Trust Fund Boys [Hardcover]

Rob Byrnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

The author of The Night We Met takes readers on a wild ride through the "good life", where no scheme is too outrageous for the two plucky young sheisters on the make in this outrageous novel. Brett Revere is a failed actor, playing a new role - that of a rich playboy - while Jamie Brock appears to be the sort of person Brett's playing. But a night in a watering hole for rich, older gay men reveals that they are in fact both playing the same game, and, after joining forces, they embark on "Operation Hamptons", which lands them right in trouble with the "Velvet Mafia"...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Desperate times call for desperate measures in Byrnes's dialogue-driven, tepidly humorous sophomore novel about a broke, destitute young man insinuating himself into gay Manhattan's version of high society. Resilient, late-30-something Queens actor Brett Revere finds himself in conundrums. The only audition he can get is for a campy gay theatrical version of Annie (called Andy); he needs to evict creepy roommate Quentin; and his temp agency drops him. Desperate, Brett hatches "Operation Hamptons," a plan to bilk older gay men out of their money by pretending to be a "trust fund baby," just like new friend Jamie Brock, a manipulative hustler and former L.A. decorator who hangs out at the Penthouse, a bar catering to the upper-crust gay set. Money isn't a problem after Quentin's new credit card arrives in the mail, but Jamie turns off the charm when he learns Brett's true social status. Brett tags along with Michael DeVries, a gentleman from the club, but still harbors blind love for Jamie, who continues to deceive him. Though Byrnes relates some hard truths about the often unsavory lives of the well-moneyed, none of his characters are particularly likable. Readers wanting more than long chapters of dialogue and a few cheap laughs might want to search out Byrnes's first novel, The Night We Met, instead of this facile, featherweight beach read.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Necessity, bolstered by no small measure of desperation, is mother to invention, and inspired invention, at that. And unemployed-actor-pushing-40 Brett Revere (not his real name, and he can pass for 32), who has sunk so low he has even been fired from temping, and who shares a dumpy apartment in Astoria, Queens, with creepy Quentin, is desperate. Actually, Brett is set to sink to an even lower level of hell via his small part in a gay parody of Annie, in which he is to be humped by Sandy, the dog. Enough is enough, he tells his quasi-loyal agent, Alan. He will instead assume a role that will change his life, that of Trust Fund Boy, as which he will ingratiate his way into the world of wealthy gay power brokers. Will Brett also make the most of the electricity between himself and legitimate Trust Fund Boy Jamie? Tune in and turn those pages with this charming, well-paced gay romance. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; First Edition edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758205449
• ISBN-13: 978-0758205445
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,438,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rob Byrnes is a native of Upstate New York (specifically, Rochester; with briefer residencies in Schenectady and Albany) who moved to Manhattan in 1997 to make his fortune... but ended up writing novels and short stories instead. Byrnes's third novel, "When the Stars Come Out," won the 1996 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Romance. He currently lives in West New York -- deceptively located in New Jersey -- with his partner, Brady Allen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER!, June 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Trust Fund Boys (Hardcover)

Nothing that Byrnes submits in this book requires a big stretch of the imagination. But the way he ties everything together is sheer genius--and I won't give it away. This book is a delight to read, and addictive. The situations in which Jamie and Brett find themselves leave you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what in the world could possibly come next. What does come next is not always earth-shattering, but usually unexpected. Isn't that what makes a fun read?

Set aside a rainy afternoon and read this book. It will bring sunshine. Sure, it's light, gay fiction. But if you enjoy reading that--as I do--you can't do better. I just hope that the author will soon let us know what happens next to these characters who found a place in my heart. When is the next Rob Byrnes book coming???

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok!, July 28, 2007

By 

jmore865 (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trust Fund Boys (Paperback)

This was not my favorite of Rob Byrnes. I felt there was no character to just grab you. I bought this book after reading THE NIGHT WE MET which is a much better work of fiction.

I recommend this for only a light read. I could have taken it or left it.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compulsively Readable, November 30, 2004

By 

Ron Czebieniak (Reading, Pa. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trust Fund Boys (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from start to finish. The things the protagonist goes through to get a life only to find it isn't the life he wanted at all make for a fun read. It is a quick read because once you start, you can't stop until you see what happens. The author keeps the story moving and even though you know there will be a happy ending, it is fun just getting to it. Others have given a synopsis of the story, so all I will say is to pick up the book and enjoy!