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precious_boy
It was just an amateur porn video, like thousands of others on the Internet. Like hundreds Jonathan Wright had seen and hundreds more he'd ignored. He hadn't intended to watch it, but he gives in to his curiosity. When he sees the lithe, blond young man who's doing naughty things with a bearish, older man, he's seduced... and feels like a pervert afterward. The youth in the video seems a little too young, despite the fact he runs his own escort service. Worse yet, Jon gets the nagging feeling he's seen "Justin Time," aka precious_boy, before. When Jon takes a chance and meets Justin in a Chicago hotel room, Jon's past, present, and possibly his future begin to converge in alarming and confusing ways. There's no escaping the resulting dilemma: Jon must decide just how involved he wants to get with a sweet kid whose life has turned sour... a decision made more complex by a surprising connection to a lover from Jon's past.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2011
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494 people want to read
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K.Z. Snow
57 books273 followersThis says it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH7rt4...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
February 27, 2011
K.Z. Snow surprises me again, and in the best ways.
I had held off reading this book because of the age disparity between the characters. Ukes and semes aside, I'm always a little creeped out by sexually aggressive twinks and dominant older seducers. And I say that as a gay man who had his first boyfriend in high school who was ... um.. NOT in high school. It's a hard thing to do well without writing a NAMBLA jerk-story or a bleak Death in Venice mood piece.
The reason is that often "twinks" in M/M fiction become feminized androids, male only by a narrow margin. It is very easy for them to slide into objectified passivity. Also in M/M, Gay porn is often a flimsy excuse for a lot of robotic harder-faster-longer f%^k-times which are about as romantic as a colostomy. Not here. Ethan is a sexy, believable character, pained and painful. The sex industry is treated as a real business with appeal and dangers. The novel doesn't shy away from hard questions about consent and responsibility... even as it stays firmly in the realm of romantic fantasy. And sexy as it is, dirty as it can get, it is thoughtfully restrained about its sexual encounters. Smart-smart-smart!
Actually Jon was a wonderful character as well, with flaws and anxieties and concern that make him not just appealing but literally heroic. He isn't a cartoony love interest or a handsome lecher. His affection and interference come from a real place. He is a man and like a man he wrestles with his desire and his fear. Yum. He is "rescued right back" as Julia Roberts might say. And the power dynamics between him and his young lover are complex and constantly shifting in surprising and intriguing ways. More than once I found myself wishing the page count of this book was double or triple what it is, just to let these characters unfold further.
Interestingly it is the teenager's fantasy that is the focus, not Jon, the "older" lover. With one neat authorial stitch, she eliminates pedo-creepiness while still wringing angst out of the age disparity gleefully. Clever Ms. Snow! The odd, uncomfortable, inspiring history between the two lovers makes for some lovely tension and stakes that could have driven a much longer novel. That history justifies the porno-track that's claimed such a sensitive young man AND the crushing ambivalence of his love interest. Drama and passion to spare... and not once did I feel that Ethan was being made into a sex object, which is no small feat since he insists that he IS. Snow very carefully builds motivations and conflict and painful pasts that compel all of her characters to do what they must, consequences be damned.
A delightful, moving, sexy short novel. I don't want to spoil any of its pleasures, but I will say that the reveal that Snow brilliantly holds back until the final pages was devastating and RIGHT on every level. Beautiful. She totally tricked me and I was overjoyed to be tricked.
Marvelous.
I had held off reading this book because of the age disparity between the characters. Ukes and semes aside, I'm always a little creeped out by sexually aggressive twinks and dominant older seducers. And I say that as a gay man who had his first boyfriend in high school who was ... um.. NOT in high school. It's a hard thing to do well without writing a NAMBLA jerk-story or a bleak Death in Venice mood piece.
The reason is that often "twinks" in M/M fiction become feminized androids, male only by a narrow margin. It is very easy for them to slide into objectified passivity. Also in M/M, Gay porn is often a flimsy excuse for a lot of robotic harder-faster-longer f%^k-times which are about as romantic as a colostomy. Not here. Ethan is a sexy, believable character, pained and painful. The sex industry is treated as a real business with appeal and dangers. The novel doesn't shy away from hard questions about consent and responsibility... even as it stays firmly in the realm of romantic fantasy. And sexy as it is, dirty as it can get, it is thoughtfully restrained about its sexual encounters. Smart-smart-smart!
Actually Jon was a wonderful character as well, with flaws and anxieties and concern that make him not just appealing but literally heroic. He isn't a cartoony love interest or a handsome lecher. His affection and interference come from a real place. He is a man and like a man he wrestles with his desire and his fear. Yum. He is "rescued right back" as Julia Roberts might say. And the power dynamics between him and his young lover are complex and constantly shifting in surprising and intriguing ways. More than once I found myself wishing the page count of this book was double or triple what it is, just to let these characters unfold further.
Interestingly it is the teenager's fantasy that is the focus, not Jon, the "older" lover. With one neat authorial stitch, she eliminates pedo-creepiness while still wringing angst out of the age disparity gleefully. Clever Ms. Snow! The odd, uncomfortable, inspiring history between the two lovers makes for some lovely tension and stakes that could have driven a much longer novel. That history justifies the porno-track that's claimed such a sensitive young man AND the crushing ambivalence of his love interest. Drama and passion to spare... and not once did I feel that Ethan was being made into a sex object, which is no small feat since he insists that he IS. Snow very carefully builds motivations and conflict and painful pasts that compel all of her characters to do what they must, consequences be damned.
