Sam, the Man by Jude Mason

Title:  Sam, the Man

Author:  Jude Mason

Genre:  GLBT Contemporary BSDM

Length:  Novella

Publisher: Total-E Bound

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥3Hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie/Portia

When Gregg Jackson’s wife passes away after a prolonged illness, can the care giving, flamboyantly gay, Sam Nicholson, convince him that being a bad boy is a good thing?
Blurb: (From Total-E Bound Blogspot)
Sammy Nicholson’s day job done, he heads home. Sammy’s a flaming gay man who goes out of his way to show off his swishy walk and his penchant for wildly flamboyant clothing. In his free time, what there is of it, he volunteers for the local hospice foundation, which is where he meets Jean and Greg Jackson. Sparks fly between the two men, and while Sammy is reluctant to allow things to go too far, Greg needs comforting.Guilt and remorse may crush the love growing between them. Will Sammy be able to discover a way to win the luscious Greg over?We’ve never done this, but our opinions were so different, I thought it would be interesting to include both reviews.  Would love some feedback on either the dual review format and/or the individual reviews.  What’s your opinion. 

Pixie’s Review:   This is a lovely short story, Jean is dying from cancer and extract’s a promise from her hospice carer Sam to look after her husband when she is gone, she is happy in giving her blessing to Sam and Greg.

Greg struggles with his grief and guilt after she is gone and Sam has to help him break through so he can love again. Sam takes Greg through his own version of Sex Therapy hoping that Greg really does love him as much as he loves Greg.
I really thought I was going to cry during the first few pages as Jean asks Sam to look after Greg and as the book progressed I thought I was going to burn up… wow it’s hot. This isn’t a book about betrayal, Jean knows what’s going to happen and she approves. Its Greg’s own guilt and grief that hold them back and they have to work through it together.
This is a really good short, with D/s that’s hot and I heartily recommend it.

Portia’s Review:  Maybe I read the blurb wrong, but this book really disturbed me.  It was totally not what I was expecting.  There is more bondage…humiliation, than I would classify as mild.  But, that wasn’t the part that disturbed me.  I had a hard time with the fact that the men begin an affair before this woman’s body is even cold.  Regardless of the nature of their relationship, I would have expected more time after her death for Greg to grieve before moving on.

The writing is excellent and I wish that I could have enjoyed it more, but every time Sammy popped into a scene I kept thinking, what a sleaze.  It would have been a lot more enjoyable for me, if Greg had found healthy ways to deal with his grief before moving on.  Or maybe to been privy to more of his thoughts, the way we were able to eavesdrop on Sammy.

Loved the non-traditional pairing, and I guess I would recommend this book.  If for no other reason, to find out someone else’s opinion.