The Art of the Deal

by B.A. Stretke

Sean Robbins’s life rarely goes according to plan, which leaves him suspicious and determined to make it on his own. But when he learns why he failed to win a coveted internship with Chicago’s leading lawyer, Coleman West, he soldiers on and takes a lesser position in West’s firm instead. It won’t stop him from snubbing Mr. West whenever he runs into him. Never mind that Mr. West is not only brilliant but gorgeous. Sean has his pride.

People assume Coleman West was handed everything he has on a silver platter. Not so—he fought and scraped his way to the top of Chicago’s elite. That hard work taught him to set high standards for those he chooses to work with… or date. So when he gets on an elevator and runs into the very man he dismissed as being beneath him, the instant chemistry surprises him.

Sean and Coleman could be happy together, but first they must overcome everything that stands in their way: backstabbing, jealousy, and their own pride and prejudices.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, M M Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers

200 pages, ebook

First published April 21, 2013

About the author

B.A. Stretke is a Gay Romance and fiction author who publishes through Dreamspinner Press, LLC, and Amazon.com

B.A Stretke began writing as a hobby. He read his first Jane Austen novel as a teen and was instantly hooked. The age-old dream of being a novelist took hold. Now long into adulthood, and a few years as an editor under his belt, B.A. is a full-time writer. B.A. spends his days reading, engaging in sarcasm, and plotting the next storyline, often leaving little headspace for much else. He loves hiking through the Northern Michigan woods he calls home, often finding inspiration for his books. Writing and finding that perfect cup of coffee occupy the rest of his time.

B.A. Stretke lives in Northern Michigan with one royally spoiled cat and his dear friends and family.

You can connect with B.A. Stretke on his website: www.bastretke.com



Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/BAStretkeWriter

Like me on Facebook! - B.A. Stretke

Reviews

[LiveYourLife BuyTheBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

I can usually find something positive about a book to make me at least like it. I’ll be reaching to come up with anything I enjoyed about this book.

The book starts out with Sean receiving the highest grades for his course and therefore promised the best placing in his internship. He’s embarrassed when he doesn’t receive the honor of being Coleman West’s assistant. He’s informed, following the ceremony, that Coleman has rejected his application for internship at Mr. West’s company. His teacher finds a man in the company who will risk providing the internship Sean needs to complete his course. Someone Mr. West would never notice. Coleman is very powerful and has the power to make or break careers. His reputation is such that he is ruthless and cold and uses his influence to crush those who don’t please him or go against his wishes. For this reason Sean working in his company is a big risk for Sean and his mentor.

Sean basically becomes obsessed with Coleman’s rejection. He strongly dislikes him but he needs to complete the program. He avoids him and runs from him but that only seems to intrigue Coleman. Coleman sets out to find out who the beautiful man is and what in the world he could have done to make the man hate him. Whatever it is he isn’t going to let him get away.

To be honest the only character I liked in this book was a secondary character, Ed. I think most the characters in this book were clueless and over the top at some point. Sean didn’t realize Coleman wanted him sexually even after he kissed him? Really? It never crossed his mind that his boss holding his hand or keeping his hand on his lower back wasn’t a normal boss thing to do? His boss is an openly gay man. If a male boss did that to a female employee she would know his intentions or sue his ass for sexual harassment but that’s never brought up. He doesn’t even think that’s a possibility. Sean thinks Coleman is buttering him up to fire him. It was all so silly.

The wording and style of writing kept me totally detached from the couple. Things like at the end of a date, he would say “you were a nice companion, thank you.” Who says that? I had a nice time? Or we should do this again? It was all so stiff. Yes, Coleman was supposed to be a hard ass but he came off as brutish and clueless. Clueless because of his parent’s example he has chosen to never become attached to anyone. He has never had a relationship to know how he should behave in one. Sean thinks he’s flavor of the week after whining about not being Coleman’s “cream of the crop”. Coleman basically starts managing Sean’s life and never wants to leave his side but then conveniently forgets to call him for a week. It’s inconsistent and not at all believable. The reason for the application rejection was ridiculous. I won’t spoil but if I ever had to be in a room with someone that pompous my head would explode! Much less ruin someone’s life for it. Parts of this story felt like a parody of a romance instead a romance.

