The dents on my wall from where my headboard kept knockin’ against the same spot was the first clue that I needed to calm my ass down. At the rate I was racking up notches and plowing through hookups, I wasn’t ever gonna find nothing real. Guess I kinda jinxed myself. I created my circumstances. You can’t get what you want if you keep falling back into the same pattern of bad habits. But then things changed. I stumbled onto somethin’ I never in a million years expected to happen. You gotta understand, I’m never the guy who wins. It was supposed to be just sex, but that shifty, rhyming and scheming bastard, Cupid, pulled a fast one.
I may have changed some stuff to protect a couple of people. But before you go believing the tabloids, make sure you understand that you’re gettin’ the lowdown straight from the source.
I needed to get this off my chest and it’s only fair that you at least get my side of it all. At some point, I might regret telling you any of this, but for now, you need to know.
*Disclaimer* This is a novella. Not a short story, novelette, or novel. This tale features an M/M pairing. If gay erotica/erotic romance is not your cup of tea and you are offended by same-sex relationships or crass language, you should bypass this story. Content is intended for a mature audience, 18+.
Complexity is the fourth installment in The Kinky Connect Chronicles. The Kinky Connect Chronicles are short erotic stories/novelettes all wrapped up in neat little bows. These stories are standalones. No cliffhangers in the lot!
Docking and pigeon peas!
I had to google one. I'll let you guess which. *exaggerated wink*
Manny is the narrator of this novella. Manny is a bisexual, Puerto Rican, personal trainer, struggling to make ends meet in New York who likes sex. A lot. He isn't picky about gender or how many people are getting served at a time and he's model hot, so... there's not exactly a shortage of people in the greater NYC area willing to climb into his bed or a bathroom stall or the gym... you get me. I'm actually wondering if underwear doesn't just disintegrate when one gets within a certain distance of Manny. Like the sun. Only for underwear.
Being inside Manny's head... was an experience. I couldn't say whether or not his voice is authentic being neither Puerto Rican nor from New York, but he holds no punches and his verbiage made me cackle, I'll say that. Many of his reactions I didn't understand. He'd get pissed in a nanosecond but I was still at the starting gate trying to figure out why, but the characterization is consistent. Consistently had me scratching my head but consistent nonetheless.
More often than not he explains himself and it mostly boils down to him getting bent over something I wouldn't ever think to, some of which may be cultural, others of which are probably gender, all of which held my interest mainly because I don't get in a bind about much. He's like a fucken rubik's cube and puzzles are in my wheelhouse. Occupational hazard.
Anywhat.
Manny's thirsty one night, alters his profile on the kinky site where he's a member to reflect his desire for cock and through a series of events meets Chris.
Chris is a pretty well known TV star and DEEP in the closet. They have chemistry in that fuck and fight way but the closetedness becomes an issue after they've been together about 6 mos.
The way the story is put together worked for me. I like flashing back to their first meeting but then there is a big time jump where Manny fell in love with Chris. I have trouble with the 'take my word for it they're in love' gambit. I like to see it and feel it for myself, and while I understand that's a tall order within the span of a novella, I still think the relationship could've been better developed.
The way Chris and Manny interact speaks to their chemistry and David seems to be able to decipher Manny, so in that sense it's clear they have a connection. Do I think they'll have longevity? Eh. Maybe?
The sex is medium hotness with some dirty talk, bossiness and the aforementioned docking. I know it says "kinky" in the series title and they meet on a "kinky" website but... can we just agree to disagree?
Manny's family dinner scene was one of the things I liked best about this story. The support they give him is heartwarming. The ending is both tiddy and surprising. It definitely leaves the possibility of a sequel but doesn't leave you dangling from a cliff.
Recommend to MM erotica fans.
A review copy was provided.
Find out more on Goodreads.
