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
Buy now on Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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
Buy now on Amazon | Barnes & Noble