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The Escort
At twenty-five, Travis Sheppard knows all about taking care of himself. He’s been on his own since the age of seventeen, and he learned long ago how to use his assets and natural-born talent to get what he needs…and wants. Travis is a hustler, a male escort, and he caters to men of means who like to shower him with gifts and cash in exchange for his affection—sometimes for his mere presence.
When Travis accepts an overnight gig with a new client, he’s surprised by the fact the customer has pre-paid. When Travis arrives at the gentleman’s surprisingly modest home, he learns that his client is an accomplished, best-selling author. Darren, otherwise known as DJ Torrent, makes Travis a proposal. He wants Travis to accompany him to a gay literature conference. The catch is that for their five days together, Travis is to be more to Darren than just his escort. Darren wants Travis to pose as his husband.
When Travis accepts an overnight gig with a new client, he’s surprised by the fact the customer has pre-paid. When Travis arrives at the gentleman’s surprisingly modest home, he learns that his client is an accomplished, best-selling author. Darren, otherwise known as DJ Torrent, makes Travis a proposal. He wants Travis to accompany him to a gay literature conference. The catch is that for their five days together, Travis is to be more to Darren than just his escort. Darren wants Travis to pose as his husband.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2017
4 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Erno
71 books641 followersJeff Erno currently lives in southern Michigan. He holds a bachelor's degree in business management and human resources. Jeff began writing stories in the late 1990's and initially posted them to a free online amateur website. The positive feedback he received from readers encouraged him to continue, and this eventually led to the publication of his first novel, Dumb Jock. Erno has subsequently published several other novels.
His greatest passion in life is writing, and he hopes to be able to continue sharing his work with readers worldwide.
His greatest passion in life is writing, and he hopes to be able to continue sharing his work with readers worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 21, 2017
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
This was my first Jeff Erno book and I had a lot of fun reading it. High-end escort Travis can’t believe it when he shows up for an overnight job, paid full in advance, and the youngish, nerdy looking Darren tells him he’s just looking for companionship, no sex. Seeing the wedding pictures inside the house and noting he resembles the man with Darren, he finds out that they are no longer together. The two talk about Travis’s past, his love of classic literature and his work. It’s then Darren aka author DJ Torrent proposes that Travis pose as his husband for five days at the Gay Romance Retreat. He’s never attended before and has social anxiety, so he’s hoping Travis will act as a buffer or distraction to his fans. He doesn’t even expect Travis to have sex, which definitely throws Travis who feels a bit rejected, although Darren does seem to like to look.
The story then moves right to the conference. As Travis and Darren navigate fans, parties, the swag room, readings and general conference mingling, the two form a quick bond. Travis quickly realizes he’s attracted to Darren but he isn’t quite sure what makes Darren so nervous about him. Darren has issues, but Travis is just the person to help him along. It’s only a matter of time before Darren falls for Travis’s many charms and their relationship moves to the next level. The two have more in common than either expected but knowing each other for such a short time, it’s no wonder they are keeping some things close to their chest.
As the two mingle and network there are an assortment of characters introduced, a fan who becomes a good friend, a blogger/aspiring writer with questionable intentions, the authors who both admire and disdain Darren and others all within the m/m community. With a crew that large, that nosy and that adept at navigating social media, you know it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out their story isn’t quite what they say it is.
This was a really sweet romance. Although time-wise the relationship happens quickly, it didn’t feel rushed at all to me. Darren doesn’t want more than companionship to start, but Travis quickly becomes someone he relies on and likes. The two are so lonely and both fear what will happen after their five days is over, but of course they can’t control how attached they become to each other. I thought they had great chemistry and enjoyed watching them slowly open up and be vulnerable with each other. Although Darren is 20 years older than Travis, the age-gap wasn’t a stumbling block at all. I loved that Travis was such a nurturer and Darren was more than happy to have him in that role when he needed it.
Part of what made this book so enjoyable is the setting within the m/m community. As part of the building relationship, Jeff Erno takes on the m/m genre’s penchant for scandal. There is a foreword noting that this story was inspired by GRL conferences he attended in the past and explaining what is fictionalized and which events actually have occurred. Although I’ve never been to GRL, I have seen the posts and blogs and social media and anyone following those, or having attended, will definitely recognize events and the atmosphere of the fictional GRR conference in the story. I think he took quite a chance with this, but it worked for me.