A delightful, moving, sexy short novel. I don't want to spoil any of its pleasures, but I will say that the reveal that Snow brilliantly holds back until the final pages was devastating and RIGHT on every level. Beautiful. She totally tricked me and I was overjoyed to be tricked.
Marvelous.
January 6, 2011
Jonathan Wright is a 28-year-old book reviewer; one day, his one-night stand brings into his attention, a young website porn star, by the name of Justin Time. Jon is immediately entranced with the slender sensious young man, though Justin also brings a long-time memory ... when Jon remembers who Justin really is, the son of his ex-lover back when Jon was still in university, Jon feels obliged to get Ethan (Justin's real name) out of that life; even if he is fighting his attraction to the young man.
I have been such a huge fan of K.Z. Snow's works ... and this feels different than the last few stories of hers I read. This is more contemporary (it doesn't have a magic element like Mongrel or Utopia series. But at the same time, present a circumstance that for readers might found a little conflicting ... here is Jon, who used to have Ethan's father as his lover and now trying to build the relationship with the son. While I kind of having a difficult to wrap my head around the idea (I keep thinking about that Friends episode where Monica dated Richard's son!) but the way that K.Z. Snow presents the story is so well-written and beautiful, and tap that conflict Jon feels while at the same time presents the case to us, on why we should be supporting this (compared to Jon's earlier relationship with the father), makes me embrace it in the end.
The story is written in 1st person point-of-view; so we get into Jon's mind, we can read his perspective. Even so, we have enough sense on who Ethan is, his true feeling for Jon (Ethan has been having a crush for Jon since he was 8 years old). The ending is probably a bit "Hallmark-like" (let's say that it involves a scene at the airport) but it warms my romantic heart. Then there is the explanation of "precious_boy" (this is Ethan's name on the website) which is so sweet, that I can't help sighing when I read it.
precious_boy is another winner from K.Z. Snow's camp. Her writing is sublime -- she combines poetry and humor (example "I thanked the patron saint of male genitalia for sending such a sumptuous, talented mouth my way"); her characters endearing, and her story, while this one is thought-provoking but not preaching. I, of course, love it to no end ...
I have been such a huge fan of K.Z. Snow's works ... and this feels different than the last few stories of hers I read. This is more contemporary (it doesn't have a magic element like Mongrel or Utopia series. But at the same time, present a circumstance that for readers might found a little conflicting ... here is Jon, who used to have Ethan's father as his lover and now trying to build the relationship with the son. While I kind of having a difficult to wrap my head around the idea (I keep thinking about that Friends episode where Monica dated Richard's son!) but the way that K.Z. Snow presents the story is so well-written and beautiful, and tap that conflict Jon feels while at the same time presents the case to us, on why we should be supporting this (compared to Jon's earlier relationship with the father), makes me embrace it in the end.
The story is written in 1st person point-of-view; so we get into Jon's mind, we can read his perspective. Even so, we have enough sense on who Ethan is, his true feeling for Jon (Ethan has been having a crush for Jon since he was 8 years old). The ending is probably a bit "Hallmark-like" (let's say that it involves a scene at the airport) but it warms my romantic heart. Then there is the explanation of "precious_boy" (this is Ethan's name on the website) which is so sweet, that I can't help sighing when I read it.
precious_boy is another winner from K.Z. Snow's camp. Her writing is sublime -- she combines poetry and humor (example "I thanked the patron saint of male genitalia for sending such a sumptuous, talented mouth my way"); her characters endearing, and her story, while this one is thought-provoking but not preaching. I, of course, love it to no end ...
April 26, 2018
When I first saw the cover of K. Z. Snow's 'precious_boy', the artwork and title immediately grabbed my attention; I knew wanted to read the book. I was expecting to be entertained by a sexy story about a John who falls in love with a hooker and saves him from a life of depravity; but the message in 'precious_boy' runs much deeper than that. The story is told in first person by Jonathan Wright, the main character. Having Jon tell his own story enabled me to get into his psyche, exploring his thoughts, feelings and motivations. I ended up doubly emotionally invested in his struggle.
I fell in love with Jon immediately because of his good heart and his strong sense of right and wrong. His conscience leads him in directions he's never dreamed of, through all kinds of twists and turns which, at times, are amusing and at other times quite poignant, as Jon needs to look inside and learn to trust himself. Ethan broke my heart. He's bright and beautiful, but has chosen to lead his life in a dangerous and demeaning way, far below his potential. He settles for the instant gratification of money, believing that it's the only path for him to follow. What Ethan needs most is for someone to believe in him, someone that he can trust. I intensely disliked Donald. He was conceited, controlling and emotionally distant. His only positive contribution to the story was that his negative influence on each man respectively, acted as a catalyst, encouraging Jon and Ethan to make the changes necessary to ensure their success as a couple.
'Precious_boy' is a story of courage, forgiveness, and trust. It's about believing in and loving yourself before being able to wholly believe in and love someone else. Jon said it best. “I think it's when love becomes more humbling than exhilarating that you know you've found the real thing.”
