Title: Facade
Author: Zahara Owens
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel/ 230 pages
Rating: 1 out of 5
A guest review by Kassa
THE BLURB:
Jonas Hunter is a high-class body for hire with a small, exclusive, mostly male clientèle who pay big bucks for his undivided time and attention. Discretion is Jonas’s middle name—he can play his role to the hilt for the client’s benefit and at the same time disappear seamlessly into a crowd, safely anonymous.
He’s persuaded to take on a new client who is everything he despises in a man: the effeminate, tantrum-throwing, attention-seeking bad boy of Paris haute couture named Nicky Bryant. Nicky’s shows are outrageous and always good for a front cover, and his appearance never fails to turn heads. But Jonas soon learns Nicky is a carefully maintained façade himself.
As a fiery attraction grows, Jonas and Nicky have to find a way to walk the tightrope between their public and private personas. They’ll need to learn to love and trust each other around the other people in their lives if they’re going to share their hearts.
THE REVIEW:
For the first 80 pages or so of this book, I was excited and interested. Unfortunately when the book skidded to a screeching halt with a jarring ménage (m/f/m) out of nowhere, it never could recover and took a turn for the worst. What starts as an intriguing and engaging story with fun, hot characters turns into a porn filled sex fest where casual sex rules the day and bisexual characters are seen as sex fiends. I not only wouldn’t recommend this book, I’d suggest you stay far away from it entirely. It only gets the score it does due to the start, which I rather liked, and the really appropriate and neat cover, not based on the book as a whole.
The story is loosely about Jonas, a male escort, and Nicky, a fashion designer, as they unexpectedly fall in love and navigate the potential pitfalls of a relationship where physical fidelity is impossible. Adding to this is the odd, ambiguous relationship of Nicky to Tanna and Jonas’ close relationships to his various clients.
Unfortunately there is very little plot. In between the numerous sex scenes that littered the book to the point I wanted to skip whole sections, there is very little purpose to the story. The men meet, have sex, eventually fall in love, then there are a few scenes about fashion, more sex, more fantasy and a happy ending with a big orgy. Considering this book comes in at almost 230 pages, it reads very much like one long sex filled fantasy after another with a few fashion asides offering nothing to the story or the characters. This is incredibly disappointing since the story is rife with possibility from the May/December age difference (Jonas is in his 40s versus Nicky in his early 20s), Jonas’ occupation, the fashion world, and their rocky romance but none of those issues are even included beyond a surface mention. There is no further discussion about Jonas’ job, his motivations, his desires and choices other than a vigorous sex drive. Jonas is very wooden and one-dimensional beyond his inexplicable love for Nicky and his desire to have sex with many different people.
The problem with Jonas is part of a larger issue with the characterizations in the novel. The bisexual woman, Tanna who is supposedly some unexplained partner of Nicky’s is described as sexually insatiable and willing to cheat on her girlfriend because bisexual women just “need some cock sometimes.” Tanna is willing to have sex with whomever as long as she gets at least her one orgasm a day. Not to mention this similar theme is used for the bisexual men in the book as well where Scott is unwilling to give up men sexually even as he wants to marry a woman. Bisexuality is apparently equated with the popular but ridiculous and frankly insulting theme of promiscuity – as if being bisexual means incapable of fidelity. This is repeated several times with various characters in between the rampant and unnecessary sex scenes. Other than determining the non-stop sexual appetites of all involved, there is very little depth and development to any of the characters. Beyond their desire to have sex often and with numerous people, these characters offer very little interest or engaging quality to their addition. None experience jealousy over the sex with multiple partners and almost everyone takes it for granted that sex with other people happens and is healthy, normal, and accepted without drama. Talk about your accepting husbands and wives.
Nicky starts as an interesting and engaging character with the idea of his façade of a flamboyant, outrageous designer hiding a scared, insecure, immature young man. Nicky is exposed to love and sex through Jonas and learns to ask and take what he wants and needs. Through this sex, Jonas and Nicky supposedly fall in love and work out a way to accept Jonas’ lifestyle as a sexual partner for hire. Although Nicky starts off with a bang and a lot of interest, he soon falls flat with inconsistent actions and no reason for his personality change. Nicky changes from a spoiled, over the top designer to an accepting, accommodating, and adoring partner solely through good sex with Jonas. This is handled very clumsily in attempting to show the facade versus the person underneath but the awkward transition and lack of characterization has this falling very flat. There is almost no depth to their relationship, which is again based entirely on frequent sex, and why either man would fall in love is an unsolved mystery. Additionally the age difference between the men that must play some role is never taken into consideration either thus begging the question of why the age difference is involved in the first place.