The epilogue was perfect, where everything comes full circle for the characters including the villain, who gets his in a way that made me laugh out loud. Ultimately, The Escort a really sweet story between two men who are more similar than their outward appearance and careers would suggest.
This was my first Jeff Erno book and I had a lot of fun reading it. High-end escort Travis can’t believe it when he shows up for an overnight job, paid full in advance, and the youngish, nerdy looking Darren tells him he’s just looking for companionship, no sex. Seeing the wedding pictures inside the house and noting he resembles the man with Darren, he finds out that they are no longer together. The two talk about Travis’s past, his love of classic literature and his work. It’s then Darren aka author DJ Torrent proposes that Travis pose as his husband for five days at the Gay Romance Retreat. He’s never attended before and has social anxiety, so he’s hoping Travis will act as a buffer or distraction to his fans. He doesn’t even expect Travis to have sex, which definitely throws Travis who feels a bit rejected, although Darren does seem to like to look.
The story then moves right to the conference. As Travis and Darren navigate fans, parties, the swag room, readings and general conference mingling, the two form a quick bond. Travis quickly realizes he’s attracted to Darren but he isn’t quite sure what makes Darren so nervous about him. Darren has issues, but Travis is just the person to help him along. It’s only a matter of time before Darren falls for Travis’s many charms and their relationship moves to the next level. The two have more in common than either expected but knowing each other for such a short time, it’s no wonder they are keeping some things close to their chest.
As the two mingle and network there are an assortment of characters introduced, a fan who becomes a good friend, a blogger/aspiring writer with questionable intentions, the authors who both admire and disdain Darren and others all within the m/m community. With a crew that large, that nosy and that adept at navigating social media, you know it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out their story isn’t quite what they say it is.
This was a really sweet romance. Although time-wise the relationship happens quickly, it didn’t feel rushed at all to me. Darren doesn’t want more than companionship to start, but Travis quickly becomes someone he relies on and likes. The two are so lonely and both fear what will happen after their five days is over, but of course they can’t control how attached they become to each other. I thought they had great chemistry and enjoyed watching them slowly open up and be vulnerable with each other. Although Darren is 20 years older than Travis, the age-gap wasn’t a stumbling block at all. I loved that Travis was such a nurturer and Darren was more than happy to have him in that role when he needed it.
Part of what made this book so enjoyable is the setting within the m/m community. As part of the building relationship, Jeff Erno takes on the m/m genre’s penchant for scandal. There is a foreword noting that this story was inspired by GRL conferences he attended in the past and explaining what is fictionalized and which events actually have occurred. Although I’ve never been to GRL, I have seen the posts and blogs and social media and anyone following those, or having attended, will definitely recognize events and the atmosphere of the fictional GRR conference in the story. I think he took quite a chance with this, but it worked for me.
The epilogue was perfect, where everything comes full circle for the characters including the villain, who gets his in a way that made me laugh out loud. Ultimately, The Escort a really sweet story between two men who are more similar than their outward appearance and careers would suggest.
April 4, 2017
4 stars
There's something about this storyline that really appealed to me: m/m author gets rent boy to pose as husband to attend a GRL-like conference. I liked it. There was definitely sexy-times but their relationship also felt quite sweet to me. I've never attended GRL but I've read lots of blogs and comments about it and I think maybe this comes quite close to what a real GRL conference would be like? Probably the closest I'll ever come! To me, this story seemed to capture a lot of the good things about the m/m community. I'd really be interested in seeing a review of someone who's actually attended GRL.
There were a few typos, I think because this was self-published. However, they didn't pull me out of the story.
There's something about this storyline that really appealed to me: m/m author gets rent boy to pose as husband to attend a GRL-like conference. I liked it. There was definitely sexy-times but their relationship also felt quite sweet to me. I've never attended GRL but I've read lots of blogs and comments about it and I think maybe this comes quite close to what a real GRL conference would be like? Probably the closest I'll ever come! To me, this story seemed to capture a lot of the good things about the m/m community. I'd really be interested in seeing a review of someone who's actually attended GRL.
There were a few typos, I think because this was self-published. However, they didn't pull me out of the story.
June 1, 2017
I picked up this book when it was offered for free by the author a little while back. I liked the blurb, and the trope used here (man hires escort and they fall in love) is one I enjoy. Plus, having the story set at a GRL-like convention - heck, yeah, that clinched it.