The childish baddie and her school yard bully brother were beyond ridiculous. The woman was about to become a lawyer but she just couldn’t stand for someone else to get attention so she had her brother beat people up for her? Real people do not act this way! A little OTT is fine but this book was full of it and none of it worked.

I’m just going to stop there but I could go on. Safe to say I did not enjoy this book. The epilogue was nice. I managed to settle into the end. To lay this story out you would think it sounds great but pretty much everything between didn’t work for me.:-(

Whit's review can be found at Live Your Life, Buy The Book

[Prentice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I did and I can't tell you how disappointed I am that I have to say that, especially since I was convinced it was going to be my new favorite novel. Written in a way that's the perfect example of tell not show, I couldn't help but feel from the start that the author had a good idea but just didn’t know how to execute it. At least, he didn’t know how to execute it in a way that wasn’t, literally, flat out summarization.

I’m not even kidding about that: the entire novel was one big summarization with an occasional break for “real time” events to play out. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun summarization but it was still a summarization that left me disconnected from the characters and disappointed that I didn’t get to ‘see’ more of the things the author described. Incredibly dissatisfying, to say the least.

As for the characters, they left me somewhat frustrated, if only because I never felt like I really got to know them. Sean, who I was convinced I was going to be cheering on, started out strong only to seemingly turn into a doormat. He was constantly railroaded by Coleman and seemed just as disconnected as I was. Coleman, in turn, just seemed like an arrogant jerk (with an absurd amount of power and sphere of influence which was incredibly unrealistic) that needed to be brought down several huge pegs – I actually thought that’s exactly what Sean would do for him, bring him down and humanize him, but instead he just got run over in the whirlwind that was Coleman West.

Another thing I wanted to touch on was this: how ridiculous some scenarios were. A good example of this was the rivalry between Brittany and Sean that eventually culminated in Brittany’s brother, Adam, jumping Sean and beating the hell out of him. Not only was it ridiculous, but Coleman’s reaction to it (which was to go track down Adam and beat the hell out of him) was just too much for me and made me wonder what the hell the author was thinking.

Coleman ‘s a lawyer, for god’s sake! He’s not going to go put the beat down on someone – he’s going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and very probably ruin their life in the process. C’mon!

Anyway, though, I don’t want to make it seem like I didn’t enjoy this novel at all. It really was a great premise – kudos to the author for that (I’m a fan of ‘Suits’ so, you know, yay lawyers!) – and there were some really good chestnuts hidden within the story. I just wish the author would have taken more time to develop it – maybe with a good editor who wouldn’t be shy to say ‘no, that doesn’t work; no one actually talks like that.’* Overall, a good read that could have been better.

*Some of the (limited) dialog was just bizarre and stilted at times. No fist bump for you, B.A. Stretke:

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25*
Sean is pretty much alone on the world, his beloved mother died of cancer and he took a year off from school to take care of her, but exactly that time off and his part time job cause Coleman West to consider him a drop out and socially inadequate.
So, despite being the best qualified he doesn't get the coveted internship instead he gets one with a very nice and honorable man on the 3rd floor, the understanding being do not let Coleman West know that someone went behind his back and gave Sean a position in his firm.
It is repeated often in the book, how tough and unforgiving, how cruel and cutting Coleman can be. Coleman himself, especially in the beginning of the book comes across as an arrogant, rude superior asshat, and I really didn't like him.
He was so offended by a young man's application, a young man getting a degree in legal studies that he actually thinks about ruining him, I kept thinking he needs more important things to worry about.
Coleman is a 'poor little rich kid', his parents had more spouses than sense and he spent most of his childhood in boarding schools and has long decided that love and relationships are not for him.
Coleman keeps seeing a young man in his building, but can't seem to hold him still long enough to find out who he is, not only that, but the way the young man looks at him, full of dread and also disgust has him intrigued.
When Coleman finds out that the man is none other than Sean Robbins, the intern he wanted nowhere near his firm, he acts totally out of character, instead of firing all involved, he starts to show a great interest in Sean and his well being.
Sean of course is very distrustful, he keeps being told repeatedly in no uncertain terms over and over again, by everyone, including Coleman, that he cuts people loose quickly and painfully and he doesn't get attached. Of course Coleman is acting out of character and also slightly overbearing, moving Sean into another apartment, furnishing it, taking him on dates, ordering his dinner for him, taking a great interest in his future.

