Book Review: Beachouse Studios: A Dark Gay Thriller
Beachouse Studios: A Dark Gay Thriller (yes, it only has one ‘H’ in the name ‘Beachouse,’ which is addressed in the novel) is a delightfully unhinged and unapologetically queer novel by C.W. Rogers. As the first book in this new series, it rips back the taboo curtain on the adult film industry, showing the best and the worst parts through its colorful cast of characters.
Rogers puts on a masterclass on how to write unlikable characters. At the center of Beachouse Studios is Ry Thompson, a new model at the studio, and Dan Sebring, the studio’s producer. To put it frankly, these two have a pretty messed up relationship that grows even more twisted as the story goes on. Ry has a secret he’s desperately guarding. Dan will do anything to make the studio successful. The story's core revolves around their cat-and-mouse game as these two constantly switch from allies to enemies and back again. It builds until a breaking point is hit in the final moments. As the first chapter opens with “Three months before the murder,” the consequences of Ry and Dan’s actions have deadly results.
By far, the best part of Beachouse Studios is the ensemble. Joining Ry and Dan in the unlikable character category is the horrific stain on society of a person, Gabe, which the reader longs for his comeuppance to come sooner than later. There is also the selfish John Balsinger, who owns the studios, chewing every single scene he’s in to both hilarious and repugnant effect. Rogers does such a great job crafting these fleshed-out people that you want to keep reading even at their worst.
The cast also has bright spots to balance out the darker themes. Everyone should love Emily Griel and Tim Martinez. As the studio’s editor, Emily refuses to put up with anyone’s mess, including her boss, Dan. Her heart shines through in every instant as she truly loves the people around her that she works with. Tim, frankly, is a walking ray of sunshine. He lifts every moment he's on the page, and it’s no wonder everyone around him becomes a better person. Even the severe Dan softens around Tim. Ry questions his dark secret when Tim is with him. Tim and Emily are essential characters as they challenge the rougher core cast to do better.
There’s always something authentic with queer writers telling queer stories. Beachouse Studios feels like it comes from a genuine place of credibility, as Rogers has clearly done his research about the adult film industry. The sex in the novel is never glorified as erotica. It’s uncomfortable when it needs to be, never once titillating. The models in the story are at their jobs, and the sex scenes are cold, feeling like watching someone work. That is not a knock on the book; it shows Rogers’ care with an easily sensationalized subject matter. In fact, it’s a significant strength of the story. This allows the characters to grow together in this world they’ve found themselves in. The bonds that characters like Ry and Tim build together are palpable because real trust is needed between scene partners. Ry’s glorious dreams of “having fun as a porn star” are shattered on his first day at work. However, what he finds instead are genuine connections that challenge everything he believes.
I do have two big criticisms of the book.
It’s a good thing that Emily is an incredibly well-written female character because she’s the only woman in the book. At times, I felt like I was sliding into the realm of The Smurfette Principle and that her only function was to be a soundboard for Dan and Ry. While it’s clearly established in the novel that the studio only makes gay male porn, it felt really limiting at times in terms of story. Where are the characters who are women, non-binary, trans, genderfluid, and all genders in between in this very queer world Rogers has built? Some parts of Beachouse Studios read a lot like a boys' club. As this is the first in the series, I hope there are more women and people of other genders in future books.
And this is coming from me, who loves to watch, read, and write gay smut.
There also needed to be a bit more setup for the finale. There is a character that literally (and I'm using the proper definition of "literally") comes out of nowhere that we have never seen before and ends up being very important. Even a few hints earlier to this person would have made the final pages much smoother. Ry is in the right with his final actions, but it needed more build-up.
Overall, Beachouse Studios was excellent and a wonderfully strong start to what looks to be a bonkers fun series. It's been one of my favorite books I've read in a long time, carried by its fascinating characters. I really care about all of the people C.W. Rogers has crafted, and I can’t wait to see what dark twists are coming in the next book.
Except for Gabe. Throw that entire garbage man into the trash.
You can buy Beachouse Studios now on Kindle eBooks and Kindle Unlimited here.
