Synopsis Hallen Jansen has it all. At 28, he has a flashy car, a great apartment, and a job he’s good at and that he loves – as an escort – working at your beck and call. His life is easy, with no emotions or attachments slowing him down – choosing to keep moving, always running from the past. But when a new client awakens unfamiliar feelings, all bets are off. Can he convince a recently divorced woman twenty years older to trust men again – to trust him? Can Hallen trust himself not to screw things up? Surrounded by people who choose to judge them, will they make their relationship a reality, or is it heartbreak for both? Not all services are professional. |
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Review
I love Jane Harvey-Berrick. That’s no secret. She’s proven yet again that she can do no wrong. No wrong, I swear it. This book was SO great. It’s definitely an adventure and I enjoyed every minute of it.
In a nutshell, this book is about Hallen, an artist but ALSO an escort. It’s his story of how he became the man he is, and how to fit love into his future knowing what his past entails. The main question is: Will someone be able to love him and accept him, knowing what he was?
The best part of this book, besides Hallen, was the writing style. For the first 40%, it’s almost like a diary yet not. You meet Hallen and travel with him through his journey. You see him as the poor college student who does porn to survive. You’re there during specific first experiences once he begins his life as an escort. You’ll be right there in the moment when he learns what he approves of and doesn’t, what he likes and dislikes. It skips around, sometimes months or years, but I never felt disconnected from him because of it. Jane keeps you so enthralled with his story, and you can’t wait to hear about this client or that client, and their crazy ways. The poor guy goes through some intense moments and you know deep down, he isn’t happy with his life. I truly felt for him. I was so emotionally invested in this character and his story by the end of the book. Not many books can make me feel for a character like Jane has with this one.
But whereas the first 40% is about his past, the remaining 50-60% follows Hallen and his chance at love with a client-turned-girlfriend. What starts as an appointment here and there morphs into so much more. Laura is somewhat older than Hallen and damaged from a past marriage that ended with a cheating husband. She doesn’t feel “worthy” of him, but also appears to Hallen as being embarrassed of him. I loved their relationship, and how they just clicked. She’s interested in art so of course, they have a connection. Laura has a problem letting go of his past and accepting the future. She is such an infuriating character, but I mean that in a good way. She would be so good for him, if she would just let herself be there in the moment rather than worrying about the judgment from others. When times are good though, they’re beautiful together. What she inspires in him, how he helps her cope with a tragic loss, it just…they’re fantastic together. I love them.
Also, the writing is so vivid. I don’t know how Jane does it but there’s something about the words she puts on a page. She’s so great at making you feel everything. Every smile, every argument, every look in the eyes. I also love that she doesn’t just toss him into a relationship as soon as the book starts. This book shows the epitome of character development. She’s a pro, I’m a fangirl, and I could go on and on all day about how fantastic I think she is.
Overall, this is exactly what you would expect from Jane because it’s quirky and fun, but yet not at all like any of her other books. It’s new and different. It’s romantic, hot, a bit frustrating at times, but so very interesting and quite the wild ride. I found myself so caught up in Hallen’s story, and loved living a bit of his life with him.
<3 Erin
In a nutshell, this book is about Hallen, an artist but ALSO an escort. It’s his story of how he became the man he is, and how to fit love into his future knowing what his past entails. The main question is: Will someone be able to love him and accept him, knowing what he was?
The best part of this book, besides Hallen, was the writing style. For the first 40%, it’s almost like a diary yet not. You meet Hallen and travel with him through his journey. You see him as the poor college student who does porn to survive. You’re there during specific first experiences once he begins his life as an escort. You’ll be right there in the moment when he learns what he approves of and doesn’t, what he likes and dislikes. It skips around, sometimes months or years, but I never felt disconnected from him because of it. Jane keeps you so enthralled with his story, and you can’t wait to hear about this client or that client, and their crazy ways. The poor guy goes through some intense moments and you know deep down, he isn’t happy with his life. I truly felt for him. I was so emotionally invested in this character and his story by the end of the book. Not many books can make me feel for a character like Jane has with this one.