I felt for Sean, he seems like a great kid and still a little naive, I mean his boss is kissing him and dating him and he isn't sure where he stands, of course that Coleman is in a position of power over Sean's future isn't lost on him, add to that Sean's professor and his fellow intern Brittany are all creepy and awful, it's no wonder Sean doesn't know if he can trust Coleman or almost anyone at this point.
I did want more groveling from Coleman, I wanted to see him really fight for Sean and be taken down a peg, alas, Sean is a better person than I am.
I had a few issues with this story, like the repeated references to Coleman's character and cruel behavior, it got to the point that he wasn't going to be able to redeem himself in my eyes. His well-meaning but overbearing behavior towards Sean didn't sit well with me either and although both POVs were shown, I was never really able to warm up to Coleman. There was also some head hoping which made following a little difficult at times. I also really would like to know where Brittany ended up, my need for revenge wasn't quite satisfied. She played a pretty big role in what happened to Sean and then we never hear about repercussions for her.
I did have a bit of a harlequin flashback while reading this story, the older, wealthy, arrogant and jaded Hero and his younger, sweet and hopeful Cinderfella fighting against the odds to make it and I was reminded why I loved those stories,
It was a fun read, I couldn't put it down and was actually sad when it was over.

[Mallory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not impressed with this book at all. The premise had a lot of promise, and when I first read the summary I was excited to get my hands on the book. I love Chicago, and the Pride & Prejudice feel of the plot appealed to my romantic side. Unfortunately, the actual story did not live up to the summary. The story was shown rather than told, with little dialogue and less subtlety. It was dry and dull and rather more like reading a narrative essay than a love story. Even the bedroom scenes, which had the potential to be explosive, were uninspiring and mostly explanation rather than sensory stimulation. The relationship between the characters felt unnatural and uncomfortable. The resolution was unsatisfactory and left me searching the end pages hoping for a better ending that was never found.

To add to the poor writing and uninspiring character interaction, there clearly was no editor involved, even though there dearly needed to be. I also am convinced that the author has never visited Chicago, and am not certain why he used the city as a setting. As someone who has lived in Chicago, the city he described didn't feel anything like the city I know and love. And I could be wrong (though I'm fairly certain I'm not), but there is nowhere within an hour's drive of the Loop that could be considered a secluded forest area.

Overall, I would not recommend this book, and I wish the time it took me to read it had been spent elsewhere.

[J1B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is an acquired taste. If poor editing and at times discordant sentence structure offend you, look elsewhere. What you will always get with this author is a good story, which is why I've continued to be a fan through 'Crimson Coven,' 'Pittsburgh Vampires,' and now the inexplicably named 'Art of the Deal' (seriously, why on earth would you choose that title?!).

3 Stars for Story and 1 Star for Consistent Gayness, which is a big reason why I continue to be a fan.

[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can be found at The Armchair Reader.

When Sean Ribbons finds out why Coleman West rejected him for the leading internship position he was promised, he’s furious and hurt but that doesn’t stop him from proving he’s fit for the job. So, he accepts a lower position instead. He does everything he can to avoid Coleman while proving he has the knowledge and professional manner to be a legal assistant. But when Coleman finally meets the man that’s been running the other way whenever they’re in the same vicinity he’s curious and shocked to find out it’s the same intern he rejected. That doesn’t stop him from trying to make amends when he realizes he cruelly judged Sean without reading all the facts first. From there starts the chase Coleman goes on to finally get Sean not to hate him. Unfortunately, Coleman has a reputation for not being in relationships and everyone keeps telling Sean he’ll be leaving sooner rather than later. Coleman, though, wants an actual relationship but Sean’s wary and distrustful around Coleman, which makes getting Sean to let down his walls almost impossible.

I really liked this book. It was fun and very easy to read. I found it amusing and entertaining how Sean rebuffs Coleman at first which causes Coleman to chase him. I really liked Sean because of that. He’s a stubborn, independent guy who doesn’t like charity and deals with what he’s given. He might be bitter about not getting a placement but he actually likes where he ends up. He’s also very naive and oblivious because he never seemed to know that Coleman was wooing him and wanted more from him than just easing his guilty conscious. However, Coleman is also naive in how to begin a relationship so I could understand why Sean was confused on Coleman’s actions but I loved Coleman in the end. I didn’t necessarily like him in the beginning but he grew on me. He’s aggressive, possessive, and extremely dominate to the point of controlling. He takes over situations and expects to be followed blindly. Although, Sean gives Coleman a run for his money a time or two when he challenges Coleman, which I think is part of the appeal of Sean.