In his foreword, the author explains that the characters within aren't necessarily real people, but are an amalgam of certain types of characters that have attended these conferences in the past.
As have I, and I can certainly say that the author evoked quite a few giggles and quite a few cringes in me while I was reading this book, because many of the characters are just spot-on showcasing behaviors I have seen myself.
It often seems that the events and behaviors woven into the plot of the book are tongue-in-cheek reminders of things that might have happened in slightly similar fashion, and have scandalously blown up in this genre on Facebook and Twitter. There are subtle read-between-the-lines moments that had me wonder just from whom the author drew inspiration for certain characters.
The plot is rather straight-forward - popular author DJ Torrent (Darren), in his mid-forties, hires a male escort (Travis) to accompany him to the GRR (Gay Romance Retreat) conference being held in St. Louis, MO. It's Darren's first time attending a conference, and since his husband Dan left him, he's become a bit of a recluse, but feels that after the success of his latest novel, he owes it to his readers to make an appearance. Knowing he won't be able to do so on his own, he hires Travis to pose as his husband at the conference.
Travis is in his mid-twenties and a high-end escort. Initially he's taken aback when Darren doesn't want sex and instead offers him an all-expenses-paid trip to a book conference, by pretending to be his husband. Travis has known heartbreak in his past, and has basically come to the conclusion that he'll never find real love, and certainly not in his current profession. He's an interesting and complex character, and there's much more to him than meets the eye(-candy). He realizes that his escorting days will eventually come to an end, but also doesn't think himself worthy to become anything more than what he is. He's still charming, smart, and kind, and his personality comes across very well.
The book covers five days of the conference, from arrival on Wednesday to departure after the Sunday morning breakfast, and quite a nice epilogue. There's drama, of course, what with someone basically assaulting Travis during the Cock Walk (yeah, this is a real thing, people), and then publishing a nasty blog post, exposing the truth about Darren and Travis, which thankfully backfires spectacularly on the blogger, but there's also a lot of love, not only between Travis and Darren, but also from certain conference attendees, who are supportive and kind. There's a line in which Travis describes the people at the conference as his "tribe" - and that's exactly what it feels like. I've attended three so far, and it is truly like a massive family reunion, with love of the genre being what we all have in common. You get to hang with like-minded people for four days, gush over books and authors, dance and drink, have a ton of fun, and create strong friendships that often carry over into real life.
It's fascinating, really, to read this book having attended these conferences and seen, to some extent, the individual behaviors described within. It made me think, too, actually, and remind me that the authors who attend GRL are real people, with real emotions, and while I too have fangirled over certain authors, I try to be mindful of the fact that they are real people with real emotions and real lives outside of writing the books we so enjoy, and thus I try to keep not my distance but be respectful of their personal space. Hugs are great when offered, but not expected.
Moving on.
I did have some niggles, specifically with the proofreading efforts. I can't say whether the author employed someone to proof-read this book, and while there weren't many spelling or punctuation issues, there were many times when Travis became Darren and Darren became Travis. While their voices are distinct, the narrative often mixed up their names, something a good proof-reader or proof-editor should have caught. Each time it happened, I was pulled out of the story, trying to decipher what name should go where.
My other niggle is the characterization of Zach, someone from Travis' past, someone who owes money to Travis, decides to blackmail him to keep quiet about the ruse, but then blabs anyway. I couldn't understand his motives, to be honest, and it didn't make sense for him to talk to Micah, the aforementioned blogger/assaulter, and expose Travis' secret. What was the point, unless this plot point was needed to make sure that Micah got the scoop he was after?
The book takes a rather unflinching look at what might go on at the conference, and I thought that publishing this might raise some eyebrows with some people. The romance is mostly believable, though there are instances where their actions are a little inconsistent. Darren keeping a massive secret from Travis felt realistic in light of the length of their acquaintance, but Jan knowing about it wasn't explained.
Despite these inconsistencies, I rather enjoyed reading this book. If you've never attended a GRL conference, don't believe everything you read within, as a lot of is is exaggerated, and if you have attended in the past - well, then, you might have a similar reaction as I did.
In his foreword, the author explains that the characters within aren't necessarily real people, but are an amalgam of certain types of characters that have attended these conferences in the past.
As have I, and I can certainly say that the author evoked quite a few giggles and quite a few cringes in me while I was reading this book, because many of the characters are just spot-on showcasing behaviors I have seen myself.
