Hot Head

4.5 Stars! So this is really the first M/M story I have read and I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I'm so glad I did because I really, really enjoyed this story! The book centers around Griff and Dante, two fire fighters who were close growing up and became best friends. They are struggling with the fact that their love for each other is beyond brotherly or friendly. It's told from Griff's POV but amazingly enough you really feel like you got to know Dante as well. I was a bit worried that the sex would be too much but although there was quite a bit of it the writing was done really well and it was intense and smoking hot. This book was more than just sex...it was about the raw emotions of both and their intense attraction along with learning to accept themselves and being willing to risk everything to be together. In the backdrop was an amazing story about how Griff was "adopted" by Dante's family and how they had grown together. It also had a powerful story about Griff's struggle after 9-11 and how Dante helped him cope. Both Griff and Dante grow throughout the book. Griff who starts the book as quiet and not as confident as some of the other fire fighters however, he does not come off at all weak or boring. Dante appears to be a ladies man who lives life wild and with few limitations but behind all of that we get to find out there is a lot more to Dante. He could easily come off as arrogant but the author gives him just enough insecurities and vulnerabilities to keep that from happening. The supporting characters are wonderful and really add to the story. You can't help but love the Anastagio family. Both Tommy and Alek are interesting and integral to the story. If the book as any downfall it's that the dialogue can be a little over the top. However, this didn't detract from the overall book. I am so glad I read this book and I will definitely be back to read more in this series and from this author!

Hot Head is a raw, honest and rough emotional roller-coaster! Suede definitely knows how to bring his characters to life, and share their struggles with those reading about them! Griff and Dante have been friends for ages, and Dante’s noisy, Italian family has been a home away from home for Griff since his teen years. After the twin towers were brought down, and Griff was looking for Dante everywhere in the ashes of the fallen buildings, his whole life seems different somehow. Being firefighters is how both Griff and Dante identify themselves on a very deep level, helping those in need, even putting their own lives in jeopardy is just what they do. And they are not exactly shy about the female attention it brings them either. Griff, however has been keeping a secret, and at the beginning of Hot Head, Dante wants to talk to him about something important. But the next morning, after too many tequilas Griff has no idea if they even had a talk at all. And it is clear to the reader that Griff’s feelings towards Dante are much more than friendship. As Griff tries to figure out how to deal with being a gay firefighter, but still keep his best friend, he ventures out of Brooklyn in search of a bar where he might find like minded men. Hot Head then changes pace and becomes more intense, first because Griff sees someone he knows outside the bar, and also because Dante is acting more and more erratically. There is a lot going on in this story, some of it has to do with bigotry and what is expected of a manly firefighter, but it also has a lot to do with friendship, family, loyalty and how far some people are willing to go to make sure the person they care the most about in the world is happy. Hot Head is not a sweet story, it is rather gritty, showing gay-bashing where one character is almost beaten to death. There is also a gay porn web-site where Dante finds himself showing off his fine self to make sure he can pay the bank for the next mortgage installment and won’t have to leave and move back with his parents. Through this dark universe, however, both Dante and Griff are characters that truly shine. Griff is so afraid of showing Dante his true feelings, not ever realizing that Dante just might feel the same way about him. And because the whole story unfolds from Griff’s perspective, there are many insights to Dante that were kept hidden from me because they were hidden from Griff. I definitely did figure out that Griff should just sit down and be honest with Dante, though, but the tension and the way these two wanted to protect both each other and themselves added a layer of beauty and light to this sombre tale. The tight family connections with Dante’s parents and siblings made life bearable for Griff, and I think this is partly why he was so afraid of coming out of his tiny closet. Add to that all the times they heard depreciating comments about gay people from some of the guys they worked with, and it’s easy to understand why both of these seemingly strong characters decided to keep some things very close to the vest. While Hot Head did include a lot of darkness, there was also quite a bit of humor, the dialogues between Dante and Griff were very funny at times. And of course, there was plenty of hotness to go around as well. Written in third person perspective, past tense, and from Griff’s perspective, Hot Head was the kind of story that gripped my heart tight and kept it squeezed for most of the time I was reading. I will definitely read more of Suede’s books in the future.

