Rating: 2.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Skye is an actor in a Broadway musical. It’s his debut, and it’s going well. However, Skye also suffers from a crippling anxiety. He doesn’t interact well with other people, can’t make simple decisions, or even choose an outfit to wear on a date. Luckily, he has Russell, a costumer with the show. Every night before going on, Skye goes to see Russell for his nightly pep talk.
Brent is a wealthy corporate lawyer and a patron of the arts. He enjoys Broadway shows, and Skye’s is his new favorite. Brent meets Skye one evening outside the theater and again at the park. Skye is attracted to Brent, but not in the same way he’s attracted to Russell.
Wanting two men is causing Skye’s anxiety to kick into overdrive. His panic attacks are getting worse. He can’t decide between Russell and Brent, but it turns out, he doesn’t really have to choose after all.
I love menage stories. I seek them out, and I was excited to see this book and grabbed it up right away. I’m sorry to say, I just didn’t connect with His Two Leading Men. I wasn’t crazy about two out of the three characters, and I was utterly frustrated with Skye. I couldn’t understand how he could be the star of a Broadway show with such powerful anxiety. Yes, he found Russell to be a source of support, and Russell’s nightly reassurances help, but Skye freaks out when he tries to figure out what to eat. How could he even get through an audition?
Another issue I took with Skye was the number of times he apologized to people. It was just over and over and over again. I didn’t even get the feeling he was trying not to disappoint people. It was just part of his regular language. Even when people told him to stop, he’d continue with the apologies and it became monotonous.
I didn’t very much care for Brent either. I got kind of a…stalky vibe from him. I personally have waited outside a theater to try to meet a celebrity, but never more than once. I also couldn’t really tell if Brent’s meeting with Skye in the park was random. I’m sure it was, but I just didn’t feel clear about it.
Now, I did like Russell. He was a sweet man who enjoyed his job, and he sincerely wanted to help Skye. He felt the most like a “real” person…the kind of person I’d like to spend time with. He seemed to be crazy about Skye, and I liked that about him. He didn’t seem to want anything from him, just his time.
Fast forward to when they actually all come together. Skye can’t decide between Russell and Brent, and it is just giving him fits. He locks himself away in his apartment and shuts everyone out. Finally, Russell and Brent tell Skye they both want him and he doesn’t have to choose, and things seem to relax a bit. This isn’t a menage where all three people are involved with each other. Brent and Russell are not in love with each other. They do make love to Skye at the same time, but they don’t touch each other. Also, Skye spends alone time with both Brent and Russell, even going home with Brent for Christmas with Brent’s family. So this is a polyamorous situation, rather than a menage.
The sex scenes were of the “less is more” variety. There was kissing and touching, but then everything sort of faded to black. This was not a problem for me. There’s nothing wrong with using your imagination, and truthfully? I wasn’t really feeling any connection between the three men, and I think extended sex scenes would have made me uncomfortable.
There were only two background characters that were important in His Two Leading Men. First is Linda, who was in the show and friends with Skye and Russell. She wasn’t sure if she approved of their unusual relationship with Brent. However, she was open to hearing about it and tried to understand. Then there was Gloria, Brent’s sister, and coincidentally, a friend of Russell. She was…well, she was a bitch. She refused to try to understand what was happening between the three men. She made a scene that hurt Skye badly. It seemed she may eventually come around, but I didn’t like her at all.
As far as the writing was concerned, I found it be a bit choppy and things seemed to jump around. Skye’s ex was thrown in for a chapter or two, and it felt like he came out of nowhere and just disappeared without any real resolution. I felt the same about the Gloria situation. I did reread some parts just to make sure I was getting the entire picture, but at times, I didn’t feel like I was.
The ending tied up the way I figured it would. It seemed like any conflict was resolved, and the three men were happy. I was happy as well. It had to end the way it did. I got the feeling there would be some struggles for them in the future, but the strength of their relationship was growing.
All in all, I didn’t really care for this one, but I won’t try to dissuade others from reading it. I didn’t hate this book, I would just say to be cautious with it and be aware of some uncomfortable moments.
