IF IT DRIVES

TITLE: IF IT DRIVES

AUTHORS: ALEKSANDR VOINOV & L.A. WITT

Pages: 221

Date: 27/03/2014

Grade: 5

Details: no. 7 Market Garden

            Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel.

But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden.

As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realizes, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.”

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“Very much a Been There, Done it and Got the Whip Coordination to Prove it kind of vibe.”

Cal has been working as James Harcourt’s private driver for 18 months and in most ways it is a job that suits him perfectly. It pays well, comes with housing and leaves him plenty of time for his writing. The only problem Cal faces is that he’s developed feelings for his employer, feelings he could never admit to or act upon. Instead he has to deal with James’ regular visits to the ‘Market Garden’ where the man picks up rentboys to fulfil whatever his needs may be at home.

When a visit to the ‘Market Garden’ ends with James leaving alone, Cal is surprised. When James subsequently invites him into his house and his bed Cal is delighted and worried in same measure. Spending the night with the man who has the centre of all his fantasies is a dream come true. But the morning after is a nightmare. And although Cal would happily build on his one night with James it isn’t long before the visits to the ‘Market Garden’ resume, leaving Cal hurt and confused.

Convinced that James needs something more than he is able to provide, Cal is determined to find out what that something is and learn whatever it takes in order to provide it.

And while James seems to relish the new and improved Cal, something still isn’t right. James keeps his distance and Cal doesn’t know what else to and has to consider that maybe what James needs is more than Cal could ever be.

To say I enjoyed this book would be a gross understatement. Cal and James captured my attention on the first page and refused to let me go until I had read the subsequent 220 pages. I laughed, smiled, frowned and felt my eyes tear up once or twice and enjoyed every single minute of it.

It was impossible to not fall in love with Cal while reading this book. The lengths he’s prepared to go to in order to find out whether or not he can ever be what James needs are breathtaking. Through it all, no matter how heartbroken he is Cam, can’t stop caring for James, wanting to make sure the man is alright even though he knows he should probably forget about him for his own sanity.

L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov make it look deceptively easy. Their words flow smoothly, their characters sparkle, the dialogue sounds just right and story seems to tell itself. This book is such a compulsive read that it is tempting to call it an easy story. It was only after I finished the book and reflected on what I had read that it struck me how talented a writer(s) it would take to create a work this compelling. I dare anyone to start this book and not get so engrossed that it is all but impossible to put it down before you’ve reached the end and have found out exactly what happens.

Since I was late to the party as far as ‘The Market Garden’ series is concerned and have been reading titles as they were released I’m left stuck with a wonderful prospect; I may be up to date as far as new releases are concerned, there still are four titles I haven’t read yet. After reading ‘If it Drives’ and getting a glimpse of Nick, I think I’ll have to go back and read his story next. ‘If it Flies’ and ‘If it Fornicates’ here I come.