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
I fell in love with Jon immediately because of his good heart and his strong sense of right and wrong. His conscience leads him in directions he's never dreamed of, through all kinds of twists and turns which, at times, are amusing and at other times quite poignant, as Jon needs to look inside and learn to trust himself. Ethan broke my heart. He's bright and beautiful, but has chosen to lead his life in a dangerous and demeaning way, far below his potential. He settles for the instant gratification of money, believing that it's the only path for him to follow. What Ethan needs most is for someone to believe in him, someone that he can trust. I intensely disliked Donald. He was conceited, controlling and emotionally distant. His only positive contribution to the story was that his negative influence on each man respectively, acted as a catalyst, encouraging Jon and Ethan to make the changes necessary to ensure their success as a couple.
'Precious_boy' is a story of courage, forgiveness, and trust. It's about believing in and loving yourself before being able to wholly believe in and love someone else. Jon said it best. “I think it's when love becomes more humbling than exhilarating that you know you've found the real thing.”
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 10, 2011
Wonderfully written story about a man falling in love with his ex-lover's young son who happens to be a porn star/escort. I liked both of the main characters and for the most part found their relationship interesting. The ex-lover/father is a bit of a creep but at the same time I felt a bit sorry for him at the end. Despite my enjoyment of the story I was a bit uncomfortable with one of the scenes in the book. It may not bother everyone and isn't really anything that bad but it did have me going "no, don't do it" and then "oh no, why'd you do that?" which is a sign of how engaged I was in the story and so isn't necessarily a bad thing. The ending is quite romantic and the explanation of the name precious_boy was sweet and left a smile on my face.
August 23, 2014
Very little about this story worked for me. Jon, the narrator, was self-righteous and unlikable. All justifications aside, he is 28 to Ethan's not-quite 18; porn star or not, Ethan is a kid. I was poised on the brink of giving Jon a chance until he After that, I couldn't believe Jon's motivations. Is he really in it for Ethan or for himself?
Other things didn't add up either: Ethan's mom and her partner are presented as loving women, yet they let Ethan essentially run away at age 16. At that age, parents still have legal control. Ethan's mom had no idea he was in porn, no idea whom he was living with. That is neglectful parenting. And if Marcus was such a controlling pimp/boyfriend to Ethan, how did Ethan have any money saved?
I'm not a fan of rentboy stories anyway, and this one treated the sex industry with a sort of casualness that gave me the creeps. Maybe that's realistic? Maybe 17-year-old beautiful boys really do get off on the power and money? But then I don't buy that Ethan would leave it all for one guy he had a crush on when he was 10.
Other things didn't add up either: Ethan's mom and her partner are presented as loving women, yet they let Ethan essentially run away at age 16. At that age, parents still have legal control. Ethan's mom had no idea he was in porn, no idea whom he was living with. That is neglectful parenting. And if Marcus was such a controlling pimp/boyfriend to Ethan, how did Ethan have any money saved?
I'm not a fan of rentboy stories anyway, and this one treated the sex industry with a sort of casualness that gave me the creeps. Maybe that's realistic? Maybe 17-year-old beautiful boys really do get off on the power and money? But then I don't buy that Ethan would leave it all for one guy he had a crush on when he was 10.
October 6, 2015
The story felt off and trite. I did not like Jon at all. He was turbulent and conflicted. Inconsistent, even. His relationship with Ethan still felt perverted to me no matter what softening tactics the author reasoned. And what was that ending? A hasty attempt to bring closure to everything. This certainly did not work for me.
December 25, 2018
I really really enjoyed this sweet story by KZ Snow. I love reading her stories. They always feel down to earth to me in a way that they ring true to life and she has a beautiful way with words. I will be re-reading this one.
February 6, 2014
This is very well-written and nicely constructed, but I didn't end up liking it as much as I thought I would. My problems were not with the character Ethan, whom I thought Snow handled sensitively, but with the narrator, Jon, whom I liked less and less as the story continued. Reading through reviews of my GR buddies, I find I'm in the minority, which may mean my reaction was more due to mood or me playing "Judgy Mcjudgerson" towards Jon. So we'll place this review in the "for what it's worth" pile.
Bottom Line; I was impressed with Snow's writing and handling of a tricky character, but I was put off by a narrator I grew to actively dislike.
Bottom Line; I was impressed with Snow's writing and handling of a tricky character, but I was put off by a narrator I grew to actively dislike.
January 6, 2013
Some time ago I realized that there are authors, not few of them, whose books I buy because of the interesting and compelling blurbs, but then, silly me, the books are sitting on my TBR forever. Why? No idea. One of this authors for me was KZ Snow. I was under the impression that despite the compelling 'I want to read this' blurbs the books in fact would be dark, heavy and dreary. This first week in 2013 I decided to finally read all my waiting KZ Snow books and what can I say?
Sorry, Ms. Snow!!! Every one of your books I read this week was a wonderful experience. This one was another beautiful read. I loved the development of Jon's and Ethan's relationship, from first meeting and realizing, yes, we knew each other years ago. To, on Jon's part, acknowledging and accepting the attraction to the younger man. The journey to their HEA. What a wonderful love story.
Sorry, Ms. Snow!!! Every one of your books I read this week was a wonderful experience. This one was another beautiful read. I loved the development of Jon's and Ethan's relationship, from first meeting and realizing, yes, we knew each other years ago. To, on Jon's part, acknowledging and accepting the attraction to the younger man. The journey to their HEA. What a wonderful love story.
July 21, 2015
If you read m/m romance solely for steamy hot sex scenes and have no expectations beyond that, you'll love this book I suspect. I tend to be pretty demanding, and this author appears to try to go a bit deeper. I read Mongrel and enjoyed it, and read a few of her books in quick succession. I found a pattern, culminating with this book (I stopped reading her books after this one).
