Customer Reviews

Down For Whatever

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Relationships are hard to initiate and even harder to maintain. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. Right would just ride up on his proverbial white horse, knock on our front door and sweep us off our feet? In DOWN FOR WHATEVER, this is the desired scenario for Keith, Tommie, Rafael and Marco. Each is seemingly looking for Mr. Right in all the wrong places. Each hails from various backgrounds, yet when thrust into the fast-paced limelight of Los Angeles, will they be able to stake their claim on true love?

All of the characters have their individual concerns, which unite them together. As the lead singer of an R&B group from back in the day, Tommie was "Mr. It" back then. Hooking up was not an issue. Now that he is a little older and has reached the big 3-0 mark, he is still clinging to his celebrity status with his much younger, jock boyfriend on his arm. Will Tommie's insecurities plague him from allowing love to blossom? Marco finds himself in a quandary when dealing with a long distance relationship. Can he stay faithful despite all of the temptation that presents itself each day? Keith finally thinks he has found someone who is too-good-to-be-true, hopefully this isn't the case. Rafael casts caution to the wind and does whatever is clever and feels good at the moment. In the end, who ends up with a broken heart and who walks away happily ever after?

The story is told from the first person, conversational perspective of the four friends. Not being familiar with the gay lifestyle, the depictions of the scenes seemed believable and despite the protagonists' sexual preferences, I found myself pulling for them to realize the happiness that everyone deserves and shaking my head at some of their antics. Although the it started out a little slow to me, if you're looking for a book that has handsome men, attitude galore, and relationship drama mixed with some same-sex partnering, then DOWN FOR WHATEVER may be the book for you.

(...)

A friend loaned me this book and I devoured it.
Being a mostly white, out,gay man who usually dates men of color, the book gave me a greater insight to some things I didn't understand like being on the Down Low. I only recently discovered that I, myself am a quarter Latino (my parents covered it up) but I've lived my whole life in the East Los Angeles area.

I have met just about every type of man that Smith characterizes and in some ways it was like revisiting old friends.

One of the locales mentioned in the book is a city called Montebello. I live next door to there and have visited Club Chico from time to time. The locales and the characterizations were very personal for me.

Now the reason it didn't get 5 stars from me was because I thought the ending was a little too rushed and a little too warm and fuzzy.

I will definitely be ordering my own copy soon!

Frederick Smith sets his seminal work along a theme that sociologists and demographers are already pointing out to the discomfort of a majority of Americans, that is the new emerging minority/majority is brown/black. So what happens when black and brown characters begin to explore their commonalities. Just what you will find in Down For Whatever. That racial stereotypes can be vastly different from the reality that comes from association and interaction. Frederick takes two Black single gay males and two Latino sgm, mix them together along with their friends, companions, families and significant others and produces a storyline that everyone ought to read as a blueprint for the present and future of black/brown relationships. Inevitably, his characters grow into a deeper understanding of each other just as Americans of all races and ethnicities must continue to understand each other and grow into respecting culture and sexuality.

Then finally, add back into the mix the ups and downs of living the gay life as a professional, as an individual who is one step away from homelessness, or as one who is on the "down low." Frederick Smith helps each of his readers to see a little of themselves in each character as they progress toward finding a more fulfilling self-identity. This book is highly recommended not only for gay audiences, but for those who would understand that emotions, relationships, love transcends race, gender and sexual preferences.

Entertaining from beginning to end! It is like watching an independent and very fresh movie.
I have never been to L.A., in fact, I have never been to the United States(yet I managed to put my hands on this book),but now I am curious about that Tempo place here so often described, even though a friend of mine who has been there first-hand insists that I have not missed a thing at all, hinting that the place is picturesque because the guys dance Tex-mix with cowboy hats on, but that everything else is average if not below...
But after reading this book it is hard to believe my friend: the gay scene here described is colorful and universal enough-Since some of its characters act and react like many people in the western gay world would;I wish I were there someday jumping to all those ¨cholo¨ dances.
This book is fast-paced and it will keep you hooked all the time.Recommended? Yeah! I hope to see a movie out of this some day.