It often seems that the events and behaviors woven into the plot of the book are tongue-in-cheek reminders of things that might have happened in slightly similar fashion, and have scandalously blown up in this genre on Facebook and Twitter. There are subtle read-between-the-lines moments that had me wonder just from whom the author drew inspiration for certain characters.
The plot is rather straight-forward - popular author DJ Torrent (Darren), in his mid-forties, hires a male escort (Travis) to accompany him to the GRR (Gay Romance Retreat) conference being held in St. Louis, MO. It's Darren's first time attending a conference, and since his husband Dan left him, he's become a bit of a recluse, but feels that after the success of his latest novel, he owes it to his readers to make an appearance. Knowing he won't be able to do so on his own, he hires Travis to pose as his husband at the conference.
Travis is in his mid-twenties and a high-end escort. Initially he's taken aback when Darren doesn't want sex and instead offers him an all-expenses-paid trip to a book conference, by pretending to be his husband. Travis has known heartbreak in his past, and has basically come to the conclusion that he'll never find real love, and certainly not in his current profession. He's an interesting and complex character, and there's much more to him than meets the eye(-candy). He realizes that his escorting days will eventually come to an end, but also doesn't think himself worthy to become anything more than what he is. He's still charming, smart, and kind, and his personality comes across very well.
The book covers five days of the conference, from arrival on Wednesday to departure after the Sunday morning breakfast, and quite a nice epilogue. There's drama, of course, what with someone basically assaulting Travis during the Cock Walk (yeah, this is a real thing, people), and then publishing a nasty blog post, exposing the truth about Darren and Travis, which thankfully backfires spectacularly on the blogger, but there's also a lot of love, not only between Travis and Darren, but also from certain conference attendees, who are supportive and kind. There's a line in which Travis describes the people at the conference as his "tribe" - and that's exactly what it feels like. I've attended three so far, and it is truly like a massive family reunion, with love of the genre being what we all have in common. You get to hang with like-minded people for four days, gush over books and authors, dance and drink, have a ton of fun, and create strong friendships that often carry over into real life.
It's fascinating, really, to read this book having attended these conferences and seen, to some extent, the individual behaviors described within. It made me think, too, actually, and remind me that the authors who attend GRL are real people, with real emotions, and while I too have fangirled over certain authors, I try to be mindful of the fact that they are real people with real emotions and real lives outside of writing the books we so enjoy, and thus I try to keep not my distance but be respectful of their personal space. Hugs are great when offered, but not expected.
Moving on.
I did have some niggles, specifically with the proofreading efforts. I can't say whether the author employed someone to proof-read this book, and while there weren't many spelling or punctuation issues, there were many times when Travis became Darren and Darren became Travis. While their voices are distinct, the narrative often mixed up their names, something a good proof-reader or proof-editor should have caught. Each time it happened, I was pulled out of the story, trying to decipher what name should go where.
My other niggle is the characterization of Zach, someone from Travis' past, someone who owes money to Travis, decides to blackmail him to keep quiet about the ruse, but then blabs anyway. I couldn't understand his motives, to be honest, and it didn't make sense for him to talk to Micah, the aforementioned blogger/assaulter, and expose Travis' secret. What was the point, unless this plot point was needed to make sure that Micah got the scoop he was after?
The book takes a rather unflinching look at what might go on at the conference, and I thought that publishing this might raise some eyebrows with some people. The romance is mostly believable, though there are instances where their actions are a little inconsistent. Darren keeping a massive secret from Travis felt realistic in light of the length of their acquaintance, but Jan knowing about it wasn't explained.
Despite these inconsistencies, I rather enjoyed reading this book. If you've never attended a GRL conference, don't believe everything you read within, as a lot of is is exaggerated, and if you have attended in the past - well, then, you might have a similar reaction as I did.
April 24, 2017
This was a totally charming and well written book. I love the escort/rent boy trope anyway, but Jeff Erno gave it a refreshing take, with 2 main characters who are delightful and plausible. It's set at an MM conference based on a real one I've been to many times, and that was an extra entertainment for me. I liked the fact that although Travis, the rent boy, knew the job wasn't his ideal dream and was often sordid, he appreciated being admired and desired. And yes, I know this is just fiction! but it gave him a depth of characterisation beyond the usual.
