Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video #3)

Bro!

That shit was tight!

The final book in the Rear Entrance Video series packed a serious punch! When I read that Straight Shooter was going have Austin, the stereotypical-macho-asshole-super-straight-jock as a main character, I was there with bells on. And then to get a porn actor/ Dom love interest? I thought I hit the jackpot. But it got better when humiliation kink was also involved. I'm still quelting (quivering + melting) after reading this.

Major Quelts!
This is a strong series. Why? Each books deals with new adult men who question their sexuality, question themselves, change their perception and quietly (or not so quietly) change others' perceptions. I've discussed why I think this author nailed the concept with a fresh dialogue and sense of realness in my previous reviews of "Apple Polisher" and "Wallflower". For me to actually finish a series and want more, it says a lot. The author of this series did an amazing job telling all three main characters' story, introducing complex yet engaging main characters. To me, Christian, Rob/Bobby and Austin were more than characters, they were people. But enough about the Rear Entrance Video series on a whole, let me dish about Straight Shooter and why it's the star of the series.

Austin is a college hockey athlete that sees the world in black and white. He never considered the gray. Austin is a jock, so that means he's straight in his mind. There's just that boner problem he gets when a teammate or another guy calls him a derogatory name. He loves being humiliated. He's had this predilection for years. And his boner situation continues to get worse. Could it be from working a gay porn store? Or maybe having gay roommates? The thoughts can't seem to get out of his head, his internal struggle is major, Dude. He goes to some extreme measures to punish himself for his feelings. For Austin, he can't be gay, he's a jock. But the thought of being made to suck another man off, being made to submit...he can't deny it. He's repressed, in major denial and can be downright offensive. He might come off as prick especially to his roommates (okay, some of the stereotypes he spouted made me want to kick his ass) but there's something about Austin. There's a bit of naivete and vulnerability when you look under his prickly, foolish ways.

Austin tries a new therapy, watching gay porn. He watches STRAIGHT SUB SETUP (Yes the title is exactly as it sounds) and falls in lust with Master Puck, the big dick porn star that seems to handle straight guys into submissiveness with ease. Austin can't help but fantasize about him. And when he actually gets to meet Master Puck aka Liam Williams at Rear Entrance Video, it seems that Austin's perfect solution for getting rid of his urges has appeared. Austin can be the next straight sub to submit to Master Puck. It won't make him gay, right Bro?

From the first meeting, reading Liam and Austin brought a smile to my face. Liam/ Master Puck opens Austin's eyes, handles Austin with ease. Austin worries about labels, his sexuality and himself. It was great to see Austin grow. The story was not heavy with angst or drama. Also, for a book about a porn store worker and a porn star, it was not all about sex. (Don't worry, there's sex and it's smutastic.) There's plot, Dude! (The dirty talk was amazing...*bites lips*)

Liam. *breathy sigh*

He's the type of main character that lingers on the brain. He's such a great Dom. He's not the omnipotent, alpha-hole type of Dom that I've read in stories that do it wrong. He's attentive, caring and just down right sexy. (And the penis piercing is a bonus, Bro!) He's not perfect, his dick doesn't solve the world's problems nor does he use his dick as his brain. The story was based from Austin's POV, so we don't get to explore Liam's POV. All that is shown about Liam, I really enjoyed.

Bro, Dude, the story is mostly about Austin's self acceptance. Identifying as gay or straight was not as important. His lines are blurred, he learned to see the gray. The ending is HEA in my book. It works for Austin and Liam's type of relationship.

Do you need to read the series in order or the previous books before reading Straight Shooter? Nope. This book can be read as a standalone. But dude, you're totally missing out on a rocking series.

BDSM Heavy? Not really. The humiliation kink was a nice touch. But you don't have to clutch your pearls if you're not into the heavier side of the spectrum. I'd say maybe a 5 from a scale from 1-10, where 10 is hella heavy, Dude!

Recommended? Fuck yeah, Bro! I gobbled this shit up in a day! Definitely one of my favorite books of the year, Bro! *chest bump*

P.S. Austin was in major denial and word vomited how straight he was to all. So much so that I developed my own straight-boy-in-the-closet situation. I've named him Hank. All the Bro's and Dude's in this review are totally his. Hank's hella straight, Bro! Fucking A, Bro! (Ignore him not the book, Bro!) *fist bump*

I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you! I did not think I was going to like Austin. At all. In my mind, there was not a chance in the warmest reaches of the Devil’s anus that he would win me over. He came off as an ignorant, empty, narcissistic waste of skin in the other books. I was expecting to dislike his character, thoroughly. All while enjoying his yummy character growth-spurts of course. Because, Heidi Belleau.

I definitely did not expect to like Austin almost instantly. I most certainly did not expect to completely love his character (everything about him, down to the way he inhales oxygen). Austin is confused, conflicted, filled with pain and self-hatred, and just so heartbreakingly lost. More importantly, he is willing to grow and learn from his mistakes. Even make new, or similar, ones along the way. I didn’t stand a chance. There was no way I could stop myself from rooting for Austin to become a better person, to let go of ignorant ideas, figure out who he is, and to accept himself.

Austin challenged me to think. I love that. Alright, I suppose I get how he could be a difficult character for some to read, for many different reasons. He ought to be unlikeable, and I imagine he is to some. His thoughts are many, and long lasting (still, I adored them). His turmoil over his sexuality is some heavy stuff. It takes a lot of time and pain for him to work everything out. Then, in the end, he doesn’t fall neatly and conveniently into a familiar label.

Anyway, I need to tell you about Liam. He is phenomenal. He made this book. He is critical to Austin’s development, and he helped make him loveable. Their interactions alternate between hilarious and intense. Seriously, their initial meeting…epic. It is amazing, amusing, and oh so awkward. I loved it, and their second encounter, and the one after that, and you get the point. Honestly, they just get increasingly better. The dynamic between Liam and Austin is superb. Their relationship grows into something else as the book progresses. And while I really enjoyed their initial moments together, it’s the later ones that are unforgettable.

I think Heidi Belleau’s writing is unique and refreshing. Unexpected, even. I feel like Straight Shooter will be a “love it or hate it,” mostly because it doesn’t exactly deliver what one may expect. Even though it can be sweet at times, it’s largely raw and gritty. The book focuses a lot, and I mean a lot on Austin. On his confusion, his growth, and his inner turmoil. Sure, his relationship with Liam is essential to the plot, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. Additionally, I don’t think they are particularly romantic. Or, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t read a lot of BDSM, so that could all be thematic of the subgenre.

This is my favorite book of the series, thanks to Austin and Liam. They are great individually, and even better together. I highly recommend this to fans of the series, also, to breathers of air.

I’m really sad to see this series come to an end.

4.5 Stars

This was excellent. Heidi Belleau knocked it out of the park (if I knew a hockey analogy, I’d be using that) with this novel. It was, in my opinion, the strongest of the Rear Entrance Video books. You don’t see many good degradation kink in fiction, but this, ugh. I could read an entire series of books about the main characters in this. It will be an insta-recommendation to fans of BDSM and gay novels.