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Looking For It
by Michael Thomas Ford
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$14.00 |
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$11.20 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
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$2.80 (20%) |
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Paperback
Publisher: Kensington
Mike Monaghan is the bartender at the Engine Room, a meeting place for the small but thriving community of gay men in Cold Falls, New York. As Mike pours beer, wipes glasses and hears everything, he’s also witness to the men who come here looking for what they need—sex, direction, friendship, spiritual fulfillment, and love. People like: Stephen Darby—As an accountant, he knows many secrets. But Stephen has his own secret, one he’s never been able to share with anyone close to him. Being the perfect son costs him dearly, and now it may take from him the one man he longs for. Pete Thayer—Playing it straight, Pete takes out his frustrations on transmissions and engines during the day, then spends his nights trying to quench his needs through anonymous sex. But once the thrill of the forbidden begins to fade, what will he be left with? John and Russell—The golden couple in town has the ideal relationship everyone wants. But behind the scenes, their storybook marriage is on the verge of facing some explosive trials that will shake both men completely. Father Thomas Dunn—More and more the gentle priest is feeling a need to express the secret desires that conflict with his devotion to the church, sending his faith into a tailspin and making him question what he really wants from life. Simon Bird—He’s a fixture in town, an old queen everyone finds amusing and entertaining. Still mourning the loss of his longtime lover, Simon yearns to find love and a place in a culture that worships youth and beauty. As Mike hands these men their drinks, he marvels at their determination, strength and foolishness. But most of all, he begins to question his own dissatisfaction, pondering what’s missing from his own life, and what risks he may have to take to find fulfillment. Looking For It is an extraordinarily human tale of community, friendship, and the search for happiness. With unflinching honesty, keen insight, and his trademark humor, Michael Thomas Ford weaves together the unforgettable stories of these seven men, chronicling their dreams, hurts, heartbreaks, joys, and hopes, while taking readers on an emotional journey to find what it is we’re all looking for.
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| Could Have Been So Great |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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Although I read the entire book, I found it more depressing than enjoyable. I enjoy gay and lesbian fiction, but there was so much unnecessary sex in this book that it took away from the actual story line.
The scenes with Pete Thayer, a blatant homophobe who harbors homosexual tendencies, were especially explicit and, in some cases, disgusting, and I felt they did nothing to explain his beliefs and his character.
There are lots of good fiction books out there dealing with gay men, but LOOKING FOR IT isn't one of them.
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| Rewarding tale about a group of supportive gay men |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Simon is an aging and lonely queen still trying to get over the death of his lifetime partner. Stephen is a young accountant, secretly gay, that is except to two of his clients, John and Russell. John and Russell themselves appear to have the perfect relationship; but appearances can be deceiving. Greg is looking for the right partner, but without success. Mike, barman in a local gay bar where the various characters gather, happily listens to his regulars' woes while ignoring his own; and Thomas, the new priest is in denial about his true self. Loosely and not altogether advantageously connected to this group of friends is Pete, who enjoys the benefits of another man's attentions while denying that he himself is gay. Looking For It follows the interactions between this group of gay men who help and support one another as they discover what they really want.
Well written, this is an endearing, interesting and most enjoyable tale; the interaction between this group of diverse and very likeable men is warm and loving, they genuinely care for each other. It balances this with touches of humour, and the occasional explicit scene. While it covers a period of just a few months, the effects of what happens in that time one feels sure will be long lasting and beneficial for almost all involved, providing a positive conclusion to the book. The most attractive book cover illustration is an added bonus.
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| Excellent for a gay novel |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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When I read gay-themed novels, I usually have low expectations, which is a shame. I have read Michael Thomas Ford's humorous essay books and thoroughly enjoyed them, but was hesitant to pick up one of his novels. I was very pleasantly surprised! In this book he creates a string of characters and manages to connect them all as they come together for a summer in Provincetown, MA, which serves as an excellent back-drop for the story. The characterization is excellent and the humor sprinkled throughout made it that much more fun to read. But what kept my interest the most is how accurately gay relationships were depicted, from the friends, the commited couples, to the not-so-commited couples, to the "newbies", to the parents, to the relationships on the rocks. Much of the book felt like non-fiction to me, because of how accurately the relationships were portrayed. Some readers may find the connections in the storylines to be too convenient or forced, but I was so enjoying the book that I just went with it. I think the flaws are easily overlooked. Prudes beware, there are some graphic descriptions of gay sex!
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| Searching |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I found that Looking for it has a meaning behind it. I mean is Mike the main character was lost and he found what made him happy and you could say this connects with every day life. I really enjoyed the book and how Ford Created the characters its was great and it deals with situations that homosexuals face. For an the way people react seeing the same sex together and this case i felt that you could connect with each character.
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| Great Story, Terrific Characters, Very Erotic! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, "Looking For It." I had previously read Mr. Ford's "Last Summer" however, this more recent endeavor was the better of the two books. I loved the story, with its clan of characters. Among my favorites were Mike, the bartender at the Engine Room; Thomas, the Episcopalian priest; and Simon, the older gay gentleman who is the partiarch of this cast. I do hope that Mr. Ford is planning a sequel to this novel that includes the characters I have mentioned above. I finished the book a few days ago and I can honestly say that I am kind of missing the characters, they were very true to life. The book was filled with real life situations, not always pleasant ones to encounter. Additionally, Mr. Ford writes a sexual encounter far better than most authors of this genre. Truly enjoyed this one and I am sure you will too!
Guy De Rosa
Los Angeles, California
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