Jon Brennan comes from a long line of men in uniform; all born and bred to both bleed and wear blue. His family and the majority of his co-workers support him every step of the way, so he doesn’t need to hide the fact that he prefers men over women. Between the job and his larger than life, loud and rowdy half Irish, half Italian family, there isn’t much time for dating, much less finding a guy … guy that can deal with the stress and demands placed on the shoulders of an NYPD Detective.
Kory White is cocky and abrasive with most people, but it is all a mirage, a façade he hides behind to keep his heart safe. As a child, Kory lost his mother to an act of violence. Soon after, he and his baby sister Kassandra were separated by the system. Kassandra was immediately adopted, but Kory spent the next ten years cycling through foster homes before moving to the Big Apple. In an effort to keep everyone at a distance, Kory has meticulously built himself an alter ego: Hayden Cox, All Cocks’ cockiest model.
These two strong willed men definitely prove opposites do attract. Both are stubborn and hard headed to a fault, Kory more so than Jon. But Jon is used to being in control, the one calling the shots, and Kory fights him at every turn. Just when it seems they have found a way to navigate the unchartered territory that is love, tragedy knocks on Kory’s door yet again. Volatile and strong, even in the face of adversity, both men refuse to give up on each other – or their love.
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5 Stars!
The third book in the All Cocks series by TM Smith is How To Deal, which revolves around Joe and Kory.
I have to start by talking about Kory. I love him. He’s a member of the All Cocks crew because he’s single, he’s young, and he gets to have sex with no strings attached. More importantly though, he prefers to keep people at a distance, finding it easier to be open with people when he’s facing the world as his porn star persona.
What is truly beautiful is how quickly he opens up to Jon however. He even admits that he is a runner, who can’t deal with stress or pressure, thus causing him to shut down and run.
Jon is not easily deterred however and ignores Kory’s warning to just walk away right now. Jon is interested in Kory and is his match at being stubborn and aggressive. In other words, Jon won’t be giving up on worming his way into Kory’s heart.
My favorite thing about Jon though, is his family. In this book, we are introduced to the fabulous and highly entertaining Brennan family. They are loud, a lot crazy and a whole lot loveable. Or, as Jon tells it “Our family is in-fucking-sane on a good day.” And Jon’s Grandma, well, it’s worth a read just to see the shit that comes out of her mouth.
Be warned, after they start falling in love, a tragedy hits them, as well as the entire All Cocks family. It is not an easy ride, but it is well worth it. Just be sure to have some tissues handy.
How To Deal is another fantastic book in the All Cocks series. TM Smith continues to wow me with all of the well developed characters, the overwhelming strength and love from the All Cocks family and the stupendous storylines involved.
Review of the audio book.
T.M. Smith and Joel Leslie made me cry – again.
This review could almost be an exact copy of the review I did a few days ago for Fame and Fortune.
How to Deal focuses on Kory White (aka Hayden Cox, All Cocks model) and his relationship with NYPD Detective, Jon Brennan. Kory isn’t the most likeable guy and he definitely isn’t known for his sweet disposition. However, when Jon lays eyes on him the first time, he’s a gonner.
It takes a lot of patience and convincing on Jon’s part to develop a relationship with Kory. Once he finally gets Kory to open up to him, Jon learns what happened in Kory’s past. Having that information, it’s much easier to understand why Kory’s not the happiest guy on earth.
OK, this paragraph is nearly word for word what I said about Fame and Fortune because I just don’t know any other way to put it: How to Deal invoked so many feelings while I was listening to it. Joel Leslie is brilliant at bringing T.M. Smith’s wonderful story to life. I love the accents he does and how easy it is to distinguish which character is speaking while listening to this story. In particular, his accent for Victor is just perfect. He also does a very good job with the female voices. Books that really touch me usually will bring on tears at some point while I’m reading. Joel Leslie did the same thing to me when he brought T.M. Smith’s words to life in this audio book. When I listened to this I felt like I was listening to and watching a play in my mind; I could totally picture the characters without actually seeing them.
I can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series, Dare to Hope which is about Jon’s brother, Tristan, who had a role in How to Deal.
A copy of this audio book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***