Hundreds of reviews have been written raving about this novel. In some ways adding another to the pile may seem like a waste of space. I mean, what could I say that hundreds of other people haven't already said and likely said it better than I ever could? That would be a good question, but if I didn't write this review, I wouldn't be able to rave and gush and dance about how absolutely amazing, completely unforgettable this book is. There are so many great things to say about this novel, that I've decided to list them, complete with numbers. In no particular order, here are 13 reasons to read this book: 1. Griff is the perfect romantic hero. He's kind of quiet, self-effacing, with heroic tendencies who doesn't recognize his own appeal. He's generous and kind, but with enough temper and steel to keep him from coming off as week or boring. 2. "They'd all looked into the abyss and it kept right on looking back, window-shopping for damnation, it seemed." 3. Dante is also the perfect romantic hero. He's charismatic, outgoing, a little over-the-top. He comes across a little shallow on the outside, but under the facade, he's vulnerable and desperate. He's gorgeous and knows it, but has enough pain and insecurities to keep him from being gratingly arrogant. 4. The relationship is built spectacularly. From the back-story of how they met, the life-altering trauma of being working firemen during the chaos of the Twin Towers attacks, the fraternal friendship and eventually the romantic love that will change their life--it all adds up to a masterful love story. 5. Firemen are sexy. Two firemen are even sexier. 'Nuff said. 6.The writing is superb--creative, raw, unapologetic, heart-wrenching and at times poetic. 7. The pacing is perfect. Every step, every stage, builds on the one before it, until the reader is desperate to get to the next scene, the next chapter. 8. Suede builds a fabulous metaphor between the events of 9-11 and the growth of the characters. I'll add here that it is done in such a way that it does not detract from the seriousness and horrifying events of that day, but instead builds on the resilience and transformation of a neighborhood, community and country. 9. "Because people should not be punished for loving and hoping and holding their hearts open." 10. The setting is authentic. From the ethnic neighborhoods of the regular blue-collar man, to the trendy neighborhoods of Manhattan, it is New York in all it's beauty and flaws. 11. "I can't imagine doing it for your whole goddamn life. 'S'like being burned alive, lying to people you love. No wonder people become drunks and hide and hit each other. Truth. Easier to be dead inside." 12. The sex is hot! This book is by no means an erotic romance, where the story is the sex. This is a pure romance and the love scenes are about love. Whether it's the love of a friend will to do intimate things in front of a camera to help out or as two people celebrating their romantic attraction, the love scenes were so drenched in emotion and passion that it makes me yearn. 13. Secondary characters add depth and texture to an already layered plot. The Anastagio family is a riot--dramatic, exaggerated, Italian. Tommy is heart-breaking (and rumor has it Tommy will be back in a book of his very own). Alek keeps you guessing, but ultimately gives Griff the catalyst to fight for what he wants. If you like your romances heart-felt and smokin' hot, you've gotta check this one out.

3.5 stars rounded down. Ah, this book. Clearly I love it because I keep re-listening. (Even though I detest this narrator in every other book he's narrated because he is unable to pronounce the easiest of words correctly.) And it is a gorgeous friends to lovers story that is crazy sexy. But it is problematic in a lot of ways. This is partially because it is one of the first MM romances that a lot of us read, this book is eight years old after all, and things that are noticeable now probably weren't then. As an example, there is a scene where a person gets bashed, and it's horrible and painful and sad, but the secondary character is a "chubby" girl in a bee costume. This character is the only female in ninety-nine percent of the scene, this character is the only character dressed as a bee, this character is a good samaritan, or at least she is the only person that alerts Grif to what is happening. She is mentioned eight times in all, seven of those times she is referred to as "chubby", the other time her legs are referred to as "sturdy". Now I'll grant that Suede has never met an adjective that he won't reuse ad nauseam, but there are many ways he could have referenced her, including just using "she", that didn't have to call out her weight. It's not exactly fat shaming, but it definitely skirts the edge. Another example is that even though Dante and Grif have been with woman the rest of their lives, including Dante's apparent "banging" "most of Brooklyn" and the fact that Grif was married they don't consider or even mention the possibility of being bi. There are some great female secondary characters, but a lot are not the best. The editing could be overhauled as well, really adjectives are varied and plenty, look into them. Having said that, and knowing there is more that I could say, I still love them and their story. This is a very moving story, and it's also a love story about New York and the FDNY, so it's easy to overlook a lot, but the further I get from my initial read the more things pop out. I will always love Grif and Dante, and the love they find in their best friend. Dante's wonderful, nutty family is nothing to overlook either. The weaknesses don't overshadow that. Audio: David does his best work here, but PLEASE editors, call out narrators when they destroy words, isn't that why you exist? He does bring Grif ,and Dante, and NYC to life so I forgive most of it in this book, but I can not with him in any other audio.