This book started off great. I really enjoyed the fact that Sean was able to bring Coleman down a peg or two but also how Coleman seemed to change just by thinking of Sean. He goes from cold and cruel to warm and smiling. It was sweet in a way. I loved that Sean tried so hard to be distant from Coleman even though Coleman managed to make Sean melt. It was also great to see Sean keep his independence (even if he did let Coleman win more often than not). This story deals heavily around Coleman trying to build a relationship with Sean, even if Sean doesn’t exactly know it. Coleman never actually clearly states his feelings to Sean so it caused some confusion for Sean because Coleman was often hot and cold. I actually really liked that, though, because I’m sure we’ve all known someone who’s been like that so it added some realism to the story. The characters aren’t given as much depth as I would have liked but what there is of them was fun to get to know.

While I really enjoyed this story, I can’t deny that it has it’s faults. For one, there’s major head-hoping so that every paragraph has a POV shift. You’ll be reading from Sean’s POV then be reading about what Coleman thinks or what Ed, Weir, or Jason think even if they aren’t even in the same room as who originally starts the scene. It was disorienting at times because I kept mixing up who was speaking. More than that, sometimes the dialogue between Sean and Coleman was stilted and very formal. It didn’t ‘fit’ with who Sean was and that made the scenes sometimes awkward. I also couldn’t understand how Brittany, for all her trouble making, did not get in trouble for the problems she kept causing Sean. Part of the reason Coleman initially rejected Sean was because Coleman thought Sean would have made the firm look bad, yet here was this girl who was getting someone beat up just because she’s not the favorite? How does that not warrant repercussions for her actions? It boggled my mind especially when countered with how Weir used all that and more to manipulate Sean. Lastly, I felt like the ending was too rushed. There’s a lot of telling instead of showing and we read throughout the story that Coleman never did relationships and when Sean is finally gone, I was expecting some groveling, some pleading and begging to get him back, yet none of that really happens. Sean accepts Coleman after three little words are said and that’s that. No explanation on what happens next, what Sean will do with his career now, or even what will happen to Weir now (this man caused a lot of trouble, I was expecting more resolution with that).

All in all, this was a nice story. It’s sweet, sexy and fun. The premise of the story is great and led to some entertaining moments. I loved both characters even if they didn’t have much depth and I especially loved Ed Murray, Sean’s supervisor. My biggest issues were the POV shifts and the ending. I would have liked the shifts to be tighter and the ending to be longer, instead of over within a few paragraphs. Groveling would definitely have been ideal in this situation! But regardless of all of that, I really enjoyed the story to the point that I didn’t realize I was reading so fast until I had finished. That right there means the book was a good one because with the funk I’ve been in, I haven’t been able to find a book I could read in one go recently but this was one I was able to do that with.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.65 stars

My second B.A. Stretke's read and I survived this one. Amid the exasperated sigh and grumbles, admittedly. But, I guess this worked in a Harlequin-ish Cinderfella sort of things: one very powerful, rich, catch of the (book) universe by the name of Coleman West met a smart but poor younger fellow, Sean Robbins. A judgmental assumption (on the rich Coleman side) turned Sean's admiration into resentment and dislike; while - OF COURSE! - Coleman was intrigued by Sean ever since he saw a glimpse of him and wonder why the younger man always tried to avoid him! *snorts!*

Yet I still found this story bearable because, as judgey, high and mighty Coleman had been as soon as he realized why Sean found him such a repellent; he apologized (a number of time) and tried (man, did he TRY!) so hard to make amends. As for Sean, he might be mister goody two shoes but the way he hanged on to his grudges and viewed Coleman with distrust, I heartily applaud him that not-instant gratification! Coleman even said to Sean, and I quote:

"When you develop a grudge, you really hold onto it."

WAY TO GO, SEAN!!! <<<---this is me shouting, by the way. :D

However, Sean's obliviousness was also frustrating, at times I thought he was even a cold fish. That, and I disliked the way the female character - Sean's colleague and adversary - put into such an entitled bitch personified light. She seemed to be nothing but a pain in Sean's butt, but when her machinations made Sean felt true pain no consequences was given to her.

I think the only character I respected in this book from start to finish was Sean's supervisor, Ed Murray. He was an added point along with Coleman/Sean's dealings I mentioned earlier.

