Audiobook Review: How to Deal (All Cocks Stories #3) by T. M. Smith

Jon Brennan comes from a long line of men in uniform; all born and bred to both bleed and wear blue. His family and the majority of his co-workers support him every step of the way, so he doesn't need to hide the fact that he prefers men over women. Between the job and his larger than life, loud and rowdy half Irish, half Italian family, there isn't much time for dating, much less finding a guy who can deal with the stress and demands placed on the shoulders of an NYPD detective.

Kory White is cocky and abrasive with most people, but it is all a facade he hides behind to keep his heart safe. As a child, Kory lost his mother to an act of violence. Soon after, he and his baby sister Kassandra were separated by the system. Kassandra was immediately adopted, but Kory spent the next 10 years cycling through foster homes before moving to the Big Apple. In an effort to keep everyone at a distance, Kory has meticulously built himself an alter ego: Hayden Cox, All Cocks cockiest model.

These two strong-willed men definitely prove opposites do attract. Both are stubborn and hard headed to a fault, Kory more so than Jon. But Jon is used to being in control, the one calling the shots, and Kory fights him at every turn. Just when it seems they have found a way to navigate the unchartered territory that is love, tragedy knocks on Kory's door yet again. Volatile and strong, even in the face of adversity, both men refuse to give up on each other - or their love.

Listening Length: 4 hours and 30 minutes
Narrator: Joel Leslie

When police officer Jon Brennan unexpectedly runs into one of his favourite porn stars, he decides to take a chance and let him know that he’s interested in seeing what’s underneath the public persona. Kory White, aka Hayden Cox of ‘All Cocks’, dismisses Jon at first, but finds it difficult to stop thinking about him.


Kory cautiously agrees to meet Jon. As the two get to know each other, Kory can’t deny that he’s falling for Jon, and Jon is thoroughly smitten with the man that Hayden Cox really is. But Kory’s life has been one of loss, and he doesn’t believe Jon will be around for long. Jon sets out to prove him wrong, and to show Kory that they can build something permanent.


Fair warning: if you prefer your MCs to be completely monogamous throughout their entire relationship, this might not be the book for you. Kory continues his work in pornography until near the end of the book, though Jon is completely aware of it and doesn’t object.


The audiobook narration by Joel Leslie was good. He had the pacing and timing down. The character voices weren’t shabby either, though Jon’s voice was a bit slow.


I really liked that the MCs in this book started on honest footing. Jon is aware from the get-go that Kory is a porn actor, and Kory doesn’t make any false promises. Granted, I wasn’t entirely realistic, and I would have expected some more discussion or introspection on the matter.


But it was refreshing to read an MM with a porn star MC where the romance didn’t devolve to constant lying and jealousy. Jon and Kory didn’t get worked up over it, and that’s good enough for me.


Jon is in many ways the perfect boyfriend - patient, understanding, and persistent. Plus he’s got a great family (his very non-PC but completely loving Gran was a hoot!). Kory is stand-offish at first, picking fights often, but it becomes clear that it’s a defence mechanism. Once he lets his guard down, he’s much more likeable.


The romance is insta-love. It doesn’t take Kory and Jon long to fall hard for each other. Though the two fell fast, I thought they were sweet. I also liked that it wasn’t just about the sex between them, and they actually got to know each other.


But I just didn’t connect to them. While this book works perfectly fine as a standalone, I think this is a case where you would have to read the series from the beginning to be really invested in the characters. Jon and Kory’s romance was sweet and sexy enough, but they didn’t really grab my attention.


That could be in part because of the time jumps, which I often didn’t immediately pick up on through the audiobook. The relationship development seemed to sometimes get lost in these jumps. Also, the drama at the end did little for me. It seemed to come out of left field, and was just too soap-opera-ish for me.


There is nothing wrong with ‘How to Deal’. It’s a sweet romance and the audiobook was good. But sometimes a book, and the characters, just doesn’t capture your attention. Perhaps if I’d read the series from book 1 and was already invested in Kory, I would have enjoyed this book more.

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