The day he befriended the school bully, Mikey Pierce, was a turning point in his life. Mikey’s dad was everything his father wasn’t - rough and rugged. Mr. Pierce set the precedence for all his fantasies.   Years later, he stumbles upon Mr. Pierce and his poker buddy one night ‘settling’ a debt in the sweatiest way imaginable, and everything becomes clear.

Poignant and overloaded with angst and teenaged male hormones, My Best Friend’s Dad is a delicious journey into young adulthood.  The narrator is captive to rampant desires for the blue-collar charms of Mr. Pierce as he balances the sibling nuances of his relationship with the painfully awkward (equally horny) Mikey, who stumbles through his own heterosexual yearnings like a randy bull in a high end women’s boutique.  In contrast, our young confessor is self-deprecating, insightful, and curious.  He’s hungry for this unexplored new territory, eager to test his manhood and experience his first time with another man.  His maturity shows in the way he handles his sexuality and the self-control he displays when he is overwhelmed by his urges.  One of the best scenes is when an unexpected meeting guides him in the right direction; it’s critical and heartwarming.

All in all, My Best Friend’s Dad is flavored with bittersweet coming-of-age realism, toe-tingling nuggets of suspense and enough erotic intensity to give the most discerning readers their due.  I got swept into the narrative, developed a rapport with the precocious orator along with the supporting characters.  This is the first time I’ve read anything from this author, and I was delightfully surprised in so many ways.