PAYOFF

TITLE: PAYOFF

AUTHOR: L.A Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Pages: 52

Date: 04/02/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: no. 6 Market Garden

            Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Tristan and Jared have got it made. When they aren’t raking in the cash together at Market Garden, they’re burning up their own sheets and getting closer by the day. But something isn’t right. Tristan’s on edge, and Jared doesn’t understand why.

Before Jason can hash things out, their services are requested by none other than Rolex. And Rolex doesn’t just want to be a bystander this time. He wants Jared while Tristan watches, and he’s more than willing to pay for it.

But Tristan’s reached breaking point, and even a huge wad of cash might not be enough to keep tonight’s arrangement from crashing and burning.”

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

My thoughts:

It hasn’t been that long since I first discovered L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov, and I’ve spent most of my time since then trying to catch up with their writing. These two authors together create wonderful and very hot stories – although I have to add that their individual novels are equally as good.

This is the second ‘Market Garden’ story I’ve read and I have to admit that I’m falling head over heels for series. At first glance it might appear that maybe the world of rent-boys isn’t the most likely place for love stories. First glances, however, can be deceptive since ‘If it Fornicates’ and ‘PayOff’ most definitely are romances.

Jared and Tristan have been working as a team for a while now and are good at it. Whenever they work a client together they are able to make far more money than they could individually. On top of that the two men have grown close. They share their bodies not only with or for their clients; they find their biggest pleasure in private, just the two of them together for the joy of it.

Lately things haven’t been that great though. Something is troubling Tristan and Jared can’t put his finger on what might be wrong but fears his partner might want to end what they have together. And whatever is wrong with Tristan, he is disinclined to talk about it.

When a favourite client of theirs hires them for the night things come to a head. The man wants to bed Jared while Tristan watches. It is not the first time something like this has been suggested or even delivered, but this time Tristan can’t stand it. Interrupting proceedings may well anger the client and upset Jared, but Tristan can’t deal with the jealousy he feels while watching the man he’s developed feelings for with the client they call Rolex.

What follows is inspired, beautiful, hot and not something I’m inclined to say more about. You should read the book and enjoy it for yourself.

I enjoyed this novella. It is a short and quick read but that doesn’t mean that the reader is short-changed. We are given enough story and insight into the characters to get lost in their feelings. Tristan’s tension and his inner struggle when he finds himself torn between the demands of the job he has loved for so long and his sudden reluctance to share Jared with anyone is palatable. And Jared’s confusion at the sudden and for him inexplicable changes in Tristan is understandable, as is his fear that Tristan might be losing interest in their off-the-job relationship. The scenes that follow once the two men have revealed their feelings to each other were inspired and sexy to the extreme.

I love how these authors have managed to take a setting and subject that might well have been sleazy in the hands of lesser mortals, and create an enticing world filled with interesting and charming characters. Witt and Voinov don’t try to make the rent-boys’ work sound like anything other than what it is. Yet the reader never gets the feeling they’re dealing with something shameful or anything other than recognisable personae with feelings we all experience.

If I have one regret where ‘PayOff is concerned it is that it wasn’t a little bit longer. Not because the story was rushed, incomplete or unsatisfying. Quite the opposite in fact. This story and the characters in it charmed me so much that it would have been a delight to spend more time with them. Fortunately I haven’t read all the titles in this series yet. One of these days I will find the time to read the ‘Market Garden’ titles I’ve missed and I have no doubt that it will be wonderful reading experience.

CAPTURE & SURRENDER

TITLE: CAPTURE AND SURRENDER

AUTHORS: L.A. WITT & ALEKSANDR VOINOV

Pages: 216

Date: 18/12/2013

Grade: 5

Details: No. 5 Market Garden

              Received from Riptide Publishing

              Through NetGalley

Own/Kindle

The blurb:

“Ever since his partner died, Frank has resigned himself to staying single. He wards off the loneliness by spending time with friends on the paintball field and running his high-end brothel, the Market Garden.

