October 26, 2016

[Review] Hotline - Quinn Anderson

Summary: Zack never intended to become a phone sex operator, but with half a college degree and a smart mouth, his options were limited. It helps that he has a knack for thinking on his feet and a willingness to roll with whatever his clients throw at him. Sure, he gets his fair share of creeps and unconventional requests, but it pays the bills, and he’s in no danger of breaking his one rule: never fall for a client.

Until a man named “John” starts calling, and Zack finds himself interested in more than a paycheck. It’s not just that John has money, or that his rumbling baritone drives Zack wild. He’s everything Zack isn’t: educated, poised, and in total control of his life.

A twist of fate brings them face-to-face, and now that they’ve seen each other—and spent an unforgettable night together—they can’t go back to the way things were. A sex worker and a trust fund brat . . . It’s like Romeo and Juliet, but with less stabbing and slightly fewer dick jokes. Hopefully they can pull off a more successful ending. (Pub Date: Oct 31, 2016)


Review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. I want to also thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.

This was a nice spin on the rom-con cliché, with a lot of hot scenes even if most were only imagined.

Zack has dropped out from college and has been working as a phone sex operator for longer than he ever wanted. That's where he met John, or so he says to be his name, a client who makes him feel much more than anyone has ever managed.

I really liked the idea and I won't say it wasn't well developed, that would be a lie. Still, there was something wrong with the book as a whole. First, people tended to discuss things a bit too much. Even though I had fun with Zack's friends at first, they soon made me feel bored. You notice the author was worried in building a life for the main character: he's close to his sister, his neighbors love him, he has the cutest dog, and a bunch very good friends. Then it backfired as you had to see him discuss any development, analyze everything in depth...

Another point that the book could have done without was the excessive advertising pro-sex workers. I guess it is connected with the above, but sometimes—truthfully, too many times—the characters went out of their way to give lectures on how to think and not to think of them. Ultra interesting the first time. Boring the rest of them. 

In other words, this book lacked edition. It's a great story, with great characters, and great dialogues. I won't even comment on the somethings elses, if you get what I mean. But this needed some urgent cuts. Which is a pity, because I'm in love with what it could have been.

A final thing that bothered me were the ages. Not sure but the characters didn't really sound as young as they turned out to be. I wonder if that was me... And for that, a lot of times I had to stop and think again, to get the full image. I kept imagining them in their 30's and they were around 20.

Still, don't make that stop you. Do be advised you'll feel very tempted to skip several pages from time to time but stick to it. As I mentioned, this was a good reading. And even though it comes from a cliché, it was well exploited. And again, this was entertainingly hot.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

No comments:

Post a Comment