[Whit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can usually find something positive about a book to make me at least like it. I’ll be reaching to come up with anything I enjoyed about this book.

The book starts out with Sean receiving the highest grades for his course and therefore promised the best placing in his internship. He’s embarrassed when he doesn’t receive the honor of being Coleman West’s assistant. He’s informed, following the ceremony, that Coleman has rejected his application for internship at Mr. West’s company. His teacher finds a man in the company who will risk providing the internship Sean needs to complete his course. Someone Mr. West would never notice. Coleman is very powerful and has the power to make or break careers. His reputation is such that he is ruthless and cold and uses his influence to crush those who don’t please him or go against his wishes. For this reason Sean working in his company is a big risk for Sean and his mentor.

Sean basically becomes obsessed with Coleman’s rejection. He strongly dislikes him but he needs to complete the program. He avoids him and runs from him but that only seems to intrigue Coleman. Coleman sets out to find out who the beautiful man is and what in the world he could have done to make the man hate him. Whatever it is he isn’t going to let him get away.

To be honest the only character I liked in this book was a secondary character, Ed. I think most the characters in this book were clueless and over the top at some point. Sean didn’t realize Coleman wanted him sexually even after he kissed him? Really? It never crossed his mind that his boss holding his hand or keeping his hand on his lower back wasn’t a normal boss thing to do? His boss is an openly gay man. If a male boss did that to a female employee she would know his intentions or sue his ass for sexual harassment but that’s never brought up. He doesn’t even think that’s a possibility. Sean thinks Coleman is buttering him up to fire him. It was all so silly.

The wording and style of writing kept me totally detached from the couple. Things like at the end of a date, he would say “you were a nice companion, thank you.” Who says that? I had a nice time? Or we should do this again? It was all so stiff. Yes, Coleman was supposed to be a hard ass but he came off as brutish and clueless. Clueless because of his parent’s example he has chosen to never become attached to anyone. He has never had a relationship to know how he should behave in one. Sean thinks he’s flavor of the week after whining about not being Coleman’s “cream of the crop”. Coleman basically starts managing Sean’s life and never wants to leave his side but then conveniently forgets to call him for a week. It’s inconsistent and not at all believable. The reason for the application rejection was ridiculous. I won’t spoil but if I ever had to be in a room with someone that pompous my head would explode! Much less ruin someone’s life for it. Parts of this story felt like a parody of a romance instead a romance.

The childish baddie and her school yard bully brother were beyond ridiculous. The woman was about to become a lawyer but she just couldn’t stand for someone else to get attention so she had her brother beat people up for her? Real people do not act this way! A little OTT is fine but this book was full of it and none of it worked.

I’m just going to stop there but I could go on. Safe to say I did not enjoy this book. The epilogue was nice. I managed to settle into the end. To lay this story out you would think it sounds great but pretty much everything between didn’t work for me. :(

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

Sean has fought hard for everything he has, so when he discovers he has been snubbed for a top internship with Coleman West and the reasons why, he refuses to allow another man’s snobbish prejudices to affect his life and ploughs onwards. Ignoring Mr. West is harder than he thought when the man won’t leave him alone. Coleman has high standards and anyone who doesn’t live up to his personal expectations get nowhere with him, but Sean leaves him reeling when he meets the man and he is nothing like Coleman’s preconceived notions. Wanting to get to know Sean is hard though because Coleman’s own damning words come back to haunt him and his reputation as a harsh man won’t let Sean trust him. Can Coleman break down Sean’s walls? Can Sean trust Coleman not to betray him?

This is a very sweet love story that has a very Mills & Boon/Harlequin romance feel to it. Sean is a lovely character, he is honest, hardworking and loyal and he also has his pride. Coleman West is a harder character to like, he is an elitist snob, he comes down hard on those that cross him and has a love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude, he also likes to get his way no matter the cost. When Sean accepts a lesser position in Coleman West and Associates because he isn’t ‘good enough’ for the top internship he knows he has to avoid Coleman West at all costs, it’s not just his internship on the line, but Edward Murray’s job as well. Coleman becomes intrigued by the young man who disappears every time Coleman sees him, determined to discover who the mysterious man is he is shocked when he discovers it is the very man that he looked down at for working in a pub.