Snow likes to create ethical dilemmas in her books and show her characters efforts to overcome them. In my opinion, she missed the mark on this one. She tried to show a man struggling with his desire for a younger man, but to my eye she ended up soapboxing for man-boy love.
I think the reason this book came across that way was that Snow's characters all have something on common. They are all, regardless of age, incapable of denying their own sexual desires. It is a pattern in her books that her characters meet someone that they are attracted to but don't care for and their brains go right out the window. Now, I know this is a stereotype of men in general and gay men in particular, but writing to stereotype in m/m fiction is a sure way to turn me off. Anyway, isn't that male stereotype the basis of the "boys will be boys" attitude that excuses behavior because they just can't help it? I am not talking about choosing to play around here as much as truly having no choice once the little brain starts asserting itself.
So in this book, there are two objects of desire. One is a boy, the other a former lover known to be manipulative. The MC is unable to say no to either of them, causing hurt to the boy and himself. The boy IS 18 when the sex takes place, but we're made to understand that it really doesn't matter because everyone matures at his own rate. This boy is so mature that he has found himself in an abusive relationship, hooking and doing porn. The author never explores whether this boy is ready for a relationship, only that age doesn't matter. So in approaching the ethical dilemma, she does it from only one direction, by having the rational voices shoot down all of the Most internal limits.
We then are shown a glimpse of this other relationship, one the MC had when HE was a young man. Things like power imbalances are exposed, the relationship was clearly unhealthy. The author NEVER HAS THE MC NOTE THE PARALLELS! Throughout the courtship of the man and boy, the man is giving fatherly advice and being a daddy, which is a common m/m erotica theme, but he never even considers the power imbalance as an issue.
And finally, this young man has been victimized and objectified, and the telling says that the MC isn't doing that, because he cares. Yet, of course, the entire showing is about sex and the boy's hot young body and how the MC gets a boner every time he sees him. So, really, he is just objectifying a just turned 18 year old boy and then rationalizing it to himself. By the way, the boy has been "in love" with the man since he was 10. No possibility of taking advantage there, huh?
And there no discussion at all of prosecuting the porn guy for child pornography, it is all written from the POV that there is no purpose to age of consent at all. It would have been nice for the author to research where that magic number came from (developmental psychology. Most 17 year olds do not have fully developed impulse control, moral reasoning, self preservation, etc. They are still in adolescence, their brains are developing.) She basically proves through the story that this 17 year old is pretty much normal for his age, self destructive and obstinate. Then she pretends that none of it matters as two people have the hots for each other, because nobody will get hurt. Did she even research the downside of statutory rape and power imbalance?
Snow likes to create ethical dilemmas in her books and show her characters efforts to overcome them. In my opinion, she missed the mark on this one. She tried to show a man struggling with his desire for a younger man, but to my eye she ended up soapboxing for man-boy love.
I think the reason this book came across that way was that Snow's characters all have something on common. They are all, regardless of age, incapable of denying their own sexual desires. It is a pattern in her books that her characters meet someone that they are attracted to but don't care for and their brains go right out the window. Now, I know this is a stereotype of men in general and gay men in particular, but writing to stereotype in m/m fiction is a sure way to turn me off. Anyway, isn't that male stereotype the basis of the "boys will be boys" attitude that excuses behavior because they just can't help it? I am not talking about choosing to play around here as much as truly having no choice once the little brain starts asserting itself.
So in this book, there are two objects of desire. One is a boy, the other a former lover known to be manipulative. The MC is unable to say no to either of them, causing hurt to the boy and himself. The boy IS 18 when the sex takes place, but we're made to understand that it really doesn't matter because everyone matures at his own rate. This boy is so mature that he has found himself in an abusive relationship, hooking and doing porn. The author never explores whether this boy is ready for a relationship, only that age doesn't matter. So in approaching the ethical dilemma, she does it from only one direction, by having the rational voices shoot down all of the Most internal limits.
We then are shown a glimpse of this other relationship, one the MC had when HE was a young man. Things like power imbalances are exposed, the relationship was clearly unhealthy. The author NEVER HAS THE MC NOTE THE PARALLELS! Throughout the courtship of the man and boy, the man is giving fatherly advice and being a daddy, which is a common m/m erotica theme, but he never even considers the power imbalance as an issue.
And finally, this young man has been victimized and objectified, and the telling says that the MC isn't doing that, because he cares. Yet, of course, the entire showing is about sex and the boy's hot young body and how the MC gets a boner every time he sees him. So, really, he is just objectifying a just turned 18 year old boy and then rationalizing it to himself. By the way, the boy has been "in love" with the man since he was 10. No possibility of taking advantage there, huh?
And there no discussion at all of prosecuting the porn guy for child pornography, it is all written from the POV that there is no purpose to age of consent at all. It would have been nice for the author to research where that magic number came from (developmental psychology. Most 17 year olds do not have fully developed impulse control, moral reasoning, self preservation, etc. They are still in adolescence, their brains are developing.) She basically proves through the story that this 17 year old is pretty much normal for his age, self destructive and obstinate. Then she pretends that none of it matters as two people have the hots for each other, because nobody will get hurt. Did she even research the downside of statutory rape and power imbalance?