February 7, 2017
Shockingly this is the first Jeff Erno book I’ve read! I know! Also, having never been to GRL or really any retreat for the LGBTQ community other than Rainbow Book Fair this book was quite eye opening.
The concept of this book was what caught my eye a great deal. I love the whole man (Darren) hires an escort (Travis) to pretend to be his husband to go to GRR. You KNOW they are going to be found out but you can’t place how. So you read and you meet smarmy people, drama queens, gossipy loons and all the while you’re trying figure out who is going to be the one to break up this happy couple.
Of course while all that's happening Darren and Travis are getting closer and closer. And it’s all building really well. Darren and Travis both have the same heartache…. If only they would communicate; but in all honesty minus that little miscommunication they really faced each problem head on. They were a united front.
Now, like I said I never attended any of these retreats and from a person lacking those experiences I had a few thoughts run through my head:
“Oh god is everyone so gossipy?”
“Sweet Jesus, why are all these women so grabby?”
“I don’t think I ever want to go to this.”
“Oh Jan and Lou are amazeballs!”
“Cock walk?”
So, yeah, I had thoughts LOL. It was very entertaining that’s for sure. Like a soap opera kind of. So I road that ride!
There’s a serious side to all of this though. In this genre, like many, there’s backstabbers and hurtful people. There’s also lifelong friends and amazing memories. I loved Travis and Darren together and what each of them did for each other. This is a love story. And it’s lovely!
The concept of this book was what caught my eye a great deal. I love the whole man (Darren) hires an escort (Travis) to pretend to be his husband to go to GRR. You KNOW they are going to be found out but you can’t place how. So you read and you meet smarmy people, drama queens, gossipy loons and all the while you’re trying figure out who is going to be the one to break up this happy couple.
Of course while all that's happening Darren and Travis are getting closer and closer. And it’s all building really well. Darren and Travis both have the same heartache…. If only they would communicate; but in all honesty minus that little miscommunication they really faced each problem head on. They were a united front.
Now, like I said I never attended any of these retreats and from a person lacking those experiences I had a few thoughts run through my head:
“Oh god is everyone so gossipy?”
“Sweet Jesus, why are all these women so grabby?”
“I don’t think I ever want to go to this.”
“Oh Jan and Lou are amazeballs!”
“Cock walk?”
So, yeah, I had thoughts LOL. It was very entertaining that’s for sure. Like a soap opera kind of. So I road that ride!
There’s a serious side to all of this though. In this genre, like many, there’s backstabbers and hurtful people. There’s also lifelong friends and amazing memories. I loved Travis and Darren together and what each of them did for each other. This is a love story. And it’s lovely!
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February 15, 2017
If You Believe The Cover...
I would think the guy with no shirt on the cover is supposed to be Darren (DJ), and he's supposed to be a 44-year-old slightly built M/M author. He hires Travis, in the background, ostensibly a much taller 25-year-old male escort to become his fake husband in order to get through the drama of a Gay Romance con--the first the now wildly popular DJ has experienced in years.
If you can put that cover together with the rest of the plot and the truly messed up personality that is Darren, you will enjoy the ins-and-outs of what is almost a minute-by-minute trip through five days in the lives of two pretty lonely and totally opposite men.
I had few problems with this one and the build up to a real romance is well handled. Surprisingly, what I imagined in the first few pages about what happened between DJ and his ex-husband turns out to be exactly what I thought--but so devastating that it takes your breath away.
All the little noshes and kibitzes along the way to the deeply happy ending are fine and dandy. Nice twist of genre for a writer who explains his rationale in a very sharp and smart preface. Enjoy it.
I would think the guy with no shirt on the cover is supposed to be Darren (DJ), and he's supposed to be a 44-year-old slightly built M/M author. He hires Travis, in the background, ostensibly a much taller 25-year-old male escort to become his fake husband in order to get through the drama of a Gay Romance con--the first the now wildly popular DJ has experienced in years.
If you can put that cover together with the rest of the plot and the truly messed up personality that is Darren, you will enjoy the ins-and-outs of what is almost a minute-by-minute trip through five days in the lives of two pretty lonely and totally opposite men.
I had few problems with this one and the build up to a real romance is well handled. Surprisingly, what I imagined in the first few pages about what happened between DJ and his ex-husband turns out to be exactly what I thought--but so devastating that it takes your breath away.
All the little noshes and kibitzes along the way to the deeply happy ending are fine and dandy. Nice twist of genre for a writer who explains his rationale in a very sharp and smart preface. Enjoy it.
