Brief Encounters

Title: A Grade A Sex Deal
Author: Erika Pike
Length:  (21 pdf pages)
Publisher: No Boundaries Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C+

Blurb:

When College professor Daniel Corrigan was brutally kicked out of his home after revealing his true sexuality to his wife, he had to make a whole new life for himself. For the first time in two years Daniel’s main heartache isn’t the none-existent relationship with his two kids, but the fact that the grade-A-sex deal with his student Troy Anderson is about to expire. After a whole semester of office fun, Troy has managed to squeeze his way into the core of Daniel’s soul. Daniel, however, is positive he’s nothing more to Troy than a teacher who can modify a grade.

Review:

I can see that some readers might be put off by Daniel in this story. My feelings for him changed as the story progresses. Daniel has an agreement with Troy, sex for an A grade in his economics class. At first it’s just all fun and games, Troy tells him about all the guys, including other teachers, he has sex with, and Daniel’s no angel either, however as the semester comes to a close, things have started to change for Daniel. He realizes he’s actually come to care for Troy, and hates that he has sex with other people as has himself stopped with anyone but Troy.

Once you get to know Daniel, for me he went from being a bit of a bastard who is using people (and I suppose being used) to a rather pathetic excuse for a man. He is divorced with teenage children who did not take it well that Dad was gay. He lost his job because of the revelation that he’s gay, so was offered a position by his step-brother teaching at his school. He lives in a dorm room which sounds like a Hoarders intervention will be up next, his wife takes all his money, he hates his life, he hates getting old, he’s depressed.  Which given his life, probably makes sense.

I have to confess, I got a bit annoyed with him when his son finally asked to see him after two years. He wanted money for college, and supposedly Daniel left his college fund with his mother, but rather than address that, he just says “yeah, sure, I’ll pay”. Although I did think his refusal to disavow who he was, even though his son disliked the idea of him being gay, was a strong point for me. As a single parent, I get the “guilt” thing, but you’re not doing anyone any favours by being a doormat. That aside, I did find the ending to have a feel of some hope that things could get better, especially after he and Troy finally start telling each other the truth. I would have liked to know more about Troy, but this is Daniel’s journey from despair and depression to hope.

So my feelings went from annoyance, to pity and a bit of disgust, to the belief that he really could be more than what I’d seen to date. The sex is hot and rough, but I think you’ll either find seeing just how low Daniel is and that glimmer of light at the end that he can claw his way out of a rather unappealing pit (of which his attitude is very much a part) enjoyable, or you’ll find him so off-putting as to be unlikable in any way. I found it an interesting journey, to see an unlikable man on the surface and dig a bit as to why, so it worked for me in this case, even if I didn’t love him.