Coleman is a very arrogant character and he has very set ideas about people and you seriously want to punch him for his preconceived notions about people, but this time Coleman’s arrogance bites him in the arse when he meets Sean. Sean has no intention of forgiving Coleman for his prejudice (you cheer for his determination) but Coleman is a lot nicer in person than his reputation says he is, but it still takes Coleman time to wear Sean’s walls down. These two characters are very different and they each struggle with their feelings for the other man, Sean is warned repeatedly by people about Coleman’s reputation so he doubts that Coleman wants him for anything but a passing fancy. Coleman has never felt anything for anyone before and struggles to get things right.

The storyline is pretty good and we also get some interesting twists in the way of a slimy professor and a vindictive classmate, well intentioned people and the MC’s own doubts and insecurities. It’s a light read that you can enjoy with a cup of tea, although there are times when you wonder why Sean doesn’t want justice and just accepts Coleman’s excuse for his original rejection. At times it got a bit too much sugar and became overly sweet with Coleman running to the rescue and taking over, whisking Sean away to the country house or new apartment and fixing Sean’s problems.

I will recommend this to those who love tarnished white knights, good characters, an easy reading storyline, some sweet loving and a very happy ending.

[Mandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. This started out good for me, but lost me along the way. I just couldn't understand the actions of the characters. Coleman was too domineering (and not in the fun way) and Sean just kept going back and forth. One scene he can't wait to be away from Coleman and be alone and in the next they are having drinks and he's getting drunk with him. (huh?)

Did have a great cover, unfortunately I can't really recommend this one.

[Kazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not perfect but a sweet story at heart. Full review at On Top Down Under Book Reviews - http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I did something that I rarely do these days when I am purchasing the book - I decided to try completely new to me author without reviews or recommendations. I mean, I was eyeing his first book but reviews completely discouraged me in the past, so when I saw he wrote a new one and about lawyers, I decided to actually give this one a chance.

Clearly this book was not for me. Okay, the beginning was entertaining - completely unbelievable in the eye rolling kind of way, but entertaining as in some of romantic comedies of the 80s/90s. Seriously, an unknown extra intern at law firm? Right.

But when our characters meet - oh dear. Of course instant attraction hits them over the head. I hated you, now I love you comes way too fast for my taste. The owner of the law firm doing all of this for the intern? Made him look like controlling, Sean accepting all these things even though he really disliked his boss? Made Sean look like a "plot zombie" (not my term, but I am sure you can figure out what that means) and kind of crazy to me. You really distrust and dislike this man, yeah Sean? But you accept his orders for you to get out of your apartment and for him to order a new one and buy furniture for you all in the same breath pretty much?

And let's not forget about what counted for the reason for break up between them, somebody please make me feel like I have not read those pages.

And let's not forget Brittany - not just evil, but completely irrational one.

One last question - why does almost every character in this book needs his own POV? Why? It gave me a headache.

[Xarina Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivated

This book like many by Mr. Stretke kept me spellbound. I kinda hate myself for waiting this long before writing a review. I have read this one at least 20 times or more. It never gets old, I rarely skim it and it takes me on that emotional journey each and every time. The writing is so on point that it's like new with each read. Yes I've noticed a few (and I mean few, not plentiful) mistakes, but to me they never detract from the opus that this book brings. I literally feel each character as if I am them. It's beautiful. The heartbreak and love and confusion reaches out and just holds you under the spell until it's over. This book is my 'Always' when it comes to my need to really feel. It's a journey I will take again and again.

[Leslie Zak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawyers, interns, distrust and betrayal

Sean is top of his class in line for an impressive internship at Cameron West Law Firm when at the awards ceremony he is blindsided with no job placement. He is humiliated especially after seeing the rejection letter written by Cameron West. Sean gets a low paying job with a lower level lawyer at the firm and stays out of sight of Mr. West, however the big boss is intrigued with the young man that keeps running away from him. Needless to say there is a lot that Cameron West feels guilt about and the attraction he feels for Sean. Sean doesn't trust easily and Cameron really has his work cut out in wooing Sean. It is a hard one HEA but worth the read.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but something just didn’t quite make it for me.. it just felt unfinished? I like this author and this story is better than most. Decent story line, decent character development and yet, just not quite enough.

[Mnjones · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Art missed

I'm a B.A. Stretke fan but this book was completely underwhelming for me. It had all the makings of an excellent story, but fell flat. The characters lacked depth and the multiple POV were ok, just not necessary in every. single. page. Missed the .mark for this one.