February 4, 2017
The Escort by Jeff Erno is a fun read. What I particularly enjoyed about this book is it reminded me a lot of my own experiences at a romance conference. Everything from some can be catty to the ones you love and stay in touch with well beyond the conference. I also liked how in touch with author's feelings and some issues in the MM community this book got. I say this one is really well done from that perspective.
I also loved the connect that Travis and Darren develop over the time they are together. It feels very real. I loved the almost gentle heat they have. There is real chemistry there and I as the read felt that.
Travis he has been taking care of himself since he was 17. He is an escort and knows to how to turn on the charm to get what he needs. It does frustrate him at first that Darren appears immune to his charms. I think it causes him to really reach inside himself for the first time and see the man he has become.
Darren I loved this character. He is geeky, shy, and reclusive. I liked that he is very sweet and caring. I also liked how I knew there was more to his story than we at first knew about. He has many layers and as this book went on they slowly peel back to reveal the real man within.
Over all I say this one is a must read. Very romantic, very real, and most of all a book I could not put down.
Five Shooting Stars and a Reviewer's Choice Award
I also loved the connect that Travis and Darren develop over the time they are together. It feels very real. I loved the almost gentle heat they have. There is real chemistry there and I as the read felt that.
Travis he has been taking care of himself since he was 17. He is an escort and knows to how to turn on the charm to get what he needs. It does frustrate him at first that Darren appears immune to his charms. I think it causes him to really reach inside himself for the first time and see the man he has become.
Darren I loved this character. He is geeky, shy, and reclusive. I liked that he is very sweet and caring. I also liked how I knew there was more to his story than we at first knew about. He has many layers and as this book went on they slowly peel back to reveal the real man within.
Over all I say this one is a must read. Very romantic, very real, and most of all a book I could not put down.
Five Shooting Stars and a Reviewer's Choice Award
August 12, 2017
This book appealed to me in particular due the plot centering around a convention of sorts. In this case a Gay Romance Retreat, though in my opinion these conventions are all similar in nature no matter the genre, whether they are huge like comic-con or smaller like a subgenre novelist convention. It is all about bringing people together that share a common passion for something in life. In my own, it has been the GHFCW (General Hospital Fan Club Weekend) which I attended faithfully every year for many years. I now only go every few years and it is now about the friends and relationships that I have made over the years in attending the event rather than about the subject matter interestingly enough. If you have attended some “con” in your life, I think that you will enjoy the familiar surroundings this novel contains.
Darren, AKA DJ Torrent to his readers, has lived his life over the previous four years as essentially a shut in, but the success of his latest MM Romance novel has propelled him into the spotlight, making him feel an internal pressure to make a public showing to his fans. He is fearful of his level of anxiety at leaving his home to adventure into public and be surrounded by fans and the various social situations that will arise from such a gathering of people will probably induce tantamount panic attacks. He feels that he needs some sort of personal support, personal support that prior to four years ago was given by his husband Daniel who is no longer in the picture. So Darren hires an escort to play the part.
Enter Travis, a very social young man who makes a living as a “companion” to the elite closeted husbands of the swanky Detroit neighborhoods while harboring a secret love of literature and a romantic side that would paint him into a Cinderella story though he knows that will never be his reality. That is, until he accepts a job from a client to travel to a romance novelist convention in St. Louis and play the part of his husband and publicist. Taking care of Darren makes Travis feel like his happily –ever-after might just be possible after all.
The story was sweet with great characters. I had no quarrel with it and if it sounds like a plot that you would like then I say go for it. The only reason I did not give it a higher rating is because it could have used more editing and proofreading. There were parts where Darren was doing things with Darren when it was fairly obvious that the context should had have had “Travis” in one of those parts. Spell check cannot catch those types of errors. There were also a few places where either the sentence was missing a word or just needed to be reworded to make the context clear. These little things really should have been caught before publication. I dislike sloppiness.
Darren, AKA DJ Torrent to his readers, has lived his life over the previous four years as essentially a shut in, but the success of his latest MM Romance novel has propelled him into the spotlight, making him feel an internal pressure to make a public showing to his fans. He is fearful of his level of anxiety at leaving his home to adventure into public and be surrounded by fans and the various social situations that will arise from such a gathering of people will probably induce tantamount panic attacks. He feels that he needs some sort of personal support, personal support that prior to four years ago was given by his husband Daniel who is no longer in the picture. So Darren hires an escort to play the part.
