I almost tossed this book after chapter five. Austin and his self-loathing got old fast. The story honestly did not get interesting until Austin got up the nerve to go after what he wanted both with the team and with Liam. Once things got moving I was hooked even though the guys were only about sex. Austin really needed a boot in the ass to get over the idea of being straight. No real secondary characters to speak of. Not sure that I'd bother with the other books in this series. ( )

College hockey player Austin Puett appears confident but is often the odd one out. Most of his roommates are gay, but he's straight. While the rest of his team is straight, Austin's pretty sure he's the only one who gets turned on when someone calls him "pussy" or "fag." And both facts just might do him in.

One of Austin's roommates is exploring his gender identity. And while Austin hasn't had any problems living in the house, this fact is one that's harder for him to deal with. But if he can't get past things and start treating his roommate better, he'll be evicted.

The solution to how Austin reacts to being degraded is nowhere near simple. But when a customer returns a fetish video during one of Austin's shifts at the video store, he finds himself intrigued. There's something about the premise of the video--and Master Puck, the man on the cover--that draws him in. Austin's not gay, but neither are the guys in the scenes, right? Getting lost in the video fantasy might just be what he needs to get past his "problem." But when Master Puck shows up at the store, Austin wonders if there might an even better and more lasting solution... Of course, things are never nearly as simple as we sometimes think they are.

--

Learning about these young men who live together and work at Rear Entrance Video has been interesting. Each one has faced some interesting complications in understanding and coming to terms with who they are. And Austin's story is no exception.

There's a lot of angst here. But one might expect that in a story where the main character is reconciling his sexual desires with his identity. And especially when those desires and that identity don't seem to match up. The journey isn't easy, but the author gives us a glimpse while keeping things real and respectful. ( )

In Straight Shooter, Heidi Belleau once again brings readers another brilliant and thought-provoking journey of self discovery and more importantly, self acceptance. In this final novel in the marvelous Rear Entrance Video series, jock Austin Puett explores his puzzling sexual desires and in the process, he comes to term with not only his kinks (for wont of a better word) but his good friend Bobby's as well.

Austin did not take his friend Bobby's transformation very well and in fact, he has turned into a homophobic jerk that no one (including himself) can stand. The warning from his landlord to treat Bobby with respect is the wake-up call he needs and fearing the loss of his home, friends and job, Austin finally gives serious thought to why these changes bother him so much. For someone who is not prone to introspection this seems like an almost overwhelming task, but Austin gives the situation serious thought, and he learns a lot about himself along the way.

Austin sees the world in absolutes-everything is black and white with no shades of grey. Someone is either gay or straight, and Bobby does not clearly fit in either of these categories. Unfortunately, Austin has been dealing with a (self-perceived) humiliating dilemma of his own that defies categorization and when he tries to figure out how to get his friendship back on track with Bobby, he comes face to face with his own problem. Austin has always identified as straight, so when he gets turned on by trash talking in the locker room, he cannot quite understand why this pushes his sexual buttons. He has repressed these desires for years and when that no longer works, he decides it is time to tackle this issue head-on but his explorations take him in a very unexpected direction.

The first half of Straight Shooter deals mainly with Austin's internal struggles with his fear and self-loathing. Trying to "fix" himself, he tries watching a LOT of gay porn, hoping immersion therapy will get his unwanted urges out of his system. Regular gay porn does nothing for him, but BDSM movies about submissive "straight" men who are dominated by Master Puck? These are the movies that make him (and his unruly dick) sit up and take notice. When he meets Liam Williams (AKA Master Puck), Austin is ready to star in the next movie as Master Puck's "straight" submissive.

Of course, the older and wiser Liam is too much of a professional to take Austin up on his offer but they eventually become personally involved. Liam guides Austin through the very convoluted and often complicated path of D/s relationships. Liam is extraordinarily patient with Austin both in and out of bed and it is through Liam's insightful questions that Austin fully begins to not only understand, but come to terms with his very confusing sexual proclivities. Their relationship is slow-growing with a few missteps, but in the end, Austin emerges a much stronger and well-grounded person.

