4 stars
The story of a high-class male prostitute who falls in love with the reporter hired to write an article on him.
Adrian is every woman’s fantasy come true – he’s gorgeous, well-mannered, fabulously talented in bed, and for price of one thousand dollars per hour, he can fulfill their every secret desire, wish and pleasure. He works at Avalon, a high class club catering to women’s pleasure. Billie is a reporter hired to write an article about Avalon and the life of its companions. As Avalon’s most desired escort, Adrian is selected to be interviewed. From the first moment they meet, they feel drawn to each other. But despite their feelings, the nature of what Adrian does inevitably is a huge barrier between them. And throughout the story we see their journey as they follow their hearts to find what they want most from life and each other.
During the interview, Adrian tries a little to get Billie to give in to their clear mutual attraction. But he holds back knowing she isn’t quite ready.
“Ask me what happen next, Billie…”
“What happens next?”
“Nothing.” His whisper brushed her forehead, his embrace gentle, non-threatening. “You’re too frightened. But I know what you want, how much you want it. I can take one look at you and know what you need.”
And that really is the core of the fantasy – a man who not only can do whatever a woman wants, but much more importantly who knows and can anticipate what she wants.
I liked that both Adrian and Billie were pretty smart about everything. Neither of them really made any stupid decisions that made me want to throttle them.
I liked how throughout the book, we discover who Adrian really is. On the outside, he’s this god-like fantasy man, but its not the real him. Throughout the story, Billie peels away the layers of his facade until she finds his true self.
“The fantasy was human after all…a prostitute. A gigolo. A beloved brother and son and uncle… with too many secrets and too much sexual prowess. A man she was falling in love with.”
But at his core, Adrian feels utterly unworthy of Billie.
“She wasn’t the kind of woman who could give away sex without giving away her heart, and he liked that in her, that vulnerability….Maybe, at the very bottom of it, he knew a whore – even a high-priced one – didn’t deserve a woman like Billie. She was reality, gritty and truthful and tangible. He… he was a phantom born out of… imagination.”
“I’m nothing. I have nothing of value to give you. No heart, not an ounce of love in me. It’s all been fucked away.”
I loved that Billie never judged him for his choice of work. She accepted him for who he was, flaws and all and just fell in love with him allowing him the freedom to come to his own choices about what he wanted most.
“I love you, Billie. Give me the chance to make you happy. To show you who I really am – the man who can’t live without you. The man who deserves your heart.”
Overall the story was good, I’m glad I read it, I never felt bored, but it didn’t elicit any strong emotion from me. I didn’t laugh or cry. But I did really like it 🙂
If you liked Finding Home and Fallen From Grace, you will probably like this book too.