There are also several questionable sex scenes that may turn readers off and there should be a warning of some sort, as this book is very misleading. For starters there are several voyeurs scenes where the voyeurs are both men and women. Additionally there is a graphic ménage (m/f/m) scene and there is no indication anywhere – either the blurb or the excerpt – that this is included. Now this is not a “eww girl cooties” comment but there should be a warning and throwing in surprise ménage is not going to make a reader happy. When Jonas wakes up one morning to find Nicky fingering Tanna and thus leading to happy m/f/m ménage, readers should know this going in otherwise they will be disappointed. This should serve as a warning to those readers who dislike women in any sexual form in their m/m romance because this particular book is definitely not for the pure m/m reader. Imagine reading m/f romance and the hero suddenly has gay sex one morning with his best friend out of nowhere. But beyond these there are way too many gratuitous sex scenes that in no way further the meager plot or relationship. There is sex scene after sex scene between Jonas and Nicky, establishing they have a lot of sex. Then there are sex scenes of Jonas with his clients and sometimes with Nicky as a threesome. There is so much casual sex in this book, the concept of fidelity is almost a bad word. Additionally while attempting to show loving and happy relationships can co-exist alongside free spirited and profuse sex, the lack of depth and purpose is startling.
This book highlights the basic difference between erotic romance and porn. Here the sex scenes did not further the plot, the relationship, or the enjoyment of the book. The marked lack of connection and emotion between the various partners has this reading much more like porn and romance fans will ultimately be disappointed. I especially was disappointed and let down due to the interesting and engaging start which had me excited about the potential of the book. Unfortunately that potential not only wasn’t fulfilled but ruined and I am sorry I read this. I doubt I’d take a chance on the author again.
The amazing healing powers of the magical penis. Turns jerks into perfect boyfriends. 🙂
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Yeah, definitely give a warning about the girls. I’m not saying no one should ever write menage scenes with girls, lots of people love them, but it’s nice to know up front what I’m buying. Perhaps the author took a lesson from the Sean Michael writing school, 289 pages of sex and 11 pages of plot. After about page 100 of those type of books I burn out and either skim or skip it all together. Too bad this didn’t turn out better, I have read a short by the author which I think I enjoyed. I say think because it obviously didn’t stick in my head as outstanding but neigher was it awful.
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Great job pointing out why you gave it the rating.
LOL Tam that’s it exactly. The magical healing penis! Someone should patent this.
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Pure porn books are one thing and I’m not going to knock them (except I rarely want to review them because well it’s pure porn). This book attempted to be a romance – I think – while seeming to think sex scenes cure anything that ails the book. I like to think we readers are more discerning than that.
Wow Kassa
I’m really glad that I didn’t review Facade. Talk about a turn off. This sounds like PWP rather than M/M
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Apart from its many sins, Facade brings up the question of publishers including warnings on books where M/F sex is included in M/M books. I think I’ll ask the publishers what is their policy about having a warning on books like this so that unwary ‘pure’ M/M readers are not surprised.
I think it’s a really good idea to ask why there are no warning labels. While I don’t consider myself a “pure m/m” reader, I know many readers do. After all, one reason they read m/m is for the lack of women in the erotica. So I don’t think its unreasonable to warn readers when something unexpected is going to happen.
Wow, this sounds like a dreadful book but I love me a good one star (or F) review. Thanks for writing this, Kassa!
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Interesting comments about the M/M and M/F thing. I guess I don’t mind an interlude (or two) of het sex if it’s integral to the plot. For example, in The Lord Won’t Mind (review posted here, today) Charlie gets married (trying to cure himself of his homosexuality, not an uncommon theme, especially in the time this was written) and since there’s lots of sex in the book, there are a few scenes of Charlie and his wife. There has to be, actually, because that’s the set-up for what she does to him at the end. But the scenes didn’t bother me because they were essential to the story and kept things moving forward. Maybe that makes me not “pure” m/m…LOL. Are you going to take away my reviewing card, Wave?
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On the other hand, Facade sounds like it has the trope I despise: the right woman can turn a gay man straight — or at least, bi. That drives me wicked up the wall! As gay friends have said to me, gay men can and do have sex with women (they can figure out the plumbing and where the parts go, not too tough) but that doesn’t change their essential sexuality. They are still gay. When writers ignore that or try to make the story turn on the “healing power of the right woman” (which is worse than the healing power of the magical penis, imo) I just close the book and never pick it up again. For that reason, I am surprised you made it all the way through this one, Kassa. Maybe we should give you some sort of award. 🙂
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L
Hi Leslie! I don’t mind some m/f sex if I’m warned ahead of time and it’s integral to the plot. I’ve read a couple books where the (soon to be) ex-wife makes an appearance and so on. Here the woman (Tanna) only plays in because she’s insatiable sexually and wants two dicks at once.
