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William J. Mann
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Object of Desire Kindle Edition

by William J. Mann (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
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"It's always been golden for you, Danny. You've always been the golden boy."

Danny Fortunato seemed to have it all. He was cute, funny, sexy, smart--the hottest go-go boy in West Hollywood. When he danced on stage, all eyes were upon him and all men desired him. But something always kept Danny from ever really believing he was the golden boy that others said he was. . .


Twenty years later, living in Palm Springs, Danny is celebrating his 41st birthday--although "celebrating" might not be the right word for how he feels about his life today. To the outside world, he's still golden: he still has his looks, and he still loves Frank, his boyfriend of nearly two decades. But something is missing in his life. Passion. Romance. Adventure. The same something that's been missing ever since that day when he turned fourteen, when his sister Becky disappeared and his whole world flipped upside-down. . .


Filled with unforgettable warmth, incorrigible humor, and irresistible charm, Object of Desire takes readers through three milestone eras in one man's life--his youth in the 1970s, his days of abandon in the 1980s, and his more sober, reflective existence today--and reaffirms William J. Mann's reputation as one of gay fiction's major narrative powers.


"Mann's vivid style is a treat."
--Publishers Weekly

"Mann's writing is smart, aware and cognizant enough to take a well-practiced theme and give it a shot in the arm." --Instinct
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  1. Print length
    433 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Kensington Books
  5. Publication date
    June 23, 2010
  6. File size
    1299 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Mann's ambitious if uneven latest (after Men Who Love Men), a spiritually unfulfilled man still haunted by his sister's disappearance decades ago gets a shot at a fresh start. Former West Hollywood go-go boy Danny Fortunato has settled into a comfortable life with his husband in Palm Springs. But when Danny turns 41, he feels the thrill's faded from his relationship and he still grieves over what happened when he was 14: one morning, Danny spied his sister, Becky, cavorting with her boyfriend. Later that day, she vanished, but Danny never told the police or his parents what he'd seen. In the aftermath, his family fractures. Now, after Danny meets Kelly, a gorgeous young bartender, he begins to believe Kelly might hold clues to Becky's disappearance, but digging into that history means facing his family and his tortured past. Mann's vivid style is a treat, and though the contemporary story line flirts with romantic overkill, the flashbacks dealing with Becky's disappearance are particularly well done and could almost stand on their own. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

William J. Mann is the critically acclaimed author of Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood’s First Openly Gay Star, as well as The Biograph Girl and the novel The Men from the Boys. He is a contributor to Architectural Digest, The Boston Phoenix, and The Advocate.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003IYI82C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Books; 1st edition (June 23, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1299 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 433 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

About the author

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William J. Mann

William J. Mann

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I live in two of the most beautiful places on the planet ' Provincetown, Massachusetts, with its exquisite light and ever-shifting dunes in the summer and the fall, and Palm Springs, California, with its majestic mountains and invigorating desert air in the winter and the spring. I am indeed blessed.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
74 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Frank Berkeley
5.0 out of 5 stars Book of Desire
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2009
Verified Purchase
In the past I've been critical of author William J. Mann. While I've found his prose to be beautifully written, I've found his stories to be weak on plot and short on action. Well, he either listened (ha ha) or figured it out on his own because Object of Desire is beautifully written, has an intriguing plot and is full of action.
Danny Fortunato's sister disappears on his 14th birthday and Danny's life is changed forever. Cleverly, very cleverly, told in flashbacks to three phases of Danny's life, we learn about his painful, yet surprisingly sexy high school years, to his early years in West Hollywood, to his mid-life years with a husband in Palm Springs. Despite the husband, Danny falls in love with the gorgeous Kelly (if you're reading this you already know that Kelly is a he) and it is here where Mann's book takes a wild right turn. At first, I was unwilling to accept it as simply incredulous, but then the quality of the writing took over and I was hooked once again.
This is a terrific story, beautifully written and compellingly readable.
There are a few minor problems. St. Francis Xavier High School in East Hartford, CT (even fictional) would be a Jesuit school and the principal would be a priest, not a brother. Who cares?
You want to read this book. It will be the highlight of your summer. And, Mr. William J. Mann, bring it on!
12 people found this helpful
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Michael Hall
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Story But A Major Flaw.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2015
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The story was very real with a twist I didn't see coming. Just hope it's not true. But the reason the book has four stars instead of five is because of the timeline; started with Danny's present life, then his childhood, then his young adult life and then back to his present life. That kind of messed up the story a bit. To me. But other than that, the book was great.
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Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Journey of a gay man from boyhood to the present.
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2009
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I was hooked on the first page! Easy flowing words as only William J.Mann can write. His description of Palm Springs, Frank Wilson, Danny and the other gay characters were never boring. Each character more interesting than the next.