[Ana M. Román · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el segundo libro que leo del autor y debo decir que no sólo me gustan sus historias sino cómo escribe.

Definitivamente he encontrado otro autor al que seguir de cerca.

[Fehu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this one is a book you either like or hate. Coleman is a difficult character to like and he is one of the main characters of this story, so I understand why someone might dislike the whole story. Also the writing isn't always flowing, some sentences sound a bit stiff coming from a young person like Sean and he is repeating himself a lot. There are quite some reasons for him to dislike Cole, all understandable and I don't know why is mostly concentrating on one. Why didn't he ask Coleman if he would still have been so nice to him if Sean wasn't cute? Would Coleman have gone ahead and destroy someone’s career on just one resume that he didn’t bother to properly read through or to ask why the professor would give him a recommendation!

I dislike arrogant snobs, who think that they are better than the rest and Coleman is just that! Sean has returned to school after taking one year of, he is top of his classes in his legal-assistant program and has the recommendations of his professors to a great intern program. Coleman sees the part about returning student and that he has worked in a night club and decides to destroy Sean’s career, because he doesn't see him as someone worthy to work for his company or any serious legal company. I wish I could say he changed his mind after giving Sean a chance or watch him work, but no he noticed him, because of his looks and his peculiar behaviour, namely not escaping Coleman's presence, whenever he could. Of course Sean is trying to avoid Coleman, after reading his letter of rejection, which was quite nasty for one.

So Coleman didn't change a lot he is very commanding, overrides Sean's wishes and while he is supposed to treat his boyfriends very badly and like his own independence, well he acts quite clingy, at least in the beginning with Sean and somewhat stalkerish. He doesn't change a lot and while he regrets what he has written, I wasn’t left with that niggling thought that he regrets it after he met Sean and became intrigued by him, he didn’t actually see Sean working before deciding, that he must be a great person and that he shouldn't treat any human being like he has.

I finished the book pretty quickly, it a nice contemporary read, which isn't instant love. Sean dislikes Coleman in the beginning and he is right to do that, I just felt that something was missing and that Coleman changed his opinion too fast for a pretty face (Sean isn't only a pretty face, but Coleman didn't know it then). The premise of the story was interesting and plot wasn't bad either. I liked Sean, even when I didn't agree with all of his decisions. It was nice to see Coleman having to work to be liked by Sean; I wish it had taken him somewhat longer to get into Sean's good graces.

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Please hurry up and write another book. The Art of the Deal was a delightful read for me. Coleman is the domineering, controlling kind of bastard hero that you almost hate but love instead. His behavior is so controlling that he is right on the border between hero and villian and of course he doesn't play fair. Poor Sean is the mouse in this cat and mouse game. He knows he is being toyed with and could possibly be dumped in a humiliating manner, and yet he is unable to resist getting involved with the dangerous Coleman. He can only prepare himself mentally for the pain that will come when their relationship ends. Throw in one evil female coworker and one predatory professor and you have one highly entertaining story.

The relationship between Coleman and Sean is one that you either love or hate. It is basically a dom/sub relationship. Coleman is very aggressive and forceful and Sean allows him to take control of everything. Once Coleman sets his sights on Sean, he is relentless in his pursuit and Sean does not stand a chance. He finds himself falling in love with Coleman before long. He is happy to let Coleman take charge of everything, including ordering for both of them when they go out to eat, and of course, Coleman loves being in charge. He is a shark and he gets off on the power. I found that I really enjoyed Coleman with all his flaws, and I found myself laughing at his ruthless behavior throughout the story.

What I love about B A Stretke's writing is that the stories are always a breath of fresh air. The story and characters are far from the usual cardboard characters that you get from some MM writers. The story is well thought out and well written. Some readers may not like how easily Sean falls into Coleman's arms and allows him to take charge, but I actually enjoyed the mild dom/sub nature of their relationship.

I also really enjoyed Signed and Sealed characters with their emotional relationship.

I hope B A Stretke will write another book soon. I promise to buy it as soon as it comes out.

