. Kane may be a hyperactive muscle-bound psycho, but he’s also a really nice guy. What could be the harm?
Except nothing is simple—not sex, not love, and not the goofy kid with the big dick and bigger heart who moves his life into Dex’s guest room. When they start negotiating fractured pasts and broken friends, Dex wonders if Kane’s honest nature can untangle the sadness that stalled his once-promising future. With Kane by his side, Dex just might be able to reclaim the boy he once was—and if he can do that, he can give Kane the home and the family he deserves.

WOW, just WOW! This series is not for the faint of heart, because they are not easy reads, but they are so worth the tears! When I realized that this book was the second in a series I had to go back and read the first book and I am really glad that I did, it gave me a much better understanding and feel for the characters.

When David was 17 years old he had his best friend, who he was in love with, and a promising future ahead of him. On what should have been the happiest day of his life, when he and Dex professed their feelings for each other, a tragic accident takes everything away from him. He leaves Montana, his family and his future with Dex behind to go to school in California.

Now 8 years later David is a successful porn star using the name Dex. When life gives him a second chance at everything he thought he could have will he have the strength to take it?

Please have tissue handy when you start this book. Having met David(Dex) in the previous book I was not prepared for the event that brought him to Johnnies. He is the heart and soul of the place, the guy that keeps everything running smoothly and takes care of everyone else. You think he so has it all together, but his insecurities when it come to his personal life are heartbreaking.

Carols(Kane) is just that funny. sweet, do anything for you kind of guy. But his need to be accepted and loved for who he is, is palpable. His sister made me so angry I just wanted to crawl into the book and strangle her.

I love the sense of family that Ms. Lane creates for these lost boys that end up at Johnnies doing gay for pay porn. Some of them are so far in the closet that they can't even see the door, but the acceptance and support that they find there saves them. She has taken what could have come off as a sleazy existence and gave it heart.

Another thing that is done well in this book is showing the difference between the sex that they have in front of the camera and the sex that occurs between two people in a relationship. This is especially important for Kane, because so much of his self worth is wrapped up in sex.

Watching the growth of Dex and Kane not only in their feelings for each other but in their lives as a whole was very cathartic and beautiful.

I would recommend this book and series for anyone who loves to read about second chances and believes that family isn't always blood related.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by Dreamspinner Press. Many thanks.