This book is a head rush! Grif is a lonely man. His mother died when he was a child, and his father, a Fire Inspector, is not a demonstrative man. Grif essentially raised himself, and in high school got sucked into the large and lively Anastagio family. They became his surrogate parents and siblings, with Dante his best friend since fire school. He was married shortly before the attacks on 9/11, but his grief and PTSD from being a first responder rendered him moody and uninterested and his wife left him. Since then, Grif has been a shadow brought to life with the Anastagio's, Dante in particular. For years now, he and Dante have caroused, "satisfying" NYC's plethora of willing women wishing for the thrill of bedding FDNY hunks. Dante is a vibrant love-'em-and-leave-'em guy--with the face and bod of an Italian god. He's generous to a fault, always opting to help a friend in need, and rehabbing a run-down brownstone that's way too expensive for his three job income. Grif's hunger for Dante develops over years, but at this point in the story it is enormous--so much so that, when Grif learns Dante's plan to do a bit of solo porn for cash, well, Grif's about to explode--with lust. He thinks finding another man, on the SUPER down-low, will help him get over the lust for Dante. (He's super guilty about this attraction, BTW, constantly thinking: How messed up is he that he lusts for his pseudo-brother, right?) The hard truth Grif must face is that he LOVES Dante, and that is in the biblical sense. Dante's money troubles are so great that one "shoot" isn't enough--and he begs Grif to "help him out" on camera. Grif cannot say no. What remains is a love story that captivated me. The sexytimes are so hot. The firemen are so hot. There are gorgeous subplots, and jealous lovers. Coming out in the FDNY is a dangerous prospect, but so is loving your best friend, as Grif learns. I almost died in the big fire scene--and so did one of the characters! The language of this book is bold, brash and in-your-face. Grif pulls no punches about FDNY, 9/11, fire bunnies, Dante, and even his emotionally distant father. He also has some of the funniest in-head swearing I've ever read. And about 800 euphemisms for male self-pleasure. I adored all of them! Even if Grif wasn't a 6'3" Scots-American who wears his kilt while bouncing the door at his local watering hole, I'd have loved him to pieces. The fact that I have THAT visual only makes me love him more... It's no doubt that I'll be recommending this book for long time. It is all the best of romantic fiction, with great leads I cheered for the entire book. Definitely a Top 100 pick!

A well-written, sexy, down-and-dirty romance! I loved Damon Suede's hard-nosed Brooklyn narrative, with the colorful expressions (who knew there were so many different names for male "body parts!"). True, I'd agree with some of the other reviewers that this book could have used a bit more editing to tighten it up in parts (hence a 4 star instead of a 5), but I thoroughly enjoyed it, warts and all! VERY MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW: The story is told in third-person narrative, but mainly from the perspective of Griff Muir, a 6'5" hunk of a NY firefighter who is desperately in love with his best friend, Dante Anastagio. Dante is a "hot head" in his own right (downright crazy at times, larger than life most of the time) who, along with Griff, survived the horrendous attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. As the blurb indicates, Dante gets himself in a bit of hot water financially, and decides internet porn is a quick answer to his financial woes. He drags the reticent Griff along, kicking and screaming. Not that Griff doesn't lust after his best friend, but because Griff is convinced that Dante will never return his feelings, and he knows he's just letting himself in for major heartbreak. You can imagine what happens, and there's a sweet revelation towards the end of the book which made me grin from ear to ear. Mr. Suede's "voice" is perfect in this book. Gritty, irreverent, it channels the blue-collar Brooklyn vibe (I have to admit I lived in the more swanky Brooklyn Heights, but my father grew up near the area where this book takes place). Yeah, I giggled a bit over the different...er...terminology, shall I say, for the various male body parts, but it didn't distract and, in most places, actually added to the overall feel of the piece. There were times when the story could have been more tightly edited, especially after the main resolution, and there are some repetitive bits that could have come out (for example, sometimes characters were described in the same manner in 2 or 3 places). That said, I was never bored reading this, and the sex scenes were very hot and well-drawn.

