Party Animal by Gale Stanley

Party Animal by Gale Stanley
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Casey can get just about any man he wants, except for the one he wants the most.

Casey Cox is a porn star legend. Life is a never-ending party and there’s always a hot guy or two willing to play. Then Casey meets the one man who isn’t interested and suddenly it’s a challenge he can’t resist.

Casey’s life is one big party – as a porn star he can have any man he wants and there’s always a few willing participants. But then he meets the one man who isn’t interested in some fun and games and the challenge is more than Casey can resist.

I found this to be a fun and lighthearted short story. A quick read, there is plenty of steamy sex, but readers should be aware that Casey and Lee don’t hit it off right at the start. Personally, I was pleased that Lee didn’t fall over himself to get into bed with Casey – much as virtually every other character did – and so that tension and discord between the two men made for some good chemistry.

Being honest I’m not sure I’d have liked Casey too much if he’d been a secondary character in a different couple’s story. While I enjoyed his lightheartedness and it was clear he had feelings beneath his carefree, playboy, pornstar exterior the fact he so frequently judged and made assumptions about Lee didn’t always sit well with me. Casey came across a little to me like anyone who had seriously different views – like Lee’s wanting to feel a connection and butterflies before having sex and not wanting to jump directly into bed after meeting for the first time and so forth – was wrong or a stick in the mud. In some respects, Casey struck me as a little obnoxious and while that was certainly interesting from a reading perspective, I’m not certain all readers will find him as a relatable or enjoyable character.

That said it was quite clear that Casey really did want connections – with his sister as well as his solid and lasting friendship with both Paul and Joey is proof of that. And while Casey could be a bit of a pain, I do feel the changes Lee brought out in him and made him look into himself we a real pleasure to read about.

Readers looking for a slightly different and interesting take on the “playboy can have everyone except the one he wants” style of story should give this quick read a shot. I really enjoyed it.