Fine as Frog Hair [Paperback]

Sean Michael (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2008

Fine As Frog Hair follows Russ as he sets out to see America and finds something even better in Trey, a true cowboy and all around good folks. Russ and Trey have a wonderful guy next-door quality, taking their romance one step at a time, but when sparks fly it heats up fast, and the two decide to join forces and face the world together. It's a good thing they have each other, because when the going gets tough and Russ gets desperately sick, they'll need all the support they can get. Trey is determined to keep Russ with him, and he's willing to give up everything he owns to do it. Russ doesn't want to be a burden to Trey, and he has a hard time hiding his guilt. He loves Trey a lot, but he's not sure how much he's willing to let Trey do for him. Can he let Trey help him heal? Trey and Russ have it all, from laughter to heartache to the hottest sex West of the Mississippi, all the while proving that while life isn't perfect, it's just fine by them. Fine as frog hair.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Torquere Press (June 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1603702474
• ISBN-13: 978-1603702478
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,128,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This moving cowboy romance from Sean is all heart!, March 19, 2008

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Fine as Frog Hair (Paperback)

Just finished this in its print version the second time. Very glad Torquerepress decides to print it. There is nothing different from the e-book version. Just that I enjoy both cowboys and their stirring love story. This one was written in 2004 and it remains one of my top favorites from Sean. And this being a cowboy gay romance makes it all the more endearing. Trey and Russ are just your ordinary Joes. Trey, a decent man and trusted ranch hand, hires the 19 year-old Russ who has yet to decides what he wants from life. They fall in love, works the ranch and decides to build a future together. Their getting to know each other is wonderfully warm and the part when Russ gets his own horse especially sweet. The sex is of course hot, as only Sean could write it. Then tragedy strikes when Russ is striken with cancer. I thought Sean has done a marvelous job here on their plight and expressing their love so well. A love which survives the toughest test, more so for Trey when he has to give up his dreams and his most treasured possession. And you just have to love the last part when Trey tells Russ that Russ is his future and nothing else matters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Intro into Gay Fic, June 11, 2008

By 

BookWorm83 (MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fine as Frog Hair (Paperback)

I enjoyed the slow buildup between the two main characters and although it was sad toward the end (not the ending but the situation they are forced to deal with) it was very realistic and the hardships they survived forces the reader to respect, despite their young age and the newness of the relationship, what Trey and Russ share are the real deal.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, but nothing special, December 15, 2011

By 

Charly T. Anchor (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Fine as Frog Hair (Paperback)

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- The narrative voice of Michael's stories tends to be conversational, which means that you get a good look at the characters' thoughts without the story having to be in first person. And the exposition is often amusing because it mimics the men's direct thoughts, dialect and all: "So far? The kid was doing okay. The dogs liked him, he followed directions okay, Trey reckoned he was a little scared of the nanny goats, but no one was perfect."
- There's a bit of angst in the book, but I thought it fit the story well. I didn't find it overwhelmingly depressing, nor is it the kind that the characters could avoid if they'd just both get their heads out of the dark and communicate with each other. The conflict here is beyond their control, and I liked how they face it together and move past it.
- The relationship moves slowly at the start of the story, with phases of mutual-but-silent attraction, then cautious flirting, then open flirting, and then actual physical contact. Cowboys aren't typically portrayed as shy in m/m books, but both of the men here are rather tentative when it comes to their initial romantic interactions. I thought it was cute.
- One thing this author consistently does well is portray secondary characters who don't enter into the story very often but who still come across as rounded, realistic people.

CONS:
- The book is repetitive, particularly when it reaches the point in the story when the relationship gets physical. There's a bit of variety in the lead-up to each sex scene, but once the guys' clothes come off, every scene is essentially the same--right down to the essential positions, roles, etc.
- The story has a happy ending, but it ends at a point in the men's relationship when a lot of things are up in the air and Russ and Trey aren't in the best position financially. The conclusion certainly shows their determination to make it through life's hardships as a team, but it still came across as bittersweet to me.

Overall comments: This is pretty typical Sean Michael fare, which means there's a lot of sex, the tone of the writing is very informal, and the story consists of a lot of seemingly trivial moments in the characters' lives that combine to create a picture of their everyday relationship. I liked it, but I don't think it's among the best in the genre.