Title: Hot Italian Lover
Author: Ryan Field
Genre: Contemporary/Erotic/ Romance
Length: Novella
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3 1/2Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Joey King likes the spotlight. He’s worked hard for over twenty years to reach a pinnacle of success and to achieve a cult following, and now he’s the big star in one of Broadway’s most successful shows… But when he’s not on stage performing, Joey King is an attractive gay man just turned forty who is terrified of growing older.
On the last night of his show, Joey overhears people snickering about his age and it leaves him questioning his future as an actor- he’s terrified of becoming a joke, and being laughed at.
In a state of confusion, Joey travels to Chicago in the middle of the night to be with his longtime partner of twenty years, Ned Stevens, who is there on a business trip. Ned has always been the one constant strength in Joey’s life.
But when Joey reaches Chicago, he is met with a devastating shock.
Joey buys a one-way ticket to Florence to recover. There he meets handsome young Antonio, who is almost half Joey’s age. Joey initially protests, but Antonio finally throws him down on the terrace and takes him in ways Joey never imagined were possible. Antonio does things to Joey that Joey’s ex-partner, Ned, never did in the twenty years they were together. But more than that, Antonio introduces Joey to the kind of love and passion he never dared to believe existed.
But no matter how many times Antonio professes his love, Joey isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to embrace love or to trust anyone again. Will Antonio figure out a way to prove his love for Joey? And will Joey ever find enough room in his heart to love Antonio as much as Antonio loves him?
Review: After a horrifying event in Joey’s 1st year in New York Joey craves the security that Ned gives him, he is devastated by Ned’s betrayal and flees to Florence to decide what to do with his life next. When he meets Antonio he is shown carnal delights that he isn’t sure he really wants.
Joey comes across as very repressed sexually and really truly believes that Antonio could only want him for his money and his fame, he is extremely cynical as he is nearly 20yrs older than Antonio. Antonio wants Joey for himself and seems to really love him but can’t convince Joey of that fact because of his job. I felt sad for Joey as he really doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t want to admit to his feelings as he could get hurt again and you can feel Antonio’s frustration at being treated like a child and not being taken seriously.
This is a very good story of an older/younger relationship that eventually does have a happy ending.