ON THE CLOCK by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

ON THE CLOCK by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Pages: 219

Date: July 13,2015

Details: No 8 Market Garden

            Copy Received from Riptide

            Publishing through NetGalley

E-book

The blurb:

“When Blake Raleigh’s favorite rentboys retire from Market Garden, they’re sure their friend Jason will be a perfect replacement. Though Tristan and Jared are a tough act to follow, Blake returns to London to test out their recommendation.

Jason is right on the money. Negotiations turn him on. Getting paid turns him on. The higher the stakes, the hotter things get. Each trip to London is more expensive than the last, and the webcam sessions don’t run cheap, but Jason is well worth the sticker shock.

The more time they spend together, the more Blake wants, and not just sex and transactions. But Jason’s been burned before by men who thought they were in love with him, and he’s not making that mistake again. When the lines between personal and professional start to blur, it’s going to take more than money, jewelry, and sports cars to keep Jason from clocking out and walking away.”

My thoughts:

Rolex *sighs*. We’ve met him before in Quid Pro Quo and Take it Off (and if you haven’t read those two books I strongly suggest you do so first), but only through the eyes of Jared and Tristan – the Market Garden rentboys he hires on those occasions. In On the Clock we are given the opportunity to get inside Rolex’s (or Blake Raleigh’s, if you wish) head and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

When Blake meets Jason, the rentboy he’s been advised to seek out by Jared and Tristan, it appears to be a match made in heaven. Blake thrives on negotiations and powerplay while Jason gets turned on by being paid. And when they first meet that’s the big attraction – a person whose kink complements yours perfectly. But of course things don’t stay that simple, and it isn’t long before Blake finds it is not just sex and games he wants from Jason. He’s no idea how to label what he does want but he knows he’s in trouble when he finds himself wishing someone would look at him the way Jared looks at Tristan.

And how can Jason possibly trust that Blake has feelings for him beyond sexual attraction. Other customers have thought they’d fallen for him, but all they wanted was to own him. How can Jason possibly be sure Blake loves him as he is and not just addicted to their sessions?

And that brings me to the way the book ended. For me the ending was perfect. It fitted the story and was completely realistic. However, what I loved may be an issue for other readers because we are not given a fairytale ending. When we leave Blake and Jason they’ve come to an arrangement they can both live with and are starting the sort of relationship most others wouldn’t be able to imagine but which may just be perfect for them. I like that it was left up to my imagination to come up with ideas about how they would develop that in the future.

If I have one regret after reading this book it is that we only got to see the story through Blake’s eyes. Jason fascinated me and I would have loved to hear his thoughts too. But, that wasn’t to be and, I can’t say I felt as if I was missing out on vital information while reading the book. It was only after I finished reading that I realized how much I would have loved to hear Jason’s voice.

It won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with these authors and this series when I say that On the Clock was scorchingly hot and a captivating read. Blake and Jason together are more than enough to set (virtual) pages on fire. Add Jared and Tristan to a scene and the heat almost becomes unbearable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and find myself kind of sad that it is by no means sure there will be more Market Garden books. As far as I’m concerned this series could go on indefinitely.

QUID PRO QUO & TAKE IT OFF by L.A.Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

QUID PRO QUO by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Pages: 43

Date: July 1, 2015

Details: No. 1 Market Garden

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

For the past six months, Jared’s been selling sex at Market Garden, a London club that caters to the better-off. But business is slow in the run-up to Christmas, when businessmen and bankers are too busy bickering over bonuses to rent themselves a little high-class action.

Though Jared’s wallet finds the downtime unnerving, the rest of him rather enjoys the opportunity it gives him to admire Tristan, an old hand in the club whose reputation usually sees him well-booked. Jared has been crushing on Tristan for months—he’s no more immune to Tristan’s cockiness and confidence than the johns, and those are just Tristan’s inner qualities.

Just as Jared’s about to chat Tristan up, a businessman asks for something a little different: he wants to book them both. They agree—and Jared finds himself going from crush to mind-bending lust as he’s made the pawn in a sexual power game. Tristan shows him how a pro handles a john while delivering the top-shelf sex for which the Market Garden is so rightly renowned.