February 4, 2011
*4.5 stars*
I’m a sucker for a pretty cover and I’d been meaning to try something by K.Z. Snow for a while, so when I discovered this novella also had a prostitution storyline I couldn’t resist! precious_boy begins with Jon, our twenty-eight year old narrator, discovering a gorgeous young man on an internet porn site who looks disturbingly familiar, and who Jon eventually remembers his close connection to. It turns out that “Justin Time” also runs an escort service, and so Jon arranges a meeting, with the hope of persuading him away from his life of vice. For those who are disturbed by such things (as Jon himself is), “Justin” (real name Ethan) is only seventeen at the time, but as one of the characters points out, in many countries the age of consent is younger than this. However, no on-page sex happens until Ethan is legal.
The quality of the writing was superb, and I was drawn into the story immediately. Jon himself is flawed but likeable, and we discover about a past relationship of his with a man called Donald, which explains not only how Jon ended up the way he is, but also Ethan’s vulnerability - although I have to admit, I still didn’t completely understand why he had fallen under the spell of his pimp and allowed himself to be guided into a career in prostitution and porn, but it was difficult to get this across without him having any narrative point of view. Ethan is a compelling character who shows both a wisdom beyond his years and a naive trust in the world. This is a fascinating story that deals with all kinds of relationship issues, but which are hard to detail here without spoilers. Highly recommended.
I’m a sucker for a pretty cover and I’d been meaning to try something by K.Z. Snow for a while, so when I discovered this novella also had a prostitution storyline I couldn’t resist! precious_boy begins with Jon, our twenty-eight year old narrator, discovering a gorgeous young man on an internet porn site who looks disturbingly familiar, and who Jon eventually remembers his close connection to. It turns out that “Justin Time” also runs an escort service, and so Jon arranges a meeting, with the hope of persuading him away from his life of vice. For those who are disturbed by such things (as Jon himself is), “Justin” (real name Ethan) is only seventeen at the time, but as one of the characters points out, in many countries the age of consent is younger than this. However, no on-page sex happens until Ethan is legal.
The quality of the writing was superb, and I was drawn into the story immediately. Jon himself is flawed but likeable, and we discover about a past relationship of his with a man called Donald, which explains not only how Jon ended up the way he is, but also Ethan’s vulnerability - although I have to admit, I still didn’t completely understand why he had fallen under the spell of his pimp and allowed himself to be guided into a career in prostitution and porn, but it was difficult to get this across without him having any narrative point of view. Ethan is a compelling character who shows both a wisdom beyond his years and a naive trust in the world. This is a fascinating story that deals with all kinds of relationship issues, but which are hard to detail here without spoilers. Highly recommended.
June 14, 2011
This story was told with amazing and delightful simplicity. Ethan is not yet 18 and he works in the porn industry and as a rent boy. Jon, who's 28, sees him in a video and recognizes him as the 10-year-old son of a former lover.
I think Jon does what most people with a heart in that situation would have done: remembering the gentle child he knew, he decides to meet him to make him re-think his life. What makes Jon more human is that, although he has a bit of a preaching attitude, he can't help feeling and acknowledging the attraction for the young and beautiful boy. I liked his inner struggle to come to terms with his attraction. I also liked that Ethan is a very nice young man, who has to find his way back to a normal life and the courage to pursue his dreams.
The writing is beautiful and I loved Jon's voice, light, funny and understanding. You could really feel his affection for Ethan and what could have been creepy becomes sweet and truly lovely. I am often attracted to weird plots, questionable characters and creative writing, but I guess weaving a story that feels like a refreshing breeze is maybe more difficult.
Highly recommended for true romantics at heart, who watch every re-run of Pretty Woman.
I think Jon does what most people with a heart in that situation would have done: remembering the gentle child he knew, he decides to meet him to make him re-think his life. What makes Jon more human is that, although he has a bit of a preaching attitude, he can't help feeling and acknowledging the attraction for the young and beautiful boy. I liked his inner struggle to come to terms with his attraction. I also liked that Ethan is a very nice young man, who has to find his way back to a normal life and the courage to pursue his dreams.
The writing is beautiful and I loved Jon's voice, light, funny and understanding. You could really feel his affection for Ethan and what could have been creepy becomes sweet and truly lovely. I am often attracted to weird plots, questionable characters and creative writing, but I guess weaving a story that feels like a refreshing breeze is maybe more difficult.
Highly recommended for true romantics at heart, who watch every re-run of Pretty Woman.
January 8, 2011
I would say around 3.5 stars... I have such mixed feelings about this book. The writing was great but I had problems with... a romance. Actually it's hard to find any in the first 60-70% of the book. The MCs meet...twice. We are told that Jon's drawn to Ethan aka Justin aka precious_boy (a rent-boy and rising porn actor with culinary aspirations) like a moth to a flame. Jon watches a meaty video featuring Ethan-Justin on the internet and is convinced he met the precious_boy before. And yes he did. Ethan turns out to be a son of Jon's ex lover - supa dupa asshat Donald and has been harboring feelings for Jon since he was a kiddo. Now Jon, a slutty boy with a heart of gold tries to save Ethan from his corrupting life style. All nice and good but somewhere around 60% mark in the book he sticks his a** up for Daddy Donald while Ethan's waiting for him at his place. Oh'kay let's be fair: they weren't a couple so it wasn't cheating but it kinda felt like it. Especially that we're being told all the time how much Jon cares for Ethan. Now Daddy Donald is something else ;3 He doesn't give a sh*t for his son, actually is badmouthing him during a dinner date with Jon (and Jon doesn't react to it as he's in a state of lust after the Daddy and can't wait to f**k). Seriously I dunno. The funniest thing is I liked both MCs... and liked writing so 3.5 stars... But if you ask me whether I'm disappointed in this book, I will have to admit that I am.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2011
I wasn't totally sold on whether I would like a story like this, given the age differences beginning with one so young, but I am really glad I gave it a shot. This was just a wonderful story. I instantly fell in love with Ethan, who pleasantly surprised me many times throughout the book. Jonathan was very likable as well. I really enjoyed watching their different struggles unfold, and while the ending was fabulous, I couldn't help but wish for more.