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This doesn’t further the plot, the relationship, or any characterization except to show -again- that bisexual people must have sex with both sexes to be happy and satisfied. Not to mention, I had no idea Nicky and Tanna were even sexually involved. They had a weird relationship true, but the sex thing was out of left field.
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This isn’t so much as the magical curing pussy as literally one of the gay men woke up to m/f sex on the couch and joins in. Just because it’s a fantasy of the woman’s. So completely random.
Oi, and to think I requested this one to review based on the cover and the blurb. And I’m guessing that if I had read the first chapter, which is available as an excerpt from DSP, I still wouldn’t have had a clue. I’m really glad you beat me to it. 😉 I can say without even reading it that I would have hated it also based on the issues you bring up. I want meat to my romances — not just a sex-fest — and no menages, please, without some kind of disclaimer upfront.
Something else that bothers me is that DSP has been known for, relatively speaking, quality m/m books, and I have concern that with accepting stories like this that are so obviously riddled with red bells of not being romance — or even erotica — that they are slipping in their own statement of “Publishers of Quality M/M Romance Novels, Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies.” This is obviously not quality.
I also find it interesting that this is the author of /Diplomacy/, which has mixed, but mostly very favorable, reviews.
That’s for the warning, Kassa, Fab review.
Lynn you bring up an excellent point. I would hesitate to label this M/M romance to be honest. Yes the main characters are “gay” and together but there is so much side sex and bisexuality woven into the story, this could easily qualify as a bisexual menage story. Which begs the question of why DSP published this?
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Well I don’t think is quality anywhere but at least if say Loose Id published it under bisexual menage, it might make more sense.
I have to totally agree. The beginning of the book starts off wonderfully, draws you in. Why does Nicky hide behind a facade? Why does Jonas do what he does? Those aren’t answered. Then Jonas wakes up and finds Nicky and Tanna, and I was floored. I thought Jonas would be pissed and instead he joins them. I have nothing against m/f/m (whatever floats your boat) but I wasn’t expecting it here (you’re right, no mention of it anywhere for readers) and was turned off the story. Didn’t mind so much Jonas still working with his clients once he’s with Nicky, except for Scott and Ally. Read up to Nick and Jonas’ “date” but haven’t finished, so don’t know the role Scott and Ally play after Nicky and Jonas are together.
On the plus side, the cover will never be on the Ugly Cover polls. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Hi! You’re right in that the cover is gorgeous and completely fitting. I admit it was one of the reasons I wanted to read the book.
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As for Ally and Scott, oh well the fun part is to come so to speak. Ally and Scott definitely make more appearances and sex to be had. I like the concept of the couple but it’s too gray area for me that isn’t fully explained. A couple that Jonas sleeps with regularly but isn’t paid for isn’t cheating on Nicky? Just because Scott can’t handle life without gay sex?
Who is the cover by, Kassa?
Paul Richmond.
I almost bought this the other day because I liked a Christmas short and the previous book, Diplomacy, by this author. After reading your review, I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t like books that are sex scene after sex scene, especially if there’s no plot advancement. And the m/f/m thing definitely would’ve bothered me.
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So odd, Diplomacy and her Christmas short (Santa’s Littlest Helper) were traditional m/m’s, great plot, not heavy sex. Too bad she changed her format with this current one. Hopefully her next will be more like her previous works.
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Kassa, if you feel up to trying anything else by this author (and I can certainly understand if you don’t, lol), Santa’s Littlest Helper really was sweet and enjoyable.
Ooo thank you for the rec. I’ll put them on my maybe list since they’re short and think about it. I admit I wouldn’t take a chance on a full length novel from this author again, but a short story I could try especially given the comments from readers.
Kassa
I read both the Christmas story and Diplomacy. Loved Diplomacy because it has the type of plot I like – foreign service, diplomats, intrigue etc., and there wasn’t too much sex except for one weekend, but it’s almost 2 years since I read the book so I can’t say for sure. The Christmas story was pretty nice too but I can understand your hesitancy in not wanting to read any more books by this author. She seems to have changed her writing style and her focus.
I am so very glad I didn’t buy this when I first saw it. It sounds interesting from the blurb but I would have been beyond pissed by the M/F/M surprise.
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Also, I enjoy sex scenes in the books I read but this sounds like it’s pretty much nonstop gratuitous sex and that is not what I’m interested in reading.
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Thanks for taking the time to review this one. 🙂
Hi Lily, I think there’s a place for sex scene after sex scene and usually those authors are obvious. I mean we all know Sean Michael and read him when that’s exactly what you want. Great romance literature? Not exactly but it doesn’t attempt to be really.