In the spate of gay novels being published it is rare to discover anything that is new and refreshing. Frederick Smith has delivered such a book; entertaining, thought-provoking and highly amusing, it presents a departure from the trite and formulaic books that I have recently read.

DOWN FOR WHATEVER, reality in the form of fiction: The struggle of gay black and brown men who seek to piece together their shattered souls with a little help from love: The infinite search of a committed lover, support and acceptance from their family, respect from the world, and success in life. DOWN FOR WHATEVER takes place in the streets of L.A; a back and forth, alternating, and intertwining story of the lives of four gay friends, Keith, Rafael, Marco Antonio, and Tommie. A novel rich in culture, romance, and hope. Truly, Smith's gay version of THE JOY LUCK CLUB: Hard to put down, two thumbs way up!

Leaves one wondering weather true gay love exists...well, it gave me hope!
Take the time, read it, escape into their lives, and enjoy!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Frederick Smith reminds me E. Lynn Harris and Jame Earl Hardy. You get really involved with the characters and even been to not a like a few of them at times. I brings you into the L.A. gay scene for African and Latin American males. I must read for any native of Los Angeles like myself.

Down for Whatever is the debut novel written by Fredrick Smith. It is a fresh, honest look at love and romance from the gay male's point of view. It is the story of four different and diverse friends in L.A., Keith, Marco Antonio, Tommy, and Rafael.

Keith is an almost thirty-something educated man with self-esteem and weight issues who is looking for love and keeps finding it in all the wrong places until he meets Cesar. Cesar appears to be the one until he does the ultimate betrayal, Tommie is the former lead singer of the once popular R&B group Renaissance Phoenix, and is happily involved with a much younger college man. However, he can't believe that someone like Tyrell wants to be with him and that doubt causes him to make a foolish mistake that may cost him everything. Marco Antonio is happy in his relationship with Alex, an up and coming actor until he drops the bomb that he has married an up and coming Colombia singer to help his career and for publicity reasons. Last but not least, Rafael. Rafael is young, hot, and looking for Mr. Right Now instead of Mr. Right. He has done so many people wrong that he has lost count until karma comes back in a way, he is totally unprepared for. Down for Whatever is a fast-paced entertaining read. It is my kind of story; it's the perfect blend of romance and drama. It will make you laugh, cry, or just sit and shake your head. It will have you thinking long after you put it down. The men deal with issues that we all do, but in the end, all they want is the same as everyone else, a love to call their own. I give this book 4 stars!! Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks

Keith, Tommie, Marco Antonio, and Rafael each ended up in L.A. for different reasons, via different paths, from Mexico to Michigan, from the Ivy League to the streets. But they have one thing in common--they're all looking for Mr. Right. Keith, a preacher's son from Detroit, is looking for love in all the wrong places. But when Cupid answers his prayers with a man who's hot and smart, he's got to wonder if it's too good to be true. Rafael's problem is that he doesn't really know what he wants--so he's willing to try just about everything. The most stable of the group, Marco Antonio, is finally closing the deal on a long-distance romance with an up-and-coming actor. But when the Hollywood celebrity machine interferes, Marco yearns for the stability of a regular guy--and eventually finds himself torn between two lovers. Tommie, a former member of a now defunct R&B group, has fallen for a college basketball player with a dazzling future in the pros. But at thirty-something, barely out of the closet, with little left to show for his once-hot career, Tommie can't help wondering what a young rising star is doing with a fallen star like him. Navigating a fast-paced world populated by divas, drama queens, and DI.s, the guys are about to find out if real love can triumph in the City of Angels, where perfect bodies, youth, and black and brown pride come together and collide with gay pride.

Took this book on my trip to Hawaii. Fast read and very enjoyable. Look for the next novel.