October 3, 2016
Loved this! Kind of a different take on the 'rent boy' trope since Jon and Ethan's (rent boy's) dad were exes, and Jon had known Ethan as an 8yr old. Loved the pacing here, from the initial accidental discovery of Ethan online, to Jon trying to get him away from porn, to the actual relationship. Hot sex and cute, fun parts without being hokey, with great humor throughout. Was a 3.75 ish read to me, pushed to 4-4.25 by the 'precious boy' anecdote at the end.
January 24, 2012
Wow! I loved this book. It was sweet and just what I was looking for. I was a little worried about reading it because I don't tend to like May/December romances and the blurb led me to believe it was one. To a point it is but there is only a 10 year difference between the main characters which is not too much of a span for me.
January 22, 2011
I read this all in one sitting, which was not my intention when I started it. :-) The spark between Jon and Ethan is a palpable thing.
February 14, 2012
This review was originally published on my blog Joyfully Jay.
One night while scanning through an online porn site, a gorgous blond young man captures Jonathan Wright's attention. He is immediately drawn to the man's beauty, although he looks too young to be legal. Something about the man just grabs Jon's attention, and he soon realizes that he looks familiar. At first Jon assumes they have met before, or he has seen the man on other sites. But later Jon is shocked to realize that the young man is actually Ethan, the son of one of his former boyfriends, an older man Jon dated while in college.
Jon is appalled, both to find that the boy he remembers fondly has turned to porn, but also to realize that he has an undeniable attraction to this younger man who he knows can't be quite 18. However, Jon's first instinct is to try to reach out to Ethan, who calls himself precious_boy online. Jon is shocked to hear the details of Ethan's life, especially about his controlling, much older boyfriend. Jon reaches out both to Ethan, and to Ethan's father Donald, in hopes of making a positive difference in Ethan's life. But through it all he finds that his attraction to Ethan continues to grow and that Ethan feels the same way about him. The question is whether Ethan can move past the situation in which he has has become entangled and whether the two men can make a relationship work.
Precious_boy was really an enjoyable book and touched on a lot of quite interesting issues, many focused around Ethan and Jon's relationship. First there is the age difference (Ethan is 17 and Jon is 28). Ethan is a pretty mature guy though and he turns 18 during the course of the book (and the two men wait until he is legal before hooking up, although just barely). Then there is the issue that Jon had dated Donald as a young man (and in fact sees him again briefly over the course of story) and now is starting a relationship with his son. And then of course the fact that as a young man, Jon had some degree of a caretaker role with a younger Ethan when he dated his father. It is not really paternal, and it not even really fraternal. I think Ethan looked up to Jon and had a bit of hero worship (and perhaps a crush as well, although his young mind probably didn't see it that way). So there are lots of interesting dynamics swirling around between them and I liked how the book pushes the envelope a little to explore whether the two guys can make something work out of this unusual history.
I also really liked the dichotomy in the portrayal of the men's parents. Jon goes to his mother Marti for guidance in helping him sort out his feelings for Ethan. Jon knows he is attracted to Ethan, but not sure he should be. Marti is there for him completely, helping him figure out what he wants, supporting him, and even pitching in to help Jon make things work out in the end. On the other hand we have Donald, who can hardly be bothered to care about his son at all. Donald has always placed his career before his relationships and years before walked out on both Jon and a young Ethan when job opportunities took him to another area. When Jon shares with Donald that Ethan is caught up with an older man and involved with porn, Donald can barely muster the energy to care and Jon must practically drag him into even a minimum of action.
Another thing I appreciated is that while Jon is older and makes a big effort to help Ethan get his life back on track, he is very clear that the change is coming from Ethan himself and his desire to make things better in his own life. Jon doesn't try to take over and make decisions for Ethan. He supports him but allows him to be an adult and lead the way in his own life.
This is a relatively short book and I did feel the ending could have been fleshed out some more. I feel like we jumped really fast from Jon accepting his feelings for Ethan and Ethan sharing his own for Jon right into the point that they had sort of accepted a long-term relationship. Jon especially does have some hesitancy after they first jump into things that Ethan helps alleviate, and the men do take time toward the end of the book to really develop a relationship together. But they are only together for a short while before the big declaration and it would have helped me to see their relationship develop a bit more before they reached that point.
This isn't a particularly intense book but I love the way it made me think about so many different things. There are so many relationship dynamics happening all at once involving Jon, Ethan, Donald, and Ethan's boyfriend/manager that I loved watching all the interactions. I really enjoyed Precious_boy and would definitely recommend it, especially to those who like stories with younger heros and age differences between partners.
One night while scanning through an online porn site, a gorgous blond young man captures Jonathan Wright's attention. He is immediately drawn to the man's beauty, although he looks too young to be legal. Something about the man just grabs Jon's attention, and he soon realizes that he looks familiar. At first Jon assumes they have met before, or he has seen the man on other sites. But later Jon is shocked to realize that the young man is actually Ethan, the son of one of his former boyfriends, an older man Jon dated while in college.