[Maiko-chan [|] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this more if the transition between character perspectives, settings, and overall scenes had been broken up more clearly rather than just a new paragraph with no clear break. The character focus could have been more consistent and have less frequent changes – more like in the beginning when it was section by section, rather than the evolution into paragraph by paragraph and sentence by sentence. There were also too many errors for me to look over (punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.); mostly slight ones that nevertheless drew my attention away from simply reading. The conflicts were solved far too quickly for my tastes. Yes, it's all well and good that Wier (or was it Weir?) and Britney's brother Adam were stopped from pursuing Sean further, but what about the other countless people they're likely to have no qualms about hurting in the future? And maybe I skipped over this part in the very end, but what happened with Britney herself and will she really stop trying to cause trouble for Sean? And, last but not least, the conflict in the actual romance. You tell him you love him, at last, and we just skip over all the other problems still swirling around you? He just suddenly forgets about how he thinks you cheated on him? Really? Too clean, doesn't feel realistic enough.

However, since I read it all in mostly one sitting (and while this is short, it isn’t short enough to be considered a ‘short story’ and I read pretty slowly besides), it kept my attention and had me enjoying it well enough for my given rating. Overall a very quick, easy, and enjoyable read with characters I thoroughly adored.

[Al · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so infuriated with this book I cannot read more without saying something -- and I'm only 30 pages in!! At this rate, I doubt I'll finish it.

Besides the major head-hopping and blatant telling of everything, this is a sexual harassment claim screaming to happen! Evidently the author has never experienced even so much of a fraction of what he/she is writing and/or has but thinks it's normal! OMG. Let me give you a taste:

**Coleman spoke softly to Sean... He leaned into Sean as if listening closely to him, but actually used it as an excuse to just get closer ... Coleman found himself breathing deeply and moving closer still. He moved one hand, letting it drape across the back of Sean's chair, and turned nearly completely into him, ignoring everyone else at the table.**

And that paragraph happens after this: Coleman sat down next to him and seemed awfully close. Sean tried to adjust his chair to give Coleman more room, but Coleman adjusted as well, moving nearer again.

That is just ONE example.

WTH? And "Coleman" is supposed to be a lawyer? And everyone in the room (including Sean) has no clue that anything out of the ordinary is happening? GET REAL! HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE BE SO COMPLETELY CLUELESS? This isn't cute or admiring or flattering -- it's an indication of a possessive, creepy stalker! Forget Sean needing to make his way in the world; all he has to do is sue the a**hat.

Give me a ****** break!

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was odd. The way that Coleman spoken was odd. Maybe that's how all people with money talk but it just took me out of the story. Coleman was a pompous a**hole. I hate how the blame was completely transferred to Weir in terms of the application rejection. Don't get me wrong, Weir is a predatory a**hole, but in some ways so is Coleman.
Sean keeps talking about how independent he is, but then he lets Coleman walk all over him. The whole situation where Sean got beat up and went to beat up his attacker was so unbelievable. The only reason I finished this book was because I was procrastinating. Otherwise this book might have been dnf.

[Liza]

dnfed at 20% and refunded also. I dont do that normally. But I havent read such a shit in a long time. It was sad really. It was badly written. No wonder is there rarely dialogue, if the characters spoke there came only shit out. The boss is sexually harassing the intern, touches him inappropiatly at all times. Just no. Couldnt do that to myself. And that for 7 buck, yeah fuck off, I rather buy myself a sandwich.

[Franz E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I was pretty let down on this one. What annoys me the most is that there is so much potential in the story and now and then you think it gets better but overall it's just pretty predictable. I just down get the feeling that was supposed to be conveyed in this, it just seemed like it was mostly just stating what was happening, if you get what I mean. Tiresome to get through :/

[NancyM · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading this book I thought I was half way through, imagine my surprise when the page number read '17!' This book made me feel like Atlas. It had a heavy, almost suffocating feel to it.

The summary was well written, too bad the book wasn't.

[Jane (PS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed this book today. This book was the antithesis of my life this week.

Light. Easy to read. No brain-work required. Simple plot-line. No overly descriptive interminable paragraphs. Simple.

Yes - it is really a Mills & Boon m/f book in (a very light) disguise, but that why I enjoyed it :)

[jules0623 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another controlling asshat MC. What on earth do people find sexy about this kind of guy?

[Idamus · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK read, but not my thing

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story - kept me entertained!

[Blackrei · Rating 1 out of 5]

the blurb was very promising but in the end, Sean was more than naive and Coleman too forceful and ridiculous
I wasn't interested in what happened to any of them