The sex scenes in Straight Shooter are plentiful and erotic, but they are sometimes uncomfortable to read. They are well written but filled with kinks including submission, humiliation and emasculation. If you are not a sexually adventuresome reader, I definitely recommend checking out the "additional details" and "warnings" sections on this book's page at Riptide Publishing.

A novel that pushes a few boundaries, Straight Shooter explores a different side of human sexuality with frankness, honesty and sensitivity. Heidi Belleau does an excellent job showing how fear is often the driving force behind intolerance and she beautifully and realistically redeems a character whose acceptance of other's differences leads to a better understanding of his own desires. A wonderful conclusion to the Rear Entrance Video series.
( )

This was the story I've waited for!


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*



A copy provided by publisher for an honest review" ( )

Before I start my review, a few clarifications:

1. This is the 3rd book in the Rear Entrance Video series. I did not read the first 2 books. Those books concentrated on different characters, but all were present in [b:Straight Shooter|18808267|Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video, #3)|Heidi Belleau|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384562792s/18808267.jpg|26740701]. I did feel a little lost at times because of not knowing any of the back story.

2. Pre-release buzz for this book was extremely positive from highly admired GoodRead friends, so I will be sending you over to the [b:Straight Shooter|18808267|Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video, #3)|Heidi Belleau|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384562792s/18808267.jpg|26740701] page at the end of my review so you can read those before making your book buying and reading decision.

3. Hockey and BDSM are 2 of my absolute favorite categories in the M/M romance genre. Combined, it's close to "perfect storm" level in my book. Yee Haw!

[b:Straight Shooter|18808267|Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video, #3)|Heidi Belleau|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384562792s/18808267.jpg|26740701] is the story of Canadian collage student and hockey player Austin Puett who has an unusual sexual kink. He becomes sexually aroused when he is belittled and humiliated by other men, even though he considers himself straight. This kink of his is all consuming and is disrupting his daily life and he begins to actively search for a way to resolve the problem so he can quiet the kink that has now become an obsession. This part of the book was very hard for me to read. Austin literally had no one in his life. He hated himself for how he felt about his sexuality and had no one to turn to for help. No parents, no siblings, no close friends to confide in, no teacher or instructor or wise coach. He just kept having the same inner, hateful dialogue in his head about how damaged he was, and how he was broken. Jesus, it was awful! And this went on for a good 75% of the book.

Eventually he meets and starts a secret relationship with a male porn star named Liam and from Liam he gets the sexual kink he needs. The two of them had a few instances of crazy, hot, kinky, fabulous sex, but equally they had instances of incredibly unconformable, soul shattering-but-not-in-a-good-way sex. It just wasn't fun for me in that hurt/comfort kind of way I usually enjoy. With Austin still insisting he was straight, he still pitched a fit if Liam showed him any kind of physical affection during after care. And kissing? Absolutely not!

The last 15% of the book was magical. Glorious! Perfection! I cried tears of joy and celebrated their HEA or HFN or whatever you want to call it. (I always swing on the HEA side.) The boys were a delight once they got on the same page. But, I gotta tell you, I had a really rough time getting to that last 15%.

So, I leave it in your hands. If you can handle the MC beating the shit out of himself (I didn't even get into any of Austin's punishment sessions!) both emotionally and physically for most of this book and can handle real, honest-to-goodness humiliation kink, not the kind where it is solidified in a loving, bonded relationship, but one out of necessity for an MC who feels he deserves it, then go for it! You will love the last 15% too! As for the rest of you who thinks that might be too harsh for them, I urge you to read other reviews over at the [b:Straight Shooter|18808267|Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video, #3)|Heidi Belleau|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384562792s/18808267.jpg|26740701] page before taking this off your shelf. It is early days, I understand that, but a lot of folks have already read this and I am in the great minority. That usually makes me a little leery and I always want to make 100% sure all books I review are getting a fair shot.

Cannot recommend. ( )