Jon is appalled, both to find that the boy he remembers fondly has turned to porn, but also to realize that he has an undeniable attraction to this younger man who he knows can't be quite 18. However, Jon's first instinct is to try to reach out to Ethan, who calls himself precious_boy online. Jon is shocked to hear the details of Ethan's life, especially about his controlling, much older boyfriend. Jon reaches out both to Ethan, and to Ethan's father Donald, in hopes of making a positive difference in Ethan's life. But through it all he finds that his attraction to Ethan continues to grow and that Ethan feels the same way about him. The question is whether Ethan can move past the situation in which he has has become entangled and whether the two men can make a relationship work.
Precious_boy was really an enjoyable book and touched on a lot of quite interesting issues, many focused around Ethan and Jon's relationship. First there is the age difference (Ethan is 17 and Jon is 28). Ethan is a pretty mature guy though and he turns 18 during the course of the book (and the two men wait until he is legal before hooking up, although just barely). Then there is the issue that Jon had dated Donald as a young man (and in fact sees him again briefly over the course of story) and now is starting a relationship with his son. And then of course the fact that as a young man, Jon had some degree of a caretaker role with a younger Ethan when he dated his father. It is not really paternal, and it not even really fraternal. I think Ethan looked up to Jon and had a bit of hero worship (and perhaps a crush as well, although his young mind probably didn't see it that way). So there are lots of interesting dynamics swirling around between them and I liked how the book pushes the envelope a little to explore whether the two guys can make something work out of this unusual history.
I also really liked the dichotomy in the portrayal of the men's parents. Jon goes to his mother Marti for guidance in helping him sort out his feelings for Ethan. Jon knows he is attracted to Ethan, but not sure he should be. Marti is there for him completely, helping him figure out what he wants, supporting him, and even pitching in to help Jon make things work out in the end. On the other hand we have Donald, who can hardly be bothered to care about his son at all. Donald has always placed his career before his relationships and years before walked out on both Jon and a young Ethan when job opportunities took him to another area. When Jon shares with Donald that Ethan is caught up with an older man and involved with porn, Donald can barely muster the energy to care and Jon must practically drag him into even a minimum of action.
Another thing I appreciated is that while Jon is older and makes a big effort to help Ethan get his life back on track, he is very clear that the change is coming from Ethan himself and his desire to make things better in his own life. Jon doesn't try to take over and make decisions for Ethan. He supports him but allows him to be an adult and lead the way in his own life.
This is a relatively short book and I did feel the ending could have been fleshed out some more. I feel like we jumped really fast from Jon accepting his feelings for Ethan and Ethan sharing his own for Jon right into the point that they had sort of accepted a long-term relationship. Jon especially does have some hesitancy after they first jump into things that Ethan helps alleviate, and the men do take time toward the end of the book to really develop a relationship together. But they are only together for a short while before the big declaration and it would have helped me to see their relationship develop a bit more before they reached that point.
This isn't a particularly intense book but I love the way it made me think about so many different things. There are so many relationship dynamics happening all at once involving Jon, Ethan, Donald, and Ethan's boyfriend/manager that I loved watching all the interactions. I really enjoyed Precious_boy and would definitely recommend it, especially to those who like stories with younger heros and age differences between partners.
September 6, 2012
May/December romances are pretty common though, for me, the realities of a large age difference detract from my enjoyment of the trope. It's the eternal conflict in paranormals, where the immortal being falls in love with a mortal. There's always the "Sword of Damocles" over their heads, time or disease will sooner rather than later separate them. Not to mention the difficulty of buying into a relationship where the people involved are in such different places in their lives.
This story deals with these issues in a believable way. There is a significant age difference, but not so much that it's insurmountable. Jon is not really that old, and Ethan is weeks away from age of consent. As demonstrated by the background story between Ethan's Dad and Jon, a short few years will do away with the age difference that, at the time of the story, seems so big. Furthermore, circumstances conspire to make Jon feel unsure of himself, while in Ethan's case, they have made him pretty mature for his age. Both men have had life experiences to make their behavior in the story plausible. Excellent job, Ms. Snow!
The plot is original for a common trope, the characters endearing and hateful as they were intended to be, the settings appropriate and not so detailed as to become distractions, and the sex scenes were well placed and very hot. My only niggle is that Jon seemed to behave and think too old for his stated age. But then, I guess there are people like that and it did work out for him to be like that in the story.
Highly recommended. Enjoy!
This story deals with these issues in a believable way. There is a significant age difference, but not so much that it's insurmountable. Jon is not really that old, and Ethan is weeks away from age of consent. As demonstrated by the background story between Ethan's Dad and Jon, a short few years will do away with the age difference that, at the time of the story, seems so big. Furthermore, circumstances conspire to make Jon feel unsure of himself, while in Ethan's case, they have made him pretty mature for his age. Both men have had life experiences to make their behavior in the story plausible. Excellent job, Ms. Snow!
The plot is original for a common trope, the characters endearing and hateful as they were intended to be, the settings appropriate and not so detailed as to become distractions, and the sex scenes were well placed and very hot. My only niggle is that Jon seemed to behave and think too old for his stated age. But then, I guess there are people like that and it did work out for him to be like that in the story.
Highly recommended. Enjoy!
January 10, 2011
Another short book I read today while in bed feeling all sorts of low and sick...
