"Living Dangerously"

Review - "Living Dangerously" by G.A. Hauser

Great alternative tale of love

Very Highly Recommended

When Brandon Kennedy left the Navy, he lost most of his direction.  Married but unhappy and drifting, he's more focused on getting high, getting off, and trying to maintain some kind of friendship with his old SEAL mates.  They way he's acting, though, they may kick his butt for acting the major league fool.

He's also fighting his attraction to guys.  It may have been a mistake to go into business with Monty, his old squad leader.  The two men have a past, and now that Monty has a man, he can't even go on the down low with him.  So he cruises for a high and for something more.

That something more is Anita.  Beautiful and sexy.  And a hooker.  Brandon picks her up and has his way with her, then leaves.  There's more than meets the eye with Anita though.  She's really Andy, turning tricks to make his way through school.

As Brandon's behavior spirals out of control, he keeps showing up at Anita/Andy's door, wanting more and more.  But so very scared to have everyone else know this huge ex-military guy likes dudes.  What would the other ex-SEALS think of him then?

Do these two very different people have a future together?  Or will Brandon let all his fears keep him in the closet?

G.A. Hauser has given us a timely and in-your-face story about how love, no matter how it looks to someone on the outside, sneaks up on a man and takes his knees out from under him.  About the lengths a man will go to protect his false pride.  And how, sometimes, tough love is the best kind of love.

Brandon is so very unhappy at heart, and most people would not have given this broken man the time of day.  He's unlikeable, and working hard to lose all the goodwill and love his friends might have for him.  It's amazing that someone would see through all that anger, fear and belligerence to the loving and tender man underneath.

But that's exactly what Andy does.  A fringe person himself, he's using the drag persona of Anita to make money to keep his dream alive.  That Brandon can find both Andy AND Anita attractive, and want them both, makes Andy dream big.

These two are wounded souls who have found each other and, miraculously, bolster each others' strengths rather than pull each other down with their weaknesses.

I loved this story.  It's not for everyone, I realize.  It's not a traditional boy-meets-boy romance. 

Only it is.

Give this one a read.  A huge two thumbs up!

Tom