My thoughts:

Well, the first (second, third...) word to spring to mind after reading Quid Pro Quo would be HOT. This story sizzles as do Jarred and Tristan once they come together. And yet, while this very much is a sex-driven story, there is more than in this short tale to give us an intriguing insight into who Jared and Tristan are.

This story is told from Jared’s point of view and I loved watching him while he reconciled the business like arrangement he and Tristan have with Rolex with his developing feelings for and lusting after Tristan.

Tristan and the way he drives both Jared and Rolex insane with his hot game was delightful to read about as were Jared’s thoughts about Tristan’s teasing. I don’t often read books in a series one after the other but I have to make an exception in this case. As far as I know the next book, Take it Off is written from Tristan’s point of view and I can’t wait to find out what’s going through his head while he manipulates Jared and Rolex to mind blowing releases.

****

TAKE IT OFF by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Pages:          38

Date            July 2, 2015

Details:        No. 2 Market Garden

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

Turnabout is foreplay.

High-end Market Garden rentboys Tristan and Jared have found their niche. Men are willing to pay good money to watch Tristan tease Jared, and the two of them seduce London’s elite with sex and power games.

Except Tristan is less and less interested in getting money out of the johns these days. He wants his partner in crime, and he wants the seduction to be real. But is Jared just in this for the pay?

When Rolex, the john who started it all, returns to Market Garden, the boys jump on the opportunity to service him—and each other—for a fresh pile of cash. Rolex isn’t the only one itching for a rematch, though. Jared’s been waiting for a chance to get back at Tristan for teasing him so mercilessly the first time.

And for a former stripper, revenge is a dish best served extra hot.

  

My thoughts:

Posting my thoughts on these two books at the same time is more fun than I imagined it would be, because I completely misjudged where Take it Off would take us. Where I imagined Tristan would once again use his enviable control to drive Jared and Rolex crazy we got the exact opposite. And watching Tristan as he first hands over and subsequently loses control was a thing of incredibly hot beauty.

While both these books basically describe one full length sexual encounter, there is a lot more to these stories. What touched me most was how similar Jared and Tristan’s insecurities are. Just as Jared in the first book wished that Tristan would be interested in him beyond their joined money making potential, Tristan finds himself wishing for some off the clock intimacy with Jared. This may not be a romance in the strictest sense of the word – there is no happy ever after in either of these books – both Quid Pro Quo and Take it Off are romantic tales in that they deal with young men developing feelings for each other almost despite the circumstances they find themselves in. If you are curious how that romance continues you will want to read PayOff (clickety-click for my thoughts). I highly recommend you do just that.

In the meantime I’ll be looking forward to the release of On the Clock later this month. After all the teasing Jared and Tristan have put him through our Rolex more than deserves a happy-ending of his own.

NO PLACE THAT FAR by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

NO PLACE THAT FAR by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

 

Pages: 215

Date: February 12, 2015

Grade: 4

Details: no. 5 The Distance Between Us

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Still finding his footing after a long-overdue divorce, Marcus is looking forward to some mind-numbing drinking while ogling the grooms at Chris and Julien’s wedding. He never expected his attention to be diverted by the gorgeous best man.

One of Julien’s French Foreign Legion buddies, Timur doesn’t speak much English, but language is no barrier to Marcus understanding exactly what the huge Tartar wants—a one-night stand.

Except that one night turns into two, three, then more, which puts Marcus on edge. After Timur is done house-sitting for the honeymooning couple, he’s headed back to the Legion for another five years. Like it or not, once Timur gets on that plane, the fling is over.

Unfortunately, Marcus forgot to tell his heart not to fall in love. And this time, if history repeats and he makes another wrong decision, he may never see his tattooed Legionnaire lover again.

Warning: Contains a soldier who makes up for his lack of English by using his hands to read his lover’s body; a chef-turned-bartender who no longer believes in love; a length of paracord that probably wasn’t meant to be used this way; and a couple of newlyweds who are game for some four-way play.”

My thoughts:

I’m running out of even remotely original things to say about the books L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov write together (or individually for that matter). Whatever magic it is they create while co-writing, it works for me. Every. Single. Time.