Here I think this book attempts to be romance and forgot that element amid sex. Thanks for commenting!
Thank God for this site. I saw this book at #36 on the Kindle list on Amazon and put it on my “save for later” list. I’ll rethink that.
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I like sex in the books also, but it’s a very fine line for me. I’m currently reading a book which I really really like…it’s fantastic, but it seems like they have sex every single time they stop to set up camp. I can only read about them breathless and quivering so many time before I start to wonder if I lost my place and went back two chapters.
You bring up a good point, Mike. I wonder why some authors have the need to write every single sexual encounter that their characters have (at least, with some authors it feels that way). Why can’t they leave it at “they have a healthy and active sex life” and just include those necessary and illustrative scenes that move the story ahead? I mean, we don’t eat every meal with the characters, nor do we see them every time they brush and shave, so why do we have to be in on every sexual encounter?
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I can probably answer my own question…because the author needs to insert the requisite sex scenes. Blowjob, check. Frottage, check. 69, check. Character A penetrates character B, check. Character B penetrates character A (usually a biggie that comes late in the book), check. And so on…
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L
LOL Mike and Leslie, such good points. I like sex scenes (duh) but I’ve read books I’ve loved that faded to black or just included one and alluded to others. When it’s every scene the authors start using “pole” “manstick” “channel” “hot crevice” and other creative terms lol.
Leslie
“Maybe that makes me not “pure” m/m…LOL. Are you going to take away my reviewing card, Wave?”
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There are two issues – one is the issue of publishers warning in the blurbs for M/M books if their stories contain some M/F sex. I have written a couple of them today to find out what’s their policy in this area.
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The other issue is that more than 90% – 95% of the readers who check out this site and read the reviews are what I would call “pure” M/M readers, like me, and they don’t like their M/M books to have M/F sex. I think a warning would be quite appropriate – the same way that I would warn a reader if there was non con in a book or if a story was about twincest.
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If there is a warning about the content of the book then I would not request a menage or a book with M/F sex, so there would not be a problem.
My comment was meant slightly tongue-in-cheek, but thanks for your clarification, Wave. I’ll keep that in mind. And really, I do want m/m and not have it cluttered up with a lot of other het/bi/menage stuff but like I said, if it is important to the story, I can deal with it.
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Now I have another question for Kassa. With all this sex going on all the time, was there every any mention of sexually transmitted diseases? Safe sex?
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L
Leslie you bring up a good point. STD’s are mentioned and Jonas is careful to use condoms with everyone but Nicky. There is even an STD scare when Nicky has a one night stand while Jonas is off “at work.” So there is thankfully some responsibility for that included.
This one started rather well but I was very much disappointed with the way the book went later on.
I so don’t like menage!
What a shame! I really liked Zahra Owen’s stories from the Sindustry anthologies and her Christmas stories too. I would have bought this expecting the sort of mixture of hot and tender that I’ve come to expect from those previously read stories.
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I too would have been greatly put off by the m/f/m menage. I don’t like it and don’t want it from a publisher which states that it produces m/m. If they are going to publish books with m/f/m menage in them then they will have to change their policy statement. You are right to be annoyed Kassa, you were misled.
It baffles me that they didn’t label it properly. Not only because it ticks people off who assume it’s only m/m sex in it, but also because that means it won’t sell at all to the people who would have gone “Hey, m/f/m! Yeah! Gimme some of that!” Just seems like a bad marketing idea all around.
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I’m wrestling with related issues over this series thing I’m writing – not for selling, it’s a fanfic spin off – with a couple of guys who are in love but can’t be together. It’s set over years and years of their lives and over that time both of them are involved with women, inbetween very intensely not having sex with each other. I made the choice not to show any explicit het sex scenes. I’ll show enough that the reader knows what’s about to happen and then fade to black. That isn’t going to change – even when one of them gets married! Heh. On the other hand when these two guys finally DO have sex, after all the years and words, they’re going to have to be fully described scenes.
I generally don’t like het or menage in my m/m either, particularly if it’s graphic. (Diplomacy by the same author had graphic het in it too. Boo.) Add to this poorly constructed plot and characterization and the overload of sex (*yawn*), I think I’ll steer well away from that one.
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PS: There’s a typo in the book information. It’s Zahra not Zahara.
Oh gosh I’m glad I read this review because I was going to buy this book this weekend! I don’t mind m/fm or whatever but I’d like to know about it before I buy the book… and if I’m buying an m/m book then I kinda just want it to be m/m, not some sort of buy-one-get-one-free thing. Thanks for the review!
Ive been looking at this e-book for awhile, trying to decide if I was gonna buy it or not. Not.
Thanks for the review.