But whereas the first 40% is about his past, the remaining 50-60% follows Hallen and his chance at love with a client-turned-girlfriend. What starts as an appointment here and there morphs into so much more. Laura is somewhat older than Hallen and damaged from a past marriage that ended with a cheating husband. She doesn’t feel “worthy” of him, but also appears to Hallen as being embarrassed of him. I loved their relationship, and how they just clicked. She’s interested in art so of course, they have a connection. Laura has a problem letting go of his past and accepting the future. She is such an infuriating character, but I mean that in a good way. She would be so good for him, if she would just let herself be there in the moment rather than worrying about the judgment from others. When times are good though, they’re beautiful together. What she inspires in him, how he helps her cope with a tragic loss, it just…they’re fantastic together. I love them.
Also, the writing is so vivid. I don’t know how Jane does it but there’s something about the words she puts on a page. She’s so great at making you feel everything. Every smile, every argument, every look in the eyes. I also love that she doesn’t just toss him into a relationship as soon as the book starts. This book shows the epitome of character development. She’s a pro, I’m a fangirl, and I could go on and on all day about how fantastic I think she is.
Overall, this is exactly what you would expect from Jane because it’s quirky and fun, but yet not at all like any of her other books. It’s new and different. It’s romantic, hot, a bit frustrating at times, but so very interesting and quite the wild ride. I found myself so caught up in Hallen’s story, and loved living a bit of his life with him.
<3 Erin
Excerpt
Have you ever wondered what money smells like? I mean real money. Not just a lot of money, but vats of money, swimming pools of money, whole oceans of money. It smells of sweat and sex, wrapped in silk.
That’s the scent that filled my lungs walking into the Casino de Monte Carlo.
The building was bathed in bright yellow lights, turning the white stucco into a shimmering facade. A marble fountain seemed to pour molten gold into the piscina at its base.
And the women. My God, the women. Birds of Paradise in gowns of every color, shade, texture and tone. You noticed the dresses first—the faces above were all the same—rich, privileged, aware.
“By the way, Emma, what’s it for?”
“What?”
“The fundraiser. Which charity is it for?”
“Christ! I don’t know!” she said, distracted by a blonde woman in skyscraper Laboutins. “Whales or tuna or goldfish or something! Who cares?”
I kept my mouth shut.
At the door, we were greeted by a well dressed staff member who knew both our names, and handed us each a $50,000 casino chip.
Fifty-thousand dollars!
Emma smiled, watching with vulpine amusement as I tried to cover up my astonished reaction.
“Enjoy!” she said, stroking my ass. “If you’re a good boy, there’ll be more where that came from.”
It must have been obvious who and what I was. I wouldn’t say I was oblivious to the barely hidden contempt from those who saw us together, but I’d learned to ignore it. The burn was a little less.
That’s the scent that filled my lungs walking into the Casino de Monte Carlo.
The building was bathed in bright yellow lights, turning the white stucco into a shimmering facade. A marble fountain seemed to pour molten gold into the piscina at its base.
And the women. My God, the women. Birds of Paradise in gowns of every color, shade, texture and tone. You noticed the dresses first—the faces above were all the same—rich, privileged, aware.
“By the way, Emma, what’s it for?”
“What?”
“The fundraiser. Which charity is it for?”
“Christ! I don’t know!” she said, distracted by a blonde woman in skyscraper Laboutins. “Whales or tuna or goldfish or something! Who cares?”
I kept my mouth shut.
At the door, we were greeted by a well dressed staff member who knew both our names, and handed us each a $50,000 casino chip.
Fifty-thousand dollars!
Emma smiled, watching with vulpine amusement as I tried to cover up my astonished reaction.
“Enjoy!” she said, stroking my ass. “If you’re a good boy, there’ll be more where that came from.”
It must have been obvious who and what I was. I wouldn’t say I was oblivious to the barely hidden contempt from those who saw us together, but I’d learned to ignore it. The burn was a little less.
Author Info
| I started writing contemporary romance two years ago. Before that, I didn’t think I could write a sex scene. Turns out I can! My lucky number is 13 because I was born on the 13th and live near a haunted castle by the ocean. My number one past-time is watching hot surfers get changed into (and out of) their wetsuits. My husband doesn’t read my books. My mother does. Writing is my love, my hobby, my total addiction. All my characters are important to me and whisper their stories, even when I’ve finished writing their books. That’s why you’ll often find bonus chapters/out-takes from various books, because those voices just won’t be quiet. |