After one of his most lucrative rentboys quits, Frank is thrilled when a gorgeous replacement walks through the door. A former US soldier, Stefan is hot, bold, and perfect for the Market Garden’s clientele, especially those with a thing for camouflage and drill sergeants. He's perfect for Frank, too, except Frank has a rule about not getting involved with his own rentboys.

During a frisky game of paintball, Stefan makes it clear that he doesn't care about the rules. Not the rules of the game, and definitely not Frank's refusal to get involved. He captures Frank on the field using stealth and cunning, and makes it clear that he’ll do anything to keep a hold of him off the field too.”

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

I guess it’s time for another gush-fest. Once again I have fallen in love with a story and the characters in it. This story had everything you could possible want from a good erotic romance; a seemingly impossible attraction, justifiable angst, incredibly hot encounters, characters that are easy to identify with despite the setting, laugh out loud humor and issues to make you think.

Frank’s reasons for not being intimate with the men who work for him in The Market Garden are, as far as most people can tell, simple; he doesn’t do relationships with those  who work for him. His other reason – the far more pressing one – is only known to those closest to him and is, on the surface at least, even more legitimate than the explicit one.

All of his reasons don’t stop Frank from being attracted to Stefan the moment he sees him though. Stefan pushes all of Frank’s buttons, and then some, and staying away from the very persistent rentboy is getting harder with every day that passes.

“A seductive top who was into pain and wanted him? This had to be some sort of cosmic practical joke.” – Frank

Stefan’s feelings appear to be the same. From the moment Frank hires him to work in The Market Garden, the younger man seems determined to get close to his boss, refusing to take no for an answer. Even when Frank reveals his real reasons for not being able to get involved, Stefan refuses to back down.

Stefan makes his move during a game of very kinky paintball. It isn’t until he and Frank are alone together that he allows his other side, the one named Brandon, to surface. I loved that distinction between Stefan, the rentboy and Brandon, Frank’s lover and adored the way Frank reacted to both of them.

“You were the only one I set my eyes on before I went out on the field.” – Stefan/Brandon

When Stefan sweeps Frank’s concerns aside, the older man is at first incapable of giving in to the feelings assaulting him; emotions he thought he’d never feel again.

“But even if he was headed for the mother of all car crashes, he couldn’t bring himself to hit the brake with everything he had, not for his sake, not for Brandon’s sake, or Market Garden’s, or sanity or morality, or because it wasn’t fair or even very balanced.” – Frank

But it isn’t long before Frank can no longer deny all the good reasons he has for not getting into a relationship with anyone. And those reasons are even stronger when it comes to Stefan and everything the young man has gone through in the past. My heart broke when Frank decided that it would be easier to end his affair with the man he’s grown to love now, while the relationship is still in its early stages, rather than wait for the pain that seems inevitable if they do stay together.

And here is where I have to admit that at least some of my love for this book has to do with how much I could identify with Frank’s feelings. I was that person telling the one I loved – the man who loved and still loves me – to walk away. I have gone through the thought process that bring you to that conclusion and have felt the relief that follows when all your concerns are swept aside. I know I would have loved this book if I didn’t identify with one of the characters to such an extent; I’m equally sure that the recognition added a shine to my affection for this book and its two main characters.

“The tenderness, the humour, the banter, that caring, all of that swirled in his head and soul and body with the lust, the need, the relief, and the sheer joy of it. Love. Love could be all those things, and it was as real as truth, as real as breath.”

Just in case I’ve made this sound like a heavy and depressing story filled with kinky sex and angst, let me put your mind at ease. There are quite a few tender moments in this book and scenes depicting wonderful friendships. Add to that a good dose of humor as well, and you have a book that takes you from heart-wrenching angst to laugh out loud funny; the best possible combination. And there was one line I may well have to memorize:

“You say grace to anyone, it’s Saint Emily O’Malley of the Sisters of Infinite Patience with Obnoxious Men.”

In fact there is only one downside to this book, a drawback directly related to how much I loved this story; now I have to go back and read all the previous titles. As if I haven’t enough ‘must read as soon as possible’ titles and authors on my list.

“Remember what it felt like to love someone so much it hurt? Yeah. That.”