Scan barcode
iguana_mama's review
3.0
Posted at Outlaw Reviews
Living in California is expensive, and the money Jeremy Linden earns while pursuing his PhD and conducting research on an HIV vaccine is barely enough to cover the basics. So he reluctantly accepts a job at a classy men’s dinner club that promises $300 for just two hours of work. All he has to do is take off his clothes.
On Jeremy’s first night of work, he is assigned a client with a color-coded name (Mr. Green) and a skimpy costume fitting the dinner’s theme. The serving boys, wearing armbands to match their client’s lapel ribbons, are paraded around the large dining table and seated with their respective clients. They then deliver each of the six courses and remove an item of clothing at the diner’s request (or have the diner remove it for extra money). Some diners, like Mr. Green, are very new at this, and won’t want much more than dinner. More experienced diners want to be chatted up, fed, fondled, and even more. All the extras, of course, cost more and mean more money in the server’s pocket.
It all sounds rather sleazy, but I liked how the servers could decide how far they were willing to go for a diner. The manager in charge, Thomas, expected everyone to follow the established rules and he hired security staff in case anyone got out of hand. None of this felt cheap or exploitative, but extremely erotic.
I loved the instant chemistry between Remy and Mr. Green, who he later learns is Brice Martin, a lawyer for a venture capitalist firm. Though both men are in situations they are not totally comfortable with, their relationship begins to heat up. Remy becomes more confident in his new role and Mr. Green learns how to relax and enjoy.
Where this story starts to fail for me is when Jeremy and Brice begin a relationship outside the club. There was lots of hand wringing about sex for money, the inequality of the couple’s roles, and their insecurity, which got really tedious after a while and slowed the pace of the story. There is job-related conflict and misunderstandings, staid sex, and declarations of love, but I couldn’t feel the love or emotion between them.
I wish there had been better physical descriptions of our main characters, particularly Brice, who was compared to Richard Gere.
There was already enough of a Pretty Woman vibe throughout the story, so I tried really hard to picture another older guy with gray temples and the first guy who came to mind was:
The pat conclusion was disappointing and sappy and would have been more satisfying if Jeremy had decided for himself what he wanted for his future. Brice’s caveman behavior was totally unappealing and inappropriate and better suited for a Tarzan and Jane movie.
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Living in California is expensive, and the money Jeremy Linden earns while pursuing his PhD and conducting research on an HIV vaccine is barely enough to cover the basics. So he reluctantly accepts a job at a classy men’s dinner club that promises $300 for just two hours of work. All he has to do is take off his clothes.
On Jeremy’s first night of work, he is assigned a client with a color-coded name (Mr. Green) and a skimpy costume fitting the dinner’s theme. The serving boys, wearing armbands to match their client’s lapel ribbons, are paraded around the large dining table and seated with their respective clients. They then deliver each of the six courses and remove an item of clothing at the diner’s request (or have the diner remove it for extra money). Some diners, like Mr. Green, are very new at this, and won’t want much more than dinner. More experienced diners want to be chatted up, fed, fondled, and even more. All the extras, of course, cost more and mean more money in the server’s pocket.
It all sounds rather sleazy, but I liked how the servers could decide how far they were willing to go for a diner. The manager in charge, Thomas, expected everyone to follow the established rules and he hired security staff in case anyone got out of hand. None of this felt cheap or exploitative, but extremely erotic.
I loved the instant chemistry between Remy and Mr. Green, who he later learns is Brice Martin, a lawyer for a venture capitalist firm. Though both men are in situations they are not totally comfortable with, their relationship begins to heat up. Remy becomes more confident in his new role and Mr. Green learns how to relax and enjoy.
Where this story starts to fail for me is when Jeremy and Brice begin a relationship outside the club. There was lots of hand wringing about sex for money, the inequality of the couple’s roles, and their insecurity, which got really tedious after a while and slowed the pace of the story. There is job-related conflict and misunderstandings, staid sex, and declarations of love, but I couldn’t feel the love or emotion between them.
I wish there had been better physical descriptions of our main characters, particularly Brice, who was compared to Richard Gere.
There was already enough of a Pretty Woman vibe throughout the story, so I tried really hard to picture another older guy with gray temples and the first guy who came to mind was:
The pat conclusion was disappointing and sappy and would have been more satisfying if Jeremy had decided for himself what he wanted for his future. Brice’s caveman behavior was totally unappealing and inappropriate and better suited for a Tarzan and Jane movie.
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
thebroadsheets's review
4.0
I had some trouble getting my head around the huge leaps in subject matter in this novel. It's not everyday that I read scenes of public nudity and voyeurism combined with developments in HIV vaccines and venture capitalism. Not necessarily a judgment on the writing itself as much as my ability to cope. Call it a touch of cognitive dissonance.
calila's review
3.0
*A copy of this book was provided by the author for free, in exchange for an honest review.*
*Some spoilers below*
Jeremy is a brilliant PHD student in need of funds, who takes a job as a server at a "special" dinner club. Brice is a lawyer whose new firm frequents the club. Brice is Jeremy's first server, and sparks fly right away. But how do you navigate a relationship when you only have a client/john relationship? Can you? What happens when life throws you a curve ball and you're responsible for your boyfriend's project's loss of funding?
This is a high three star for me. I really did enjoy it. Both characters are pretty likable, though neither are perfect. Brice puts his foot in this mouth a lot when trying to figure out if they are boyfriends or not. Jeremy jumps to a lot of conclusions and is a little naive for an almost 30 year old. I really loved all the "dining" scenes. Really smoking hot. The middle of the story drags a bit. I think this book could've been shorter(lose a couple sex scenes, there are a LOT) and you wouldn't lose any "story". I wish Jeremy had more time to explore the club a little before finding Brice. Though they do have chemistry right away, you can feel the connection. I do want to know more about some side characters (MR SKY BLUE PLEASE), while a few others just irked me(*coughKitcough*).
Overall it was reasonably enjoyable, if a little slow with likable characters and sizzling scenes.
*Some spoilers below*
Jeremy is a brilliant PHD student in need of funds, who takes a job as a server at a "special" dinner club. Brice is a lawyer whose new firm frequents the club. Brice is Jeremy's first server, and sparks fly right away. But how do you navigate a relationship when you only have a client/john relationship? Can you? What happens when life throws you a curve ball and you're responsible for your boyfriend's project's loss of funding?
This is a high three star for me. I really did enjoy it. Both characters are pretty likable, though neither are perfect. Brice puts his foot in this mouth a lot when trying to figure out if they are boyfriends or not. Jeremy jumps to a lot of conclusions and is a little naive for an almost 30 year old. I really loved all the "dining" scenes. Really smoking hot. The middle of the story drags a bit. I think this book could've been shorter(lose a couple sex scenes, there are a LOT) and you wouldn't lose any "story". I wish Jeremy had more time to explore the club a little before finding Brice. Though they do have chemistry right away, you can feel the connection. I do want to know more about some side characters (MR SKY BLUE PLEASE), while a few others just irked me(*coughKitcough*).
Overall it was reasonably enjoyable, if a little slow with likable characters and sizzling scenes.
More...