No Place That Far was no exception to that rule. It’s a wonderful romance with just the right balance between fun, hot, and angst. If there was anything I missed in this story it was something that didn’t occur because it didn’t fit. Dialogue in Witt-Voinov stories invariably sparkles. In this book there was far less of that. Not because the authors have suddenly lost their magic (I doubt that could ever happen) but because one of the characters – Timur – just doesn’t speak enough English to make verbal ping-pong a realistic story element. In fact, I admire the authors for everything they could convey without being able to use dialogue. Having said that, I did miss those sparkling conversations I’ve adored in other books.

And then for the plot detail I know some readers are going to have a problem with; the foursome. Far from bothering me I thought it was beautiful, very hot and extremely well done. It was great to spend more time with Chris and Julien and the four men together had me mesmerized.

I still haven’t read all the books in this series and I’m sorta glad about that. Over the next few months I’ll be able to buy, read and enjoy the titles I’ve missed so far. I can’t think of many ways to better spend my time.

LONE WOLF

LONE WOLF by Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt

 

Pages: 360

Date: December 28, 2014

Grade: 3.5

Details: no. 4 Bluewater Bay

            Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through NetGalley

Kindle

The blurb:

“Hunter Easton is screwed. Fans, producers, and his agent are all chomping at the bit for the next book in his wildly popular Wolf’s Landing series, but he’s got epic writer’s block and is way behind deadline. Then he reads The World Tree, a fanfic novel by his online friend “Lone Wolf.” It isn’t just a great story—it’s exactly what the series needs.

Kevin Hussain is thrilled when “Wolf Hunter” wants to meet up after reading The World Tree. When Wolf Hunter turns out to be Hunter Easton himself, Kevin is starstruck. When Hunter tells him he wants to add The World Tree to Wolf’s Landing, Kevin is sure he’s being pranked. And when their online chemistry carries over—big time—into real life, Kevin is convinced it’s all too good to be true.

The problem is . . . it might be. The book deal, the sex, the money—everything is amazing. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Kevin is left wondering if Hunter really loves him, or just loves his book.”

My thoughts:

Regular readers of my reviews may have noticed I’m somewhat of a fan of Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt, both when they write together and when they publish solo works. I adore their writing; it draws me in, sounds exactly right to my ears and their characters always come alive on the page. Lone Wolf was no exception to that rule. I found myself in the middle of the story before the end of chapter one. Both Hunter Easton and Kevin Hussain captured my interest from the moment they were introduced and the fact that both of them are authors and the stories centres around writing and all the pitfalls an author may face, only increased my interest.

By now you’re probably wondering why I didn’t rate this book higher than 3.5 stars. Let me try to explain.

I saw that both authors have described this book as the closest they will ever come to writing romantic comedy. Now, I know I lack a sense of humour, or maybe mine is just not like everybody else’s. Because I’m well aware of that ‘flaw’ I usually avoid romcoms.  In fact, if I’d read that description before requesting the book I might not have gotten it at all. However, I wouldn’t call this a comedy. It is light hearted, for sure. It is also sweet and I can’t deny it made me smile on several occasions but those were indulgent smiles more than laugh out loud moments.

This book had me veering between deep fascination and a feeling of ‘get on with it already’. On the one hand I couldn’t get enough of the background into writing, fanfic, writers block and everything else related to publishing. Books about writers and publishing always fascinate me. I mean the authors of those books know what they’re talking about, so apart from a good story you are also getting background information. What’s not to like?

On the other hand though I got bogged down in the story at times as well; everything seemed to take longer than it needed to. I’m not sure I can explain exactly what I mean here and I’m well aware these are personal rather than general observations. For me a lot about this story was ‘too’ something or another. Kevin seemed a bit too insecure and fragile, Hunter a bit too unobservant and stand-offish. The agent seemed to take Hunter’s breaking of the rules a bit too easily, the contract came together a bit too quickly and yet the story as a whole felt a bit too long.

Having said all of that, I enjoyed this book far more than I struggled with it. Because, as always, it is written in such a way it almost seems to read itself and features characters I enjoyed spending time with – even if I did want to slap them on more than one occasion.