Anyways, I really liked this one. It was easy to read and littered with fun-to-read words and phrases which made it interesting on more levels than the average m/m romance. The writing was good, this might actually be the first thing I've read by K.Z.Snow... Not completely sure but I think so.
I liked the relationships between people, they were realistic. Sometimes there are exes who try to lure you back in and it takes another person to tell you, you're making a mistake. Sometimes you're attracted to someone you think is too young or too old or too whatever and it turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to you.
Being an avid fan of m/m-porn, it was interesting to read another take on the beginner boys out there. There are a lot of kids like Ethan, whether we go with the word 'kid' or 'young man' or something else completely.
Anyway, this was certainly worth the read, made me happylike despite being sick. So yes, I recommend it to everyone.
February 17, 2012
I'm in awe of K.Z. Snow's awesome writing style; it pulls you right in and won't let you go. What wonderful characterizations! Jon is delightfully complex, and Ethan is the pretty boy with a brain. I loved their dance, as they shuffled around each other and became reaquainted on a new level, as equals. I must admit I sniffled a bit when I found out how Ethan got his screen-name of "Precious Boy."
I had my worries when Jon went to see Ethan's father while Ethan was hiding out at his house, but realized later that Jon needed the closure, and I quickly moved past the whole father/son thing in the face of how diffrent the two men were, in appearance and mentally.
A lovely, satisfying read about a cynical man and a rentboy with a huge capacity for love. Ethan's father, on the other hand, deserves a swift kick in the pants.
Highly recommended, and not just because I think the cover is fabulous!
I had my worries when Jon went to see Ethan's father while Ethan was hiding out at his house, but realized later that Jon needed the closure, and I quickly moved past the whole father/son thing in the face of how diffrent the two men were, in appearance and mentally.
A lovely, satisfying read about a cynical man and a rentboy with a huge capacity for love. Ethan's father, on the other hand, deserves a swift kick in the pants.
Highly recommended, and not just because I think the cover is fabulous!
November 13, 2011
Not quite 4 stars.
Jonathan Wright comes across a young man in a porn video that looks familiar. Setting up a meeting with the man confirms his suspicion that this man is from his past. Jon knows that he should try to stay out of this man's business, but he can't help but feel protective about this man that he knew so many years ago and try to lead him away from this life that he has chosen. Things become even more convoluted when one of Jon's ex-lovers returns.
I can't talk about the young man in the book without a lot of spoilers so I'll skip over him. I will say that the story was interesting and I liked the characters but I think that the story was just a little bit too short for truly successful character development. I think that everything felt pretty rushed. This could have easily been a 4 or even a 5 star book if the author spent a few more pages to further develop the past relationships, the current relationships, and the plot.
Jonathan Wright comes across a young man in a porn video that looks familiar. Setting up a meeting with the man confirms his suspicion that this man is from his past. Jon knows that he should try to stay out of this man's business, but he can't help but feel protective about this man that he knew so many years ago and try to lead him away from this life that he has chosen. Things become even more convoluted when one of Jon's ex-lovers returns.
I can't talk about the young man in the book without a lot of spoilers so I'll skip over him. I will say that the story was interesting and I liked the characters but I think that the story was just a little bit too short for truly successful character development. I think that everything felt pretty rushed. This could have easily been a 4 or even a 5 star book if the author spent a few more pages to further develop the past relationships, the current relationships, and the plot.
August 19, 2012
A really great roller coaster of a story in which the past appears in the present in a way that is truly fascinating. As you read you begin to cheer for the characters as they grope their way to a meaningful and deep love free from the past. I really enjoyed reading this story and I am pleased that K.Z Snow has an excellent back catalogue that I can now read my way through.
August 2, 2015
3.5 stars. This was much better for me than the previous book I read by this author, but I never seem to feel the chemistry between her MCs. My biggest issue in this one was Jon . I didn't love him before that, and my opinion only went down after that, never to be recovered.
December 8, 2013
4.4 stars.
Trust me when I tell you there is nothing cliche about this book. It's not normal porn star/rent boy finding true love story. The characters are believable, realistic, the plot is well woven. There are some BG contexts that makes you think about perceptions of the porn industry's consumers' and the models', age of consent and measure of maturity.
Trust me when I tell you there is nothing cliche about this book. It's not normal porn star/rent boy finding true love story. The characters are believable, realistic, the plot is well woven. There are some BG contexts that makes you think about perceptions of the porn industry's consumers' and the models', age of consent and measure of maturity.
August 13, 2012
Beautiful book!
Both characters are far from perfect and I've been angry with them several times I have to confess, but I liked the story - it felt real and touching. Very satisfying ending, I must say :)
Both characters are far from perfect and I've been angry with them several times I have to confess, but I liked the story - it felt real and touching. Very satisfying ending, I must say :)
February 21, 2016
A great story in which both heroes had some growing up to do.
not-going-to-read
July 28, 2012Book isn't for me.
September 30, 2023
The premise: the twink amateur porn actor I had a crush on is the son of my ex-lover!
The first 75% was an okay read, but then the sex/romance kicked in... Everything became eye-roll worthy saccharine and cliché. The writing was smooth and easy to follow though.
The first 75% was an okay read, but then the sex/romance kicked in... Everything became eye-roll worthy saccharine and cliché. The writing was smooth and easy to follow though.
February 16, 2018
Awwww sweet little love story with some harsh truths. But love usually wins :)
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