Spoiler free review with some quotes "Because people should not be punished for loving and hoping and holding their hearts open." _________________________________ My timing in reading this book has a lot to do with how it hit home for me. While I was swept away with the powerful, hard-hitting writing style and the "hell-yes" sexiness, it was the underlying message that came through loud and clear. That message will and has made this book a genre classic, of which I wish it to transcend. Last week, my president announced his stand on same sex marriage. Yesterday I watched a video of a religious figure (also in my country, unbelievably) calling for electrified fences to contain GLBT humans. I'm not an activist but I am strongly secure of my feelings and convictions with regard to same sex issues. Mostly, I don't want it to be an issue. __________________________________ Hot Head is a spicy, gritty, sexy rocket of a story that starts out fast and never slows down. The writing style of Mr. Suede is gripping, quick and concise. I found no wasted words or passages. "Everything was so nutty with Loretta, all her reactions. She used tantrums like most people used sedatives" The character development is superb. I found myself instantly enthralled by both Griff and Dante. In fact all of the players were instantly identifiable. The descriptions of secondary characters was just as complete and poignant as those of the main characters, I appreciate that. I particularly enjoyed the visual of Loretta as an operatic diva, very telling. Some of the stereotyping was surprising to find and quite in-my-face but I did not find it offensive. It just helped to draw a picture of the diversity of the city. The story had a very full and yet tight feel. A backdrop of 9-11 permeated the story but didn't overwhelm it. I thought the author did an excellent job of infusing lasting feelings from the disaster with the need for hope. The epic feel of the story comes from drawing a picture spanning childhood, youthful frivolity, adult-life complications and a desire to have a fulfilling, mature future. Well done here. The message. Hope. Hope for acceptance, love, family and peace. Thank you Mr. Suede for the journey. I have a feeling that you will continue to write poignant, meaningful and current stories and I look forward to them. "The world is different, but folks are the same, huh?"

I just love this novel. As a male-male, romantic, beach-read romp it has it all: A pair of Brooklyn firefighters who've been friends since high school. Uniforms. Gear. Bunks and locker rooms. Deadly danger. One is almost killed before the other's eyes. Financial woes. The men decide to co-star in a porn video to pay a mortgage--blowing off the obvious implications because both are noted swordsmen in the ladies' department, at least in public. Do they go through with it? No spoiler here. Griffin "Griff" Muir is a copper-headed giant of a Scottish-American with a barrel chest, size fifteen boots and fair skin. He blushes easily. Off duty, he wears a properly unencumbered kilt. Dante "D" Anastagio is a sleeker, smaller, darker Sicilian-American whose big-hearted family essentially adopted Griff when his own family situation went south while he was still a boy. The tragedy of 9/11--both young men and their ladder company were involved in the action at the World Trade Center--is the looming dark horror of the backstory that affects every one of the firemen and paramedics in the book. Dante and Griff operate almost entirely in accordance with their blue collar prejudices and received attitudes about manliness, family and status in the firehouse pack. Always short of cash, they work part-time jobs, Griff as a bouncer, Dante on construction. There's a kind of testosterone-fueled competition to see who can better care for, and withhold honest expressions of feelings from, the other. Griff is comparatively shy, Dante outgoing and cocky. Each man is terrified of rejection by his best and only friend. Thus it takes almost the length of the novel for the pair to find the moment when both are vulnerable and desperate enough to risk the word "love" with their clothes off. Tension builds as misunderstandings multiply. The process is deliciously drawn out and the great event, when it finally arrives, is described with tender eroticism and enough blood, sweat, tears and other bodily fluids to make this one of the finest pieces of man-man writing I've encountered in quite a while. A blissful week passes and then they start grappling and growling all over again. The ending is toasted marshmallows: two grown men squirming and laughing like boys. The settings and minor characters, particularly a sassy lesbian photographer, are skillfully handled. While usage of the phrase "best friend" might have been cut by half, and some of the breathless dialog edited down, that's hardly a reason to withhold anything less than a five-star rating on this sexy, sweat-soaked, entirely believable gem of an All-American contemporary gay romance. Go buy.

I'm only about 15% into this book and am thrilled with the quality of the writing. The author finds just the right word to describe situations, words most other authors have never even thought of.

Eu recomendo muito este livro. Amei a família do Dante e relação do Dante com o Griff como amigos. A única coisa que eu queria a mais é um livro sobre o Tommy.

very good dialogues and characterization, I was very surprised by this book as the story seemed quite simple at first but it was so well written that it ended up being very enjoyable, so far it is the best gay novel I've read.

もし洋書のM/M小説を読んでみたいと思うなら、この本をお勧めします。 いろんな意味ですごいです（笑）。 ラヴシーンがここまで書いていいのっ？！ってドキドキするほど書かれながら、 切ない感情がいっぱい詰め込まれてて、GriffとDanteのファースキスのシーンはBreathtakingのそのものです。 一番好きなところは彼らの話、一般の本のように単にお互いの気持ちが伝わったところで話が終了になるんじゃなくて、 ちゃんと【その後】のこともあって、一冊でお腹がいっぱいって感じです。 それも、ラフな内容ではなく、ちゃんと合理的な出来事と流れが書かれてます。 本当にちゃんとストーリのフレームとバランスをうまく計画されてる小説だと思います。 レベルの高いM/Mロマンス小説です。

I've bought this in Spanish as well and I have to say that it's one of my all time favorite m2m stories.