Enter Travis, a very social young man who makes a living as a “companion” to the elite closeted husbands of the swanky Detroit neighborhoods while harboring a secret love of literature and a romantic side that would paint him into a Cinderella story though he knows that will never be his reality. That is, until he accepts a job from a client to travel to a romance novelist convention in St. Louis and play the part of his husband and publicist. Taking care of Darren makes Travis feel like his happily –ever-after might just be possible after all.
The story was sweet with great characters. I had no quarrel with it and if it sounds like a plot that you would like then I say go for it. The only reason I did not give it a higher rating is because it could have used more editing and proofreading. There were parts where Darren was doing things with Darren when it was fairly obvious that the context should had have had “Travis” in one of those parts. Spell check cannot catch those types of errors. There were also a few places where either the sentence was missing a word or just needed to be reworded to make the context clear. These little things really should have been caught before publication. I dislike sloppiness.
July 3, 2018
I like to think of myself as an “occasional” agoraphobic, as outlandishly gregarious as I can be the agoraphobia sometimes sneaks up on me. It starts in small step-by-step increments and then explodes until I am utterly unable to go to the store and even get something as simple as milk. When I push pass it, it’s almost as if it had always been a non-issue.
Though agoraphobia is just one of the many traits of the character Darren, I truly felt as if Jeff Erno got that right. And though I’ve never been to an M/M convention, I did attend a crap ton of conventions in the 80s and 90s. I imagine the big difference would be the notable absent of prosthetics and no one feels compelled to say, “Bean me up Scotty.” Other than that – it is what it is. Well there is all the hugging he describes, which would piss me the f— off and never happened at a Star Trek convention (except that one time when LeVar Burton was gracious enough to hug my niece).
An air of authenticity surrounding the HEA always makes a story so much more and Mr. Erno created this fiction immersed in reality. Darren and Travis are far from perfect, but I liken it to giving an RPG flaws and creating a more powerful character.
I hate that none of the guys on the cover could unequivocally be Darren, but I do like the cover – go figure.
On a side note, agoraphobia and New York City (native New Yorker here) really don’t mix well, so please don’t try this at home.
https://lillian168.blogspot.com/p/0-0...
Though agoraphobia is just one of the many traits of the character Darren, I truly felt as if Jeff Erno got that right. And though I’ve never been to an M/M convention, I did attend a crap ton of conventions in the 80s and 90s. I imagine the big difference would be the notable absent of prosthetics and no one feels compelled to say, “Bean me up Scotty.” Other than that – it is what it is. Well there is all the hugging he describes, which would piss me the f— off and never happened at a Star Trek convention (except that one time when LeVar Burton was gracious enough to hug my niece).
An air of authenticity surrounding the HEA always makes a story so much more and Mr. Erno created this fiction immersed in reality. Darren and Travis are far from perfect, but I liken it to giving an RPG flaws and creating a more powerful character.
I hate that none of the guys on the cover could unequivocally be Darren, but I do like the cover – go figure.
On a side note, agoraphobia and New York City (native New Yorker here) really don’t mix well, so please don’t try this at home.
https://lillian168.blogspot.com/p/0-0...
December 3, 2020
Really enjoyed this book. It's a M/M romance, so you really know from the beginning how it is going to end, but the plot of the story was very entertaining to follow. There was a lot to learn or at least think about in the story as well, such has dealing with anxiety, judging people without really knowing them and also that some people never learn what being a decent human being is all about.
May 3, 2017
This should have a warning about child sexual abuse!
Read
December 6, 2017DNF.ed at around 40%
I thought the idea behind the novel was pretty interesting and promising. Then I started reading it and suddenly it made no sense for him to ask an escort to pretend to be his husband when they could have just as easily have said he was a friend or a lover.
In addition, the dryness of the prose and the weirdness of the MCs just incrementally further ruined it for me.
I didn't really dislike this story but somehow I still feel as though I was disappointed.
I thought the idea behind the novel was pretty interesting and promising. Then I started reading it and suddenly it made no sense for him to ask an escort to pretend to be his husband when they could have just as easily have said he was a friend or a lover.
In addition, the dryness of the prose and the weirdness of the MCs just incrementally further ruined it for me.
I didn't really dislike this story but somehow I still feel as though I was disappointed.
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