So, while Lone Wolf wasn’t my favourite book by these two authors, it most definitely was an enjoyable, sweet and at times angsty story with a nice and occasionally cynical insight into the world of publishing. As much as I would love all the books by my favourite authors to be five star reads, I guess that is unrealistic. As long as Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt continue writing stories I can lose myself in, they’ve got a fan for life.

COUNTERPUNCH

COUNTERPUNCH by Aleksandr Voinov

 

Pages: 200

Date: 28/09/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 2 Belonging

           Received from Riptide Publishing

           Through NetGalley

Kindle

The blurb:

“Brooklyn Marshall used to be a policeman in London, with a wife and a promising future ahead of him. Then he accidentally killed a rioter whose father was a Member of Parliament and had him convicted of murder. To ease the burden on the overcrowded prison system, Brooklyn was sold into slavery rather than incarcerated. Now, he's the "Mean Machine", a boxer on the slave prizefighting circuit, pummelling other slaves for the entertainment of freemen and being rented out for the sexual service of his wealthier fans.

When Nathaniel Bishop purchases Brooklyn's services for a night, it seems like any other assignation. But the pair form an unexpected bond that grows into something more. Brooklyn hesitates to call it "love"—such things do not exist between freemen and slaves—but when Nathaniel reveals that he wants to help get Brooklyn's conviction overturned, he dares to hope. Then, an accident in the ring sends Brooklyn on the run, jeopardizing everything he has worked so hard to achieve and sending him into the most important fight of all—the fight for freedom.”

My thoughts:

Anybody keeping an eye on my reviews may have noticed that I’m a fan of Aleksandr Voinov. He’s on that list of authors whose books I buy without second thought, even without reading the blurb in too much detail, secure in the knowledge that I’m going to love what I’ll find between the covers.

Counterpunch was no exception to that rule. And, up to a point, that’s surprising. I’m not a fan of boxing, to put it mildly. I actively avoid having to watch it and would, under most circumstances, stay away from it in my reading as well. But, just as Aleksandr could make me read about World War II when I’d sworn I’d leave that subject alone, he could make me read about boxing and enjoy the story.

Counterpoint contains a very nice mix between alternate universe circumstances and celebrities and situations we recognise from our own reality. Being able to recognise so much of the world Brooklyn and Nathaniel live in, made this story real and therefore more heart wrenching than it would have been in a outright fantastical setting. It didn’t take a huge imaginary leap to believe the slavery premise of the story. In fact, slavery is only taking community service combined with a security bracelet one step further, isn’t it? I mean we’ve all seen the protests where police forces are attacked by those marching. Accidents happen. A policeman killing one of the protesters has happened and is bound to happen again. In our world the guilty cop might not end up in slavery, boxing to stay alive, but he might well be ostracised and end up living a life he’d never imagined in his worst nightmares.

Because it was all too easy to read this story as if it were taking place in the world I live in, because it stayed close enough to reality to make me forget it was fiction on one or two occasions, Brooklyn’s story took a hold of my heart. I completely got the constant battle between anger and frustration. I understood how dangerous it was for him to hope or to trust his emotions when the merest slip could bring him face to face with torturous punishment.

The story is told from Brooklyn’s perspective which means that the reader is as much in the dark about Nathaniel’s motives and feelings as Brooklyn is. As readers we might be a bit more inclined to be optimistic about the eventual outcome than Brooklyn is, but Nathaniel’s actions were mysterious enough to keep me on my toes and racing through the words towards what I hoped would be a happy ending.

Aleksandr Voinov’s writing voice is one that appeals to me. I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is that works so well for me but every single book I’ve read by this author has drawn me in and captured me, regardless of the setting or subject matter. The books almost read themselves. All I have to do is show up and the stories take over, the characters come alive and I can hear their dialogue in my head. Aleksandr is one of a few authors I’ll be forever grateful I’ve found as well as one I’ll continue reading as long as there are new (to me) stories to be found.

HOSTILE GROUND

TITLE: HOSTILE GROUND

AUTHORS: L.A. WITT & ALEKSANDR VOINOV

Pages: 300

Date: 13/05/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: Received from Riptide Publishing

             Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

After the deaths of three undercover cops investigating a drug ring in a seedy strip club in Seattle, Detective Mahir Hussain has been sent to finish the job. He joins the club’s security team in the hopes of finding enough evidence to bust the operation before the men in charge find a reason to put him in a shallow grave.