What I loved most about this novel was the seamless transition from Danny Fortunato's past (and the tragedy that haunted him all his life) to the present and his life with his husband of 20 years.

Three titles took the reader from Danny as a child, in East Hartford, to finally leaving his home for West Hollywood and now his current life with Frank Wilson, Palm Springs. So the chapter bounced along from East Hartford and so on!

William J. Mann's style of writing is so fluid one almost forgets you are reading a story. Rather we are steeped in depth of the characters, the realistic drama, and the descriptive settings as they unfold.

Danny's object of desire is a young handsome bartender. Is it lust or love that Danny feels? A fabulous roller coaster ride of emotions backed up by love for Danny. Love is what he needs. It always comes back to love.

I read All American Boy and loved it as well. Mann's easy writing style makes the reader follow the lives of gay men and boys and makes them hope it all works out.

Highly recmmend both novels.
One person found this helpful
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Harel Papikian
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016
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My favorite author of gay novels. The trilogy of Men From the Boys, Where the Boys Are, and Men who Love Men is still my favorite by far. This one is a bit too long and dragged out, however, still the same beautiful and light style and interesting twists and turns of the plot. Enjoyed it.
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Brad Coath
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best M&M Mystery/Romances in along time
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2013
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I had not realized until several chapters in, that William J Mann had authored this book. Makes sense. It is fantastic. Flash backs to a family in crisis, a long term relationship going through changes, mystery mixed with romance and characters that I could very much relate to. COULD NOT BUT IT DOWN ! This really is a great read. Thank you William Thomas !
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Stephen
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story but...
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2010
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I really did enjoy this book. It was hard to put down and I did my best to stretch it out, not wanting to be finished with it so fast. First and formost, I do not claim to be an expert with grammer or writing, but even I was constantly spotting editing errors. So many spelling errors that should be corrected before the next printing. Mr Mann has a terrific way of developing a story, but his editing staff need to live up to their part by giving his writing a perfect polish. Still, I would highly recommend this book as well as Mann's other stories.
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Travis
5.0 out of 5 stars Another good love story
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2014
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ill be honest this book was not as good as The Men from the Boys or Men who Love Men, but still great. I'm starting to find that William's writing reminds me of Nicholas Sparks with a deeper and gay storyline. I mean this in the best possible way as I grew up reading Spark's love stories and craving the same romances in my own life. This is a good story with a great message. I would recommend this to several friends.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Two stories in one
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
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A story that could have evolved in so many different directions...... And did. The portrayal of the mother was particularly chilling. So many excellent character personalities so well described. A page turner.
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Top reviews from other countries

hilo3171
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!
Reviewed in Canada on December 1, 2014
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While there is a niche for other stories, I finally found this excellent, well written one I could identify! Thanks!
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M. Notman
5.0 out of 5 stars Not his best but a really good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2010
Verified Purchase
I would have given Men from the Boys a six if i had a choice, and this probably isnt as great a book as that, but nether the less i sat down to read it and finished at 5.20 in the morning (and on a work night)it was such a good read. The author is well known by now for his buffed up gym bunnies and fire island hotties, and being neither myself i wasnt expecting this to be my cup of tea at all. However the depth of character he manages to achieve, the back story, the twists and turns and the atmospheric touches he adds make both his characters and the book as a whole come alive. I couldnt help thinking the back story in this was pure Edmund White territory- small town gay boy in provincial unhappy family- but hes done it very nearly as well as White did to his credit, and the bit hes much better at- thirty/forty something gay life is superbly handled. Great plot twist as well!!
3 people found this helpful
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Snugs
2.0 out of 5 stars Written by an author that you can tell is full ...
Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2014
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Written by an author that you can tell is full of himself. Not much material here to grab on to.
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