Review for The First Real Thing by Cat Grant

My name's Cameron. And I'm a male escort. I'm the best, and most expensive, at what I do. I have one rule-never let anyone in.

In five years of hooking I've never picked up the wrong guy. But when I met Toronto ad man Trevor Barclay in a Manhattan bar, his soft green eyes and shy smile drew me right in. When I discovered the error I had made, I should have written it off as a mistake and moved on. But memories of the steamy encounter we shared in his hotel room continued to haunt me.

I never should have agreed to see him again, but from that very first night he worked his way under my skin and into my heart. I can't stop thinking about him. But how can I tell him the first man he's been with in sixteen years sells himself for a living?

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Early on in this story Cameron claims that his life of being an escort is nothing like Pretty Woman, there's no silver lining or HEA.  Once he meets Trevor though, that initial statement proves to be wrong.  From that first mistaken meeting what follows is an intensely emotional story where Cameron tries desperately to leave his old life behind as he sees nothing but loneliness ahead if he keeps going down his chosen path.  The death of a close friend really hits home the need for having someone in your life and the person he wants is Trevor, as long as he can keep the truth about his past hidden.

This story is loosely written as blog entries which gives great insight into Cameron's life and career.  It gives honest insight into both the good and bad moments of what he does and why he started in the business.  His reasons were both believable and understandable and had me feeling sympathetic towards him as well as admiring his ability to do what he does and remain truly likable.  He sees life passing him by and wants the things that other people have like love and the support of another.  He's tired of living a lie.

Trevor too got tired of living a lie and has finally come out of the closet.  Cam's the first man he's been with since he was a young man and he's excited to have Cam as his guide into gay life.  Trevor's a breath of fresh air to Cam's cynicism.  Sex and seeing the sights of New York are all new when experiencing it with Trevor and seeing them together put a smile on my face.  We don't get to see into Trevor's soul as much as Cam's but I still found him to be a fully fleshed-out and delightfully sweet and sexy character.  Their times together ooze sexual tension as well as a deep connection that I found heartwarming.  Also hot were their sexual interludes.  The differences between these scenes and the times Cam's with a client are quite obvious.  With Trevor it's all fireworks and life-altering kisses, whereas it's a sweaty race to the finish with clients.  At one point Cameron mentions he feels just as much of a virgin as Trevor in their relationship and it's quite true.  That's what happens when you fall in love.

The secondary characters were just as wonderful as the two leads.  Mike/Michelle was a delightfully colorful and supportive friend and I enjoyed every minute he was on the scene.  His magnetism is undeniable and I'd love to see more of him.  Cam's pimp Charles was equally intriguing and though he appeared heartless at times he still showed an unexpected kindheartedness at the end. Then there's Ryan, who's a younger version of Cam, who he tries to help by teaching him the ropes and is there to help when Ryan needs him most.

From start to finish I found myself fully invested in Cam's life and his attempt to get his HEA.  I was rooting for him every step of the way and applauded at the conclusion.  With its memorable cast of characters, steamy erotic encounters, and unexpected heartwarming moments this story is a wonderful beginning to a series I'm now very excited to read. With this book Cat Grant once again proves why she's a talent in the m/m genre!

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.