To protect the strippers, only gay men can work the club. Ridley, the cold and intimidating head of security, knows exactly how to test potential new hires—including Mahir. From the minute they meet, Mahir and Ridley engage in a dangerous dance of sex and mind games. Mahir needs to find his evidence before Ridley figures out he’s a cop—and before they both grow too close to betray one another.

As the game goes on, Mahir burrows deeper into the operation, where he learns there’s much more happening than meets the eye . . . and why every cop who made it this far has been silenced with a bullet.

---------------------------------------------------------------

My thoughts:

Talk about dropping your main character knee deep in shit. Mahir, a Seattle Detective, goes undercover in a strip club in the full knowledge that the three policemen who preceded him have been shot and killed. Because the owner of the club doesn’t want his security staff to interfere with the girls working there, Mahir’s first hurdle is the ‘gay-test’. Since Mahir is gay this isn’t a huge issue but the head of security investigating his credentials, Ridley, is one scary bastard. Which makes Mahir’s reaction to the test rather surprising. Rather than repulsed he finds himself excited and drawn to the man.

Mahir’s cover is well established and means he has to live away from his own house most of the time which makes the arrival of his teenage nephew a problem. The boy has left home after coming out to his mother and afraid of his father’s reaction. Since Mahir has had a fraught relationship with his brother ever since he came out, he understands the boy’s fears and allows him to stay even thought it means leaving him alone most of the time.

As a strange, potentially dangerous but compelling relationship with Ridley develops, Mahir has to balance the various balls he’s trying to keep in the air. If his cover is blown he’ll die, probably at the hand of the man he’s becoming ever more attracted to. A man who seems incapable of staying away from his as well.

With it being unclear exactly what the owner of the club is up to the investigation can’t be rushed while every single day undercover increases the risks for Mahir. And it isn’t long before Mahir isn’t the only person in mortal danger.

This was a fascinating book. It is both a thriller and a love story but it is so much more. The authors deal with a host of issues while never giving the reader the feeling that they’re being overwhelmed with them. Through Mahir’s nephew we get a look at the problem of coming out to parents who neither understand nor ‘approve of’ being gay. Mahir being a Muslim leads to the unavoidable issue of bullying and discrimination. Both issues are woven into the story in a meaningful yet unobtrusive way. Often, when an author wants to deal with an issue the reader gets beaten over the head with it. Not in this book. The issues were there but not only did they fit the story they were also dealt with in such a way that they made the reader think without taking them out of the main story-line.

I was fascinated by the transformation Mahir went through every time he had to become Saeed and couldn’t look away when his cover was put to the ultimate test.

I love it when authors have respect for their readers’ intelligence. I won’t say what, but I saw two plot developments coming quite early on in the story and half feared it would be dragged out until the final pages, as seems to be the standard these days. I’m very grateful it wasn’t and am convinced it made the story much better than it would have been if they’d gone for the more standard approach.

The relationship between Mahir and Ridley was intriguing as well as incredibly hot. I loved the smalls shifts in dominance between these two men and their inability to stay away from each other even though being together posed huge risks for both of them. Mahir falling for Ridley against his better judgment despite the dangers involved was breathtaking.

 “...dammit, but that was a smile tugging at the man’s lips. Butterflies in his stomach? More like a  horde of red-assed apes going berserk in there.”

I don’t know enough about Islam or being a Muslim to say whether or not that aspect of the story was dealt with in a realistic manner. What I can say is that I never questioned Mahir’s thoughts or actions or felt the need to double check something. All of it made sense and felt natural.

It is a joy to have authors you can turn to, secure in the knowledge you’re starting a well written story with fascinating characters and a captivating narrative. Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt have turned into must read authors for me. I barely even glance at the blurbs for their books, because I know that I’ll love their words regardless of the story content. And, Hostile Ground only confirmed that idea for me. It was a thrilling page turner with enough love and sex to give the reader a breather from all the tension while the secondary characters all had a meaningful place in the story. In short this was a well-plotted, intriguing, hot and fascinating story written by two authors who have turned captivating their readers into an art form. This book comes highly recommended.